PamagCUSA Blog

“Our Culture is our Destiny”
by
Alexander Lacson

In 1994, Lee Kuan Yew, the father and the builder of the modern Singapore , was interviewed by Time Magazine. In one portion of the interview, Lee Kuan Yew was asked about the importance of culture.

Lee Kuan Yew said “culture is destiny”. Your culture is your destiny. Your set of beliefs will determine how far you will go in life. If you believe you are a failure, you will be a failure. If you believe you are great, you will be great. If you want to excel, you must build a culture of excellence. If you want to become great, you must build a culture of greatness.

Lee Kuan Yew said that this applies not only to an individual person. It also applies to a people. A people’s culture will determine the destiny of that people.

It is in this context that I wish to talk you briefly about our story as a people.

We were a colony of Spain for 333 years, which ended only in December 1898. For 333 years, the Spaniards in our country did not treat our people kindly. In fact, they treated our people harshly, violently. At the height of its power in our country, there were just around 40,000 Spanish soldiers in our country, controlling and subjugating more than 1 million Filipinos. The Spaniards conquered and subjugated our people physically, thru superior weapons. But more importantly, they conquered and subjugated the spirit of our people.

The Spaniards called our people many bad and demeaning names. They called us Juan Tamad, or lazy Joe, and made us believe that we are a lazy people. Even inside the churches, in the pulpits, the Spanish Friars or priests called us – tanga, bobo, at tamad. They ridiculed the Filipino as dumb, dull and stupid. This they did continuously, often with violence, on our people, for 333 years. Until it killed the spirit of many of our people – the spirit to fight, the spirit to aspire, the spirit to excel, the spirit to aim high and dream big.

Napoleon Bonaparte said – the best conquest is the conquest of the mind and the heart.

To ensure that the almost 1 million Filipinos will not be united in a revolution against the 40,000 Spanish soldiers, the Spaniards sowed disunity and division among our people. This they did as a policy. They made Filipino families and clans fight among each other, by sowing intrigues among them. This the Spaniards did also for more than 300 years. As a result, many Filipinos did no trust one another, did not help one another, did not work with one another.

When the Spaniards left our country in 1898, after it sold our country to the United States , the 2 most serious problems they left the Filipino people were these – first, the Filipino lost his faith in himself, his self-respect and self-confidence. The Filipino had a very low and negative self-image of himself. Second, the Filipino people did not trust one another and could not work with each other.

The American rule of our country for the next 42 years aggravated these problems. The Japanese occupation of our country from 1941 to 1945 worsened the problems. The Japanese soldiers raped our daughters and sisters and enslaved our men.

We became a free people only in 1946 – that is 63 years ago. If you deduct 14 years of Martial Law there, we are just 49 years old as a free people.

As you can see, we are still a young nation, a people that is still in search for itself, a nation that is still trying to find its own place under the sun.

Today, our Philippines is perceived as the most corrupt country in the whole of Asia and the 11th most corrupt in the whole world.

Today, our country is considered one of the poorest countries in Asia despite the fact that it is 5th richest in mineral desposits out of 239 countries in the world, notwithstanding the fact that it has one of the richest natural resources in the world, despite the fact that it is the richest in marine life biodiversity in all the world.

Today, according to a Time Magazine article dated 24 November 2008, almost 10 million of our youth are growing up without a father or a mother by their side because the father or the mother has to find work abroad because our country could not provide the jobs to their fathers and mothers.

Today, almost 11 million of our youth are classified as out-of-school youth. They are school aged and should be at school, but they are not at school. They are out there in the streets or in the squatters or in the mountains of poverty.

Today, out of 20 million families in our country, 5 million families are homeless, living in the slums of poverty as squatters.

Today, the problems created and caused by foreign invaders and rulers of our country still exist in the hearts and minds of many of our people. Today, many of our people still have no faith in the Filipino and consider our Philippines a hopeless country. Many among us still bash the Filipino in front of foreigners and speak negatively about our country. Today, many of our people just think and live only for themselves and their families, but never for the whole Filipino people. A number of our political and government leaders just serve themselves and their families, and not the public interest. Many business people only think much of themselves and their families, but not much of their employees and their employees’ families.

Kanya-kanya at pamilya-pamilya pa rin lang ang marami sa atin. As a people, we still have difficulty attaining national unity in our acts for our country.

Our culture is our destiny.

If we want to become great as a people, we must build a culture of greatness for the Filipino.

One of the major challenges we face today as a people is this – How do we heal ourselves as a people? How do we rebuild or build the greatness of the Filipino?

At this juncture, allow me to tell you a portion of my story.

I am a father of four (4) young children, the oldest of whom is 13 years old, while the youngest is just 3. As a parent, I dream of a beautiful country for all my children, one where their dreams are possible to attain, however high they may seem. A society that offers them boundless opportunities and limitless possibilities. One that can and is willing to pay the full value of their talent and hardwork, in the same way that America and Canada are able to pay the full value of the talent and hardwork of their own people. A nation that respects all their rights and liberties, and one that can provide them justice when an act of injustice is committed against anyone of them. A country that will make them truly proud of the name Filipino, wherever they maybe in the world.

As a Filipino, like Tito Tony Meloto and Gawad Kalinga, and perhaps like many of you, I also dream of a beautiful Philippines for the Filipino people. I dream of a Philippines that is beautiful in its march to progress, because it seeks prosperity for all and not only for a few, because there is enough for every Filipino and his family, because no Filipino family is left behind in the streets or in slums to suffer in poverty and misery. I dream of a country that is founded on love for one another, one where there is a culture of familihood among our people, because we as a people commit to the noble idea that we are our sister’s and our brother’s keeper. A society where the weakest of our people can also be strong, where the poorest among us can also be wealthy. A nation where law and justice is the rule, where the strong are just, where the weak are secure. A society that can meet the lowest needs and the highest expectations of our people. A country where every child is able to study, where every graduate is able to find work. A country where every Filipino can attain the fullness of life as he or she conceives it to be, one that can bring out the best, the highest, and the most beautiful of our people, so the Filipino may become a model and a light to many parts of the world.

On January 20, 1961, President John F Kennedy, in whose name and honor this school of government of Harvard is dedicated, called on the American people in his Inaugural Address – “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”.

That is the most famous line the world remembers today of John F Kennedy. His call for patriotism, for good citizenship. His call for the Americal people to step up on their love for their country.

That is also what we are trying to do in our country today. That is also call I make in my book “12 Little Things Filipinos Can Do To Help Our Country”.

But the biggest call in our country today is the one that Tito Tony Meloto and Gawad Kalinga are making to all Filipinos all over the world. A call to care for the poorest of our poor, a call to build homes for our 5 million homeless families, a call to provide the poorest of our people the opportunity to live among us in society, with dignity and hope.

Today, GK brings home millions of our people abroad, to help rebuild our country, to help build the greatness of the Filipino. Today, GK stands as the best vehicle that can unite all Filipinos from all over the world. It is the best hope for our 5 million families who are homeless in the very land where God planted them. GK is the best tool that can build the greatness of the Filipino. It is the best vehicle that can bring us to our dream of a beautiful Philippines .

There are six (6) core values we should all believe in as a people. These core values could serve as the foundations of the culture of greatness we wish to build for the Filipino.

First, as a people, we should believe that the Philippines is our Motherland. It is the birthplace of our race. It is the home of the Filipino. The Jewish Americans tell their children that while America is their country, Israel is their motherland. Israel is the home of the Jew. Japanese Americans do the same to their children. The Chinese and the Korean Americans too. We as a people, wherever we maybe in the world, should do the same. We should believe that, for it is the truth. Wherever we maybe in the world, we should tell our children that, so our young may grow up with deep love and affection for our motherland. For truly, Philippines is the country our Creator chose and gave to us as a people.

Second, as a people, we should believe that the Filipino is great and beautiful for he is a child of a great God who truly wants him to be great. God has equipped the Filipino, within him and around him, with all the essentials he needs to succeed in this world. God wants the best, the highest, and the most beautiful for the Filipino because he is God’s child.

Third, we should believe that as a people we are but one family. That while we have our spouses and children as our small family, the Filipino people is our big family. Therefore, as a people, we should have a culture of familihood, which is higher and greater than brotherhood. As one family of people, we should truly love and respect one another. Dapat wala tayong iwanan. Dapat wala tayong gulangan. Dapat wala tayong dayaan, lokohan, o nakawan.

Fourth, as people, we should believe that unity is higher and more important than individuality, but without choking anyone’s creativity. If we want the best for the Filipino, unity is essential. For a people achieve great things only if they are united. As JFK said “United, there is little we cannot do; Divided, there is little we can do”.

Fifth, as people, we should believe that the Filipino was born as part of the whole, as part of the answer to the question, as part of the solution to the problem, as part of the hope to our people. As a people, we are born to help build a better world for all humanity, and to help the Filipino become great not only in the eyes of the world but moreso in the eyes of our Lord.

Sixth, as a people, we should aim high and dream big for ourselves. For truly, we will only go as far as our dream. If we dream small, our achievements will also be small. If we dream big, our achievements will also be big. For truly, we are the architects of our own success. We are the builders of our own greatness. We are the writers of our own story. We are the creators of our own future.

If the Americans were able to build for themselves a great and a prosperous country, why can’t we Filipinos build for ourselves a beautiful Philippines ? If the Japanese and the Singaporeans were able to build for themselves an orderly and a prosperous country, why can’t we Filipinos build for our children and people a beautiful country?

To all the Filipinos of the present generations, we are today the carriers of the flag of the Philippines . We are today the bearers of the name Filipino, of the identity Filipino. It is therefore our task to build the Filipino great. It is therefore our duty to build our Motherland, our beloved Philippines , great!

This task will not be easy. Our climb will be steep and difficult. There will be a lot of disappointments and frustrations along the way.

But I hope that we will persist and persevere. I hope that we will keep the faith. I hope that we will keep believing. I hope that we will keep trusting. For the very greatness of the Filipino, the very greatness of our race, the very greatness of ourselves, lies in our hands and our hearts. For truly, we are the builders of our own greatness.
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This is the short version of the speech of Alexander Lacson at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government during the GK Global Summit in Boston on June 12-14, 2009. Alex Lacson is the author of the book “12 Little Things Filipinos Can Do To Help Our Country”.

Posted by pamagcusa at 01:48 PM | Permalink

The politics of conscience

We have come to live in a society where conscience is a stranger. Instead of having a society ruled by people with conscience, we have a society that is governed by dishonorable men and women who don’t seem to have conscience. They rule our society with arrogance and deceit and they supplant our individual consciences with their own rules and interests. Unfortunately, we also have some of our people who make moral choices independent of conscience and the teachings of the Church such that their moral choices are anchored on what is politically convenient..

The Catholic Church has long upheld the significance of informed conscience especially in making moral decisions. We make moral decisions on the basis of the authoritative teachings of the Church, the values of the Gospel, and the will of God. Informed conscience does not invent the truth. It discovers and evangelizes the truth based on the teachings of the Church. Only an informed conscience then can make good moral judgments. Conversely, uninformed conscience is always prone to make erroneous moral judgments.

Nowadays our leaders are so much engrossed with the issue on constitutional change. And as early as this, some presidentiables and other would-be political candidates for the 2010 general elections are busy positioning themselves in the political field to ensure their electoral victories. Lies, deceits, and dishonesty of these leaders and politicians horribly creep into the very political fiber of our society in order to protect their selfish interests and promote their ulterior motives. We naturally expect that all of these petty concerns would end up into compromises which would sidestep once more moral decisions based on the used of informed conscience.

We are challenging the Catholic politicians to lead by their informed conscience. We challenge them to become proxies of the living Church and be moral exemplars and leaders of our times. We ask them to stand on the commitment of the Church regarding moral issues besetting our society. Their political actions and decisions should be reflective of their enlightened faith and the teachings of the Church.

It is about time that we should catalogue the performance of our Catholic politicians especially on how they stand on issues of the day. If their public life shows clearly that they do not side with the Church and they morally judge on the basis of their uninformed conscience, then it is proper that we dismiss them as not fitting to any public office. We would rather go electing a protestant politician who lives a public life with an informed conscience reflecting the Gospel values than a Catholic politician who opposes the teachings of the Church.

Posted by pamagcusa at 07:34 AM | Permalink

Choice and Change

by : Paolo Domondon

The present predicament of the Philippines cannot be attributed to one false moment in our history. It was never the fault of a single corrupt individual or even the compromised system. What led to the continuous blaming culture that we have is the culture of people not owning up to the choices that we all have made. Right now, we have the collective guilt of the normal Pilipino, who have been in constant quest of defining who he is and his value to his own country. While Inang Bayan continues to cry as her people go hungry and abused, the older Juan is still too busy analyzing what is wrong with her and the young Juan is too busy worrying about the distant and hazed future that he will have.

At least this is what I thought of most of them until I met an ordinary Filipino who owned up to the mess and mire we are all in.

Tony Meloto once said “ The situation of this country is my generation’s fault. I wont die doing nothing.”

What you might call a courageous admittance of his own wrongdoing is a challenge to the awaiting young. Let me be clear to the Me- generation where I also belong- it will then be our generation’s fault if we don’t do something about this now.

The long tale of the so- called cardinal veracity of life- instilled and molded in our psyche- to strive to live better, to be educated to live better, to go against all odds to live better. To earn money, to gain power, to incur wealth- to live better, before you can help- is an accepted myth that is to blame. Because personal aggrandizement cannot be the path to bliss, when you know that injustice is the next big thing.

Just as much as when Gen Aguinaldo signed Biak ng Bato, as much as when Douglas McArthur made that promise, and as much as the decision of returning by the greatest –president-that-we-never-had in Boston, the choices we now make will define the state of our people.

What we need, first, is to make the choice to love the Philippines. I beg to differ when they say that the difference between first world and third world countries is how much a people love his homeland. We made the biggest noise when a famous desperate housewife made an incriminating remark and just recently when a writer tried to downplay the sacrifices of our OFWs. We have people fighting for justice. It is the choice to do something about the promise “of ang mamatay ng dahil sayo” that is missing.

Love your country and show this love by doing something for her people.

Ironically, I was in a party in a Metro Manila Bar, April 1 year 2006, when I decided that my early years in the “real world” will not be wasted in chasing a dream that ignores others who cant dream for themselves. It was tempting to strive for a personal dream that you know is attainable, but painful to realize that everybody around you was doing the same.

The choice to act is best evident in the zealous people I meet in Gawad Kalinga. CEOs retiring early to contribute their expertise; top graduates quitting high paying salaries to devote themselves fulltime; fathers who refuse to accept job offers to continue their service; and our volunteers, regardless of socio- economic status, spending time and resources to live out the call of Christ of being a brother’s keeper and of Mohammad’s cry to serve the people.

GK has restored the dignity of the underprivileged when they built the almost 2000 communities affecting the lives of a hundred thousand of the poorest of the poor in the span of a few years. And because of this, we know that creating significant change in the lives of the poor is no longer an impossible feat. When we transcend our religious and political differences, we know that transformation of the face of poverty is now in the realm of reality.

People sacrifice because, after much waiting, there emerged a movement led by the ordinary taos that has made the poor ‘unpoor’ by using the Filipino values of bayanihan and kapwa-tao.

We must fervently believe that the choices we will be making will be the reason for the change we will be reaping. May we not take the same mistake of turning our backs to golden opportunities that have made significant impact to the lives of the poor, just because we have been conditioned that we are a hopeless and a helpless people.

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Bono, a rock star articulated it well when he said “because we are the generation that has the right resources, enough technology, and the willingness to change the plight of our nations, we are the generation that must. Because we can, we must.”

Because we can – fight poverty, injustice, and corruption in the Philippines- at this very moment in the life of our nation, we must do it now.

The fastest and longest three years of my life was spent in serving side by side with the most respected people in our country, those who believe in the cause and actually worked for it. And because of them, I am now a better man- far more than what I could have become in any of the paths that I might have been called to do. My own service is not and will never be enough, puny compared to the sacrifices of the people in our work, but the transformational values that my mentor instilled in me will equip me to live out idealism and to fight injustice anywhere I go. The choice I made before, led to the change in me right now.

I call to my generation to consider the poor in all their decisions. I call for them to take into consideration that the statistics we know are not just numbers. The one- third poor should not remain faceless and nameless. After all, the things we do will determine a poor child in whether he will be a stealer or a principled policeman; a beggar or a teacher of injustice; a murderer or an advocate of life. This is what we should be working for during the best years of our lives- to restore the value of treating the poor as an extended part of our family, worthy of love and sacrifices.

I call to the older generation to lead us in our values as we continue to remain true in our pledge of “sisikaping kong maging mabuti sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.” I call for them to pass the values they inherited in EDSA 1 and to really believe that they will witness this change.

I extend my gratitude to the tireless caretaker teams of Gawad Kalinga who are crazy enough to make the decision to love the poor as they love their own family- because of you my children will no longer know what poverty is because there will be none; because of you my children will no longer know what a shanty is because there will be none; and because of you they will know longer know what a corrupt politician is because there will be none.

By leading thousands to do the same, Tony Meloto kept true to his promise, he will not die doing nothing for the country.

This is a tribute to all the caretaker teams whose sacrifices are now written in the history of our country, to my fellow GK workers who never stopped believing, and to my GK father Tony Meloto whose passion and integrity carried the work to where it is- Walang Iwanan!

Posted by pamagcusa at 07:32 AM | Permalink

I am a Filipino and I am proud of it. And I love this country not only because it is where I live but it is where my roots are. It is the sanctuary of the Filipino values I cherish and it is where I find my home and where my heart is. It is here where I was born and it is here where my final resting place will be.

I show my love for myself as a Filipino and for this country by being a good citizen. I don’t sit on my arms and just watch what is happening in this country. I humbly participate in molding this nation to become a better place even when there are some of us who spit on her face. I show my concern for this country by expressing my dismay and displeasure if the state of the nation is bleak and the political leadership is weak. I show my care for this country by encouraging those who bother to look deeper into themselves and find out how to make this country more decent and more respectable. I wish I could say something riveting or moving to them. They have though my prayerful wishes and my assurance that they will not be forgotten.

I am a voice of change and I would like to add this voice to the band of voices who call for a genuine moral change in this country. I am aware that there are also voices that speak noise. There is much political noise being heard nowadays. These are from politicians who think they are the political messiahs of this country yet they are like the biblical Pharisees who prayed sincerely before the public yet inwardly they are evil vipers.

The reason why we are in a cycle of national crises is we don’t love much our country. It is not love but apathy when we watch helplessly our country being gang-raped by some political psychopaths. It is not also love but boredom when we passively allow social issues to persist like illegal numbers game of jueteng, graft and corruption, immorality, and other social evils. There seems to be no Filipino leader anymore who has a moral purpose to make a difference in the lives of the Filipinos. Instead, it appears that we are pleased to cuddle the present crop of our leaders who wantonly deplete the resources of our physical environment and who drain off our resources in the social and moral environment.

It is not love that we are showing to this country but sheer hatred to our motherland when we are submissive, aloof, and detached to these nasty, revolting social realities we are in and worse ultimately foster them because we easily volunteer our silence due to our spinelessness.

I wish our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal or Ninoy had been born during these trying times to inspire us, to create meaning into our lives as a Filipino people, and lead us into a culture of genuine change. It is so sad that we don’t have the likes of them in our midst. Regretfully the leadership torch they passed to us had been extinguished by this present generation. This is a lifetime shame for this country.

Be that as it may, I am in love with this country. I wish I could be another Rizal or another Ninoy just to prove that I really love this country.

Posted by pamagcusa at 08:06 PM | Permalink

SANGKAP News

Contact No: 0918-929-2467

GOs and NGOs Vow to Unite Against Rabies in Pampanga

“Unity and organized intervention are our best policies against rabies.” This was the common realization among the participants of the Rabies Awareness Forum that was held at the San Agustin Parish Hall on Friday, March 27, 2009. The activity, the first ever public forum on rabies in Pampanga brought together representatives from various groups and agencies involved in the campaign against rabies including the Provincial Health Office of Pampanga, the City of San Fernando Health Office, the City Veterinary Office of Angeles, City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of San Fernando, Pampanga Disaster Response Network, Inc. (PDRN), Health Integrated Development Services (HIDS), Pampanga Pediatric Society, Sindalan Barangay Council, Kapampangan Marangal, Inc., and Couples for Christ.

The forum was initiated by SANGKAP (Santungan ng Kababaihan at Kabataan sa Pampanga) in partnership with the City of San Fernando Pampanga Realtors Board (CSFPRB), Inocencio Magtoto Memorial Foundation, Inc. (IMMFI), San Agustin Parish, and XM Ads and Events in celebration of the Women’s Month and the Rabies Awareness Month. SANGKAP also launched its anti-rabies website (www.rabiespoi.org) during the forum.

According to Dr. Mila Mananggit, DVM of the DA-RFU III (Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit-III), Region III has consistently topped the list in animal rabies cases nationwide for the last six years. Pampanga, along with Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, has always been included among the top 10 provinces with high incidence of animal rabies.

The Provincial Health Office, on the other hand, reported that there were 2,033 reported cases of animal bites in the Province of Pampanga in the year 2008 (excluding Angeles City). The incidence rate for the Province last year was 27.52 per 100,000 population. In 2007, there were five reported cases of human deaths due to rabies in Pampanga, with an incidence rate of 0.26 per 1 M population. Dr. Benito Arca, Assistant Director of the Center for Health Development-III (CHD-III) related his experiences with rabies patients when he was the Director of San Lazaro Hospital. He emphasized the need for various sectors of society to work together, hand in hand with the local government officials and government line agencies to help prevent and control rabies which remains a serious public health concern around the world.

Rabies is a disease that is caused by a virus transmitted via bites, scratches or licks on open wounds from infected animals. Once the signs and symptoms of rabies appear, it becomes irreversible and 100% fatal. In the Philippines, unvaccinated dogs and cats are the most common sources of rabies infection. The Department of Health estimates that 300 to 600 Filipinos die of rabies each year and at least 50% of these are children aged 5 to 14 years.

The Department of Agriculture advises pet owners to be responsible enough to have their dogs and cats vaccinated starting 3 months of age and give them booster shots annually thereafter. The Pampanga Pediatric Society recommends as pro-active measure the inclusion of rabies vaccination as part of the regular regimen for children like what is done for other infectious diseases like measles. The Provincial Health Office reminds the public to seek immediate post-exposure treatment immediately after an incident or exposure to rabies.

There are currently two-government-owned Animal Bite Treatment Centers in Pampanga – the Jose B. Lingad Regional Memorial Hospital in the City of San Fernando and the Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Hospital in Guagua. The Provincial Health Office hopes to put up two more (one in San Luis District Hospital and one at the Macabebe District Hospital), according to guests Dr. TJ Javier, Dr. Susana Sicat and Ms. Fe Ocampo who came to talk about the on-going efforts towards rabies prevention and control in Pampanga.

“There are many initiatives undertaken by various groups to help eradicate rabies in the country,” says Nina Tomen, Program Officer of the Rabies Prevention and Organized Intervention (Rabies POI) of SANGKAP. “However, there is a need for us to consolidate our efforts towards an organized intervention to attack the rabies concern from all fronts – from legislation to enforcement, to massive information dissemination and treatment. Rabies is a highly misunderstood disease and there is a need to inform the public of the serious threat it poses to everyone.” Tomen’s five year-old son, Gian Carlo died of rabies in December of 2008.

SANGKAP vows to advocate for the enactment of anti-rabies ordinances at the provincial and municipal levels and for organized intervention in Pampanga. For starters, the group joined the Coalition Against Rabies Disease (CARD) initiated by the City Government of Angeles through City Veterinarian Jess Villaroman. CARD was organized to make Angeles a dog-friendly city and rabies-free by 2012. The group which counts among its members Rotary Club Angeles North and West, Holy Rosary Parish-Social Action Center, Pampanga Agricultural College, City of San Fernando Pampanga Realtors Board and Ospital ng Angeles is currently helping draft and review the city’s anti-rabies ordinance.

Posted by pamagcusa at 08:58 PM | Permalink

REFLECTIONS ON GK FROM A KALINGA PRIEST IN BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

Can anything good come out of the Philippines? This is what comes to my mind while on the process of organizing the lecture of Mr. Antonio Meloto at Brandeis University last February 26, 2009. This reminded me of the scene in the Gospel of John when Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “we have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” This feeling comes to me especially when I hear people making comments such as “a Filipino to lecture?” or observed their reaction after announcing it. I understand their comments and reactions because they haven’t heard any Filipino give a lecture in the university. But this did not stop me in advertising it, announcing during class, and posting it in the group email of the class. In order to make it more marketable and appealing, together with Mr. Angelito Santos who is currently working in the University, we made a very attractive flyer which helped a lot in the advertisement of the lecture.
The lecture of Mr. Tony Meloto is the first by a Filipino in Brandeis University on the topic about coexistence and development. The theme of the lecture was “Gawad Kalinga: A Creative strategy to achieve peaceful coexistence through development and community building.” The presentation was endorsed by Prof. Mari Fitzduff the director of the program “Masters on Coexistence and Conflict Resolution.” The program focuses on the conflicts happening around the world, how to positively transform it and to possibly solve it. It also looks at solving conflicts created by development and aids. The presentation was attended by the staffs of Coexistence International and Coexistence and Conflict Resolution and the graduate students from the Sustainable International Development program and Coexistence and Conflict resolution program that came from different parts of the world such as Brazil, The United States, UK, Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan, Vietnam and the Philippines.
During the lecture Mr. Meloto showed a video about the work of Gawad Kalinga in bringing peace in the conflict ridden areas in the Philippines especially in Mindanao. Through Gawad Kalinga Muslims and Christians in Mindanao were helping each other to build houses for their homeless brothers and sisters. This is real coexistence, Muslims helping Christians and Christians helping Muslims. This is a testament that GK is willing to help people regardless of who they are, what form of religion they belong, and ideology they believed in.
Many of those who attended the lecture were impressed on the way Gawad Kalinga is doing development work. Many appreciated the strategies and principles employed by GK. Daniel Enarson an American and a student of the Sustainable International Development (SID) who attended the lecture said that “I found the work that GK does very interesting. It was a great privilege to sit and listen to someone so experienced and accomplished in the field of community development and coexistence! Their model of "development with a soul" sounds like something I'm looking for.” This shows that the GK is not a development for development alone but it also gives attention to the values formation of the community they are building which is the vehicle to achieving peace and coexistence among the members of the community. A Jewish student by the name of Orlee of SID and Coexistence and conflict resolution programs has this to say “I saw in an hour what I’ve been learning for the whole year.” Nya Troung from Vietnam and student from SID said “this is the best lecture that I have heard.” Clarice Mauro a graduate students from the Cultural Production program said “it’s an excellent presentation.” And because of the learning that she got Elizabeth Ayot a lawyer by profession and a student from Coexistence and conflict resolution program invited Mr. Meloto to give a lecture to her University in Ghana. All this comments are testimonies of how affective and the successful Gawad Kalinga. Paul Ogalo a graduate student of Coexistence and Conflict resolution who is from Kenya has this to say: “Dear Mr. Meloto, I appreciate your contribution of peace building in the Philippines. I appreciate also sharing your knowledge and experience with us. As I listened to your presentation of what your organization Gawad Kalinga does, I realized that the context of your work is much more the same as that of Kenya or other African countries. But what interested me more was the approach you have used to contribute to the peace and development in the Philippines. Instead of just preaching peace and making it more abstract you have brought it down to actions people can experience and connect with. What is also very interesting and perhaps contribute to your success is how you have muscled a political army on your side. You have used an approach which has created an environment where the politicians can believe that you are not a competitor and therefore find it beneficial to contribute to your work. I immediately desired to do an internship with Gawad Kalinga to learn their tact and approach and see if it could be used in Kenya.”
All this comments are testimonies of how affective and successful Gawad Kalinga is. This also shows that a model of development from a lowly country like the Philippines can be effective and can be more efficient than some models designed in the first world countries or the developed countries. In fact some international organizations are trying to model their development work from the Gawad Kalinga model.
Listening to the lecture of Mr. Meloto and Sec. Cito Lorenzo made me reflect about the background of my own province and people. I am a Catholic Priest and I dream to have a peaceful place. This is the very reason why I took up a different path from other priests who are studying the ecclesiastical courses such as canon law, moral theology, philosophy, sacred scriptures, liturgy, etc. because I believed that the people are over preached as Mr. Meloto emphasized in his lecture; what we need is praxis. People now a day’s do not need many theologians anymore; what they need are witnesses, and if ever they listen to theologians it is because these theologians are practicing what they are preaching. I wanted to work for peaceful coexistence among my people in my beloved province that is why I take up Coexistence and Conflict Resolution as my specialization.
The Philippine government as well as the international community had always focused in the armed struggle and in the insurgency in Mindanao. As all sectors scramble for peace at the southern part of the Philippines, the more subtle, and yet as deadly, conflict in the Cordillera, specifically in Kalinga remains in obscurity. The conflict in this area has cost thousands of lives and while the government and the international community continue to ignore it the conflict will continue to wreak havoc to the people of the place. The name Kalinga was given to the province out of a very negative reaction that other indigenous groups had experienced with the forefathers of Kalinga. “Kalinga” is an itawes and ibanag word which means headhunter or enemy, in other words cutting the heads of the enemies. And this was given to the people of Kalinga because of their practice before of attacking villages and cutting heads of their victims and bringing them home and because of this action they were honored and tattooed as warrior heroes. I believed, because of the meaning attached to the name of the province, it tends to imprint into the psyches of the people that they are supposed to be brave and fierce but this bravery would always result to conflict. This makes the image of the province so bad. In order to change the image of the Kalinga as headhunter why not attached the tagalog term “kalinga” which means to care, hence, caring for our enemies. I believe that the majority people of Kalinga are peace loving and caring people as manifested by the way they host people in their villages and families, thus, the tagalong meaning of “kalinga” is more appropriate for them, besides headhunting is not anymore practiced in the province today. The Gawad Kalinga’s spirit of care can be an inspiration for the people of Kalinga to shift of meaning from “cutting enemies’ heads” to “caring for the enemies.”
The work of Gawad Kalinga is a model that should be emulated because it does not only address the material needs of the people; it also gives to the people their dignity as human persons through the values formation that they are giving to the community that they built. Their role in the community does not end when the houses are completely finished because they followed it up by giving some values formation programs. This is the real spirit of development that is, not just giving relief of food to the poor and after that left them alone in their poverty. Dole out is not what this people needed, what they need is something which makes them proud as a person, as Filipino, and as Christians. Development is giving care to the poor, helping them get out of their poverty and helping them gain their dignity as human persons.
To Mr. Antonio Meloto it a blessing to know you and to listen to you and to the members of the GK throughout the world you are a gift to our people both to the poor and to those who are helping the organizations build the dream of our less privilege brothers and sisters. May your tribe increase.

Roman “Bong” Macaiba, Jr.
MA Coexistence and Conflict Resolution
Brandeis University
415 South Street, Waltham,
MA, USA 02454

Posted by pamagcusa at 07:21 PM | Permalink

pitunan nasi
manene mikapali
mibwang sambulat

(Dagdag ning Misulat/Author's Note: Pilan ku neng aldo pisulat-sulat ini anti neng journal ning alala ku. E ke apaparla karing palimbagan aptas ding kabalen, neng migaganaka kung kesa keng pasalamatan de at paulagan ding mapilan, mapikun la pa deng pilan. Dapot ing sinabi nang Michelle Obama karing anak tinagun White House king Pamagmasusi king Black History Month; "If you know your History, then your parents are doing thier job." memye sikan lub a parala kune. Ing sanese nang Ginung Juan Mercado ngeni dikil kang Corky Trinidad memye sala king timbang at ulaga da ding kwentu ku.http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20090217-189602/In-memoriam)

INTERNATIONAL RULE OF LAW AT DEMOKRASYA

Metung ya ining alala't pamigunam ning metung dinanas king pamanuldu nang Marcos. Isipisipan nala ding sangkan ning Panyatung Panganabu ning Kabyayan. Nang kebalwan na't pamitayid ning kapalalwan upaya at pamanbali-ala karing Batas ning Bansa at Yatu? Bakit ing Lalawigan Kapampangan megi yang malati nang larawan ning Pilipinas king pamanlakad ning Gubiernung Pankapuluaan?

Ing mayayakit Kapampangan ngeni, agpang karing ababasa anti yang misasakitan ustu ing Executive a salusungan nang Pamunuan Amung Ed Panlilio. Pauli ding pamisanmetung king Legislative a Batasan Panlalawigan, pamunuan ning Bisi Gobernador. Sukat mipansinan ining balamu conflict ning Local Governemt Code a mayayakit. Lalto yang mag-twas ing Timbangan na ning Sikanan king Pampanga. Ngana kaya payang Senador Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. king malilyaring ini? Milako ne ing Balance of Power Kapampangan? Ding ausan vocales ilang manalakaran karing memalen. Nung ila ngan kayabe ne ing Vice-Governor kasalunggat la karing buri nang daptan ning Executive, buri nang sabyan nita ding Memalen Kapampangan salunggat la ngan king Gobernador? Vocal, (Board Members ning Sangunian Panlalawigan) lang meyaus pauli ning ila ding swala ra ding memalayan.

DITAK KASALESAYAN NING RULE OF LAW

Kapilan pa ing Sadyang Matas Ukum Isagani Cruz simbitla na ing kapanwalan da kang George Washington ding kayanib karing ginawa king Pun Batas ning Amerika. Balu tamung ing Amerika yang pipanalumpakan ning Pun Batas a malambat nang matutuki Pilipinas kaybat nitang megawa Malolos. Tutu itang sinabi nang Ukum Cruz a maragul la tiwala (ding kerakalan a anak pa king idad a mibansagan ngening) Founding Fathers ning Bansang Amerika kang Pamunung Washington. Ya, i Washington ing minyawad mika-Pun Batas o Constitution ya ing Amerika. "Influence is not goverenment", nganang migsalita ketang ala la pang Pun Batas ding tau Amerika. Pauli na ning salita nang yan, ding pilan a dake ning lugal Amerika peparla lang ketawan da king metung pamitagmung e ra man balu o inaus Constitutional Convention. Dakal karela anak la pa. Nung kwanan ya kanu ing average tsa 30 la mu idad. Dapot ing pekamatwa 80 ya, i Benjamin Franklin.

Ding kayabe keng pamagawang Pun Batas at king pamanalakad ning Republikang Demokrasyang Pamaalan ning Amerika, agya mang ngana pin Ukum Cruz a i James Madison e ne piganakan magpalalu sikanan i Washington; ding Igpang Menalakad Amerika, malwalas la lawe king daratang pang panaun. Ala lang buring maging binang masikan. I Franklin metung yang mengilag a malyaring ing metung a Presidenting maburi king Gera o Pamiabnu yang diling manyaus Labanan o Gera king Amerika. Anya ngeni kaylangan ya pang mayun ing Batasan bayu ya makyabe gera o lumusub aliwang lugal ing Bansang ayni. Kanita e ra balu nung ausan deng Hari o Reyna ing Pamuntuk. Dapot neng ing Kahariaan ning England yang sangkan ning Revolution ali ya mibalaus ini.

Maragul at malambat deng pisabyan ampon pegaralan nung makananu yang e binang maging masikan ing Sangang Batasan o Legislative Branch ning tatalakad dang Pamaalan. Tutu reng pekaisip mayinggat nung makananung ing Batasan ali ne patwag ing Executive ampo ing Judicial Sanga. Balamu lakwas deng ikit makatakut manyolung sikanan ing Batasan. Neng ini kawangis ning manyolung sikanan a Executive, malyari neng lakwas siran ing panga-talakad ning Republika't Demokrasya.

Misan o makaladwa karing Pamitagisan Salita, Alalan i Sarah Palin kitnan de nung nanu ing kabaldugan at katungkulan ning Bisi Presidenti Amerika. Ing pekibat na anti na mong sinabing ing Bisi Presidenti ning Amerika atalan nala ding gagawang batas Congresu king obra ra. I Joe Biden a malambat nang Senador at metung a abogadung minyambut king pamilaban dang Palin, mesala nang agyang Senate President ya ing Bisi Presidenti ning Amerika Congresu, ini ala yang Sikanan Panbatasan, nung e mu patye kaylangan yang mamatad panga- patas ning panalal Munikalang Batas o tie breaker king pamagbotung munikalang batas Senadu. Labag ya king Separation of Powers a anti nang kaladwa ning Demokrasya itang sinabi nang Sarah Palin. Anya pin mekad lakwas yang mesambut.

Milagru Philadelphia

King Philadelphia merapat ing Pangatabas ning Ugis Pamaalan ning Amerika, mayayus milagru karing talamlat o historians. Karin mitalakad ing Balance of Power, Checks and Balances at Separation of Powers. King sakit ning delanan da karing British ampo ning Revolution, ding Menalakad king maging Union ning Amerika pekapihu rang ala nang paylalu upaya king Lugal da.

Dapot king Pampanga, bakit makanyan ing pamaglakad ning Gubiernu? Magbabo pin itang sinabi nang Alexis de Tocqueville a tyranny of numbers? Pangadi king tukyan la ding bilang da ding taung kakatawanan da ding mambatas kesa karing ditak taung masikanan o karing pansariling pamalak. Anya pin sa meyaus lang Vocales, Vocis, neng ila ing swala ning Balen.

Dinan lang ulaga at pakamal ding diwa ning Demokrasyang pigmulan ding Bayaning Kapampangan Filipinu. Nung ali na sukat mung mirinan lutas ini, bayu ya manabu ing piglaban da ding kekatang Nunu at Bayani. Dakal la ding mitayang biye bangkanita malaya tang mamaala king sarili. Panalangin ing ini e ra alako ding pilan mung masikanan at manyolung upaya. Di Rizal, Mabini, ding kabalen tamung : del Rosario, Alejandrino, Bonifacio,Tolentino, at dakal pa - memagaral memamasa karing myayalwang Malayang Bansa Yatu bang italakad ken king kekatamu.

Dakal a mangabyasa Pampanga at Pilipinas, mangutang ku mu neng akakit mangasayang ing pamikatagun pasulungan ya ing Balen karing dakal mangalating pamigagagagang tatakap karing tune rang pake ding Batas.

"Influence is not government", anya mekidwang yang Constitution nung nu karin ya makaratuk ing Rule of Law ing Pekamumunang Pangulu ning Amerika, George Washington. Bukas, Ka-22 Ning Pebreru, Aldo ne ning keyang Kebaytan !

Posted by pamagcusa at 10:18 PM | Permalink

Koy, makyabe ka!

DAVAO... CEBU... ILOILO... BICOL... BACOLOD... CENTRAL AND WESTERN MINDANAO... BAGUIO... they have all been making films that depict their lives and imaginations.

It is time for the Kapampangan region to participate in this next wave of Philippine Cinema by holding its first ever Kapampangan Film Festival not only in Pampanga but also in surrounding Kapampangan-speaking regions!

Rules and mechanics of competition

- everyone is allowed to join (no age limit), except members of the core organizing committee
- animated entries are also allowed
- no music videos, only narratives
- no limit of number of entries
- dialogues must mainly be in Kapampangan
- setting of the story does not necessarily have to be in Pampanga or other Kapampangan-speaking regions like Tarlac and Bataan
- film must have English subtitles
- strictly 10-20 minutes in length
- in digital format (submit final work in playable DVD)
- any topic is allowed
- extreme violence and obscenity and unnecessary abuse of foul language are discouraged
- use of copyrighted music is not allowed
- deadline of entries (final DVD, registration form) will be on July 31; they must be shipped or submitted in person to the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University, Angeles City
- 8 to 10 finalists will be chosen (depending on the quantity of submissions) to compete in the festival; prizes are at stake for the top three best short films; special awards (best male performer, best editing, best screenplay, etc.) will also be given

watch example of Kapampangan short films:

BALANGINGI (Nosebleed):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzPrUBQW4ms

PUPUL (Harvest):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiH9-y_-DkY

ING BANGKERU (The Boatman)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQSeOb9X18M

MISTERYO NG HAPIS (Sorrowful Mystery)
Search the title @ video.google.com

O NANU PANG PANAYAN MU?? TIPUNAN MU NO DENG CREW AT ARTISTA MU AT DAKLUTAN ING KEKANG CAMERA AT SABIAN: LIGHTS (NUNG ATIN MAN), CAMERA, HAKSYON!

Mekeni and take part in this historical event!

questions:
text: 0918 699 2459
email: sisig_man@yahoo.com.ph
cinekabalen.multiply.com

Posted by pamagcusa at 10:16 PM | Permalink

It's Arroyo vs. Panlilio - Round 4
by: Harvey S. Keh

Since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in 2001 through EDSA Dos many of her critics and former supporters that have lost trust in her leadership have tried their best to dislodge her from her position whether through the impeachment, rallies and other means but none has hit her and her administration as hard as her fellow Kabalen, Pampanga Priest turned Governor Eddie "Among Ed" Panlilio. So far, let us look at what has transpired between them since 2007:

Round 1: The 2007 Local Elections in Pampanga

Just when Arroyo thought that the Gubernatorial race in her home province will be a toss-up between two of her closest allies, civil society and church leaders in Pampanga decide to band together and field Among Ed as a reform candidate. If you will recall, Among Ed only decided to run for Governor less than a week before the deadline of the filing of candidacy and yet despite having no political machineries or financial resources to start with, he was able to defeat Mark Lapid and Lilia Pineda in one of the biggest upsets in Philippine Electoral History. The will of the people of Pampanga for Good Governance and Genuine Change overcame traditional politics of guns, goons and gold. This victory was even more extraordinary for Among Ed since he was able to defeat Pineda who is the wife of alleged jueteng lord of the Philippines and known Arroyo supporter, Bong Pineda.

Winner by Unanimous Decision: Panlilio for beating the political dynasties that are backed by Arroyo in Pampanga.

Round 2: Revelation of P 500,000 Bribe Money

A few months into his being elected as Governor, Among Ed was invited to a meeting of Governors in Malacanang and after the said meeting, a brown envelope containing bundles of cash were given to his then chief-of-staff. On their way back to Pampanga, Among Ed discovers that the brown envelope contained cash amounting to P 500,000. Not knowing where it came from, he keeps the money in a safe place. When rumors came out that money was being handed out in Malacanang, Among Ed was the first one to reveal on national media that he received money as well. At a time where many local government leaders and congressmen were mum about this, Among Ed had the courage to tell the Truth and expose this alleged pay-off/bribe. Among Ed showed that he was not afraid to stand up to the values and principles that he believed in even if it meant incurring the ire of the President and her cohorts.

Winner by Knock-Out: Panlilio for upholding the values of truth and integrity while showing the Filipino people that not every politician is for sale and can be bought by the Arroyo administration.

Round 3: The Recall Petition

Less than 2 years into his duly mandated 3 year term as governor of Pampanga, a group led by the former campaign manager of Lilia Pineda organized a recall petition to have him removed from his position. Reliable sources have alleged that it was Presidential Son and Pampanga Congressman Mikey Arroyo who perpetuated this recall move even going to the extent of giving money to many mayors of the province in exchange for their support in gathering the necessary number of signatures needed to recall Among Ed. Aside from this, one of the people who is also supporting the recall move is known Arroyo supporter and former Bulacan Congressman Willie Villarama. How can one even deny that Malacanang has nothing to do with this? Although they were able to get the required number of signatures for the recall, the COMELEC has said that it does not have enough funds to conduct the recall election but if there's a will there's a way thus recently, the House of Representatives allocated an additional budget of P 50 million for the recall elections. In this time of crisis and rising poverty in our country, our government will allot P 50 million just to be able to get back at someone who has consistently exposed their unjust and corrupt practices. The P 50 million can easily be used to provide scholarships to poor but deserving students or help provide medical insurance to many families but they would rather use it for their own political agenda. The good news is… time is running out on them, if they are not able to conduct a recall election in Pampanga by April this year, they will just have to accept that Among Ed will be able to finish his first term until 2010.

Winner by Split Decision: Panlilio for showing his will and character despite strong opposition thus, being able to weather this political storm for the past 8 months.

Round 4: The Jueteng War

When Panlilio first came to power in July 2007, one the first things that he committed to do was to eradicate jueteng and bring an end to Pampanga's reputation of being the "Vatican of Jueteng". One of the hallmark events that he did to emphasize this was when he filed a case at the Ombudsman against Bong Pineda for his involvement in jueteng operations all over the country. Since then he has had a hard time due to the fact that his Police Director has been very uncooperative and unsupportive of his drive to clean up illegal gambling in his province. Being the Governor, he has the legal right and authority to choose his Police Director but apparently DILG Secretary Ronnie Puno and the leadership of the PNP have chosen not to honor this and has always bypassed him in the assigning of Pampanga's Police Director. This has been going on already for the past year and Among Ed has time and again written to Puno and the PNP Chief but all of this has fallen on deaf ears. Last Monday, Among Ed finally said enough is enough and called for a press conference to denounce these acts by Puno and the PNP. Moreover, Panlilio reiterated that he is fully committed to eradicating jueteng and that one of the reasons why he cannot have a good Police Director is because the Arroyo administration continues to condone jueteng operations in the province. Whereas many other government leaders in our country would just toe the line and bow to the wishes of this government just to be able to get funds and projects, Among Ed stood his ground and showed the courage to clash with them head-on. Today, the PNP bowed down to his demands and finally relieved his police director. Let us hope that the new one will be more supportive to Among Ed's plans to finally putting an end to jueteng in the province.

Winner: No winner yet until we see whether or not the new Police Director will cooperate with Among Ed on his drive against illegal gambling.

The political battle between Panlilio and Arroyo just continues to heat up as we near the 2010 National Elections. The final showdown may yet be for a coveted National Position in 2010 should Panlilio decide to throw his hat into national politics. So far, Panlilio has shown that if there is anyone who can consisitently stand-up to the shenanigans of this administration, he can do it. He has consistently shown that he will not easily give-up his fight for good governance and ethical leadership in the face of the trials and difficulties he has faced. In the last 4 rounds, the Arroyo-administration hasn't won a single battle against him and to even add insult to injury, President Arroyo was even the one who awarded Panlilio as one of this year's 10 Gawad Galing Pook Awardees for Outstanding Local Government Units (the picture was even placed in the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer).

Among Ed Panlilio has shown us that not everything is bad in our government leaders, there are still leaders we can look up to as symbols of Change and that ultimately, good will always prevail over evil.

Posted by pamagcusa at 10:25 PM | Permalink

Galing Pook– Ing parangal a mipanaganu king Pampanga anting metung karing mamukud a lugar mirinan Galal ibat Galing Pook.

Pamagbabo ning katutuan, mayumung tagumpe da ring Kapampangan - ing Amung Pun Lalawigan makanyan yang mipatune anting map a Mamuntukan.

Agpang king lugal na aptas ning Capitolyu ing Galal karen yang memalen Kapampangan, tinggap ne mu ning Paring Gobernador anting Ketawan da. King makuyad a salita e ne man babandyan ing Galal. Ali ne ini serilinan.

Makanyan ya ing Matenakan ampon Maginung Memalen at tune*Statesman ngara pin king Amanung Inglis. Makananu tayang paalyan ing inabut dang puge ayan king sarili tamu?
*Ngana ning Merriam Webster : Statesman - one who exercises political leadership wisely and without narrow political partisanship.

Puge pu kekayu Amung Ed!

Mayumu pin ing tagumpe lakwas na neng ini meyakwa libutad da ding dakal a bagyu't sabagal ning pamipaltutu da ring mangayap yung nasa. Balu tamung dakal manalangin king kekayung tagumpe. Male tamu agyang ding papalto lalaban kekayu pangadi ra kayung magtagumpe.
Pasalamatan at kilalanan da sukat ding anggang tau Pilipinas ini neng ing Mabilug Bansa mitaguryan yang peka-mabuluk a Pamalakad mabilug Yatu. Pagmaragul na sukat ning Kabalen Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ini.
Kekayu ya pu atin apakyapusan ing Presidenti ming Barack Obama.

Posted by pamagcusa at 12:40 PM | Permalink