From Another Dimension

When our close friend Kit (Chief of Staff of Risa) was confined in the hospital last week due to kidney failure, we made it a point to be there everyday to keep her company. Being understably protective of Kit’s disposition, we were aghast when a nurse who took her vitals at 3 in the morning, muttered to herself while staring out of the window “full moon pala, kaya pala madaming multo sa hallway.” At the time, I was more incensed at how a nurse can foist her fears (founded or unfounded) on unsuspecting patients at an ungodly hour of the day, than perturbed by the statement itself.

A few nights after, around 8:00 p.m., I decided to grab a snack at the cafeteria at the ground floor. I took an elevator from the third floor, where Kit’s room is located. The elevator was empty when I stepped in, but there was a little boy around the age of seven who was behind me. He entered the elevator as well. I gave him a small, polite smile.

Then he suddenly chimed, “may sakit ka din?”

I felt an inexplicable jolt. Staring straight ahead, I replied, “hindi, dinadalaw ko lang ang kaibigan ko.”

We then both stepped out of the elevator when it landed on the ground floor.

I wondered about the strange feeling I felt when I was in bed later that night. I like kids, and make small talk with strangers. Certainly, there was nothing strange about engaging in small talk with a kid I haven’t met before. And then, all of a sudden, it hit me: Kahlil, Kit’s 6-year-old son, was not allowed to visit his mom during the entire duration of her stay. Children below the age of ten are prohibited from entering the premises of the National Kidney Institute. The little boy who spoke to me could not have been visiting a relative. If he were a patient, then why was he moving around so freely?

* * *

If the little boy was not of this world, it would not be my first encounter with friends from the other realm. When I was in fourth year College as a Journalism major, I interned at the crime beat of GMA 7. One night, we covered a vehicular collision at the North Expressway. The scene of the incident was, literally, a bloody mess. It was my first time to see intestines and blood and brains splattered on the pavement. In the midst of the commotion, someone came up to me from the side and then muttered about how the driver had fallen asleep on the wheel and missed the chance to swerve. Something like that. I remember that he had on a yellow t-shirt.

Thinking that I had the first hand account we were looking for for interviews, I told him to wait there while I look for the reporter and tell him we have a subject. When I caught up with the reporter and the camera man, they told me we had to rush to the hospital. Upon reaching the hospital (a mere five minute drive), we learned that the driver had just been declared dead. As I had gotten used to looking at corpses from being in the crime beat for a month already at the time, I went ahead to take a look. One glance was enough to make me turn away.

He was wearing the same yellow shirt as the guy who had spoken to me just a few minutes earlier.

On Roads Dusty, Long and Uncertain

The rule was to march in pairs, the better to keep safe from careening buses and sixteen-wheel trucks along the provincial highway. I found myself positioned beside him right at the front of the march. He bore on his shoulders the big flag that told the world what he and his group of farmers wanted; and on his ruddy and weatherbeaten face, a shy, thoughtful smile. Ambo, that was his name. Ka Ambo. The stretch of road from Balagtas to San Jose to Lipa was a long and dusty one, he warned. He looked at my puny Chuck Taylors and gave a good-natured snort. We both laughed.

He sang songs while walking. Sometimes I would join him; sometimes I would just listen. He sang along with the music from the escort-jeepney, the plaintive notes of “Buhay at Bukid” never slowing down the staccato in his step.

Then, all of a sudden, he stopped singing. He uttered, as though to no one in particular, “iiwanan na ako ng asawa ko.” I asked him to repeat what he said, and he did.

He then told me the story in detail. She is an OFW in Singapore, and he brought her to the airport only a few days before. Her contract had been renewed and the Singaporean employer had already sent the tickets. They had a big argument before she left.

“Hindi niya naiintindihan kung bakit ko ito ginagawa. Bakit hindi nalang ako sumama sa kanya sa Singapore, o di kaya mag OFW din sa anumang lugar. Siya nalang daw lagi nagtatrabaho. Ang pangkain ng anak namin ay sa kanya nanggagaling. Wala akong inaambag sa pamilya.”

And under the scorching heat of the 2pm sun, these words scorched more:

“Kailan daw ba ako susuko sa pakikipaglaban dito, at ipaglaban naman ang karapatan ng aming mga anak?“

“Ano ang sagot mo,” I asked.

The silence was long. He took a deep breath. “Ang sabi ko sasama pa din ako sa martsa, at itetext ko siya ng madalas.“

And then there was silence again. An awkward silence at first, as we both thought about those words and how grossly, abysmally inadequate they were to a wife who bathes other people’s children thousands of miles away and cannot understand why her husband has decided to make the walk from Batangas to Manila when he can get a headstart on the future by applying as a welder in Saudi Arabia.

He forced a joke: “kaso lagi ako walang load.”

And I a response: “minsan text, minsan email.”

We smiled and walked some more, this time marginally more jauntily. Him and me, side by side, walking in companionable silence.  Sometimes, he would crack another joke and make me laugh. Sometimes, he would point something out, a famous Batangas landmark or a beaten road leading to another town. Sometimes, he would ask about developments in the case, and legal questions on their land claim. At one point, he said I reminded him of his sister, his favorite sister, who now works as a nurse abroad. Each time, I would respond, and we would have a pleasant and lighthearted exchange.

Mostly though, I was perfectly content just walking beside the man with the ruddy and weatherbeaten face, watching him as he waves the flag of their cause, taking on the long and dusty stretch of road from Balagtas to San Jose to Lipa to the rest of his life.

Wearing Your Heart On Your Wrist

Online shopping is so great! Nakakaaddict sya kasi you get things cheaper than at the malls and there are tons of great finds.  Look what I got this time: a photo album bracelet!

You give them seven digital pictures via email and they superimpose it on the tiles. Had a hard time deciding on the pictures, and was a bit sad when I realized I didn’t have a lot of pictures of my college debate friends pala. 

Cuteness, di ba? To be honest, it doesn’t look matibay and bawal siguro mabasa, pero… maganda pa din.

You can put your orders at www.luckymarias.multiply.com.

Lupang Sakahan, Hindi Minahan!*

BAHA-TALIBAYOG: Tales of Injustices, Food Insecurity and Environmental Danger

Silvino Cudiamat, a 67 year old farmer from Baha in Calatagan, Batangas thought that he had already achieved his lifelong dream of owning the piece of land that he had worked for since he was 16 years old. Tatay Ben was a tenant for 11 years before he became a beneficiary of the land reform program. He became one of the 323 beneficiaries of the land reform program under PD 27.

Today, Tatay Ben’s lifelong dream is about to be shattered into pieces. He and his fellow agrarian reform beneficiaries of the land formerly owned by Ceferino Ascue have been involved in a land controversy since 1995. Biased government agencies and a legal system that favors the rich have bended the law to favor the interests of the rich, leaving the likes of Tatay Ben in danger of losing the land that they depend on so much to live decent lives.

Social Justice

The land in this controversy was formerly owned by Ceferino Ascue. The 507.87 hectare property was planted to rice and corn. The residents of barangays Baha and Talibayog were tenants to the land.

In 1990, two years after the enactment of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, the property was distributed to the tenants. Being a tenanted rice and corn land, the 507-hectare Ascue property was distributed to 318 tenant farmers under the Operation Land Transfer of the Marcos land reform law – Presidential Decree No. 27. A total of 818 Emancipation Patents were distributed to the agrarian reform beneficiaries.

For the next 10 years, the agrarian reform beneficiaries peacefully tilled the land and, given a new lease to improve their lives, cultivated the land according to their own plans and dreams. Some remained rice and corn farmers, others preferred to grow vegetables and a variety of other crops. Within those years they were able to fully pay the land amortizations to the government.

Neither the ten long years of peaceful possession nor the fact that they have fully paid the land amortizations kept the farmers safe from the threat of losing what has become justly and rightfully theirs.

Seeds of Injustice

In 1995, the heirs of Ceferino Ascue sold the property to Asturias Industries. They conveniently ignored the fact that the land was no longer theirs and were aided by the fact that the Register of Deeds of Batangas mysteriously failed to annotate the distribution of that the land in the land title. The attack on the gains of social justice began as soon as the questionable sale was consummated.

In July 1997, Asturias Industries was able to obtain from the DENR a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) and an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) covering 2,336.8 hectare including the land in question. This became their basis to claim that the land was already classified as mineral land.

Asturias Industries began the intensification of legal maneuvers to jeopardize the ownership of the farmers of the land by questioning the distribution of the land under PD27. They claimed that it was erroneously distributed since the land was never planted to rice and corn and the former land owner did not recognize any tenancy arrangements.

Bending the facts and the law against the farmers

In response to the protest of Asturias Industries, the Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) created Task Force Baha to verify the claims of mining company. An ocular inspection was conducted and TF Baha reported that “(1) procedural lapses attended the OLT coverage; (2)significant portions of the OLT-covered area were planted to sugar cane; and (3) the landowner did not recognize tenancy relations with the ARBs.”

A validating team was deployed by the DAR Region IV Office and they reported that “it cannot be established beyond reasonable doubt that the property is planted to palay or corn and tenanted.” The team went on to recommend based on their findings the nullification of the coverage of the land under OLT and 818 emancipation Patents the DAR issued to the agrarian reform beneficiaries.

In August 4, 2000, the DAR through USEC for Operations Conrado S. Navarro sustained the protest of ASTURIAS INDUSTRIES and nullified the coverage of the land under OLT. Navarro cited that his judgment was based on the premises that

(1) the landholding was not primarily devoted to the production of rice or corn;
(2) the tenancy relations was not clearly established and
(3) the land long ceased to be agricultural as it is “mineralized.”

Just mere 10 years after the DAR distributed the land to the farmers, it already danced to a different song – the one that Asturias Industries is playing. They did not even consider that their ocular inspection was 10 years too late and there have been changes in crops within the 10 year period. They did not even consider that landowners when faced with agrarian reform always deny having tenants. They even dug up a 1965 Bureau of Mines study to justify their claim that the land was “mineralized” and therefore ceased to be agricultural a long time ago.

The Department of Agrarian Reform became instrumental in twisting the facts and the law in laying the legal groundwork for undoing agrarian reform that it is mandated to implement, promote and defend. DAR’s arguments became the strongest legal arguments for ASTURIAS INDUSTRIES when the case was brought to the Office of the President, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court on appeal.

In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled against Tatay Ben and his fellow Calatagan farmer beneficiaries and upheld the decision of the DAR stating that: (1) the disputed land was erroneously covered by PD 27; (2) the land was “mineralized” based on the DAR decision, the 1965 Bureau of Mines study and DENR’s issuance of an MPSA and ECC to Asturias Industries; and (the cancellation of the Emancipation Patents issued to the farmers shall be a separate proceeding under the authority of the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB).

DANGEROUS IMPLICATIONS

The decisions of the different government institutions in the Baha-Talibayog case have serious implications to agrarian reform. These decisions have far-reaching implications.

Based on then case, the development and promotion of the mining industry has greater priority over social justice, agrarian reform and agricultural development;

n Lands can be classified as mineral by a mere study by the Bureau of Mines previous to P.D. 27 and R.A. 6657, it is found that “ample” reserves of mineral resources are found in the area even if there is no positive act from the executive or the legislature;

Agricultural lands can now becomen mineral lands not by executive act but through any mining agreement executed by the DENR and a private person covering such agricultural land under the mining act;

Local government units within their territorial jurisdictionn can change the classification of an agricultural land to other uses by a mere passage of a Zoning ordinance;

From Beneficiaries of Social Justice to Victims of Injustice

As agrarian reform beneficiaries, the Calatagan farmers were given new hope to improve their lives and become productive members of their community. They have developed the land that was distributed to them and made them productive. They have faithfully paid their land amortizations until it was fully paid. They are even faithful taxpayers to their local government.

With the exception of the actual cancellation of the Emancipation Patents issued to the Calatagan farmers in Baha and Talibayog, the reversal of agrarian reform and the turnaround in social justice has reached the highest level of our government system. All these favored the rich despite the strength of the claim and ownership of the Calatagan farmers of the land.

Where will the farmers turn when:

• the Department of Agrarian Reform who is tasked to enforce the implementation of agrarian reform, on the basis of a mere study of the Bureau of Mines and an ocular inspection that is 10 years too late has decided to nullify the coverage of the land that awarded them the lands they now own?
• the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) who is tasked to protect the environment has prioritized mining over food production and has given more weight to the claims of ASTURIAS INDUSTRIES rather than the rights of agrarian reform beneficiaries?
• the Office of the President who holds the highest executive power of the country has chosen to side uphold the convoluted and distorted decision of the DAR?
• the Supreme Court, the highest interpreter of laws of the land, has chosen to interpret the laws according to the myopic, distorted and biased view of the Department of Agrarian Reform?

Protest Walk: Lakbay-Kalampag para sa Lupang Sakahan, Hindi Minahan

Last December 2007, the farmers of Calatagan walked in solidarity with the Sumilao Farmers. From San Pedro in Laguna to the gates of Malacañang, 36 Calatagan farmers walked side by side with the Sumilao farmers.

On April 21, 2008, the agrarian reform beneficiaries from the communities of Baha and Talibayog in Calatagan, will embark on a journey on foot from their homes to the seat of power in Metro Manila to make their voices heard. The government that gave them hope through agrarian reform has betrayed them and they are making this sacrifice to magnify the injustices committed against them.

Their 300-kilometer walk which will begin in the town Calatagan is dedicated bare the injustices being committed against the farmers of Calatagan in favor of the mining interests of Asturias Industries. Through this walk, the farmers of Calatagan are calling for the revocation of the Mineral Production Share Agreement (MPSA) issued by the DENR to Asturias Industries. Their walk is their assertion of their rights as owner-cultivators of the land.

* from www.calataganmarch.wordpress.com

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I spoke too soon, it appears, when I came out with that “easy like sunday morning” entry. Nung Thursday, for the first time in my life (yes, bar review included) napaiyak nalang ako sa tindi ng stress at work load. Nung pinasok nng isang kasama yung isa pang kaso na due na ang Motion for Recon the next day at the next day pa lang ibibigay ang dokumento, at sa Lucena ito nakafile, nanlambot nalang talaga tuhod ko. I was already in the middle of juggling responsibilities for two major AR advocacy campaigns taking place this week, at nahahaggard na ako as it is.

Oh well. Alam ko madaming tao mas malaki ang problema kaysa sa akin at mas may dahilan para umiyak (work stress lang naman ito.. hindi emotional stress. medyo masaya naman ako these days…hehehe ). Alam ko din na lilipas naman ito at matatapos din (syempre, sana ang katapusan nito ay macancel na ang MPSA sa calatagan, at madistribute na ang arroyo at fortich at hennessy atbp na lupa sa magsasaka).

Anyway, ito ang aking pick-me-upper song. Bago pa man kinanta ito ni Jason Castro, favorite ko na ito. Laging pinapatugtog sa HQ namin. Lalo sa panahong walang sweldo hehehe. Galing talaga ni Israel Kamakawiwo Ole.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

I was in a sour-somber mood last week, owing to some personal dilemmas, stress at work over beating deadlines, and the near death of Paloma, my pink laptop (named such kasi lagi ko siya pinapalo, hinahampas, binabalibag).

The personal dilemma, I’ve decided to resolve via the bahala na si Batman school of thought. The work stress, well, the only way to deal with it is to accept that work will always be there, it’s just a matter of balancing it. I do think that much of my stress before owes to two things (1) procrastination — I seem to get a high from flirting with deadliest deadlines, (2) the inability to say NO. I’m trying to slowly fix both.

And most importantly, PALOMA IS BACK IN BUSINESS! After two days of gnashing my teeth because I couldn’t get anything done, and howling miserably (howl talaga..hehe..) in the office while Karl tried his best to detect the virus and wasn’t able to work as well, the virus has been finally defeated. Thanks to techie-udon Enteng, my files were snatched away from the talons of evil and are back in a safe, warm place. I was so happy I texted around twenty people in my phone book. (Enteng said the virus came from a USB stick. Sabi ko na nga ba, the last time I had a meeting at the DAR, they got a file from my laptop using their flash drive. Simula nun, nagkaletche letche na si Paloma. Haay, marami talagang kasalanan ang DAR sa sambayanan… )

With all that aside and tucked in, it looks like a bright week ahead for me. I’m filing a pleading today, after successfully retrieving it intact from my laptop. I’m watching Across the Universe on Tuesday (last time, I really wanted to watch it but we ended up watching American Idol in Jonas’ house instead while eating my carbonara), I’m having a reunion with college buddies this Friday and a few weeks down the road, I’m FINALLY going to Sagada!!! Oh, and I bought three summer dresses on sale yesterday in Greenhills. Life is good, indeed. Like I was texting my friend around 2am last night, it’s easy like Sunday morning.

I wanna be high…. so high….

Happy, chirpy Monday to y’all!

How much are you worth in bed?

Masyado daw G&D (grim and determined) yung Janina San Miguel post ko, at yung pinakahuling post, ako lang daw ang nakakaintindi.

Ito siguro, medyo madali lang intindihin. Nakita ko sa isang blog, sinundan ko lang yung link. Nakakatawa siya. May series of questions to determine how much you are worth in bed. Syempre hindi naman tayo naniniwala sa commodification of women (of men lang..lalo yung mga ngiti pa lang ulam na…), nakakaaliw lang talaga.

Powered By Sexy Limousines

Hmmm. $1,163.00/ an hour. O-ha, higher daw than the average score. Bukod sa ka-level ko na si Ashley Alexandra Dupre, mas malaki pa yan sa sahod ko kada buwan. Wala pang masyadong kayod at pawis na involved (glistening beads of sweat lang kasi dapat… in sexy, strategic places.)

Hehehe . Kayo, ano score nyo?

Para sa Isang Kaibigan

Here’s to kulambo-exhibitionism, hearing problems and singing as loud as we can on open highways.

Hanggang dito nalang at maraming salamat.

English Spoken Here

Yes, I know, this is a case of (incredibly) delayed reaction. But, well, better late than never.

So everyone was in stitches over Janina an Miguel’s question and answer portion at the recently-concluded Binibining Pilipinas competition and not a few raised a howl when she made it as one of the winners, despite barely being able to construct a simple english sentence. I was already disconcerted when people were watching it over and over in youtube and making fun of her attempts to answer Vivian Tan’s question in english. As far as I was concerned, what we should be making a mockery of is a culture that insists on english as the accepted language of success and whatnot, and views a person’s capacity to speak english fluently as a barometer of her intellect (not even background or social status, but intellect.)   

And then, about two weeks ago, I saw a Jessica Soho report featuring contestants that flubbed question and answer portions. Jessica interviewed the tatay of Janina and on my TV screen was the image of a man visibly distressed. It turned out that Mr. San Miguel is a jeepney driver. Yes, folks, Janina comes from a poor family — not just poor in the sense that we all are getting poorer and poorer by the day because of the rising prices, but poor as in barely-able-to-eat-thrice-a-day poor. According to Mr. San Miguel, they were all mighty proud of Janina (as indeed they should) but were deeply hurt when all the news reports on TV focused on her question and answer portion and made her a national laughingstock.  He was crying during the interview. No father deserves to hear that shit about his daughter, especially since the only thing they can throw at her is a fumbled sentence or two.

And then this excerpt from Metro magazine. I’m probably a month late, but I just read it this morning. This is what actually prompted this blog entry:

It will be a first — imagine, dahling, a Miss Philippines, a citizen of a former American colony, asking for an english interpreter! — and it will speak volumes about how bad the educational system has gotten in our country, and how such beauty and brains combination are quickly becoming extinct. xxx

First, I take major issue with the notion that just because we used to be a former colony, we are somewhat expected to speak the language of our colonizers fluently. As though colonization should impose obligations on the post-colony states.  As though colonization wasn’t bad enough for the colony as it is. In truth, we must be lamenting the fact that so much of our rich and beautiful heritage has been diluted, if not lost altogether, because of an overeagerness for all things Western.

Second, jesus christ, deficiency in the english language is considered a lack of brains?! Only in the Philippines, indeed, is there such a diminution of the national language that we doubt the intellectual capacity of our countrymen who only speak the mother tongue. I speak with people regularly who don’t know a whit of english but who continue to astound me with their depth and understanding of issues, and with the integrity of their vision. Way, way smarter than those kids speaking Starbucks english and drinking Starbucks coffee.  

Go Janina! Sock it at ‘em Starbucks kids. I’m rooting for you.

My 3:00 am Habit and Its Unfortunate Result this Morning

For the past two weeks now, I have this bizarre sleeping disorder. Everyday, no matter what time I sleep the night before, I wake up at 3am. On the dot. As though I had set an alarm clock. Sometimes I try to work and a few times actually get some work done, but more often than not, nakatunganga lang ako, waiting for the rest of the world to wake up.

Being especially bored right now and having nothing to blog about, sasagot nalang ako ng survey, Friendster-style. Nothing worth your while, I promise you.

Hi, my name is:
Jae. My family and one ex-boyfriend call me Jayee.

Never in my life have I been:
praised for my singing. And sadly, I don’t think that’s ever gonna happen.

The one person who can drive me nuts is:
my mom. hehe. but since we’re so much alike, i probably drive her nuts too.

High school is:
a safe, innocent, happy time.

When I’m nervous:
I feel the somersaults in my tummy. When it gets especially bad, my teeth chatter.

My hair is:
short. used to be short and stylish, but now it’s just short.

When I was 10:
I won a writing contest for the first time. Yiheee. I forget na the contest, basta it was some inter-school thing.

Last Christmas:
was spent with my family.

I should be:
asleep and not answering this stupid survey.

The happiest recent event was:
our family trip to Banaue.

By this time next year:
I’ll be still doing what I’m doing now, and doing it better.

My current gripe is:
that I think I left my house keys in a taxi the other night.

I have a hard time understanding:
bakit ba walang katapusan ang mga forum. malapitlapit na ako ma-death by powerpoint presentation. hehe. joke lang. mainipin lang talaga ako. at siga. kiskisan nalang kasi.

There’s this girl I know that:
has made up her mind about something and there’s no stopping her. No matter how sad it’s making us (and me, coz I have terrible separation anxiety) , we love her dearly — and because of that, we’d rather she be happy than she be ours. Naiiyak na naman ako…

You know I like you when:
I make time for you and I make you feel I like you in so many little ways. I used to be so afraid of going out on a limb before, wearing out my best friend Jordan with my frequent “sheht, sheht, he texted this, he likes me kaya, how should i reply, baka naman he’ll think im too forward” SOS messages. Right now, I’m realizing that life is short and some openness and risk-taking can do me some good. Mukha namang oo. Hehe.

If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be:
My momma.

Take my advice:

Trust your gut, but it doesn’t hurt to google it first.

Something that I really want to buy is:
a laptop cooler. well, not really want, but need. haven’t gotten around to doing it.

If you visited the place I was born:
watch our world-famous sunset while munching mani and drinking sopisdrink in the arms of the one you love. manila, manila, i keep coming back to manila….

I plan to visit:
Mount Banahaw, this weekend. Excited na ako.

I’d stop my wedding if:
I realized I’m not in love pala with the man I’m about to marry. But I hope that doesn’t happen. I hope that when I get married, it will be with someone I love deeply and truly.

The world could do without:
INTOLERANCE.

I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than:
be a game show contestant on Wowowee. Magkakanervous breakdown siguro ako.

Most recent thing I’ve bought myself:
A YES magazine with KC on the cover. Hehe.

Most recent thing someone else bought me:
A chickenjoy meal. I was craving for some serious cholesterol.

This morning I:
woke up at exactly 3am and not knowing what to do. hence this stupid survey which you’ve, by the mercy of God, come to the end of.