For my posts, I don’t usually touch on topics which are the usual topics in other blogs or websites. I like my posts to be personal. But with the Maguindanao massacre, I couldn’t help but write what others are writing about as the Maguindanao massacre has been a hot topic of countless of bloggers.
The Maguindanao massacre was an act of a monster, a maniacal and sinister plot of the devil. As one TV interviewee who had been in the massacre scene had said, the incident ‘ay hindi gawa ng tao’. And even without the camera showing crumpled vehicles and dead bodies dug up by a backhoe from a fresh mass grave, and the mutilated bodies with cut ears, gouged eyes, bullet hole on the head, and ‘bukas na zipper at aring niratrat ng bala’, the face of Andal Ampatuan as shown on TV without handcuffs was somehow enough to illustrate the point. I can’t imagine what the man (or monster in the guise of a man, or the devil himself in the person of Andal Ampatuan) was thinking when he allegedly ordered the massacre of some 64 men and women. I can’t imagine what the Ampatuan family was thinking when the idea of killing people was allegedly hatched by them. Are Andal and cohorts really human?
I didn’t know personally any of those massacred. But I was outraged by the barbarity of their deaths. The guys may not be perfect when they were alive. But they never deserved the kind of death they’d had. As one widow lamented, hindi lang pinatay kundi binaboy ang kanyang asawa.
Watching the massacre scenes on TV was numbing. Many times, I wasn’t aware that I was shedding some tears. I was thankful though that I was watching TV alone. Ganito na ba kagarapal ang tao? Possibly, the same scenes could be seen in Iraq or Mombay. But Iraq is a war zone. And the Mombay incident was a terrorist act. The Maguindanao massacre was an act of politicians and militiamen who were supposed to protect the people and whose salaries were paid for by the people they’ve killed. Ganito ba kagarapal sila? Can a sane person really do the act in such a magnitude?
The TV stations were good enough to blur out images of the decapitated, and sometimes they showed black and white footages to blot out the abundance of gore. But such self-censorship just magnifies the details especially when the scenes were followed by the close-up of a smirking Andal Ampatuan wearing a headband ala Rambo. Tao ba talaga siya? Because I agree with the interviewee that the massacre ay hindi gawa ng tao.
The word 'massacre' is heavily used in this post because I could'nt find a graver word. Perhaps, terrorism is graver than massacre. But terrorism could be simply 'kidnapping'. While massacre means gruesome death and lots of gore.
The only way for the Ampatuans to revert back to being humans is for them to feel the same pain that their victims had felt under their barbaric acts. The Ampatuans must be put to prison for life. And they must be thankful that they live in a civil and modern society. Else they are skinned alive, or stoned to death, or chained standing on a colony of red ants and scorpions until they die, or decapitated, or buried alive, or fed with fresh dog poo till they bark, or immersed in a cauldron of boiling oil, or fed to the crocodiles., etc., etc, etc…
@
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Not a work of a human
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Search for Iloilo's outstanding elementary and high school students is on
The Outstanding Students Circle of Iloilo (OSCI), through the Department of Education (Divisions of Iloilo, Iloilo City, and Passi City), has announced the start of the Search for the Ten Outstanding Elementary Pupils and the Ten Outstanding Secondary School Students of Iloilo for the school year 2009-2010.
The mechanics and criteria for this school year's search can be viewed from the OSCI official blog http://outstandingstudentscircleofiloilo.blogspot.com . Nomination forms can be secured from the DepEd Division offices. Deadline of submission of nominations is on January 7, 2010.
OSCI is composed of former recipients of the Ten Outstanding Elementary Pupils and the Ten Outstanding Secondary School Students of Iloilo awards given out during the incumbency of former Iloilo Governor, Hon. Conrado J. Norada. OSCI has been doing the Search for five years already.
Past OSCI awardees were:
TOEP 2009. (1) Arvin John Tejereso, Cabatuan Central Elementary School, 2) Jamero, Jollimee A., West Visayas State University – ILS, (3) Quilantang, Lainly D., SPED – ISEC, (4) Patriarca, Raymund John, Jaro I Elementary School, (5) Susmiran, Patrick Jules, Sta. Barbara Central Elementary School, (6) Chan, Kevin Friedrich Y., Iloilo Scholastic Academy, (7) Bimbo, Angeli Janne Ga, Central Philippine University, (8) Cajandig, Mary Monique, Children's Integrated School of Alta Tierra, (9) Fenis, Ivan Misola, Miagao Central Elementary School, and (10) Villaruz, Gerrod J., Ateneo de Iloilo – SMCS.
TOSSS 2009. (1) Vincen Gregory Yu , Iloilo Central Commercial High School,(2) Java, Albert Jan Matthew A., Central Philippine University, (3) Juan Loa, Nina Isabela P., Ateneo de Iloilo – SMCS, (4) Macero, Milrose P., Passi National High School, (5)Solas, Mark Collin P., Iloilo National High School, (6) Marmolejo, Daryl Ecuben, Guimbal National High School, (7) Miñosa, Nathaniel G., Lambunao National High School, (8) Zamora, Abner C., Anilao National High School, (9) Hontoria, Jaywardene G., Colegio de San Jose, and (10) Faculin, Andre Karl S., Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus.
TOEP 2008. 1. Lustre, Maphete Dianne (above photo, in green dress) - WVSU - Integrated Laboratory School, 2. Montelibano, Maria Trenas - SPED-Integrated School for Exceptional Children, 3. Deypalubos, Florencio III - Sta. Barbara Central Elementary School , 4. Roga, EJ Marie - Iloilo Central Elementary School, , 5. Guanco, Emma Rose O. - Iloilo Scholastic Academy
6. Alfaro, Rumel Angelo T. - Cabatuan Central Elementary School, 7. Estuche, Marc Adrian Philippe - Children's Integrated School of Alta Tierra, 8. Baladjay, Aserina Yvonne - Jaro I Elementary School , 9. Subo, Ma. Phoebe T. - Barotac Nuevo Central Elementary School , 10. Yray, Kristiana Claire - Ateneo de Iloilo - SMCS.
TOSSS 2008. 1. Penol, Jo Jan Paul (right photo) - Pavia National High School , 2. Palomaria, Stephen John B. - Passi National High School, 3. Baldevarona, Rosa Lea - University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo , 4. Leda, Stella Mariedith - Lambunao National High School, 5. Bayona, Paul Vincent S. - Saint Paul School, Barotac Nuevo , 6. Salinas, Cornelius Cesar Jude - Westbridge School for Boys , 7. Garces, Rose Ann - Guimbal National High School, 8. Enarbia, Stephanie Keiko - Ateneo de Iloilo / Sta Maria Catholic School , 9. Umadhay, Quennie Lyn S. - Sta. Barbara National Comprehensive High School , 10. De la Vega, Beverly Ann - Jalandoni Memorial National High School.
TOEP 2007. 1 Sira, Liza Marie S. - Sta. Barbara Central Elementary School, 2 Fuego, Alyanna Krista - Ateneo de Iloilo - Sta. Maria Catholic School, 3 Demafiles, Shaynne Laurice A. - Iloilo Central Elementary School , 4 Amit, Sheena Mae F. - West Visayas State University - ILS,5 Cortum, Alyanna Sinel - SPED Integrated School for Exceptional Children, 6 Adolfo, Estee Joy G. - Guimbal Central Elementary School, 7 Garrido, Excelle Anne C. - San Enrique Central School , 8 Tronco, Christina Mae M. - Cabatuan Central Elementary Schoo, 9 Lizada, Adrian Nichol - Don Eugenio Ladrido Memorial Elementary School , 10 Hualde, Karla Rosa S. - New Lucena Central School .
TOSSS 2007. 1 Pamillo, Ray John - Central Philippine University High School , 2 Robinson, Victor B. III - Ateneo de Iloilo - Sta. Maria Catholic School , 3 Hualde, Ken C. Cabatuan - National Comprehensive High School , 4 Leda, Francis Pauline B. - Lambunao National High School , 5 Cadete, Ivory June J. - SPED - Integrated School for Exceptional Children , 6 Abalajon, Karl Vincent - University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo , 7 Lazaro, Joe Abad S., Jr. - Don Felix Serra National High School, 8 Tacaisan, Ability-Ann G. - Colegio Del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, 9 Dato-on, Luville J. - San Enrique National Comprehensive High School, 10 Fresnido, Donna Isabelle M. - University of San Agustin High School.
TOEP 2006. 1. Altamera, Shari A. SPED – Integrated School for Exceptional
Children , 2. Mellizas, Marian Mae L. Cabatuan Central Elementary School , 3. Cerebo, Bryan Eric New Lucena Central Elementary School , 4. Deocampo, Irish Joy G. Iloilo Central Elementary School , 5. Leda, Francis Paul B. Don Eugenio Ladrido Memorial Elementary School, 6. Ponta-oy, Lennon Dingle Central Elementary School, 7. Divinagracia, Bert Lorenz S. Ateneo de Iloilo/Sta Maria Catholic School , 8. Magallon, Marianne Joy Sta. Barbara Central Elementary School , 9. Atas, Celeste West Visayas State University, 10. Jamerlan, Ma. Christina M. St. Joseph School.
TOSSS 2006. 1. Llorente, Neil Andrew Chiu Ateneo de Iloilo/Sta Maria Catholic School
2. Almendros, Ma. Jilyn C. Colegio de las Hijas de Jesus, 3. Tunguia, Saer Martin J. Iloilo National High School , 4. Mondin, Vincent Leuter J. Zarraga National High School, 5. Canong, Ma. Verni Katrina A. University of the Philippines, 6. Misajon, Joshua J. Central Philippine University , 7. Servanio, Nikko Jones G. Pavia National High School, 8. Loreno, Christine Anne L. Lambunao National High School, 9. Pruto, Melissa P. Mina National High School , 10. Sampiano, Nyre Cyre Colegio de San Jose. @
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Winners!
We just came from the mall where my daughter participated in the caroling contest sponsored by a TV network. She was a member of her school’s choir. It was an exhilarating experience.
I was informed that the contest would start at 11:00 am. But when I arrived at the mall, choir #2 was already performing. I frantically looked for my wife to ask if our daughter had already performed. She told me that my daughter's choir was the 14th performer and that there were 14 contestants. I was relieved. I led my brother's two apos, Ryan and Lizzie, who were always going with me, to a vantage point where they could see the full performances. I bought them some waffle. Then I watched from the back.
To me it was a big challenge to watch kiddy shows like this. Nakakaburyong. Once in a while, I would slip out to some boutiques to look for some t-shirts and pants on bargain prices. But I had to return to check on the apos and get an assessment of the performances. Some contestants obviously lacked practice. Others lacked good trainors. While a few really did a pang-contest performance. But I could not say which contestants were sure winners because I hadn't yet seen the performance of my daughter's choir. With the hefty sum the other parents and I paid for the trainor and choreographer, possibly my daughter's choir was the choir to beat.
And then, after what seemed an eternity, the emcee introduced the last contestant. I felt nervous. The choir members marched to the stage. They wore identical dresses, shoes, hairdo, and make-up. My daughter was the first in the line. She was beautiful. I looked at the other members of the choir. They looked just like my daughter. Could be the make-up. But I remembered mannequins in the department stores were made to look like famous fashion models. Perhaps, the make-up artist wanted to make others look like my famous (according to me) daughter.
Then they started singing Christmas carols. Obviously, they had a good trainor. But their performance was pang-choral contest. Indi pang-caroling. Their voices were too soft to be heard. The choreography was pang-recital. It was all song and dance without the Christmas stories that other choirs incorporated into their 7-minutes presentation. It was not a lively performance worthy of an award. But what they lacked in performance, they filled with their best looking personalities. They had the best dresses, make-up, hairdo, and possibly the most expensive make-up artist. They looked like going to a party rather than to a caroling. Their props were unique. Their presentation was subdued and slow, as compared to the verve and pizzaz of the few others. And even if they also came from a public school, they were like a wisp of fresh air as they looked like prim-and-proper, coy, and inhibited convent-bred lasses in a sea of brash, loud and uninhibited public schoolers.
But I didn't mind the performance of the choir. I was focused mostly on my daughter. She was a revelation. She could sing, dance, and was at ease in front of the big crowd. She blended well with the rest of the choir. I could hardly believe my eyes.
My daughter is in Grade 3 and this was the first time she joined an extra-curricular activity. She is good in the academics, but is adamant to join school activities even if I asked her to. She always finds reasons not to join even if I bribe her with an offer to eat out with her cousins. She is suplada personified, which our acquaintances attributed to her having curly hair. Pag kulot kuno, suplada gid. She has no best friend in their class. She seldom talks to her classmates. Therefore, I am happy if I hear that she is the leader of the Cleaners for the Day, a role being rotated among everybody in her class. I will wake up early to pick some flowers for her classroom to make her feel that being a leader of even a cleaners group was special.
My girl was great on stage. I wanted to hug and congratulate her. Hers was the best performance I'd seen that day. Then they exited the stage. We met her at the side. She was beaming with joy.
After awhile, the emcee announced the winners. The judges would pick out 7 finalists out of the 14 contestants. The sponsor was giving cash prizes to all the finalists, who would compete in another round come December. All those which I thought performed well were called on stage as finalists. Then contestant number 13 was called. My wife and the other mothers jumped with joy. 'We won! We won!' they shouted. The adviser called my girl and her classmates so they could go up the stage to claim their award. And I thought they were contestant number 14! I just kept quiet. They were about to head to the stage when they saw another group going up the stage. Then they were informed it was number 13 that was called, and not 14. The teacher and the parents were crestfallen. Ay ahay, kaluoy gid. Then the emcee said he would announce the seventh finalist. The teacher and the parents were alive and hopeful again. They thought all 7 finalists were already announced. When the remaining finalist was announced, it was not number 14. A classmate of my daughter cried. All the parents, including my wife were so sad. They invested a lot of time for the practice and preparations. And the choreography for the 7-minute presentation costed more than a half-month salary of the school's utilityman. The make-up was Php500.00 for each child. But at least the dress could be worn by the daughters to another party. The parents who might have planned to celebrate with their kids in one of the fastfoods, bade us goodbye. They said they would go straight home. They looked tired. They were in school since 8:00am for the make-up and the last minute rehearsal. Perhaps, some of them hadn't yet eaten lunch because of excitement. They looked like losers. Parang mga basang sisiw.
Then my sisters, nieces, and apos who were there to watch my daughter, were surprised when I announced that I was going to celebrate. We went to a popular fastfoods. I got the money from my wallet which was meant to buy a week supply of groceries. I was happy. My daughter was beaming beside me. She told me she enjoyed the experience on stage and being the center of everybody’s attention. And my reticent daughter announced that she would be joining other activities in school. I was ecstatic. Both of us were winners!@
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tahoooooooo!
When my kids hear the sound of the taho vendor, they stop whatever they do and immediately ask me to buy them some. They join the other kids in the neighborhood to gather around the taho vendor and wait with mouths open as plastic cup after plastic cup is filled to the brim with taho, sago pearls, and sugar syrup. After a cup is filled, the vendor inserts an oversized straw and hands the cup to a kid. Even with some teeth missing, the receiving kid smiles with satisfaction as if he just received a precious gift from Santa.
Taho is one food I can tolerate my kids to eat anytime of the day. It is delicious, filling and unlike other foods liked by most kids, it is considered a health food.
Taho is a soya bean concoction and very rich in protrein. In fact, soya is a recommended alternative to meat for avowed vegetarians. Soya is believed to improve bone density and to reduce the chances of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and post menopausal syndromes.
Ti may taho man sa inyo da sa abroad?
For those who miss Philippine taho and would like to make one just to savor this delicacy or possibly to engage later in taho business, here’s a procedure to make taho which I downloaded from the internet months ago. Unfortunately, I have not recorded the source website.
• 500 grams soybeans
• 3.5 liter water
• 2 bars white gelatin,
• 250 grams brown sugar
Tools, equipment and utensils needed:
• Blender
• Stove, pot, weighing scale
• Basting spoon
• Knife
• l-yard cheesecloth
• Dial/cooking thermometer,
• plastic basin
• Strainer
Procedure:
Select newly harvested and good soybeans. Good soybeans are spotless, smooth, and free from infestation. Wash them, then soak them overnight or for at least 6 hours. After soaking the soybeans, wash and clean them; by then they would have expanded to three times their original size. Remove the beans from the water and peel the hulls. Blend the soybeans to be turned into taho into a puree. Similarly put the puree for the “taho” into a bowl and mix in water gradually, but this time use only 1.5 L of water. Then using cheesecloth, filter the soy puree to derive soymilk.
Cook the gelatin by dissolving the bars in a liter of boiling water.
Put the soymilk in a pot and heat in low fire. After 10 minutes of boiling, the temperature would reach 80° C. At this temperature, let the milk boil for another 7 minutes or until the beany flavor disappears.
Pour and mix the dissolved gelatin into the boiling soymilk. Remove the froth that forms on top of the mixture. Afterwards, remove the pot from the stove and let the mixture cool. Using the cheesecloth, strain the mixture and remove unmixed gelatin bits. Then pour the mixture into a mold. Set it aside and let it cool and harden for an hour.
While waiting for the soymilk mixture to solidify, prepare the syrup and the sago pearls.
To make the syrup, boil 200 ml of water and dissolve 250 g of brown sugar in the water.
Once the soymilk mixture solidifies, get a few scoops, add sago pearls, pour in the syrup, then serve.
This recipe can make about 2 kilos of soymilk mixture with a shelf life of 1 week.
Enjoy your taho. @
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Piyesta Minatay; All Saints Day
I woke up early today, actually too early for me as I sleep usually past 12 o'clock midnight. I am an insomniac, right? In case you forgot.
I had coffee while I waited for the kids to finish their bath. We had to be in my mother's house before the day gets hot. I would take my mother to the cemetery so she could have a glimpse of the tombs of Tatay, her parents, and other relatives. And perhaps, she would comment on how the tombs looked scrubbed and clean. And I would silently wallow on my good job. Well, not necessarily my job, as the helpers did all the cleaning while I went around the cemetery to kill the time. But I was responsible to bring the helpers to clean the tombs, didn't I?
Flower vendors are doing brisk business during the Piyesta Minatay. Arranged flowers cost more than double the price.
I dropped my wife and kids in the farm so they could arrange the flowers they bought for the graves of my in-laws. We bought only flowers - chrysanthemums, Malaysian mumps, and baby's breath. It was a sin to buy the atrociously priced foliage as better looking ferns grow in abundance in the farm. Baby's breath used to grow profusely in the farm too, but they gave way to plots of string beans. My sisters also arranged their flowers in the farm yesterday because of the ferns.
Whole families head to the cemetery in spite of the heat of the sun.
Nanay was dressed up by the kasambahay when I arrived. That was my agreement with the kasambahay. Because she is already 84yo, Nanay is impatient and moody. She will only go out when I fetch her. She will never go with anyone, even with my nieces who grew up under her care. When informed beforehand that we were going out, she would be in a hurry to leave the house and would pester everyone to take her to the car already. In the same way, she would be in a hurry to go home when we arrive in our destination. So, it is not practical to take her to some far away destination.
We arrived at the cemetery at 8:00 am. It was already hot. I showed the helper how to push Nanay's wheelchair. 'If you wish to work abroad, better learn this,' I told him. We went directly to the tomb of my father. Nanay lighted some candles with the help of her grandchildren. We proceeded to the tombs of her parents and siblings. Again she lighted some candles. Along the way, she read the names of the dead inscribed on the lapidas before the tombs we passed by. Sometimes she wondered why some of those she knew were already dead. 'I was older than them', she would comment.
Locally made flower baskets are in demand.
The Jaro plaza is literally blooming during Piyesta Minatay. But the flowers, and even buyers, are fewer this year compared to previous years.
We returned back to my father's tomb and I left Nanay there in the company of my sisters and nieces. Then I hurriedly went to the graves of other kins and acquaintances to light candles. My kids and my brother's apos who were tagging along with me, enjoyed lighting the candles.
There were already too many people braving the heat. The air was festive rather than somber. Of course, we call November 1, Piyesta Minatay because it really is a fiesta. After a few minutes, I took Nanay home.
Metro Manila cemeteries were still wet because of typhoon Santi. But here in Iloilo, we never had a rain the past days. It was really hot and humid. So we decided to take our lunch in the farm.
We had broiled fish and pork, and pork nilaga with alubihod leaves. The kids loved it. We also had fresh young coconuts or kulabo. I like kulabo. I can finish pitchers, not just glasses, of it. For dessert, we had palitaw, which I usually called palubog, and inday-inday. After lunch, everybody lolled on the bamboo flooring of the nipa hut and watched Yanggaw.
Some names are famous. Others are not so famous. Most are never heard. But one thing are common to them - they are names of dead people.
Afternoon was supposed to be the time for pangalag. I liked the kids to experience it. We scheduled a pangalag with our neighbor who promished to cook native kakanins for us. But we forgot the time, so the neighbors just sent us some ibos as they were already leaving for the cemetery.
Some graves have many visitors....
.... others have just one... or none at all.
But we still went to do pangalag in the house of classmate Matea. She had no visitors. She just prepared for us. We had ibos, ginat-an, palitaw, pansit, suman (Tagalogs call it biko) and native fruits. I asked Matea if she had itang (small food servings placed in a corner of the room purportedly for souls or spirits). She said she did not believe in itang, just like the other people I asked. I told her I was just curious about itang because I have not seen it being practiced anymore.
Karalagan - suman, ibos, ginat-an, palitaw. I like the kids to experience pangalag, just like the days when I was still a kid myself.
Before 5:00 pm we returned to the cemetery. The traffic was heavy. We parked far from the cemetery because there were so many vehicles parked on both sides of the highway. As cars were bumber to bumper, people too were shoulder to shoulder. There were too many people. Just as I was sometimes surprised to know that some people I thought were still alive were actually dead already as shown by their lapidas, I was more surprised to meet people whom I thought were already dead but were actually still alive and kicking. I met a doctor who was younger than I but who looked older with gray hairs even in his eyelids. Beside him was a man whom I thought was just his friend, but was actually his son. His son was already shaving his mustache. And my older daughter is only in Grade 5!
There are those literally awashed with expensive flowers.
Others with just cheap ones....
.. or with just a lonesome candle. Or even with just a prayer. All of the dead are remembered today.
Candles are lighted inside the campo santo for those whose graves could not be found.
We were supposed to stay longer and meet more friends. But the clouds were dark. The heavens threatened to damp some rain. So we hurriedly headed for the car. It was still heavy traffic and it was hard to negotiate our way back to town. It was then when I noticed that it was already too dark. The other vehicles were already switching on their headlines. I also put on my headlights. And I saw that the time was only 5:30pm. Just a few minutes ago, the sun was up and it was so hot. Now, it was dark. The streetlights were also on. Parang nagka-solar eclipse.
As we reached the town, the moon was already up in the clouds. The car's clock said it was only 5:47. But the moon was beautiful. Too beautiful indeed. What was lacking were silhouettes of flying half-bodied creatures with uncombed hairs and bat wings. It would have been a more beautiful and more memorable Piyesta Minatay.@
