==> A Retreat Letter for D

as far as life lessons are concerned what is there that still needs to be said between you and i?  

I wish I could have given you a better retreat letter but as always, you gave me such short notice so this would have to make do…

I don’t think I’ve done this for another human being but I have done it for you… I have taught you a lot... and I mean, A LOT of things that I have learned from life in the hopes that as you go through your own life as an adult, your struggles will be short,  your pains would be bearable,  your burdens/loads will be light,  your frustrations will be few and your happiness will be real and long-lasting. 

I know that there are times when you probably want to send me into exile in some godforsaken place when I give you a hard time whenever you messed-up.  or when I lose my temper with you and would have wanted to give you a good spanking. but hey, don’t I always explain to you why your attention is being called during such occasions?  i hope by now you understand that I always have your best interest at heart. 

Years ago, I remember you asking me this question, “tita, what age does a person mature?” *you meant in the context of… the opposite of being immature, I suppose*  I remember telling you that there are people in their ripe old age who die and never reached maturity.  And you boy are definitely not there yet so please listen when someone*namely me* offers some pieces of advice.  

Stubbornness and thinking that the only opinion that matters is yours is the height of immaturity.  Taking steady tiny steps forward is better than taking a giant leap only to fall down on your landing. So it’s not a bad thing to sometimes do a bit of self-reflection… set goals… and get your priorities right.

Now here’s to me hoping that a couple of years later, when you’re having the time of your life, not only will you remember all my hour-long sermons, preaching and rants with a huge smile on your face but for you to take every word to heart and have the happiest of life that our good Lord intends you to have.

==> IKAW NA NAMAN #@$$!*&&$?

trust this family to get me out of hibernation just to set the record straight, AGAIN. this issue is like a recurring national nightmare that just wouldn’t permanently disappear, it just keeps on coming back over and over and over again.

with all due respect...

normally, I would not reply to an opinion post about political issues even if I disagree with them. My reasoning is, everyone is entitled to have and formulate their own opinions and post it on their social media account. if it can’t be helped and you just have to say your piece on a particular issue, by all means you are free to do so but please carefully choose your words and mind your demeanor, never forget respect at all times. But, when you put something, anything in cyberspace, be sure to know your facts and stick to those facts. Otherwise, it’s free for all… it’s not my fault if you have put on display your ignorance for all to see.

marcos died 3 yrs after fleeing the philippines in FEAR and SHAME, well mostly in fear cause i doubt shame is in the vocabulary of the marcoses. all these criminal cases filed against marcos became moot and academic because the principal accused is already dead. it does not mean though that they are exonerated from the crime therefore we cannot run after their loot, nor does it mean that they are innocent of these crimes, it only means they have no one to prosecute. sa madaling salita, hindi siya na convict kasi namatay na siya bago pa natapos ang kaso.

But to say that he did not loot the country is the height of ignorance. The civil cases however is a different matter, it can proceed and the claim will be against the estate of the late dictator. And that’s exactly what the government did at that time and hundreds of millions of dollars from foreign banks under their family's name, including under their aliases were turned over by courts here and abroad to the philippine government/treasury. And we are talking about a sum of money, none or all of the members of the marcos family combined, cannot earn in their lifetime. All one has to do is a little research, and everything is there, all legit sources and not some troll websites created by the apologists of the late dictator… some paid, others merely afflicted by blind faith.

THESE ARE THE FACTS, to name a few links…

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-03-01/news/8701160861_1_marcos-funds-banking-secrecy-laws-zurich-district-attorney

 

http://articles.latimes.com/1995-08-29/news/mn-40030_1_marcos-family

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/marcos-money-in-swiss-banks-awarded-to-philippine-government-1.236260

 

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2009-01-09/swiss-bank-to-turn-over-philippines-marcos-funds/134174

 

http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/95/1013/feat1.html

 

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/10/philippines-hunts-marcos-plundered-art-20141057531532234.html

now what is so difficult to understand about the news that were reported above? mahirap ba talagang intindihin o sarado lang talaga ang isip at ayaw lang talagang intindihin? simpleng simple, sa madaling salita, iniutos ng mga korte kung saan nakadeposito ang mga perang nakapangalan sa mga marcos na ibalik ang nasabing pera sa gobyerno ng pilipinas. naibalik na at tinanggap na ng ating national treasury ang nasabing pera. hindi balibalita lang, hindi drawing, kundi aktuwal na pera ang pinaguusapan. tanong, bakit ibinalik sa gobyerno ng pilipinas ang perang nakapangalan sa mga marcos? kalabisan bang isipin natin na ang dahilan ay napatunayan ng korte na ang tunay na nagmamayari ng perang ito ay ang sambayanang pilipino? e pano napunta sa kanila? hindi naman siguro mahirap sagutin ang tanong na ito!!! ...ano daw??? no plunder??? no conviction??? huh???

how can we talk about marcos without mentioning another thorny issue... the other victims of marcos’ martial rule. to me this is an even more sensitive issue. we are talking about human lives here. hindi ito inimbento o kathang isip lamang. ang mga biktima ay hindi isa, dalawa, sampu o daan daang tao lamang. libu libong tao ang pinaguusapan dito. ang bawat isa sa kanila ay may pangalan, may pamilya. mayroon silang mga magulang, asawa, anak, kapatid, kamaganak at kaibigan na nagmamahal at nagmamalasakit sa kanila. marami sa mga biktima ay mga matatalinong batang estudyante na nangahas magtanong at tumutol sa mga kalabisan ng diktadura. haaay, nakapanghihinayang... im talking about those who died, those who disappeared never to be seen again, those who were tortured and raped while in detention. just because it didn’t happen to us or to any of our loved ones it means it never happened. i have one word for these people to reflect upon... EMPATHY.

for anybody to still defend and idolize the man is...

==> A Retreat Letter for P

Dear Pxxxx,

I'm not sure if you remember the day but i sure do... A couple of years ago,  your 4-year-old self walked into my house for the first time.  I knew you'd be pretty because that runs in our family *tongue-in-cheek* but i thought you'll be all shy and nervous in a strange place. but no, you were confident, perky, cheeky and chatty, with a ready answer to all our questions. I was thinking then... Finally, our Little Miss Sunshine is home at last.

Years later, at 16 years old, i look at you and i see a different girl or what i thought was a different girl. To someone who doesn't know you as a child, they would see a beautiful shy girl who would rather stay in the background than be on stage. But actually, one only has to dig a little deeper and you'll find the same girl... well, with a little bit of refinement here and there, which to me just added to your charm *naks* But still, you're that same girl that is a source of pride and joy to your family *are you blushing yet?* At this point you must be congratulating yourself for making the excellent decision of asking me to do this...hahaha...

Pxxxx, when you asked me to write you a retreat letter, i honestly didn't know where to start. Its my first you see, besides, you've been a relatively good girl all these years, so i'm thinking... what can i possibly contribute to your bucket list of wisdom... But if you insist...

I guess you can say that this is a general overview of how a teenage mind works. It may not be you exactly but im sure at some point you can relate to some of what i wrote below. Let me just zero in on 2 topics that is usually the bone of contention between parents and teenage children. Listen up Pxxxx...

1. FREEDOM.Teenagers and their mistaken notion that they are adults. They are no longer children so they must be adults therefore parents shouldnt be so strict. Thats why most teen girls cant wait to make a dash to their 18th birthday. They think, when they reach the legal age, they are entitled to make their own decisions... Wrong! Age is just a number, it does not guarantee maturity. Besides, freedom is not all its cut up to be. So unless you're equipped with all the right tools, don't even go there yet.  You would need a couple more years of existence, celebrate several more birthdays and a whole lot of guidance from your elders whose been there and have done all that before you can fully spread your wings and fly on your own. So, the next time you get bored at home and wanna hang out with friends somewhere and your mom or dad says no, don't be too pissed. I know this is an annoying saying but i still want to say it 'coz its absolutely true: Only Boring People Gets Bored!  *still think its a good idea to ask me to do this? :p*

2. LOVE. At 16, socializing with boys is fine, even thinking a particular boy is cute and daydream about him is also fine. When that boy shows an interest in you and your heart feels like it just performed a triple somersault each time he's near is so so fine. What is not fine is when a teen like yourself make the common mistake of believing an exciting "kilig" attraction as LOVE. What i want to say to that teen with heart-shaped eyes is this: Girl, there's a sea of good looking and smart young men out there so, don't ever make the mistake of heaven forbid, committing yourself to the 1st or 2nd or to anybody who shows an interest in you AT YOUR AGE! That's just about all i have to say on this matter for now, thank you very much!...hahaha.

Seriously, I guess what im trying to say is this...Dont grow up too fast Pxxxx. Because grown ups have to be responsible for serious grown up "issues". And let me just tell you, that part of being a grown-up is not at all fun! If i may give you a piece of advice to make your transition to adulthood nice and easy, it is to start gathering as much wisdom as you can and draw from those in your journey to  "real life".

I wanted to add more topics like money matters here but this is way too long as it is and i wouldn't want you to regret having asked me to do this, if you haven't already.  Lets save that   for your next retreat^^

Let me end this by saying... My dear Pxxxx, if one day you find yourself in a tight fix or you need to talk to someone about something, anything that you couldn't tell anybody including or especially your parents, remember, you can always come to me.  You have my word that i will never judge you. I may smack you a bit if you insist on acting dumb/stupid and make a fool of yourself, but i'm not gonna judge you... Haha, just kidding! Seriously, you only have to ask and i got your back all the way.

When i pray for you and your Mxxxxxx 1st cousins i always ask God to make you all a blessing to the people that you meet, specially those whom you're going to be with for the rest of your life. May you always turn to Him for guidance, security, strength and wisdom at all times because He is an amazing Lord and Savior.  God bless you our Pxxxx.  I love you very much... Mwaaah!


XXXX XXXX

==> ...of REALITIES ...and INSPIRATIONS

FIRST, I am NOT an AMERICAN.


SECOND, if I were and I had a chance to vote for the American president 4 years ago… I would have voted for another candidate in the primaries.

THIRD, I am NOT a big fan of politicians. I, more often than not, wear the hat of “The Queen of Cynicism” when politics becomes the topic of the day.

FOURTH, I don’t and cant write an entry on this blog simply because… I want to. In fact, I need a huge amount of inspiration, emotional connection, even anger… to goad me into writing. and now,  im feeling none of those things.

SO, how the heck has this woman managed to move me enough to write something… anything today!

This is how it happened… I opened my TV… which is as usual already tuned in on a news channel when I turned it off last night…. OH, it’s the DNC and given the reasons I already stated above… you know I’m sooo not into that ! I was about to change channels and a mom was called onstage… She gave a very short BUT VERY EFFECTIVE speech that turns out to be an introduction of the current American First Lady… long story short, she managed to stop me from reaching out for that remote control.

Out came The First Lady of the most powerful nation on earth *sorry china, you STILL have a long way to go. Someday maybe… if you play your cards right!*… anyway, I like her dress BUT it was when she opened her mouth to speak that I was awed... that I was glued to that channel! holy cow...with that speech… SHE HIT THE HOMERUN AND THE BASES WERE LOADED!!! I mean… what is not there… it was a complete speech. It was inspiring… the story sounds and feels real… it was simply worded for your average american voter... it CLEARLY defines who she and her husband are as people… their values… character… their vision for themselves THEN,  and their dreams and aspirations NOW for the country.  The MATERIAL*speech* and the PERFORMANCE*delivery* was simply... OUTSTANDING!  i expect the "other party" to put all kinds of spin as i write this to diminish the success and impact of that speech BUT there is one thing they cant' take away... there are speeches and there are speeches... and this one HAS A HEART ^^

NOW, whether she means what she says and says what she mean IS ANOTHER QUESTION… if it was ALL AN ACT... if she was spawning nothing but LIES… but then... SO WHAT?  They all lie anyway ^^ hehehehe… Clearly, for this pinoy whose say in all these DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING at ALL in the United States presidential elections… SHE MANAGED to impress me with her speech… its content… its delivery… its theme. At the very least IT WAS INSPIRING… and when a public speaker manage to inspire her audience like that… mannn… half the battle is already won!

NOW… IF I were an American would I vote for her husband? H*LL YEAH, and not because of his first lady’s speech BUT because the other guy looks like a total fake… LET US NOT FORGET WHAT POLITICAL PARTY WAS IN POWER AND AT THE HELM OF YOUR GOVERNMENT WHEN YOUR COUNTRY AND THE REST OF THE WORLD GOT INTO THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!   of course,  the realities of this particular election is The Economy, The Economy, The Economy*stupid!*.  AND,  this questions is ALWAYS being asked during a presidential election and it will be no different now... "are you better off today than four years ago?"    HEY,  I could be wrong BUT I would sooo hate for you guys to “get out of the frying pan and straight into the fire!”… I’m just sayin’ ^^  *i cant' believe im beginning to sound like im campaigning for someone here ^^*

I think I better stop now before my Republican friends scalp me alive with my opinionated opinions about a subject I have no business meddling into …to begin with ^^ as a last word, just a food-for-thought: A LEADER SHOULD INSPIRE HIS/HER FOLLOWERS… SO… MICHELLE OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT… someday maybe???


*credit to the uploader: ABCNews

==> the TREE and the FRUIT

This is going to be a short post which is so not me right *tongue-in-cheek*  I have been sick(literally) these last 3 days and the last thing I need is to unnecessarily stress myself by thinking about the MARCOSes, AGAIN! But today being a historic day and a certain “JUNIOR” voting the way he did… I dunno… I find the NEED TO RANT SOMEWHERE… not because i'm boiling mad at the guy BUT to give some people some food-for-thought...  so that by May2013,  mag-isipisip muna tayo bago isulat ang kung kani-kaninong pangalan sa balota ninyo.

BONGBONG MARCOS VOTES TO ACQUIT CORONA... why am i not surprised by this? THE FRUIT DOES NOT FALL FAR FROM THE TREE is indeed TRUE!!! More often than not, kung hindi man eksaktong kopya, marami pa ring pagkakapareho sa paniniwala, paguugali, at pagdedesisyon.

You'd think JUNIOR was the guardian of our Bill of Rights if you believe everything that he said in his speech to explain his vote... hmmm,  first off,  lay off the legal gobbledygook talk and all that bullsh*t JUNIOR when youre not even a lawyer and worse, almost all your life,  you and your family benefited in the biggest possible way during a time in the history of this country when your father robbed its entire population of ALL OUR RIGHTS! ngayon, feeling mo ikaw ang magbabantay ng karapatan namin???  wa na,  hindi bagay sayo ang role na yan Dayunior,  hayaan mo na lang kay Joker(na hindi funny) at kay Miriam na isang self- confessed "loose canon"ang role na yan... pwede?

i was hoping the guy would simply go with the flow and join the bandwagon. By the time he casted his vote, the prosecution was ahead, so I would understand if he voted with the winning side, HE IS A POLITICIAN AFTER ALL and with an infamous pedigree to boot. Had he done that, i'd give him the benefit of the doubt as far as his character and intentions were concerned. BUTTT, of course, the SON is sooo PROUD of his FATHER, the late DICTATOR, that there's no way will he support GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THIS COUNTRY… out-of-character diba? Welll, clearly ! haaay, what saddens me is the fact that the majority of the voting population in this country today NEVER KNEW MARTIAL RULE IN THE PHILIPPINES. And because of that, A MARCOS IS NOW SITTING PROUDLY IN THE SENATE !!!

a few days ago, a close relative while reading a newspaper article about the impeachment proceedings told me and I quote… “loko yang si bongbong mukhang kampi kay Corona, bakit ko ba naiboto yan, hindi ko na yan ulit iboboto”. This relative is 50+ years old and so it follows that HE knows what happened to this country 40 yrs ago, HE HAS NO EXCUSE! i've said this before and i'll say it again... THOSE WHO DON'T LEARN FROM THE LESSONS OF HISTORY ARE DESTINED TO REPEAT IT. and because of that,  nakakalungkot man isipin,  i wouldnt be surprised if one day,  baka si "JUNIOR" eh maging Mr President!   Dear God in heaven,  i sincerely hope and pray i'm no longer around when that happens.

==> DANGEROUS WATERS Part 2

Its been awhile since I last wrote anything here. You did’nt see me writing about important national issues like the impeachment of the Supreme Court Chief Justice, the daily brownouts in Mindanao, the coming together of the “trapos” in support of Binay’s super mega early presidential bid and so on. BUT, when it comes to Philippine sovereignty, I find I cant completely ignore it for long. Quarrels within the same modest house seems petty to me now compared to when its people from the next door mansion who wants to eject you from your own home.

So when did I write the first part of this again???   I just checked, and I wrote “Dangerous Waters Part 1”  not even one year ago and China and The Philippines are at it again!!!   The bone of contention between China and the Philippines this time is not Reed Bank(Recto Bank) but somewhere even closer to Luzon,  in Zambales to be precise… the Scarborough Shoal.  The Philippine military found 3 chinese vessels in the area and onboard are different species of marine life that are considered endangered under Philippine laws.  When they were about to arrest these Chinese fishermen,  2 chinese military vessels came and prevented their arrest.  That’s how this latest crisis started.  Well,  its bound to happen,  actually,  it’s inevitable.   Based on previous exploration since the 1970’s granted by the Philippine government*at that time China was completely silent about the whole thing*  that area holds some natural gas deposits.  So really,  its the insatiable appetite for natural resources of the giant bully versus the poor weakling who couldn’t do anything but raise a holler. 

And now the very thing that I wrote in the first part,  the one I dread the most,  will happen before the end of this month… Juan de la Cruz begging for Uncle Sam’s help AGAIN!!!    the “drama queen” part of me wants to literally shed a tear at the thought that after ALL THIS TIME,  we are still attached to Uncle Sam’s apron strings*nakakalungkot pero may magagawa ba tayo?* So much for Pinoy Pride when we threw them out in the 80’s *i was all for it then*  only to realize now that Cory Aquino was right all along… that letting them go at a time when our military is still weak is NOT A GOOD IDEA.  I cant imagine China doing this to us if the US still maintains a military base here, can you ?  Now i dont think i cant blame people when they say we shouldnt have thrown out the American bases... it may not be NOBLE but PRIDE cannot guarantee our national security.   Sad  but True.

Don’t get me wrong I fully support the idea of us going to the US of A for help,  really,  do we have a choice???  When youre being bullied by an economic and military superpower,  you go and find an even bigger economic and military super power and hide behind her back.  as of today,  only the US is bigger than China on both score so,  even if it’s a sad thought… I’M ALL FOR IT.  meanwhile,   the “natural” enemies of the US in the Philippines,  the militants… the Reds a.k.a.  BayanMuna, AnakPawis and others, as far as THIS ISSUE IS CONCERNED,  are getting more and more ridiculous and irritating everyday.   In light of the current ongoing military exercises in the country,  The Balikatan,  just a few days ago these militants stormed the US Embassy demanding that they get out of the Philippines and for our government to revoke the VFA(Visiting Forces Agreement).  it may be a legitimate issue BUT IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THAT???   can’t we just help each other here FOR NOW instead of blocking our government’s efforts to solve this military standoff with an outsider? Is that too much to ask from you people?  don’t you think that again,  FOR NOW,  it’s better to deal with the devil you know than the devil you don’t know right?

Some sectors are saying that going to the United States for help is not the answer to this problem in the long term, and that the proper forum for this is the United Nations.  OH YES,  I COMPLETELY AGREE!  But what do we do in the meantime when there are Chinese and Filipino vessels dangerously staring at each other RIGHT NOW in that area and our every effort to engage China by suggesting to them that we take this to ITLOS(International Tribunal on the Laws of the Seas) IS BEING IGNORED!  Should we continue to be made to look like a fool by this bully while it continues to ORDER US TO GET OUT OF THERE?  what do we do in the meantime while Chinese and Filipino hackers are currently in a battle in cyberspace  defacing and trying to crash each other’s websites???  *at least dun tingin ko patas ang laban*  The legal route is long and tedious while the situation out there could turn volatile at any time, so please don’t comdemn your own government if she wants to know NOW who’s got her back in any eventuality.

I will no longer write about the legalitities of our claim to these areas of dispute  ‘coz I already wrote about that and about EEZ and UNCLOS in “Dangerous Waters Part 1” so I’m not gonna go there,  besides that’s best left to the courts and hello,  I’M NOT A LAWYER^^  What I want to see now is for Filipinos to come together and show their strong support behind the government in its effort to find a solution to this problem and not add to it, ‘coz that is really sooo frustrating.  Sometimes,  I ask myself why am I sooo affected by national issues…  it could be pretty stressful you know*nakakapagod din ha!*  But what can I do,  it is like a disease,  even if you don’t want it,  when it enters your system you have no choice but to endure it and deal with it.  what’s worse is that I don’t think it can be cured.  I wonder who gave me this bug.   When did I even catch it?   it has only one symptom …before you know it,  something  becomes the “object” of your concern or affection.  The disease is called NATIONALISM or PATRIOTISM and the object of my concern and affection is  the PHILIPPINES.  Please don’t hate me for saying this BUT,  I hope it is a highly contagious disease so that every individual on this planet with a drop of Filipino blood in their body will be infected by this.  Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!