Pambansang Libingan ng Pilipinas

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 Libingan ng Mga Bayani. The Bayani 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.

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 Libingan ng Mga Bayani 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 Libingan ng Mga Bayani as a former president even if the trails of massive corruption during her presidency lead to her very doorsteps?

These arguments can be stopped once and for all by splitting the current Libingan ng Mga Bayani 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 Libingan ng Mga Bayani because by their very death, they have irrevocably and unquestionably earned the nation's gratitude as true heroes. They are bayanis who deserve their place of honor at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani.

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 Pambansang Libingan ng Pilipinas (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 Pambansang Libingan, and the deceased can be spared the judgment of public perception.

If Ferdinand Marcos is interred at the Pambansang Libingan, 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.

Magaling! Magaling! Magaling!

For this post, allow me to borrow that catchy phrase from the Neozep commercial: Magaling! Magaling! Magaling!

I held off from commenting on the clearing operations recently done on the Pateros Bridge. When I first saw people clearing the bridge of illegal vendors, I told myself "there goes another ningas-kugon project..."

But wonders of wonders, it's been weeks since that day and I still do not see any vendors on the bridge - at least on the Pateros side. Just like magic - they all disappeared on the wave of a magic wand. Now, I don't know who waved the magic wand. It could be the young wizard of Pateros or the wise old man of Makati, but no matter who made this possible - they deserve our applause!

Here's hoping the next time the magic wand is waved, it will make all those zig-zagging tricycle drivers behave for a change. The miracle of the Pateros bridged proved it can be done, and the effect is immediately felt. Imagine our roads cleared of illegal vendors, with pedestrians walking safely on the sidewalks and vehicles keeping to their lanes and loading and unloading passengers at designated places only. Imagine how it is if only town and barangay officials will enforce dicipline!

Ab-ra-ka-da-bra!!!

Thank You Mayor Medina!

The news article today, 21 April 2008, in the Metro Section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer is a most welcome respite in this hot summer season. Mayor Medina made the right step in bringing into national attention the plight of the Pateros River. The death of this river will bring about disastrous effects on Pateros, especially because we are a low-lying area that is prone to flooding. This early, we can already see and feel the ill-effects of the abuse people have heaped on this once-useful river.

The article articulated the need for a concerted action to save the river, through the Pateros River Basin Organization. It re-affirmed the need for the support of the cities of Pasig, Taguig and Makati. I hope we can intensify this information campaign, as bringing this issue to national attention is an effective way to put subtle pressure on our bigger neighbors to help in the clean-up and restoration of our river. After all, they all contributed significantly on the deterioration of this vital waterway.

Let us all support this endeavor. Our town deserves no less.

Awit Para sa mga Mamamalakaya

Tinig ng dagat ay awit
haplos ng alon ay gabay.
Saan nga ba patutungo
yaring paglalakbay sa buhay?

Malalayong lupain ay tinanaw
kapalaran sa kanila ay isinugal.
Bakit ang sariling dalampasigan
ay naging maramot sa kasaganahan?

Sa kalawakan ng karagatan
lambat ay tila walang katuturan.
Paano nga bang makikibahagi
sa yaman kundi sa pagpupunyagi?

Malupit na unos ay di alintana
sa Poong Maykapal ay manalig.
Dito sa ating pamamalakaya
tanging sandigan ay pananampalataya.

Sa kadiliman ng kalawakan
mga bituin tila nagmamatyag,
umagang kay gandang bukang-liwayway
sa dalampasigan doon ay naghihintay.

Sulong mga mamamalakaya!
Kirot ng braso’y di alintana
ang paglalayag sa karagatan
hatid ay mithing kasaganahan.

Ang tula o awit na ito ay aking nilikha bunsod ng ala-ala ng ilang mga kaibigan at kaanak na ngayon ay namamalakaya sa ibang bansa. Batid kong di nila nilisan ang ating bayan upang ito'y takasan at tuluyan ng talikuran. Mapanglaw at makirot sa damdamin ang mga unang araw at gabi sa ibang bayan. May mga pagkakataon na sasagi sa isipang mas mainam pa na talikuran na lamang ang mga pangarap at pangangailangan at magbalik sa piling ng mga minamahal.

Mapalad ako na magkaroon ng pagkakataon na makapagtampisaw sa malinis na ilog ng Pateros nuong aking kamusmusan. Kasama ng aking dalawang kapatid na babae, madalas kaming dumalaw sa bahay ni Ti' Leony sa Aguho, sa may pangpang ng ilog. Duon ay naliligo kami at naglalaro. Kung minsan ay lulan ng bangka, binabaybay namin ang kahabaan ng malinis at malawak na ilog. Ang dako ng Fort Bonifacio ay isang malawak na bukid, di gaya ngayon na siksik ng kabahayan at nagtatayugang mga gusali. Ang dako naman ng Pateros ay may mga itikan at munting taniman ng gulay. Sa isang mababaw na bahagi ay maaaninag ang mga isdang kumpol-kumpol. Malinis, masagana at kaaya-aya ang ilog.

Ngunit sa paglipas ng panahon ay nagbago ang lahat. Masikip, marumi at sa ibang bahagi ay tuyo na ang ilog. Wala na ang mga isda, at wala na rin ang mga itik. Wala ng namamangka, bagkus ang ilog ay maaari ng lakaran. Sa halip na tubig, basura ang makikita sa ilog. Saan pa ba tutungo ang mamamalakaya? Katulad nila, ang mga mamamayan ay sa ibang dako na sumusulyap ng pag-asa. Nililisan ang ating munting bayan upang hanapin ang kapalaran sa ibang karagatan. Kasama ng milyong-milyong Pilipino, ang mga taga Pateros ay sumubok ng kanilang kapalaran sa lahat ng sulok ng daigdig. Tulad ng ating ilog, ang ating bayan, ang ating bansa, ay unti-unting natutuyo, dumurumi at namamatay dahil sa ating kapabayaan. Sana, ang mga naiwan ay magpursiging maibalik ang buhay at sigla, at sa pagbabalik ng mga kababayan ay di na sila makasumpong muli ng dahilan upang lumisan at mangulila sa ibang karagatan.

Naging maramot ba ang sariling bayan? O tayo ba'y nagpabaya sa ating kinabukasan?

Endings and beginnings...

Many years ago, when people only had geocities and angelfire instead of blogs, I put together an online journal and called it “Sojourn”. I had to learn HTML basics to be able to give it a semblance of a web site, not like the push-button publishing that blogs offer today. Sojourn was my soul mate on the net. I poured out my thoughts on it through both prose and poetry. It became the journal of my life, a record of my travels, of my adventures, of the people I met, of the food I cooked and ate, of my hopes, dreams and political angst.

Then along the way something happened to my life, and my cyber world stopped on its track. I stayed away from the net and let my Sojourn disappear into oblivion. It was as if there never was. Like Atlantis forever lost in the ocean depths, my cyber-extension disappeared into the bits and bytes of the virtual universe.

Age, the advanced stage or somewhere near it to be specific, has a way of reminding us that we too will someday disappear into the sunset. Our bodies, frail and fleeting as they are, will eventually find its way back into the bosom of our Mother Earth. But long after we are gone, people will remember the words we spoke or wrote, the things we did that mattered to them, and the things we failed to do that could have mattered to them. It will always be about us and them, and how we affected each other's lives.

Thus it came to be that one night during the recent Holy Week, my fingers led me to that new Shangri-la of the Internet Universe – Blogspot.com. After a few minutes of feeling myself around like a little lost boy in a huge toy supermarket, I officially became one of the zillions of bloggers on the net. I chose to be the little voice of my quaint little town of Pateros, because it is the only home sweet home I know in my entire armchair life. It is the town that cradled my forebears and nourished my parents. Warts and all, it will always be my quaint little town. Always.

* Images are from the photo collection of Elmer Nocheseda. Original poetry by Dennis E. Concepcion.

Bangon Pateros E-Group

It all started when I sent an open letter to the local leaders of Pateros. This was prompted by a front page article on the Philippine Daily Inquirer about a raid on an alleged drug and sex den right in the middle of the Poblacion. I mean, we all know that things have been going a bit downhill the past several years, but I did not think it would have gone that low. It was also out of frustration at the seeming helplessness of local authorities to put order on our streets, and the slow but sure deterioration of the environment - especially the Pateros River.

A few days after I posted the letter in the official website of the Municipal Government, I got a response from Congresswoman Lani Cayetano, then from Mayor Joey Medina almost a month after. In between these two responses, copies of the letter somehow found their way into email boxes of concerned kababayans. The feedback I got was overwhelming, and very positive. I was elated to realize that there are many other former and current residents who share the same sentiments, the same hopes and aspirations for positive change and transformation for our beloved town.

Thus was born the idea of an e-group for people who care for Pateros. I created the Bangon Pateros E-Group and invited friends to join. This email group is dedicated to providing an open and democratic forum for the people of Pateros, to discuss the various issues and concerns about our beloved town. In so doing, we hope to bring these issues to the attention of our leaders, be able to discuss solutions and encourage members to be active participants in efforts to help our town get back on track.

If you want to be a member of this e-group, you can visit the group site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bangon_pateros or send a blank email to bangon_pateros-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. No effort is too small if done together. We can all make a difference!

Holy Week reflections

PRAY that our leaders will find it in their hearts to put first the welfare of the people over and above personal gains. They were elected from among the people, by the people and for the people. They cannot serve and protect the interest of the few only, but rather should ensure that government services are provided to all, and law and justice applied equally and equitably.

REPENT for the things we have done to foster the dark culture of shameless corruption and corrosive apathy towards the problems besetting our town and our nation. Repent for the things we have failed to do to protect and promote honesty, transparency and accountability in our government. Repent for allowing rogue law enforcers and barangay officials who rob us of our rights to unhampered use of public infrastructure for the common good.

BELIEVE that every little step we make, every little voice raised in protest and every little hope shared will make significant impact towards meaningful reforms in our society. Believe that any positive action today is an investment towards a better and brighter tomorrow.

A little voice speaks out.

I have lived most of my life in the quaint little town of Pateros, in the old province of Rizal, before it became part of Metro Manila. Small as it may be, it is a town steeped in culture, tradition and history. It was an oasis of rustic provincial life right in the midst of a bustling urban metropolis. It has always been with a tinge of bitter-sweet nostalgia that I would reminisce the days when we can still frolic on its flowing river in Aguho, or go on picnics in the vast rice fields of Sta Ana, or be thrilled by the traveling carnival in Dulong-Bayan come fiesta time. I also remember the piousness of Holy Week processions, when we would leave our slippers with Aling Idad’s balut and peanut stand so that we can join the Good Friday procession on barefoot like all the rest. Summers would find us cruising along the roads of the town on our bikes, while Christmas was a good excuse for us to sing our lungs out as we go caroling from house to house.

It is amazing how much our little town has changed in a single generation. Recently, we made it to the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It would have been a source of pride, if not for the fact that the report was about the police raiding a house right in the center of town for being used as a drug and sex den. It must have been just another sensational headline for citizens that have become immune to such news, but it is in reality another ugly manifestation of the continuing decline and decay of our beloved Pateros. The river is gone, wasted by neglect and apathy of both government and people.

The once pristine and flowing river, site of many joyous fluvial processions of years past, has become a huge garbage dump. On our streets, discipline is now more of the exception than the norm. Both pedestrians and motorists do not follow basic road rules and courtesy. Street, narrow as they already are, are made into private parking spaces and public terminals for jeepneys and tricycles. Sidewalks are lined with rows after rows of illegal stalls. Where else can you see people walking on the streets and competing with precious space against vehicles because the vendors have taken over the sidewalks, even on the bridge itself? If you can drive through Pateros, you can drive anywhere else with ease.

Drug use, and all its attendant vices, is a silent menace that is slowly but surely eating up the very foundation of our society – our youth. That house on Rizal St in Barangay Poblacion may yet turn out to be just the tip of the iceberg. Through the years, how many of the people I know - neighbors, classmates, people I meet on the street, have turned into ghosts of their old selves because of drug abuse? One does not have to look very far to see that the illegal drug trade and use is a problem that is steadily getting out of hand.

Pateros is a proud and noble town. Small as we are, we refused to be subjugated by any of the big cities that surround us. We remain, and shall remain a free and independent municipality. Unfortunately, we seem to have given up on our town. Most old families have left. Those who chose to stay behind seem resigned to helplessly watch as our town continue its fatal descent into the dark abyss. We handed the reins of government to younger leaders in the hope that they will have the willpower and the vigor to implement positive changes. Almost a year after the elections of May 2007, all these remain to be promises.

The 17-year old girl caught in the middle of the drug den raid was just a symptom of the deeper cancer besetting our town – a festering wound that everyone can see but refuse to look at. Not only have we been left behind by all the other cities of Metro Manila, worse, we seemed resigned to our sorry fate. Our government leaders could not, and should not, be left alone to solve our problems. Leaders from the churches, civic organizations, business and industry, education and civil society need to come together and work towards a more lasting resolution to these problems. If our people see that their leaders are working hard to bring back Pateros to its feet, there is no reason for them not to put in their own effort. The people and their leaders must work hand in hand and get their acts together before it becomes too late.

We need true leaders who will lead us out of the dark night that has engulfed of beloved town in darkness for too long. We need leaders who will leave the comfort of their homes and offices, roll up their sleeves and dirty their hands in working to redeem the dignity of our beloved town. We need leaders who can stand up against our mighty neighbor cities in defense of our town’s resources and welfare. We need leaders who can bring back order and discipline in our streets, who can arrest the rapid decline in morality and inspire people to become responsible citizens. We need leaders who can unite families and communities to work towards a common vision. When we see this leadership emerge amidst the decay and chaos, there will be hope that we can still recover from all these and bring back the quaint little town that we all call our home. We need that leadership now more than ever. Are our LEADERS up to the challenge?

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.

* Special thanks to Elmer Nocheseda for allowing me to use some of his wonderful photos of Pateros in this blog. The collage used in the Title box was made of photos from his collection.