Ten Ten De Sarapen

Punjetry

Isa

Isa lang akong taong nagmamahal

Isa lang akong taong naghihintay na nang matagal

Isa lang akong taong nawalan na nang dangal

Isa lang pala

Ako lang

Ako lang yung nagmamahal

Dalawa

Parati nalang ako pangalawa

Pangalawang nagpapasalamat

Pangalawang pumepwesto sa pila ng mga mahal mo kuno

Pangalawang nagkulang

Pangalawang nangangalawang na

Dalawa mong itlog na lagi nalang hayok sa pagpapaluwang

Tatlo

Tatlong oras lang noong tayo ang muling nagkausap

Tatlong araw lang noong hindi na

Tatlong taon lang ang relasyon mo sa kanya

Na tatlong beses mo rin siyang pinagpalit, tulad ng ginawa mo sa akin

Tatlo parin itong pitaka kong may litrato mo

Tatlong parin itong kandilang hawak ko para sunugin ito

Tatlo ang numerong pinaramdam mo sa akin na ako ay talo

Apat

Apat na sakay

Apat ng klaseng transportasyon

Apat na papunta dito, papunta doon

Apat na paliku-liko hanggang napunta na sa wala

Apat na kahit anong…

View original post 416 more words

The Ombudsman’s Declaration to Investigate Abad on DAP and PDAF is Doubtful, and “clearing” the President is Dubious

The Ombudsman’s Declaration

to Investigate Abad on DAP and PDAF is Doubtful

and “clearing” the President is Dubious

By Apolinario Villalobos

Every time the Chief of the Department of the Budget Management (DBM) releases a certain fund, he has to secure first the approval of the President of the Philippines which is a standard operating procedure. The President on the other hand is supposed to have been briefed on the details surrounding the fund as explained by the Chief of the DBM before the former signs the pertinent documents. Where is the logic then, in the declaration of the Office of the Ombudsman that while it absolves the President on the issues of the PDAF and DAP, the DBM Chief will be investigated? Why is the principle of the command responsibility not applied in this case? On the other hand, the President has a full knowledge of what he was approving, so he cannot just wash his hands.

The act of the Ombudsman is tantamount to a “moro-moro” which is just for show. It is obvious that there is a concerted effort from all sectors of the administration to “clear” the President before he steps out of Malacaἧan in 2016. At the last minute, he even changed his tune on the issue of the Mamasapano, although, it is also doubtful if justice can indeed be reaped while he is still around. His declaration on the Mamasapano massacre also shows another act of washing of hands, and passing of the buck to the incoming administration. Even the Maguindanao Massacre case still has to step on the first base as in the game of baseball, although, the president has made statements about his “giving instructions” to expedite the investigation which just raised the eyebrows of the skeptics.

The Office of the Ombudsman is clearly doing a hectic clearing effort to prevent the filing of cases, or at least reduce their number, as Pnoy will definitely suffer the same fate of Gloria Arroyo, as soon as he steps down. The objective has been implied when the Palace made a follow up statement to the Ombudsman’s declaration, that it has to be “respected”.

Lately, the DBM Chief has sort of complained when he said that he is just recommending and that the President has the final say…so, the picture is clear as regards the guilty party. Could this mean that the latest washing of hands of the President will cause a rift between him and his long-time trusted friend Abad? This happened between Vitangcol, the former chief of the MRT and his boss, Jun Abaya, chief of the DOTC, when the former was suddenly dropped like a hot potato, after a graft case was filed against him. Abaya eventually complained, “bakit ako lang?” (why single me out?, or why only me?), insinuating that all final decisions come from Abaya.

That’s how “colorful” and “suspenseful” are the happenings in the administration of President Pnoy…as he leads the country towards his “tuwid na daan” (straight path”. I just hope that the road does not end at a precarious cliff!

T’boli

T’boli

By Apolinario B Villalobos

Gentle people of South Cotabato –

Epitome of strength who moves with agility

But graceful enough to sway with the wind

With innocent smile easily parting their lips

And laughter that crease their gentle face.

Fortunate people, contentedly they live –

In the fastness of green, rivers, hills and valleys

By God’s will, long- hidden from lowlanders

Which did them good, but then time came –

The haze was parted, and finally, they were seen.

Clothed in patiently – pounded fibers

And woven into the smooth cloth – t’nalak

The men stand proud in the earth-colored garb

While women looking regal in their vivid dress

Seen from afar, they seem to float in the breeze.

People of the rainbow, these people are –

And placid that made them prey to the greedy

But to them, God is kind, made them secured

From harm that only the heartless could inflict

And nature’s wrath, to them could easily wreak.

Straight from their heart, to God they pray

Sincere praises are mumbled by betel-red lips

No pretensions in their offered dances

Pleadings are for their safety and health

That for them are well- cherished wealth…

(The T’boli is one of the indigenous tribes of the Philippines, found in the southern part of the archipelago, particularly, South Cotabato province, island of Mindanao)

Taos-pusong Serbisyo: tatak ng Lunsod ng Bacoor…salamat kay Nolasco S. Espiritu at Jessica S. Sarino

Taos-pusong Serbisyo : tatak ng Lunsod ng Bacoor

(…salamat kay Nolasco S. Espiritu at Jessica S. Sarino)

ni Apolinario Villalobos

Matagal ko nang narinig ang magagandang kuwento tungkol sa mga nagtatrabaho sa City Hall ng Bacoor. Sinasabi nilang iba ang pakiramdam kapag nasa loob ka na ng bulwagan dahil halos lahat ng mga kawani ay handang sumagot nang walang pagkayamot sa mga tanong. Mararamdaman daw talaga ang taos-pusong pag-asikaso ng mga empleyado sa lahat ng may nilalakad sa City Hall.

Akala ko ay hanggang kuwento lang ang maririnig ko, hanggang sa madanasan ko rin ang sinasabi nilang kakaibang serbisyo nang minsang may nilakad akong mga papeles. Dahil sa kalituhan, pumasok ako sa kuwarto ng mga kawani sa halip na magtanong sa naka-assign sa counter. Mali na ako doon dahil kailangan ko palang kumuha ng number sa Information Desk. Ganoon pa man, pagpasok ko sa kuwarto, ang una kong nakausap ay hindi nag-atubili sa pagbaba muna ng hawak na dokumentong binabasa upang abutin naman ang mga dokumentong hawak ko. Matiyaga niyang binasa ang iniabot ko at pagkatapos ay sumangguni rin sa isa pang kawani. Magkatulong silang nagpaliwanag sa akin tungkol sa hawak kong mga dokumento – sa napakamahinahong paraan, na aaminin kong noon ko pa lang naranasan.

Parehong halos umapaw sa mga nakasalansang dokumento ang mesa ng dalawang nakausap ko, na ibig sabihin ay “hanggang leeg” ang kanilang ginagawa. Sa kabila ng ganoong kalagayan, nangako pa rin sila na maaasikaso agad ang nilalakad ko. Ang pagkakamali ko ay humirit pa ako ng pakiusap na baka pwede akong maghintay. Lumabas tuloy na hindi ko sila inunawa sa kabila ng nakatambak nilang trabaho. Sa halip na mainis sa ginawa ko ay malumanay pa rin silang nakiusap na bumalik ako kinabukasan. Ni hindi nila binanggit ang sangkaterbang dokumentong unang naipila sa kanilang mesa.

Nagulat ako nang malaman kong ang una ko palang nakausap ay mismong hepe ng departamento ng Assessor’s Office, na si G. Nolasco S. Espiritu. Humanga ako sa kanya dahil hindi man lang niya ako ini-refer sa isa sa mga staff niya. Ang kinausap naman niyang nakaupo sa harap niya ay si Bb. Jessica S. Sarino, Assessment Clerk III. Pareho silang maaliwalas ang mukha sa kabila ng sangkaterbang dokumentong kailangang asikasuhin, kaya nawala ang lahat ng agam-agam ko na baka mahirapan ako sa pagkuha ng kailangan kong dokumento. Napatunayan ko ang kanilang katapatan sa binitiwang pangako dahil kinabukasan ay nakuha ko rin ang dokumento.

Malaking bagay para sa kliyente ng isang opisina, ma-gobyerno man o ma-pribado, ang malumanay na pag-asikaso sa kanyang pangangailangan. Naipapakita ito ng empleyado sa pamamagitan ng maaliwalas na mukha at pakikipag-usap na may halong pang-unawa. Hindi maiwasan ng mga kliyenteng magkaroon ng pag-alinlangan at agam-agam  sa maaaring mangyari sa nilalakad nilang dokumento. Kaya ang malinaw at malumanay na paliwanag na ginawa nina G. Espiritu at Bb. Sarino ay nakatulong ng malaki upang mawala ang aking pag-alinlangan at naramdamang kaba.

Sa isang banda naman,  hindi ko maiwasang bigyan ng pansin, na sa kabila ng masikip nilang kalagayan, maliksi pa rin sa pagkilos ang mga empleyado. Mabuti na lamang at magkakaroon na rin sila ng maluwag na opisina sa bagong City Hall ng lunsod na nasa Molino Boulevard, pagkalampas lang ng St. Dominic Hospital. Ito ang magiging pamana ni mayor Strike Revilla sa mga taga-Bacoor, sa pagtatapos ng kanyang panunungkulan.

Ang mga katulad nina G. Espiritu at Bb. Sarino ay dapat tularan ng mga nagtatrabaho sa gobyerno, lalo pa at sa panahon ngayon ay sunud-sunod ang mga pagbatikos na nangyayari sa kanila. Idagdag pa diyan ang hindi magandang imahe ng kasalukuyang administrasyon, kaya nadadamay ang ibang maganda naman ang ginagawa. Sa isang bagong lunsod tulad ng Bacoor na may makulay at madugong kasaysayan kaya nakakahatak ng mga turistang lokal at dayuhan, mahalaga ang isa o ilang tatak na magbibigay ng alaala. Sa ginawa nina G. Espiritu at Bb. Sarino, ang tumatak sa aking isip ay ang taos-puso nilang pagtupad ng kanilang tungkulin…na magiging tatak na rin ng lunsod ng Bacoor.

The Phenomenon called “growing old”…its benefits and disadvantages

The Phenomenon called “Growing Old”

…its benefits and disadvantages

By Apolinario Villalobos

Nobody should be afraid of growing old. It is among the many normal human processes that are part of existence. Simply put, growing old means, one continues to live, for if he does not…he is dead. Among Filipinos, there is a joke about unhealthy foods that make one not grow old which means that they will make him die at a young age.

The people of the Bible, especially, the Patriarchs were known to have lived beyond a century. Nowadays, if ever there are people who are still alive at the age of 100 or more, they are esteemed, treated with respect and showered with admiration. In some countries the centenarians are honored like heroes, subjected to interviews to extract information about the food that they eat and their daily habits. Those who belong to prominent families admit that they take “maintenance drugs” and their foods are strictly chosen. But for the poverty-stricken, they consider growing old as just some kind of luck, as they have no money for regular medical check-ups, supplemental drugs and healthy food…add to that their exposure to the elements, as some of them live on sidewalks and makeshift huts.

In the Philippines as in some other countries, the most cherished benefits of the senior citizens are the “discount” on basic necessities and privilege of not falling in the regular long line of customers in malls, supermarkets and banks. The government extends the much-deserved benefits in recognition of their contribution in propping up the stability of their nation.

Unfortunately, along with growing old is the degeneration of the ageing body parts. The rich try to remedy this unavoidable occurrence with the expensive stem cell therapy, aside from facial makeover that involves the traditional plastic surgery. Others take the risk of undergoing implant or transplant procedure. We then, see photos of celebrities with almost unreal faces – smooth like a plastic sheet without any tell-tale trace of a single wrinkle at an age when their faces are supposed to be furrowed with the dreaded lines.

There are some people who cannot accept the fact that everything on earth has its end. Boulders crumble, rivers and lakes go dry, forest gets denuded….how much more for the living? Aside from the reduction of population caused by natural death, there’s the so-called survival of the fittest among the lesser creatures with the strong consuming the weak, but in the case of man, just simply the killing of the weak by the strong during wars. Then, there’s the wrath of nature that devastates thousands of lives with a single stroke, and, of course, the plague of diseases.

We cannot stop ageing. Instead of dreading it, the process should prepare us for the day when we finally call it quits and bid goodbye to the world. It should instead, prepare us by making amends with our enemies, paying our debts, and of course, thank whoever gave us life. I found out that planning comes naturally for those who are positive about this ageing process, as they no longer regard with importance their amassed worldly gains, but instead find ways to dispose them, one of which is by distributing them among charitable institutions. Common sense dictates that “travel” is more pleasant if there is no “heavy baggage” to burden us. This realization comes only if we accept growing old as part of our life that cannot be shaken off by scientific interventions.

One of my friends told me that she gave instructions to her heirs that when she die, she wants a smiling face, not a serious one, for her friends to view inside the box of final solace, so they better find an embalmer who can do the best job. That is what I call the best preparation for the “day” which growing old cannot deter.

Ngayon lang Nalaman ng Gobyerno ang Kakulangan sa Kaalaman sa Philippine History ng mga Estudyante???!!!

Ngayon lang Nalaman ng Gobyerno

Ang Kakulangan sa Kaalaman sa Philippine History

Ng mga Estudyante??!!

ni Apolinario Villalobos

Kung hindi pa dahil sa tanong mula sa mga kabataan at kumalat sa social media kung bakit palaging nakaupo si Apolinario Mabini, hindi pa nalaman ng mga kinauukulan sa gobyerno ang kawalan ng kaalaman ng mga kabataan tungkol sa mahahalagang bagay sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas. Nakakahiya!!!

Pinalitan ng Asian Studies ang Philippine History sa High School. Nakakaduda rin kung may itinuturong kasaysayan sa mga mababang baytang ng mga paaralan. Sa dami ng mga “workbooks” na nakasilid sa animo ay maleta na bag ng mga bata, sila ay nalilito na kaya walang pumapasok halos sa kanilang kamuwangan. Paanong hindi pagdudahan ito, ganoong ang pagturo nga lang ng tamang pagbigkas ng mga letrang Pilipino lalo na ang letrang “R” ay hindi nga nagagawa ng  ibang titser. Napansin kong maski ang ibang mga titser mismo ay guilty sa maling pagbigkas ng letrang “R”. Para kasi sa kanila, ang pa-English na pagbigkas ng letrang “R” ay sosyal ang dating. Mariin kong nililinaw na hindi lahat ng teacher ay guilty sa pagpapabaya.

Nakakahiyang malaman na ang alam ng karamihan sa mga estudyante tungkol sa “Tandang Sora” ay yong kalye sa Quezon City. Bago rin  sa pandinig nila ang pangalang “Dagohoy”. Lalo na siguro ang pangalang “Sikatuna” at “Lakandula”, “Marikudo”, “Sumuroy”, “Maniwangtiwang”, at iba pa. Pero tanungin sila tungkol sa mga games sa internet at cellphone…lahat alam nila!

Nakakahiya ring malaman na ang ibang estudyante ay may kayabangan pang umaamin na kaunti lang ang alam nila tungkol sa Philippine History. Para sa kanila, walang class ang Philippine History, hindi tulad ng Information Technology, kaya mula sa paaralang halos walang itinuro dahil sa nakakalitong mga “workbooks”, hanggang sa pag-uwi kung saan ang aatupagin naman ay computer games at pagpi-facebook, ano pa ang aasahan sa mga kabataang kinabibiliban ni Rizal kaya itinuring niyang mga “pag-asa ng bayan”?

Sino ngayon ang may kasalanan?…marami! Kasama diyan ang korap na gobyernong manhid at bulag sa tunay na kalagayan ng sistema ng edukasyon, ang mga teacher na nakakalimot sa pagturo ng tamang asal at pagbigkas ng mga titik ng wikang Pilipino, ang mga magulang na pabaya dahil mas gusto pang nasa internet café ang mga anak upang hindi sila naiistorbo sa pangangapitbahay at pagtotong-its, ang mga barkada ng mga kabataang humahatak sa kanila tungo sa mga bisyo, at ang makabagong pamumuhay at teknolohiya kung saan nakakapulot ang mga kabataan ng mga karahasan dahil sa mga games na kanilang nilalaro.

Huwag nang magmaang-maangan. Tanggapin ang masakit na katotohanan tungkol sa kapabayaan na nagresulta sa kabobohan ng ilang mga kabataan, dahil hangga’t walang tinatanggap o inaaming kasalanan o kamalian… walang maitutuwid o maitatama.