Thursday, July 12, 2018
Abra, my Abra
Abra, my Abra
Who hasn't heard of Abra, arguably the most violence-prone province in our country every election period? In the past decade, in fact, Abra has dethroned Mindanao with the most number of election-related violence.
But don't get me wrong. I am not trying to put Abra in a bad light because after all, it is where I come from. I am just bothered and saddened that my beloved hometown has become what it is now.
During my high school and college years, whenever friends and acquaintances would ask me which province I come from, I would proudly say "Abra" and they in turn would say, "Saan `yon?"
My answer: "Doon sa may Ilocos Sur." To which, many would invariably say, "Ahhhh, Ilocos pala."
Often I would get irritated when someone would insist that the capital of Abra is Benguet and not Bangued. Many Filipinos, it seems, never heard of my province.
Fast forward to the new millennium. The entire Philippines now seems to know more about Abra than the average Abrenio, thanks to the extensive coverage of the volatile political situation in our province.
In a place like Abra where killings have become a normal occurrence come election time, many of us residents have sadly come to accept this as a fact of life. Sure, many residents will talk and sympathize with the victims, but not much is done, and the outrage is hardly felt anymore. Meantime, the dead becomes a mere statistic in the long list of unresolved killings in this place.
And life goes on.
But visit Abra during calmer times and you will notice how different the images are from what is shown on TV. Many beautiful houses stand proudly in the province, thanks to Abrenios who have scattered all over the world to improve their lot back home.
It could thus be assumed that the chaos is all election-related, and is not due to us Abrenios being naturally war-freak.
Unfortunately, elections are held every three years, so the calm is short-lived.
Most Barangays in the province are small and almost all the residents are related. Everyone is somebody's cousin.
But politics knows no filial ties. Most of those who run for political posts in the barangay elections are from a single clan, but this does not stop them from engaging in bitter tiffs. Many stop talking to each other once they find themselves on opposite sides of the political fence.
Still, I wonder why people would fight bitterly over politics. Is it the power that is perceived to come with the title of barangay captain, or the internal revenue allotment which could run into millions of pesos,or the perks of being close to the Mayor or maybe the provincial leaders?
To answer this question, I first had to look at why we Abrenios have been reduced to fighting over virtual political scraps.
I learned that Abra was once the Shangri-la of the Tinguians or the Itnegs. People here were brave and courageous, despite being constantly harassed by headhunters from Kalinga. The Tinguians then were peaceful people, and became tough only because of the need to protect themselves from enemies.
Then came the Ilocanos. These people from Ilocos were also hardy people, veterans of revolutions and skirmishes against Spain. They were people who built their dreams of fortune in the new land which is now Abra. To be able to move upstream, they only relied on their guts. They were fearless people who bonded together in the new communities that they built.
From the intermarriages between these two courageous and hardworking people came the Abrenios of today.
Though we come from the same stock, we differ in class. Some of us come from the working class, those who want to make a difference and help bring change to our province. The others are simply dependent on politicians and they survive by harassing the weaker members of our community. They become minions and sadly, all the people around them become minions too. It doesn't really matter if they live in the province or they live abroad. So, it becomes a choice.
Nobody knows what the future holds but we continue to wish that our once proud and mighty breed could someday make our province a better place to live in.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Surprised to see this on GMA News page
Filtered By: News
NEWS
Priest assails people behind Pinoy smut video hit in HK
The Filipino chaplain of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong has angrily denounced the people behind the distribution of the pornographic "Mare, Pare" video that continues to sell like hotcakes in the community.
Father Emil Lim's comments came as a second smut VCD featuring two other Filipino couples began to change hands at the underground markets in Central and in other places in HK where Filipinos tend to congregate.
Fr. Emil said people should not buy the video, but should inform the police about those who sell it.
"If you know anybody who sells it, by all means, report them to the police," Fr. Lim emphatically said. He then asked, "Alam ba ng mga pulis na may nagbebenta niyan sa Worldwide (Plaza in Central, where the VCD is supposed to have been sold first)?"
He also said that he was disturbed by the interest shown by Filipinos in the VCD, which purports to show two OFWs in a clandestine sex act. The woman is said to be working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, while the man--supposedly her "kumpadre"--is an OFW in Saudi Arabia.
"We don't even know if it's (the VCD) really genuine _ na OFW nga yung babae doon. But OFW or not, it is still pornography...it is still illegal and immoral. At kung totoong OFW yung babae, the more na di dapat panoorin ng kapwa niya OFW yon."
He also has harsh words for those who claim they watched the VCD because they got curious about the "pare-mare" yarn woven around it.
"Don't use curiosity as an excuse. Those who watched it should go to confession and if you have the tape (VCD), I urge you to break it. Don't throw it away, break it!"
Amid Fr. Lim's warning, the controversial VCD continues to find its way, albeit surreptitiously, to many OFWs in Hong Kong. Parts 1 and 2 are already being sold together at $20 each, and there is talk now that part three of the previously believed reality VCD will also find its way soon in the illicit market.
But unlike the equally controversial sexploits of fallen Cantopop singer-actor Edison Chen which were captured on camera and posted without permission on the internet, the "Pare-Mare" VCD does not seem to provoke much outrage within the community.
On the contrary, many Filipinos seem to take interest in the VCD, initially because the story about the two supposed OFWs in the video having clandestine sex became more interesting in the telling.
Some of those who have watched it now seem certain that they know the "mare" in the video--she's from the north, east, west and south of the Philippines. However, someone has yet to give her a name, and where in HK she can be found. In short, there is as yet no proof that she is indeed, an OFW, much less an OFW from Hong Kong.
Filipino artist Tito Castante shares his views on why the VCD has become a hit in the community, even after many people have dismissed it as nothing but an artless recording of repeated sexual acts by two porn actors.
"Food and sex are two of the things that interests us. You see this (even) in advertisements---they always use sex to sell products like a woman's pouting lips that suggests seduction. Besides, this gave us a rare opportunity to talk about sex, kasi nga di ba we are known to be conservative and talking about sex is still considered taboo? It's also human nature na you dont want other people to know na nahuhuli ka sa balita, so talk about it and add details para masabing you know something they don't."
A Filipino journalist who did not want to be named, has his own take on the issue: "Of course Filipinos become interested because it's out of the ordinary. Their sense of propriety is shaken but at the same time, they also want to see the lurid details".
Others who have seen the video are more concerned about whether or not the video does show a real-life "magkumpare" having sex on the sly. People like "Tiyo Paeng," a self confessed adult movie enthusiast who boasts of having more than a thousand titles of adult or blue movies from 1930s to present insists that it is an authentic reality show, and that the woman is an OFW from HK. "Pansinin mo yong kwarto, servants quarter yon, may mga nakasampay pang underwear at may eksena doon kung saan sinabi ng babae ang. `wag mo papakita sa mga kasamahan mo ito ha, pare?'"
But this was immediately discounted by computer specialist Rommel D, who said he had seen the video two years ago on jologs.com, a branch of iyo.tube .com, a Filipino adult version of youtube that was shut down a month ago because of its content.
"I am not saying that I am 100 % sure but with my knowledge as a technician, this is a very big scam. It is convincing because such situations really happen and porno materials like that are so common now, nagkalat nga sa Quiapo eh."
He said that small details like the the toilet being bigger than the room is already a sign that it was not shot in HK.
"Kahit saang motel ka magpunta dito, wala kang makikitang cr (comfort room, or toilet) na mas malaki kesa sa kwarto. Pansinin mo din iyong toilet--may gripo at shower dun na panghugas--kahit saang toilet dito walang ganun. Isa pa, kung lalakasan mo ang volume at gagamit ka ng earphone, mapapansin mong maingay sa background at may dispatcher na nagtatawag ng pasahero kaya alam ko na sa Pinas gawa yon".
Further, he said: "HK is a very small place, bakit walang makapagsabi kung sino siya? At isa pa, nung di pa sila nagsesex, `Babes' ang tawag ng babae dun sa lalake. Gumagawa lang sila ng sarili nilang pelikula at iniisip nilang porno actors sila."
Another observer, a psychologist turned businessman, also says the video is "a porno film, and nothing more."
He disputed the stories first circulated that the video was shot either in a boarding house or a maid's room here.
"It was filmed in a week or two--notice how the bed sheet had been changed many times. Also, yung sahig, linoleum at yung kama, sa Pilipinas mo lang makikita. May bathtub din. And lastly, the way they kiss is not normal for a regular couple; tanging mga porn artists lang ang gagawa niyan."
The psychologist also has some nasty words for those who watched, and claimed to have been nauseated by the video.
"If they were really scandalized, then why did they watch it, tapos sasabihin nila nakakadiri, nakakasuka. Bakit, ano ba ang inaasahan nilang makita, cartoons? Truth is, aminin man natin o hindi, we love scandal and this kind of scandal makes us awake and sometimes what we wish for can be fulfilled sa mga scandals na ganito," said the psychologist.
"Kasi, suddenly you have an excuse for watching porno, e before parang pag nalaman ng iba na nanood ka ng bold nakakahiya kaya ngayon, nakakapanood na sila freely. So if they really don't like it, they should stop watching it kasi lumabas na mga ipokrito sila at mas nakakahiya iyon," the psychologist added.
Genuine or not, the issue for other religious leaders in the community is why Filipinos continue to buy the pornographic video.
For Pastor Ben Gabatino of the Redeemed Church of Christ, the attention people give to the issue is a reflection of their characters.
"People tend to talk about others to divert attention from themselves. Baka kasi mamaya mas masahol pa yong ginagawa nila kaya yong bulok ng iba ang kanilang nilalabas, Isa pa, it is considered adultery to watch bold films. If people don't really want it, then why do they buy? At kung totoo man yon, anong pakialam natin?"
"I think ang pag-record ng sexual act ay di masama (in itself) kung mag-asawa kasi through that they may be able to enhance that part of their life. Still, it is not advisable kasi what if makita ng anak mo, di wala ka nang mukhang ihaharap sa kanya?
Fr. Joey Mandia also said that watching the VCD in question or any porno movies is considered adultery. Also, he says that anyone who records sexual acts might be a "bit sick" in the head.
Still, if it was indeed true that the video was between two magkumpares who are both married to other people, he said that it was "very unfortunate" that it happened"and it is even more unfortunate na tinatangkilik ng mga kababayan natin.
Father Emil Lim's comments came as a second smut VCD featuring two other Filipino couples began to change hands at the underground markets in Central and in other places in HK where Filipinos tend to congregate.
Fr. Emil said people should not buy the video, but should inform the police about those who sell it.
"If you know anybody who sells it, by all means, report them to the police," Fr. Lim emphatically said. He then asked, "Alam ba ng mga pulis na may nagbebenta niyan sa Worldwide (Plaza in Central, where the VCD is supposed to have been sold first)?"
He also said that he was disturbed by the interest shown by Filipinos in the VCD, which purports to show two OFWs in a clandestine sex act. The woman is said to be working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, while the man--supposedly her "kumpadre"--is an OFW in Saudi Arabia.
"We don't even know if it's (the VCD) really genuine _ na OFW nga yung babae doon. But OFW or not, it is still pornography...it is still illegal and immoral. At kung totoong OFW yung babae, the more na di dapat panoorin ng kapwa niya OFW yon."
He also has harsh words for those who claim they watched the VCD because they got curious about the "pare-mare" yarn woven around it.
"Don't use curiosity as an excuse. Those who watched it should go to confession and if you have the tape (VCD), I urge you to break it. Don't throw it away, break it!"
Amid Fr. Lim's warning, the controversial VCD continues to find its way, albeit surreptitiously, to many OFWs in Hong Kong. Parts 1 and 2 are already being sold together at $20 each, and there is talk now that part three of the previously believed reality VCD will also find its way soon in the illicit market.
But unlike the equally controversial sexploits of fallen Cantopop singer-actor Edison Chen which were captured on camera and posted without permission on the internet, the "Pare-Mare" VCD does not seem to provoke much outrage within the community.
On the contrary, many Filipinos seem to take interest in the VCD, initially because the story about the two supposed OFWs in the video having clandestine sex became more interesting in the telling.
Some of those who have watched it now seem certain that they know the "mare" in the video--she's from the north, east, west and south of the Philippines. However, someone has yet to give her a name, and where in HK she can be found. In short, there is as yet no proof that she is indeed, an OFW, much less an OFW from Hong Kong.
Filipino artist Tito Castante shares his views on why the VCD has become a hit in the community, even after many people have dismissed it as nothing but an artless recording of repeated sexual acts by two porn actors.
"Food and sex are two of the things that interests us. You see this (even) in advertisements---they always use sex to sell products like a woman's pouting lips that suggests seduction. Besides, this gave us a rare opportunity to talk about sex, kasi nga di ba we are known to be conservative and talking about sex is still considered taboo? It's also human nature na you dont want other people to know na nahuhuli ka sa balita, so talk about it and add details para masabing you know something they don't."
A Filipino journalist who did not want to be named, has his own take on the issue: "Of course Filipinos become interested because it's out of the ordinary. Their sense of propriety is shaken but at the same time, they also want to see the lurid details".
Others who have seen the video are more concerned about whether or not the video does show a real-life "magkumpare" having sex on the sly. People like "Tiyo Paeng," a self confessed adult movie enthusiast who boasts of having more than a thousand titles of adult or blue movies from 1930s to present insists that it is an authentic reality show, and that the woman is an OFW from HK. "Pansinin mo yong kwarto, servants quarter yon, may mga nakasampay pang underwear at may eksena doon kung saan sinabi ng babae ang. `wag mo papakita sa mga kasamahan mo ito ha, pare?'"
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"I am not saying that I am 100 % sure but with my knowledge as a technician, this is a very big scam. It is convincing because such situations really happen and porno materials like that are so common now, nagkalat nga sa Quiapo eh."
He said that small details like the the toilet being bigger than the room is already a sign that it was not shot in HK.
"Kahit saang motel ka magpunta dito, wala kang makikitang cr (comfort room, or toilet) na mas malaki kesa sa kwarto. Pansinin mo din iyong toilet--may gripo at shower dun na panghugas--kahit saang toilet dito walang ganun. Isa pa, kung lalakasan mo ang volume at gagamit ka ng earphone, mapapansin mong maingay sa background at may dispatcher na nagtatawag ng pasahero kaya alam ko na sa Pinas gawa yon".
Further, he said: "HK is a very small place, bakit walang makapagsabi kung sino siya? At isa pa, nung di pa sila nagsesex, `Babes' ang tawag ng babae dun sa lalake. Gumagawa lang sila ng sarili nilang pelikula at iniisip nilang porno actors sila."
Another observer, a psychologist turned businessman, also says the video is "a porno film, and nothing more."
He disputed the stories first circulated that the video was shot either in a boarding house or a maid's room here.
"It was filmed in a week or two--notice how the bed sheet had been changed many times. Also, yung sahig, linoleum at yung kama, sa Pilipinas mo lang makikita. May bathtub din. And lastly, the way they kiss is not normal for a regular couple; tanging mga porn artists lang ang gagawa niyan."
The psychologist also has some nasty words for those who watched, and claimed to have been nauseated by the video.
"If they were really scandalized, then why did they watch it, tapos sasabihin nila nakakadiri, nakakasuka. Bakit, ano ba ang inaasahan nilang makita, cartoons? Truth is, aminin man natin o hindi, we love scandal and this kind of scandal makes us awake and sometimes what we wish for can be fulfilled sa mga scandals na ganito," said the psychologist.
"Kasi, suddenly you have an excuse for watching porno, e before parang pag nalaman ng iba na nanood ka ng bold nakakahiya kaya ngayon, nakakapanood na sila freely. So if they really don't like it, they should stop watching it kasi lumabas na mga ipokrito sila at mas nakakahiya iyon," the psychologist added.
Genuine or not, the issue for other religious leaders in the community is why Filipinos continue to buy the pornographic video.
For Pastor Ben Gabatino of the Redeemed Church of Christ, the attention people give to the issue is a reflection of their characters.
"People tend to talk about others to divert attention from themselves. Baka kasi mamaya mas masahol pa yong ginagawa nila kaya yong bulok ng iba ang kanilang nilalabas, Isa pa, it is considered adultery to watch bold films. If people don't really want it, then why do they buy? At kung totoo man yon, anong pakialam natin?"
"I think ang pag-record ng sexual act ay di masama (in itself) kung mag-asawa kasi through that they may be able to enhance that part of their life. Still, it is not advisable kasi what if makita ng anak mo, di wala ka nang mukhang ihaharap sa kanya?
Fr. Joey Mandia also said that watching the VCD in question or any porno movies is considered adultery. Also, he says that anyone who records sexual acts might be a "bit sick" in the head.
Still, if it was indeed true that the video was between two magkumpares who are both married to other people, he said that it was "very unfortunate" that it happened"and it is even more unfortunate na tinatangkilik ng mga kababayan natin.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Questions
In a dream it would seem
I went to those who close the open door
Turning the key I sat and spoke to those
Inside of me
They answered my questions with questions
And pointed me into the night
Where the moon was a star-painted dancer
And the world was just a spectrum of light
They reached to my centre of reason
And pulled on the touchstone that's there
The shock of that light has me reeling
And I fell into the depths of despair
They answered my questions with questions
And set me to stand on the brink
Where the sun and the moon were as brothers
And all that was left was to think
They answered my questions with questions
And pointed me into the night
The power that bore me had left me alone
To figure out which way was right
By:
Manfredd mann
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