Philippines is a democratic country. Cory Aquino fought for democracy right?! If PNOY approves this CyberCrime Law, ay his mother’s effort will be wasted.
I wanted to do something before the year end so I’m sharing with you this project I had in mind which is to play 20 OPM songs on ukulele.
Thank God, Jaytee Taquiso exists in this world She makes Youtube tutorials on how to play songs on ukulele at a beginner level. She’s so good and she especially arranges songs so it’s easier for newbies to learn.
I’m still thinking about how to share the whole process- probably just a single blog post featuring a collection of epic fails
If you’re interested to join me or if you just want to know the chords to the above songs, I’ve created this database on Notion which you can access too!
Though I’m not able to go hoard books at an actual and physical Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), I’m glad that I get to have the opportunity to know more Filipino writers and books that try to recover and reimagine the Filipino history and culture through webinars like this.
Charlie’s book, Children of the Postcolony, is a collection of essays about the Filipino intellectuals “who have contributed to the foundation of the cultural archive of decolonization“ namely Edith L. Tiempo, Fernando Zobel, Bienvenido L. Lumbera, E. San Juan, Jr, and Jose Maria Sison that raise a few concerns about the Filipino decolonization:
How would Filipinos be able to break free from the corruption of the American interference?
How was the interference affected the forgetting of the early history of the postcolony?
How do we go about the process of reconstruction when contamination is inevitable?
Is Filipinization a Filipino idea or an American one- is it a corrupted idea or a revolutionary idea?
Charlie said that the book wasn’t meant to criticize the past, but to provoke the scholars and students to “reconstruct those lost years in Filipino memory.”
Hoping to attend more webinars of this kind. There are two more events for the month of November which you can attend:
Hindi mo naabutan ang limited screening ng Dahling Nick sa opisyal na Youtube channel ng Cinema One? Mapapanuod na ang Dahling Nick sa Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino na gaganapin sa ika-31 ng Oktubre!
She’s Perfect is a 3D animated short film which centers a girl named Mahalia, who tries to fix the hole in her chest. No one can see the hole except her, and she can still see it transparent through her clothes, no matter what she wears.
Binakol Sa Dahon
by Gary Tabanera,
“Binakol sa Dahon” is the tale of Ester, a mother falsely accused of a crime she did not commit. Judged and unfairly tagged by her family and an overly superstitious rural community, she becomes the unwitting target of abuse, cruelty, and violence, but her spirit is kept alive by her resolve to survive the ordeal. Through it all, she discovers the meaning of the word ‘family’ and summons from within a version of herself that would have been wise to keep hidden, a woman, who, despite the viciousness of the world, and her unbridled power for vengeance, chooses love and the tenderness of a mother’s heart over all.
Hakab
by Mel Aguilar-Maestro,
What does it really take to breastfeed and sustain life in the Philippines? In spite of the key legislations on the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in the Philippines, it has remained one of the top nations with the least number of exclusively breastfed children, and still has a stigmatised breastfeeding culture. “Hakab"“ explores the narratives of mothers in the Philippines coming from different social, economic, and cultural backgrounds braving the challenges of a repressed breastfeeding culture in the Philippines.
Night Shift
by Mariel Ong,
While inside the car, a battered driver answers her ringing phone. On the way home, she picks up a passenger and drops her off. Troubled, she quietly follows the passenger until she reaches her own apartment. She begins to hear mysterious voices. These voices become louder until she goes outside to enter a different room.
Adira
by Jorzheema Hamid,
Adira is a 16-year-old Tausug girl who was forced by her parents to marry a man twice her age. Isolated and with limited freedom, Adira must find her voice as she escapes not just a tragic night but the manipulated beliefs she was fed with.
Noontime Drama
by Kim Timan and Sam Villa-Real,
In the confines of her own kitchen, single mother Sonia struggles to prepare the perfect Kare-Kare with her daughter Leslie.
PROMETHEUS UNBOUND ni Ruben Cuevas (alias ni Jose F. Lacaba)
“I shall never exchange my fetters for slavish servility. ’Tis better to be chained to the rock than be bound to the service of Zeus.” –Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
Mars shall glow tonight, Artemis is out of sight. Rust in the twilight sky Colors a bloodshot eye, Or shall I say that dust Sunders the sleep of the just?
Hold fast to the gift of fire! I am rage! I am wrath! I am ire! The vulture sits on my rock, Licks at the chains that mock Emancipation’s breath, Reeks of death, death, death.
Death shall not unclench me. I am earth, wind, and sea! Kisses bestow on the brave That defy the damp of the grave And strike the chill hand of Death with the flaming sword of love.
Orion stirs. The vulture Retreats from the hard, pure Thrust of the spark that burns, Unbounds, departs, returns To pluck out of death’s fist A god who dared to resist.
***
Ang mga larawan ay kuha sa pelikulang Dahling Nick na mapapanuod sa Youtube chanel ng Cinema One.
So the House would like to pass this bill making September 11 a day to celebrate a dictator.
The Marcoses never waste time trying to revise the history and the truth.
FILIPINOS URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP: A CALL TO ACTION
art by the wonderful @franshookie-art (DO NOT REPOST this image without their specific permission. check out more of their art on twitter.)
hi, all.. i know that a lot of our focus is on the BlackLivesMatter movement atm (which is wonderful and should’ve happened a long time ago), and i hate to distract you from that, but there’s something horrible happening in my country, the Philippines (yes, the one being lead by the so-called Filipino version of Donald Trump), right now.
our national government has passed a bill that’ll essentially take away our constitutional rights to freedom of speech and fair trial. it’s called the Anti-Terrorism Bill, but we’ve dubbed it Terror Bill. here’s a summary of what it entails:
if you want to read the actual bill in its entirety, here’s alinkto the official Senate of the Philippines website, where you can download a pdf copy. i’d like you to keep in mind the political climate in our country, though, and just how rampant corruption and police brutality are here.
it has already been passed by the Senate; all it needs is the House of Representatives’ approval, and it will be enforced. if you want to help stop this from happening, here are a few ways:
sign and share thispetition. we’re so close to 300,000 signatures!!!
send e-mails to the Office of the President and the Senate. there’s an e-mail protest currently going on. i have qualms about copy-pasting the message, but ultimately, this method is a lot more effective than petitions:
these posters were made and posted by @tentenyukkion twitter.
educate yourself about the bill and how it will affect us when it’s approved. here are some news articles, editorials, and thought pieces to get you started:
spread the word. on social media, our tags are #JunkTerrorBilland#JunkTerrorBillNow, but don’t stop there; tell your friends and family. please. people need to know this is happening.
your help could save the lives of millions of Filipinos, and we’d really, really appreciate it. i don’t usually ask for much, but when it comes to urgent issues like this, i can’t stay silent. unlike with BLM, i can speak my truth about this because i know personally what it’s like to be a Filipino citizen and to live in the Philippines. i hope it’s heard, and we keep an ounce of what little dignity we have as a “sovereign” country and rights as a “sovereign” people.
some of you might unfollow or get mad because this isn’t strictly studyblr content, but it’s not about aesthetic right now. i need your help. we need to hurry.
thank you for taking time to read! let’s uphold human rights together. #JunkTerrorBillNow!
Let us educate ourselves. Support us to junk this Philippine Terror Bill.
Many of the evacuees are Muslim, so make sure foodstuffs are halal, allowable to their faith. Explanation here by Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines.
Locally produced is better for reasons discussed below.
If outside the Philippines:
If possible, donate money. Find an organization that will accept money. Sending goods not made and sold in the Philippines may hurt the economy of the region even more. If you can’t confirm the legitimacy of any organization’s efforts and wish to send physical goods, consider buying things made and sold from the Philippines, especially from Mindanao. Social Products sells Mindanao black rice, for example.
As always do your due diligence by researching the organizations you wish to donate to, so that you know that donations will actually go to the people who need help.
Always assume that they (Maute Group) are also on Social Media. This is not private real estate. Information is vital for them and our military.
If you know accounts who have posted information that may have compromised their location, ask them to delete those posts.
The people’s safety should be your priority. Anything that keeps people hidden will help them. We know the situation is dire as it is.
Do not share information that is from the active zone on social media. Gov’t operatives on the field will know this already and it will be of no use to us (private citizens).
There have been a lot of incidents where Social Media has failed us – the Zamboanga Siege and the Manila Hostage Crisis.
Do not inform the public. Inform your loved ones. Choose life, please.
Hi, soon-to-be grads! I’m working on designs for fabric to be used on sablay, graduation malong/sash used by some Philippines schools. I still have to get the test swatch to make sure the design looks good on fabric (the little heart watermark won’t be on the final product).
Here is a a video on how sablay are used. Like tassles, they are moved to the other side once you are officially graduated.
Hopefully the fabric will be proofed by June. If you are graduating then and are interested in getting some fabric to make your own sablay/malong, please let me know (reblog, message, etc) what color you would like (school colors would probably the norm), so then I can proof the fabric in time to allow it to be sold on Spoonflower. If you’re graduating later in the year, I might be able to sew up the malong for you and sell on Etsy.
Please signal boost.
PS I’ll probably put up a video on how to make your own sablay without sewing, so even if you don’t buy my fabric, you can have a bit of our culture on you when you graduate.
PPS Mabuhay and congrats! You’re so close to the finish line! Believe ako sa’yo!
Habang naglilinis ay nakita ko ang mga postcards na nabili ko noong 2019 MIBF. Napag-isipan kong hanapin ang mga ito sa internet at nalaman ko na ang mga larawan sa postcards ay makikita rin sa librong Form and Splendor: Personal Adornment of Northern Luzon Ethnic Groups, Philippines ni Roberto Maramba. Ang mga larawan naman sa naturang libro ay kuha ni Masato Yokoyama.
The striking neck ornament of the Isneg called “sipattal” composed of a bead collar and three cascades of cut mother of pearl.
Ilongot ear ornaments for females called “calipan.” Disks of mother-of-pearl have scratchwork designs of an anthropomorphic figure,
Ilongot earrings for males called “batling.” The jagged form is cut from the skull of a scarlet hornbill. It denoted headhunter status.
Bontoc women’s girdle called “akosan.” Very old and worn cone shells (Conus literatus) and bone pieces on woven textile.
The Tinguian shell girdle called “akosan.” ivory rings, wooden rings, cone shells and animal teeth on woven cloth. 110 cm in length.
Ceremonial loincloth for “Gaddang” males called “dinega.” Finely-woven cloth is decorated at the ends with tiny glass beads.
An assortment of Kalinga and Isneg bead ensembles. Bone and shell segments, glass, ceramic and agate beads.
May mga postcards pa ako na binili sa 2019 MIBF na hanggang ngayon ay hinahanap ko pa kung sino ang kumuha. Sa likuran ng postcards nakalagay na gawa ito ng Bookmark Publishing kaya naman nagpadala ako ng sulatroniko (e-mail) upang alamin kung katulad ba ng naunang mga postcard na pinost ko ay galing rin ang mga ito sa isang aklat:
Executioner at the turn of the century, Philippines
Boat builders at the turn of the century, Philippines
Cobbler (Chinese) at the turn of the century, Philippines
Fisherman at the turn of the century, Philippines
Musicians at the turn of the century, Philippines
Musicians at the turn of the century, Philippines
Musicians at the turn of the century, Philippines
Milkmen at the turn of the century, Philippines
Chinese laborers at the turn of the century, Philippines
Chinese laborers at the turn of the century, Philippines
Maging panatag sa inyong ambag. May nasimulan tayong hindi pa kailanman nasasaksihan sa buong kasaysayan ng bansa. Isang kampanyang pinamunuan ng taong bayan. Isang kilusang nabuo, hindi lang para baklasin ang luma at bulok na sistema, kundi para magpanday ng totoo ar positibong pagbabago. Isinadiwa ninyo ang demokrasya, hindi lang sa pagboto, kundi sa pagmamahal sa kapwa Pilipino. Napakalaking tagumpay nito. At maituturing lang na bigo ang kampanya natin kung hahayaan nating malusaw ang mga nabuo nating samahan.
Kaya sinasabi ko sa inyo ngayon, WALANG NASAYANG. Hindi tayo nabigo. Pinakamahalaga, hindi pa tayo tapos. Nagsisimula pa lang tayo.
May landas na nagbukas at hindi ito magsasara kasabay ng mga presinto. May kilusang isinilang at hindi ito papanaw sa pagtatapos ng bilangan.
Ang namulat hindi na muling mapipikit. Hindi natin kailanman hahayaang makatulog muli ang pagasa.
Willing to re-acquaint yourself with history but Rappler is ew? I got you! Literature is how I teach myself history and the human condition, so perhaps it will be the same for you. Here are some works that I recommend:
Dekada ‘70 by Lualhati Bautista
Gun Dealers’ Daughter by Gina Apostol
State Of War by Ninotchka Rosca
Killing Time In A Warm Place by Jose Dalisay
The Jupiter Effect by Katrina Tuvera
Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage: The First Quarter Storm & Related Events by Jose F. Lacaba
Subversive Lives by Susan and Nathan Quimpo
Tutubi, Tutubi, 'Wag Kang Magpahuli Sa Mamang Salbahe by Jun Cruz Reyes
Of course, these will not teach you everything you need to learn, but literature is a good springboard to start your journey in delving deeper into a certain topic.
Reposting an essay we had to write a reaction paper about back in college. This is worth the read.
Don’t be fooled at once by the title of the entry. The story behind that statement excludes us.
Last year, a friend left the Philippines and went to the United States. In his German class, the students were international. The professor asked who the Asians were and one by one the Asian students introduced themselves. And so it went, the Chinese, the Koreans, the Vietnamese, the Singaporeans etc. all raised their hands. Finally the professor calls this Filipino and asks,
Professor: Where are you from?
Filipino: Philippines
Professor: Oh, Filipinos are not Asians! They are Pacific Islanders! Because ASIANS ARE SMART…
In the United States, it is already being taught in schools that Filipinos are not Asians—that we are Pacific Islanders. While there is a lot of reaction against it, I am surprised that many intelligent Filipinos abroad have accepted this without question.
Pacific Islands are places like Samoa, Hawaii, Tahiti, Guam, Cook Islands, Mariana Islands—and their common denominator? Most of them do not possess their own national and political identities—they are islands under the jurisdiction and protection of more powerful countries like USA, France and New Zealand. Most of these Pacific Islands are still referred to as “indigenous natives.” They have very, very small populations and they have no global role or power. While they have their own unique culture and characteristics, they do not hail from any great civilization in the past. Hindi sila lumaban at tumayo para sa sarili nilang lahi.
What is even sad, however, is that even Pacific Islanders do not like and do not accept Filipinos! One good example are Hawaiian tourists we met in China. When they learned that we were Filipinos, they disgustingly uttered , “You eat Balot!” and avoided us like a plague.
The statement of this American guy, filled with racism obviously merits strong disapproval. In fact, our friend was so angry after having been humiliated in front of the class. The logical thing to say, is that the Philippines IS part of the ASEAN group of nations. We can also say that Japan is an island in the Pacific Ocean but is not considered a Pacific Island. But we should ask—why would no one dare to call the Japanese people Pacific Islanders? Why pick on the Philippines?
Simple. Because Japan has produced cars and we have produced dried mangoes and pastillas. The Philippines has been so left behind by Asian countries that foreigners shake their heads and ask, “What happened to your country?” Let us not even compare the Philippines with the four Tiger economies, ‘cuz they’re just way way way too far ahead. What about Vietnam and Thailand? I read that for every one Filipino who has a Master’s Degree, Vietnam has 6, Thailand has 25 and Singapore has 200. But why bother to be educated when the national dream is to go abroad? We are scattered from Hongkong to Kazakhstan, from Italy to even North Korea. Thousands of our doctors are becoming nurses. Our teachers become caregivers. Our women become entertainers and prostitutes. Our young people only know one course and that is nursing. Why would foreigners respect us when we do not even respect ourselves? We are the country of Gucci Gangs—our elite own Picassos and they simply have no heart to alleviate and educate the masses, as F. Sionil Jose and Brian Gorrell—the pitiful Australian guy who was robbed by DJ Montano—sadly pointed out.
I am reminded of Condoleezza Rice, the first black woman to become the United States Secretary of State. She was born in Alabama and suffered discrimination on account of her color. But she was taught from a young age by her father, that she had to be “twice as good”and prove that she was deserving of advancement. Condoleezza Rice explains, “I was going to be so well prepared, and I was going to do all of these things that were revered in white society SO WELL, that I would be armored somehow from racism. I would be able to confront white society on its own terms.”(Washington Post, Lessons of Might and Right, How Segregation and an Indomitable Family Shaped National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, By Dale Russakoff, September 9, 2001)
The only way to answer people, who insist that we are uncivilized tribes is not by shooting off our mouths. The only answer is to beat them by studying and working ten times harder than the rest—to beat them not just once or twice, but to do so consistently for the next 20,30, 40, 50 years. Unless we Filipinos are prepared to love our country, and sacrifice ourselves by doing the extra-mile, we really deserve to be called stupid.
This deity is one of the Sambal deities that is the deity of the wind. They were in particular one of the deities associated with the process of rice according to the Relation of the Zambals by Domingo Perez (1680).
According to the text, people would offer pinipig to Anitun Tawo for favorable winds. They would also set up an altar and hang some of the rice as an offering, which this practice was called “mamiarag”.
Pinipig is the green, immature grains of rice which is flattened and toasted. It is commonly used in dishes such as making halo-halo and pinipig polvoron.
The other deities associated with rice was Dumangan, Kalasakas, Kalasokos, and Damolag.
Currently, Anitun Tawo has been associated as a Tagalog deity, but like many other deities, there is no record of the Tagalog having this as a deity. It’s important to acknowledge that many deities claimed as Tagalog are not Tagalog. This gives a Tagalog centric way of thinking and like other instances, erases the identity and culture of other ethnic groups.
While I don’t rule out that Anitun Tawo may have been also known to the Tagalog, along with Dumangan, Apo Laki, Ana Golay, etc (though Si Dapa which apparently is also now being spread that he was a Tagalog god when he’s Bisaya irks me to no end), and others, this erasure and claiming of everything being Tagalog is an ongoing issue.
Lulundo ang lupang kinatatayuan ng sinumang gahaman sa pagkakamkam ng hindi kaniya. Lalamunin ng dagat ang magtatangkang higitan s'ya. Didilim ang kalangitan sa mga nawalan ng habag sa iba. Babalikan sila ng lahat ng batong initsa.
Ikalubog nawa nila ang bigat ng pasakit na idinulot sa mga inalipusta’t ninakawan. Ikapatid sana ng kanilang hininga ang kadenang ginamit sa mga taong walang sala.
Wala ritong pagbabanta Isa itong babala Munting paalala
Sumpa na rin kung mamarapatin ni bathala.
Mananagot ang may sala.
WM
Ang bigat bigat pa rin. Pabalik-balik ako sa galit at pagtanggap. Kaunting panahon pa…
Puno na ang sisidlan ko ng takot at galit Marami pa rito ang mapanganib kung bitbit Hindi ko naman raw naiintindihan ‘Di ko naman raw dinanas ang digmaan
Buong akala ko mas mainam ang may pake ‘Yung tipong handa kang sumigaw sa may balkunahe At maging tinig ng mga naaapi, Ng mga ninanakawan at ng tinatawag nilang mga walang silbi
Akala ko sapat na ang manindigan, Ang kumapit sa pag-asa ng katotohanan, Ipaglaban ang katarungan, At gumawa ng kahit anong paraan
Tila hindi pa handa ang mundo sa kalinawan Malayo pa nga marahil ang kapanatagan- Baka kailangan ko pang sapitin ang dahas bago pakinggan? Magiging banta pa rin yata ang tapang at karunungan
Puno na ako ngunit hindi pa rin makapikit Kaya’t mananatiling galit hangga’t may ginigipit At patuloy na maghahanda sa bukas na kay lupit
Saan ba maaaring isilid ang natitira ko pang mga takot at galit!?
WM
Galit pa rin ako. Pagod na rin. Ngunit higit sa lahat, nagmamahal pa rin.
Historical Letters: Andres Bonifacio’s Executioner Says the Katipunan Founder Pleaded For His Life
The letter by Major Lazaro Macapagal, along with a confession of Emilio Aguinaldo’s involvement in Bonifacio’s death, is up for auction this month.
By now, historians have deciphered the extent to which President Emilio Aguinaldo was involved in Andres Bonifacio’s death. It is called the death sentence that would forever alter our nation’s history. On May 10, 1897, the founder of the Katipunan and the father of the Philippine Revolution was gunned down by Aguinaldo loyalist Major Lazaro Macapagal. This was the sentence bestowed upon him and his brother Procopio for committing treason against Aguinaldo’s government.
Today, these rare documents that have never been known to exist have resurfaced and are going under the gavel during the fifth edition of the Asian Cultural Council-Leon Gallery benefit auction.
About 30 years after Macapagal and his men pulled the trigger on the Bonifacio brothers in the mountains outside Maragondon, Macapagal wrote a letter recounting the events to scholar Jose P. Santos.
He said Noriel had instructed him to read out loud the contents of a sealed letter containing their sentence only when they had reached the “bundoc ng tala.” The orders were: “Pagdating doon, bucsanitongpakete, basahin ng malakassaharapnilangdalawa ng malalmannila at sundinninongmahigpitkunganoangsinasabisa loob nian.”
Here are a few things to know about why the period under Martial Law matters in the ongoing fight for truth, justice and reparations in the Philippines.
A lack of justice and accountability can lead to further human rights violations and erasure of the horrors of the past fuels attempts to revise history. Former President Marcos was never held accountable and was instead granted a hero’s burial with full military honours by the Duterte administration in 2016. Amnesty International believes that all those suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes under international law or other human rights violations should be brought to justice in fair trials, regardless of when and where the crimes were committed. There should be no amnesties, pardons or similar measures of impunity for such crimes if such measures prevent the emergence of the truth, a final judicial determination of guilt or innocence and full reparation for victims and their families. International law states that no time limits should apply to crimes under international law, irrespective of the date of their commission.
Reparations remain elusive for many victims and their families who are unable to prove the violations that they or their relatives experienced during martial law, in the absence of documentation and other requirements. The Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board – created by the government to “receive, evaluate, process, and investigate” reparation claims made by victims of human rights abuses during martial law, and which ceased its work in 2018 – received as many as 75,000 claimants, but only over 11,000 of these were recognized following the board’s assessment. Funds used to compensate the victims came from Marcos’ Swiss deposits, after Courts found that such funds were obtained by President Marcos through corruption.
Amnesty International continues to call for truth, justice and reparations to be afforded for all victims of martial law, including continued efforts from the government to go after all those responsible of the atrocities committed during martial law.
***
Ang larawan ay galing sa Presidential Museum and Library na inilathala sa Gulf News
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