Bicol Bus Crash Update: Ibalonians mourn the demise of George Evangelio

“Flash news lang ini pero mamundong bareta. Kaibanan sa nagadan sa banggaan kan Executive Carrier bus and Silver Star bus sa Pamplona si George Evangelio ta. Saro siyang late '70s na Ibalon na gikan sa Daraga and Aquinas. Sabi ni Arnel Astillero, na nakaolay na an eldest na aki ni George, an agom daa ni George ay irido, naka-confine sa sarong ospital sa Naga. An bangkay naman ni George ay nasa Funeraria de Nuestra Senora de Salvacion sa Legazpi (pakatapos ibalyo haling Funeraria Imperial sa Naga). Calling tabi sa mga nasa Naga and sa nakakabisto ki George. Me bareta akong paduman na da’a si Totoy Badiola. Salamat.“---Mighty Baylon, Davao City

“An narurumduman ko ki George, he was a happy, hopeful and kind
person. I'm sure he led a fruitful and meaningful life.”
---Benny Rayco, Legazpi City

“Sincere condolence to the family of George and prayers for the speedy recovery of Beth. Her children need her in this most difficult time of their lives.”
---Ona Vigil-Baylon, Davao City

“I remember George as a very gracious host samo ni Arnel, even inviting us for drinks sa videoke bar nya sa taas kan old daraga market.”
---James Sabio, Albay, Philippines

“I first knew of George's fatal accident when his name was shown on TV. I had my initial doubts if it was our George of UP Ibalon. But when i saw Daraga, Albay across his name, I knew it was him alright. Mighty's text only confirmed it.

I dropped by today at her sis in laws canteen in Sagpon, Daraga, Albay where i last saw George maybe a year ago. She told me that George and his wife Beth was on the way home in the Executive carrier bus after the check up of her wife in Manila. He was dead on the spot while his Beth suffered fractures and had stainless implants but is otherwise in stable condition. Their check up was reportedly already delayed by one week because they were still waiting for collectibles, having been saddled by the medical bills of Beth among others. Condolence to the family of George.”
---Dan Daz, Legazpi City

“The only agendum at Kopi Meeting in Naga is to know how to help the family of the late George Evangelio. Let us all come. I am one of those who did not have the chance to meet George in his lifetime, but this tragedy in his family really touches everyone of us deeply.”
---Andy Gimpaya, M.D., Naga City

“Hello everyone! Ini po an latest na bareta ko. Divided ang attention kan pamilya ta si Beth, yaon pa sa BMC. Dai pa daa puede ibyahe. Si Joshua, eldest son, ang yaon duman. You may contact him through his cell phone 09175580099. He is with his uncle David Supeña. Sa Daraga, you may contact members of the family through the following numbers: Home: 435-3457; Gigi Canteen: 483-0136 (Bing Supeña, Aunt)”
---Arnel Astillero, Albay, Philippines

“This is indeed a tragedy, a family of six to cap it all. I don't know George, his wife, or any of his kids. Since Simon is studying in Goa, Camarines Sur, tell him to come to my parent's house and introduce himself---- to my mother specially, and my wife Rebekah who’s still there. I'll give him some contribution as well. Be safe.”
---Jose (Boy) Remo, M.D., St. Louis, Missouri, USA

"Kun maaraman ta su insurance company kan carrier; kun may kabisto, hil’ngon ta
kun pwede kita mag lobby for an early claim payment. On the family's end, kaipuhan mag-prepare ning mga documento to support the claim: birth certificates of George & family, burial and funeral expenses, police report, medico-legal report, medical certificates, medical expenses including projected expenses for Beth if there are future treatments necessary na resulta dahil sa saiyang injuries.
—Honesto Oliva, Naga City

"Let's all pray for George's soul, for the speedy recovery of his wife and for his whole family."
---Edna Fatima Balaquiao, Naga City

“Hi, Benny & Grace! Hinahapot ko pa si Naning Mariano kun puwede gamiton su account duman as conduit kan gusto magpadara nin tabang.”
---Apolonio (Mighty) Baylon, Davao City

“Itinao ko na sa padara ni Mighty through BDO. Cherry Uy padara man through RCBC… Atty Alan Badiola and Boy Inigo were also there. We stayed up to 7:30PM.”
---Mac Pavia, Pio Duran, Albay

“Naka-receive man ako ning text from Mayor Bem Dycoco kahapon about the accidental death of George. Si info na pigtao sakuya is kaipuhan daa ning legal advice kan family niya on how to get financial assistance/claims from the bus company. Nakaulay ko for few minutes by cellphone si David, brother ni Beth. Si David yata ang nag-aasikaso kan pagdara kay Georgefrom a funeral parlor in Pamplona to Legazpi ngunyan na aldaw. Ang contact number niya: 0928-4238888.
----Atty. Alan V. Badiola, Rawis, Legazpi City

“Condolence sa pamilya ni George Evangelio. May he rest in peace. Hoping for the complete recovery of his wife… I asked my sister Ritzy Bermillo of Balatas, Naga City to call Ann Mariano to send in my donation to the George Evangelio fund.”
---Totie Mesia, M.D., Astoria, New York, USA

N.B: George Evangelio's bier is presently at the Nuestra Sra. de Salvacion Funeral Parlor in Legazpi City, Philippines. Those who desire to help his family, please contact Joshua Evangelio (09175580099; 435-3457); Bing Supena (483-0136) or Andy Gimpaya, M.D. (Naga) )==0==

Trimming Down Princess Chunk

In New Jersey, Princess Chunk, a 44 pound snow-colored obese kitty with brown ears and knowing eyes was found and put in a shelter. She'll be in a diet to tame her ballooning lithe body before she goes to find a loving adoptive home. The overweight feline turned out to be a prince on closer physical examination. His real name is Powder (08/01/08). Credit: AOL/CourierPost/AP/Schell,A.

Figuring The Right Grammar of Pulse Asia's Survey

According to the new survey of Pulse Asia taken in July 11-14, 2008, two thirds (~64%) of Filipinos express gloom and pessimism about their personal situation in the next 12 months. Morale is low.

Seventy nine (79) percent aren’t optimistic about the overall national situation. Three fouths (75%) consider themselves as losers (worse than last year,) compared to 59% four months ago.

These are outrageous numbers that fracture our confidence, numb our spines, and make our faces look ashen. Contrary to what Malacanang says, we may not need to validate the results for "ramdam na ramdam na natin ang resulta."

The State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo last July 28, 2009, ostensibly blamed foreign factors for the deterioration of the economy. There’s almost no admission of accountability and responsibility--- no mention of neglect, incompetence, or lack of foresight from our leaders. Surely, domestic factors such as pernicious corruption play a big role in the suffering of the people.=0=

Dreams of Gold Fizzles Before Beijing Olympics Starts

Nimble bodies flail up in the air, defying gravity. With agility, strength, and grace honed by pains-taking years of training, they roll-over, tumble, and ricochet like darting bullets at speeds that please the eye. Strained to the limits, their bodies go after the quintessential achievements in competitive sports.

In the coming Beijing Olympics, athletes accept the risks of injury if only to nail a glowing moment on the podium for themselves and for the country they represent. The challenge for an exceptional performance is so strong that some would do anything to pursue it.

The strict discipline of training, exercise, and diet may not be enough to assure a medal. Politics, government interference, change of health, and even foul weather can stand on the way. All the preparations may altogether be wasted if the window of opportunity to compete closes prematurely.

Paul Hamm, USA’s top seed for gymnastics gold, knows it first hand. (Photo:NYTimes/SilvermanB) He bows out from the race at the eve of the 2008 Beijing Games because of a strained rotator cuff and a hand fracture that didn’t recuperate on time. The same happened to legendary figure skater Michelle Kwan in 2006 Torino Winter Olympics when groin injuries booted her out of competition, abruptly ending her dreams of gold.

Nature has a way of demanding what must be for the body and the soul. Even the best of talented athletes are governed by the laws of injury and repair. It takes time for healing to proceed, be it in the mind or in the bone. =0=

Ibalonian George Evangelio dies with 11 others in a bus crash

“Three more people have died in a deadly collision between two passenger buses in Pamplona, Camarines Sur early Tuesday, July 29, 2008, bringing the death toll up to 11.

Radio dzMM reported that three of the 30 injured passengers brought to Bicol Medical Center were declared dead hours after the freak accident.

Earlier reports said eight people died after two buses collided along a highway in Barangay San Ramon in Pamplona town around 3 a.m.

Police investigations said a Silver Star bus from Tacloban City took the lane of a speeding Executive Carrier bus from Manila, causing the smash up.

Three of the fatalities were passengers of the Executive Carrier bus and the other five were occupants of the Silver Star bus. The names of the fatalities were not immediately available. The police were still investigating the incident.” ABS-CBN/dzMM (07/29/08)

Among the dead is UP Ibalon’s George Evangelio of Daraga, Albay. His wife Elizabeth who suffers from cancer sustained multiple injuries and fractures which needed surgery at the Bicol Medical Center where she's recuperating. He left behind six young children namely Rey Joshua, 21; Simon, 15; Sheena Mae, 11; Veronica, 9; George Matthew, 6 and Gabrielle Nicole, 4. His remains will be transferred from Funeraria Imperial of Naga to his hometown in Daraga, Albay where a wake in his honor will be held.

UP Ibalon grieves and expresses sympathy to the family of the deceased and to the other victims of the fatal road crash. Ibalonians Apolonio (Mighty) Baylon, Totoy Badiola, Fatima Edna Balaquiao, Dulce Bernardo, Arnel Astillero along with other concerned members in Bicol enjoin everyone to pray for the repose his soul.

George Evangelio is part of Batch78A which counts among its members Frank Mendoza, Ging San Jose, Fatima Edna Balaquiao, and Vic Ubaldo. For more details of his wake and burial, Mighty Baylon requests UP Ibalon members to contact Adolfo (Totoy) Badiola in Naga. =0=

Bare Truth or Fairy Tale? (Is Little Red Riding Hood & The Wolf One And The Same?)

“Because tough choices were made, the global crisis did not catch us helpless and unprepared. Through foresight, grit and political will, we built a shield around our country that has slowed down and somewhat softened the worst effects of the global crisis.

We have the money to care for our people and pay for food when there are shortages; for fuel despite price spikes. Neither we nor anyone else in the world expected this day to come so soon but we prepared for it.”

--- State of the Nation Address (SONA,) Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo, 2nd Regular Session of the 14th Congress Republic of the Philippines
28 July 2008

Be it for mom, a friend or an unknown soul, there's always a good reason to donate blood

"My pulse was bouncy like the gallop of a horse in the racetrack. I felt the familiar throbbing pain on my back and the squeezing sensation in my legs. Pallor and jaundice was obvious on my suffused eyes. I noticed my urine took the color of brewed coffee from Starbuck’s. --- I’m a patient now by Augusto F. Mesia, M.D.

That’s how a patient feels when he’s running out of blood. All the time, in hospitals worldwide, there is a person like him who requires transfusion. The need for blood never takes a break.

Be it for the unknown soldier profusely bleeding from gunshot wounds, a farmer's child stricken with Dengue, an old man gasping for breath because of hemorrhagic shock, a mother who suffers from severe anemia of pregnancy and parturition, a baby whose bone marrow had shut down as a result of cancer and chemotherapy----they all need our help. Without the gift of blood, they can die. We’re prodded to donate blood especially in lean days when blood banks run low in their inventories.

The Department of Health (DOH,) hospitals, civic organizations, schools, churches, the military, and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) set aside days for blood drives so we partake in saving the lives of people. We need to appreciate the importance of voluntary (vs. paid donors) blood-giving.

In the harrowing days of World War II, in bomb-torn Europe, people organized blood donation parties to shed for the wounded fighters in the battle fields. People from all walks of life willingly lined up to give blood. Not all of us had this edifying altruistic experience. We share little history of blood donations like them. Therefore it makes sense that we campaign for aggressive blood-letting.

The yearly collection of blood per year in the United States is about 15 million bags of whole blood and about 5 million are transfused as blood components. These components are derived from whole blood which include red cells, platelets, white cells, plasma, cryoprecipitate, gamma globulin (IVIg) and albumin. (Source: The National Blood Data Resource Center, 2001, the most recent year for which data are available.)

Risk Estimates for Blood Transfusions in the U.S.
Risk per Unit
Human Immunodeficiency Virus--- 1: 2 million
Using p24 Testing

Human Lymphocytotrophic Virus--- 1: 3 million

Hepatitis C Virus--- 1: 2 million

Hepatitis B Virus--- 1: 200,000

Source: American Red Cross, BloodSafety.org

A positive development in the Philippines, Dr. Eduardo Pedrosa, Department of Health (DOH) regional coordinator for blood donation in Visayas said there is a growing public awareness of the benefits of blood donation. Celebrating July as a blood month, he noted a rise of volunteer donors and increased number of blood bags collected---from about 11,000 to over 18, 000 units in 2007 in blood-letting programs. Their target for this year is 22,000 units. ABS-CBN-Tacloban (7/17/08, Docdocan, J.)

Blood donation is labor-intensive. From collection to actual blood transfusion, the chain of work is centered on safety. Pre-donation interviews and physical examinations are conducted. The screening and matching of compatible donors have become so stringent that the risks of adverse effects from donating and receiving blood have been kept to the barest minimum.

Who can donate blood?

In general, people of good health, at least 17 years old, weighing at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 2 months (not as frequent as every ~56 six days.) Whole blood is harvested and processed using aseptic techniques from healthy donors which satisfy the criteria of medical history, current physical health, and possible contact with transfusion-related infectious diseases. These requirements which may vary slightly from country to country, make blood far safer now than at the time immunologist-pathologist Dr. Karl Landsteiner discovered the ABO blood groups in the early 1900s. Although there are obstacles to tackle, our local blood banks are working hard to improve its service so that blood could be made a notch safer for donors and recipients alike. =0=

Boundless Love

Animals are as caring and affectionate as human beings. In captivity, they never lose their protective instincts. They look after their babies just like human parents.

In Alipore Zoo in Calcutta, India, a 24 day old baby giraffe gets a loving forehead touch from his dad. Photo Credit: AP/Das,B.

An 82% Drop In NY Times Profit Earnings: Why?

New York Times Chief Executive Janet Robinson blamed her company’s profit decline to the “US economic slowdown and secular forces playing out across the media industry.” Considering the sluggish business climate, she meant, the newspaper incurred high operational expenses and it lost some of its profit-generating advertisers.

“New York Times Co. says its second-quarter earnings fell 82 percent from the year-ago quarter boosted by a one-time gain. Meanwhile, print advertising revenue continued to shrink.

The New York-based newspaper publisher says its quarterly net income dropped to $21.1 million, or 15 cents per share, which included 11 cents per share in buyout costs.” Breitbart.com/AP (07/23/08) Photo Credit: AP/Lennihan, M.

The National Association of America (NAA) likewise reported newspaper industry’s sharpest fall in print classifieds in decades, needing the boost of internet ads revenue to counter losses. In the first quarter of 2008, total ad revenues for newspapers amounted to $804 million, a 7.2 percent rise over Q1 2007's $750 million. But this is lower than the 22% growth rate from the previous year. ClickZ Network (06/16/08, Kaye, K.)

There's more to the drop in NY Times earnings than what the eyes can see. Critics say the newspaper has pandered heavily to the anti-American agenda of the secular progressives, leftists, and liberals who tolerate bias and unbalanced reporting. The newspaper isn’t the kind that subscribers have been used to reading. This certainly causes alienation particularly among disappointed conservatives who expect non-partisan coverage and fairness in reporting.

A number of subscribers dropped out of advertising and readership, disillusioned by the perception that the newspaper is “biased, anti-American, and rabidly anti-Pres. George W. Bush.” There are those who complain NY Times gives lop-sided coverage for Barack Obama’s campaign in the current presidential race to the disadvantage of John McCain whose OpEd has been refused publication by the newspaper.

In 2003, there was Jayson Blair who resigned from the newspaper after being caught of plagiarism and fabrication. A few months ago, it printed innuendoes implying infidelity and wrongdoing in an unsubstantiated McCain-Vicki Iseman “affair.” The newspaper came up with the worst discouraging assessments about the Iraq War which made readers feel someone in America wanted the United States to fail. =0=

A Torture Chamber, A Safe-house For Travelers, A Street Named After A Bishop...Some Of Naga City's Notable Landmarks

Jose V. Barrameda, Jr.’s interesting account on some memorable landmarks in Naga City published in Bicol Mail this week (07/24/08, Barrameda, J.V.Jr.,) includes Penafrancia Avenue, the genteel paved road from Plaza Quince Martires at the city proper to the old Penafrancia Church. Though he didn’t describe much of what is in the stretch of the famed avenue, he gave us a glimpse of the old buildings that dotted the city in the past. Their historical significance proved very enlightening.

The Naga Police Station in Barlin Street served as an infamous torture chamber where brave Bicolano heroes and martyrs met their unjustified deaths during the Spanish time. Barrameda wrote:

“During the mass arrests in September 1896, Florencio Lerma (who was also held in the Casino Español); Cornelio Mercado; Don Tomas Prieto, alcalde of Nueva Caceres; and Macatio Valentin were brought to and tortured in the cuartel by Civil Guards under the direction of Captain Francisco Andreu, chief of the Guardia Civil in Ambos Camarines, and Don Ricardo Lacosta, Spanish civil governor of the province. The horrific torture wrenched the first of two legally infirm confessions from the frail pharmacist Prieto which the authorities used as basis for the arrest, torture and prosecution of scores of Filipinos in the province, some of whom were also subsequently forced to sign fabricated confessions under extreme duress.”

The author then clearly described Casa Tribunal along Elias Angeles Street, an edifice of brick and wood where the municipal council (ayuntamiento) similar to that in Spain, transacted government business in Naga in the last quarter of the 1800’s. The building also provided free accommodations to travelers who came to the city. After the Spanish and American occupations, the Casa Tribunal served a different purpose:

“Destroyed by American bombs in World War II… it was eventually rebuilt as a smaller wooden building that became the city police headquarters. After the century-old Spanish cuartel being used by the PC-INP burned down in 1978, the city government constructed a new building at the cuartel site which housed the Naga City Police Department. The former police headquarter building on this site became the Naga City Library until the latter’s transfer to its new, modern building in the City Hall complex.”

On the other hand, the Casa Espanol of Arana Street which was a social and recreational center of people of Spanish descent in Naga and neighboring towns had disturbing incidents when the Katipunan was discovered in Manila:

“Civil Governor Ricardo Lacosta ordered to mass arrest all over Camarines starting in September 1896. The Casino Español became one of several holding areas for harsh interrogation and violent torture. Among those taken to the Casino were Antonio Arejola, Camilo Jacob (from the infirmary of the San Francisco Church), Florencio Lerma (who was subsequently transferred to the nearby Cuartel General of the Guardia Civil), Macario Melgarejo, Mariano Ordenanza and Manuel Pastor, and from Daet, Roman Cabesudo, Ponciano Caminar, Diego Liñan, Valentin Lipana, Gregorio Luyon, Adriano Pajarillo, and Pedro Zenarosa. Many arrests were made on mere denunciation by Spaniards in meetings in the Casino.

Two years after, in 1898, enraged Nagueños violently trashed the clubhouse during the bloody uprising led by Elias Angeles and Felix Plazo."

Today, our young generation of Bicolanos may never know of Casa Real in General Luna Street where as early as 1588, the place, facing Naga River, served as the residence of the alcalde mayor of Nueva Caceres who had jurisdiction over the entire Bicol peninsula and Catanduanes. Unfortunately, like the buildings Barrameda described, the Casa Real had been razed, torn down, and largely forgotten.

Penafrancia Avenue was once called Calle Via Gainza, a famous city street memorializing Francisco Gainza, the illustrious Bishop of Nueva Caceres credited for establishing Colegio de Sta Isabel (Universidad de Sta Isabel) in 1868, the nation’s first normal school for girls. The great bishop also made curriculum improvements for the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary which became then, Bicol region’s top study hub for priests, religious, and lay citizens. As a pope delegate, Gainza was with the Bishop of Manila in opposing the stripping of the religious affiliations of rebel priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora (Goburza) as sought by the Spanish government in Manila.

What was unclear though was why Calle Via Gainza which aptly pays tribute to the bishop’s admirable contributions to Naga City was renamed as Penafrancia Avenue. The reason for the change was unclear.

In our minds, street names like Calle Via Gainza could have been better left alone. In a way, they are sentinels of a period in history gone by. Retaining old street names helps preserve our cultural linkage with the past. In simple practical terms, the postman’s job of delivering letters is made easy when old street names are retained. Unless there’s an imperative to make changes, old names better stay as they are. As invaluable remnants of the old, they make us remember the richness of our past; they make us feel the meaning of history. =0=

Aurora Borealis' Intriguing Noises & The Heavenly Apparitions Of Light

The eerie mysterious glow of light and hissing roar of the wind observed in the earth's polar latitudes is called the Northern Lights aka Aurora Borealis, named after the enchanting goddess of Dawn (Aurora) and the North (Borealis.)

Folklore surrounds the amorphous undulating kaleidoscope of colors. From time to time, they appear in the night sky more beautifully when the chilly winds of fall set in. Photo: US Airforce/Strang, J.

The cryptic sound from the bright polar horizon scares and puzzles human beings for millenia. Explorer Ernest William Hawkes, in his book The Labrador Eskimo (1916) has this to say about Aurora's mythic origin as the Eskimos have it in their tradition:

“The sky is a great dome of hard material arched over the Earth. There is a hole in it through which the spirits pass to the true heavens. Only the spirits of those who have died a voluntary or violent death, and the Raven, have been over this pathway. The spirits who live there light torches to guide the feet of new arrivals. This is the light of the Aurora. They can be seen there feasting and playing football with a walrus skull.

The whistling crackling noise which sometimes accompanies the Aurora is the voices of these spirits trying to communicate with the people of the Earth. They should always be answered in a whispering voice.”

Scientists have a better explanation for the spectacular light display in the sky. Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California, Los Angeles and his co-researchers in the THEMIS mission (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) said energy explosions are behind the bursts of light which occur a third of the way between Earth and the Moon. They are substorms, triggered by snapping “magnetic field lines” which cause the Aurora’s intriguing noises and heavenly apparition of lights. Associated Press (07/25/08, Dunn, M) =0=

Dolphy's Hindi Ko Ito Narating Na Mag-isa

With a bit of seriousness, a pinch of comedy, a dash of love, hope, and forgiveness, Dolphy, RP’s top comedian celebrates his 80th birthday on July 25, 2008 with a dazzling legacy book about his life entitled “Dolphy: Hindi Ko Ito Narating Na Mag-isa” which he dedicates to the Filipino Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs.)

Endearingly funny, self-deprecating, mature, and humble, this is what the apostle of laughter and reconciliation said of his fascinating life-story:

"Harinawa'y makapagdulot ng aral ang aking mga pinagdaanan….Kung kayo may nasaktan ko, patawarin niyo ako, at kung kayo ang nagkasala sa aki'y pinatatawad ko na kayo.” ABS-CBN, News.com (07/25/08 Buan-DeVeza,R.)

In spite of his foibles, it must be effortless for tinseltown’s most beloved jester to once again capture the hearts and dreams of many Filipinos worldwide whom he partly credits for his phenomenal success. Unlike his colleagues in TV and movies, Dolphy chooses to entertain people rather than be in the business of politics. The people respect and adore him for sticking to what he does best---make everybody happy.=0=

Employment Prospects For Nurses Further Dim As 27,765 Pass Licensure Test

Nursing, the Philippines’ over-represented and most popular profession has recently added 27,765 to its roster of board examination passers when the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) released the names of successful examinees on July 25, 2005.

The number represents 43% of a total of 64,459 examinees who took the June, 2008 licensure test. The new nurses are expected to further clog the bottle-neck in foreign (OFW) and domestic employment which is experiencing a slump in job recruitment.

Hiring is expected to tighten owing to oversupply and lack of demand. The government needs a rational strategy to solve the growing joblessness among licensed nurses and those who fail to pass the board exam in the country.=0=

Sizing Up GMA's SONA: What The US Ambassador Wants To Hear Versus What The People Feel

More than a week before Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's (GMA) State of the Nation Address (SONA,) there was this type of conditioning the government wanted for its people. The pompous military, 6,000 strong, hammered peace on the people's mind even if according to them, there was no threat of disturbance. In a bewildering display of “respect for human rights,” police officers, in their scary gears and numbers, agreed to go on a human rights seminar. At the same time they assured the SONA will be a peaceful event.

But barely a week before the speech, there are pictures of armed military men here and there, in full-battle regalia, readying for something that one could only guess as preparedness for mayhem. (Photo Credit: Malaya/SalvadorR) The story has turned symbolically worrisome. The government is fully aware of the people's widespread antipathy towards GMA, the most unpopular president since 1986.

There are reports of NPA ‘sparrows” who’d try to bring chaos at the SONA on July 30, 2008, giving advance warnings to anti-government protesters of what to expect if they venture out in the streets. Superficially, people can’t tiss apart truth, genuine public concern, and military scare tactics.

In a rather awkward statement, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney in Manila says she wants to hear GMA speak on the successes of her economic policies and the government’s in-roads in the peace process in Mindanao. The ambassador puts a positive spin on GMA’s SONA, but what she says doesn’t jibe with what the Filipinos are thinking.

"I think the President has made a lot of economic reforms and the Philippine economy has been doing well. I'm hoping she'll tell us more that she's continuing on that important point of her program."

“We are hopeful and eager to see a comprehensive peace agreement in Mindanao. I think that will be so important for all citizens of the Philippines, for economic growth, and we are ready to continue to be a dedicated partner in that search," Kenney said. Malaya (07/24/08, DeVera,E.)

Her remark seems a cheap shot at diplomatic correctness which most likely doesn’t reflect the Filipino sentiment at the moment. For sure Filipinos don’t want words that they can’t nibble especially if these words fall short of truth. They want a concrete plan of action which they can bring to their sleep: a solution to the hunger they’re facing. The people ask for accountability, a panacea for the rising prices of fuel and groceries, and they demand a resolution to the unsolved government corruption scandals---problems which simply don’t go away and leave the people numb in despair. =0=
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Dr. Fish Does Unusual Pedicure In A Foot Spa

Business-minded people don’t seem to run out of ideas. In the case of John Ho who runs a hair and nails spa someplace in Washington D.C., having a small carp-like fish called garra rufa (aka Dr. Fish) to do pedicure for his customers seem a good business proposition.

"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said. AP/photo (07/21/08, Barakat, M.)

Before a standard foot care and grooming service, Ho's patrons are allowed a deep in a water tank where the gentle fish, numbering about a hundred, carefully nibble away dirt and debris from the skin surface. The fish acts like a natural razor, removing the exfoliating scaly skin while the foot thaws in mildly warm water.

For $35 and $50 per 15 and 30-minute service respectively, the ticklish fish pedicure is like the traditional stone rub (perhaps, the latter being more efficient,) which rids the foot of its shedding stratum corneum, the cornified outer skin layer. Whether the fish pedicure is sanitary and safe or devoid of any public health risks remains to be seen. =0=

Dark Knight's Blockbuster Bonanza, Zimbabwe's $100 Billion Dollar Note, & GMA's Dismal Popularity Rating

$155.34 million
-Hollywood’s popular record-breaking block-buster entertainment “The Dark Knight” is Christopher Nolan’s dark sequel to “Batman Begins” which drew excited fans and profits in tinseltown on the first week of showing. Recently deceased actor Heath Ledger acts as the Joker. There are those who think the movie is too violent and may not be appropriate for kids below 12.

$100 billion note
-To cope with a hyperinflation of 2.2 million percent, Zimbabwe’s Central Bank issued this latest huge bank note in a series of high money denominations, to deal with cash and food shortages leaving 80% of its people below the poverty line.

(-) 38%
-Social Weather Station (SWS) revealed the dismal approval rating of Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo on July 18, 2008, making her the most unpopular Philippine president since 1986. It’s lower than her (-) 33% approval rating in May 2005, prompting Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, head of CBCP to advise the president to take her unpopularity “seriously.”

4,124
-The number of US military troops who died in the Iraq War since it started 5 years ago, according to a recent count by the Associated Press on July 20, 2008.

0
-No one has lost money in FDIC-insured savings of up to $100,000 in the last 75 years, said Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson who cautions anxious Americans of harder times ahead, but assures the soundness of the US banking system.

30 days
-The expected time to retrieve the estimated 200,000 liters of industrial fuel and 10 metric-ton toxic endosulfan trapped in the sunken Princess of the Stars (threatening to pollute the Sibuyan Sea.) The projected cost of retrieval is $7.5 million (P318 million.)

87 drums
-Number of missing drums of toxic toluene diisocyanate (apart from the hazardous 10 metric tons of endosulfan and ship fuel in the Princess of the Sea) that need retrieval from another ship, M/V Ocean Papa, also grounded by Typhoon Frank.

2,167
-Central Luzon’s number of dengue fever cases, a rise of 273% from last year’s number with two reported deaths as of July 21, 2008.

$1.42 billion
-Total remittance of OFW’s in May 2008, a 15.5% increase from last year’s. This is accompanied by the exodus of 533,945 Filipinos, a 39.5% rise in the first five months of 2008 who seek jobs abroad.

$145.59 million
-The amount of foreign investments withdrawn from the Philippines in June, 2008---a reversal to last year’s inflow investments totaling $871.41 million which entered the country. A total of $417 million from foreign investors left the country since Jan. 2008. =0=

Penafrancia Fiesta 2008

It’s in September when Bicolanos pay tribute to the Virgin of Penafrancia, the patroness of the Bicol region in the Philippines. Wrapped in lore and tradition, the age-old Marian devotion starts with the Traslacion, a religious procession which brings Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia’s brown image and the Divino Rostro (Divine Face) of Jesus to the Naga Cathedral marking the start of the annual nine-day prayers.

Drawing enthusiastic crowds from all corners of the world, the feast of food, family reunions, prayers, parades, thanksgivings, and revelries, is highlighted by a colorful river procession of devotees and “voyadores,” marking the return of Ina’s ebony icon in her home at the Basilica Shrine. Photo Credits: Raph Garcia/Colnago/etal=0=


FESTIVITIES IN HONOR OF THE OUR LADY OF PENAFRANCIA AND DIVINO ROSTRO 2008
Naga City, Philippines

GENERAL SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

September 3 – September 11, 2008
5:00 PM - Solemn Novenary Masses in honor of the Divino Rostro at the Basilica of Peñafrancia

September 11
4:30 AM - Penitential Procession in honor of the Divino Rostro

September 12 (Friday) FEAST DAY OF THE DIVINO ROSTRO

4:30 AM - Penitential Procession in honor of the Divino Rostro
6:00 AM - Pontifical Concelebrated Mass (Peñafrancia Basilica)
12:30 PM - TRASLACION Procession from the Basilica to Naga Cathedral



September 12 - 20, 2008
5:00 PM -Solemn Novenary Masses in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia (Naga Metropolitan Cathedral)

September 13 (Saturday)
5:00 PM Novena Mass

September 14 (Sunday)
5:00 PM Novena Mass

September 15 (Monday)
5:00 PM Novena Mass

September 16 (Tuesday)
6:00 AM - Pontifical Mass (Naga Cathedral)
Diocese of Virac
8:00 AM - Pontifical Mass (Naga Cathedral)
Prelature of Libmanan
5:00 PM - Novena Mass

September 17 (Wednesday)
6:00 AM -Pontifical Concelebrated Mass (Naga Cathedral )
Diocese of Daet
5:00 PM -Novena Mass

September 18 (Thursday)
6:00 AM -Pontifical Concelebrated Mass (Naga Cathedral)
Diocese of Sorsogon
8:00 AM -Pontifical Mass
Diocese of Cabanatuan
5:00 PM -Novena Mass
5:30 PM -Union of Bicol Clergy Mass – (Cathedral Church)
7:00 PM -Clergy Night (Archbishop's Residence)

September 19 (Friday)
4:00 AM - Penitential Procession in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia from the Cathedral towards the South
(Downtown Area)
6:00 AM - Pontifical Concelebrated Mass
Diocese of Masbate
8:00 AM - Pontifical Concelebrated Mass (Naga Cathedral)
Diocese of Legazpi
10:00 AM - Pontifical Concelebrated Mass (Naga Cathedral)
Military Ordinariate
5:00 PM - Novena Mass
7:00PM - Prayer Vigil (Adoracion Nocturna Filipina)-(Naga Cathedral)

September 20 (Saturday) Metropolitan Cathedral
4:00 AM - Penitential Procession in honor of Our Lady of
Peñafrancia from the Cathedral towards North
Bagumbayan Area)
6:00 AM - Pontifical Concelebrated Mass (Archdioceseof Caceres)
8:00 AM - Concelebrated Mass
10:00 AM - Concelebrated Mass
3:00 PM - GRAND FLUVIAL PROCESSION
6:00 PM - Pontifical Concelebrated Mass (Basilica Diamond Jubilee Pavilion)

September 21 (Sunday) SOLEMNITY OF OUR LADY OF PEÑAFRANCIA
- Community Masses at the Basilica Church
at 4:00 AM – 8:30 PM and
Basilica Diamond Jubilee Pavilion
at 5:00 AM –11:00 AM

PONTIFICAL CONCELEBRATED MASSES:
Basilica of Peñafrancia
6:30 AM - For the Society of Jesus, Vincentians and Daughters of Charity
8:00 AM - Archdiocese of Caceres
9:30 AM - Diocese of Sorsogon
11:00 AM - Diocese of Legazpi
6:00 PM - For the Filipino-Chinese Community

The Bounty of Green River Formation: Hyping America's Vast Oil Shale Reserve

We’ve bad mouthed the use of oil because it pollutes the environment. Yet for a time, in spite of our need to clean up the atmosphere and help lessen global warming, we’re still stuck with fossil-fuel based technologies. Until we perfect our cleaner alternatives of solar, electro-magnetic, nuclear, wind, hydroelectric, hydrogen, fuel cell etcetera versus the use of oil, there’s always this temptation to tap the bowels of the earth for precious combustible hydrocarbons to fuel the world economy.

The United States of America is ambivalent about drilling, but right at the heartland, the nation which owns 25% of the world’s wealth, has a vast reserve of shale oil that boggles the imagination of dreamers, prospectors, and entrepreneurs.

Oil shale is hard to unlock and stubborn to get. That’s the downside. But if this reserve is extracted and utilized (with utmost care to spare the environment,) the benefit will not only be for Americans, but for the world as well. The fast growing economies of China and India alone have astronomically raised the world’s need for oil and there is little indication that it’s abating.

“While oil shale is found in many places worldwide, by far the largest deposits in the world are found in the United States in the Green River Formation, which covers portions of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.


The estimates of the oil resource in place within the Green River Formation range from 1.2 to 1.8 trillion barrels. Not all resources in place are recoverable; however, even a moderate estimate of 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from oil shale in the Green River Formation is three times greater than the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia.

Present U.S. demand for petroleum products is about 20 million barrels per day. If oil shale could be used to meet a quarter of that demand, the estimated 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from the Green River Formation would last for more than 400 years.” –Oil Shale Resources of USA, Source: ostseis.anl.gov/guide/oilshale/index.cfm =0=

"If you are poor, you are not likely to live long"

“There are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate who have not been able to conquer poverty. Poverty has gripped our people. If you are poor, you are not likely to live long.” –Nelson Mandela’s Message to the World on his 90th Birthday (07/18/08)



A towering symbol of anti-apartheid, an inspiration of decency, pardon, and resolute defiance against injustice, Nelson Mandela, 1993 Nobel peace prize awardee who served 27 years in jail, celebrates his 90th birthday on Friday, July 18, 2008, in his home with his family in Qunu, South Africa, 18 years after he was released from prison, 14 years after he was elected president in his country’s first democratic National Assembly election, 10 years after he married his 3rd wife Marcha Grachel, and 4 years after his recession from public life. Photo Credit: Habebe/AP

“This man, who had been vilified and hunted down as a dangerous fugitive, incarcerated for nearly three decades, would soon be transformed into the embodiment of forgiveness and reconciliation. Those who had hated him would, most of them, be eating out of his hand----the prisoner become President, in time to be admired by the whole world in an extraordinary outpouring of adulation.“ No Future Without Forgiveness (1999, Tutu, Desmond. p10.)=0=

Wow Words For Al Gore's Climate Agenda

There is little argument against Al Gore’s call for a shift from fossil-fuel based energy sources to environmentally friendly fuel alternatives to preserve the planet. His ambitious target date for the next US president to accomplish this is 10 years. But those who know Gore and his gas-guzzling life-style know better. He isn’t immaculately in synch with his climate agenda making them suspect politics or hypocrisy to be partly behind his high-brow rhetoric.

As a famed leader of the environmental movement, the Nobel prize-winner Gore joins California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats, and Liberals to promote clean sources of energy by tapping on solar, wind, hydroelectric, and hydrogen power. Surely, this is good to the environmentalists' and green planet-savers' ears. However, for practical purposes, these energy sources aren’t well-developed to meet our present requirements. It will take sometime, most likely exceeding the timeline Gore has envisioned, before sanitized technologies will dominate our energy consumption.


Many experts believe the rational approach to the energy shortage is to do everything. We require all technologies and means: oil drilling, methane gas, coal, electro-magnetic, bio-fuels, and nuclear power (in addition to what the Democrats prefer) for us to be energy sufficient at this time. Others advocate to open USA's Strategic Petroleum Reserves to ease up the price of gasoline.

Drilling oil in the vast continental USA, off-shore reefs, inland Utah-Wyoming-Colorado shales, and the Alaskan National Wilderness Reserve is basically what the majority of Americans want. They know these resources have to be tapped, sooner or later. They think it's cost-saving and time-efficient to have them set up ahead, anytime we need them.

But the lawmakers, influenced by lobbyists and interest groups, have been indecisively slow. People complain why these authorities aren’t listening. There appears to be a big gap to bridge between them and what the government decision-makers plan to do.


Hampered by the fear of adding more damage to the environment, the Democrats like Gore who resisted oil exploration, are being blamed for having dilly-dallied since 10 years ago, against the proposal of Pres. George W. Bush and the Republicans. As the energy crisis comes full-blown to a level which hurts, we’re caught flat on our noses.

Many believe, had we started tapping America’s rich energy reserves earlier (as carefully as we can to avoid unduly adding to the destruction of the planet,) pipes could have been in place to gush oil needed to solve our present fuel problems. But excuses are commonplace in politics. The gamut of reasons why they can’t do the drilling now is as strong as our fear of global warming---as many as the bewildering explanations why oil prices continue to rise.


Overcoming political party squabbles and setting aside the environmental debacle, we must do everything to solve the present energy crisis. While we start cleaning up our planet of pollution and avert the deleterious effects C02 emissions in the environment, we can’t escape using oil for awhile. Without perfecting the technologies of other sources of energy, we can’t focus in tackling the issue of global warming right at the core.

We’ve been trying to tap energies from solar, wind, water, and nuclear to run our industries and light up our cities. When done in a large scale, this will surely rebalance the equation of energy supply and demand. Alternative sources of energy will lessen speculations in oil futures---one of main reasons which drive worldwide fuel prices sky-high.

We’ve made in-roads to replace our cars with the hybrids, the plug-ins, the bio-fuel driven, and the ethanol-powered. Yet it will take sometime before clean, efficient, and less costly hydrogen and fuel cells will be in wide use to free us from our dependence on gas. Al Gore's audacious target is fine, but can we do it? When the private entrepreneurs and government doers ride the wagon, maybe we will.=0=

Mars Exploration: Inching Its Way To Find The Ultimate Proof Of Life

Space exploration is moving ahead to prove what we’ve long suspected. After years of myth and lore on what goes on in our solar system, a quintessential find might be in the offing. We’re at the brink of finding the most compelling evidence of life in Mars which could alter the way we look at ourselves and the space around us.

Not long after the Martian Phoenix Lander successfully landed on the red planet, the instruments discovered solid ice. Water, its liquid form, had been regarded as a vital ingredient for life to thrive. This week, scientists showed us new photos of the Martian landscape’s interior: brown rocky plains, meandering riverbeds, and red dunes against a dry mysterious horizon.

In astonishing detail which delighted geologists, Mars revealed more lakes, pools, towering cliffs, stone-covered plains, sandy basins, and dendritic gulleys reminiscent of the Arizona’s Grand Canyon carved over eons by what might be the work of water torrents.

Though the landscape looks sere, the awesome footprints of once flowing rivers are there. It’s said, the presence of clay-like substances called phyllosilicates, suggests liquid water percolated into the stony planet’s surface during the Noachian period, about 4.6 billion to 3.8 billion years ago.

"The big surprise from these new results is how pervasive and long-lasting Mars' water was, and how diverse the wet environments were," said Scott Murchie, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM’s) principal investigator at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

"Water must have been creating minerals at depth to get the signatures we see…What does this mean for habitability?.... It was a benign, water-rich environment for a long period of time," said John Mustard of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, who worked on the study. ScienceNews/Reuters (07/16/08, Fox, M.)

At the heart of our excitement, old controversies of space exploration roil. People of religion are wondering if finding life away from earth contravenes the teachings of faith. Those concerned with the economy think whether space travel is a waste of money which could benefit the millions of starving people on earth. Nations mull on what use we have with the mineral-rich real estate in Mars that will benefit mankind (Photo Credits: NASA, FUBerlin, DLR, AP, Reuters.)

The bottom line: We’re getting the fruits of the hardwork, ingenuity, vision, and will-power of men who want to advance the frontiers of human endeavor. With new discoveries at hand, old theories must go for better understanding of the secrets which lurks in the ink blackness of space. =0=

The Ibalon Children

Alas! James Baldwin was right about children when he said:

“For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.”

I was in New York University Langone Medical Center psyching myself up, casting away worry while I was in the hospital. That was before I got my boost of two units of PRBC’s---irradiated packed red blood cells, blood type O pos, E-, K- Fya- Fyb- Jkb- S-, and CMV-.

Like before, the nurses complained of the blood bank’s difficulty for a compatible blood type. Vicious antibodies were wrecking my red cells. Testing and matching were hard. But I was unwilling to dwell on that. Instead, I quietly stared at the cerulean reflection of the shimmering East River below, 14 stories down my window, feeling the joy of that bright sunny summer day.

Before the Benadryl and Tylenol pills hugged my senses to sleep, I was miles away, dreaming of wonderful things the world had shown me. I was able to put my illness at the back of my head. I rested comfortably at the onset of the transfusion like the guy in that very old movie, Soylent Green, except, I was there not to die, but to pursue life.

Buried in my reverie, I had my laptop in front of me. I got emails streaming after the right electrical outlet kept the machine running. The one from Gods Lanuza was particularly interesting. He sent me a very late birthday greeting which was more than compensated by a few attached beautiful pictures.

My Ibalonian pal showed his latest family picture with wife Julie Surtida from Vancuover, BC. Thia, his special little girl was with a profusion of blooms. The field of spring tulips was breathtaking. Looking at them, I felt I wasn’t in no immediate need of blood at all. Their fiery red color quickly bathed my pale ailing RBC’s to life.

From Manila, Dr. Arnel V. Malaya and his wife, the former Dr. Josie Canlas, sent me the picture of their only daughter Tintin, another Ibalon angel who lives in Katipunan Road, just a stone's throw from UP Diliman Campus. In her yellow blouse, cute Tintin looked so innocent and smart like the budding little lady next door. She was a toddler, barely able to rise from her crib when Arnel and Josie showed me her picture a few years ago.


In a separate file, I looked at the picture of 7-year old Andre Mesia-Romano, my nephew who arrived from Florida with her mom Annie a week ago to visit me. I wished I had Andre’s boundless energy and sharpness of mind. When he knew my laptop’s audio wasn’t working well, he handily fixed it so he could show me his favorite videos. The smart little boy from Jacksonville’s Trinity Grade School reminded me of Garrison Keillor’s loving thought about children:

“Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.”

Close by in Long Island, New York there was this picture of Bingbing Badiola's little Brandon with loving dad Dave. I remembered Mommy Franz Badiola and her Ibalon brood in a recent reunion: Annelee Badiola-Lojo, Adolfo (Totoy) Badiola, Monette Septimo-Badiola etc.---and their families.

Then, I dug into the calmly family picture of Dr. Yasmin Paje in Canada (see top photo.) One of my favorite Ibalon dames, Min exuded her grace and maternal instinct to the hilt---far more than the mothering and deanship she showed us when we were in UP. Her three smart children, including only boy Alfonso, had grown so fast under the care of Poppa Joel Banzon, the doting father of the brood.

All the photos made me impervious against fear and doubt. I went home strong and energized after the procedure. It was good I had that small cache of pictures which I wanted to show you in this wall. I recalled them all---those who continued to touch and brighten the way for UP Ibalon’s next generation. =0=

Like Filipinos, Americans Have Money Troubles Too!

In an article by Glen Curtis (Investopedia.com,) an interesting graph from US Bureau of Economic Analysis caught my attention. It’s a telling illustration of our floundering savings rate when the cost of living around us is skyrocketing.

Waking up to a world threatened by economic uncertainty and global recession, Americans are unable to save enough for the future. They have pressure from poor countries who ask them (plus their rich counterparts in the developed world) to share and redistribute wealth worldwide to stave off scarcity and famine.

But like Filipinos, Americans are aching in their pockets too. They don’t save as much money as before.

Burdened by impulse buying, house mortgages, and rising costs of credit card debts, the average personal savings rate of Americans is negative 0.5% in 2005, a time when they dug deep into their savings and spent all their incomes. This was close the worst savings rate in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression when savings rate plunged to negative 0.7%.

Today, the US income savings rate is about 0.5%, far short of the recommended 10%, to protect from unexpected money troubles in the future. According to experts, a savings below 5% of income brings serious possibility of financial ruin. They advise an allowance of at least 6 months of salary savings to cushion for any unforeseen change in our cash needs---unemployment, loss in natural disasters, illness, divorce, death in the family to name a few.

More belt-tightening is required of us to avoid becoming a bankruptcy casualty. We need to work harder and longer. It’s important to know where we are in our finances so we can make the needed corrections before our money situation worsens.=0=

GMA's SONA & Her 6,000 Policemen

“Super Task Force Kapayapaan” (Peace) is the military’s grand plan for Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's (GMA) 8th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 30, 2008. Part of the event’s preparation is a human rights seminar for the 6,000 police officers who’ll keep the peace and order of Manila during the president’s speech.

Although there’s no serious threat of turbulence, the military couldn’t take any chances. The government is poised to mobilize a gargantuan display of security: a good number of men summoned from other regions of the country, to key points of the metropolis--- a move only GMA and her supporters could exactly explain why.

But one can guess what’s in the poor people’s mind. These security forces and their intimidating gears will guard protest landmarks of the past such as the Batasan Pambansa, EDSA Shrine, Legarda, Bustillos, J.P Laurel, Claro M. Recto, Liwasang Bonifacio, Mediola Bridge, Malacanang Palace, and the US Embassy. The presence of 6,000 troops acts both ways--- as protection and intimidation. As the chance of mayhem rises with discontent, the need to show military force ever increases.

The country struggles to show its commitment to protect people’s freedom in the wake of economic uncertainty, unresolved killings and unchecked human rights violations. In near oblivion, the sensational Kuratong Baleleng case remained a bloody crime puzzle since 1995. Amidst denials, police officers were accused of the brutal killing of 11 suspected thieves. There was the unsolved “rub-out” of 3 RCBC bank “robbers” in Tanauan, Batangas in May, 2008.

The police Traffic Management Group killed three suspected car robbers in an alleged shoot-out in Ortigas in 2005. Bubby Dacer’s family hadn’t stopped pointing on Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the then chief of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission thought to be the brains behind the murder.

The US Department of State found in 1999 that the Filipino security forces were responsible for extra-judicial killings, torture, violence, disappearances, intimidations, and abusive arrests. The Commission of Human Rights (CHR) chief Leila de Lima summed up the outrageous record saying, ”the police is the #1 violator of human rights.” She recognized the importance of an unrelenting campaign against injustice when she affirmed the role of CHR:

“For as long as necessary, we will continue to issue these statements on violations specific to law enforcement agents, such as illegal arrests, arbitrary detentions, excessive use of force, EJKs (extra-judicial killings) and even the indiscriminate parading of suspects to the media, a practice which, I must note with much chagrin, has not stopped.” Inquirer (07/15/08, Papa, A)

Sadly, the poor record of human rights isn’t the only issue the Filipinos must fight for. With Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo delivering SONA, the public doesn’t expect anything decisively new to bring relief to their problems. Instead, the people anticipate her repeat appeals for calm and resilience, beside her trusted military defenders, in the midst of worsening economic conditions.

The public feels unease and disappointment for the promised “strong republic” which GMA hasn't delivered. The Filipinos seem feeble and tired in their complaints. They’re busy lining up for rice, seeking work, and dreaming where they would go in case the worst of the tempest come. In contrast to the costly SONA the government is preparing for, the people are feeling the pinch of spending for mass actions, protests, and rallies---many may not even have cash to buy gasoline for a ride to EDSA.

The burgeoning hardness of the day can only make them stretch their optimism. They hope the window of opportunity to solve their problems hasn’t been totally shut tight. =0=

Politically (In)correct?

This is the New Yorker’s satirical lampoon which appeared in the magazine’s cover on its July 21, 2008 issue which drew flak from both sides of the political aisle.

The Democratic and Republican parties were quick to notice and condemn the illustration which depicted Barack Obama in a Moslem nightgown and wife Michelle in military boots with AK47, as “tasteless and insensitive.” The caricature artist attempted to make fun of the misinformation used in the on-going presidential campaign---a move some consider to be inflammatory, but others believe to be part of the normal journalistic tradition. PhotoCredit: AP

Fue coronada como mujer mas bella del mundo: Ah! Miss Universe 2008

A peek on Venezuela's pretty Dayana Mendoza who walked away with this year's Miss U title today, July 14, 2008, in a pageant held in Vietnam. Photo credit: Associated Press

"In the age of string theory, singularity, and parallel universes, something racist is in a black hole."

Political correctness (PC) is straining our ability to express ourselves. It’s confounding our proper use of language, the right way of thinking and looking at things. In our effort to avoid hurting the feelings of our neighbors, we've become too careful, sometimes hypocritical in the way we present ourselves.

Until some race-sensitive people who are opposed to being reminded of the label “nigger” (a vestigial remnant of the harrowing days of slavery,) the word "niggard" to denote frugality has fallen out of favor. The words are avoided like the bubonic plague to minimize an affront against the black people.

On the other hand, the term “crippled” is benign. It simply describes a person with restricted mobility until we attach emotional and political meaning on the condition. We decide it should be replaced by softer-kinder terms like “handicapped” or “disabled” to wipe away any discriminatory negative connotations. It’s preferred to call the handicapped “physically challenged” which gives some degree of escape from the derogatory label even if it obscures the true legal meaning of the disability when claims are filed for benefits and entitlements.

The street sign "men at work" has received complaints from feminists who insist that it be changed by gender-neutral words like "people at work." They say the gender specificity of “men at work” has marginalized women who labor building roads, thus discouraging others to get into jobs dominated by men.

Even science isn’t immune to the demands of political correctness. Color-sensitive individuals suggest “black hole,” which refers to the mysterious dark matter in the vast expanse of space (see photo of NASA) isn’t a good word for mainstream cosmology. In this age of string theory, singularity, and parallel universes, there are those who don’t approve of a “black hole” the way they dislike naming a cake “black forest” especially if it’s beside a white confection called “angel cake.”

Dinesh D’ Souza, a former Pres. Ronald Reagan policy adviser in the White House and author of the 1991 NY Times bestseller book on PC entitled Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex in Campus has this say:

“The term “political correctness” seems to have originated in the early part of this century, when it was employed by various species of Marxists to describe and enforce conformity to preferred ideological positions. Books, films, opinions, even historical events were termed politically correct or politically incorrect depending on whether or not they advanced a particular Marxist interpretation. The revolutionary ideologues of that period were serious people, and there is no indication that they spoke of political correctness with any trace of irony or self-deprecation.”

Eventually the term dropped out of the lexicon, only to be revived in the 1980s, when it came to apply to the assorted ideologies of the late 1960s and early 1970s: black consciousness and black power, feminism, homosexual rights, and, to a lesser degree, pacifism, environmentalism, and so on. The new Random House Webster’s College Dictionary defines political correctness as “marked by or adhering to a typically progressive orthodoxy on issues involving especially race, gender, sexual affinity or ecology.”

So we’re hooked with political correctness and we invent euphemisms and jargons to make many submit to some conformity of thought and interpretation. We find it hard to eliminate the negativities, apprehension, and paranoia when we find ourselves diametrically opposed to someone else’s point of view. We struggle to see the truth clearly. Therefore, we’ve become tangential, restrictive, and sometimes derisive, in using terms like “guest relations officers” to refer to prostitutes, “erectile dysfunction” for impotence, “senior citizens” for old people, “different” for gays, “mentally disturbed” for crazies, “laid off” for those who lose jobs, and “vertically challenged” for persons with short stature.

Advocates of PC believe prejorative labels lead to stereotyping which limits the dignity, rights, and freedoms of people. But our prickly obsession to be politically correct seems overriding to define a derangement akin to a chronic allergy. That’s why the list of politically correct words gets more complicated each day.

Though political correctness promotes a change that must redress unfairness on matters of race, class, social stature, gender, age, religion, scientific belief, political affiliation or sexual preference, too much PC is starting to cloud our senses. No wonder there are those who believe hypocrisy and political correctness should be interchangeable terms. =0=

The Blame Game and Other Musings

It was 14 years ago when my attention was first caught by a sea tragedy.  One of the ferries that we use to ride to Mindoro, the Kimelody Cristy caught fire resulting in the loss of lives.  When the heat was intense (no pun intended), the Governor of Mindoro Occidental joined those who were condemning Moreta Shipping Lines, the owner of the vessel.  It did not matter that they were friends.  It also did not matter that Moreta is just an upstart shipping line (and probably undeserving of kicking) trying to break the stranglehold of the combined Viva Shipping Lines/Sto. Domingo Lines/D.R. Shipping who were lording it over the Mindoro routes with predatory pricing and suspected sabotage against competitors. (Well, SuperCat of Aboitiz Shipping Corp. used to keep overnight its catamarans inside a holding pen with underwater extensions and with floodlights and armed roving guards to boot in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, away from the Batangas City base of the 3 shipping lines of "Don" Domingo Reyes, the supreme warlord of Bondoc Peninsula, Quezon; after all the competitors of the Domingo trio used to have one "accident" after the other).  It also did not matter that Kimelody Cristy was the best ship plying the Mindoro route and that the fire was an accident (LPG tanks that are part of the cargo exploded, triggered by welding activities; to the uninitiated, welding activities as part of maintenance work is normally done while a vessel is sailing).  Charges of "floating coffin" and "rust bucket" abounded as if all ships that meet accidents are not seaworthy.  Accidents are operational hazards. We do not easily call a bus that met an accident a "rolling coffin" nor a plane that crashed as a "flying coffin".  I note that most media people and politicians that make attacks after a marine accident do not ride ships (let's take away those photo-ops activities of politicians and bureaucrats because that is not real-world sea travel). Moreta became a punching bag maybe because it cannot afford a platoon of high-priced lawyers and PR practitioners. 

A few years later the Dona Marilyn sank in a storm in almost the same circumstances as the sinking a few weeks ago of the Princess of the Stars.  The Dona Marilyn left Cebu City under a storm Signal # 2 (yes, it was allowed then, when Signal #2 typhoons were stronger than current Signal #2 typhoons) and it intended to proceed to Tacloban City towards the direction of a typhoon that was shortly expected to intensify to Signal # 3.  Against the pleadings of some of the passengers, the captain of the ship proceeded reasoning he will seek shelter somewhere if the seas become too rough (one must understand that old captains are veterans of this "seeking-shelter" strategy since they were products of the small ships of the '60s; the remnants of these ships still ply the Cebu-Bohol routes so one can still see their size or lack thereof and its design). As fate would have it the elements literally tore into Dona Marilyn.  The tarpaulin covers of the sides of the ship was not able to contain the rain and wave surge (folks, don't worry 'cause big ships nowadays have cabins), deluging the inside of the ship causing it to list (to tilt on its side). Even though the passengers helped in baling water, it went to no avail 'cause soon the engine of the ship conked out (one must suspect it became inundated in water).  A ship without power in a typhoon is practically a dead ship since it can no longer maneuver.  Many lives were lost in that tragedy. 

The Board of Marine Inquiry ruled the sinking as "force majeure" (?!!?).  Sailing into the storm and it is declared a "force majeure"???  Maybe, as the say, "Tell it to the Marines"!  Now with a probe where some congressmen are more content in questioning PAGASA (makes on wonder where their loyalty is; anyway it won't probably matter in the next elections because their constituents do not ride ships and maybe so because they probably come from Luzon; but I doubt the wisdom in appointing in an investigating body someone who do not ride ships just like the question put forward by the newspaper Malaya editor-in-chief against the DOTC Undersecretary who is the government pointman in the Princess of the Stars tragedy), the investigation might just turn into a blame game. Through the ticket it is still possible to see the canniness of the Sulpicio attacks against PAGASA and its labeling of the accident as an "act of God".  Are the "motions to inhibit" against some independent-minded Board of Marine Inquiry members a prelude to another verdict of "force majeure"?

When the Dona Paz burned and sank in a collision with the tanker Vector (thus putting us on the world map of marine disasters because of the size of the casualty) and Dona Marilyn sank in a storm, the Sulpicio Lines changed the names of its ships from the Dons and Donas to Princesses (as in Princess of the Stars).   But it seemed there was no change in their "luck" as the Princess of the Orient and Princess of the Stars sank in storms and the Princess of the World and Philippine Princess both burned (the latter in anchorage).  Well, I do not think that "luck" is an essential thing in navigation.  If it is then the study of it must be mandated as part of a naval curriculum and degree but it is not.

It was 1995 when I first rode a "Sacrificio" (a.k.a. Sulpicio) ship (yes, it is the monicker of Sulpicio Lines just as "Gutom Shipping" is the monicker of Gothong Shipping Corp. [so Gothong made sure then that its passengers are well fed, but not now]).  I noticed a picket line inside the company premises in the North Harbor.  "Claimants" (daw) against Sulpicio in the Dona Paz sinking.  But porters and cigarette vendors told me they were not legitimate claimants but unscrupulous persons out to fleece Sulpicio Lines with bogus claims.  That incident made me think and research.  After a few years of riding ships of Dona Paz's size during the Yuletide rush, i no longer believe the claim that up to 4,000 passengers died in that accident (the company admitted 1,568).  No way that a ship intended for 1,518 passengers will be able to take in more than double its capacity.  It is not just a question of passenger space but also the capacity of the ship to take in all those people (folks, meals in local inter-island ships are, in general, free so all of them will want to be fed during meal times).  But the bad thing is we became the world record-holder in the number of casualty due to a peacetime ship sinking.

Fighting all the way in courts is a grim battle for the families of the victims.  Searching the Net, it seems it takes more than 20 years before a final decision is reached at the Supreme Court level (so probably the idea of the Chief Justice to set up a maritime accident court makes sense).  And I think if the reasoning of the Sulpicio Lines is it's a force majeure then probably it will reach the highest Court if one intends to claim to claim the full extent of damages against Sulpicio Lines.

On other hand, I also bemoan the knee-jerk reaction of government functionaries that mandated that under Signal #1 ships irregardless of size cannot sail. It will just create a lot of stranded passengers. Passengers will lose, bus companies, truck companies and shippers will lose.  The only winners will be the vendors and eateries in the port terminals.  Now I wonder what kind of economics is that.  It only betrays the ignorance of land-bound people in government who regulates ships but do not ride ships. It is not even proven at this point nor will it ever be proven that laxity in regulations led to the Princess of the Stars' sinking.  Maybe it was just plain recklessness combined with poor navigation and making the passengers and shippers pay for this is just a lot of hassle and pure lack of common sense (well, I forgot our government was never ever known for good common sense).

 

I do not see in these modern times why sailing restrictions for sea vessels are still governed by the typhoon signal when in my experience for sea people including fishermen the more important measurement is the wave level.  All we hear at the forecasts disseminated by the media is the wind speed measured in kilometers per hour and typhoon direction and speed when also part of the forecast is the wave height which is far more important when one is at sea especially during the night.  Also I wonder why PAGASA is now the de facto final arbiter in the sailings when everybody knows the level of forecast of PAGASA is just at the province or island/island group level.  It cannot define in real-time a local weather condition like if it is still safe to cross  San Bernardino Strait or Lagonoy Gulf or Ticao Pass/Black Rock Pass (in the Net, several weather forecasts and satellite pictures are always available and in real-time).  A re-tooled Coast Guard might be able to do a better job since its units are scattered in all the ports (after all, they are tasked with clearing the sailings of the vessels) and they can visually see the roughness of the sea and gauge the strength and direction of the wind (and I thought in earlier times there were coast watchers). Comparing it to air travel, it is still the local airport and the Air Transport Office (ATO) that declare the airport closed for landings and take-offs, not PAGASA.

In the last typhoon ("Frank"), PAGASA forecasted wave heights of 10-14 feet while other international weather agencies forecasted wave heights of up to 18 feet (in general, PAGASA's wind speed and wave height forecasts are lower than the international weather agencies' forecasts).  Does anybody need a translator how strong a sea is that?  And wave heights of up to 10 feet are sometimes forecast in Mindoro waters even when the storm is still in Samar, especially during the southwest moonsoon period when the seas are rougher.  With the advent of cell phones and the the general availability of phones, the government should make clear to all localities how strong the waves are when there is a typhoon so as to prevent the sinking of fishing boats which are also part of the sea casualties in a typhoon (in the last typhoon over 20 fishing boats sank resulting in over 1,100 dead and missing which is higher than the Princess of the Stars' casualty, aside from a few cargo ships sunk).  Preventive measures should be done because for all the hullabaloo about conversion to GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress Signal System), the simple truth is that our Coast Guard personnel will not venture out to sea under storm conditions just to save your ass.  Remember it was fishermen in small fishing boats who were first on the scene of the Princess of the Orient sinking because as one said in an interview he simply cannot bear the sight of a lady being swamped by big waves.  Does one need to be reminded who were first on the scene of the Princess of the Stars' sinking?

In the final analysis, to put things in the proper perspective especially for those who don't travel by ship, the chances of getting killed in a road accident is still far higher than getting killed in a ship accident although the chances of getting killed in a plane accident is much slimmer than both.

[To be fair to Sulpicio Lines, let it be said that its main competitor WG&A (the SuperFerries) with about the same number of ships has about the same rate of mishaps in the same period. SuperFerry 6 burned off Batangas and SuperFerry 7 burned in anchorage.  SuperFerry 14 burned off Corregidor (not due to Abu Sayyaf according to Malacanang but everybody knows the truth and this is probably a true case of force majeure if acts of sabotage are such).  SuperFerry 12 was involved in a collision with San Nicholas (a wooden-hulled ship locally called a batel) in Manila Bay resulting in the sinking of the latter.  To this total, the collision and sinking of Cebu City (a William Lines ship) in Manila Bay just before the merger of 3 major shipping companies that resulted in the creation of William, Gothong & Aboitiz (WG&A) should also be include since this happened after the Dona Paz and Dona Marilyn sinkings.  WG&A and its passengers are just more fortunate that these mishaps produced far less casualties than the Sulpicio Lines mishaps.

Does anybody want a safer trip?  Then maybe sail via Negros Navigation Company.  It has no comparable mishaps during the same period and I do not know how they managed that feat though it is only a third of the size of either Sulpicio or WG&A.  Luck, perhaps?  Or is it a matter of naming the ships after the saints (as in St. Peter The Apostle and San Paolo)?]

(The writer has sailed in more than 120 long and short voyages in over 65 different vessels in the last 14 years. Ship is his favorite mode of transport in going to Luzon.  He has been a passenger aboard 7 different Sulpicio ships covering some 15 voyages.) 

 

   

Significant Numbers

10%
-The percentage price of one gallon of gasoline Saudis pay (45 cents) compared to Americans who pay $4.50/gallon on the pump.

P11.583 billion-The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCCl’s ) estimate of Typhoon Frank’s destructiveness. The amount constitutes 96.5% of the total expenditure the country shells out each year, covering an average of 20 typhoons, costing about P12,000 billion

P8,599/month
-What the lowly paid government street and utility worker needs to survive the rises in prices of commodities. According to Ferdinand Gaite, president of the Confederation of Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage,) this means a needed increase of P3,000 to the present salary of P5,999.

105 million
-The number of people who could drop below the poverty line due to the spiraling rise in fuel costs and prices of commodities. According to a World Bank study issued last week, 30 million of these people come from Africa.

$624 million
-The Asian Development Bank, one of the country's biggest foreign lenders is thinking of loaning the Philippines in 2009 to help boost the economy. An additional 300 million loan is scheduled for 2010.


550 metric tons
-The amount of uranium transferred from Iraq to Canada last week in a secret operation according to Pentagon. The yellow cake was discovered in 2003 by US forces in Iraq’s Tawaitha Nuclear Research Facility which was placed under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy.


2012
-Based on an ancient Mayan calendar, the year the world is expected to end. Survival groups from Europe, Canada, and the US are preparing for the apocalypse---catastrophic events such as typhoons, nuclear detonations, tidal waves, earthquakes which they believe would usher in the end of days.

P50,000 million
-Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s planned budget to repatriate more than 100 OFWs stranded in various countries in the Middle East.

$200
-The monthly salary of Filipino nurse-turned-maid Marichu Suarez Baoanan received from Amb. Lauro Baja who was accused of racketeering, illegal human trafficking, peonage, and forced labor. As of January 1, 2007, the General Industry Minimum wage of New York is $7.15/hour, roughly $1,601.60/month. Investigation of Amb. Baja is being urged by the Philippine government authorities.

$459,000
-Nazi hunters peg the reward money leading to the arrest of Aribert Heim, 94, known as Dr. Death who’s believed to have escaped to Chile with his daughter. =0=

Floro E. Balce: Iskolar ng Bayan (Last Part)

"Nahirapan talaga kaming intindihin ang personalidad ni Floro, 'he was really a study in contradictions,'" ani Bing.  Isipin mo, ang sipag gumanap ng mga trabahong alam naman niyang bahagi ng ND movement, pero pag kinulit mo tungkol sa pormal na pagpapaloob sa ND organization ay ayaw naman.  Ang sabi pa niya, mas advantageous daw ang 'non-card bearer'."

"Naisip nga namin, siguro dahil may kapatid siya sa military, kaya nagdadalawang-llob sa pagsapi sa ND movement.  Sumuko na nga ako pagkatapos ng apat na buwang walang humpay na pangungumbinsi.  Kaya nang marecruit namin siya sa natdem noong Setyembre 1975 at pumaloob sa Partido Komunista noong November 1976 ay apaw talaga ang galak sa puso ng mga kasama.  Isipin mo, mula 1974 namin siya inumpisahang organisahin."

Vintage Floro...hindi conventional mag-isip.  Matagal magproseso ng desisyon ngunit masinop.  Mahirap kumbinsihin, pero pag nakumbinsi at sumagot nang oo, ay di umaatras.  Iyan si Floro, na noong Pebrero 1978, nasa ika-apat na taon sa pag-aaral ng BS Electrical Engineering sa UP ay nagpasyang tumungo sa kabundukan at maging mandirigma ng bayan na ikinabigla ng maraming kaibigan at kamag-aral.

"Totoo na aktibong-aktibo siya sa mga gawain sa kilusan.  In fact, malaki ang naging papel niya sa KM organizing sa hanay ng mga Bikolanong estudyante sa UP noong 1975-76, naging miyembro siya ng Bikol Liaison Group/STU sa Kamaynilaan noong 1976, at naging 'full-time cadre' siya noong 1977.  Pinagtiyagaan niya mula 1977 hanggang early '78 ang pinakamainit na Bikol-STU group sa Manila-Rizal," paglalahad ni Bing.  "Pero hindi ko rin ini-expect na kagyat siyang lalahok sa armadong pakikibaka.  Inalaska ko pa nga, na baka naman broken-hearted lang siya kaya aalis.  Hindi raw...sigurado at desidido siya."

Maging ang mga magulang at kapatid ni Floro ay nagulantang nang malamang sumapi na ito sa New People's Army.  Sabi nga ni Gerardo, nagpaalam pa sa kanya si Poloy na uuwi sa Bikol...pagkatapos ay nabalitaan na lamang niya na nasawi ito sa isang engkuwentro.

Marahil ay si Floro lamang ang higit na nakauunawa sa kanyang desisyon.  Sabi nga niya kay Bing, "I have come to terms with my life, my questions regarding the revolutionary struggle have been sufficiently answered, I know what I want...to be with the masses in the hills."

Pagdating ni Floro sa Bikol noong Pebrero 1978 ay idineploy siya ng pamunuan ng rebolusyonaryong kilusan sa rehiyon sa Partido area.  Naging kasapi siya ng Mass Work Team, isang semi-legal team na ang pangunahing gawain ay balikan ang lumang base sa Camarines Sur nina Kumander Tangkad/Romulo Jallores.

Masikhay na nakipamuhay si Floro sa mga magsasaka ng Partido area.  Masigasig na ipinagpatuloy ang kanyang gawaing pag-oorganisa at edukasyon sa hanay ng mga magsasaka't magbubukid sa teritoryo.

Ang mga samu't saring kuwento ng mga kasama at masang nakasalamuha niya sa sonang gerilya ay nagpapatunay kung gaano kasigasig si Floro sa pagganap sa kanyang mga gawain at tungkulin sa kilusan...na hindi nito ininda ang mga 'petty bickerings' sa kolektibo niya...na lagi itong masaya at nagbibiro.  Natuto rin itong magluto na dati ay di niya type gawin.  Nakahiligan rin nito ang pagsusulat ng tula at binabasa tuwing may programa sila, di nga lamang naitago ang mga ito.

Sa isang sulat niya kay Bing ay nasabi nitong sa hinaharap ay nais niyang magtayo ng paaralan para sa mga bata sa bundok.  Ani Floro: If I can teach little children the values of kindness and nationalism, then that would be pure happiness on my part."  Kung noong araw ay hindi siya mapakanta sa Ibalon, sa bundok ay kumakanta siya habang tinuturuan ang mga bata.

"Maganda ang relasyon ng yunit na kinabibilangan ni Floro sa masang inoorganisa sa teritoryong saklaw nila." paglalahad ni Bing.  "Malakas ang suporta ng masa sa kanila.  Kaya nga lamang, ang Partido area ay kinonsentrahan ng military operation ng AFP.  Ang policy na 'supression and encirclement' ay ginamit sa kanila.  Kasabay nito ay nagpakawala ng 'ahente' o espiya ang AFP sa lugar at sino mang makapagturo ng NPA ay binibigyan ng pabuya."

Bunga ng sunud-sunod na operasyon ng kaaway at kasalatan sa gamit-military ay nadepensiba ng husto ang yunit nina Floro hanggang matirhan na lamang sila ng tatlong baryo sa boundary ng Tigaon at Goa.

"Sa kalagayang 'compromised' na ang seguridad ng yunit ay nagreconcentrate sina Floro noong Hulyo 30, 1978 sa isang lugar sa boundary ng Tigaon-Goa," ayon pa kay Bing.  "Nagpulong sila at nagpasyang magmove-out kinabukasan.  Ngunit bandang alas sais ng gabi ay nakubkob sila ng PA unit na pinamumunuan ni 1Lt. Malali, isang Muslim officer na dating kasapi ng MNLF."

Isa si Floro sa tatlong NPA na tinamaan sa naganap na pangungubkob ng militar.  Siya ang unang tinamaan ng bala dahil kalalabas pa lang niya sa payag (kubo) na pinagpupulungan nila.  Nakuha ng mga sundalo ang kanyang sugatang katawan at dinala sa kampo nila sa Bgy. Caraycayon, Tigaon, Camarines Sur.

Namatay si Floro sa pagitan ng alas otso at alas nuwebe ng gabi noong Hulyo 30, 1978...sa mismong araw ng kanyang kapanganakan sa edad na 23 taong gulang.  Bago siya nalagutan ng hininga ay naibigay niya sa mga sundalo ng PA ang kanyang tunay na pangalan, pangalan ng kanyang mga magulang at lugar na pinanggalingan.

Matapos ang isang araw ng pagbuburol sa munisipyo ng Tigaon ay ipinalibing ng mga sundalo ang bangkay ni Floro sa Tigaon Cemetery.  "Hinawak-hawakan pa raw ng Mayor ang kamay ng anak ko...sinabing sayang, bago pa lamang ito sa bundok."

Pagkalipas ng tatlong taon ay saka pa lamang naiuwi ang labi ni Floro sa Daet, Camarines Norte...

"Noong 1981 lamang namin nakuha ang labi ni Poloy sa Tigaon Cemetery.  Ayaw kasi itong ipahukay at ipadala sa mga kapatid niya noong puntahan ito noong Agosto 15, 1978.  Nangangamoy na raw dahil 15 araw nang nakalibing.  Pero kung kasama ako noon sa pagkuha ay hindi ako papayag na di madala ang bangkay ni Poloy dito sa Daet para mabigyan namin ng maayos at marangal na libing.  Kung nalaman lang sana kaagad namin ang pagkamatay niya." ang sabi ni nanay ni Floro.

"Huwag ka nang malumbay Inang Pilipinas                                                                                                 Kahit na may ilang anak kang malagas                                                                                                       Moog nating bakal sa kubling likuran                                                                                                         Ang mga bukirin ay isang katiyakan                                                                                                           Uring mapang-api ating ibabagsak                                                                                                             At mailalatag ang mapulang bukas,"

(Mga may-akda: Antonio A. Ayo, Jr. at Ma. Leny E. Felix; halaw sa "Pulang Hamtik")

A Hurried Comet Blazing In The Night Sky

Thirty years after the fatal shot which took his young life, UP Ibalon recalls Floro E. Balce. Those who know and love him ponder on the evanescence of his time, the greatness of his sacrifice and the humanity of his dream. They pay tribute to Ka Manding, one among the heroic braves who died in the pitch-blackness of the night--- of yet to be won battle, before the sun comes up for a better day. The noble cause he embraced remains contentious---that which draws others to learn and admire his lofty path. –Totie Mesia

In an ill-descript spot along EDSA highway in Manila, there is Bantayog ng mga Bayani, a memorial of remarkable human beings whose lives are weightier than the heavy stone on which their names are engraved. Etched on a simple black slab of concrete is the name of UP Ibalon’s Floro E. Balce, a Bicolano hero who died from gunfire which blew an excruciating rugged hole on his belly, leading to his agonizing death. It happened in July 30, 1978, in Tigaon, Camarines Sur on his birthday.

A man of strong principles and unbridled dreams, Floro was my roommate at Molave Residence Hall in UP Diliman. He was a bright idealistic electrical engineering (EE) student, a National Science Development Board (NSDB) scholar from Daet, Camarines Norte---- my indulgent friend and math mentor in the dorm.

In the same room with us was Larry Ajel, our buddy from the Ilocos who dreamed to work in a hospital as a medical technologist. Larry shared our provincial plebeian background. He was our big brother who taught us the urbane ways of the campus. His stay however was cut short by a decision to migrate to America.

Rudival Cabading was another roommate. The rambunctious guy felt the state university wasn’t his piece of cake, so he moved to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA.) He became a military officer who never saw me stepped out of our dormitory to become a physician.

“Bakit dito sa UP, ang mga estudyante, nagsasalita ng Espanyol?” I recalled Floro asking me on our first day of school inside the Arts and Science (AS) building. Feeling my way on the unfamiliar ground, I was as naïve and perplexed as he was.

“Why? What did you hear?” I asked.

“Que hora es,” he said with a spark in his eyes.

Having survived his early years in UP, my soft-spoken buddy transformed into an assertive, knowledgeable, and brave gentleman. But he kept a low profile, humbly sharing his private thoughts with the people he knew and trusted.

He also trusted me, but perhaps, he didn’t feel it was a good idea to let me know too much of his leftist leanings. His linkage with the New People’s Army (NPA.) was something I suspected, but I didn’t ask. The guy had this palpable intolerance against injustice which was nurtured in campus. I knew he was opposed to the corruption of the Marcos, drawing him to join protest marches and rallies.

Had I shown enough sympathy for his cause, he might have led me deep into the sanctum of his beliefs and the core of his convictions. Yet, he was considerate, respectful, and even protective of my own safety. He didn’t want me to be distracted, for he knew I was hell-bent to become a doctor.

We talked about poverty and inequity when we were supposed to be focused in our studies---if not fiery hot, pursuing girls in campus. Setting aside school work at night, we discussed social issues that otherwise wouldn’t have bothered the care-free college students we knew.

At semester’s end, there was silence that pervaded the dorm before the residents left for the school break. For us, nothing triggered so much adrenaline release and worry when the last days of class wore on. The teachers were sternly aloof and the final exams they gave were difficult. We were all preparing for the killer tests that would dictate which way we’d go in our studies.

“How was your exam?” I asked Floro after he took his test.

“I submitted my blue book empty,” he said wryly. “I didn’t answer any of the test questions. They were hard. I wrote my teacher to explain why,” he continued.

That worried me. In my mind, if he failed the test, that meant he’d lose his scholarship; at worst, he’d be kicked out from the college and be forced to return home to Bicol. I would not see him again just like some of my friends who drifted away from college.

Convinced by his honesty, the teacher gave him a chance to retake the test. It was hard for me to believe that there was such a teacher in UP who would be so kind to a troubled student. I knew I needed such kindness too. While Floro fought to keep his scholarship to earn an engineering degree, I was in rabid pursuit for higher grades to get me into medical school.

But life seemed to have taken a different turn. The social cause he pursued was eating up his time and he started acting as though finishing college wasn’t that important anymore. Although he returned to the dorm late from meetings with people I didn’t know, it never crossed my mind that he was mulling to go full-time as Ka Manding in the NPA movement.

I was with him for so long that I’d quickly recognize his low-toned voice if he called me from heaven. In ROTC, we bonded together in that green military uniform and combat boots during practice marches, lectures, and GT’s (graded tests.) We belonged to a jolly platoon of fellow-Ibalonians with Ray R.G. Rayel, Julius A. Lecciones, and Arnel V. Malaya. Our group’s tail-scout, Floro guarded our backs during a bivouac. He was our loyal sentinel when we took surreptitious rests under the cool shade of acacia trees.

I still kept the image of Floro as an active student catholic action member (UPSCA ) waiting at the dorm door for our Sunday mass to hear the socially-charged sermons of Fr. Unson in the campus chapel. Gratitude was on his face as I lent him cash sometimes when he didn’t have time to travel to far Bicutan to pick up his NSDB stipend. His steady gaze was transfixed on my face, as he pointed on social issues at Mrs. Rodrin’s cottage during our lunch together.

In a soiree, we had a good laugh donning our sartorial best at the alumni center, sipping cold beer to be with the most beautiful Bicolanas in campus. In a fond conversation, I naughtily poked on a pretty Ibalonian Rebecca Espeso wearing that orangey ethereal “kulambo” blouse which made Floro twinkle.

“Magayonon!” I whispered on his ear. He reacted with those jerky convulsions on his shoulder; his elated radiant eyes were as thin as the coin-hole of a lucky slot machine. He chuckled loud as though I heard Brad Pitt laughing somewhere.


A fine human being who truly cared for the poor and the disadvantaged, Floro was a hurried bright comet blazing in the night sky. He was fast on his trail to let the world know of his mission. Martyrdom he must do, for he couldn’t wait to hear more of the cries of the poor without doing something.

In Molave, my friend, the shining gem in the sky had this old alarm clock, a brother’s gift, he told me, which sounded like a time-bomb. He laughed in earnest when Mario Genio, another Bicolano and I kidded him of the noisy white clock.

I borrowed this funny time piece to wake me up at midnight in order to study. When the alarm rang, I thought I saw Floro’s shadowy figure in that rickety chair fronting his table, deep in thought, as if something heavy was in his heart. I wondered if God was there speaking to him by his side. Maybe that moment was his epiphany. In the pitch blackness of midnight outside, it was his time to illumine the sky. =0=

US Marks July 4th With Parades, Fireworks And Hotdogs

"Hallowed be the day,
forever bright its memory
in the heart of the Nation.
Sing to it, poets;
shout to it, freemen;
celebrate it with bonfires,
parades, & triumphant assemblies"

-Daily Alta California, 4 July 1855

Commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the United States of America celebrates its freedom from the Kingdom of Britain. The historic day is celebrated by Americans all over the country with parades, fireworks, concerts, family reunions, picnics, barbecues, and baseball.

An annual hotdog eating competition in Coney Island New York had Joey Chestnut winning the contest for the second time after downing 59 hotdogs in 10 minutes---an unprecedented tie with Japan’s Takeru Kobayshi (see pictures by Reuters.) A five-dog eat-off tie-breaker failed to bring back the winning streak of Kobayashi, a six –time contest winner.


“On the 232nd anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Boy Scouts in Hartford, Conn., rang a replica of the Liberty Bell, while organizers of the annual New York fireworks display promised the rockets' red glare would be better than ever.

Near Kissimmee, Fla., a wounded bald eagle, the national bird, was flying free after spending more than two months rehabilitating from a fight with another eagle. It was freed Thursday in Lake Tohopekaliga, the heart of Florida's eagle country.

In Boston, the 211-year-old USS Constitution, the Navy's oldest commissioned warship, was the backdrop Friday morning as two dozen people were sworn in as U.S. citizens.

Vice President Dick Cheney greeted the new Americans and later, in a second ceremony, administered the re-enlistment oath to a group of servicemen.” Associated Press (07.04.08, Long, C.) =0=

Floro E. Balce: Iskolar ng Bayan (Part 2)

"Clear-cut ang plans ni Floro pagpasok niya sa UP.  Gusto niyang maging isang matagumpay na Electrical Engineer, at magpakadalubhasa sa propesyong ito," ayon kay Jake. "He was very serious in his studies, matiyagang mag-aral, at nagsusunog talaga ng kilay.  Mas bulakbol pa nga ako sa kanya.  Sabi nga namin, mukhang seryoso ngang talagang maging president ng Pilipinas ang taong ito.  Sabagay may 'K' naman siyang mangarap, di lang naman siya ordinaryong UP student, NSDB scholar pa...at basically hardworking."

Kasabay ng masikhay na pag-aaral ay todo-todo rin ang paglahok ni Floro sa mga 'extra-curricular activities.'  Sumapi siya sa UP Student Catholic Action (UPSCA) kung saan siya ay naging 'chairperson ng socio-cultural committee.'  Naging 'core group member' din siya ng Molave Kurahaw, isang organisasyon ng mga Bikolanong estudyante sa Molave Residence Hall noong 1973-75.

Noong itatag ang UP Ibalon, isang varsitarian organization ng mga Bikolanong estudyante sa UP noong Disyembre 1, 1974 ay kabilang siya sa 'charter members' nito.  Sa organisasyong ito inukol ni Floro ang malaking halaga ng kanyang buhay-estudyante.

Ayon kay Mar, "Floro was around the most difficult times of UP Ibalon.  He was there when the chips are down.  N'ung 1974 kasi ay nagkaroon ng problema sa UP Paglaom, ito ang pre-Martial Law organization ng mga Bikolano sa UP.  May mga pagkakaiba sa paniniwala at estilo ng pagpapatakbo ng organisasyon.  Ang differences na ito ay nauwi sa split kung saan na-polarize ang membership.  This polarization resulted to the formation of UP Ibalon by certain members na kabilang sa Floro.  Bandang huli ay nalusaw ang UP Paglaom...at mas lalong tumatag ang UP Ibalon."

"Mga dalawang beses rin siyang nag-inactive sa UP Ibalon dahil nainis siya sa 'leadership style' nung president namin at that time, pero kapagka in crisis ang Ibalon ay bumabalik siya para tumulong sa pagpatch-up ng mga gusot.  Sabi niya nung bumalik sa Ibalon, "dito na ulit ako, pagod na ako sa UPSCA, 36 balloting na kami, wala pa ring nahahalal na chairman.  "At that time kasi ay may split ang socdem at natdem sa UPSCA kaya matindi ang labanan sa eleksyon."

Pagsibol ng Bagong Pangarap

Sa gitna ng paglahok ni Floro sa iba't ibang aktibidad ng mga organisasyong kinabibilangan niya sa UP ay unti-unting nalalantad sa kanya ang 'reyalidad ng lipunang Pilipino.'  Nag-iwan ng sugat sa puso ni Floro ang ginawang dispersal, panggugulpi at damputan ng mga estudyante sa sinalihan niyang protest rally ng mga estudyante sa Avenida.  Ang mga exposure trips sa urban poor areas, picket lines ng mga manggagawa at pakikipagtalakayan sa mga magsasaka, ay nagdulot ng sigwa sa kanyang kalooban...nag-iba na ang pangarap ni Floro...katulad na ng pangarap ni Dr. Jose P. Rizal...

"Unti-unti nang nagtatanong si Floro," ani Bing, pinakamatalik niyang kaibigan at dating kakolektibo.  "Ang madalas niyang itanong sa gitna ng pakikipagkuwentuhan ay: "Bakit mas maraming mahirap kaysa mayaman? Bakit may mga rebelde? Bakit may Martial Law? Ano ang pwede kong gawin? Saan ako patungo?"

"Floro was practically caught in the midst of the turbulent '70s", ani Ted, dating kasamahan sa Molave Kurahaw.

Patuloy ngang namumuo ang sigwa sa kalunsuran at kanayunan noong 1973, taon ng pagpasok ni Floro sa UP.  Ang sigaw ng First Quarter Storm ay nag-aalimpuyo pa rin.

Si Floro, ayon kay Ted, ay katulad rin ng maraming estudyante sa UP noong 1970's, a regular guy, bookworm, mahilig mag-girl watching, nais maging engineer, magtrabaho at siyempre umasenso, kung pwede eh, yumaman...tumulong sa magulang...mag-asawa at magkaroon ng masayang pamilya, the usual dream eka nga.

"Kaya lang iba ang sitwasyon namin noon.  Wala 'yang ambience ng SM City na pinag-eenjoyan ng mga Peyups ngayon.  Kadedeklara pa lang ng Martial Law, thus the climate of fear and apathy was prevalent in the campus.  Pero dulot nga ng matinding kahirapan at karahasang bunga ng Martial Law, ay nagpatuloy ang daloy ng aktibismo sa UP campus.  Tuluy-tuloy pa rin ang teach-ins, demonstrations, rallies at kilos-protesta.  Sa ganitong 'atmosphere' nasalang ang buhay-estudyante ni Floro at nagkaroon ng bagong hugis ang kanyang mga pangarap."

Gayunpaman, matagal bago tuluyang pumaloob at tuluy-tuloy na lumahok sa national democratic movement si Floro.

"Floro was my most difficult recruit in the national democratic movement kahit na nga as early as 1973 ay exposed na siya sa ND elements," paglalahad ni Bing.  "May pagka-devil's advocate.  Puro whys...minsan nga napikon ako ng tanungin niya ako, 'paano mo masisisguro na people's democratic revolution (PDR) ang sagot sa feudalism, imperialism at fascism? Are you sure of your strategy and tactics? If you are sure, bakit natalo sa Isabela?"

Si Floro ay katulad din ng maraming aktibista noong panahon matapos ang FQS, o pagkatapos ideklara ang martial law--tanggap ang linyang anti-pasista, anti-pyudal at anti-imperyalista...pero ibang usapan pa ang pagyakap sa armadong pakikibaka bilang porma ng pakikibaka.

"Theoretically ay ready si Floro para sa natdem." banggit ni Bing.  "He was anti-fascist, anti-feudal, at anti-imperialist, pero hindi pa siya kumbinsido sa armed struggle.  He needed more time to reconcile his beliefs."

"Di naman kataka-taka na natagalan bago napaloob sa natdem organization si Floro," ani Igme, dati rin niyang kakolektibo.  May pagka-stubborn kasi siya sa paghold ng position on issues at hand.  He has this pride and belief in himself.  He may recognize that somebody is better than him, pero sasabihin niya, give me time.  Very frank talaga siya, not one who will hold back his feelings.  Kaya nga, palagi naming pinaghahandaan ang pakikipag-usap sa kanya, otherwise lalamunin niya kami sa sunud-sunod na pagtatanong at pakikipag-debate.  Eh, noong 1973-78 ay pahirapan talaga ang ND organizing.  Kailangan ay equipped ka amply with revolutionary theories and practice."

Sa kabila ng pagtanggi na pumaloob formally sa natdem organization ay patuloy na tumulong si Floro sa mga kaibigang natdems sa UP.   Tumulong siya sa pagsuri ng mga posibleng 'ahente ng kaaway upang mapangalagaan ang mga ND personalities sa Molave.  Gayundin, aktibo siya sa paghahanda ng mga placards at streamers para sa mga rallies, habang masigasig pa ring nag-aaral para sa kanyang mga exams.

(end of Part 2; mga may-akda: Antonio A. Ayo, Jr. at Ma. Leny E. Felix; halaw sa "Pulang Hamtik")

                  

 

Part II: The Mighty Guy of UP Ibalon

Nakakaabisita ka pa sa Bicol?
-Kaining past years, poon kan naghelang an mother ko, pirme na man ako nakakaduman sa Bicol. It just whetted my appetite to come back.

Kun iguang bagay na yaon sa “Mighty,” ano ini na mayo sa Apolonio Baylon?
-Dipisil simbagon ini. Tibaad sabihon naghahambog ako. Basta aram ko lang matibay ako kun minsan (ngirit!)

An Ibalon sa Camarines aktibo, ano an hiling mo sainda?
-Harayo an madudumanan kan grupo. Baka sa huri an Camarines group pa an guikanan kan Bicol chapter with a large non-resident membership, kaiba idtong mga Ibalonians na nasa hararayong lugar.

The Naga group in Camarines Sur has a big reservoir of resources and goodwill. I also found out na dahil mas mature an membership sagkod dakul an enterpreneurs (including doctors who must sell their services) habo kaini magparasayang ki oras, they will put their money where their mouth is. Marikas maghiro (samantalang ini an kaluyahan kan main group).

Ano an karahayan na hiling mo sa grupo ngonian?
-Diit na tulod lang nalarga an chapter. Dakul ang kamot na nagtuturulod pati na su mga nasa abroad. Live bodies lang na maguibo nin legwork an kulang kan chapter lalo pa an attitude kan iba duman (which is understandable) is "sabihon lang nindo an kaipuhan pero dai na nindo kami halaton sa meeting." (ngirit!)

Dakulang bagay na sa chapter may mga miyembro na pabalik na. Pa-ride off na sinda sa rat race sagkod may pagmawot to "give something back". You can never devalue their worth in an organization lalo na if successful sinda. Magayon na mga pace-setters. Sinda an mga tawo na makakadara satuya sa harayo sagkod halangkaw na lugar.

May possibilidad daw na ma-saro na sana an mga grupong Bicol haling UP?-Pwede. Madali na lang makipag-combine sa similar groups like UP Harong, UP Ibalon, UP Alumni Association and su iba pang Bicol varsitarians pati na su mga bako UP Diliman-based. Madali na ini pag napakusog ta an grupo. An UPCAT review project is a good step.

Tibaad mangyari an Naga an maging pacesetter. In terms of brains I think, the brain trust of the chapter is good, marhay na ejemplo kan ibang grupo.

Ano an ma-i-tatabang kan Ibalon sa ibang mga organisasyon?
-An chapter sa Naga posibleng maging beacon kan ibang Bicol varsis kaiba su malataw na mga alumni orgs ninda. I think trusted man ninda kita. Puwede kita mag-recruit nin alumni member na dai dating resident member kan Ibalon. Puwede man magku’a ki alumni member hale sa ibang Bicol varsitarian. Madali an procesong ini. Kaya kun may aktibidades comun kita sa UP Ibalon-Bicol, mapapadali an mga bagay.

Ugos ka sa mga tawong mga simple sagkod kapobrehan, si’isay an marhay na maging presidente kan Pinas sa 2010?
-I don’t think any president will ever be successful in running the country. Grabe na an mga problema. Nagpaparagrabe habang nagdalagan su mga taon na dae ta nareremedyuhan. Mayong malataw na presidente, na good enough o strong enough, given the time, to untangle all these problems.

But in the future, matatauhan man guiraray an tawo na the current system of muddling along should stop. Pag-abot kaini, a leader who is product of the moment will appear. He might not be successful at first, but later, with a clamor for change, someone will.

Naka-isip ka man lamang na mag-laog sa politika?
-Dae. Ni minsan.

Ano an si’mong prediksiyon paghale ni Presidenta Gloria M. Arroyo?
-After GMA it will be more of the same. Tiba’ad maiba lang an style o ang rapacity. Interest groups will again devour the gains of the nation. Puwede lang magbag’o an factions na mas titiba, gagalansiya. And again people will be forced to seek advancement by going to other lands.

Sabi kan bola crystal mo, ano da’a an puturo kan Ibalon?
-The main group will just muddle along unless somebody really takes charge. Someone should really invest time, effort, and resources to get Ibalon going. Importante an tawong may matagas na taludtod. May paninindogan na labanan an mara’ot--- tawong malaban para sa tama contra sa sala. Kaipuhan niya an satuyang supporta.

Sa pag-agui nin panahon, nagurang na an Ibalon. An ibang mga miembros may kamatean na. Ika may diabetes na. Ano man an naguinibo saimo kan mga doctores kan grupo?
-Pigtutulod ninda akong magpabulong! Yaon an saindang pagmakulog, pagmalasakit---even to the extent na sinda pa an magpacheck-up sako (big smile.)

Nabisita ka sa UP Ibalon-Bicol blog, ano an gusto mong mabasa sa website?
-More about Ibalon and Bicol. Personally taha ako sa news and analysis sa Bicol. =0=

Abangan!

A hurried bright comet blazing in the night sky

“Thirty years after the fatal shot which took his young life, a UP Ibalonian recalls Floro E. Balce--- the evanescence of his time, the greatness of his sacrifice and the humanity of his dream."

"This is a tribute to Ka Manding, one among the heroic braves who died in the pitch-blackness of the night--- of yet to be won battle, before the sun comes up for a better day. The cause he embraced remains contentious, yet noble---that which draws others to learn and admire his lofty path.”

“In our fond conversations, I naughtily poked on a pretty Ibalonian Rebecca Espeso who made Floro twinkle-eyed.

“Magayonon!” I excitedly whispered to his ear. With jerky convulsions on Floro's shoulder, his elated eyes were as thin as the coin-hole slits of a piggy bank. He chuckled loud as though I heard Brad Pitt laughing somewhere.”

Part II: The Mighty Guy of UP Ibalon

He isn’t called strong or powerful for without a reason. Battle-scarred, insightful and mellowed, Apolonio “Mighty” Baylon who feels tenaciously united with Bicol, continues his thoughts on his love---the UP Ibalon. More than 30 years after he successfully rallied Bicolano students in Diliman campus to establish an organization, here he is---still loyal, ponderous, and unexpurgated.

Floro E. Balce: Iskolar ng Bayan, Part II

“An incisive account of Floro’s involvement with Pulang Hamtic as a selfless cadre of the New People’s Army. In a hallowed memorial of Bantayog ng Mga Bayani, his name is etched with another intrepid Bicolano, a former Naga Parochial School student, Alexander Bellone II.

Decaying bodies at sea, an inflation rate of 11.4%, and a cascade of woes for Filipinos

Barely three weeks after the negligent grounding of the Sulpicio Lines ferry at the height of typhoon Frank, a cascade of adverse effects has surfaced adding more injury and pain to untold number of people, near and far from Romblon, the site of the tragedy.

As evidence of negligence surface, decaying bodies float in the sea, making retrieval difficult. As days go by, the burden to identify these bodies has overtaxed the forensic experts, raising anew the lack of preparedness of the nation to tackle a catastrophe of this magnitude.

Relatives of those who died have lost sleep grieving their lost loved ones. They’re confused about their legal rights---what options they have to pursue justice for those who perished. Rather than fight the gargantuan obstacles posed by the sluggish legal system, can they be appeased by measly settlements by the owners of the ferry company? They mull on whether the P200,000 being offered by Sulpicio Lines to each victim is the right compensation for each human life.

A hideous find of toxic insecticide in the sunken ferry has posed problems on how to contain a potential contamination that could sicken people in the area and destroy the livelihood of countless fishermen dependent on the resources of the sea. Time is of the essence. It isn’t easy to remove the 10-ton illegal cargo that's sitting dangerously in the hull of the Princess of the Stars. Endosulfan (thiodan) is highly dangerous and a significant leakage of the chemical poses destructive possibilities that could last for years. It poses health risks for those working to recover anything from the ill-fated ferry.

Hundreds of miles away, like in poor Bicol villages of Balatan and Pasacao in Camarines Sur, innocent people bear the brunt of the disaster. In Naga City, a sharp drop of fish consumption on fear of contamination has driven down price of fish to 80% below its normal value while the cost of rice rose to 43%.

“Before the news of dead bodies floating in Ragay Gulf broke, fish sales were okay. Of the 100 customers who buy here during normal times, you could only have one today who would dare to buy our products,” Corazon Diaz, vendor of Naga City said, dramatizing the immediate impact of dead bodies in the seas to their business even as the Department of Health has officially announced that there was no immediate danger on people’s health. Bicol Mail. (O7/05/08, Escandor, J. Jr.)

Parallel to the damage wrought by storm, the effects of fuel price increases continue to batter the nation. The rainy season has set in and more typhoons and landslides are expected by the weather watcher PAGASA. Mayon volcano in Albay has shown signs of activity which augurs a possible eruption. The dollar exchange which hovers at P45.70 per dollar has weakened, prompting central bank to prop up the currency from further devaluation. In June, the inflation rate has risen to 11.4%, pegging a record high in 14 years.

"The price of rice soared by 43 percent because of growing demand and increased costs of inputs. This means that the rice a consumer bought for P100 in June last year may be had for P143 last month.

Prices of food products included in the Filipino consumer basket rose by 17.4 percent. This means food products that had cost P100 in June last year, cost P117.4 last month." Inquirer (07.05.08, Remo, M.)

The hideous chain of events is nothing that anyone could have imagined, but it has happened--- wrecking havoc to the entire nation. To what extent the public will cope with these calamities (natural or man-made, local or global) is something for now and the future. Certainly, there’s enough blame to spread around, but in this situation, it’s the poor, the young, and elderly who suffer the most. =0=

Floro E. Balce: Iskolar ng Bayan (Part 1)

Hulyo 30, 1978

Isang 23 23 taong-gulang na binatilyong kasapi ng New People's Army ang nasawi sa isang "military encounter" sa pagitan ng Philippine Army na pinamumunuan ni 1Lt. Malali, at yunit ng New People's Army sa Tigaon, Camarines Sur...

Nang mabalitaan ng mga magulang at kapatid ni Floro na nabaril ito at nasawi sa isang 'military encounter' sa Tigaon, Camarines Sur ay tila tumigil ang pag-ikot ng mundo. Hindi sila makapaniwala na wala na ang kanilang mabait na si Poloy...ang kanilang bunso, na ayon sa kapatid nitong si Gerardo, ay nagpaalam lamang na uuwi sandali sa Bikol noong Pebrero 1978.

"Birthday ng anak ko nang siya'y mamatay. Hindi ko lubos na nauunawaan kun ano ang kanyang ipinakikipaglaban...basta't ang alam ko lang, napakamatulungin ni Poloy kaya siguro siya nagpunta sa bundok...gusto niyang tulungan ang mga tao doon..."

Ito ang tinuran ng nanay ni Floro, si Aling Vicenta, isang biyuda na sa edad na 81 taong-gulang ay kakikitaan pa rin ng liksi at sigla. Hanggang ngayon ay yakap-yakap pa rin niya sa kanyang puso ang mga alaala ng kanyang anak...si Floro Elep Balce, ang iskolar ng bayan...

Ang Simula

Ang kasaysayan ni Floro ay nagsimula sa araw ng kanyang kapanganakan noong Hulyo 30, 1955. Siya ay tubong Camarines Norte, isang lalawigan sa Bikol na mayaman sa kuwento ng mga kabayaniha. Dito sa lalawigang ito nagmula ang mga bantog na bayaning sina Jose Ma. Panganiban at Wenceslao Q. Vinzons.

Si Floro ay isinilang sa San Gregorio Village, Daet, Camarines Norte. Bunso siya sa pitong magkakapatid na karamihan ay nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral at maayos ang pamumuhay. Ang kanyang ama ay si Monico Balce, dating docket clerk ng Court of First Instance sa Daet, at ang kanya namang ina ay si Vicenta Elep-Balce, isang butihing maybahay na piniling propesyon ang pagiging 'full-time housewife & mother' sa kanyang asawa at mga anak.

Ang kinalakhang pamilya ni Floro ay payak ngunit hitik sa pagmamahalan. Sabi nga ng nanay ni Floro, pinalaki ito na busog sa pagmamahal at pag-aaruga kaya't maituturing na masaya ang kanyang 'childhood'.

Si Floro/Poloy, ayon sa kanyang mga kapatid na sina Gerardo, Hernanco, Antonio, Victor, Corazon at Leonor, ay mabait na bata at walang ibinigay na sakit-ulo sa kanila. Maliit pa ito ay bibong-bibo na kaya't palagi itong kalahok sa mga programa sa kanilang eskuwelahan, lalo na sa declamation at oratorical contests.

"Very simple, honest, hardworking at idealist si Floro," ani Jake, dating kaklase na ngayon ay isa nang executive sa isang kompanya sa Makati. "Puwede mo siyang bigyan ng loyalty award bilang kaibigan. Anumang oras ay laging handang tumulong!"

Isa pang matingkad na katangian ni Floro ay ang likas nitong sense of humor. "Joker ang tawag namin sa kaibigan kong iyon," ani Mar, ka-miyembro sa UP Ibalon. "Ang punchline nito kapagka tinatanong namin kung paano siya nakapasa sa NSDB scholarship ay ganito: " Nagkataon kasing may leakage sa hanay ng mga apelyidong nagsisimula sa N-Z kaya disqualified sila, eh. Balce ang apelyido ko kaya pumasa ako." Minsan naman ay tinanong ito ng roommate niya: "O, kumusta ang exam mo sa Physics? Ang sagot ni Floro ay: "Okay naman, nasa top ten ako, number 8...pero walo lang kami sa klase." Kahit sa gitna ng kagipitan ay nakukuha pa nitong magbiro. 'Favorite joke' niya sa gitna ng 'protest rallies' ang kapatid niyang si Hernando, isang Koronel sa Philippine Air Force, na namatay sa 'plane crash' sa Zamboanga noong 1981. Sabi ni Floro, "habang nagra-rally ako sa kalsada, iyong kapatid ko naman ay nasa ere at nambobomba ng mga raliyista."

(picture caption: Minsan may isang nagsabing,  "Anong malay ninyo kung maging presidente ako ng pilipinas."

Si Floro ay itinuturing na 'one of the brightest sons of Camarines Norte.' Consistent honor student siya mula elementarya, hayskul at kolehiyo. Siya ang valedictorian ng klase nang magtapos ng elementarya sa Abano Pilot Elementary School sa Daet noong 1969, at salutatorian nang magtapos ng hayskul sa Camarines Norte High School noong 1973. Gayundin, isa siyang iskolar ng National Science Development Board (NSDB) nang pumasok sa University of the Philippines sa kursong Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering noong 1973.

Hindi lamang sa 'academics' ipinakita ni Floro ang kanyang kahusayan, kundi maging sa 'co-curricular activities.' Naging lider siya ng Cub Scout at Boy Scout sa kanilang paaralan  noong elementarya. Noong high school ay naging aktibo din siya sa mga grupong aktibidad. Sumali siya sa 18th Provincial Rally ng 4-H Club noong Marso 15, 1970, at sa DMST PMT & WAS Provincial Seminar ng Camarines Norte High School noong September 17-22, 1973. Bunga ng ipinakita niyang kahusayan sa 'academics at co-curricular activities' ay pinarangalan siya noong nasa 3rd year high school siya, taong 1972, bilang 'model student for his exemplary character, creative abilities and special talents, scholastic standing, excellent health, and cheerful disposition" ng Children's Museum and Library, Inc.

(end of Part 1; mga may-akda: Antonio A. Ayo, Jr. at Ma. Leny E. Felix; halaw sa "Pulang Hamtik")

Fast and Fair Justice Needed

Although the slow pace of justice in the Philippines has been repeatedly criticized, the verdict on the Julia Campbell case must be the blue print of how fast cases must be resolved. After more than year of investigation, confessed Benguet killer Juan Donald Duntugan, a 25 year-old woodcarver, was sentenced to 40 years in prison without parole. He was asked to pay P39 million in damages to the Campbell family.

“An attack made by a man with a deadly weapon upon an unarmed and defenseless woman constitutes the circumstance of abuse that superiority which his sex, and the weapon used in the act afforded him, and by means of which the woman was overcome and rendered unable to defend herself,” said the decision of Judge Ester Piscoso-Flor of the Ifugao Regional Trial Court branch 34 on June 30, 2008. Philstar (07/01/08, Lagasca, C.)

The monetary compensation seemed huge and the prison sentence apt, but we know the wasted life a US Peace Corps volunteer is more valuable. To compare, those who perished in 911 when terrorists blew up the Twin Towers got an average of $3.1 million from the government, insurances and charitable institutions. Julia Campbell who went missing on April 8, 2008 deserved more compensation. She had a rich and productive life ahead her---more than what the US Peace Corps might have envisioned when it was started in 1961 by Pres. John F. Kennedy:

“Coming from all walks of life and representing the rich diversity of the American people, Peace Corps Volunteers range in age from college students to retirees. Every Peace Corps Volunteer's experience is different. From teaching English to elementary school children in Zambia to launching a computer learning center in Moldova to promoting HIV/AIDS awareness in South Africa to working on soil conservation in Panama, Volunteers bring their skills and life experiences to where they are needed most.“ www.peacecorps.gov

Be as it may, the verdict on the Campbell case brings a sigh of relief to the nation. Filipinos are pushing that other legal cases be handled expeditiously, particularly those involving crimes of citizens, irrespective of who the parties are.

There are still a lot to be desired with our justice system. It must not be too slow or too fast as Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo’s wishy-washy order (Inquirer,07/01/08, Dalangin-Fernandez, L.) that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) wrap up its findings on the Sulpicio Lines ferry tragedy in 10 short days. Critics suspect this haphazard unrealistic presidential edict as a form of political posturing which risks the proper carriage of justice.=0=

The Princess of the Stars' Sinking

The Princess of the Stars which sank off Romblon was by no means a "floating coffin" as some quarters alleged.  It isn't a rust bucket either.  It is in fact the flagship of Sulpicio Lines and it can easily match the amenities and comfort of any local ship.  However, Sulpicio ships never match the cleanliness of the SuperFerry ships.  It was the biggest local passenger ship ever, both in terms of Gross Registered Tonnes and in dimensions.

It is also not an old ship by local standards.  Actually it is one of the newest among the local ferries. At 24 years it is not really that old even by international standards.  Even in Europe, where standards are stringest by continental comparisons, a ship must be over 35 years old before it is refused registration.

The Bureau Veritas (BV), an international ship inspection and certification organization recognized worldwide confirmed that the ship was BV-certificated.  It was also IMO (International Maritime Organization, a UN agency)-compliant according to a report.  Most local ships are not internationally certificated.  I don't think there's a about the seaworthiness of the ship. 

So what went wrong?

I don't think the fault lies in the lack of government regulations.  As it is, government rules regarding sailing of ships when there is a weather disturbance are already over-restrictive.  Small ferries can't sail when storm signal #1 is hoisted.  One must understand that storm signal indicates not just storm strength but also distance.  The typhoon might be strong but it is still of some distance so only signal # 1 is raised.  So you always have the scenario that it is still calm and shining in Matnog, Sorsogon and Allen, Northern Samar but the ferries are already grounded and the passengers are stranded on both sides of San Bernardino Strait.

I think our local weather service, the PAGASA is already passe.  In a world where local weather conditions to the level of barangays can already be predicted (like www.fallingrain.com) and where predictions are changed every 3 hours or even more often PAGASA forecasts are already an anachronism.  One does not need PAGASA to track storms.  So many weather agencies, government and private do forecasts and it is available on the Net.  Even our own Mike Padua can do a better and more timely forecast than PAGASA at much, much lesser cost.  I do not know if PAGASA responds to text inquiries but Mike Padua's service certainly does.

It is clear from 2007 government guidelines that the final responsibility in sailing under storm conditions lies with the master (or captain) of the ship.  PAGASA, JMA and JWTC has storm trackings from 3am and  every 6 hours thereafter and it is available on the Net.  aside from these satellites pictures are available almost every hour and it is also available on the Net. 

When the ship sailed out of Manila on Friday at 8pm it still had the chance to check the 9pm weather bulletin.  The ship then was still near Corregidor island.  At 3am Saturday it is still just leaving Mindoro island of the coast of the municipality of Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. By plotting the known positions of the typhoon from the late afternoon of Friday to Friday evening and Saturday dawn, the ship's navigators should have already sensed that the typhoon has changed course.  The ship could then have turned back and hide somewhere in Batangas and Mindoro (yes, the Princess of the Stars is faster than the eye of the typhoon because it has a speed of 20 knots or about 37 kph whereas a typhoon seldom moves faster than 20 kph) or it could have turned south towards Antique.  Many ships going to Cebu take a detour and pass around the southern tip of Panay island when there is a weather disturbance in Eastern Visayas or in Bicol.

In here one must already suspect negligence on the part of the navigation crew and on the Sulpicio port captains who also have authority to change the course of the vessel.  I do not know if there was a gung-ho attitude on the part of the ship's navigation crew especially the captain.  They must have known that in Japan ships of that size and construction are designed to sail in near-gale conditions.  But signal #3 typhoons in the Philippines are much stronger than near-gale conditions.

I have plotted the course of the typhoon and the ship.  At 7:30am when the ship was buffeted by very strong winds and mountainous waves it was just 70kms from the eye of the typhoon and definitely within the storm radius and they were in a collision course.  Maybe the ship's navigation crew was lulled just before that time because they were being partially sheltered by the island of Sibuyan.  They might not have known it but they were already in danger then.  At that point I am not sure if they can still safely turn back.

At 12:30pm when the ship sank the typhoon's eye was just 35kms away from the wounded ship.  At 3pm when the ship already sank, the storm's center passed very near the ship's grave.

I cannot express my appallment at such kind of navigation both on the part of the captain and on the part of the port captain.  They are on the path of the typhoon and the ship and the company does not know it?  And now they have the gall to blame PAGASA? And attribute it as an "act og God"?  Who's God, by the way?

Did the ship's engine conk out during the storm and as such is the proximate cause of the sinking as others asked?  No, it isn't as simple as that.

The ferry was a Ro-ro (short for roll on-roll off) vessel.  But more exactly it is a Ro-pax (roll on-passenger) vessel.  Ro-ro vessels have one critical weakness.  It has a flush cargo deck inside the ship just above the water line.  It is designed for ease in loading and unloading rolling cargoes (such as container vans mounted on truck chassis and vehicles).  It might be convenient to load a Ro-ro but its design does not permit compartmentalization of the ship.  Thus, when water enters the ship it cannot be localized and under a storm if the rolling cargoes break its lashings the cargoes will move.

When the ship was hit by monstrous waves, it tilted to one side.  Obviously the lashings broke when that happened and the cargoes moved.  That's why the ship cannot recover from lying on its side.  When this happened it is finis to the ship no matter what the crew does.  It is just a matter of time before it sinks.

Why? 

When the ship lies on its side and cannot recover, only half of the water pumps will be effective because the other half is already out of suction with the water.  And lying on its side the ship will take in water faster because some of the openings will then be in the water.  In a short time the remaining pumps will become submerged in water conking them out.  Soon the engine room will flood and the main and auxiliary engines will fail.  All the power of the ship will then be gone and there is no way anymore to steer the ship.  Actually, having a ship lying on its side is already very difficult to steer especially if one propeller is sticking out of the water and the rudder is also partially sticking out.  Tha's why a ship lying on its side is already a dead ship.

A Ro-pax is more top-heavy than a normal ship because of the relatively empty cargo deck below and several passenger decks have to be built above.  A Ro-ro lying on its side when it capsized has the tendency to sink upside-down if it is top-heavy.  A passenger ship that capsizes upside-down has the tendency to trap passengers inside.

Once trapped the portholes (windows) and doors are very difficult to open because it is designed to open to the outside and the weight of water is simply too heavy to push.  The passenger areas are then very dark because it is already under water and the ship's lights are no longer working.  It is simply a matter of time before the trapped inside the ship is exhausted.

It is a grim death.