El rey de la mala fortuna

Hace muchos años, cuando aún era un padre pipiolo, una tía mía, medio burlona, ​​me dijo a mí y a mi mujer Yeyette que la mala fortuna ama a nuestra compañía. Este era un momento en que Yeyette y yo todavía teníamos nuestra primera hija, Krystal. Yeyette ya estaba embarazada de Mómay. Yo estaba sin trabajo. Condenados por nuestros padres por casarse a una edad temprana, nos vimos obligados a vivir con esa tía mía (larga historia).

Debido a ese matrimonio temprano, la vida de mi familia, desde un punto de vista económico, nunca progresó. Por un breve momento, sí, pudimos sostenernos sin problemas. Pero eso fue sólo por un breve momento. En este momento, soy el único que está trabajando. Yeyette dejó de trabajar justo después de dar a luz a nuestra hija más joven el año 2014. Si bien tengo un sueldo enorme (gracias a este idioma), no es suficiente criar una familia con cinco hijos que van a la escuela. Y ya que estamos en eso, permítanme hacer una confesión vergonzosa: mi estado como empleado de oficina siempre ha estado al borde del desastre. No soy un empleado eficiente. Siempre me meto en problemas con mis jefes y compañeros de oficina. Es porque mi corazón y mi mente simplemente no están en lo que estoy haciendo. Odiaba todos los trabajos que tuve. Simplemente los hago por dinero, para financiar las necesidades de mi familia y para financiar las actividades que me encantan: leer, viajar, investigar, y escribir. Tengo la elección de irme y seguir mi pasión. Pero debido a mi familia, no podía correr ese riesgo.

Como soy el único a cargo del estado económico de mi familia desde 2014, nuestras deudas comenzaron a acumularse. Perdimos la casa que compramos en Calambâ, La Laguna. El horrible viaje de ida y vuelta a la oficina por casi una década afectó mi salud y me llevó a la hospitalización hace más de dos años. Luego está este caso judicial en curso entre mis padres separados (prefiero no hablar de eso). Creo que todo esto afectó mi salud mental y emocional. No es que sea algo nuevo, pero en estos días, mis bromas sobre la muerte se han vuelto más frecuentes, para disgusto de mi esposa y la conmoción de mis amigos (el “valor de choque” es lo que lo llaman en los EE.UU.). Puedo derramar lágrimas fácilmente incluso si no estoy triste, jaja. Y trato casi todo como una broma. Apenas podía leer un libro hoy en día. Y siento que mis escritos anteriores se han vuelto mediocres y forzados en lugar de inspirados.

Y mi dolencia (el síndrome miofascial) sigue ahí, saludándome todas las mañanas, me persigue todo el día, durmiendo conmigo. Es un factor importante en cuanto a por qué me siento perezoso la mayor parte del tiempo. Me he vuelto cínico de todo. Siento que mi vida es una tragicomedia. Sólo estoy esperando mi fallecimiento para terminar con todo.

La última desgracia es cuando a mi esposa le diagnosticaron cáncer de mama hace dos días. Perfecto. Simplemente perfecto.

Estoy emocionado de escuchar mi próxima desgracia. ¡Venga!

Hapís at Hinagpís: Lenten Season at Kape Kesada Art Gallery

 

Happening soon at Kape Kesada Art Gallery…

HAPÍS AT HINAGPÍS
–Francis Valdecantos–

All men are crowned with thorns.
All men must bear a cross.

Pain is akin to everyone. It is the great denominator that is known by every man. Not only because we can relate to it, but because we seek to be relieved of it. All men are destined for great and unfortunate things. Pain both hinders and fulfills — it is the fuel that drives man to do the unimaginable. Pain pushes man to endure until he comes face to face with his Creator.

Patricio “Peping” Balquiedra (b. 1946) is no mere artist; no ordinary sculptor. He not only chips away at blocks of wood, but creates meaning and form with every swing of the hammer and every bite of the chisel. His gift is enough to capture the essence of both man and divine. He enables the viewer to see, feel, and experience the life and soul resonating from his works. This humble creator from the storied town of Paeté has spent a lifetime in mastering his craft.

The sculptures brought to life by Peping make excellent use of wood such as baticuling, narra, and ebony. It highlights not only the artistic vision and passion of the sculptor but also the natural beauty of the medium. Even in the twilight of his life, Peping’s inherent skill is still as sharp and precise as the tools he wields.

Please visit Kape Kesada Art Gallery’s Facebook page for more details.

From ABS-CBN to DDS-CBN

A few months ago, President Rodrigo Duterte gave an unsolicited advice to ABS-CBN’s executives: put the media network on sale. This was right after reports came out that his crony Dennis Uy has just formed the Udenna Communications Media and Entertainment Holdings Corp, thus expanding the Davaoeño entrepreneur’s business empire to the media and the entertainment industry. Speculation is hot that Uy is a potential buyer.

I have a hunch that they plan to rename the network as DDS-CBN.

If such a sale occurs, what could possibly happen to some of the programs of “Asia’s Most Admired Media Company”? I see a few possible scenarios:

DDS-CBN: In Disservice of the Filpino (image: Philippine Asian News Today).

• Mocha Uson will replace Charo Santos-Concio as host of “Maalaala Mo Kaya” and eventually rename the longest-running drama series as “Malala Na Kaya?“

• The Tulfo Brothers will become the new anchors of TV Patrol which they will rename as Tulfo Patrol in Action. They will include their sister as a replacement for Bernadette Sembrano.

• In the spirit of fairness and reconciliation, Jim Paredes will be invited to become the new principal host of noontime show “It’s Showtime“. Since Paredes will be a major host side by side with Vice Ganda, there is no need to rename the show.

• Foreign films and cartoons will no longer be Tagalized (or to be more apt, Taglishized). Instead, the president and the new crony owner will have them translated into Chinese.

• Willie Revillamé will make a surprising return to the network, have his game show’s old name back, and will finally have Jobert Sucaldito fired on live TV. Sweet justice.

• Cursing will be allowed on air. No bleeps, no MTRCB interference.

• The legal drama program “Ipaglaban Mo!” will be renamed “Ipagpaumanhin Mo Sa Presidente” to be hosted by Atty. Salvador Panelo.

• Bong Go and Philip Salvador will have a sitcom.

• All religious programs will be scrapped, to be replaced by stand-up comedy shows hosted by none other than Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.

• Once President Duterte has succeeded in changing the form of government from presidential to parliamentary federalist, Ricardo Dalisay will soon be called “Ang Federalista”.

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter: a clarification

Today, the City of San Pedro Tunasán, our adoptive city for the past 16 years, celebrates the feast day of the Chair of Saint Peter, its namesake saint. February 22 is also the date when our city usually celebrates the Sampaguita Festival, a week-long festivity that aims to promote tourism as well as to revitalize the dying sampaguita industry. But this year, there is no Sampaguita Festival due to the coronavirus scare (a precautionary directive from the Department of Interior and Local Government).

A few years ago, I heard from the grapevine that there were plans to move the Sampaguita Festival on May 3, the original town fiesta of San Pedro Tunasán. May 3 is the traditional feast day of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (now celebrated every September 14). The Vicariate of San Pedro Apóstol, to which our parish belongs, and our local government unit headed by Mayor Lourdes S. Catáquiz, decided to bring back the original feast day of May 3. I was told that (if I remember correctly) the town fiesta was transferred from May 3 to February 22 during the 1960s. When the Sampaguita Festival was launched in 2003, its organizers decided to coincide it with the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter. This year, the Sampaguita Festival will now be celebrated together with the city’s original feast day.

The decision to return our city’s traditional feast day from February 22 to May 3 is a good move as it a sign of reverence toward religious history. While it is true that The Exaltation of the Holy Cross has nothing to do with our city’s name, as it is usually the practice of many Filipino towns and cities named after saints to celebrate their fiestas after their respective namesake saints’ feast days, it should be noted that San Pedro Tunasán is the home of one of our province’s most famous icons: the Cross of Tunasán. It was mentioned by no less than José Rizal in his Noli Me Tangere.

Now that we have cleared that up, let us now clarify another confusion regarding today’s liturgical feast day. For centuries, the Chair of Saint Peter was celebrated twice a year: first on the 18th of January and second on the 22nd of February. However, these two feasts differ from each other. The January feast day commemorates the day when Saint Peter the Apostle evangelized in Rome, Italy while the February version pertained to his evangelization in Antioch, Greece. Sometime in 1960, for reasons I could not comprehend, Pope John XXIII removed the January 18 celebration, making February 22 the only feast day for the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle. With all due respect to the Vatican, this should not have been done because the fact will always remain that the January 18 feast day pertained to the “Chair of Saint Peter at Rome” and the February 22 feast day pertained to the “Chair of Saint Peter at Antioch”.

One should also take note that San Pedro Tunasán was founded on 18 January 1725, exactly on the feast day of the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome. Besides, all images of Saint Peter the Apostle inside the Church of San Pedro Apóstol are attributed to his papacy in Rome, not in Antioch. And whenever one talks about Saint Peter’s papacy, Rome always comes to mind, not Antioch. In our province, the local government of the City of San Pedro Tunasán based its 18-year-old Sampaguita Festival on the February 22nd feast day. I hope that one day, our church leaders will put back the original feast day as it is heavily intertwined with San Pedro Tunasán’s history.

Image of Saint Peter seated on his throne as the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

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Yes, I’m officially old! But…

Yesterday, I attended a wedding for the first time as one of the principal sponsors (don’t laugh yet). A few minutes before the ceremony was about to begin, one of the wedding planners was calling out the names of the godparents to arrange how they would walk down the carpeted, flower-bedecked nave. When my name was finally called, I raised my hand so as to introduce myself to him. The wedding planner gave me a long, unbelieving look. This lasted for several awkward seconds. He must have thought that I was just making some kind of a prank, so he called out my name again, still searching the crowd. And I raised my hand yet again. Finally, he was convinced that I’m the one he was looking for. I was led down the queue of godparents, all of whom could have passed for my parents or uncles and aunties. No wonder the disbelief in the wedding planner. I better get used to this. 😂

With the newlyweds, Jaira Amuráo and Shaddai Villavicencio, with their godfathers at the Church of Saint Bartholomew in Magalang, Pampanga (photo courtesy of Cleofe Amuráo).

The Friars of Rizal’s “El Filibusterismo”

A few days ago, my daughter Krystal asked me if I have Renato Constantino’s controversial “Veneration Without Understanding” and Gregorio Zaide’s ubiquitous “José Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist, and National Hero”. She needed them for a school assignment under the subject “Rizal’s Life and Works”, a consequence of the late Senator Claro M. Recto’s Republic Act No. 1425*, otherwise known as the Rizal Law. This plea for assistance reminded me of an essay of hers when she was still in Grade 10, or three years ago. She was assigned by her religion teacher to write an essay comparing the friars of El Filibusterismo to the friars of today. My daughter, unfortunately, is a non-writer and doesn’t share the same passion that I have for our country’s history. So she asked me for help. But since I’m busy with other matters, I just gave her relevant reading materials for reference (while chiding her on the side that it’s her assignment, not mine). And as a guide, I cautioned her that it is not just to compare fictional characters to real people.

On the day that she was to pass her essay, I asked for it so that I could review it, but she left immediately. She didn’t want me to read it out of shame, haha.

But she forgot to delete her work from our laptop. So here it is, haha. She wowed me upon reading it. I decided to share it on my Facebook account; I originally published it here.  I am posting her essay again via this blog, again without her knowledge, haha.

Through the years, I have been lecturing my children about the important components of a true Filipino. So even though they are not as passionate as I am towards the study (and reevaluation) of Filipino History, I am still happy that they still carry on with them the spirit of our authentic national identity. That, I believe, is victory enough.

 

THE FRIARS OF RIZAL’S EL FILIBUSTERISMO
Jewel Krystal Rose Alas

10 – Prophet Jeremiah

RELIGION

It is already well-known that the friars in the Philippines during Spanish times were cruel and tyrannical. This image of a bad Spanish friar is best portrayed in the novels of national hero José Rizal, particularly in his El Filibusterismo. But is this image of bad Spanish friars in Rizal’s El Filibusterismo factual?

During the foundation of our country, the friars are the ones who gave us blessings, particularly when it comes to urbanization. They taught us our mannerisms, how to speak, talk, and eat. The friars were the ones who gave us food that we still eat up to this very day. They also taught us how to be cultured and be morally urbanized (gracious manners). In other words, they were the ones who created the Filipino as they were capable of spreading the Christian faith in our country. Aside from religious activities they did for the natives as teachers of the Faith, they were also farmers, architects, writers, scientists, doctors, etc. The friars also had authority in the administration of the colony.

The friars of Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo who were depicted to show negative traits are only fictional characters. But why would Rizal imagine the friars back then as cruel? It is because he was a Freemason at the time that he was still working on the novels. Freemasons are anti-Catholics which explains why Rizal wrote negatively about the friars. Fortunately, before he was executed, he reconverted to Catholicism.

Unlike those friars in his novels, we all know how they are being respected the right way today. We see them every Sunday inside the church as they teach us the Word of God. But the fictional friars of El Filibusterismo are very much different compared to the friars today. But let’s say that we really have to compare them, we could find some similarities, but not everything. For example, some friars or priests today sometimes handle the Holy Mass in a wrong manner. We know about that priest who rode a hoverboard while singing a gospel song. Others I heard have seduced young teens and other horrible deeds. But these are isolated cases and are condemned, of course, by the Catholic Church. And let us remember this: our country will not be what it is today, a bastion of Christianity, without the friars who taught us the Catholic FAITH.

*The full name of the law is “An Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities Courses On the Life, Works and Writings of José Rizal, Particularly His Novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes.” Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

The origin of “Juan de la Cruz”

The name Juan de la Cruz has been part and parcel of Filipino culture and even national identity. Almost every day, we hear and read this name in the media whenever the latter reports or opines about the travails and foibles of the ordinary Filipino. Even the rock band that pioneered what came to be known as Pinoy Rock was named after this famous appellation. If the Northern Americans have Uncle Sam or John Doe to represent them, the Filipinos have Juan de la Cruz.

But did you know that Juan de la Cruz was of Scottish origin?

Juan de la Cruz was coined by Robert McCulloch-Dick, the editor and publisher of The Philippines Free Press magazine which he founded in 1908. McCulloch-Dick was born on 22 January 1873 in Edinburgh, Scotland. At the age of 19, he emigrated to the United States of América where he did odd jobs and entered into other ventures. It was in the US where he became a journalist. When word came out that English-speaking newsmen were needed in Filipinas (its US conquerors had already renamed the archipelago as The Philippine Islands), he immediately procured a ticket and quickly set sail for Manila.

Upon his arrival, McCulloch-Dick found employment as a reporter with the Cablenews-American, one of the pioneer US-owned newspapers in the country. In 1902, he transferred to the then US-owned The Manila Times as a court reporter. A keen observer, McCulloch-Dick noticed the frequency with which the name Juan de la Cruz appeared on police blotters, court dockets, and baptismal certificates. It was during his stint at the Manila Times when he began using that name as the “Filipino everyman” in his reportage. Later on, after establishing his own magazine (The Philippines Free Press), he began writing small verses about Juan de la Cruz. The character was often depicted narrating petty crimes committed by the locals.

Juan de la Cruz is associated with the image of a naïve-looking man wearing a salacót, a camisa de chino, native trousers, and slippers. Jorge Pineda, a resident cartoonist of The Philippines Free Press, first drew the image of Juan in 1912. To this day, media people continue referring to the Filipino everyman as Juan de la Cruz.

Santa Rosa Heritage, a magazine for ages

Last January 29, my wife and I had the privilege to witness the launching of Santa Rosa Heritage (Magazine of Old Santa Rosa) at Seda Nuvali. A publication of Architect Mario Zavalla, himself a cultural icon of La Laguna’s heritage city, the magazine features various articles about Santa Rosa’s rich history. I am in fact one of the magazine’s contributors, thanks to my good friend (and Architect Zavalla’s life partner) Gemalin Batino, the Executive Director of the Kilusan Cuartel de Santo Domingo (KCdSD) which is tasked in taking care of the group’s namesake Spanish-era bastioned fort.

My wife’s copy autographed by heritage advocate Gemalin Batino whose writings dominate most of the magazine’s contents.

The austere event was graced by the presence of Congressman Danilo Fernández, former Mayor José Catindig Jr., and members of the KCdSD (Atty. Jun Ragaza subbed for Mayor Arlene Arcillas who was then under the weather). Batangas-based historian Derrick Manas gave a brief lecture about the historical ties that bind the Tagálog provinces of La Laguna and Batangas while motivational speaker and author, Architect Tzarina Saldaña, gave an inspiring talk about the importance of heritage.

With former Mayor Joey Catindíg Jr., one of the founding members of the KCdSD.

My wife with Ms. Nonia Tiongco, former Executive Director of the KCdSD and current director of the Santa Rosa Studies Center.

With 1st District Representative Danilo Fernández.

With the star of the night, Ms. Gemalin Batino. She is also one of last year’s Most Influential Filipina Women in the World (Behind the Scenes Leaders awardee), conferred by the Filipina Women’s Network.

With Mario Zavalla, the architect behind The Ritz Towers, SM City Santa Rosa, and the left wing of Malacañang Palace just to name a few.

The maiden issue of the 56-page glossy magazine highlights Santa Rosa’s heritage landmarks such as the Bantayan or the 19th-century welcome arch, the Casa Tribunal (which is now the city’s museum), and the Cuartel de Santo Domingo which was publicly declared last year as an Important Cultural Property of the National Museum of the Philippines. The magazine’s pages are dominated by Gemalin’s writings, most interesting of which is her argument that Santa Rosa’s purported original name is not what it really is. Throughout many decades, locals have been made to believe that Santa Rosa’s original name was Barrio Bucol when it was still part of Biñán. Gemalin counters this in the magazine:

Contrary to what we all know, it is not Bucol, but Bucal. During that time, the name of a town was generally derived from its geographical location: a bed of springs. Bo. Bucal was composed of five places named Ytaás, Ybabâ, Aplaya, Tagapo, and Balibagó. Ytaás and Ybabâ (Ylaya and Ylawod) are the terminologies used to depict direction of the flow of water as in "upstream-downstream riverine polarity".

We can also see with our own naked eyes that Tagapo, Aplaya, Ybabâ, and Ytaás are almost within the sea level of the shorelines of Aplaya and not "naka Bukol" (lumped in English) as what locals claimed to be the origin of the name Bucol. No scientific explanation can prove that Bucol is upland hilly.

Gemalin even went so far as to visit the Archivo General de Indias in Sevilla, Spain just to prove her point. From there she was able to secure copies of rare documents and maps pertaining to old Santa Rosa as evidence to prove her hypothesis (I told her that very few Filipino historians had the privilege of exploring its nine kilometers of shelving).

The magazine also features many other articles about Santa Rosa City’s heritage, history, and its people. My three-page contribution is about the general history of the people of the province. Gemalin also included my translations of old Spanish documents pertaining to both Santa Rosa and its mother town, Biñán. Architect Zavalla and Gemalin plan to release two issues of the magazine yearly. This modest project is a great leap forward to further emphasize and disseminate the importance of not only the city’s history and heritage but of the province’s overall cultural upliftment.

My article “Los Lagunenses: Peopling a Paradise” is three pages long, from page 30 to 32.

My transcription and translation of old Spanish documents on pages 12 and 13.

Copies of Santa Rosa Heritage are available at the KCdSD office (old Santa Rosa High School, on top of Maybank) located at Feliciano Gómez Street corner José Rizal Boulevard in Población, Santa Rosa City, La Laguna, to the right of the old town plaza. Proceeds of the magazine will fund future projects of the KCdSD. Please contact Ms. Gemalin Batino for more details. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Mi Patria

Este bello poema patriótico, escrito por el Príncipe de los Poetas Filipinos en español, Fernando Mª Guerrero (1873-1929) de Ermita, Manila, fue publicado en la primera edición del periódico revolucionario La Independencia el 3 de septiembre de 1898. Guerrero, que también fue el Poeta de la Revolución Filipina contra los invasores yanquís, era uno de los escritores del dicho periódico que fue editado por el famoso General Antonio Luna. Mi Patria es considerado como uno de los mejores poemas de Guerrero. Sus versos exaltan la belleza física y espiritual de Filipinas.

MI PATRIA

Fernando Mª Guerrero

I     Filipinas es un nido
formado de hermosas flores;
es un idilio de amores
sobre un mar embravecido;
es el delirio querido
que mi cerebro obsesiona;
es la impávida matrona
que, heredera de titanes,
tiene por solio volcanes
y centellas por corona.

II     Filipinas es la maga
cuyos oráculos santos
calman los lloros y espantos
del corazón que naufraga;
es vino cordial que embriaga
con su ardor la fantasía;
es hechizo que extasía,
y es, en fin, eterna palma
que un henchido de calma
con sus lágrimas rocía.

III     Mi tierra es noble y hermosa,
porque es su asiento el Oriente;
tiene estrellas en su frente
y en sus labios miel de rosa.
Cuando sonríe amorosa
la aurora le da sus rayos;
mas si padece desmayos
porque la hieren abrojos
brotan tristes de sus ojos
los crepúsculos malayos.

IV     Frente a lujosa floresta
donde un río se destaca,
recostada en una hamaca
duerme el sopor de la siesta.
Las auras forman su orquesta,
un palio azul la sombrea,
y cuando la noche ondea
su obscuro y tupido manto,
hirviente arrullo de llanto
por sus mejillas serpea.

V     Mi tierra es hada divina
que a mil caprichos se entrega:
suspira, retoza y juega
bajo la onda cristalina:
rompe el tul de la neblina
que arropa selvas de cañas,
y al trepar a las montañas
rojas al sol de la tarde,
bendice la lumbre que arde
en las pajizas cabañas.

VI     Mi tierra noble y bendita
no cría en sus bosques fieras,
sino palomas ligeras
y flores de sampaguita.
Quien sus rincones visita
halla sombra hospitalaria:
¡aquí se abraza hasta al paria,
porque mi encantado suelo
es un pedazo de cielo
puesto en la mar solitaria!

VII     Aquí son las alboradas
una ignición de rubíes;
aquí son nuestras huríes
tan tiernas y apasionadas
que funden con sus miradas
hasta las almas de hielo,
que dan, en un beso, el cielo
y que, con la fe de un niño,
fían a nuestro cariño
su corazón, sin recelo.

VIII     ¡Oh, tierra de mis amores,
santa madre de mi vida,
que vertiste, en mi alma herida
el aroma de tus flores!
Llora, si tienes dolores,
si sueñas ser grande, espera;
pero te juro que fuera
para mí suerte afrentosa
ver nacidas en mi fosa
hierbas de savia extranjera.

Filipinas, no Philippines

El nombre de mi país es FILIPINAS, no Philippines ni Pilipinas. No importa si un filipino habla en inglés o si habla con una persona de habla inglés. En cualquier idioma, el nombre propio que un filipino se utiliza para referir al país debe ser FILIPINAS por la razón sencilla que no somos WASP usenses. Ya estábamos filipinos, incluso antes de que los “americanos” nos invadieron. Nuestra identidad es hispánica. Nuestra identidad se formó durante de más de tres cientos años dentro de la matriz amada de Madre España.

¿No les han dado cuenta? Las otras hijas de Madre España: Argentina, Bolivia, el Perú, México, Uruguay, etc. no tienen nombres equivalentes en inglés. Pues, ¿por qué insistir de llamar a nuestro país como Philippines o Pilipinas (el segundo es una abominación de los nacionalistas retorcidas y equivocadas)? Si nosotros filipinos debemos considerarnos como hispánicos también, pues necesitaríamos negar esta abominación llamado Philippine Identity y devolver la identidad auténtica basada en la hispánica que es la IDENTIDAD FILIPINA.

Imagen de Gelaxyblog.

No debemos adoptar el nombre Philippines incluso con la excusa de que sólo es un exónimo. Los exónimos deben provenir de nosotros filipinos. Pero el término Philippines nos fue impuesto. No lo elegimos como nuestro exónimo — lo hicieron los imperialistas. Llamar nuestro país como FILIPINAS en vez de Philippines o Pilipinas es un buen comienzo.