The Vicious Cycle of Progress and Poverty

The Vicious Cycle of Progress and Poverty

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Poverty is a mean excuse to do things for easy money by the weak in spirit. But the strong are ready to go hungry in the name of ideals and principles. The exploiters use poverty in blackmailing the unfortunates, one result of which is the dirty election due to rampant vote buying.

 

Exploitation of the illiterates and impoverished also result to virtual land grabbing because they are made to “sell” their ancestral domains to rich real estate developers at below  the decent value level. As subdivisions, golf courses and resorts sprout, the displaced former landowners and the fortune-seekers from other parts of the country huddle in not so distant depressed areas with many of them working as low-waged employees of the mentioned business institutions that sprouted.

 

Poverty is the corner where the impoverished are pushed to make a choice between death and survival. Also, when the government alleges progress, poverty trails a few steps behind. Along this line, poverty breeds animosity in a community, especially, on matters of politics. In this regard, while some members of the community are ready to sell their soul for a few pesos in exchange for their vote, others are steadfast in protecting theirs which has always been viewed as a “sacred” right. Even some of the clerics of the Catholic Church have joined the confusion by counseling their members to accept the bribe but vote according to their conscience.

 

As soon as the corrupt candidates are finally put in place, thanks to the rampant vote-buying, in no time at all, they start to engage in schemes designed to insure the “return of their investment”. Projects that involve infrastructures are conceived, supposedly to carry on the “progress”…the bigger project, the better, as assurance for fat commissions. The worst scheme is connivance with non-governmental organizations for ghost projects. While all these things are going on, the suffering constituents see around them towering manifestations of progress in the shadow of which, they cringe in poverty.

 

Progress and poverty are the two forces that push each other to create the never ending loop that goes round and round…a never-ending cycle that plagues the people of the third-world countries such as the Philippines, and the culprits are the “investors” – exploiting nations that promise comfort in exchange for “developments”. Yet, despite the prevailing realities of the time, the rest of third-world nations still bite the bait.

 

Ang Masamang Halimbawa…ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno

Ang Masamang Halimbawa

…ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno

ni Apolinario Villalobos

Ang pagkakataon na ibinibigay ng batas at husgado, na pinaigting ng “katalinuhan” ng abogado, at lalo pang pinatingkad ng kabagalan sa pag-usad ng hustisya ay nagpapalakas ng loob ng mga may kaya sa buhay upang makaligtas sa kaparusahan kung may nagawa silang kasalanan. Palagi nilang sinasabi na “magkita na lang tayo sa husgado”, o hindi kaya ay “kailangang mapatunayang may kasalanan ako bago ako husgahan…”.

Dahil sa dami ng mga makabagong gadyet na naglilipana at nakakapag-record ng mga nangyayari, ang isang krimen ay nakukunan ng CCTV o di kaya ay camera ng cellphone man lang. Sa kabila nito, ang nahuli sa aktong nagkasala ay binibigyan ng karapatang ipagtanggol niya ang kanyang sarili sa hukuman, isang bagay na magastos kung ang naapi o naagrabyado ay walang perang pambayad ng abogado. Ang nahuli naman sa aktong gumawa ng krimen ay nakakapag-piyansa para sa “pansamantalang” kalayaan kuno, pero sa katagalan ay nakakagawa ng paraan upang “mabili” niya ng tuluyan ang kalayaan, di kaya ay umaabot sa puntong nagkakalimutan, o di kaya ay tuluyang pagkabura ng kaso dahil sa teknikalidad.

Ang nararamdamang sakit ng katotohanan tungkol sa mabagal na pag-ikot ng gulong ng hustisya ay lalo pang nadagdagan ang hapdi dahil mismong mga nanunungkulang mga opisyal ng gobyerno ay nagpapakita ng gilas na kaya nilang paikutan ang mga batas. Gamit ang mga standard na salitang nabanggit na tulad ng “magkita na lang tayo sa husgado” at “kailangang mapatunayang may kasalanan ako bago ako husgahan…”, parang walang ano man kung sila ay may kayabangang umasta sa harap ng mga kamera upang magdeklara ng kanilang kainosentihan.

Dahil sa nabanggit na asal ng mga opisyal sa gobyerno, nagagaya tuloy sila ng mga may isip-kriminal na pangkaraniwang mamamayan. Ang resulta, maraming krimen ang hindi nalulutas sa kabila ng pagkahuli ng mga sangkot na dahil sa pera ay nakakayang magpabagal ng kaso o maglagak ng piyansa, o magbayad ng huwes.

Sa kaso ng Pilipinas, mahirap mangyaring mawala ang mga masamang halimbawa na naglilipana sa mga bulwagan ng pamahalaan. Ang magagawa lamang marahil ng mga matitinong Pilipino ay mag-ingat.

The Philippine Brassware

The Philippine Brassware

By Apolinario Villalobos

The Maranaos of Lanao find brass as a good object on which they express themselves artistically. Be it on a lampstands, “gong”, plant holders, jars, ash trays, and food trays, the Maranao brass artist whose deft hands have been made sensitive by years of experience, imprint his personal expression of the “okir” and “naga” art forms.

Equated with the southern culture which in itself is exotic, the brassware is usually considered as an object that could enliven any living room, office, restaurant corners, or hotel lobby. Those who visit Marawi City, Jolo, Zamboanga City or Cotabato City, always see to it that they have a brass item with them as a souvenir to be brought home. Not only are the brassware kept for their decorative value, but also for their cultural significance.

While brasscraft is a waning source of income for some families in other Muslim provinces as product outlets, in southern Lanao, particularly, Tugaya, locals still consider it otherwise, on which they still rely for a living. Here, some of the artisans still use the crude centuries-old foundry and casting methods. Despite the crudeness of the craft in Tugaya, the cottage industry is struggling for its perpetuation.

It is said that the craft was brought in Tugaya by a local trader, Maruhom Maulia, who got the knowledge from his trading trips to Tampasok, Sabah, where brass and bronze items were manufactured. Eventually, he fell in love and married the Sultan’s daughter.

According to Dr. Manitua Saber, an authority on Islamic arts, the techniques used by the artisans of Tugaya are, similar to those being used in Bali, Sumatra and Brunei. Furthermore, he said that the technology could have found its way to Southeast Asia by way of China or India, in 1,000 A.D.

There are two processes practiced by the Maranao artisans, such as, the stamping and drip wax techniques. It is interesting to note that the tools which the artisans use are also made by them, usually out of the local materials.

In the stamping technique, brass plates are incised using a home-made compass for the purpose of indicating the size. Several plain plates which are tied together are etched or punched with intricate designs of “naga” or “okir”, or both, before they formed into the desired item. Brassware produced out of this method, are cheaper compared to the drip wax technique which is more tedious, involving more time and processes. The latter, actually, revolves around the “mold” technique, and though crude, needs several phases to complete the process.

The brassware comes in many forms and uses. Those who are not familiar with the use of the items, would resort to just one thing – use them as decorative accessories in homes and offices. It is not surprising therefore, to find homes whose tables in the living room are accented with brass betel nut containers, open flat iron, small gongs or kulentang set and urns.

In Pasay City, brass and bronze items from the small ash trays and betel nut containers to big jars and urns can be found at the Philtrade Center, beside the World Trade Center, along Roxas Boulevard. Similar items can also be found in the Ermita district of Manila and the Islamic Center in Quiapo. As there is much difficulty in determining the antiquity of an item that might catch one’s fancy, it is suggested that it be purchased based on its exquisiteness…just always remember to haggle.

Ang Buhay sa Lansangan

Ang Buhay sa Lansangan
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Kung pagmasdan silang pinagkaitan ng rangya
Di maiwasang may maramdaman tayong awa
Nakapaa at nagtutulak ng kariton kung minsan
Basang sisiw naman sila, kapag inabutan ng ulan.

Abala palagi sa pangangalakal o sa pamamasura
Wala sa isip nila ang sumilong upang magpahinga
Habol ay makarami ng mga mapupulot at maiipon
Hindi alintana pagbabadya ng masamang panahon.

Sa mga nadadampot na styrophor galing sa Jollibee
Bigay ay saya dahil may matitikmang tirang ispageti
Kahit iilang hibla lamang na may kulapol pang ketsap
Sa maingat na pagsubo, dama’y abot-langit na sarap.

Gula-gulanit ang suot na kamiseta, at nanggigitata pa
Kung damit naman, kung di masikip, ay maluwag siya
Kung pantalon naman, walang zipper, at butas –butas
Subali’t hindi alintana, may maisuot lang, kahi’t kupas.

Kapos sa mga ginhawang may dulot ay materyal na pera
Puso namang may nakakasilaw na busilak ay meron sila
Walang hiling kundi matiwasay na umaga sa paggising –
Kahi’t mahapdi ang tiyan dahil sa gutom, di dumadaing.

May mga bagay, dapat nating mapulot sa mga ugali nila
Pampitik sa atin upang gumising at magbubukas ng mata
Gaya ng hindi maging sakim at mapag-imbot sa kapwa
Bagkus, maghintay at magpasalamat sa bigay na biyaya!