PamagCUSA Blog

IS THE IMPOSSIBLE...POSSIBLE?
For Filipinos, traditions/customs such as the Simbang Gabi, daily Christmas caroling by young children/adults at the doorsteps of one’s home, eating bibingka/puto-bumbong and drinking salabat in the wee hours of the morning, family reunions and children in the Philippines going to their respective godparents and relatives on Christmas day fully anticipating their toys/gifts, etc. bring a unique color/flavor to the festivities surrounding this momentous event. And yet with the unsettled social, political, economic crisis still besetting our country, many of our people have feelings/moods of excitement/joy, love and peace interspersed/mixed with a sense of sadness/disappointment due perhaps, to families separated with loved ones working/living abroad if only to provide the much-needed financial means to brighten up the holidays. For many, there is not much reason to celebrate especially if there is hardly food on the table nor new clothes/shoes to wear nor a roof over their heads. In the horizon, there looms a foreboding and understandable worry/concern for a rather uncertain future in the coming year 2008. There is indeed, a growing sense of despair steadily creeping into the Filipino psyche/mentality especially among the younger generation with no respite in sight. More and more people are giving up hope/losing their trust and confidence in a government whose credibility just cannot seem to be restored no matter how hard it tries to do so. And yet, amidst all these uncertainties, Proverbs 3:5 reminds us not to put our trust in kings or rulers but to instead…"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

While our country and its people are indeed, going through some rather difficult times, there is that proverbial rainbow at the end of a storm. I firmly believe that as a result of this unresolved crisis in the integrity/credibility of our so-called political leaders, something unexpectedly wonderful is about to happen to our country insofar as the social/political structure is concerned. More and more each day, I am able to personally confer with many Christian leaders who, just like me, have been praying for a resurgence of Godly moral/spiritual values of our people if only to bring about/usher in the establishment of a peaceful, prosperous and stable Filipino/Christian Nation. With each passing day, I see more and more Christian leaders beginning to realize that the main reason why evil with its resultant hate/anger, greed/graft and corruption, self-centered envy/jealousy, lust/immorality, dishonesty/lack of accountability and transparency, triumphs in a supposedly Christian country like ours is because the people of God, chosen even before the world began to be holy and blameless, full of love and made righteous/redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, sit idly by and do nothing to prevent the same from reigning supreme in our country. More and more each day, I hear of Christian leaders not only in the USA but likewise, in Europe, Asia and Canada finally deciding to stand in the gap/wanting to get involved in the country’s transformation. In this regard, I envision not only a nationwide but a Catholic/Christian Revival Movement of Filipinos worldwide which will so deeply touch the hearts, minds and souls of the Filipino people wherever they may be, so as to effectuate the much-needed political, social and economic reforms so urgently needed in our country today. I foresee the realization of Romans 8:28 that indeed…"God works all things for the good of those who love Him and for those who are called according to His good purpose." Just wait and see. Contrary to what some doubting Thomases may say, the reality of a vibrant, prosperous, stable Filipino Nation will come to pass much like the birth of Jesus. Many say this is almost next to impossible but isn’t the God we serve, the God of the impossible Who calls into being things that are not as if they were?….Amen?

Atty. Ramoncito P. Ocampo "Bro. Mon", appreciates your comments. Please e-mail him at ocampolawusa@yahoo.com.

Posted by pamagcusa at 07:32 AM | Permalink

Santo Eduardo, Milagru

Atin sinabi ali nala buri deng milagru, pauli ning ali la likas. Nung tuturingan nalang santo ngeni rening adwang pamuntuk a miwangis lupa at dapat, aba balamu ali na likas karing tau keti yatu ing darapat mausta.

Somebody said that he does not like miracles happening in the political events because they are not normal or natural. Surely it would be to humanity's defeat if people would always be imploring Divine Providence for miracles just so the law will rule. Seeking for miracles is an admission that Satanization had won over goodness on earth.

But, notice the similarities of these two men, Governor Among Eddie T. Panlilio and Bolivia's President Evo Morales. Lon ye pu king wikipediang English i Among Ed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Panlilio, ketang larawan nang meyakwa 1997, nung ali ne kawangis i Presidenti Evo Morales. Lakwas mu pin matingkad ing pangakatutubu nang Aymara ning Presidenti. Karing tau Minalin dakal la dayang Indian o lupang Indian Aslagan, dapot aliwa neng amlat a makaba ita. Lon tanala mu ding mararapat pareo karing adwa:
PRESIDENT EVO MORALES: [translated] In our culture, there is a cosmic law. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t be lazy. You know, the people know I never made it to the university. I never had that chance to study. But nevertheless, since I was a young child, I’ve been involved in the social struggles. Starting in 1998, I was one of the principal leaders of a region. And all this time I had to suffer insinuations, attempts to buy me off. But in our culture, honesty is very important. I’m convinced still that it was that honesty that allowed me to arrive at the presidency.

In 2002, when we won the elections but they were stolen from us -- I could explain that bitter situation of 2002. But because of a – well, through the electoral laws, campaigns are publicly financed, and we had been assigned more than a million dollars for our campaign. There’s always expenses involved in a campaign, but we spent less than half-a-million dollars. The elections end, we closed the books, did our accounting. More than half-a-million dollars was left over. And I said, “We have to give this money back to the national electoral court, to the state.” But some members of my party said, “But how are you going to give the money back. It’s easy to buy papers in Bolivia to demonstrate other forms of accounting.” I got angry, and I went on my own with just a couple of other people, and we gave that money back. People were impressed.
So, I can tell other stories like this. This year, in the election of the members of the constituent assembly, which we won in seven of the country’s nine departments -- in the national elections that took me to the presidency, we only won five of the nine -- and in this case, we also gave back over a million dollars of assigned funds. Some people who are ill-informed said we should have spent that money on health and education, but no, that’s impossible, because that’s money only for electoral campaigns and had to be returned. Honesty is so important. Even though the international institutions have said that Bolivia is sort of the second worst place in terms of corruption internationally, but those are the people who had the government in the past.
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/22/1323211

Nanu tamu mang layi pigmulan, nukarin tamu man miparas lugal, agya pang nung migalwa tamu kule balat, miyalwa citizenship memalayan nakatamu pa ning yatu, dake ning metu ketawan. Kalupa ding pakilaban at ali na buring mayayaus illegal a taung Dennis Kucinich ning Amerika. http://pinoybee.com/story.php?title=Illegal_Immigrant_Rescues_Boy_in_Desert_He_stayed_with_him_told_him_that_everything_was_going_to_be_all_right_Estrada_said-

Balang tau ating ulaga. Kalupa ra ding matabang a lub makyabe at tanggap king kagalangan ning Luklukan ning Pamuntuk Lalawigan male tamu ding Saria nang Buring Patupad ning Among Gobernador ila, datang ing pamikatagun o panaun, ing sagip karing bibilug king Sanggunian Panlalawigan at karing Alcaldes ding Balen Kapampangan o kaya karing karelang pamilya at kamaganak. Ngara pin masakit ing magsalita tapus. http://pinoybee.com/story.php?title=Thousands_march_in_support_of_Bolivias_Morales

Misan karin Betis akwentu ra kanaku king i Among Gobernador kalukluk na anting Cura Paroku karin ing tambing nang gewa yapin ing dalawan la ding masakit king baryu. Ngeni oyan pin ninu mo ing lider a mamansin king maging pandemic a dyabetis? Agyang keni king Amerika ing diabetes maragul yang suliranan. Neng kayi maybug nang panwalan a ing kakanan, ing vetsin, ing mayumung mapinung maputi o refined sugar, sangkan la karing dakal a sakit abe ne ing mesambitla na ampo ding obesity at autism.

Karing Kabalen ming Alcaldes, karing kayanib ning Sanggunian Lalawigan Kapampangan, saupan ye pu i Among Gobernador, alang-alang karing salunan tamung kamaganak at kabalen. Nung e ya pu magtagumpe karing Saria na, misangkanan kayu naman. Makuyad tamu biye keti sulip. Ding ali bisang munta Ligaya Banwa, ali re sa gagawan impiernu ing biye ding bisa keti yatu.

Posted by pamagcusa at 10:20 AM | Permalink

Kapampangan have been known for their ingenuity. They have produced a lot of people of arts, science, education, religion, technology, writing, and many more. In time of peace and in time of war, during crises and during progress, Renaissance period or not, Kapampangan ingenuity always comes out at its best. Peaceful warriors, negotiators, with out harmful arms only pen and refine effective tongue are the weapons of mass construction. Constructive Kapampangan never relied on lies and deceit. Dividers have for so long failed destruct the progressive Kapampangan. Most of the time teenagers and early twenties, the youth can never be trampled. Hail to you Kapampangan, continue to unite and rebuild the Native Land. Among Ed and all Kabalens forward save Mother Land!

Lalang Kapampangan
Neng Aida D. Tangalo
Ka-25 ning Nobyembre, 2007

1.
Ing Kapampangan kabalitan yang mayabang
Masalita la kasi, manapse pilubluban
Anya pin naman pauli na niyan
E mete ing karelang kasulatan
Pamanapse kawatasan.

2.
Malaya ya pilubluban
Malawak ya kaisipan
Panutak na malalam
Makanyan ya ing Kapampangan
Anya ali me alulan king kulungan.

3.
Malugud makamal king Tibwan
Makasalbag la king Gabun
Padurutnan ning Maragul Ilug
Linapo dalise talasulat
Mangudtang bungang utak.

4.
Myayalwa sangkut-sangkut
Melinang belwan at panugali
Kapampangan memaglalang
Malagung Panyulat at Amanu
Diwa melwalas melabung.

5.
Malaman ya ing panutak
Malalam ya ing pamisip
Kapampangan mipanampun
Katipunan sinulung
Panutak mengagambul.

6.
Matas ya ing Kapampangan
Makamal ya king Mayarlika
Pipunpunan nang Balagtas
Pagmaragul ne katas
O' yan nukarin ne miras.

7.
Ding supling nang maglalang
Karing myayalwang parang
Talagulis magdalit maglalik
Mitmung legwan pong kapinuan
Sasaup king Panyatung Kabyasnan.

8.
Sulung Kapampangan
Ali ka tutuknang
Lalalang legwan
Timawa kang gagawa
Papalto king katutwan.

Posted by pamagcusa at 10:18 AM | Permalink

Kapampangan National Heroes and The New Governance in Pampanga

One reason for the feeling of euphoria after the victory of Among Eddie Panlilio in the governorship of Pampanga was his being a patriotic Kapampangan Filipino. I came to know about Among Ed because of our advocacy for Kapampangan cultural revival. A few years later Holy Angel University established its Kapampangan Studies Center which now is the apex of the many Kapampangan civilization's overhauling, reconstructing, reviving, preserving, and anything under Apung Alaya's Sun. People have been asking the Center to do a lot of these things. Overseas Kapampangans including those who are not alumni of Holy Angel visit the Center during their homecoming or balikbayan visit to Indung Tibwan. Most of them in different ways extend help. The local folks support for Kapampangan cultural revival is still needed. Cultural, nationalistic, educational endeavors need to pass governmental legislation. Even with a Governor who is sincere to implement his programs to uplift the moral, educational, cultural, historical values of his people, with out their support and participation in seeking the Provincial Board's action towards the materialization of such programs, the programs will not be put into action. Director Robby Tantingco of the DJNCKS is now planning to ask the PB to legislate an ordinance making our Kabalen Heroes like Tarik Bengko Soliman, Isabelo del Rosario, Francisco Maniago, and others to be fittingly accorded as heroes. And that provincial and community commemoration be done to educate, inspire and develop good citizenship. As Kapampangans we should give our support to him and the Center. As citizens do other initiatives to have the Philippine Congress name them National Heroes. We may also ask that they be taught in Philippine Schools, their lives and struggles to contribute to the country and fellow humans.

One's freedom is founded on the freedom of expression, and this freedom which Tarik Soliman, Jose Abad Santos, Aurelio Tolentino, Agapito del Rosario, and others known and unknown died for is being denied to our Kabalens - When they are forced to speak languages other than their own. Without our own Language as a Medium of Instruction and Communication particularly in the Home, Pre-School, Church, shopping malls, places of work and everywhere in their own home province, this freedom will just remain a wish, always a struggle. Learning will not be fast and easy and effective. The Philippines will never be a developed or a first world country.

When we go to Macabebe let us be reminded of Tarik Soliman, when we hear mass during Apung Santa Monica's Feast Day in Mexico let us be reminded of Isabelo del Rosario who was hanged right in that Plaza, for fighting for our freedom. Let us do our part to be free and learn by developing the faculties which nature nurtured in us in our mothers' wombs. After the primary learning in our language of birth we shall succeed and excel in any other languages. Democracy is a continous process, it does not stop working, if we want it we have to participate always and not leave everything in the hands of an educational institution. Nor especially upon a Legislative Body who needs our vigilance and guiadance. This we need to do for Kapampangan to be free and happy. Lwid ya ing Don Juan Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies! Lwid ya ing Sanggunian Lalawigan! Lwid ya i Among Gobernador! Lwid la ding Kapampangan!

Posted by pamagcusa at 10:16 AM | Permalink