Nang Dahil sa Sobrang Privacy at Kayabangan…(mga kuwentong kapupulutan ng leksiyon)

Nang Dahil sa Sobrang Privacy at Kayabangan…

(mga kuwentong kapupulutan ng leksiyon)

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Mahalaga sa buhay ng tao ang pakikipagkapwa at ang pagiging simple lang sa buhay. Pwedeng ipagmalaki ang mga biyayang natamo dahil pinaghirapan pero hindi dapat ipagyabang. Ang pagmamalaki ay hindi masyadong mabigat ang dating hindi tulad ng pagyayabang kahit halos pareho lang ang ibig sabihin ng dalawang kataga.

 

Nagpapakita ng sobrang privacy ang iba kung ayaw nilang lapitan sila ng mga nagso-solicit, o ng mga namumulot ng basurang makikiinom na kumakatok sa gate, o di kaya ay mismong mga kapitbahay na feeling nila ay “poor” at hihingi lang ng walang katapusang tulong . Halos hindi din sila nakikita sa labas ng bahay, dahil wala silang pakialam sa mga kapitbahay, na okey sana kahit papaano, subalit kung haluan ng pagmamataas dahil sila ay nakakaangat sa buhay daw…iba na ang usapan. Ang isang paraan sa pagpapahiwatig na ayaw nilang maistorbo dahil hindi naman daw sila nakikialam sa iba, ay ang pagpapalakas nila ng tugtog. Kung magpa-party naman, ang mga imbitado ay mga taga-ibang lugar, puro may kotse kaya ang kahabaan ng kalye sa tapat nila ay umaapaw sa mga ito. Alam ko ito dahil kuwento ito ng isa kong kaibigan na ganito ang ugali, na nagkaroon ng mga kaibigang nakilala lang niya sa mga party kaya hindi niya gaanong alam ang mga pagkatao.

 

Ang kaibigan kong ito ay kumakagat sa mga business proposal na inaalok  sa kanya ng mga taong tingin niya ay mayaman naman. Hindi pumasok sa isip niyang siya ay ginagamit lang. At upang ipakita na kahanay siya ng mga ito sa “mataas na lipunan”, kahit walang alam sa golf ay bumili ng mga gamit upang makasabit sa paggo-golf ng mga ito. Puro naman siya sablay sa palo, kaya kadalasan ay nakaka-tatlong kape siya habang nanonood na lang. Paanong hindi sasablay ay mataas lang siya ng one foot sa mga golf clubs! Siya din ang nagkukuwento ng mga “adventure” daw niya pati ang pagsasama niya sa mga casino, sabay tawa.  Pagkatapos ng golf ay naghahatid pa siya sa dalawang kaibigang tamad magmaneho ng kotse nila, pero ang gamit naman ay kotse niya.  Hinihiraman din siya ng mga gamit na kailangan daw sa opisina. Upang ipakitang kaya niyang gumastos, bumibili pa siya ng ibang mga kailangang gamit.

 

Sa kasamaang palad, bago niya namalayan ay nalusaw na pala ang kanyang mga investment, laspag ang kotse at ang mga gamit na pinahiram para sa opisina ay hindi na naibalik. Naka-apat siya ng “business ventures” na inalok ng mga ka-golf niya, na puro nauwi sa wala. Nang mag-usap kami minsan nalaman ko na ang gusto lang sana niyang mangyari ay “makita” ng ibang tao na siya ay isang “businessman” tulad ng dalawa niyang kapitbahay na may mga puwesto sa mall…kaya ang inipong pera para sa retirement nilang mag-asawa ay halos nasaid. Ngayon ang bahay nila ay nakasangla, may sakit pa silang mag-asawa sa puso dahil sa nervous breakdown. Ang mga dating ka-sosyo at ka-golf ay halos hindi na pumapansin sa kanya. Pinaliwanagan naman daw siya, pero ang sabi ay, “…ganoon talaga sa negosyo, minsan ay sinusuwerte pero kadalasan ay bumabagsak”.  Ang kaibigan ko ay dating manager ng isang multi-national company sa Saudi….na ang kuwento ng buhay ay “from rags to riches”….na kadalasan namang nagreresulta sa pagiging social climber.

 

Yon namang isa kong kilala ay mahilig magpakita ng mga biyaya, ibig sabihin ay mayabang. Setyembre pa lang ay nagtodo na sa paglagay ng mga Christmas lights sa loob at labas ng bahay na dati na niyang ginagawa.  Kahit masikip na ang bahay, ay may Christmas tree pa rin na umabot ang taas sa kisame. Nang pumunta ako sa kanila sa Pasay isang gabi ng Oktubre, nakita kong halos naglalagablab na ang bahay nila sa dami ng Christmas bulbs. Nagpayo uli ako na baka masunog sila. Ang sagot sa akin ay hayaan na lang dahil mura lang naman daw ang pagkabili ng mga Christmas bulbs at mabuti nga dahil napapansin agad ang bahay nila.

 

Makalipas ang dalawang linggo, nang pasyalan ko uli, nagulat ako dahil mahigit kalahati ng bahay nila ay naging uling. Ang kaibigan ko naman at pamilya niya ay nakikitira na lang ngayon sa isang pinsan na binabayaran niya ng tatlong libong piso isang buwan para sa isang entresuwelo o extension ng bahay – sa isang slum area malapit sa kanila.

 

Yong isa pang kuwento ng kayabangan at sobrang privacy ay tungkol naman sa isang pamilya na feeling mayaman na, kahit hindi pa naman. Malakas magpatugtog kaya hanggang sa ikaapat na bahay mula sa kanila ay abot ang ingay na animo ay galing sa isang videoke unit. Gusto yatang ipabatid na palaging may party sa kanila. Hindi rin sila nakikisama sa mga kapitbahay.

 

Isang araw ay pinasok sila ng mga magnanakaw. Ang nakita ng isang kapitabahay ay nakaparadang mamahaling kotse at van sa labas nila at naririnig pa rin ang malakas na tugtog. Sunod na nakita naman ay tatlong lalaki na disente ang mga ayos at mukha na lumabas ng bahay at may mga bitbit na gamit.  Hindi sila pinansin ng mga kapitbahay, kahit nakailang beses sila ng hakot ng iba’t ibang gamit sa van. Bandang huli, nakita silang lumabas ng pinto na halos pasigaw pang “nagpaalam” sa kung sino man sa loob ng bahay.

 

Nalaman na lang mga kapitbahay na may nangyari palang nakawan nang dumating ang nanay ng kasambahay ng may–ari ng tinutukoy kong bahay. Pabalik-balik na pala ito at inabot na ng hapon sa katatawag sa gate pero hindi pinagbubuksan. Dahil nag-alalang baka ikinulong ng mga amo ang anak niya, tulad ng mga kuwentong napapanood sa TV, humingi ito ng tulong sa Barangay. Ang ginawa ng isang Barangay tanod ay umakyat sa pader na lampas-tao at sumilip sa bintana, pero nagulat siya dahil hindi nakakandado ang pinto nang subukan niya itong buksan. Nang pumasok siya, naghinala siya na pinagnakawan ang bahay dahil halata ang mga pinagtanggalan ng mga appliances, may mga kawad pa kasing naiwan. Ang mga miyembro naman ng pamilya na nakagapos at may mga tape sa bibig ay pinagsisiksikan na parang sardinas sa banyo. Ang anak na dalagita ay nakita sa isang kwarto at nalamang na-rape pala! Ang hinala ng mga taga-barangay ay pinalitan ng mga magnanakaw ang kandado ng gate upang hindi mabuksan ng sasaklolo kaya nai-lock nila ito nang sila ay umalis.

 

Ang hirap lang sa iba nating kapwa nilalang ng Diyos, nang magkaroon ng pera ay “feeling secured” na kaya para sa kanila ay hindi na nila kailangan ang tulong ng ibang tao. Ang dasal ko….sana ay magbago sila ngayong pasko….Amen?

Ang Pamilyang Pilipino: Misyonaryong Alagad ng Eyukarista

Ang Pamilyang Pilipino: Misyonaryong Alagad ng Eyukarista

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Isang matatag na hibla ng pananampalatayang Kristiyano…ito ang pamilyang Pilipino. At, ang panata ay marubdob na pagpapalaganap ng Eyukarista, simbolo ni Hesus na nagligtas sa sangkatauhan mula sa mga minanang kasalanan. Ang malalim na pagkaugat ng pananampalataya sa bawat tahanan, payak man o nakakariwasa ay bunga ng halos limampung siglong paghubog ng mga Kastilang prayle sa kanilang mga ninuno. May sangkot mang karahasan, inunawa na lang dahil sa layuning maka-Diyos, at dahil na rin sa paniniwala na ang mga nabulagang prayle ang nagkamali noon at hindi ang simbahan.

 

Hindi lang Pilipinas ang sinasaklaw ng taimtim na pananampalataya dahil kahit sa ibayong dagat, saan man nakakarating ang mga anak, ina, o ama ng isang Pilipinong pamilya bilang dumadayong manggagawa, kipkip pa rin nila ang Bibliyang pilit pinalulusot sa mga paliparan at daungan. Sa mga bansang iba ang umiiral na pananampalataya, nagagawa pa rin nilang magtipon-tipon nang palihim upang ipadama sa isa’t isa na buo ang katatagan nila bilang mga Kristiyano na hindi nagsasawa sa mga salita ni Hesus. Marami nang naparusahan, subalit hindi hadlang ang kanilang kamatayan upang ang pagsamba nila sa Diyos ay mapigilan.

 

Ang Eyukarista na maituturing na isang pagtitipon, kung saan ay nasa gitna si Hesus… ay lalong tumatatag at lumalawak pa ang nilalambungan ng biyaya nito dahil sa pambihirang katangian ng pamilyang Pilipino. Marami nang hadlang ang kanilang nalampasan sa pag-usad ng panahon na lalo pang nagpalakas ng kanilang pananampalataya dahil sa paniniwalang walang makakatalo sa kapangyarihan ng Diyos na siyang naglalang ng lahat sa ibabaw ng mundo. Hindi sila mahirap akayin dahil sa paniniwala na kung tungo sa kabutihan ang landas na tatahakin lalo pa at ang gabay ay si Hesus, walang pasubaling sila ay susunod.

 

Hindi maiwasan kung may ibang pamilyang napapalihis ng daan dahil sa umiiral na makabagong panahon, subali’t may mga pangyayari at pagkakataon na nagpapakita ng pagbabago…at ito ang hangad sa kanila ng ibang pamilya na sa kanila ay maigting na kumakapit upang hindi tuluyang maligaw. Ang damayan ay bahagi na ng kultura ng mga Pilipino na nagpapatatag ng bawat tahanan, at isa rin itong katangian na ginagamit sa paggabay sa kanilang kapwa upang mapanatili ang katatagan ng pananampalataya. Nagsisilbi din itong lakas na ginagamit ng bawa’t pamilyang Pilipino upang maakay pabalik sa tamang landas ang mga naligaw.

 

Mapalad ako dahil ako ay bahagi ng isang pamilyang Pilipino na may matatag na pananampalataya sa Panginoon at bahagi ng pagtitipong Eyukarista… na ang kahalagahan ay pilit kong pinamamahagi sa abot ng aking makakaya. Hindi man nakakariwasa sa anumang materyal na bagay, hitik naman ang pagkatao ko ng mga bagay na buong puso kong inaalay sa Kanya. Ang puso ko ay pinatitibok ng taos kong pananampalataya, at ang aking payak na karunungan ay umaapaw sa paniniwala sa Kanyang kapangyarihan.

 

Nagpapasalamat ako dahil itinuring ako ni Hesus bilang kapatid niya…at sa pagturing na yan ay kasama ang aking pamilya. Sumasama ang aking kalooban kapag nakakarinig ako ng panlalait kay Hesus ng mga hindi nakakaunawa sa Kanya. Halos magutay ang aking puso kapag ako ay nakakakita ng mga sinasadyang paglihis mula sa itinuro niyang tamang daan. Tinatanong ko ang aking sarili kung bakit sa kabila ng paghirap at kamatayan Niya sa burol ng Golgota, ay nagagawa pa rin ng ibang siya ay itakwil.

 

Ganoon pa man,  dahil sa nakagisnan ko nang katatagan bilang katangiang bahagi ng pamilyang Pilipino, naniniwala akong sa abot ng makakaya ko… namin….at nating lahat, matatamo din ang matagal nang inaasam na kapayapaan at pagkakaisa na siyang layunin ng Banal na Eyukarista – simbolo ng pagmamahal ni Hesus sa sangkatauhan at buong mundo!

 

Religion, Christian Faith, and Immorality

Religion, Christian Faith, and Immorality

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

I am wondering whether those who profess religiosity based on what they practice really “understand” what they are doing. They claim that the bible contributes a lot to their spiritual development. The problem with these people though, is that, while some stick to just the New Testament, others devote their time more to the Old Testament, when the two sections of the bible are supposed to complement each other. So what happens is that, while some of them learn about the teachings of Jesus which are in the New Testament, they do not have a slight idea that the religion that they follow can be traced back to Abraham who is in the Old Testament, and whom they hear only as a name when mentioned in sermons. The ignorance came to light when I asked one Catholic Lay Minister if he has an idea on who the eldest son of Abraham is. I found out that all he knew was that Abraham has a son and that, he was Isaac. When I told him that Ishmael was his eldest son bore to him by Hagar, the handmaid of Sarah, he was surprised! He even asked, how can it be possible when the name Ishmael is a Muslim?

 

From the desert, the Abrahamaic faith, also called Mosaic faith that also hinges on the belief on the coming of a “redeemer” spread. When Jesus came, he followed a new path along which he spread his teachings that filled the pages of the New Testament. When he died on the cross, his followers insisted that he was the sacrificial lamb for the sins of mankind – the redeemer who have finally come and did the act of redemption. But many refused to accept this, as they even keep on questioning his identity if he, indeed, belongs to the House of David from where, the redeemer should come from, more so with the allegation of his being the son of God.

 

If Jesus was the result of a “virgin birth” that gives credence to the “annunciation” as one of the “mysteries”, then, he does not belong to the House of David, because Mary, herself, as his biological mother does not, but only Joseph, who is his “foster father”, therefore, not his “biological father”. In other words, he is not the prophesied “redeemer” as insisted by his followers. Such question is one of the so many asked since the medieval period when the pagan Romans were converted into Christianity, and overdid their religiosity by incorporating pagan practices into what was supposed to be a simplistic way of spirituality. Instead of giving enlightenment on the issue, the early church leaders added problems, one of which is the question on “Trinity” that even widened the “schism”. Is it not immoral to keep the truth from the people who thought they are following the right path?

 

The “extensions” of the Church of Rome distributed throughout Europe as the 15^th century was ending, was purported to be the largest “landholders” during the time. That was also the time when Christianity was forced into the inhabitants of the islands that came to be known as Philippines, so named by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, in honor of the Spanish king, Philip II. But before the Spaniards came to the shores of the archipelagic islands, they had already sacked the long- thriving Inca and other highly developed cities that they converted into their colonies, and they called the natives “Indios”. For the Spaniards, the natives that they suppressed and made to kneel in front of the cross are called “Indios” who, for them are ignorant… this is how the natives of the Philippines and America were first called, and not by their real indigenous names.

 

The Spanish Christian missionaries who were also fond of shouting “punyeta”, “sin verguenza”, and “hijo de puta” to the natives, did the same hideous conduct of conversion they used in South America, when they came to the Philippines, as they went into the frenzy of burning cultural and intellectual treasures, because for them those were “demonic” and did not conform with “Christianity” which for them still, was the “righteous way”. They even went to the extent of executing “babaylans” or native priestesses.

 

During the closing of the 15^th century, the Roman Church owned practically, almost half of France and Germany, and two-fifths of Sweden and England, not to mention Mexico and other South American colonies and the Philippines where, the early haciendas were located in Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Rizal, as well as, the islands of Negros, Panay and Cebu. While the colonies in Europe were not so productive, in the Philippines, the vast tracts of land that were literally grabbed from the natives were planted to sugar cane, rice, and coconut. Today, a few Filipino families who are also into politics are “hold-over owners” of these haciendas. And, they are so much devoted Roman Catholics!…and so, exploitation goes on!

 

Because of  her exploitation disguised by evangelization, Rome grew splendidly and gloriously. To maintain such splendor and glory, the papacy resorted to requiring all ecclesiastical appointees to remit their revenues to the “papal curia” in Vatican. A scandal that gave birth to the Reformation movement and also widened further the “schism” is about the pope’s selling of indulgences. Imagine the pope selling “tickets” to heaven! The large sum of money that flowed into the Vatican’s coffer led to more corruption, most prominent of which were committed by:

 

• Sixtus IV (reign: 1471-84), who spent enormous sum of money in building the “chapel” that he named after himself, the “Sistine”, aside from causing the enrichment of his nephews and nieces;
• Alexander VI, a.ka., Rodrigo Borgia (reign: 1492-1503) who allegedly, openly acknowledged and afforded financial opportunities to his illegitimate children;
• Julius II (reign: 153-13), nephew of Sixtus IV, and who was said to be warlike, notorious politician, and who also spent lavishly on art, but failed in his duties as Head of the Roman Church.

 

During the time, the papacy did not monopolize immorality, as there was a popular adage then, that said, “if you want your son to be corrupted, make him decide to become a priest”.

It was alleged that confessors solicited sexual favors from female penitents, and thousands of priests were said to maintain concubines. Reformists were making a mockery of the church by saying that for Jesus’ ministers, it’s always money – from baptism, marriage, till death, with such greed and perversion spreading to Hispanic colonies.

 

Today, in the Philippines, so many Christian ministries have sprung up in almost every corner of big cities, sporting different names and congregate in inauspicious apartment units, former offices, multi-purpose halls of subdivisions, former movie theaters, and for the richy…Cultural Center of the Philippines and Folk Arts Theater which are the projects of Imelda Marcos within the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

 

There is a joke today about the unemployed, but with an oratorical gift to just put up a “ministry” in order to survive out of the tithes or “love offering” from members. These followers attend the gatherings and listen to the same never changing themes about love that they fail to put into practice, as they go back to their old “selfish” ways when they go home by keeping to themselves – within the security of their homes and company of select friends. Still, some enterprising bible-toting ministers even go to the extent of using the religious book in soliciting money from commuters by hopping on to buses and jeepneys to “share” the words from the bible in exchange for money to be put in envelops that they patiently distribute. As this kind of undertaking is some kind of a money-making enterprise, those who conduct such should be taxed!

 

The pope, himself, acknowledges the proliferation of immorality and corruption in the Roman Catholic Church that is why lately, an external auditing firm has been contracted to check on the Vatican records. He even apologized for the abuse committed by some members of the clergy. In other words, nobody among the members of the Vatican-based church is free from the stain of immorality. Still, in the Philippines, the Iglesia ni Cristo, biggest Christian church next to the Roman Catholic, is rocked with a scandal that is undergoing an investigation. There could still be other religious scandals going around, but just get to be contained due to their insignificance, compared to the cursing of Duterte who is running for presidency during the 2016 election.

 

The world today is full of “habitual” sinners – “immorals” in the eyes of the “moralists”, just because these people that they despise do not attend religious services or utter curses habitually, or just simply, polygamous. Can they be compared with those who attend these so-called religious services but got no slightest idea what compassion means? Can they be compared with husbands who fool their wives by playing around with their “queridas”, or wives who squander the wage hard- earned by their husband abroad, on their kept “lovers”?

 

Worst, these “moralists” are emboldened by the thought that it is alright for them to commit sin because they can go to confession, afterwards anyway! ….or worse, eat the host, bread or biscuit that symbolize the body of Christ, the better for them to get “cleansed” immediately! (I read stories about pagan tribes who eat the body of their brave opponents so that such character can be made part of them).

 

Some of these “good” people do not even know the name of their neighbors, so how can they say they love God that they cannot see, but cannot love their neighbors who are just a few steps away from them? Is it not sheer hypocrisy which is just another form of immorality?  Some of them still, who have become more financially stable than the rest, act like horses pulling indigenous “calesas”, that are allowed to look just straight ahead, which is a manifestation of selfishness.

 

By the way, I do not deny that I am a sinner through and through!…please pray for me!