The Struggle and Hindsight

Color My World

by Bong Wenceslao

-from SunStar’s ‘Candid Thoughts’ dated January 27, 2015  

My uncle, Ribomapil ‘Dodong’ Holganza, passed away last Sunday, 25 January 2015. He will be remembered with fondness and love. This article below is a tribute to Dodong Holganza, whose determined defiance against the Marcos dictatorship during the Martial Law years defined him. Bong Wenceslao, himself a former detainee during his younger days, writes with pride about those difficult days; in the hope that we may remember, appreciate, and learn to thank the nameless people who – like Dodong – risked life and limb for this thing they called freedom. This is Bong’s salute to our Martial Law heroes, as embodied by my Tio Dodong.  

The anti-Marcos watchdog.

THERE is a difference between living in the moment and looking back at that moment. In my experience, the difference is in the degree of certainty in assessing the moment and projecting…

View original post 636 more words

Counting My Blessings

Color My World

By: Ribomapil “Dodong” E. Holganza

My late uncle, Tiyo Dodong, died last  January 25. He was a proud and principled man who was incarcerated for 3 years during Marcos’ martial law era. He provided the strong leadership that helped unite the anti-Marcos forces in Cebu during those trying years.  Even during his years in jail, he refused to let his spirits down, and instead continued the fight against those he felt were the ‘true enemies of the state, the real subversives’  who had prostituted the democratic processes and pillaged the wealth of the nation. Tiyo Dodong wrote this piece on his third Christmas in jail, still unbroken and unbowed. More than ever, he is convinced that he is a man made for others, and that he must make use of his life for the good of many. Many thanks to my cousins, Joeyboy and Rosemarie, for providing me insights and…

View original post 965 more words

Mortuary Ritual Among the Benguet Ibaloi

MONTANYOSA _thriving culture_life and words

(By D. A. P)

The taking care of the dead is such a fascinating practice among the Ibaloi. They believe that when you die, your spirit will go to the other side where your relative’s and ancestor’s spirits reside. Old Ibalois when they die are given nine days to be mourned before their burials, young adults are given five, and toddlers are given only a day.
The reason behind the length of days, according to one native, is that they have great respect for the old. They believe that when they take proper care of the dead and pay proper respect for their ancestors, their ancestors and dead relatives in return, will guide them and give them luck for a good and prosperous life.
Among the Ibaloi, there is a special distinction between the living and the dead through numbers. They have the so called “shilus ni minatay or shilos…

View original post 781 more words

Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge (Day Four): We Remain

eKintal

(photo credit:  Zarina Exconde)

On my fourth day/post, i’d kindly ask Riley of http://deelaytful.com/ join the challenge.  Riley articulately expresses his thoughts and feelings in his every single post, you may want to see it for yourselves.  It would be amazing to see photos gracing his compositions, it will definitely make more waves in WP, i think.

“The rules of Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge require you to post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo (It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or simply a short paragraph) and then nominate another blogger to carry on this challenge. Accepting the challenge is entirely up to the person nominated, it is not a command.”

thanks Lori of lumar1298 / Let There be Peace on Earth for the invite.

;D

View original post

mimosa prayer

eKintal

View original post

Three Ways to Showcase Instagram Photos on Your Website

The WordPress.com Blog

Your Instagram account is a great way to share your life, products, and services online. With all that great content, why not showcase your Instagram account on your website or blog? Learn three ways WordPress.com makes it easy and discover other sites that are doing it well.

Activate the Instagram Widget

The Instagram Widget allows you to display your latest Instagram photos in your site’s sidebar, footer, or other widget areas available with your theme.

La Colombe is a chain of coffee shops in New England. Their blog, The Daily Grind, runs on WordPress.com, using the MH Magazine theme. They display their Instagram account prominently on their site using the sidebar widget area.

If you’d like to show off your latest shots like La Colombe, begin by adding the Instagram Widget to the widget area of your choice. You’ll have to grant WordPress.com access to the Instagram account…

View original post 425 more words

A Call to Keep Mindanao Business Ventures for Filipinos Only

A CALL TO KEEP MINDANAO BUSINESS VENTURES

FOR FILIPINOS ONLY

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

 

IN VIEW OF THE LOOMING FEDERALIZATION OF THE PHILIPPINES , IN MY OPINION, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN MINDANAO SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE FILIPINOS- THE MINDANAOANS, RATHER THAN THE FOREIGNERS. SECURITY AND DIGNITY ARE ASSURED FROM DIRECT AND CONTINUOUS INCOME EARNED BY SMALL FILIPINO ENTREPRENEURS RATHER THAN, FROM CONTRACTUAL JOBS IN ENTITIES OPERATED BY FOREIGNERS.

 

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LEARN A LESSON OR TWO FROM THE “BILAO” ENTERPRISES THAT ARE PROLIFERATING AROUND THE COUNTRY – SMALL BUSINESS VENTURES OF FILIPINOS. ALL THEY NEED IS REGULATION THAT COMES IN THE FORM OF APPROPRIATE SITES AND REASONABLE TAX. INSTEAD OF LETTING FOREIGN-FINANCED STRUCTURES USING FILIPINO DUMMIES, WHY NOT MAKE USE OF THEM AS SITES FOR “BAZAAR” SITES FOR MINDANAOANS?

 

THE SMALL FILIPINO BUSINESSMEN NEED UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSION FROM THE GOVERNMENT….THEY WHO ENDURE THE SEARING HEAT OF THE SUN IN THEIR DESIRE TO EARN HONESTLY, BUT DUE TO LACK OF SPACE AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, THEY ARE FORCED TO VENTURE INTO SIDEWALKS AND STREETS, ONLY TO BE APPREHENDED BY AUTHORITIES…A PITIFUL AND COMMON HAPPENING IN MANILA. THESE SMALL ENTREPRENEURS ALSO BITE THE BAIT OF LOAN SHARKS BECAUSE OF THE PROHIBITIVE LOAN POLICIES OF THE BANKS. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY (DTI) HAS QUIXOTIC  “PROGRAMS”  DELIVERED IN SEMINARS, BUT WITHOUT REALISTIC SUPPORT AS THE SMALL ENTREPRENEURS ARE THEN LEFT ON THEIR OWN WHEN THEY SECURE FINANCING. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN MINDANAO.

 

WITH THE EFFORT OF THE GOVERNMENT TO OBTAIN A LONG-LASTING PEACE IN MINDANAO FOUNDED ON HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP AMONG MINDANAOANS , THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD OFFER REALISTIC HELP TO THEM, INSTEAD OF OPENING THE REGION TO OUTSIDERS WHICH COULD MEAN ANOTHER PROBLEM ON THE NEVER-ENDING CONTRACTUALIZATION AND THE UNEASY FEELING OF INSECURITY.

 

IF THE GATES OF MINDANAO WILL BE OPENED WIDE FOR THOSE FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, HOW SURE ARE WE THAT THE SURGE WILL NOT INCLUDE TERRORISTS, PARTICULARLY, ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA (ISIS) ADVOCATES WHICH IS HAPPENING NOW IN EUROPE?  MUST THE DESIRE FOR PROGRESS BE USED TO INVITE SUICIDE BOMBERS TO STEALTHILY CREEP INTO THE MIDST OF THE PEACE-LOVING MINDANAOANS?

 

 

 

Mabuti pa ang Aso, Matapat, Hindi tulad ng Ibang Tao

MABUTI PA ANG ASO MATAPAT

HINDI TULAD NG ILANG TAO

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Mabuti pa ang aso, matapat sa kanyang tao

Hindi tulad ng ilang tao, taksil at manloloko

Hindi iiwanan ng aso ang kanyang tao

Sukdulan mang walang maipakain dito,

Hindi tulad ng ilang tao, nang-iiwan –

Kahit sino, kaibigan o kadugo man.

 

Maraming kuwento na ang ati’y napakinggan –

Taong iniligtas ng aso sa bingit ng kamatayan

Ang pagligtas ay sa maraming paraan

Nakakagulat at halos di mapaniwalaan

Kaya’t mabuti pa silang ang katalinuhan

Ay ginagamit sa tama at may kabuluhan.

 

Ang ilang tao naman ay nakakalungkot isipin –

Mismong magulang ay di mabigyang-pansin

Mayroon kasing magulang halos sipain

Ng mga anak, walang puso’t damdamin

Pagkatapos silang arugain at pag-aralin

Kawawang magulang kaya nang suwagin!

 

Marami pa ring tao, inasahan ng kaibigan nila  –

Forever friends sana sila mula noong bata pa

Subalit nang magkainggitan ay nalusaw na

Tila pagkit sa pagkadikit na friendship nila

Sa dahilang walang kuwenta’t nakakahiya –

Gawa-gawa ng naiinggit na friend din nila!

 

 

Zalipie. Paint Me a Meadow / Namaluj mi łąkę