tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49563001876358079592024-03-06T05:55:30.538+08:00Munting Tinig Ng Pateros<B>"Mine is but a little voice of one who still hope that positive and significant change can be achieved in my lifetime, just as I have seen in my lifetime how this beloved town has deteriorated. In the vastness of cyberspace, this little voice will be heard, in the hope that people who love this town may find their own voices as well."</B>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-61689199739615496142012-08-20T11:19:00.000+08:002012-08-21T10:03:58.870+08:00Good Morning Pateros!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been quite a while since I walked the streets of Poblacion early in the morning. Weekends are the only days that I can afford to do this, but the sheer number of people and vehicles crowding the streets on those days dampen my resolve to go back to this old habit.<br />
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Then one day I told myself I'll check out the scene and see what's new. It was a long holiday weekend, and the prospect of taking a walk in a less crowded street on a weekday was a good enough incentive. So off I went for an early morning walk - or more precisely at eight in the morning (that's early enough for this late sleeper =:) True enough, there were few people on the street, and even less motorists. Call it a miracle, but I actually had a leisurely walk along B Morcilla St. My destination and mission: breakfast at McDonald's.<br />
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There were only two open counters, and the first thing I noticed was that the line leading to the priority counter for senior citizens was longer than the regular lane. I took a position at the regular lane, together with a group of senior ladies who appeared to have come from an aerobics activity judging from their attire and all-too-perky conversations. Women being women, they refused to fall in line in the senior citizens lane.<br />
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Sausage McMuffin with egg, hash brown, hot apple pie, freshly brewed coffee, a copy of the day's newspaper - too bad they don't make Twister Fries until ten-thirty in the morning. I got myself a good corner table by the glass panel window in the second floor dining area, with a good view of the road below and the imposing bell tower of the parish church. A few tables away were the same ladies, now joined by more of their kind. They occupy a long table that sits around twenty. The hall was filled by their lively chatter and laughter.<br />
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I also saw families taking breakfast together. A group of old men were huddled together in one corner table, enjoying their coffee and lively banter. There was a noisy bunch of kids enjoying themselves in the play area. Across the street were Erika's and Aling Tessie's lugawans, which were both almost empty of customers. Just a few years ago, these two eateries would be full of people waiting for their turn on the few tables to eat lugaw, tokwa't baboy, pritong lumpia and puto. <br />
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I thought only the landscape of Pateros have changed with the times. My breakfast at McDonald's was an eye opener. People have changed as well. Fast-food outlets like McDonald's and Jolibee have taken over the iconic eateries of yesteryears. Back then we have Paris and Dos Hermanas restaurants, the Pateros Ice Cream House, Aling Tessie's and Pili's lugawan, and the row of carinderias by the side of the parish church. These are the places where people congregate, where old timers have their small talk, getting up to date with each other's lives - and those of others as well. It was then what Facebook is to us today.<br />
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My one hour-McDonald's breakfast showed me that people of my beloved hometown still keep the bonds that bind them since the days of old. They may have levelled up on the venue, but they have managed to keep the warmth of personal interactions alive - as warm and comforting as the freshly brewed coffee I so slowly sip as I take in the scenes of my little town.Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-55313344170175496532012-06-19T20:54:00.002+08:002012-06-19T20:54:51.556+08:00Moving On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have decided to move my political advocacies to a Facebook public page, so that I can focus on anything and everything about FTP (Food, Travels, Pateros) on this blog. <br />
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I will leave the old political posts here, but will henceforth write new ones on the new FB page. Hope to see you there. You can follow this link: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peoples-Politics-of-Change/424587764252945">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peoples-Politics-of-Change/424587764252945</a>.<br />
<br />Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-90576314672153314262012-06-12T11:29:00.000+08:002012-06-12T11:33:28.588+08:00Araw ng Kalayaan, Tawag ng Kabayanihan!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsb9Qxj8lEx5bWy3nHJGhqEER2cuahJ96HZ_ww3BWxKIZC_CzI_0IB2VFKUjowI_KTXipTdvKLNR9oJgpwOmx6JTFlv4jm8SeVHn4Czb_e68-LnSBwGsZ47hxDJCq27t8jIBcZLdLVCs/s1600/Pilipino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsb9Qxj8lEx5bWy3nHJGhqEER2cuahJ96HZ_ww3BWxKIZC_CzI_0IB2VFKUjowI_KTXipTdvKLNR9oJgpwOmx6JTFlv4jm8SeVHn4Czb_e68-LnSBwGsZ47hxDJCq27t8jIBcZLdLVCs/s320/Pilipino.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
San man tayo naroroon ngayon, tayo ay mananatiling dugong Pilipino. Ito ay ang dugong ibinuhos ng ating mga ninuno habang sila ay naninilbihan sa ilalim ng mga dayuhang mananakop. Ito rin ang dugong ibinuwis ng ating mga bayani at mga martir upang ang ating kalayaan ay makamit na ng tuluyan. Ito ay ang dugo ng kabayanihan na patuloy na nananalaytay sa ating mga ugat at dumadaloy sa ating mga puso at isipan.<br />
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Ibat-iba man ang landas na tinahak ng bawat isa sa atin, sa puso at damdamin nawa’y manatiling wagas ang ating pagmamahal sa bayang ginigiliw. Nagbago man ang kapaligiran, mamutawi man sa ating mga labi ang mga banyagang salita, sa ating diwa nawa’y patuloy na nag-aalab ang marubdob na pagnanasa na masilayan ang isang umaga sa ating bayan na tigib ng pag-asa, pagkakaisa, kapayapaan, katarungan at kaunlaran para sa lahat.<br />
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Hindi pa lubos ang kalayaan, di pa sapat ang kaunlaran, mailap pa rin ang kasaganahan para sa lahat. Ang pakikipaglaban na sinimulan ng ating mga bayani ay di nagtatapos sa kanilang mga huling hantungan. Ang tunay na bantayog ng kagitingan ay hindi gawa sa bato o sa metal, kundi sa mga mumunting kabayanihan ng bawat isa sa atin. Bawat isa sa atin ay bayani, bawat isa ay Pilipino!<br />
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<br />Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-39587154578611573172012-05-29T22:09:00.002+08:002012-05-29T22:16:37.749+08:00Dear Sister Flory - Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Sister Flory,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You did not make it to the witness stand as I have prayed hard for. I thought God must have other plans. And I am happy to be proven right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that Cristina Corona’s gesture last Friday, no matter how self-serving, will somehow be the start of healing in your family. Somehow, we found affinity in the discord among your kin. We saw our country’s own problems in a microcosm in your struggle for truth and justice. Isn’t that our biggest problem in moving forward is ourselves? Not only do we have the talangka mentality of pulling down those who are able to move up ahead of us, but we also have the nasty habit of getting ahead of others at all cost, even at the expense of innocent people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know you have not ceased praying. You surrendered to the will of God a long time ago, but you did not surrender your hopes and dreams for justice to be rendered. Forgiveness and reconciliation based on truth and justice. No one would have said it any better than someone who has gone through the gauntlet for more than thirty years. You persevered, knowing in your heart that God will not forsake you and your family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We may have surrendered EDSA a long time ago, but we have not surrendered our aspirations for a country that is free from the debilitating scourge of corruption and self-aggrandizing governance. People who think the silence of the majority is a sign of apathy were wrong. Just when they thought they can get away with anything and everything, they did not see what was coming to them. Out of nowhere you came, bearing the torch of truth and decency, inviting us to come out of the dark and follow the righteous path.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Sister Flory for speaking up at a time when we seemed to have lost our voices. Thank you for hoping and trusting in the wisdom of God when we have become cynical that change is still possible. Thank you for showing us that forgiveness is possible even when truth and justice are not negotiable. Thank you for proving that truth will stand on its own while lies and deceit will do nothing but expose the real character of those who hide behind them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We may have won the war today, but the real battle has just begun. There is still so much that needs to be done to put our country back in the path of recovery. The arrest of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the resignation of Merceditas Gutierrez and the impeachment of Renato Corona are little victories that must inspire us to what we can achieve as a people united in our struggle for a just and progressive society.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeing you standing up for what is right even in the twilight of your life, I find comfort in knowing that miracles do happen to those who believe in them. You taught us to believe in miracles, and God delivered. Please continue to pray for our country, we shall do the same for you and your family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God be with you always. God be with us in this difficult but necessary struggle for a better country. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Den</span><br />
</div>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-59991019054867507332012-05-12T22:59:00.002+08:002012-05-12T22:59:36.658+08:00Happy Mothers Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You will always be remembered, Nanay...<br />Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-42390655271986913792012-05-03T22:36:00.004+08:002012-05-12T22:57:42.396+08:00Pateros Red Eggs Go Chic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyT225RFjQhyphenhyphenmXfPhwIkr-Q62G-Q6nfF_h5hmx0H0Ijxg6bLtc8ky77yvLEvS-KYsmlOgZKSULZvLQ1wfi_y84F36d0njBFV7rbaJAOvEKwSHH2k3uqCz07-iL7RIYfB4INZVdVlzfTo/s1600/Red_Eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyT225RFjQhyphenhyphenmXfPhwIkr-Q62G-Q6nfF_h5hmx0H0Ijxg6bLtc8ky77yvLEvS-KYsmlOgZKSULZvLQ1wfi_y84F36d0njBFV7rbaJAOvEKwSHH2k3uqCz07-iL7RIYfB4INZVdVlzfTo/s320/Red_Eggs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was a pleasant surprise to find our Itlog na Pula, or Itlog na Maalat on the news today. And in a big way,<br />
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The local business community has been abuzz lately about the lavish dinners that will be simultaneously hosted by nine prominent families of the country for the visiting dignitaries attending the ADB meeting in Manila from May 2 to 5. And what has our little red egg got to do with it? It will figure in at least three of the nine sumptuous food spreads ever to grace Filipino tables in a long time.<br />
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The menu for the feast at Taipan George Ty of Metrobank specifically list Pateros Salted Duck Egg as part of the ensemble of regional specialties that will bring VIP guests to a veritable food trip around the Philippines in one evening.<br />
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Doris Magsaysay-Ho's sit-down dinner will feature an organic salad of fresh pako leaves with itlog na maalat from Pateros with Palawan honey dressing. It will be a PPP (Pako, Pateros Red`Egg and Palawan Honey) fit for a light banter on another PPP (Private and Public Sector Partnership) that will surely be a topic on the table.<br />
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Sandy Prieto-Romualdez of the Philippine Daily Inquirer will host a Filipino Barrio Fiesta in her home, complete with a Bahay Kubo for a dessert bar. And what would be a Filipino dessert without freshly cooked Bibingkang Galapong topped by Itlog na Maalat? Foreign guests will go home with memories of steaming creamy rice cakes with the contrasting but delectable combination of butter, grated coconut and salted eggs.<br />
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Hopefully, our Itlog na Maalat will find its way to the other six dinner spreads tonight. Too bad they did not consider serving the more famous delicacy of Pateros - the Balut. It would have been a most unforgettable evening for our foreign guests had they done so.Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-45690343302001718852012-04-29T19:24:00.004+08:002012-04-29T19:24:49.380+08:00Education and Land Reform<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Education is the key to a successful land reform program, just as ignorance is the one plague that has kept our people in bondage for so many years.<br />
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In our country, it is not uncommon to hear people say that if one has not attained higher education, tilling the land is the only option available. People equate tilling the land with ignorance.<br />
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In rural agricultural areas, farmers who were awarded lands find themselves unable to sustain its productivity on their own. Eventually, they get lured by the promise of easy money and they sell off their lands to real estate developers. Not knowing any better, they use the money for non-revenue generating assets like houses and furniture which they eventually pawn or sell – or worse on gambling, booze and other vices. Then they end up with nothing, and they go to the urban areas to try their luck.<br />
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In cities and urban centers, people from the provinces who used to farm and raise livestock become informal settlers and join squatter colonies. Without education to land them decent jobs, they fall prey to all kinds of opportunists. Unscrupulous businesses take advantage of their cheap labor. Politicians encourage a mindset of mendicancy and use them as voting blocks. Militants take advantage of their situation to push for their own agenda and incite class warfare. For some, poverty becomes an excuse for crime.<br />
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But there is no excuse for greed – whether individual or corporate. Neither is there also an excuse for remaining poor and ignorant. There are no reasons why farmers cannot be successful landowners. There are no reasons why they cannot help each other to make lands more productive. There are no reasons why farmers cannot work with businessmen to supply the demand for produce and earn a decent profit. There are no reasons for farmers to remain poor.<br />
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It is not the land, or the lack of it, that keeps our farmers poor. It is ignorance. Being poor is not a reason for ignorance. Rather, ignorance is the reason why people remain poor. Education gives the people the power to rise above ignorance. Land reform without educational reform is bound to fail and will just perpetuate the vicious cycle of poverty.<br />
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The government must ensure that Land Reform is preceded and sustained by Educational Reform. Congress must pass laws on genuine and sustainable land reform that will put forward social justice that encompasses both the landowners and the farmers. To be truly encompassing, land reform must also include urban areas to address the growing and worsening problem of the urban poor.<br />
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On the other hand, the Executive Department led by the President must have the political will to implement these reforms. There is logic to the intent of the Constitution to limit the tenure of the President to only one term. It is to give the Chief Executive the free-hand and political leeway to execute hard decisions without the burden of thinking about a re-election campaign. For us to move forward, sacrifices must be made and we need a leader who will do what is right even if it means the end of his political career. Our President must cease to be a politician and become a statesman.<br />
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Our Judiciary is supposed to be the defender of our rights, the bastion of equality and the fountain of social justice. The current Supreme Court is dominated by justices appointed by a President bent on protecting her interests over and above that of the country. She took advantage of history and circumstance to appoint justices who are not only legal lightweights, but heavily indebted to her – foremost of which is the illegal Chief Justice.<br />
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Our Judiciary has been and is being prostituted. Sad, but very true.<br />
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Some people say Presidents should not appoint the justices. Others say that the JBC is a farce and a failure. But good justices, many even great, were appointed by Presidents in the past. P-Noy himself appears to have done good appointments to the Supreme Court. The key then is to choose leaders that will abide by the greater interest of the people, not theirs.<br />
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There is a sarcastic joke going around that for the Philippines to escape from corruption and impunity, we need to eradicate a whole generation to start fresh. What we actually need is to eradicate ignorance through education reform. We need to have an informed electorate that will vote with discernment. We need constituents who will actively participate in good governance. Corruption and bad governance will continue only if we allow it to do so.<br />
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Social media is revolutionizing the use of information in our society. It is providing an informal platform from where people can be educated in the reform of our government in particular and our society in general. Education need not be confined in schools, nor is it an exclusive domain of academics. We can all learn from each other. And by not giving up on each other, we ensure a better future for the generations to come.<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">* Picture is from </span></em><a href="http://filipinolifeinpictures.wordpress.com/"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://filipinolifeinpictures.wordpress.com</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></em><br />Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-20711294442970062632012-04-22T14:20:00.001+08:002012-04-23T08:51:31.810+08:00June Keithly Castro - Woman with a purpose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebZCeUo9KO-P1CtZyfAgp9gYNIUBJHTqKcK8d6FQNd5nErJErtNAzW3zhVxF6RuQ8QPCYTY0av4MZGrcDL2soIW9wtAXhYVcb6hL-AW1PpC8Zt_ucpLkDKGcYK3U9AWmtgq-gM7VhQ3A/s1600/JuneKeithly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebZCeUo9KO-P1CtZyfAgp9gYNIUBJHTqKcK8d6FQNd5nErJErtNAzW3zhVxF6RuQ8QPCYTY0av4MZGrcDL2soIW9wtAXhYVcb6hL-AW1PpC8Zt_ucpLkDKGcYK3U9AWmtgq-gM7VhQ3A/s320/JuneKeithly.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Dear Ms June,<br />
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I may not know you from Adam, but you have touched my heart so deeply, so intimately.<br />
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A mother's love, like that of our Mother Mary, is unconditional. Sure, there are exceptions, but they are just that - exceptions. Good or bad, a mother would do everything to protect their children. I remember one mother who was recently in the news. Her son might be a cold-hearted monster to a lot of people, but to her he is just a little boy who needs her complete love and attention. She would do anything, everything, even if it makes her look insane to the entire world, just to protect her son.<br />
<br />
I saw how you calmly accepted your beloved Angelo's passing. I see the courage by which you deal with your own health challenges. Your body may no longer be the sprightly dynamo it was during the heydays of the EDSA revolt, but your mind, your spirit still soars. And now, reading your <a href="http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/44385/what-a-mothers-love-can-do" target="_blank">latest piece on the Philippine Daily Inquirer</a>, I understood where that fortitude comes from, for it can only be given by the same God that gave us His only Son and His Mother. God loves all of us, sinner or saint. If God does not love us, why would He give us mothers who love us so unconditionally?<br />
<br />
You write with your heart. Every tap on the keyboard must be like a prick to your heart. It is not easy to so publicly share dark episodes of your life. But in doing so, your soul shines forth like a beacon for all of us whom you have touched with your sharing. Your pain is our comfort, your suffering is balm for our anguished souls. Your brokenness makes us whole. You heal us with your illness.<br />
<br />
Thank you for letting us share in your life, for showing us what we are capable of doing and enduring. Thank you for showing us how to love - our mothers and fathers, our families, our country, people we do not even know. Thank you for saying "YES!" to God's invitation to be His instrument. It must not be easy for you, but you accepted it just the same. God Bless your good heart.<br />
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I am tempted to say, "Be strong...". I forget that you are much, much stronger than anyone of us. I want to say, "God be with you...". But God is already with you - in you! I will continue to pray for you and your family, that is the least I can do.<br />
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Maraming Salamat!<br />
<br />
Dennis ConcepcionDennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-23044299256873643592012-04-09T12:32:00.005+08:002012-04-09T12:41:42.833+08:00Happy Easter!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcbvFufoYXcUnr-ID2CtwxWYp7njYCkZ5FlS6jkLMm6nppXGnpKBTshIPjxYut7BB2TDJGSFbdGq4XFhlOwgMu0ekHy7neOx8uJHUnHXAOwFW-031a2lFvyzQLVyrFVTGxZDFchM73s8/s1600/Bandera_03.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729254722129305826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcbvFufoYXcUnr-ID2CtwxWYp7njYCkZ5FlS6jkLMm6nppXGnpKBTshIPjxYut7BB2TDJGSFbdGq4XFhlOwgMu0ekHy7neOx8uJHUnHXAOwFW-031a2lFvyzQLVyrFVTGxZDFchM73s8/s400/Bandera_03.jpg" /></a>I will choose to ignore the senseless and insensitive ranting of a tail-ending senator named Honasan, and the vain and blasphemous claims of Renato Corona who dared likened himself to our Lord when he is more like Barabbas or the unrepentant thief on the cross. I would like instead to impart an Easter message of hope to all the Filipinos who are actively monitoring the Impeachment Trial. You may be toiling in other lands, or chose to slug it out in this country, but your collective yearning for truth, for decency, for integrity and for honesty in government have made you more Filipino than anyone in the halls of Congress or in the august chambers of the Supreme Court.<br /><br />After Jesus rose from the dead, He chose to show Himself not to His disciples – not even to Peter or to His most beloved, John. Instead, he showed Himself to Mary the Magdalene. This is significant because historically, women are not on the same level of status in society as men in the time of Jesus. Thus, it can be said that Jesus exalted the lowly with a first glimpse of His glorious resurrection.<br /><br />Yes, the Lord is risen! And He chose to reveal Himself first to a lowly maiden, not to the apostles who will lead His flocks, not to the High Priests who claims to be the keepers and defenders of the Law of Moses, not to the Roman Governor who holds the power over the land. It is to a woman, who was among the nameless and faceless throng who toiled in fields, who worked in households, who laboured in the market – who left everything to follow the Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ.<br /><br />As in the glorious story of our Lord’s resurrection, the Truth that will set us free and redeem us from our bondage to patronage politics, sense of entitlement and impunity is not revealed to those who falsely claim to have the sole authority to discern it. The Truth that do justice is not revealed to the Senator-Judges who chose to see and hear only the parts of it that will benefit their re-election, or the election of their relatives. The Truth that liberates is not revealed to the Prosecutors-Congressmen who fear that it will mirror their own sins and shortcomings. The Truth that will separate the sheep from the wolves is not revealed to Corona and the defense team as they would do anything and everything imaginable to twist and bend it until the wolves become sheep and the real sheep are sent to the slaughterhouse instead.<br /><br />In God’s infinite wisdom, the Truth is revealed to the people themselves. It comes in different forms, on different times, through different channels – not in legal terms that can only confuse, but in concrete situations that every Juan Dela Cruz can understand and relate to. It is the Truth that Sister Flory longs for, the truth that the PAL labor union seeks, the truth that has eluded the family of Navy Ensign Pestano, the truth that Corona’s SALN so blatantly tried to hide and distort, and the truth that Corona’s lawyers want us to see as lies.<br /><br />Social media and other public forums, including the surveys, are the new Galilee, the new Mount of Beatitudes, and the new Temple of Jerusalem where the Truth is proclaimed - not to the high and mighty, but to the lowly so that they may realize that the power of salvation lies in their own hearts. The Lord died and rose again to show us that there is a higher Truth that only faith can comprehend, one that transcends all laws and logic, but lies in the very heart of each man, that which compels us to do good to every man.<br /><br />To all Filipinos to whom Truth is being revealed – keep the faith! Let Easter’s message of hope and redemption be an inspiration for us to carry on our search for the Truth that will liberate our country from the destructive clutches of self-serving politics.Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-61996510379895784082012-03-27T20:20:00.004+08:002012-04-10T20:22:41.650+08:00Fidelity to the Law<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB72A8neCFaZRKTWiw8pv23Vi9JrxzySW1ih9JRjVkwYYt-AG1BcWnNkws_hs_RzG82JOSCFFTK6AJidqCxpuEnD7R_aBbjgPgrOFpY5XS8azCEv5dSNYeqS-zcdwg7kcjTryhCECRJo/s1600/Consti.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724551403285770082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB72A8neCFaZRKTWiw8pv23Vi9JrxzySW1ih9JRjVkwYYt-AG1BcWnNkws_hs_RzG82JOSCFFTK6AJidqCxpuEnD7R_aBbjgPgrOFpY5XS8azCEv5dSNYeqS-zcdwg7kcjTryhCECRJo/s400/Consti.bmp" /></a> Renato Corona and his supporters and defenders flaunt the rule of law and fidelity to the Constitution as their rallying cry. They accuse the government of doing a demolition job on the Supreme Court and the entire judicial system when it impeached the Chief Justice primarily because of betrayal of public trust. They cry harassment over the exposition of the Corona family’s vast financial holdings, including real properties and peso and dollar deposits. They would like us to believe that far from being guilty, Renato Corona is being unjustly vilified, wrongly accused and deprived of his right to due process. They insist that far from being a personal battle of Mr Corona, the impeachment is a direct affront to the independence of the Supreme Court and the viability of our judicial system.<br /><br />As a non-lawyer, I am amazed at the extent of legal contortions that the Corona camp resorts to in their attempt to save the skin of their embattled Chief. I believe that our Constitution was not written for lawyers, just as the Bible was not written just for the priests. It was written for the people, so that they will know and understand that governmental power and authority emanate from them and that it exists because of and for them. Thus, in these times when many lawyers, foremost of them Serafin Cuevas and Renato Corona himself, are confusing us with their convoluted arguments, we need to go back to our Constitution as our bedrock of stability. What does our Constitution tell us in these confusing times?<br /><br />Article II – Declaration of Principles and State Policies, Section 27. “The State shall maintain honesty and integrity in the public service and take positive and effective measures against graft and corruption.” Honesty and Integrity are not just moral issues subject to relativity. They are the very foundation of public service.<br /><br />Article VIII – The Judicial Department, Section 7.3. “A Member of the Judiciary must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence.” For the Judiciary, the standards of public service are understandably higher. As the vanguards of justice and equality, much is expected from those who wield the power to determine what is right and what is wrong. Competence, integrity, probity and independence must not only be claimed, it must be proven.<br /><br />Section 11 of the same Article states, “The Members of the Supreme Court and judges of lower courts shall hold office during good behaviour until they reach the age of seventy years or become incapacitated to discharge the duties of their office.” There is no distinction between a justice of the Supreme Court and a judge of the lower courts. The requirements for public service apply to all and do not end after the appointment – it must be maintained throughout his or her tenure. The actions of Corona, inciting court employees, law school graduates and the people in general with his claims of budding dictatorship, oppression of the judiciary and damaged democracy is anything but good behaviour as required by the Constitution itself.<br /><br />Article XI – Accountability of Public Officials, Section 1. “Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.” Public trust. Must, at all times. To the people. Modest lives - these are admonitions that are plain and simple as they are important and compelling. Corona had been caught weaving lies upon lies, declaring contradictions one after another while making us believe that he is the best thing that ever happened to our country.<br /><br />Section 2 of the same Article further states, “The President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Supreme Court, the Members of the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman may be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.”<br /><br />These first two sections of Article XI did not come one after the other by mere coincidence. They both deal with the essence of public service – public trust. It is interesting to note that all other grounds for impeachment had to be proven by hard evidence as they are also crimes for which the impeached official can also be charged in courts of law. However, betrayal of public trust is a class on its own as it is the violation of the very source of the power vested on the official – the trust bestowed by the sovereign will of the people.<br /><br />Take for example the situation in all companies. When rank and file employees violate rules and regulations, they can be dismissed only after due process. However, high officials of the company such as executives and managers can be dismissed outright due to loss of confidence. The stockholders and owners will do what is required to save the company and will replace an erring official with someone more capable and trustworthy. What “loss of confidence” is to the corporate world, “betrayal of public trust” is to the government.<br /><br />I wish I could say that Ranato Corona still doesn't get it, that this impeachment is not about the Supreme Court or the Judiciary as a whole; that it is all about him and no one else - not P-Noy, not the Senator/Judges, not the Congressmen/Prosecutors. But saying that assumes a tinge of innocence, and of naiveté on his part - which he does not have, being an accomplished lawyer as he claims.<br /><br />Renato Corona had it all planned out - from the moment he accepted his midnight appointment, to his deft juggling of his peso and dollar accounts, to his legal maneuvers to gain control of BGEI, to the acquisition of various properties through his children. As he said many times, he is not stupid and he knows his law. This latest caper on a property that he said they do not own, but then were forced to admit that they bought at the same time another pricey property in McKinley Hills was bought to fore the intellectual and moral dishonesty of this man.<br /><br />So what gives? It only means that all these were accomplished with a clear intent to circumvent the law, to take advantage of legal loopholes and to use the power and privileges of his office. Speaking to fresh law graduates of Philippine Law School, Corona said, "It would then be our duty as members of this noble profession to wield the law not as an instrument of deceit and oppression, but as a social apparatus for the common good.”<br /><br />Those were great words of advice to young idealistic future lawyers. But can he honestly say the same to the Basa-Guidote family who found themselves deprived of their rightful inheritance? To the lower government officials convicted by the courts and penalized for similar or lesser offenses? To the millions of ordinary employees whose miniscule monthly salaries are automatically taxed while he enjoys tax-free perks and bonuses? To millions of poor Filipinos still struggling to find decent roofs over their heads while he and his family buy high-end properties one after the other both here and abroad with no clear source of funds for the acquisitions?<br /><br />Renato Corona, by his actions past and present, by his willful and deliberate maneuverings of the law to suit his own benefit, by his futile attempt to hide the fruits of his poisoned connections with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and by his dubious mis-declaration to mislead the public about his financial interests, have irrevocably betrayed the public trust. Can Corona still stand proud before the Filipino people and declare that "Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives." as enshrined in our Constitution?<br /><br />If he has any respect and concern left for the Judiciary and his country as he claims to have in abundance, the noblest thing to do is to step down and defend himself outside of the influence of his position. That may not be the easiest thing to do, but it is the only right thing to do.Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-76925637866973052532012-03-18T23:16:00.006+08:002012-03-25T18:51:31.390+08:00The Crown of Seven Sins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVD_W1rhEOmGCBPqPQgxwYRWF8pQkIzx0nuFJw4XNHg-LsuRN_i6J87lyIxUMqbBPIDlVvEh1mVtSNVtHysN2TtI4ku3n9zk3X5YScjGamMqkKMU2Ihz2mrgLFYoXcsQhT1niOf1rEMGI/s1600/Crown.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 208px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721264059152690178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVD_W1rhEOmGCBPqPQgxwYRWF8pQkIzx0nuFJw4XNHg-LsuRN_i6J87lyIxUMqbBPIDlVvEh1mVtSNVtHysN2TtI4ku3n9zk3X5YScjGamMqkKMU2Ihz2mrgLFYoXcsQhT1niOf1rEMGI/s400/Crown.jpg" /></a>The defense is trying to justify Renato Corona's offenses and omissions by pointing accusing fingers to other government officials. In everyday life parlance, this is called "bakit ako lang, eh pati naman sila yun din ang ginagawa!" Mr Corona seems to have conveniently forgotten that the position he coveted and got in the dead of the night demands the highest standards of ethical conduct. The Chief Justice is the highest official of the Judiciary, our country's keeper of the law, dispenser of equal justice and vanguard of freedom.<br /><br />His SALN is just but an external manifestation of the real issue here, which is his flawed character. It is a powerful symbol of that flaw because many other officials of lower stature have been charged and convicted for filing incomplete or erroneous SALN. If these lower officials were convicted and removed from office with their benefits and retirement pay forfeited, with some even going to jail, and then the Impeachment Court lets Corona off the hook for the same if not graver offense, it will only reinforce the long held suspicion that in this country there is a law for the rich and powerful and another for the poor and powerless.<br /><br />More than the numbers in the SALN that are being debated by the protagonists of the Impeachment Court, the trial has brought to light the serious character flaws of the impeached Chief Justice. Consider:<br /><br />1. Even if he claims to belong to a family of no ordinary means, and has the money to buy not just one but several high-end properties, he also openly acknowledged his gratitude to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for footing his hospital bills for an operation on his bad back when he was already in the Supreme Court. If you have the means and yet asks someone else or the government to pay for your expenses, that is called “panggugulang”. Not content with the perks of the SC and against all ethical considerations, he allowed his wife to accept a government appointment by then President GMA.<br /><br />2. In the last few days of the GMA presidency, he accepted his nomination as Chief Justice. While the legality of the appointment may be subject to debate, the propriety and ethical aspects are certainly very plain and simple. We can blame outgoing CJ Puno for not doing anything to stop the farce, we can blame the JBC for side-stepping the issue, we can blame GMA for laying booby traps on her way out, we can blame his fellow Arroyo appointees in the Court for legitimizing his questionable appointment, but most certainly the buck stops at Corona's table as he alone has the power to right that wrong - by being a true statesman and saying NO to the midnight appointment.<br /><br />3. Mr Corona has been using an embellished Curriculum Vitae that stated honors and recognition that he received from schools he attended. Until just recently before the SC website was updated, these spurious claims were all reflected in his profile. However, public documents from these schools show that while he may indeed have received honors and medals, these were of lower rank and significance than what he declared. If he had undervalued properties in his SALN, it now appears that he has over-valued his achievements in his CV. This clearly shows a pattern of dishonesty and deceit.<br /><br />4. While he claims to be a gentle person who unabashedly cries at the sight of his supporters waving placards of support and who would not hurt or threaten anyone much less an old man as his wife’s relatives claim, PNP records show more than 30 firearms registered under his name, including high-powered automatic weapons. Not only is he quick with his hands, he is also quick with his tongue. In not a few public occasions, he did not hesitate calling President Aquino a dictator, accusing Justice Carpio of plotting his ouster and calling the 90-year old Franciscan nun who is also an aunt of his wife a liar. The Supreme Court has not been as politicised as it is now under Corona’s watch.<br /><br />5. While he rues the use of the "awesome powers of the presidency" against him, he finds nothing wrong with court employees skipping case hearings to march to the supreme court to hear him lambast his detractors, see him cry and raise his hands to heaven. Instead of admonishing judges and justices to remain neutral and be loyal only to the country, the constitution and the Judiciary as an institution, he chose to drag the entire judicial system into a battle that questions only his personal fitness to remain as Chief Justice. If he gets convicted, how will the court employees react to the new Chief Justice? He has put the entire Judiciary between the devil and the deep blue sea.<br /><br />6. It was bewildering enough that he should seek relief from the Supreme Court while he still sits as its Chief; it was downright repulsive that he should ask justices Carpio and Sereno to inhibit themselves in the cases he filed in the Supreme Court regarding his impeachment when he himself has not taken a leave of absence. He continues to benefit from his position, exerting persuasive influence on the Arroyo-appointed associate justices. He mocks the independence of the Impeachment Court by asking the SC to intervene in its proceedings.<br /><br />7. When confronted with his alleged bias towards GMA in cases that was brought to the SC, he declared that he is just one vote in the collegial body. However, when he talks about the Hacienda Luisita case, he says he was the only one that stands in the way of Ph10 billion being paid to HLI as payment. In the course of his other public pronouncements, this is not the only instance when he contradicted himself. In the BGEI case, he said he purposely distanced himself from his wife's family feud, yet then Manila Mayor Lito Atienza confirmed that it was Corona himself who negotiated for the higher price paid by the government for the BGEI property in Sampaloc. As was recently found out, payment for that property was for many years deposited in his personal bank account until he withdrew them on the day he was impeached by the House of Representatives.<br /><br />These are just but seven of the many instances where we can get a glimpse of the flawed character of Mr Corona. No amount of technicality, no amount of finger-pointing and no amount of white-washing can justify his remaining a minute longer as the Honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In the classic novel "The Scarlet Letter", the adulterers wear the mark of their sins on their chests for everyone to see. For Renato Corona, he wears a crown of seven sins.Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-86034098835184566322012-03-10T16:20:00.005+08:002012-03-25T15:50:36.850+08:00An Open Letter to Sister Flory Basa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeB6oeuBtlCzbFO8nIM3xJbphr5wCo0Rg7EkSikD8pgfcc6IoUxA5hSUEaJPrRGtgL3Yg-tcaHnWvrWOMY4eBAFqsssX8E_LAYMqEr_rsOs7-HxApa5PBFGHOBhQhUqHK5iAJMO9-ayI/s1600/sister-flory-basa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 298px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718180590548609234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeB6oeuBtlCzbFO8nIM3xJbphr5wCo0Rg7EkSikD8pgfcc6IoUxA5hSUEaJPrRGtgL3Yg-tcaHnWvrWOMY4eBAFqsssX8E_LAYMqEr_rsOs7-HxApa5PBFGHOBhQhUqHK5iAJMO9-ayI/s400/sister-flory-basa.jpg" /></a><br /><strong><em>March 25, 2012 - I am compelled to add this note because not a few people have already called my attention to some re-posts of this open letter. Apparently, some bloggers and newspaper columnists have wrongly attributed authorship of the letter to Dennis Garcia of the Hotdog Band fame. Although the link to this page is included in the re-posts, somehow the name Dennis Garcia got linked to it as well. To set the record straight, I am much younger than him, but to be fair - he sings way too much better than I do. I really do not mind if people attribute this letter to anyone they wish. As long as it serves it purpose, then that suits me just fine. Just don't ask me to sing - I will leave that to the real Dennis Garcia. </em></strong><br /><br />March 10, 2012 - Last night, I posted in an online Inquirer article an open letter to Sister Flory Basa, aunt of Cristina Roco Corona. Almost as soon as I hit the Save button, comments poured in, and people started sharing and re-posting the letter in different blogs and sharing sites. I even found a Cebuano translation of the letter just today. Although there were a few negative reactions, majority of those who commented were very supportive. I guess a lot of people share the same sentiments as I have.<br /><br />I am sharing the letter in its original form, and some of the links to sites where it has been re-posted so you would be able to read both the good and not so good reactions.<br /><br /><em>Dear Sister Flory,</em><br /><br /><em>I almost gave up on the impeachment process. I thought it was going nowhere. The defense team was succeeding in their suppression of evidences. The prosecution was fumbling all over the place. Some Senator-Judges were openly showing their dogged resolve to literally look the other way as the impeached pretender to the position of Chief Justice trampled on the very basic tenets of integrity and honesty. Like you, I had left it to the Good Lord to do justice in His own time.<br /></em><br /><em>But then your family, most especially you, came along. God indeed works in mysterious ways! The lawyers of Mr Corona and their misguided followers have done and will continue to do everything to discredit you, short of calling you a lying senile and disgruntled relative who wants more money. I saw your interview on TV, and you have that serenity about you. It is a peace of mind and soul that only true forgiveness can bring about. But you also have that resoluteness in your voice – firm, truthful and honest. You said charity made you forgive the Coronas, but truth and justice compels you to speak up and let the people confront the truth about Mr Renato Corona.<br /></em><br /><em>God has not only been good to you, He has shown even more compassion to us the Filipino people. While a lot of people your age would have been beset with illnesses of both body and mind, you have been blest with good health and a mind still so sharp and lucid. It is not so for no reason, I am sure. When the battle seemed lost, you came forth like a shining star to remind us not to lose hope. God allowed you to outlive your siblings so that the truth may be proclaimed in all its brutal glory, and not in the convoluted version being peddled to us by those who seek to block our nation’s search for justice.<br /></em><br /><em>Thank you for your courage in proclaiming the truth. Mr Corona might have succeeded in having his character flaws overlooked by the Judicial and Bar Council when he was planted by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the Supreme Court. He might have pushed his luck too far when he got his minions in the SC to legitimize his midnight appointment. I do not think he will be able to shut out the flames of truth that you now so resolutely hold in your hands. While they have everything to lose and will do anything and everything to cover up their lies, you only have your faith in God and his abiding fidelity to his promise that His justice will be supreme over all human frailties.<br /></em><br /><em>If it is not too much to ask, we will be forever grateful if you will do us a great favour – please take the witness stand. Please tell this nation how this man who claims the exalted position of Chief Justice as his unalienable right has done injustice to his own kin for more than 30 years. Please tell our Senators, who have been vested by our sovereign will with power in order to protect our nation’s interest, how the same power when wielded by someone who do not have the probity, integrity and moral uprightness not to be drowned by it can abuse the same to inflict harm on the very people he is supposed to serve and protect. You, who are old and weak, you whose only weapon is the truth, can teach our power-tripping Senators a most valuable lesson in humility and fairness.<br /></em><br /><em>I know it might be too much to ask from a frail, 90 year old servant of the Lord. But the stakes are too high – our future and those of the generations to come. If we allow this travesty to pass, we would have sold our souls to the devil. What are we teaching to our children? That as long as you can justify it in the rules of court, it is okay to be to be dishonest? That it is okay to do wrong as long as you can win it in court? That it is okay to do away with morals and the sense of what is right and what is wrong as long as there are good lawyers that you can pay to twist the facts and suppress the truth? Is this what we want for our country? Please say it isn’t so Sister Flory. For your family’s and for our country’s sake, please say it isn’t so.<br /></em><br /><em>And before I end this rather long letter, I would like to assure you that in case you do decide to take the witness stand and if Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago dare try to scare you off with her histrionics and self-serving plaudits to her perceived superior intelligence, and God forbids that something bad happens to you, I will march on the street even if I should do it by my lonesome self, and demand that God open up the ocean and swallow the entire Senate and everyone else who have dragged this country into the dark abyss.God is with you. We are with you. All right thinking Filipinos should be with you. Let us not stay in the dark. You have the light. Lead us to our redemption as a nation. God Bless you Sister Flory.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Sincerely,</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Den</em><br /><br />Here are a couple of sites where the letter has been re-posted:<br /><br /><a href="http://raissarobles.com/2012/03/09/judge-miriam-skips-icc-oath-taking-as-asias-first-woman-judge-for-corona-trial/">http://raissarobles.com/2012/03/09/judge-miriam-skips-icc-oath-taking-as-asias-first-woman-judge-for-corona-trial/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://abs-cebu.blogspot.com/2012/03/arangkada-of-leo-lastimosa-for-march-11.html">http://abs-cebu.blogspot.com/2012/03/arangkada-of-leo-lastimosa-for-march-11.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/158123/sister-flory-basa-willing-to-testify-in-corona-trial#disqus_thread">http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/158123/sister-flory-basa-willing-to-testify-in-corona-trial#disqus_thread</a>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-88533569793656026742012-03-05T22:15:00.003+08:002012-03-05T22:42:41.870+08:00Thank You!Mr Dante Zamora posted his comment on my previous post about <a href="http://muntingtinigngpateros.blogspot.com/2008/04/abnoy-abnoy.html">Abnoy</a> (Click on the link to read the post). Although he did not mention where he is based now, I assumed that he is from the US. He referred to the Philippines as PI, which I hear so many times from my relatives in California. I am glad that in my own little way, I am able to provide Mr Zamora and our other kababayans who have been away from our dear Pateros a way to reconnect with our town.<br /><br />I had set out to compose a response to his comment in the article about Abnoy, but wrote a rather long response that I decided to post it as a separate entry here. I hope that he will not mind me sharing my response to him with the rest of the readers of this blog.<br /><br /><em>Dear Mr Zamora,<br /><br />Thank you for your wonderful post. Comments from people like you inspire me to continue writing about our beloved town, in particular, and the Philippines in general. I have not written as often as I would want to, but I will definitely not stop doing so.<br /><br />If you left in 1967, things would have been vastly different then. I grew up in the 70's, and things were so different then than now. What more in the 60's? Like you, I have many happy memories of Pateros back when people knew each other by name. And people then have strange and funny, sometimes even "bastos" names. We would always have fun remembering those aliases that people gave each other.<br /><br />It is sad that a lot of the original Pateros folks have left the town. Many old houses are either empty, or are being rented out or put up for sale. Those in the commercial area, the "bayan" as we know it, have been converted into commercial spaces. An old-timer aptly called Pateros now the bedroom of Metro Manila because of the many people who flock here for its cheap lodging alternatives. In fact, we hold the distinction of being the most densely populated town/city in the Philippines. For a little town such as ours, that is not exactly good news.<br /><br />When I see pictures of the Sta Marta fiesta in California, I am amazed at the number of people who attend the event year in and year out. A lot of them are even familiar faces, like the Pascual siblings from Aguho - and my own relatives. My own mother, when she was alive, would always attend the fiesta when it was held anywhere near where she was staying with my Tatay (either in the Bay or the LA/San Diego areas). Too bad there was not an opportunity for me to attend a stateside Pateros fiesta whenever I am in the US to visit my family. I would one day want to write about this interesting event.<br /><br />And the food! Don’t even get me started on this. A lot of my happy memories of our town always have something to do with food. Sometimes people get so focused on balut that they overlook the other culinary gems of our town. Some of these have all but disappeared from our tables, such as those that are fished out from Laguna De bay (ayungin, biya, tulya, etc.). But some are still around to remind us that once in our lives, we revelled in the gustatory delights of these exotic dishes.<br /><br />Again, thank you for the good words. And do come for a visit soon. You may not like everything that you will see and experience, but I hope that with enough people working together, we can still do something to bring back the old charm of this little town we call home.<br /><br />Ipagpapatuloy ko po ang aking pagsasaliksik, at ang pagsusulat ukol sa ating bayan, kasaysayan at kaugalian upang di natin malimot na ang Pateros ay nagkanlong sa maraming masasayang ala-ala ng ating buhay. Mananatili po akong umaasa na sa pamamagitan ng munting ambag na ito, ay maaring mapukaw ang pansin ng mga kababayan at ng mga kinauukulan upang maisaayos ang lagay ng ating bayan. Hindi ako nawawalan ng pag-asa na sa pagtutulungan nating mga nagmamahal sa bayang ito, mananatiling maririnig ang masayang tugtugan ng Pandango, and masarap na amoy ng bibingkang abnoy, at ang malinamnam na lasa ng kalderetang itik sa ating bayang pinagpala.<br /><br /><br />Ang inyong Munting Tinig,<br /><br />Dennis </em>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-64103600758029328982012-02-04T12:21:00.003+08:002012-02-04T12:52:33.658+08:00Pandanguhan na muli!Ang pista ni Santa Marta ay ipagdiriwang sa ika-12 ng Pebrero ngayong 2012. At tulad ng nakagawian, nag-umpisa na ang siyam na araw ng nobena bilang paghahanda sa kapistahan ng dakilang pintakasi ng bayan ng Pateros. Sa kabutihang palad ay nasumpungan ko ang paunang pagoda sa daan, at nakunan ng bidyo upang aking maibahagi sa inyong lahat.<br /><br />Sa mga ibang pagkakataon na ako ay nakapanuod ng prusisyon ni Santa Marta ay nakalulungkot na kakaunti na ang sumusunod sa tunay na Pandanggo. Ito ay isang banal na pagdakila sa Pintakasi sa pamamagitan ng pagsasayaw. Sa maraming pagkakataon, mas nabibigyan ng pansin ang pagaagawan sa mga pasubo na nanggagaling sa mga bahay na dinaraanan ng prusisyon. Ang mga madlang kasama sa prusisyon ay tila di na alintana ang pagpupugay, kundi ang mapuno ng pagkain ang kanilang mga bitbit na bayong, kahon at iba pang mga sisidlan.<br /><br />Ngunit ang prusisyong ito ay naiiba. Nakatutuwang pagmasdan ang pagsasayaw ng Pandango na mas nalalapit sa ala-ala ng mga pandanguhan nuong mga nakaraang panahon. Yaon ang mga panahong naka-patadyong at salakot ang mga mananayaw, may sinusunod na indak at indayog, at sinasaliwan ng tunay na mga musikero at ng hindi ng basag na tunog ng isinaplakang Paru-parong Bukid.<br /><br />Kaunti man ang mga dumalo, maayos at kaaya-aya ang kakaibang pagpupugay ng mga kalahok sa prusisyon. Maayos ang pagsasayaw, buong galang ang pag-indayog sa anda ni Santa Marta at walang patid ang pagtugtog ng banda. Sa pag-alaala ng nakalipas, at sa pagmamasid sa pagsisikap ng mga kalahok na maibalik ang tunay na diwa ng Pandango para kay Santa Marta, di maiwasang mangilid ang mga luha sa aking mga mata, kalakip ang isang taimtim na panalangin na nawa'y patuloy na patnubayan ng Poong Maykapal, sa pamimintuho ni Pintakasing Santa Marta, ang ating pinakamamahal na bayan ng Pateros.<br /><br />Viva Santa Marta!<br /><br /><br /><p><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwABlkUDzsOjdpp53ozBty36Ep80Mfh5ZY5ekpvyuqXokQxRczFqYNOYBhT8h_FFig6lVm2b0FRX7-1GIROiQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7zrOqRh7Z9wS7clsMGaO25DBOz7K_wi7JPwfMqIIja4ovCDFCPSrWhTOgRnGJ66qLZ5rc9EvuVf_2ewEf9g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br /><p></p><br /><p><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwYyDtQCvO171d0lvkmFjMI5cWvslCfTobk0EjaLkMe2EfscUMz3_bEt5cxDpaG7W13Ri1f0VBl7JiK62tuRA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-6864530855362488102011-10-21T08:13:00.006+08:002011-10-21T09:47:38.461+08:00The Masacre of the Filipino Soul<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2x9oj-jWmUgxyFkDHaM3IgpaK3KKDDAXr7sQYhwxvYflRGhCZXYeorqZwwzilpiNwkb7q7GP8b0-lTmAhRbHymQon7VToA6tVcEyowuKs41X5WUoY_5zL46EvBbaEOiygL7SfeVmvRk/s1600/Basilan.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 190px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 146px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665732656752414450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2x9oj-jWmUgxyFkDHaM3IgpaK3KKDDAXr7sQYhwxvYflRGhCZXYeorqZwwzilpiNwkb7q7GP8b0-lTmAhRbHymQon7VToA6tVcEyowuKs41X5WUoY_5zL46EvBbaEOiygL7SfeVmvRk/s400/Basilan.jpg" /></a> The righteous indignation of people on the Basilan Fiasco should not only be tolerated. Indeed it is what every right-thinking Filipino should be feeling now. Let the authorities investigate, let the peace panel call for sobriety, let the MILF pontificate about the actions taken by their combatants. The fact remains that 19 soldiers lay needlessly dead after an ambush.<br /><br />Consider:<br /><br />1. The AFP is the legitimate armed organization of the Philippines. Last I heard, all of Mindanao is still part of the Philippines. Our AFP does not need to get approval to serve a lawful warrant of arrest to a fugitive from the law,<br /><br />2. Let us leave religion or God out of this. This is not about Muslims or Christians. This is not about addressing the plight of our minority brothers. Their plea for justice and right to self-determination remains a valid issue. This is all about terrorism and lawlessness - and the need to deal with them decisively and permanently now. Get terrorism out of the picture and it will be easier to talk about, and actually realize, peace and development. We may even be able to achieve it in our lifetime,<br /><br />3. Let us stop sugar-coating the Peace Talks. Let us call a spade a spade. The MILF did not even bother to deny the attack, and appears to be justifying it even. I must agree with those that call for the suspension, not abandonment, of the peace talks until the MILF deliver on their end of the bargain. How can we talk peace with people who wait for every opportunity to pounce and stab us in the back? It's like talking with someone with our hands tied while they hold a sword in their back. Let the MILF walk the talk first, then we can talk peace again.<br /><br />I am a peace-loving person, but fight if we must if that is what is needed to achieve it. Like a masterful surgeon, the AFP must learn to remove these "cancers" without adversely affecting the healthy parts of the body - our country. Our military strategists are not without blame either. They ovbiously failed to see ahead and plan for this incursion into enemy territory. There is a lot of room for improvement. Our AFP cannot be always the villains, and perceived to be stupid and incompetent at that.<br /><br />There is no easy way towards peace, and we cannot just sit by the sides while all these killings slowly but surely desensitize our sense of right or wrong. When the culture of impunity merges with the culture of indifference, there is no way to go but the pits.<br /><br />I mourn the most for my Pilipinas. Our Pilipinas.Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-80768904908494587602011-09-15T20:04:00.004+08:002011-09-15T21:02:23.871+08:00Bragging Rights<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgau-ooFSMrZucIegT_M0R19328IRrooy4DwRfNMTYAOxE3lTxONy6kj74IgmpFRNRcUe0yORtqrdlPj7WF5rxkkzYCkUhnTYTWmzG3Ig2_ANsge54OT770fEd4wdKz7VVOf04hQdmP_fE/s1600/CHFES+Logo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgau-ooFSMrZucIegT_M0R19328IRrooy4DwRfNMTYAOxE3lTxONy6kj74IgmpFRNRcUe0yORtqrdlPj7WF5rxkkzYCkUhnTYTWmzG3Ig2_ANsge54OT770fEd4wdKz7VVOf04hQdmP_fE/s400/CHFES+Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652557993629772594" border="0" /></a><br />It was one piece of real estate in my little town that was worth watching out for as I pass through the Pateros bridge on my way home. While our richer neighbors use state-of-the-art electronic billboards to communicate with their citizens, our little town by the dead river uses tarp posters to do this. But I must confess that I find the posters quite interesting, and is a welcome respite from the boring monotony of the chaos on the streets.<br /><br />Each time the tarp changes, I would spend a little more time to read the new message, or appreciate the artwork like when they had the twin feasts of Sta Marta and San Roque. Just recently, the latest announcement did not just deserve a cursory glimpse. I must have caused the other drivers to let out a good amount of expletives as it took me longer to digest what I read on the tarp. My elementary school, Captain Hipolito Francisco Elementary School (or CHFES) was on the tarp - not just once, but twice. Wow-wow-wee!<br /><br />CHFES was in the tarp because it emerged on top of the list of primary schools in the Pateros-Taguig area in the just concluded National Achievement Test. It's annex placed some notches lower, but still in the top ten. Why am I bragging about this? Because my little school had always been considered as a "saling pusa" compared to the older and more established schools in Pateros. It brings me immense pride because our family has a special connection to this school. It was established while my father was secretary of the barrio council. There are four of us in the family who graduated from this school, where my mother was the treasurer of the Parent Teacher Association for the longest time - even when I already graduated. My parents also allowed the school to use part of our garage as a classroom, and I literally would sit in on classes because the dining hall window directly opens up to the classroom.<br /><br />I was admitted to CHFES after just turning 6 years old, 1 year ahead of the 7-year-old requirement. My mother was not PTA Treasurer-for-life for nothing, hahaha! My grade 1 teacher was Mrs Cagadoc, a prim and proper lady who taught us to read and write with books about Nilo, Nena, and Bantay. I have very fond memories of this teacher, may her soul rest in peace, as she demoted me several sections lower in Grade 2. Maybe it was because at such a tender age, I showed streaks of rebellion. After being reprimanded for a minor infraction that I could no longer remember, she asked me to stand in the corner. I refused, and instead of following her order, I took my bag, walked out on her and went home.<br /><br />It was a very small school, with only 3 school buildings and a small canteen at that time - the fourth building being the Barrio Hall. There was another 1-room building across the street, and the garage-cum-classroom in our house about 200 meters away. The building I remembered most was the two-story structure in the center of the compound. The slightly sunken ground floor was for the Practical Arts classes for boys, while the second floor was a classroom that doubles as a stage during programs. How do they do it? The wall facing the open space of the compound can be removed in its entirety and the building becomes a huge stage. That ingenuity really amazed me! Unfortunately, by the time I graduated the building had been torn down and we had to mount a cemented stage in its place.<br /><br />I have a lot of fond memories of this school, and I should write about them at another time. But for now allow me to brag about its achievement. It is no small feat, and is testament to its loyal and hardworking teachers and administrators. Like my little town, it is a small school with a big heart.Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-55865993618712628432011-06-19T12:36:00.004+08:002011-06-19T16:37:59.194+08:00Tatay<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfObo8aNA6V-X3nmyh0IBHAlZiL_V8fgAu4ooix41MqJjhMBMRWNMnXxZIC5Zz6QNgJTD9YX4WRR60tjeu6IrCV2WRsxDNFBjjq_mtIyTvJopCag2buqyqBFt9aUOEDgDib22ASvEr7c/s1600/28610_1433717678361_1095485023_2699441_1750414_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfObo8aNA6V-X3nmyh0IBHAlZiL_V8fgAu4ooix41MqJjhMBMRWNMnXxZIC5Zz6QNgJTD9YX4WRR60tjeu6IrCV2WRsxDNFBjjq_mtIyTvJopCag2buqyqBFt9aUOEDgDib22ASvEr7c/s320/28610_1433717678361_1095485023_2699441_1750414_n.jpg" alt="" 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font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:Calibri;font-size:130%;" lang="EN" ><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I had attempted to write about </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:times new roman;" >Tatay</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> many other times in the past. Each time, I would go as far as two paragraphs, and then stop. Not that I do not have anything to write about him, it's just that I could not seem to find the right words to accurately present a true picture of him. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:times new roman;" >Tatay</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is such a complex character, one that could not be easily boxed into a stereotypical father image</span>.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Until just recently, we knew very little of his young life. It was as if history only began when he started a family with <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span>. We knew very little about our paternal grandparents. Our interaction with them, posthumous at that, was limited to the annual trek to the cemetery during All Souls Day. Even their graves were simply marked by their names and dates of death. The only paternal relatives we knew were the families of <span style="font-style: italic;">Ate Auring</span> who was his first cousin, and those from Tanay, Rizal. Beyond that, there were so little of family history that we knew of.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was only very recently that <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay </span>started sharing with us snippets of his childhood and young life. He has always been the type of person who would rather talk about many other things other than himself. He was very knowledgeable, and can discuss almost anything under the sun. He was well-read and well-traveled and loves intellectual discourses. But he was typically silent about much of his young life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I was a young lad, I have only three main chores in the house. The first was to make sure there were bottles of drinking water in the ref. The second was to make sure that the garage and the front yard were swept of dirt and dust before <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay </span>comes home from work. The third was to make the daily walk from our house to <span style="font-style: italic;">bayan </span>(<span style="font-style: italic;">poblacion</span>) to buy peanuts from <span style="font-style: italic;">Aling Idad</span>, his favorite accompaniment to his one bottle of beer after dinner. The latter two were daily rituals that proceeded with clockwork accuracy. I should have been done with the sweeping before his big motorbike would roar in at five in the afternoon. After dinner, he spends the rest of the night in his garage cum workshop. He tinkers with his motorbike or with television and radio sets that need repairs. He was and still is a master in electronics. Friends, now almost all gone, would drop by for small talk and the de rigour one bottle of beer and peanuts. A few times, he would ride his bike and drive off to visit his best friend,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Tia Oreng</span>, in <span style="font-style: italic;">Barrio Aguho</span>. On other times, <span style="font-style: italic;">Tia Oreng</span> would come and visit and have dinner with us.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In all those years, <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay </span>was the typical <span style="font-style: italic;">padre de familia</span> – the provider and disciplinarian of the family. All that changed when <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span> got sick.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay’s </span>condition progressively deteriorated through the years and in later stages of her illness required more care and attention. It was during those years that we saw the transformation of <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay</span> from the family man to a loving and caring husband. From the time he retired from work and when they migrated to the United States, they were inseparable. When <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span> had to undergo peritoneal dialysis, he took it upon himself to learn how to administer it. He meticulously kept records and monitored her medicines. He made sure that <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span> was always comfortable and her needs taken care of.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span> was hospitalized and fell into a coma, he refused to leave her side. He was there when she awoke from her coma, and was at her side during her therapy. When the situation got worse, he was at her bedside at all times. When <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span> passed away, he was inconsolable even if he knew her death was already inevitable. I remember vividly how tears flowed down from his eyes when he brought home <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay’s </span>remains, saying how sorry he was because he could not do anything more to ease<span style="font-style: italic;"> Nanay’s</span> pain. It was the first time in my life that I saw him cry and it was for the woman he loved and faithfully cared for. <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay</span> is not a demonstrative person. People who do not know him might even say that he is cold. But in the years following <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay’s </span>passing, he continues to amaze us with his absolute love and devotion to her.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay</span> is now nearing eighty-five years old. He is healthy and sprightly, and saved for the gray hair, he can pass off for a sixty year old. He still loves to travel, and make sure that he goes out of town whenever he comes home to visit. He keeps himself busy by tinkering around the house. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He is now more relaxed, and more generous in sharing anecdotes of his childhood and young life. Little by little we are now able to learn about his family, his growing up years and his struggles when he became an orphan at such an early age. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sometimes, it makes me guilty for all those times that I misunderstood him, knowing now what he had to go through to see to it that we are what we are now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But as most people his age, his memory is beginning to fail him. He has become irritable when he could not remember where he put things, or could not recall names and places. <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay</span> has always been a frank and straightforward person, sometimes even tactless. He would say whatever is in his mind. His jokes are satirical, and more often than not can ruffle some nerves. At the same time, he has become more sensitive, and can easily get offended by what he hears or perceives. It is a challenge that we will increasingly have to deal with as he advances in years.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As we grow older ourselves, we tend to think that we are entitled to live our lives on our own, and that parents are done with their jobs. Sometimes we perceive them to be intruders in our lives. Admittedly, we hurt their feelings with our words and actions just as they can hurt us with their stubbornness and unreasonableness – whether intended or not. Living under one roof can be complicated and compromises can indeed have their limits. It will take a lot of patience and understanding, mostly coming from our part, to maintain harmony in our relationship with our parents at their age. This can be easier said than done.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In one of our most recent conversations, there was one thing that struck me the most. Many times, I had often wondered if my parents, especially <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay</span> since <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span> is no longer around, love some of their children more than the others.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In that conversation, he told me something to this effect,<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> “Maybe my children think that I have favorites. The truth is, I treat all of you equally, but that does not mean I will always give you equal shares. As a parent, I will always give to each one of you based on what you need even without you asking for it. I love you all equally, and it will pain me to see that some of you will not be as successful in life as the others. If that means giving more to those who have less, and less to those who have more, so shall it be. No one should be left behind.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As the young generation would say, that's my <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatay</span>, epic! </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-42706498322104467882011-04-24T10:53:00.002+08:002011-04-24T10:55:09.350+08:00Happy Easter!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiG-PeMOvFKtyMaFKBxENAOfg4-iNbdH427ma6IP9u7d8cNFEQCusvTRCMG0DBl1JR7ci9CJQ3Q3Djf8dx0nEXR2NE9rlLcoZvXIT7EoiOYa-Lk-0QE6EuV8EjFyJDIRk3b938yzR6_A/s1600/hapag_ng_pag-asa.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiG-PeMOvFKtyMaFKBxENAOfg4-iNbdH427ma6IP9u7d8cNFEQCusvTRCMG0DBl1JR7ci9CJQ3Q3Djf8dx0nEXR2NE9rlLcoZvXIT7EoiOYa-Lk-0QE6EuV8EjFyJDIRk3b938yzR6_A/s400/hapag_ng_pag-asa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598978012331062066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lord is risen!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;">The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,</p><p style="text-align: center;">He lived, ate, cried, laughed, suffered and died as we all do.</p><p style="text-align: center;">And then He rose from the dead not for Himself but for us,</p><p style="text-align: center;">so that we too can rise above suffering and death,</p><p style="text-align: center;">above human arrogance, above indifference and selfishness.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;">Let this Easter remind us that whatever good we do,</p><p style="text-align: center;">we do not do it for ourselves but for others.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Only then can we truly meet with the Lord and sing,</p><p style="text-align: center;">Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! My Lord has raised me up!</p>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-51476528963128007742011-02-16T19:51:00.005+08:002011-02-16T21:17:57.916+08:00Pambansang Libingan ng Pilipinas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuqC1X6-WT-bbE_KIwCC_gj99eDBz0cd9zEz_vjrqwdQ8JqG54buTEWituAdFlANHDFOI79R5Sw1K8SpAFrkiWlP9nm8K9yDmleYTdFXYyLJnkNiMvZp3mBP9yCutZXrPzUs_fNTuhrk/s1600/libingan-ng-mga-bayani2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuqC1X6-WT-bbE_KIwCC_gj99eDBz0cd9zEz_vjrqwdQ8JqG54buTEWituAdFlANHDFOI79R5Sw1K8SpAFrkiWlP9nm8K9yDmleYTdFXYyLJnkNiMvZp3mBP9yCutZXrPzUs_fNTuhrk/s400/libingan-ng-mga-bayani2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574259554170754466" border="0" /></a><br />Nine days after the self-inflicted death of Angelo Reyes, many are still doubting if it was really appropriate that he was buried at the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Libingan ng Mga Bayani</span>. The <span style="font-style: italic;">Bayani</span> in its name demands the highest standards of heroism from people who are privileged to call it their final resting place. While many of those who are interred there are authentic heroes by their own rights, either because they lived heroic lives or because they died as martyrs for the motherland, a claim to heroism is something that is always subject to debate and public perception. Unfortunately, Angelo Reyes' claim to heroism will be subject to debate for many years to come.<br /><br />More unfortunately, the Marcos family and their loyalists are now using the decision of the government to allow the burial of Angelo Reyes at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Libingan ng Mga Bayani </span>to resurrect their demand to have Ferdinand Marcos buried there as well. True, both men served their country for most of their lives, but their claims to heroism are also both not universally accepted. This is not the first case, and will definitely not be the last, of burials in this hallowed place being questioned. If it is the time of Gloria Arroyo to go, will she also be entitled to her own plot at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Libingan ng Mga Bayani</span> as a former president even if the trails of massive corruption during her presidency lead to her very doorsteps?<br /><br />These arguments can be stopped once and for all by splitting the current <span style="font-style: italic;">Libingan ng Mga Bayani</span> into two separate cemeteries. Uniformed men and women who died in the line of duty and martyrs who gave up their lives for the country should be interred at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Libingan ng Mga Bayani </span>because by their very death, they have irrevocably and unquestionably earned the nation's gratitude as true heroes. They are <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">bayanis</span> who deserve their place of honor at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Libingan ng Mga <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bayani</span></span>.<br /><br />Presidents, Chiefs of Staff, National Artists, Chief Justices, Senate Presidents, Speakers of the House, War Veterans and other important public figures can be buried in a separate <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Pambansang Libingan ng Pilipinas</span> (National Cemetery of the Philippines) where the criteria for entitlement can be more objective. A law can be passed defining who are entitled to interment at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Pambansang Libingan</span>, and the deceased can be spared the judgment of public perception.<br /><br />If Ferdinand Marcos is interred at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Pambansang Libingan</span>, it will not be because of his claim to heroism but because he was a President of this country and the position alone entitled him to a burial in the national cemetery - nothing more, nothing less. In the United States, there is little debate, if any at all, about burials at the Arlington National Cemetery because it does not lay any claim to having only heroes being laid to rest there. We should do the same here to stop all needless squabble on who deserves to be laid in a hero's tomb.Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-24966748643955786522011-02-06T12:36:00.005+08:002011-02-06T13:23:13.234+08:00Chicken Binakol for less than P200.00!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSm4Rl_AcQDjCtOs9jg-1HN7BTDUxGIQFuDtn53MktbdIBnKkqGbMfhkGF45WlyLmPr4FwHkTeorouf5DYWTA4gamaumNbbECce4EmcI-kpUv9q7TyNjcD1GANkvXytaXmcja9afpDEj8/s1600/Binakol-01.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSm4Rl_AcQDjCtOs9jg-1HN7BTDUxGIQFuDtn53MktbdIBnKkqGbMfhkGF45WlyLmPr4FwHkTeorouf5DYWTA4gamaumNbbECce4EmcI-kpUv9q7TyNjcD1GANkvXytaXmcja9afpDEj8/s400/Binakol-01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570438480208094834" border="0" /></a>I'm taking a break from my <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fiesta Series</span> to share with you a new recipe - albeit a borrowed one from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Visayas</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Chicken Binacol</span> is the equivalent of <span style="font-style: italic;">Tinolang Manok</span> in Bacolod, Ilo-ilo and other southern regions. The sweet-creamy-salty-tangy taste of its broth is a result of the fusion of its ingredients. I have tasted several versions of this soup/dish in my travels down south, but so far the best is the one I had in <span style="font-style: italic;">Ilo-ilo</span>. I have been reading a lot about this soup/dish in magazines and newspapers but never got around to cooking one myself.<br /><br />This morning I happen to wake up very happy and decided to do some work in the kitchen, something I have not done so in a very long while. For some reason, the first thing that came to my mind was to experiment with <span style="font-style: italic;">Chicken Binacol</span>. I wanted to try something new, something that I am not really familiar with - virgin territory. Since it is the first time that I am cooking this dish, I had to go back to my memories of eating this dish to be able to come up with the ingredients I need.<br /><br />So here's my take of this savory comfort food from down south.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEtn-cHDu7_05dHvoQ8E4A4h2QBebn7Jv0KMUEsGZf3ScOZSFf9AS8tjeJMCd2pXrYNSTwDA7yywDNylT0N24T4f7BWBANzxvX4m2e9BDp1AwFDC-NN0rA9oMziQjukZ1RZqm4sS-WWQ/s1600/Bonakol-02.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEtn-cHDu7_05dHvoQ8E4A4h2QBebn7Jv0KMUEsGZf3ScOZSFf9AS8tjeJMCd2pXrYNSTwDA7yywDNylT0N24T4f7BWBANzxvX4m2e9BDp1AwFDC-NN0rA9oMziQjukZ1RZqm4sS-WWQ/s400/Bonakol-02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570438632746912402" border="0" /></a><br />Ingredients for 3 to 4 people:<br /><br />3/4 kilo chicken cutlets<br />1/2 green papaya cut into 2-inch slices<br />Lemongrass (<span style="font-style: italic;">Tanglad</span>), bundled into small pieces<br />1 young coconut (<span style="font-style: italic;">buko</span>), with both flesh and juice<br />1/2 cup coconut milk (<span style="font-style: italic;">kakang gata</span>)<br />Fish sauce (<span style="font-style: italic;">Patis</span>)<br />Crushed garlic, sliced onions and ginger strips<br />Whole pepper corns<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Water<br /><br />Quick Cooking Tips:<br /><br />1. Heat pan and cooking oil.<br />2. Saute ginger, garlic and onion. Put in the ginger first until golden brown to extract the zesty flavor and fuse it in with the oil. Then put in next the garlic and the onion.<br />3. Put in the chicken cutlets and mix with whole pepper corns until everything in the pan is well-distributed.<br />4. Drop the lemongrass bundles into the mixture and pour in fish sauce, then cover the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Mix the chicken in 2-minute intervals to make sure cooking is evenly distributed.<br />6. Add the Green Papaya slices and simmer for around 1 minute. Mix as needed.<br />5. When chicken is already brownish, pour in the <span style="font-style: italic;">buko</span> juice together with the <span style="font-style: italic;">buko</span> strips. Mix well once then cover again. Add a little water if juice will not be able to cover all the chickens.<br />6. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then add the 1/2 cup coconut milk while stirring continuously. Add 1 tablespoon at a time if you want a creamier taste.<br />7. Add more fish sauce if you want it a little bit more salty. Drop a couple of long <span style="font-style: italic;">sili</span> before serving hot.<br /><br />I did my first foray into cooking this wonderful dish for less than P200.00 (or roughly P50.00/person), so this should be an affordable and easy to prepare comfort food especially on a rainy day.<br /><br />Happy eating!Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-21950734559792146122011-02-03T20:29:00.008+08:002011-02-04T11:57:45.059+08:00Pateros Fiesta Cuisine Series #2 - Meat RollsFor this posting, I would like to introduce you to a group of fiesta food that can be prepared days in advance. This saves the hosts some time so they can concentrate on dishes that must be prepared on the eve or the day of the fiesta itself. Considering that visitors are expected as early as around ten in the morning, these time-saving food can come in very handy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lumpiang Shanghai (Fried Meat Rolls)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3tii7cWEzUpXUDYVCYBdnezMUp4cOqaEWH5Dl-Gp45VeYzfIALWwOrhpcL7Yb5mFfwfH-_I7A6LgN3JWLuTwDSlEXRQ_KrG7nmP8nPET-Qr6euewF3ns0xtezMdAbaeoXFpIX51Y5mk/s1600/lumpiang-shanghai.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3tii7cWEzUpXUDYVCYBdnezMUp4cOqaEWH5Dl-Gp45VeYzfIALWwOrhpcL7Yb5mFfwfH-_I7A6LgN3JWLuTwDSlEXRQ_KrG7nmP8nPET-Qr6euewF3ns0xtezMdAbaeoXFpIX51Y5mk/s400/lumpiang-shanghai.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569471281310766002" border="0" /></a><br />First on my list is the ever-reliable <span style="font-style: italic;">Lumpiang Shanghai</span>. This is a dish that is an all-time favorite in restaurants, fast food and even as a street food. For my version of this dish, the filling is a mixture of egg, ground pork, minced onion, carrot, bell pepper and <span style="font-style: italic;">kimchay</span>. These ingredients are mixed together in a bowl and sprinkled with rock salt and ground pepper. If you want some crunch, you can add chopped water chestnuts into the mixture. Small portions are then wrapped in fresh lumpia wrappers and then fried until golden brown.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">lumpia</span> can be chopped into bite size pieces to make it easier for the guests to munch on these yummy rolls. Dipped in either catsup or sweet and sour chili sauce, <span style="font-style: italic;">lumpiang shanghai</span> is great both with rice or as pulutan (bar chow) while drinking.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Embotido (Meat Loaf)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcFtouPFGR6B-L2ZzhfagLJgKJBcv742kIwFhtb5MBMFRm2VCbVp5gF46W0hWleAaQNZFsGBTCYCWwVK_3m3yyMI2g9yRnkWsz0uudK0oAAATLZ3iRRB1VXgpvKAWmd8vVIYp-WN3nNM/s1600/embotido.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcFtouPFGR6B-L2ZzhfagLJgKJBcv742kIwFhtb5MBMFRm2VCbVp5gF46W0hWleAaQNZFsGBTCYCWwVK_3m3yyMI2g9yRnkWsz0uudK0oAAATLZ3iRRB1VXgpvKAWmd8vVIYp-WN3nNM/s400/embotido.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569471591174797170" border="0" /></a><br />Next on my list is the bigger cousin of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Lumpiang Shanghai</span>. The <span style="font-style: italic;">Embotido</span> has almost the same ingredients as the <span style="font-style: italic;">lumpia</span>, except for a few differences. It is technically a meat loaf, made from finely grounded pork, chopped onion and bell pepper, minced carrots, raisins and sliced boiled eggs. For special occasions, I would pour evaporated milk into the mixture for a more creamy taste. The ingredients are mixed together until they attain a consistency that will allow it to be rolled into 6-inch logs.<br /><br />For a more authentic <span style="font-style: italic;">Embotido</span>, the log is wrapped in a membrane taken from a pig's stomach cavity. This whitish membrane is strong enough to keep the mixture together during cooking, and is edible so there is no need to unwrap the embotido before serving. Cooking the embotido is a two-step process. First, the meat logs are wrapped either in aluminum foil or the more traditional <span style="font-style: italic;">katsa</span> (cheese cloth) and then steamed. Although it can already be eaten after being steamed, the logs can also be sliced and then fried. This dish can be dipped either in catsup or mayonnaise, or a combination of both.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hamonado (Filipino Pineapple Ham)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_vt_k-tg-dn9QjVPeR8vRSbsKahqN2Daod6A4HtWPWDMMfoIeS4zCtB0WRlpQLfeBsxX8HKzQAzrIPpBtC-60A6_0ew0J7-ZER8aMmZZ5TVKC0pnw66qFuXyPFTJ5Kg345nd2rR73iI/s1600/hamonado.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_vt_k-tg-dn9QjVPeR8vRSbsKahqN2Daod6A4HtWPWDMMfoIeS4zCtB0WRlpQLfeBsxX8HKzQAzrIPpBtC-60A6_0ew0J7-ZER8aMmZZ5TVKC0pnw66qFuXyPFTJ5Kg345nd2rR73iI/s400/hamonado.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569471919388674642" border="0" /></a><br />Another pork dish that can be kept in the refrigerator until needed is the <span style="font-style: italic;">Hamonado</span>. This dish does not require a lot of stuffing, in fact it can do without any. It relies mainly on the sweet-salty flavor of the meat. The lean pork is carefully cut into thin sheets that can be rolled into logs. The meat is marinated overnight in a mixture of pineapple juice, salt, sugar, and beer. And may I hasten to add, it has to be San Miguel Pale Pilsen.<br /><br />When the meat is ready, it is spread out in a large flat dish and then finely sliced strips of <span style="font-style: italic;">Chorizo de Bilbao</span> is spread out on the surface before it is rolled into a log. The log is secured by running a string around it to secure the edges. The meat logs are then arranged in a saucepan together with the remaining marinade. The meat is then boiled using the marinade until almost dry. The Hamonado is cut into medallions and served topped with the pineapple tidbits.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Morcon (Beef Rolls)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49phGzwpJ0_vnQpmmCDKkieoB6oFKCdMjZLT11gq7co2SU4wGr3HA6-8qDsb3LvKEcAKyHULWR6qJ0HB9EMdlK2GOwqvhnkZP6SH3JYHtl4jQv63XwMWPhEHRCJM3efo92WVpZCWLJSg/s1600/morcon.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49phGzwpJ0_vnQpmmCDKkieoB6oFKCdMjZLT11gq7co2SU4wGr3HA6-8qDsb3LvKEcAKyHULWR6qJ0HB9EMdlK2GOwqvhnkZP6SH3JYHtl4jQv63XwMWPhEHRCJM3efo92WVpZCWLJSg/s400/morcon.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569472241826658498" border="0" /></a><br />I saved the best for last. <span style="font-style: italic;">Morcon </span>is one dish that ages gracefully. The longer I keep it in the ref, the more delicious it becomes. This is why this dish is better prepared the day before it is to be served. Like the <span style="font-style: italic;">Hamonado</span>, this is a rolled meat but using beef instead of pork. The meat is marinated overnight in soy sauce and calamansi. For special occasions, red wine can be added into the marinade.<br /><br />When the meat is ready, strips of carrots, celery and red pepper are spread over the meat - and then topped with slices of Chorizo De Bilbao, olives and boiled eggs. Then the meat is rolled into a log and secured by running a string around it. The meat logs are put into a pressure cooker with the marinade and tomato sauce added to it. Water may also added so that all the meat logs are submerged into the mixture. Laurel leaves can also be added for an exquisite flavor. The meat is then boiled until tender and the sauce becomes thick. Chopped carrots, bell pepper, celery and olives can be added to the sauce for added flavor. Like the <span style="font-style: italic;">hamonado</span>, the meat log is sliced into medallions before the sauce is poured over it.<br /><br />These meat dishes are my so called <span style="font-style: italic;">"after-fiesta"</span> food because they can be kept in the ref, then heated or fried as needed. Totally not recommended for those with hypertension!Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-64079089166148532912011-01-31T09:51:00.009+08:002011-02-04T11:57:05.092+08:00Pateros Fiesta Cuisine Series #1 - Introduction<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NIJhmQ0ews_3cZvBx4jJWXmgu0WHsxOJJBnJ7iVcxepvPVfmlfO9PuX_ld1fkPqhQ3ZScRVBToOmKavszJNMr_ueVmjVbLG-ohdD05EztJmG-_0JsG4XOIe78jDIMZMW1_JlXnS5EAM/s1600/Tshirt.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NIJhmQ0ews_3cZvBx4jJWXmgu0WHsxOJJBnJ7iVcxepvPVfmlfO9PuX_ld1fkPqhQ3ZScRVBToOmKavszJNMr_ueVmjVbLG-ohdD05EztJmG-_0JsG4XOIe78jDIMZMW1_JlXnS5EAM/s400/Tshirt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568162643694915906" border="0" /></a>The feast day of Sta. Martha is just around the corner, on February 13 to be exact. Since time immemorial, Pateros folks celebrate this joyous occasion every second Sunday of February instead of the Church-sanctioned official feast day on July 29. However, as true sons and daughters of the Church, the people of Pateros still hold a nine-day novena and a dance-procession every July 29. Back when there was still a Pateros River, the <span style="font-style: italic;">“Pagoda”</span> or fluvial procession was also held on both feast days. <p class="MsoNormal">Although much has been compromised to progress and exigency, my little town has managed to keep most of its traditions in place, if not intact. The river may have dried up and turned into a garbage dump, but we hold on to our riverine traditions by holding the <span style="font-style: italic;">pagoda</span> on the streets using motorized floats instead of boats. The brass bands have either disappeared or have become too costly, so we now used loudspeakers to blare out the catchy <span style="font-style: italic;">Pandango </span>music. The route of the procession may change every year, but the people managed to follow where the music and the dancing are.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have dealt extensively on the customs and traditions that make our fiesta unique and enduring through the years. So for this series of posts, I will try to concentrate instead on the fiesta food that made these annual feasts worth the wait and anticipation. I remember that my mother and her father would prepare food for our guests using big <span style="font-style: italic;">kawalis</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">talyases</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">kalderos</span> over wood-fired cooking pits in our backyard. When my eldest brother married, my sister-in-law joined the kitchen crew in whipping up these delectable dishes. These foods trace their progeny from the rich culinary traditions of Marikina, Pasig, Taguig and Pateros. They have strong influences of both Spanish and Chinese cuisine, while the desserts are mainly indigenous. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The irony is that I was not taught how to cook at home. Growing up in big household, I was always on the receiving end when it comes to meals. I first experimented with cooking when I started cooking sauteed sardines for our midnight snacks back when <span style="font-style: italic;">hot pandesal</span> was the craze. When I went to a boy scout camping when I was 14, I cooked my first <span style="font-style: italic;">tinolang manok</span> based on my recollection of how it was prepared at home. Using my recollection of home-cooked meals, I started my passionate love affair with the kitchen when I lived on my own in Baguio City during college. I remember the incredulous reaction of my <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span> when she tasted my <span style="font-style: italic;">Chicken Afritada</span> for the first time. From then on, <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanay</span> relinquished the kitchen to me. My posts, therefore, are recollections of my personal experiences with these foods in our home. They are not meant to present recipes and culinary secrets, but hopefully, by keeping their memories alive we can keep them in our kitchens as living testaments to our great culinary traditions.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Since my town is famous for its riverine traditions, let me start this series with fish-based dishes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-PH</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> 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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal">When it comes to the bounty of the sea (or the river, or the lake, or the fishpond, or whatever...), there are three dishes, called <span style="font-style: italic;">“putahe”</span>, that I remember from our family spread during fiestas. These are the steamed fish with mayonnaise and vegetable dressing, fried fish with sweet and sour sauce (also called <span style="font-style: italic;">"escabeche</span>")and my favorite <span style="font-style: italic;">rellenong bangus</span> (stuffed milkfish).<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steamed Fish with Mayonnaise</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPsDHrYKCBVzSmhO1Gs9VUHOdxMXfB_KVEZLK_9-fM17rq0TRUZDIL8yY9P6L8ngt4QHFhsLlueMGcogOdvmZ6IeHHOE2SOfkRWDF4IzM90GYjxR7irwG51dtOmnJLY4X3laK_ZV9MfI/s1600/fishsteamedmayo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 372px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPsDHrYKCBVzSmhO1Gs9VUHOdxMXfB_KVEZLK_9-fM17rq0TRUZDIL8yY9P6L8ngt4QHFhsLlueMGcogOdvmZ6IeHHOE2SOfkRWDF4IzM90GYjxR7irwG51dtOmnJLY4X3laK_ZV9MfI/s400/fishsteamedmayo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568257958671295938" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are many varieties of fish that can be steamed, but the bigger ones such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Apahap</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Talakitok</span> are preferred as fiesta fare. This dish has to look grand on the table, and they are usually presented on a big dish called “<span style="font-style: italic;">bandehado</span>”. The fish itself is steamed without much seasoning, perhaps only a dash of salt and pepper. However, some prefer to steam the fish with ginger and onion leaves for a more tangy taste. But the secret really is on the garnish.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Garnishing may include finely chopped hard-boiled egg, pickles, bell pepper and carrots. The steamed fish is laid out on the <span style="font-style: italic;">bandehado</span> and smothered with mayonnaise. Then, the garnishing will be artistically sprinkled on top of the mayonnaise-covered fish separately in alternating stripes, or any design. The designs are limited only by your creativity, so let the fish be your canvass. Tastes good as it looks good!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Escabecheng Isda</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3kpOLAjV6kD-mv5gT7SIMnUyFfI_FXht2bJq58BEZQY1bJwl_mCxyHXo1BooONkGVXfBD9ZFzZJJi9j9L30OdNhZY5nTv0rXGsZ2B_5yixNM211HQTV7REV-LeReM6kFELr1lIbrD6Y/s1600/Lapu-lapu.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3kpOLAjV6kD-mv5gT7SIMnUyFfI_FXht2bJq58BEZQY1bJwl_mCxyHXo1BooONkGVXfBD9ZFzZJJi9j9L30OdNhZY5nTv0rXGsZ2B_5yixNM211HQTV7REV-LeReM6kFELr1lIbrD6Y/s400/Lapu-lapu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568258197016308274" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><picture></picture></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When it comes to <span style="font-style: italic;">Escabeche</span> or Sweet and Sour Fish, the preferred variety is the <span style="font-style: italic;">Lapu-lapu</span>. Its tender and delicious meat is ideal for this dish of Chinese progeny. The ideal size of the fish is about 1kg in weight, which is fried whole until the outside is crispy and the inside still juicy (think of <span style="font-style: italic;">Chickenjoy</span>...). The sweet and sour sauce is prepared separately by combining tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt (or soy sauce) in a sauce pan over slow fire. In some cases, I would put in pineapple juice and chunks for variety. Garnishing would include onions, bell pepper, carrot, spring onion leaves and ginger. The sauce is poured over the fried fish just before being served so the sweet tangy taste of the sauce will complement the contrasting crispiness and juiciness of the fish. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, preparing the sauce need a deft hand and perfect timing, as the improper use of vinegar can spell disaster on the brew. If not done properly, the sourness induced by the vinegar can be too strong for comfort ("<span style="font-style: italic;">buhay ang suka", </span>as the old folks would say) . A perfect sweet and sour sauce should have your tongue alternately savoring the sweet, sour, tangy and salty flavors playing on your mouth as you chew on the crunchy fish meat.<span style=""> </span>And a word of caution: it is a mortal sin to use catsup instead of tomato sauce. It’s like using catsup for Italian pasta. If you want an all-natural recipe, then fresh tomatoes cooked long enough to attain the consistency of tomato sauce can be used as an alternative. No short-cuts for this dish!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rellenong Bangus</span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><picture></picture></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEid7SrXht7Re6oluNeQ1_fPQwuugjgjkZZylWalVb0qavex3ht9JQUvHlwHBFsYVNq0LUWQvRMqpjqQjOu_gg72r0xMLLDQEF4jlQz2oRnMgszZ2GMm2fhLAbTQftBY4arkgKqN6IdeU/s1600/Rellenong+Bangus.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEid7SrXht7Re6oluNeQ1_fPQwuugjgjkZZylWalVb0qavex3ht9JQUvHlwHBFsYVNq0LUWQvRMqpjqQjOu_gg72r0xMLLDQEF4jlQz2oRnMgszZ2GMm2fhLAbTQftBY4arkgKqN6IdeU/s400/Rellenong+Bangus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568258774800569698" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">One of my favorite fiesta dishes is the <span style="font-style: italic;">Rellenong Bangus</span>. Although it is very convenient, and deliciously satisfying to eat, the preparation involved is very tedious. The fish needs to be prepared carefully, with the meat separated from the skin without damaging it. The whole skin is marinated using soy sauce and <span style="font-style: italic;">calamansi</span> to give it a distinctive flavor. Then the meat is boiled, deboned, flaked and then sauteed with green peas, carrot, bell pepper, onions and garlic. For variation, potato and raisins are added to the mixture. The mixture is then stuffed into the marinated skin and sewed up. The stuffed fish is wrapped in banana leaf and then fried in a big “<span style="font-style: italic;">kawali</span>”. The <span style="font-style: italic;">relleno</span> is then served on a <span style="font-style: italic;">bandehado</span> with garnishes of sliced tomato, native lettuce and onions. This time, feel free to indulge in catsup as it is the preferred condiment for this very Filipino dish.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">We'll explore more fiesta fare on the next installments of this series. <span style="font-style: italic;">Kain na po!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></p>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-20649660180704726622011-01-27T12:04:00.012+08:002011-02-02T19:28:04.384+08:00Sapientia Edificat?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfHLECfHOWy0zVtjIVJnvefKPKvKZa8BsYrqi3VWJZhCU-75hch5ScZ7BIRNIvC7mb443RFSSvWa5nyaseAC2pdan1yCZ27r_ElMG8dxnLi4iARNo7WD8onxWQEzOlZuYwcD14l1wr4s/s1600/SLU.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfHLECfHOWy0zVtjIVJnvefKPKvKZa8BsYrqi3VWJZhCU-75hch5ScZ7BIRNIvC7mb443RFSSvWa5nyaseAC2pdan1yCZ27r_ElMG8dxnLi4iARNo7WD8onxWQEzOlZuYwcD14l1wr4s/s400/SLU.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566712868062383922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">We were in 4th year college when St. Louis University (SLU) celebrated its 75th founding anniversary during the school year 1985-86. Young as we were then, it was one celebration that we were mighty proud of. Twenty five years after we left SLU to face life in the real world, we were beckoned again to relive those happy memories - this time to celebrate the SLU Centennial. One hundred years is definitely worth a grand celebration, and I would not miss it for the world.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">So off to Baguio I went together with 4 other college friends. I have not been to the SLU campus since I graduated 25 years ago, even if I have been back to Baguio a couple of times after graduation. The organizers did a good job in hyping up the event. It was supposed to be a grand celebration – after all, we would have to wait another 100 years to be able to have a celebration of such grand scale again. I was excited to see my former teachers and schoolmates. I wanted to see what had changed, what had the seeds of activism and reawakening we sowed during the waning years of martial law had grown into. We were looking at almost 300 kilometers of grueling land travel, trekking through dark winding roads enveloped in fog and mist. But we were undaunted.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We left rain-soaked Manila around 9 in the evening of Friday, and it was almost 3 in the morning of Saturday when we arrived at the guest house where we stayed. We knew we had to be up early so we can join the morning activities, but we can’t seem to sleep at all. We were conjuring up images of thousands of SLU alumni crowding Session Road, of hotels and inns enjoying brisk business with the influx of visitors. We felt lucky to have traveled at the most unholy hour so we can avoid the traffic. It will be a grand celebration just as they said it will be.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="">Disappointed</span></b></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> - that is the most charitable word that I can think of to describe how it felt when we finally went to SLU early Saturday morning for what was supposed to be the first day of the 2-day Grand SLU Centennial Alumni Homecoming. It was anything but grand. Where were the happy, excited alumni who would fill the streets leading to SLU? We were late for the first event, the Centennial Mass at the SLU Chapel, so we parked at the Baguio Cathedral thinking that the campus grounds would be full of cars as there must be thousands of alumni coming for this once-in-a-hundred-years event. We would not want to be stuck in traffic and be late for the events. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We then walked through the Boys High compound and exited to Assumption Road so we can enter the SLU Campus through the Sacred Heart Hospital. This was our regular route when we were young students on a shoestring budget. It was therefore so strange to see very few people on the road and on the campus itself. People were going about their business as if there was nothing special happening that day. I was even joking with my friends that maybe we got the dates wrong. Surely, there should have been a more festive atmosphere. We went to the chapel and caught the tail-end of the Centennial Mass - where only a handful of people attended. I felt bad, but consoled myself with the thought that people might have traveled far like us and they will be late. Or maybe they skipped the Mass and were already waiting in the gym for the program to start so they can get better seats. Maybe... hopefully...<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">After the Mass, we went up to the Burgos Gym, passing the grandstand by the parking lot where we held many protest actions which eventually led to the rebirth of the Student Council and an independent student publication in the early 80's. It felt good standing on those historical steps, reliving the days when there was more idealism, when we were willing to risk our dreams and aspirations to fight for what we believe was right and just. Unfortunately, when we reached the homecoming venue, our elation and nostalgic trip back to our younger days easily turned into disappointment and frustration. There were very few people in the cavernous hall of the gym, and not a few people were turning away and leaving. Where were the alumni? The Facebook site said almost 600 have signed up. I was pretty sure there are a lot of SLU faculty and employees who are alumni themselves. Baguio City and Northern Luzon is SLU country,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> so where were the Louisians</span>? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">When I first heard that the registration fee was <b>ONE THOUSAND PESOS</b>, I thought it was a big joke. Surely, the organizers would want to have as many alumni to be able to attend this momentous event. They would not keep them away with such an expensive registration fee. When it dawned upon us that we would really have to cough out 2-days worth of minimum wage to be able to become part of this important milestone, it became clear to us why there were so very few alumni who actually came despite the historical significance of this event. Yes, all 5 of us may be able to afford the thousand-peso registration fee – but it was just so <b style="">WRONG</b>. It simply means that those who cannot part with their hard-earned thousand bucks are not welcome. Obviously, the event was meant for those who have the money to spare. The 2-day Centennial feast that the organizers prepared for the Alumni requires a P1,000.00 fee on the first day, and another P2,500.00 fee if you want to play golf on the 2nd day. Only the Centennial Mass did not involve a fee - and we missed it. We decided to skip the event altogether and joined the others who left disappointed.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">What did the organizers hope to achieve with this event? Isn’t it to gather the alumni to commemorate this historical and momentous milestone, regardless of what had become of them since they left SLU? Or is it to raise funds even if it means the exclusion of those who will not be able to afford to shell out the registration fees? And since the election of the officers was done during this exclusive event, what happened to the principles of democratic participation when only those who can afford the one thousand pesos registration fee were able to cast their votes? This is like saying only those who pay their taxes can vote during elections. Would it have been better to have an Alumni Homecoming that welcomes everyone, and then have a separate fund-raising event for those who can afford and who want to help the association’s projects?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Organizers squandered a golden opportunity to gather together the school’s alumni wherever they may be now, or whatever they may have achieved in life. The homecoming should not have been just for those who have succeeded and made good in life and can afford to financially help the Alumni Association in its projects. SLU was established so that it can be the light that shines for all those who would otherwise find it hard to attain higher education in Manila and other centers of education. SLU provided the golden opportunity for the youth of the Cordilleras and Northern Luzon to have access to quality education. The elitist centennial homecoming was everything that SLU <span style="font-weight: bold;">NEVER</span> stood for.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">It could have been a defining moment for the Alumni Association, when it could have been the instrument by which SLU can gather as many alumni as possible to celebrate our school’s legacy of education that transforms and builds. It could have been the spark, the catalyst that will inspire the alumni to participate more actively in future activities and projects. We let go of that once in a hundred years chance. But all is not lost. Louisians from all walks of life must come together and reclaim the proud legacy that our Alma Mater has entrusted to us. We are the Alumni of SLU. We are the light that can transform. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Let us build again.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-31178725469204476602011-01-17T23:44:00.001+08:002011-01-17T23:45:46.550+08:00A Birthday Tribute to Nanay<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-PH</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> 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{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She would have turned 83 today. She is an ordinary woman who had an extra-ordinary life. She was, and will always be my mother, my Nanay.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is amazing how Nanay turned out to be the mother that she was, when she had lost her own mother when she was just 7 months old. She had wanted to be a teacher, but she had her first child when she was barely 20, followed in succession by 8 more. She did not make it to a classroom, but she taught valuable lessons in life to her 9 children. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Nanay was far from perfect. She had her moods, her ups and downs. She gets angry, she cries when she feels bad. But she was never haughty, she kept her feet firmly on the ground. She was fair to her workers and to everyone else she dealt with. She knows the dignity of labor, and made sure that her children know this as well early on.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She earned her own keep, but never considered the fruits of her labor as her own. Whatever she earned, it was shared with her family and those who came to her for help. She was a doting daughter to her father, and a loving and solicitous sister to her brothers and sisters. Her father remarried even before she can walk, and she was left to the care of her aunts. But she never showed any resentment towards him. She adored him, and was devastated when he passed away. Her best friend was her elder sister Ate Mely, and was fiercely loyal and protective of her Kuya Rusty. Yet, she also loved her younger half brothers and half sisters as if they had the same mother.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Nanay loved Tatay the best way she knew. She was not showy, but she supported him in all that he did. She was an entrepreneur extraordinaire, but remained a full-time mother and wife at the same time. When Nanay got sick in her later years, Tatay took care of her and never left her side. I did not see it then, but only a love so deep, so intense and so passionate could have seen them through those difficult years.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s been 12 years since Nanay passed on, but her spirit lives on in the people whose lives she had touched. Her accomplishments lay not in what she had achieved in life, but what we had become in life because of her.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Happy Birthday Nanay!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956300187635807959.post-23943305071693376742011-01-12T11:59:00.003+08:002011-01-12T17:50:36.113+08:00Resurrection<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-PH</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> 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</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Mea culpa.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have not been writing on this blog as often as I should. I have been preoccupied with so many things – mostly work and, well, sleeping and just simply daydreaming. Honestly, I have been too lazy to really go out like I used to do. The comfort of my room has been my refuge and my Shangri-la of late. I can cocoon myself in my room the entire weekend and feel not having lost anything.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe I should blame it on my weight gain. I read it somewhere that people who gain weight tend to be more sluggish. Seems to me lately that sleep is the most precious thing in the whole wide world, and my bed is the best thing that was ever invented by man. Sleep, sleep, sleep. That’s all I look forward to when weekend comes around.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Or maybe I should also blame it on Facebook. Almost like a ritual, I find myself online on my netbook and logging into FB whenever I am home. A comfy bedroom with temperature control, a housekeeper who dotes on me and brings anything and everything I need right into my bedroom, and DSL that keeps me connected to my online friends – definitely a sure-fire combination to ensure that I stay oblivious to what is happening outside the four corners of my bedroom.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I need to get a life.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe change is what I need - a change that can really make a difference in my life. I have always preached about change that is dynamic, innovative, edgy and life-changing. It is a mantra that I never fail to use as a springboard of discussions with colleagues and clients.<span style=""> </span>Maybe somewhere along the way, I grew tired of dreaming about change. Maybe I stopped hoping that meaningful change can happen in my lifetime.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I stopped being angry at the undisciplined drivers who make driving through our little town's puny main road a stress-busting daily struggle. I stopped being mad at how our government seems so helpless with the daily chaos we go through. I stopped at waiting for the traffic aides in red to do something about the mayhem on the street. I ceased to be incensed at how Pasig, Makati and Taguig bully our little town and treat it as their garbage dump, end-of-the-road garage and cheap bed space for its workforce. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I simply lost the appetite and will for change. The longing stopped when the anger ceased.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But I am fighting back, getting angry once more. And my pen, or my keyboard to be more precise, will help me on as it always did in the past. And so I am back again, writing and blogging. I need to see more of the world again through my little town, so I can write about what I see, what I hear, what I feel. I need to walk the streets. I need to smell the stench of the river, savour the taste of fishball and crispy fried chicken skin, and feel the heat of people as they bump into each other on the cramped sidewalks.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is the real deal. This is life - Redux.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Dennis Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04379971358990883253noreply@blogger.com2