The picture could be a person reaching for what looks like a star. But this is actually the logo used for a the "Achievers and Leaders" seminar. On that day I sat with bankers, journalists, academicians(who also asked for discounts like me), and business tycoons (wow!) that is to hear TOYM (Ten Outstanding Young Men) awardees to talk. There was Bo Sanchez (an inspirational speaker and writer), Maria Ressa (of Channel 2-you remember the Manila Pen issue?), Rico Hizon (of the BBC World), Louie Hernandez (of eTelecare who said that "Filipinos are not cheap. We are just better."), Vivienne Tan (daughter of the tycoon Lucio Tan), Dr. Raquel Fortun (of the Subic rape case), and Butch Jimenez (producer of Muro-Ami).
I didn't hear much about theories. Because there were really more to learn about their singular lives and stories. Here's 2 of those:
1. Bo related the story of 8 siblings who lost their parents. The father was supposedly an NPA and was killed and the mother succumbed to an illness. Left without parents the siblings lived in a mountain with the eldest gathering wood and selling this to buy them food.
Without other means to live the eldest had to scrimp using the matchstick she buys (sounds like the matchstick girl story) to cook their food. One day a neighbor asked for the last matchstick. The eldest to decided to give this after praying "Kayo na po'ng bahala sa amin." The same night they were found by Bo who eventually kept them in an orphanage. The eldest finally became a help in the orphanage by helping others also find a home.
Bo said that he did not pass either the UP, Ateneo or La Salle college exam. But he discovered that he was a good speaker and decided to use this - especially for those who needed conseling and prayer.
2. Dr. Fortun said that when she was little, she wanted to be different. So when she grew up she became a doctor among a family of lawyers. When deciding to go into medicine she said that she really did not have the patience to be with the patients. She would rather be with the dead "who could no longer speak about their death," and the maggots who looked like cheese.
She was schooled in poor UP and taught in poor UP. She would go wherever she was called. One time she was asked to exhume a kid who was killed because she was supposed to be an NPA. Another time she was in East Timor examining cadavers who were killed by goverment soldiers who did not want independence for East Timor. Another time she was cutting a cadaver on top of a door that was placed on a floor using, I think, kitchen knives.
Flashed on the screen, when she was almost through her talk, it showed "I need a job. Hire me."
Of course we laughed, in pain. Because there was really much to do and you could only measure your achievement in terms of emotional growth rather than monetary gain.
The lesson I learned (or re-learned)? That change is what we do, day in and day out, breath in and breath out.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Human Rights Violations
Since last week we've been hearing about statements like "from Manila Pen to National Pen", referring to the Trillanes group who staged a coup at the Manila Peninsula and ended up at the National Penitentiary after the bungled coup. There is also news about the journalists being gagged (again) for showing us, blow by blow, what happened at the Pen. The rebel soldiers are angry at the violations made by this incumbent government. The incumbent government wants to punish the journalist violators and the rebel soldiers. Sino ba ang violator?
Check this statistics which I got from a Sociology book - sorry I forgot the name of the author. But he cited a time (?)study on human rights violations and its perpetrators. Read below:
Sectoral Participation in Public Information Activities (1988-2000):
No. of participants
Government officials, employees - 99,282
Rebel returnees, prisoners - 11,379
Students, teachers, youth, school heads - 166,165
Military/ police - 165,018
Barrio residents, officials - 9,985
Religious sector - 1,409
Media - 1,307
Farmers/ fisherfolks - 726
Judiciary - 435
Urban poor - 4,629
NGO - 14,266
Rural/ urban industrial workers - 6,411
Professionals, civilian, general public - 83,545
Multi-sectoral - 228,339
Victims of HR violations (1988-June 2000):
Civilian - 8,374
Rural/ urban industrial workers - 5,189
child, women, student - 2,972
Military/ police - 759
Local officials/ employees - 507
Detainee/ prisoner - 330
Urban poor - 371
Others - 3,372
Alleged Perpetrators of HR Violations (1988-2000):
Police - 8,879
Military - 2,800
Para-military - 1,475
CPP-NPA - 2,298
Civilian - 3,129
Local officials, employees - 2,234
Others - 4,483
Are you surprised at the data? Seems like the more the military and the police attended info-dissemination activities, the more it was likely of them to be HR violators. We hope the trend is not institutionalized.
Check this statistics which I got from a Sociology book - sorry I forgot the name of the author. But he cited a time (?)study on human rights violations and its perpetrators. Read below:
Sectoral Participation in Public Information Activities (1988-2000):
No. of participants
Government officials, employees - 99,282
Rebel returnees, prisoners - 11,379
Students, teachers, youth, school heads - 166,165
Military/ police - 165,018
Barrio residents, officials - 9,985
Religious sector - 1,409
Media - 1,307
Farmers/ fisherfolks - 726
Judiciary - 435
Urban poor - 4,629
NGO - 14,266
Rural/ urban industrial workers - 6,411
Professionals, civilian, general public - 83,545
Multi-sectoral - 228,339
Victims of HR violations (1988-June 2000):
Civilian - 8,374
Rural/ urban industrial workers - 5,189
child, women, student - 2,972
Military/ police - 759
Local officials/ employees - 507
Detainee/ prisoner - 330
Urban poor - 371
Others - 3,372
Alleged Perpetrators of HR Violations (1988-2000):
Police - 8,879
Military - 2,800
Para-military - 1,475
CPP-NPA - 2,298
Civilian - 3,129
Local officials, employees - 2,234
Others - 4,483
Are you surprised at the data? Seems like the more the military and the police attended info-dissemination activities, the more it was likely of them to be HR violators. We hope the trend is not institutionalized.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Silence
There's a beatiful book, written by a woman doctor, entitled "Trauma and Recovery: the aftermath of violence- from domestic abuse to political terror." Although to be traumatized is not really a beautiful experience.
I though I'd write about it because as a woman you can't help thinking about the inequality in this world. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, our lifespan is reduced by 5% for every violence that we experience. And violence does not only refer to the physical abuse, but the verbal, emotional, psychological, sexual and even socioeconomic type of violence that we can think of. Unfortunately, those violated of their rights are silenced. But must we? Or if we already are, must this continue? Here's something to think about and which I'm quoting from that book:
"In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. Secrecy and silence are the perpetrator's first line of defense. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure that no one listens. To this end, he marshals an impressive array of arguments, from the most blatant denial to the most sophisticated and elegant rationalization. After every atrocity one can expect to hear the same predictable apologies: it never happened; the victim lies; the victim exaggerates; the victim brought it upon herself; and in any case it is time to forget the past and move on. The more powerful the perpetrator, the greater is his prerogative to name and define reality, and the more completely his arguments prevail."
Sounds sickening? Yes. But there's a way out. Shout! And create noise - especially collective noise.
I though I'd write about it because as a woman you can't help thinking about the inequality in this world. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, our lifespan is reduced by 5% for every violence that we experience. And violence does not only refer to the physical abuse, but the verbal, emotional, psychological, sexual and even socioeconomic type of violence that we can think of. Unfortunately, those violated of their rights are silenced. But must we? Or if we already are, must this continue? Here's something to think about and which I'm quoting from that book:
"In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. Secrecy and silence are the perpetrator's first line of defense. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure that no one listens. To this end, he marshals an impressive array of arguments, from the most blatant denial to the most sophisticated and elegant rationalization. After every atrocity one can expect to hear the same predictable apologies: it never happened; the victim lies; the victim exaggerates; the victim brought it upon herself; and in any case it is time to forget the past and move on. The more powerful the perpetrator, the greater is his prerogative to name and define reality, and the more completely his arguments prevail."
Sounds sickening? Yes. But there's a way out. Shout! And create noise - especially collective noise.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Spirit
It was in 1996 when I wrote my article "Mother to an Ayta" (please see my blog). A few days later I got a telegram (uso pa noon). It came all the way from Baguio from a bigtime professor of mine. Bigtime because she had a PhD, she graduated from UP Diliman and had a fellowship in the USA to finish her postgraduate studies. And if you're in class, you had better listen well because she does not only have the "authority" to teach Political Science. She's also not the high school teacher stereotype who "spanks." She's also married to an American (I think he comes from a farming family) who teaches Political Science in UP Baguio then.
One time she assigned us to describe the Philippine electoral process. I'm not sure if I was able to research this in our school library, but I came up with an answer by copying (plagiarizing, actually. ooops!). My History teacher told me then that we had the same type of government like the USA so I presumed we had the same electoral process. My professor asked me to come and see her. Of course I never did. I was guilty. So you could just imagine how I felt holding a telegram that came from her 6 years after graduating. My... But you know what that telegram said?
"Write whenever the spirit moves you." She read "Mother to an Ayta." And she guessed it was me who wrote it though my surname then was already different because I got married already.
I'm writing about this Spirit, not because I believe in spirits. I'm not even the church-goer type. I'm writing because I was reminded by Barbra Streisand ( in a DVD-concert- which I watched over the weekend). I have not tracked down Streisand's love life. But I was touched by her singing "Now that I'm around you" - so soulfully to his son, minus the father who was not in the audience with them.
And I was reminded of how it is to be a woman and a single parent. This is a difficult situation to be in, but at the same time it is liberating. Why? Because you get to discover more your own spirit, you nurture it, you make it soar so high and you linger there. But you never lose your feet on the ground because there's the kids to feed, clothe and give good education to.
And not many women have discovered this. Many of us, women, have subsumed our roles for the sake of children, husband, family and society. And it's really unfair. For how can this world be happier if half of its population live in fear? in desperation? I hope many of us are liberated, by our spirits.... in time.
I
One time she assigned us to describe the Philippine electoral process. I'm not sure if I was able to research this in our school library, but I came up with an answer by copying (plagiarizing, actually. ooops!). My History teacher told me then that we had the same type of government like the USA so I presumed we had the same electoral process. My professor asked me to come and see her. Of course I never did. I was guilty. So you could just imagine how I felt holding a telegram that came from her 6 years after graduating. My... But you know what that telegram said?
"Write whenever the spirit moves you." She read "Mother to an Ayta." And she guessed it was me who wrote it though my surname then was already different because I got married already.
I'm writing about this Spirit, not because I believe in spirits. I'm not even the church-goer type. I'm writing because I was reminded by Barbra Streisand ( in a DVD-concert- which I watched over the weekend). I have not tracked down Streisand's love life. But I was touched by her singing "Now that I'm around you" - so soulfully to his son, minus the father who was not in the audience with them.
And I was reminded of how it is to be a woman and a single parent. This is a difficult situation to be in, but at the same time it is liberating. Why? Because you get to discover more your own spirit, you nurture it, you make it soar so high and you linger there. But you never lose your feet on the ground because there's the kids to feed, clothe and give good education to.
And not many women have discovered this. Many of us, women, have subsumed our roles for the sake of children, husband, family and society. And it's really unfair. For how can this world be happier if half of its population live in fear? in desperation? I hope many of us are liberated, by our spirits.... in time.
I
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Labeling
Did you ever wish, as a parent, you had gifted children - children who could read even before he could go to school? or children who could play the violin like the Promil commercial? If you don't, or if you have not discovered yet that you do, read this blog. My eldest of 12 years old blurted last night that his teacher is a bully. This lunchtime his teacher told them in class(they're in section 7) that they will not pass the National Aptitude Test and therefore had to stay 5 more years in elementary. Goodness!!! But here's the study I was talking about before I talk to my son's teacher - or perhaps write their Principal.
In a ghetto area in the USA in the 1960s, a study about labeling of schoolchildren was conducted. The children's status from kindergarten up to Grade II was tracked down. Specifically, the teachers' practice of labeling its students was looked into. During kindergarten, the teacher placed its students in tables 1, 2 and 3. The placement was based on physical appearance, body odor, school language used, socioeconomic status and family size, and whether they were "fast" or "slow" learners.
Those in table 1 were the teacher's favorite - they were "fast" learners, were clean in appearance and odor, used standard American English, had high economic status and small family size. The farther the table, the "worse" the status. Amazingly, the children followed the way the teachers treated them. Those in table 1 were "respected." While those in table 2, and worse in table 3 had behavioral problems and low self-esteem.
There were 30 kindergarten students. This was reduced to 18 by the time the kids reached Grade 1. The teacher during this grade level followed a similar classification of the students and treated the students similar to the kindergarten teacher.
By the time the students reached Grade 2, there were only 10 of them.
You ask why? There's a theory we call Labeling. It says that labeling is a "self-fulfilling prophecy" - the more the kids are labeled "bad," the more they actually turn into "bad" kids. And unfortunately, the kids followed what the adult did. The worse part here is if the "bad' kid comes home to a non-ideal family.
The moral lesson? Be careful when you label children, or perhaps even adolescents and adults- they more likely become what we want them to become. So instead of destroying someone's life, try finding the "giftedness' of other people - be they young, not so young or old. Here in the Philippines, Ibon Foundation reported in 2004 that only 1/10 Filipino child is able to finish tertiary education.
In a ghetto area in the USA in the 1960s, a study about labeling of schoolchildren was conducted. The children's status from kindergarten up to Grade II was tracked down. Specifically, the teachers' practice of labeling its students was looked into. During kindergarten, the teacher placed its students in tables 1, 2 and 3. The placement was based on physical appearance, body odor, school language used, socioeconomic status and family size, and whether they were "fast" or "slow" learners.
Those in table 1 were the teacher's favorite - they were "fast" learners, were clean in appearance and odor, used standard American English, had high economic status and small family size. The farther the table, the "worse" the status. Amazingly, the children followed the way the teachers treated them. Those in table 1 were "respected." While those in table 2, and worse in table 3 had behavioral problems and low self-esteem.
There were 30 kindergarten students. This was reduced to 18 by the time the kids reached Grade 1. The teacher during this grade level followed a similar classification of the students and treated the students similar to the kindergarten teacher.
By the time the students reached Grade 2, there were only 10 of them.
You ask why? There's a theory we call Labeling. It says that labeling is a "self-fulfilling prophecy" - the more the kids are labeled "bad," the more they actually turn into "bad" kids. And unfortunately, the kids followed what the adult did. The worse part here is if the "bad' kid comes home to a non-ideal family.
The moral lesson? Be careful when you label children, or perhaps even adolescents and adults- they more likely become what we want them to become. So instead of destroying someone's life, try finding the "giftedness' of other people - be they young, not so young or old. Here in the Philippines, Ibon Foundation reported in 2004 that only 1/10 Filipino child is able to finish tertiary education.
Oxygen
Did you know that 1 mature tree can give-off oxygen for 7 persons? The data came from an article by Tebtebba Foundation. Perhaps it won't be long for oxygen to be sold in bottles. So plant trees before somebody patents oxygen in bottles.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Politics in the Hospital
Teaching is a dialogue. Students learn from teachers. And teachers learn from students. Otherwise, there is no teaching. But sometimes you get surprised with what you learn from your students. I did. And I was horrified.
Years back, I innocently required my Nursing students -probably all of whom wanted to work abroad after graduation- in our Philippine Government and Constitution subject to come up with a paper about Politics in the Hospital. This means telling stories about their experiences during hospital duty which they consider as "political."
Of course we had to define first what politics is. Well, I got all the answers related to politics. But I summarized its definition to its simplest nature which is "the ability of A to make B do something which B would not have otherwise done." Sounds clear enough. But I wanted the concept not just to be defined by them but to let the concept eventually sink down their head and heart (even after taking this subject) and perhaps influence them to decide to help our country first rather than work abroad after graduation. Here were some of their stories:
1. There was 1 baby patient who was looked after by her mother and her 12-year old brother in the Pediatric Ward. Hungry, the mother decided to have her younger son to buy them food. Having bought food outside the hospital, because the hospital canteen was already closed and food was much cheaper, the boy went outside the hospital. He, however, never returned to their ward because Visiting Hours was over. The security guard gave the food to the mother but disallowed the boy to enter the hospital.
2. A patient suffering from pain from his pelvis and downwards was admitted in the hospital. Not knowing yet the cause of his pain, the doctor told the wife to make the patient to undergo several tests. Upon knowing the amount of 1 ultrasound, which was P9,000, the wife decided not to have this. Because no payment was made, no ultrasound was taken. Nurses were described to be texting and laughing away their time. Next day, the patient died.
3. One patient was going into shock. Horrified, although disallowed, the student-nurses wanted to perform CPR to revive the patient. When the students informed the nurses on duty about this they were told that the patient's relative already signed some papers stating that DNR will be performed. So what's DNR? DO NOT RESUSCITATE! That's because the patient does not have the means to pay for their bills.
4. A statistic supposedly observed in the hospital is 1 syringe = 1 patient. Out of poverty, or for some other reason this hospital practice is to use 1 syringe for 2-3 patients.
5. Another poor patient was admitted in the hospital. An external fixator was placed in him to keep his broken bones intact. This device, however, has to be removed. Without the money to buy anaesthesia, the fixator was removed - just like that, without the anaesthesia.
Horrified? Who wouldn't be? Did I learn? Yes, and I did painfully. After reading all the papers my students submitted I thought - maybe thinking about them not working abroad is too far enough to be given a thought. Some form of "debriefing" for the students would have helped them understand better the horrors in the hospital. But is this available? Not really. About 2 years ago, government only allotted about 35 centavos for the healthcare of 1 Filipino citizen.
Years back, I innocently required my Nursing students -probably all of whom wanted to work abroad after graduation- in our Philippine Government and Constitution subject to come up with a paper about Politics in the Hospital. This means telling stories about their experiences during hospital duty which they consider as "political."
Of course we had to define first what politics is. Well, I got all the answers related to politics. But I summarized its definition to its simplest nature which is "the ability of A to make B do something which B would not have otherwise done." Sounds clear enough. But I wanted the concept not just to be defined by them but to let the concept eventually sink down their head and heart (even after taking this subject) and perhaps influence them to decide to help our country first rather than work abroad after graduation. Here were some of their stories:
1. There was 1 baby patient who was looked after by her mother and her 12-year old brother in the Pediatric Ward. Hungry, the mother decided to have her younger son to buy them food. Having bought food outside the hospital, because the hospital canteen was already closed and food was much cheaper, the boy went outside the hospital. He, however, never returned to their ward because Visiting Hours was over. The security guard gave the food to the mother but disallowed the boy to enter the hospital.
2. A patient suffering from pain from his pelvis and downwards was admitted in the hospital. Not knowing yet the cause of his pain, the doctor told the wife to make the patient to undergo several tests. Upon knowing the amount of 1 ultrasound, which was P9,000, the wife decided not to have this. Because no payment was made, no ultrasound was taken. Nurses were described to be texting and laughing away their time. Next day, the patient died.
3. One patient was going into shock. Horrified, although disallowed, the student-nurses wanted to perform CPR to revive the patient. When the students informed the nurses on duty about this they were told that the patient's relative already signed some papers stating that DNR will be performed. So what's DNR? DO NOT RESUSCITATE! That's because the patient does not have the means to pay for their bills.
4. A statistic supposedly observed in the hospital is 1 syringe = 1 patient. Out of poverty, or for some other reason this hospital practice is to use 1 syringe for 2-3 patients.
5. Another poor patient was admitted in the hospital. An external fixator was placed in him to keep his broken bones intact. This device, however, has to be removed. Without the money to buy anaesthesia, the fixator was removed - just like that, without the anaesthesia.
Horrified? Who wouldn't be? Did I learn? Yes, and I did painfully. After reading all the papers my students submitted I thought - maybe thinking about them not working abroad is too far enough to be given a thought. Some form of "debriefing" for the students would have helped them understand better the horrors in the hospital. But is this available? Not really. About 2 years ago, government only allotted about 35 centavos for the healthcare of 1 Filipino citizen.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Christmas is just around the corner
Christmas is definitely just around the corner because:
1. My youngest has been bugging me for days to buy a Christmas tree (!) for their class in school and I could only afford a foot-long Christmas tree. Of course there had been debate to buy a more than foot-long Christmas tree, but only to find out that it wasn't a Christmas tree that his teacher requested but Christmas lights. Well, that still costed us P64.00.
2. While riding home with my kids and laughing about one scene in the movie "Inang Yaya" where the girl-bida is teased by her classmates for wearing "Skeechers," one old, bearded, American (yata) with the Santa Claus hat boarded our jeep. Of course the passengers had all eyes on him especially because he was talkative. But it was nice of him to have helped the other passengers unload their boxes. And never mind his "putok" which we smelled when he finally got off. He's Santa Claus, anyway.
3. One fisherman-neighbor of ours felt sad because his catch was low (about a kilo) while he had all the Hanging Amihan, in Subic Bay, to greet him while catching fish.
4. My youngest, 9 years old, asked me if he could hang his socks so Santa Claus does not forget to give him gifts. And I replied that yes, he could. "Kaya lang baka amagin ang medyas dahil matagal pa ang Pasko." Of course, he did not pay attention to what I said. Because Christmas is definitely just around the corner.
1. My youngest has been bugging me for days to buy a Christmas tree (!) for their class in school and I could only afford a foot-long Christmas tree. Of course there had been debate to buy a more than foot-long Christmas tree, but only to find out that it wasn't a Christmas tree that his teacher requested but Christmas lights. Well, that still costed us P64.00.
2. While riding home with my kids and laughing about one scene in the movie "Inang Yaya" where the girl-bida is teased by her classmates for wearing "Skeechers," one old, bearded, American (yata) with the Santa Claus hat boarded our jeep. Of course the passengers had all eyes on him especially because he was talkative. But it was nice of him to have helped the other passengers unload their boxes. And never mind his "putok" which we smelled when he finally got off. He's Santa Claus, anyway.
3. One fisherman-neighbor of ours felt sad because his catch was low (about a kilo) while he had all the Hanging Amihan, in Subic Bay, to greet him while catching fish.
4. My youngest, 9 years old, asked me if he could hang his socks so Santa Claus does not forget to give him gifts. And I replied that yes, he could. "Kaya lang baka amagin ang medyas dahil matagal pa ang Pasko." Of course, he did not pay attention to what I said. Because Christmas is definitely just around the corner.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Looking for Gold!
We were in a meeting discussing about a project when somebody said that we were actually having difficulty finding resources and that the people who are supposed or whom we expected to be supportive of the project turned out to be the opposite and even seemed to wish us doom. Everyone was exasperated, desperate. But I said "we'll find gold."
Gold is a precious stone which we don't easily find. In fact they're probably hiding. Not that they want to. But with all the noise in this society - " I know better than you do. I am richer and more powerful. I have political clout. I am in position and the laws are mine to use. I have puppets at the tip of my fingers and a magic wand to convert every nook and cranny of the seas and mountains of this world to whatever I want these to become." It's difficult to find them.
The golds are probably smudged in soot, lying in coffins, working back-bent in rice fields crying because they have seen other golds destroyed in front of their families and or are racially discriminated.
Yet they shine. the harshness of people and nature, rather than cover them up with mounds of soil 6 feet underground, make them even shine more.
Who are they? They're people like you and me. But they are set apart, because like gold they shine brilliantly from deep inside towards wherever their illustrious ray of light would reach. And they don't do this with effort. They just shine, naturally.
So where does all the shining, shimmering splendid come from? Well, what could be inside something that comes out but never dies and is always reaching out, but passion?
They love their work. They're so in love with what they do that they don't keep their talents, their skills, their time. They share it with whoever reaches their passionate feelings and ideas and movements be this near, across the globe or even in another galaxy.
They discover their value and work more not for material things. But for art's sake, for culture's sake, for other's sake, or for humanity's sake.
You hear of a child being burned to save her siblings. You read about a 70-year old providing shelter to whoever comes her way in her shack while wishing she would someday find her own missing daughter. You hear of an artist trekking mountains and rivers to discover IPs and humbly mimicking IP lullabyes to produce a CD for an emotionally distraught world. You get invited to a seminar whose speaker is a forensic pathologist who took this course because, as she explained, she's more patient with the dead than the undead. She was on tv and newsprint with the voluminous books to provide information to a Filipina who was raped in Subic. You encounter an ex-nun, about 60+ years old, helping human rights victims like she had not been "violated" herself. She was joined by community women during her incarceration in what looked like a pig pen because they were just too many to be placed in the town's jail.
With all the unfortunate events, and these don't come in trickles but sometimes in torrents, they've learned to laugh and laugh their happiest, love like they do not just embrace the cloth of the person but its soul which does not exist only now but also then and in the future. They think even with the limitations of their brain and produce outputs as a result of nerve endings which have wired up like you've never imagined them simply because it is necessary.
You don't see them puking seeing all the maggots (like cheese) of a dead body of a child, said to be an NPA, which they have to exhume to find out the truth. They don't easily get scared being chased by the notorious riding-in-tandem motorcycle. In fact, the chasing stopped, they retold, when their car went straight to the police station.
You read about them going to Alcoholics Anonymous. Yet for several times in the past they have acted in movies one of which portrayed a doctor-character which asks its audience if a doctor is actually treating his patient as a disease himself/ herself rather than as a person. You see them in class as a teacher trying to draw something on a blackboard to summarize a book of concepts discussed about Gender. And then you hear the whole class laughing at her. The teacher asked why and 1 boy says that the illustration shows that the teacher is "mahilig." And the teacher smiles and replies to the class, "Sex is good." Do you imagine the guffaws and the shrieks? Well, the teacher is me and the students were my last batch of passionate graduating Nursing students.
So where's that gold? It's still in this planet Earth. But we have to keep on looking, hope that we see their sheen and that they continue to shine even under stormy skies. Life is hard enough. But with all the gold, life becomes easier.
Gold is a precious stone which we don't easily find. In fact they're probably hiding. Not that they want to. But with all the noise in this society - " I know better than you do. I am richer and more powerful. I have political clout. I am in position and the laws are mine to use. I have puppets at the tip of my fingers and a magic wand to convert every nook and cranny of the seas and mountains of this world to whatever I want these to become." It's difficult to find them.
The golds are probably smudged in soot, lying in coffins, working back-bent in rice fields crying because they have seen other golds destroyed in front of their families and or are racially discriminated.
Yet they shine. the harshness of people and nature, rather than cover them up with mounds of soil 6 feet underground, make them even shine more.
Who are they? They're people like you and me. But they are set apart, because like gold they shine brilliantly from deep inside towards wherever their illustrious ray of light would reach. And they don't do this with effort. They just shine, naturally.
So where does all the shining, shimmering splendid come from? Well, what could be inside something that comes out but never dies and is always reaching out, but passion?
They love their work. They're so in love with what they do that they don't keep their talents, their skills, their time. They share it with whoever reaches their passionate feelings and ideas and movements be this near, across the globe or even in another galaxy.
They discover their value and work more not for material things. But for art's sake, for culture's sake, for other's sake, or for humanity's sake.
You hear of a child being burned to save her siblings. You read about a 70-year old providing shelter to whoever comes her way in her shack while wishing she would someday find her own missing daughter. You hear of an artist trekking mountains and rivers to discover IPs and humbly mimicking IP lullabyes to produce a CD for an emotionally distraught world. You get invited to a seminar whose speaker is a forensic pathologist who took this course because, as she explained, she's more patient with the dead than the undead. She was on tv and newsprint with the voluminous books to provide information to a Filipina who was raped in Subic. You encounter an ex-nun, about 60+ years old, helping human rights victims like she had not been "violated" herself. She was joined by community women during her incarceration in what looked like a pig pen because they were just too many to be placed in the town's jail.
With all the unfortunate events, and these don't come in trickles but sometimes in torrents, they've learned to laugh and laugh their happiest, love like they do not just embrace the cloth of the person but its soul which does not exist only now but also then and in the future. They think even with the limitations of their brain and produce outputs as a result of nerve endings which have wired up like you've never imagined them simply because it is necessary.
You don't see them puking seeing all the maggots (like cheese) of a dead body of a child, said to be an NPA, which they have to exhume to find out the truth. They don't easily get scared being chased by the notorious riding-in-tandem motorcycle. In fact, the chasing stopped, they retold, when their car went straight to the police station.
You read about them going to Alcoholics Anonymous. Yet for several times in the past they have acted in movies one of which portrayed a doctor-character which asks its audience if a doctor is actually treating his patient as a disease himself/ herself rather than as a person. You see them in class as a teacher trying to draw something on a blackboard to summarize a book of concepts discussed about Gender. And then you hear the whole class laughing at her. The teacher asked why and 1 boy says that the illustration shows that the teacher is "mahilig." And the teacher smiles and replies to the class, "Sex is good." Do you imagine the guffaws and the shrieks? Well, the teacher is me and the students were my last batch of passionate graduating Nursing students.
So where's that gold? It's still in this planet Earth. But we have to keep on looking, hope that we see their sheen and that they continue to shine even under stormy skies. Life is hard enough. But with all the gold, life becomes easier.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Are you Leftist or Rightist? In front or at the back?
The title sounds political. Not really. It just wants to ask you which part of your brain is stronger- left or right? front or back? Following is a test on "How You Learn" which was asked of us during my seminar at Museo Pambata. So pick up a pencil and paper and try learning about how you learn.
DIRECTION: Check the statements which describe things that you do not have to make an effort on. When you have completed all the questions, count up the number of checks in each section. The section with the highest number of checks is the section of your brain you most usually use.
LEFT FRONTAL
___ I prefer to have the final say in family money matters.
___ I am logical and tend to think in straight lines.
___ I love machines and enjoy using tools.
___ I like delegating and giving orders.
___ I like to be able to measure success objectively- it is not enought just to be happy about what I'm doing.
___ I feel comfortable working with figures.
___ I enjoy verbal arguments. I like to get my ideas across.
___ I tend to take responsibility for big decisions.
___ I am good at technology.
___ I value effectiveness in other people.
___ People often look to me for leadership.
___If there is a problem, I can see usually what is causing it and come up with an answer.
___ I am good at managing money.
___ I enjoy doing things for myself.
___ I believe thinking is more important than feeling.
RIGHT FRONTAL
___ I use a lot of hand gestures when I talk.
___ I like to work on several things at once.
___ I often come up with new inventions.
___ I often rely on hunches to solve problems.
___ I get some of my best ideas when I am not thinking about anything in particular.
___ I am very energetic.
___ I am artistic.
___ I like to use metaphors and visual analysis to explain and understand things.
___ I get escited by off-the-wall ideas.
___ I always 'file' things in stacks rather than in cabinets.
___ I tend to be more interested in the 'big picture' rather than the details.
___ I can always see in my mind's eye how to arrange furniture in a room, or pack a car boot in order to get everything in.
___ I have a sense of humor, which has at times got me into trouble.
___ I am good at ball and computer video games.
___ I loathe routine tasks.
LEFT BASIL
___ I don't like to have my routine disturbed.
___ I find filing, sorting and labelling relaxing.
___ I am uneasy with ambiguity and uncertainty.
___ I think rules are important and should be adhered to.
___ I always read the instruction leaflet before I use a new appliance.
___ If I have to do something tricky, I am happiest if I have an established protocol to follow.
___ I put my social commitments in my diary- and stick to them.
___ I have a place for everything and everything is in its place.
___ I think people should keep their emotions under control.
___ I am reliable and loyal.
___ I enjoy doing repetitive task accurately.
___ I always tackle tasks step by step.
___ I like working with details.
___ I uphold traditional values.
___ I am reliable and thorough in my work.
RIGHT BASIL
___ I think cooperation, not conflict, is the way to get things done.
___ I tend to reach out to comfort people.
___ I love to sing, dance and listen to music.
___ I think personal growth is something worth working at.
___ I think that feelings are more important than thoughts.
___ My family relationships are the most important things in my life.
___ I automatically watch people's faces when I am talking to them.
___ I know instinctively what people are thinking.
___ I feel uneasy when people start arguing around me.
___ I am good at making other people feel enthusiastic.
___ I think you can measure success by how happy you are feeling, rather than what you achieve.
___ I think spiritual values are more important than material things.
___ I often touch people spontaneously when I talk to them.
___ I am good at interpreting body language.
___ I cry easily at sloppy films.
INTERPRETATION:
The Left Frontal brain is best for reasoning, logic and leadeship qualities. The Right Frontal brain deals with ideas and creative thinking. The left basil is used for organizing and maintaining routine. While the Right Basil deals with intuition and emotional feelings. How does these data relate to Learning. Here is their explanation:
UPPER LEFT
Learn by: Respond to:
- acquiring and quantifying facts - formalized lectures, factual content
- applying analysis and logic - financial and technical case discussions
- thinking through ideas, building cases - textbooks and bibliographies
- forming theories - program learning
- behavior modification
UPPER RIGHT
Learn by: Respond to:
- taking initiative - spontaneity
- exploring hidden possibilities - free flow, experiential opportunities
- relying on intuition, self-discovery - experimentation
- constructing concepts - playfulness
- synthesizing content - future-oriented case discussions
- visual displays
- individuality
- aesthetics
- being involved
LOWER LEFT
Learn by: Respond to:
- organizing and structuring content - thorough planning
- sequencing content - sequential order
- evaluating and testing theories - organizational and administration case
- acquiring skills through practice discussions
- implementing course content - test books behavior modification
- program learning
- structure
- lectures
LOWER RIGHT
Learn by: Respond to:
- listening and sharing ideas - experiential opportunities
- integrating experiences with self - sensory movement
- moving and feeling - music
- harmonizing with the content - people oriented case discussion
- emotion involvement - group interaction
So what are you- leftist or rightist? But any which way, I'm sure you know better now how you could learn better and how you could help others learn better.
DIRECTION: Check the statements which describe things that you do not have to make an effort on. When you have completed all the questions, count up the number of checks in each section. The section with the highest number of checks is the section of your brain you most usually use.
LEFT FRONTAL
___ I prefer to have the final say in family money matters.
___ I am logical and tend to think in straight lines.
___ I love machines and enjoy using tools.
___ I like delegating and giving orders.
___ I like to be able to measure success objectively- it is not enought just to be happy about what I'm doing.
___ I feel comfortable working with figures.
___ I enjoy verbal arguments. I like to get my ideas across.
___ I tend to take responsibility for big decisions.
___ I am good at technology.
___ I value effectiveness in other people.
___ People often look to me for leadership.
___If there is a problem, I can see usually what is causing it and come up with an answer.
___ I am good at managing money.
___ I enjoy doing things for myself.
___ I believe thinking is more important than feeling.
RIGHT FRONTAL
___ I use a lot of hand gestures when I talk.
___ I like to work on several things at once.
___ I often come up with new inventions.
___ I often rely on hunches to solve problems.
___ I get some of my best ideas when I am not thinking about anything in particular.
___ I am very energetic.
___ I am artistic.
___ I like to use metaphors and visual analysis to explain and understand things.
___ I get escited by off-the-wall ideas.
___ I always 'file' things in stacks rather than in cabinets.
___ I tend to be more interested in the 'big picture' rather than the details.
___ I can always see in my mind's eye how to arrange furniture in a room, or pack a car boot in order to get everything in.
___ I have a sense of humor, which has at times got me into trouble.
___ I am good at ball and computer video games.
___ I loathe routine tasks.
LEFT BASIL
___ I don't like to have my routine disturbed.
___ I find filing, sorting and labelling relaxing.
___ I am uneasy with ambiguity and uncertainty.
___ I think rules are important and should be adhered to.
___ I always read the instruction leaflet before I use a new appliance.
___ If I have to do something tricky, I am happiest if I have an established protocol to follow.
___ I put my social commitments in my diary- and stick to them.
___ I have a place for everything and everything is in its place.
___ I think people should keep their emotions under control.
___ I am reliable and loyal.
___ I enjoy doing repetitive task accurately.
___ I always tackle tasks step by step.
___ I like working with details.
___ I uphold traditional values.
___ I am reliable and thorough in my work.
RIGHT BASIL
___ I think cooperation, not conflict, is the way to get things done.
___ I tend to reach out to comfort people.
___ I love to sing, dance and listen to music.
___ I think personal growth is something worth working at.
___ I think that feelings are more important than thoughts.
___ My family relationships are the most important things in my life.
___ I automatically watch people's faces when I am talking to them.
___ I know instinctively what people are thinking.
___ I feel uneasy when people start arguing around me.
___ I am good at making other people feel enthusiastic.
___ I think you can measure success by how happy you are feeling, rather than what you achieve.
___ I think spiritual values are more important than material things.
___ I often touch people spontaneously when I talk to them.
___ I am good at interpreting body language.
___ I cry easily at sloppy films.
INTERPRETATION:
The Left Frontal brain is best for reasoning, logic and leadeship qualities. The Right Frontal brain deals with ideas and creative thinking. The left basil is used for organizing and maintaining routine. While the Right Basil deals with intuition and emotional feelings. How does these data relate to Learning. Here is their explanation:
UPPER LEFT
Learn by: Respond to:
- acquiring and quantifying facts - formalized lectures, factual content
- applying analysis and logic - financial and technical case discussions
- thinking through ideas, building cases - textbooks and bibliographies
- forming theories - program learning
- behavior modification
UPPER RIGHT
Learn by: Respond to:
- taking initiative - spontaneity
- exploring hidden possibilities - free flow, experiential opportunities
- relying on intuition, self-discovery - experimentation
- constructing concepts - playfulness
- synthesizing content - future-oriented case discussions
- visual displays
- individuality
- aesthetics
- being involved
LOWER LEFT
Learn by: Respond to:
- organizing and structuring content - thorough planning
- sequencing content - sequential order
- evaluating and testing theories - organizational and administration case
- acquiring skills through practice discussions
- implementing course content - test books behavior modification
- program learning
- structure
- lectures
LOWER RIGHT
Learn by: Respond to:
- listening and sharing ideas - experiential opportunities
- integrating experiences with self - sensory movement
- moving and feeling - music
- harmonizing with the content - people oriented case discussion
- emotion involvement - group interaction
So what are you- leftist or rightist? But any which way, I'm sure you know better now how you could learn better and how you could help others learn better.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Charlie
He used to ask me where I want to go and what I want to do. In fact it became too often I'd get angry hearing him asking me the same question over and over again.
He'd ask me in anger. And I'd reply in anger. Because my reply would always be "of course I'd want to retire in Sagpat (a sitio in Zambales) and help Aytas. It's my destiny- or so I'd think.
But when the hubby died, I thought about the same question. Was he asking this because he was really jealous- which was the reason I'd tell him why he's angry and why he'd repetitively ask me that question. Maybe it was because he was jealous of my barkada-teachers in school, my own family because I was his second wife, my education because I graduated from UP and he finished high school- not even if he was accelerated in class and graduated valedictorian.
And I'd remember myself seething with rage because he'd often ask me the same question when he's drunk. He explained to me that if you're a real organizer, you'd have to learn to drink with the masa- magsasaka, manggagawa, katutubo.
"But why should I," I'd shot back at him. "Hindi ba parang mas lalo ko pang ibinaba ang pagtingin ko sa kanila pag uminom ako at 'nakisama' sa kanila?
"Dahil hindi mo maiintindihan ang kalagayan nila kapag hindi mo sila nakasama," he'd reply.
"Perhaps," I would reply in anger.
Charlie's the kind who'd look real angry while raising a fist against all the dictators in this country. He's the kind who'd go at length organizing the have nots to encourage the masa to join rallies and forget about earning (in whatever way) for a day and probably days. He's the kind who'd return sa bundok, after all these rallies, with the katutubo at magpasan ng sako ng puso ng saging so that a farmer-Ayta father and mother could feed their children. He's the kind who'd bring our kids ("immerse" them, in my language) for weeks and months sa bundok to see him organize the Aytas, dance with zest to Talipe in lubay (g-string). He's the kind who'd come home thin and with sunken eyes because there's just nothing to eat sa bundok. He's the kind whose soul we thought was still washing dishes because he never wanted to see his mother do this chore.
Thinking about these things, I thought my accomplishment ("pakikipamuhay" sa masa described one of my professors in Community Development) as development worker is not even comparable to his or pales if actually compared with his accomplishment.
Ako'y burgis. Which is probably why I cried the first time I ate sinangag, in my in-laws' house, na walang ulam.
I would somehow play up that I was angry, during rallies, for the inequality in this country. And walk with the masa wearing rubber shoes and hankerchief in hand to rub my sweat off. While the masa around me walked in soon-to-tear slippers na walang pakialam sa tindi ng sikat ng araw.
I'd be amused at an Ayta leader who'd never run out of anything to say on top of a makeshift stage, bellowing hard facts of injustice. Me? I thought "marami pa akong kakaining bigas" to be like him. That's read as I'd have to attend so many seminars and trainings to be endowed with such "skill."
"Sigurado mo'ng gusto mo'ng tumulong sa mga Ayta? o naaawa ka lang sa kanila?," the hubby once asked. That was surprising for him to ask. But I thought he had a point. Though I also asked myself if he just wasn't confusing me.
One time feeling desperate seeing poverty at home I asked him. "Hindi kaya magbago (read: sumama) ang ugali natin kung yumaman tayo? And he smiled. For a poor family, it was difficult to imagine being rich.
But I think everybody wants to be rich. The opportunities are just so few- perhaps for the many impoverished.
Management books like "Rich Dad and Poor Dad" would say "it's all in the mind." "Believe and you will see," they'd say.
But your conscience asks you. Must I leave organizing, development work and the masa in order to be rich? Does this sense of communalism- with my in-laws' family work?
I scrimped on my meager salary as a teacher to buy/ loan a hand-tractor, a mini-thresher, and an old jeep. We'd let no chemical fertilizers touch our palay farm because this is costly, anyway. But the miracle of richness never came.
The hubby has died - having been riddled with bullets which sounded like sinturon ni Hudas on a New Year's Eve.
Me? I'd probably spend some more New Years with my kids before Kamatayan tells me "Time's up!" My accomplishment in this lifetime may still pale compared with other organizers', and development workers' accomplishments. But I hope my own contribution to a more peaceful and equitable world for my kids and the future generation will not have been for naught.
It's 3 am. I hope I'd merit sleeping under Inang Laya's kanlungan someday.
He'd ask me in anger. And I'd reply in anger. Because my reply would always be "of course I'd want to retire in Sagpat (a sitio in Zambales) and help Aytas. It's my destiny- or so I'd think.
But when the hubby died, I thought about the same question. Was he asking this because he was really jealous- which was the reason I'd tell him why he's angry and why he'd repetitively ask me that question. Maybe it was because he was jealous of my barkada-teachers in school, my own family because I was his second wife, my education because I graduated from UP and he finished high school- not even if he was accelerated in class and graduated valedictorian.
And I'd remember myself seething with rage because he'd often ask me the same question when he's drunk. He explained to me that if you're a real organizer, you'd have to learn to drink with the masa- magsasaka, manggagawa, katutubo.
"But why should I," I'd shot back at him. "Hindi ba parang mas lalo ko pang ibinaba ang pagtingin ko sa kanila pag uminom ako at 'nakisama' sa kanila?
"Dahil hindi mo maiintindihan ang kalagayan nila kapag hindi mo sila nakasama," he'd reply.
"Perhaps," I would reply in anger.
Charlie's the kind who'd look real angry while raising a fist against all the dictators in this country. He's the kind who'd go at length organizing the have nots to encourage the masa to join rallies and forget about earning (in whatever way) for a day and probably days. He's the kind who'd return sa bundok, after all these rallies, with the katutubo at magpasan ng sako ng puso ng saging so that a farmer-Ayta father and mother could feed their children. He's the kind who'd bring our kids ("immerse" them, in my language) for weeks and months sa bundok to see him organize the Aytas, dance with zest to Talipe in lubay (g-string). He's the kind who'd come home thin and with sunken eyes because there's just nothing to eat sa bundok. He's the kind whose soul we thought was still washing dishes because he never wanted to see his mother do this chore.
Thinking about these things, I thought my accomplishment ("pakikipamuhay" sa masa described one of my professors in Community Development) as development worker is not even comparable to his or pales if actually compared with his accomplishment.
Ako'y burgis. Which is probably why I cried the first time I ate sinangag, in my in-laws' house, na walang ulam.
I would somehow play up that I was angry, during rallies, for the inequality in this country. And walk with the masa wearing rubber shoes and hankerchief in hand to rub my sweat off. While the masa around me walked in soon-to-tear slippers na walang pakialam sa tindi ng sikat ng araw.
I'd be amused at an Ayta leader who'd never run out of anything to say on top of a makeshift stage, bellowing hard facts of injustice. Me? I thought "marami pa akong kakaining bigas" to be like him. That's read as I'd have to attend so many seminars and trainings to be endowed with such "skill."
"Sigurado mo'ng gusto mo'ng tumulong sa mga Ayta? o naaawa ka lang sa kanila?," the hubby once asked. That was surprising for him to ask. But I thought he had a point. Though I also asked myself if he just wasn't confusing me.
One time feeling desperate seeing poverty at home I asked him. "Hindi kaya magbago (read: sumama) ang ugali natin kung yumaman tayo? And he smiled. For a poor family, it was difficult to imagine being rich.
But I think everybody wants to be rich. The opportunities are just so few- perhaps for the many impoverished.
Management books like "Rich Dad and Poor Dad" would say "it's all in the mind." "Believe and you will see," they'd say.
But your conscience asks you. Must I leave organizing, development work and the masa in order to be rich? Does this sense of communalism- with my in-laws' family work?
I scrimped on my meager salary as a teacher to buy/ loan a hand-tractor, a mini-thresher, and an old jeep. We'd let no chemical fertilizers touch our palay farm because this is costly, anyway. But the miracle of richness never came.
The hubby has died - having been riddled with bullets which sounded like sinturon ni Hudas on a New Year's Eve.
Me? I'd probably spend some more New Years with my kids before Kamatayan tells me "Time's up!" My accomplishment in this lifetime may still pale compared with other organizers', and development workers' accomplishments. But I hope my own contribution to a more peaceful and equitable world for my kids and the future generation will not have been for naught.
It's 3 am. I hope I'd merit sleeping under Inang Laya's kanlungan someday.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Philippine Origin
How many of us have had the experience of being with the Aytas? There are probably only a few. But we know them from rote memory because it's more likely our teachers told us that Aytas/ Negritos were the first people to inhabit the Philippines.
But did you ever ask yourself if this is factual? To children, it is not for them to ask why. I didn't when I was young. But now that I'm older and supposed to have become wiser, I asked why.
Teachers tell us that this is because the Negritos (which they also call Aytas) have dark skin, are short, flat-nosed and have kinky hair and thick lips. But think again. Is there a connection between these characteristics and being the first Philippine inhabitants, especially considering the time gap?
Our teachers argument probably goes this way. There are Aytas today. Aytas look this particular way. Aytas have somehow retained their culture. Early History books say so. Therefore the first inhabitants in the Philippines are the Aytas.
Perhaps. But let me use the argument on characteristics and let me pose some questions again.
If Aytas have kinky hair today, could kinky hairs have been unearthed millions of years ago in the Philippines? If the early Filipinos have been flat-nosed, could anthropologists have found flat noses in middens in Palawan? If the Aytas today are dark-skinned, could the first Tabon cave people's skins (which must be dark) have been fossilized in stones and were found as evidences? And if the early Philippine inhabitants were short, could they have found bones, that time, which are short?
Except for the hair and bones which could be preserved and survive all these years no flat nose, dark skin, thick lips, and kinky hair have been dug, as yet. Perhaps now that the Arctic ice is fast receding into the sea, we may find these. But for now, we don't have hard facts.
In fact historians note that some Tabon persons found then were 5'10'' in height! And mind you, there are Aytas today who are this tall.
My exposure to their communities, not history books, taught me that Aytas may still be classified into 7 subgroups. I remember 6 of them: Mag-anchi, Magbeken, Mag-indi, Talimaren, Abellen and Ambala. And they all don't look the same. Some are fair-skinned. Some have straight hair and noses like Michael Jordan. I'm sure Manny Pacquiao would want a nose lift now that he can very well afford a nose lift.
Times change and Filipinos will always have their origin. But to say that the first Philippine inhabitants can't be categorically be proven as Aytas is not excuse for some of us to treat them the way some of us, or many of us, still call them - minorities.
In an article published by the Tebtebba Foundation, it wrote that "indigenous peoples (Aytas included) are the sole guardians of vast habitats critical to modern societies for regulating water cycles, maintaining the stability of the climate, and providing valuable plants, animals, and genes. " We depend on them for about 50% of the world's medicine and around 80% of the world's food.
So keep on remembering every month of October, which is Indigenous Peoples month, that there can't be us without them, whether Aytas be our forefathers or foremothers.
But did you ever ask yourself if this is factual? To children, it is not for them to ask why. I didn't when I was young. But now that I'm older and supposed to have become wiser, I asked why.
Teachers tell us that this is because the Negritos (which they also call Aytas) have dark skin, are short, flat-nosed and have kinky hair and thick lips. But think again. Is there a connection between these characteristics and being the first Philippine inhabitants, especially considering the time gap?
Our teachers argument probably goes this way. There are Aytas today. Aytas look this particular way. Aytas have somehow retained their culture. Early History books say so. Therefore the first inhabitants in the Philippines are the Aytas.
Perhaps. But let me use the argument on characteristics and let me pose some questions again.
If Aytas have kinky hair today, could kinky hairs have been unearthed millions of years ago in the Philippines? If the early Filipinos have been flat-nosed, could anthropologists have found flat noses in middens in Palawan? If the Aytas today are dark-skinned, could the first Tabon cave people's skins (which must be dark) have been fossilized in stones and were found as evidences? And if the early Philippine inhabitants were short, could they have found bones, that time, which are short?
Except for the hair and bones which could be preserved and survive all these years no flat nose, dark skin, thick lips, and kinky hair have been dug, as yet. Perhaps now that the Arctic ice is fast receding into the sea, we may find these. But for now, we don't have hard facts.
In fact historians note that some Tabon persons found then were 5'10'' in height! And mind you, there are Aytas today who are this tall.
My exposure to their communities, not history books, taught me that Aytas may still be classified into 7 subgroups. I remember 6 of them: Mag-anchi, Magbeken, Mag-indi, Talimaren, Abellen and Ambala. And they all don't look the same. Some are fair-skinned. Some have straight hair and noses like Michael Jordan. I'm sure Manny Pacquiao would want a nose lift now that he can very well afford a nose lift.
Times change and Filipinos will always have their origin. But to say that the first Philippine inhabitants can't be categorically be proven as Aytas is not excuse for some of us to treat them the way some of us, or many of us, still call them - minorities.
In an article published by the Tebtebba Foundation, it wrote that "indigenous peoples (Aytas included) are the sole guardians of vast habitats critical to modern societies for regulating water cycles, maintaining the stability of the climate, and providing valuable plants, animals, and genes. " We depend on them for about 50% of the world's medicine and around 80% of the world's food.
So keep on remembering every month of October, which is Indigenous Peoples month, that there can't be us without them, whether Aytas be our forefathers or foremothers.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Feel Good Movies
The long weekend last October 12-14 was good. Yes, there was enough time to go watch and see movies. But unlike in the '80s when watching movies was actually going to a movie theater which I think cost only about 30 pesos ( I think- which reminds me of my age), the Ghost Rider which we watched in SM Baguio last December cost us a staggering P70! each. That's P210 for me and my 2 kids - the same amount for 2 kilos of chicken.
Its good the DVD was invented so we didn't have to go to the only theater in Olongapo. We watched at home and did a marathon of watching movies. Below is a list of Feel Good Movies which you might want to see. Enjoy! We deserve it.
Shall we dance
Akeelah and the Bee
Tarzan I (the cartoon version)
Brother Bear
Jump in I
We are Marshall
Goal
Violet Ladies
Duma
Jersey Girl
Little Man Tate
Magnifico
Miracle Worker
Facing the Giants
Drumline
Its good the DVD was invented so we didn't have to go to the only theater in Olongapo. We watched at home and did a marathon of watching movies. Below is a list of Feel Good Movies which you might want to see. Enjoy! We deserve it.
Shall we dance
Akeelah and the Bee
Tarzan I (the cartoon version)
Brother Bear
Jump in I
We are Marshall
Goal
Violet Ladies
Duma
Jersey Girl
Little Man Tate
Magnifico
Miracle Worker
Facing the Giants
Drumline
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Butterfly
Sometime in 2002, I had the chance to be participant to Museo Pambata's seminar entitled "Establishing Children's Museum." By the way, Museo Pambata is in Roxas Boulevard, beside the US Embassy.
It was actually my mother's plan to build one in Subic. Sounds boring, di ba? Kasi ba naman pag nasa museum ka bawal maghawak ng kahit ano, bawal mag-ingay, bawal tumakbo. Kulang na lang magsalita ang museum at sabihing "Sana hindi ka na pumasok."
But this seminar was so good. We had to be like children. Nag-drawing kami. We were read children's stories. Mind you, nakaimbento pa ako ng jingle namin which could've sounded like it was made for a Pong Pagong tv episode. At one activity, everybody was made to hold hands while sitting. We were all giggling, not minding what a Science Museum guide was making one participant hold. And then the "Eeeeeeekkk!" scream by everybody. Kuryentehin ka ba naman. Siyempre, buhay pa kami. Everyone actually shrieked dahil gumapang sa mga kamay namin yong kuryente.
But this blog isn't really much about Museo. It's about kids and what we, adults, are capable of doing to them. I hope we don't forget the lessons here. This was actually shared during that seminar at Museo. Happy Children's Month!
"I remembered one morning when I discovered a cocoon in the bark of a tree, just as
a butterfly was making a hole in its case and preparing to come out. I waited a while,
but it was too long appearing and I was impatient. I bent over it and breathed on it
to warm it. I warmed it as quickly as I could and the miracle began to happen before
my eyes, faster than life. The case opened, the butterfly started slowly crawling out
and I shall never forget my horror when I saw how its wings were folded back and
crumpled; the wretched butterfly tried with its whole trembling body to unfold them.
Bending over it, I tried to help it with my breath. In vain. It needed to be hatched
patiently and the unfolding of the wings should be a gradual process in the sun. Now
it was too late. My breath had forced the butterfly to appear, all crumpled, before its
time. It struggled desperately and, a few seconds later, died in the palm of my hand.
"That little body is, I do believe, the greatest weight I have on my conscience. For I
realize today that it is a mortal sin to violate the great laws of nature. We should not
hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm.
"Childhood:
A journey, not a race."
It was actually my mother's plan to build one in Subic. Sounds boring, di ba? Kasi ba naman pag nasa museum ka bawal maghawak ng kahit ano, bawal mag-ingay, bawal tumakbo. Kulang na lang magsalita ang museum at sabihing "Sana hindi ka na pumasok."
But this seminar was so good. We had to be like children. Nag-drawing kami. We were read children's stories. Mind you, nakaimbento pa ako ng jingle namin which could've sounded like it was made for a Pong Pagong tv episode. At one activity, everybody was made to hold hands while sitting. We were all giggling, not minding what a Science Museum guide was making one participant hold. And then the "Eeeeeeekkk!" scream by everybody. Kuryentehin ka ba naman. Siyempre, buhay pa kami. Everyone actually shrieked dahil gumapang sa mga kamay namin yong kuryente.
But this blog isn't really much about Museo. It's about kids and what we, adults, are capable of doing to them. I hope we don't forget the lessons here. This was actually shared during that seminar at Museo. Happy Children's Month!
"I remembered one morning when I discovered a cocoon in the bark of a tree, just as
a butterfly was making a hole in its case and preparing to come out. I waited a while,
but it was too long appearing and I was impatient. I bent over it and breathed on it
to warm it. I warmed it as quickly as I could and the miracle began to happen before
my eyes, faster than life. The case opened, the butterfly started slowly crawling out
and I shall never forget my horror when I saw how its wings were folded back and
crumpled; the wretched butterfly tried with its whole trembling body to unfold them.
Bending over it, I tried to help it with my breath. In vain. It needed to be hatched
patiently and the unfolding of the wings should be a gradual process in the sun. Now
it was too late. My breath had forced the butterfly to appear, all crumpled, before its
time. It struggled desperately and, a few seconds later, died in the palm of my hand.
"That little body is, I do believe, the greatest weight I have on my conscience. For I
realize today that it is a mortal sin to violate the great laws of nature. We should not
hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm.
"Childhood:
A journey, not a race."
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Multiple Intelligence
May tao nga bang "tanga," as we usually term other people, especially kids. Find out and answer the Multiple Intelligence Index developed by Gardner.
Instruction: give the numerical score for the following statements as they apply to you:
4=always; 3=frequently; 2=sometimes; 1=seldom; 0=never
1. _____ I get more out of listening to the radio or to a word cassette than from films or television.
2. _____ Math and/ or Science were among my favorite subjects.
3. _____ I am sensitive to color.
4. _____ I like working with my hands with activities like sawing, carving, carpentry, weaving.
5. _____ I can carry a tune/ play a musical instrument.
6. _____ I am the sort of person that people come to for advice/ counsel at work or in my neighborhood.
7. _____ I have opinions that set me apart from the crowd.
8. _____ I enjoy entertaining myself/ others with tongue twisters, nonsense rhymes, or puns.
9. _____ I like to set up little "what if" experiments (for example: What if I doubled the amount of heat applied, would the substance evaporate quicker?).
10. ____ I generally find my way around unfamiliar territory.
11. ____ I use hand gestures/ other forms of body language when conversing with someone.
12. ____ I listen to music on the radio, record, tapes and know tunes of many different musical instrument.
13. ____ I prefer group sports like volleyball/ basketball to solo sports like swimming/ jogging.
14. ____ I have a special hobby or interest that I keep pretty much to myself.
15. ____ In school, English social studies and history were easier for me than Math and Science.
16. ____ My mind searches for patterns, regularities or logical sequences in things.
17. ____ I like to draw or doodle.
18. ____ I need to touch things to learn more about them.
19. ____ I catch myself with a tune or jingle running through my head.
20. ____ I enjoy the challenge of teaching another person or group what I know.
21. ____ I think and reflect on my goals in life.
22. ____ On the road, I pay attention to workds on billboards than to the scenery.
23. ____ I think in clear, abstract, wordless, imageless concepts.
24. ____ I can imagine how something might appear from a bird's eye view.
25. ____ I enjoy daredevil amusement rides/ tasks that challenge my physical side.
26. ____ If I hear a musical selection once or twice, I can sing it back accurately.
27. ____ I consider myself a leader ( or others have called me this).
28. ____ My view of my personal strengths and weaknesses is borne out by feedback from other sources.
29. ____ My conversation includes frequent references to things I've read or heard.
30. ____ I prefer that things are measured, analyzed, quantified in some way.
31. ____ I prefer reading material that is heavily illustrated.
32. ____ I could describe myself as well coordinated.
33. ____ I like to listen to music when I'm working, studying, or learning something new.
34. ____ I like to get involved in social activities connected with my work, church, community.
35. ____ I meditate/ reflect on my inner life.
SCORING
Instruction: Transfer your scores below.
Lin - Linguistics Mus - Music
Logma - Logical/ Mathematical Inter - Interrelationship
Spa - Spatial Intra - Intrarelationship
Bodkin - Body Kinetics
Lin Logma Spa Bodkin Mus Inter Intra
1. ____ 2. ____ 3. ____ 4. ____ 5. ____ 6. ____ 7. ____
8. ____ 9. ____ 10. ____ 11. ____ 12. ____ 13. ____ 14. ____
15.____ 16. ____ 17. ____ 18. ____ 19. ____ 20. ____ 21. ____
22.____ 23. ____ 24.____ 25. ____ 26. ____ 27. ____ 28. ____
29. ____ 30. ____ 31. ____ 32. ____ 33. ____ 34. ____ 35. ____
Interpretation:
The highest score reflect where one is most intelligent at. The lowest score reflect where one is most good at. The assumption of this Index, however, is that everybody has some form of intelligence and that nobody is "not intelligent." And because there is no zero intelligence then let's start at what level we are and improve from there.
So before blurting out that "tanga" word, think again about this index. In fact more types of intelligence is being discovered.
Instruction: give the numerical score for the following statements as they apply to you:
4=always; 3=frequently; 2=sometimes; 1=seldom; 0=never
1. _____ I get more out of listening to the radio or to a word cassette than from films or television.
2. _____ Math and/ or Science were among my favorite subjects.
3. _____ I am sensitive to color.
4. _____ I like working with my hands with activities like sawing, carving, carpentry, weaving.
5. _____ I can carry a tune/ play a musical instrument.
6. _____ I am the sort of person that people come to for advice/ counsel at work or in my neighborhood.
7. _____ I have opinions that set me apart from the crowd.
8. _____ I enjoy entertaining myself/ others with tongue twisters, nonsense rhymes, or puns.
9. _____ I like to set up little "what if" experiments (for example: What if I doubled the amount of heat applied, would the substance evaporate quicker?).
10. ____ I generally find my way around unfamiliar territory.
11. ____ I use hand gestures/ other forms of body language when conversing with someone.
12. ____ I listen to music on the radio, record, tapes and know tunes of many different musical instrument.
13. ____ I prefer group sports like volleyball/ basketball to solo sports like swimming/ jogging.
14. ____ I have a special hobby or interest that I keep pretty much to myself.
15. ____ In school, English social studies and history were easier for me than Math and Science.
16. ____ My mind searches for patterns, regularities or logical sequences in things.
17. ____ I like to draw or doodle.
18. ____ I need to touch things to learn more about them.
19. ____ I catch myself with a tune or jingle running through my head.
20. ____ I enjoy the challenge of teaching another person or group what I know.
21. ____ I think and reflect on my goals in life.
22. ____ On the road, I pay attention to workds on billboards than to the scenery.
23. ____ I think in clear, abstract, wordless, imageless concepts.
24. ____ I can imagine how something might appear from a bird's eye view.
25. ____ I enjoy daredevil amusement rides/ tasks that challenge my physical side.
26. ____ If I hear a musical selection once or twice, I can sing it back accurately.
27. ____ I consider myself a leader ( or others have called me this).
28. ____ My view of my personal strengths and weaknesses is borne out by feedback from other sources.
29. ____ My conversation includes frequent references to things I've read or heard.
30. ____ I prefer that things are measured, analyzed, quantified in some way.
31. ____ I prefer reading material that is heavily illustrated.
32. ____ I could describe myself as well coordinated.
33. ____ I like to listen to music when I'm working, studying, or learning something new.
34. ____ I like to get involved in social activities connected with my work, church, community.
35. ____ I meditate/ reflect on my inner life.
SCORING
Instruction: Transfer your scores below.
Lin - Linguistics Mus - Music
Logma - Logical/ Mathematical Inter - Interrelationship
Spa - Spatial Intra - Intrarelationship
Bodkin - Body Kinetics
Lin Logma Spa Bodkin Mus Inter Intra
1. ____ 2. ____ 3. ____ 4. ____ 5. ____ 6. ____ 7. ____
8. ____ 9. ____ 10. ____ 11. ____ 12. ____ 13. ____ 14. ____
15.____ 16. ____ 17. ____ 18. ____ 19. ____ 20. ____ 21. ____
22.____ 23. ____ 24.____ 25. ____ 26. ____ 27. ____ 28. ____
29. ____ 30. ____ 31. ____ 32. ____ 33. ____ 34. ____ 35. ____
Interpretation:
The highest score reflect where one is most intelligent at. The lowest score reflect where one is most good at. The assumption of this Index, however, is that everybody has some form of intelligence and that nobody is "not intelligent." And because there is no zero intelligence then let's start at what level we are and improve from there.
So before blurting out that "tanga" word, think again about this index. In fact more types of intelligence is being discovered.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Mother to an Aeta
It all started when I was taking research for my Masteral studies in Community Development at the University of the Philippines. Being Unat, I wanted (actually I was very excited) to do a life history of an Aeta communty organizer. My professor never knew it but one reason for that research proposal was that I was interested in one particular Aeta and I knew I'd be able to learn more about him if I did it.
To make the story short, I got a very high grade in that class, but I haven't finished my Master's until now. I got married to that Aeta and I am now a mother to an Aeta boy.
What does it mean being mother to an Aeta boy especially since I am Unat and a graduate of UP?
Well it does not really make a difference- but actually it does make a lot of difference. It means that I have to be patient at all times in explaining to people that our baby has straight hair and a morena complexion and he is an Aeta. It means that whether or not he's dressed up or if there's sand or charcoal all over his body because he loves to play with these or he wears Kimbies and not just lubay or bahag, I will keep telling anyone who asks that our baby is an Aeta.
It also meeans that I will always be thankful to our office for allowing me to breast-feed him. I cried the first time he was fed with powdered milk while I was away. Call it impulse, call it instinct, I thought I'd lose him by continuous feeding with infant formula at that age.
It means walking so many kilometers to visit his cousins and see if our communal chemical fertilizer-and-pesticide-free ricefield, which is less than a hectare, is growing well.
It means preparing his breakfast of ripe mangoes and rice (No Cerelac, please) or a lunch of kamoteng kahoy sauteed with bagoong and mixed with leaves of ligaw na ampalaya or a dinner of bulig, fresh from the sapa, na sinabawan sa tanglad.
It means teaching him how to use the spoon and fork and at the same time allowing him to learn how to feed himself. His sariling diskarte, as Tatay said, is using both hands or putting his face on his plate until his pink sando gets stained.
It means using first amapalaya juice for general welfare and hilot for pilay before going to the doctor or the pharmacy.
It means reading to him stories fit for his age before he takes a nap in the morning, and worrying what to read to him next because what we have are Reader's Digest and newspapers. Pinatubo Aetas and the like have no budget for books that he would need as he gets older and wiser.
It means reminding him to return to their proper places Nanay's shoes or Lola's clogs after he's gotten over his anger because he can't put his right foot into the right shoe.
It means dancing with him until he gets dizzy over the new steps he's probably imitated from somewhere.
It means explaining to him Nanay's disappointment or Tatay's anger. It means letting him cry when he's hurt and teaching him to pat his playmate's back or hand when they cry.
It means showing him how Tatay washes our clothes and cooks our food and letting him listen to Tatay's and Nanay's assessments of the family, the Philippine economy or the continuing struggle of indigenous peoples.
It means wishing that someday my baby will be able to return to Pinatubo-his lupang ninuno-and help organize Aeta communities when he's more able.
But for now it simply means whispering "Mahal ka ni Tatay at ni Nanay at marami pang iba. Kaya matulog na para bukas makapaglaro muli."
--This article was published in July 1996 in the Youngblood section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, or two years after my first son was born.
To make the story short, I got a very high grade in that class, but I haven't finished my Master's until now. I got married to that Aeta and I am now a mother to an Aeta boy.
What does it mean being mother to an Aeta boy especially since I am Unat and a graduate of UP?
Well it does not really make a difference- but actually it does make a lot of difference. It means that I have to be patient at all times in explaining to people that our baby has straight hair and a morena complexion and he is an Aeta. It means that whether or not he's dressed up or if there's sand or charcoal all over his body because he loves to play with these or he wears Kimbies and not just lubay or bahag, I will keep telling anyone who asks that our baby is an Aeta.
It also meeans that I will always be thankful to our office for allowing me to breast-feed him. I cried the first time he was fed with powdered milk while I was away. Call it impulse, call it instinct, I thought I'd lose him by continuous feeding with infant formula at that age.
It means walking so many kilometers to visit his cousins and see if our communal chemical fertilizer-and-pesticide-free ricefield, which is less than a hectare, is growing well.
It means preparing his breakfast of ripe mangoes and rice (No Cerelac, please) or a lunch of kamoteng kahoy sauteed with bagoong and mixed with leaves of ligaw na ampalaya or a dinner of bulig, fresh from the sapa, na sinabawan sa tanglad.
It means teaching him how to use the spoon and fork and at the same time allowing him to learn how to feed himself. His sariling diskarte, as Tatay said, is using both hands or putting his face on his plate until his pink sando gets stained.
It means using first amapalaya juice for general welfare and hilot for pilay before going to the doctor or the pharmacy.
It means reading to him stories fit for his age before he takes a nap in the morning, and worrying what to read to him next because what we have are Reader's Digest and newspapers. Pinatubo Aetas and the like have no budget for books that he would need as he gets older and wiser.
It means reminding him to return to their proper places Nanay's shoes or Lola's clogs after he's gotten over his anger because he can't put his right foot into the right shoe.
It means dancing with him until he gets dizzy over the new steps he's probably imitated from somewhere.
It means explaining to him Nanay's disappointment or Tatay's anger. It means letting him cry when he's hurt and teaching him to pat his playmate's back or hand when they cry.
It means showing him how Tatay washes our clothes and cooks our food and letting him listen to Tatay's and Nanay's assessments of the family, the Philippine economy or the continuing struggle of indigenous peoples.
It means wishing that someday my baby will be able to return to Pinatubo-his lupang ninuno-and help organize Aeta communities when he's more able.
But for now it simply means whispering "Mahal ka ni Tatay at ni Nanay at marami pang iba. Kaya matulog na para bukas makapaglaro muli."
--This article was published in July 1996 in the Youngblood section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, or two years after my first son was born.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Blogging
I've been meaning to write in my own blogspot for what may have been ages (read 1 week ago) since a friend invited me. Can you imagine me dreaming about blogging? Sus! No kidding. I'm not even tech-savvy- which explains why it took me "ages" to finally start writing. I even shrieked with delight, to the amazement of my officemates, when I created my first account. Wary of that my boss might see me creating this blog, I had to contain my excitement.
So what's the fuss about this blogging? I really don't know. But streams of words, pictures, essays, stories have been running inside my head since that invitation. Even emotions of excitement, anxiety, joy and what have you have been welling up. Somehow I feel that this blogspot is going to contain all these things in my head and my heart until my hands would begin to create something.... some things.... beautiful. Abangan
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