Our Business-like Politics

I was doing my errands at home when i was taken aback with my little nieces (while playing the famous Plants versus Zombies in our sala) sang out their hearts with this not-so-impressive song on television: "Si Manny Villar, ang magtatapos nang ating kahirapan."

DAMN. How I've been irritated with the song for a gazillion times! ENOUGH. And i thought that life would be better if televisions automatically get "power off" when the filthy-rich, pro-poor Villar-Ad cues up. =)

But i have to face it: I was amazed at how the song captured Filipinos, most especially children like my nieces. Sadly, for me, it has turned the game of politics into an image that has most likely been taking the shape of business - and its all business.

I even found a picture of him on a seeming campaign material stuff, and yes - it really looks like a product label... and with this, you should agree:


Just as how products rise from a stage of introduction to maturity (that which is known as "the Product Life Cycle) some politicians, such as the latter, came up with a style and tactic like that of business. But is politics all that? Or if politics is all that, are we only choosing a presidential bet based on the pattern of business (that is when the most popular product rises above all else, and win the race in the market).

If there's one thing that needs to be changed in our political system, that is to make everything fair for every politico in terms of displaying themselves to the wide public. I still don't know how this could be possible, but the idea of limiting the airtime of these advertisements down could be of help to the system.

It seems that people (Filipinos, most especially) take too much action when being motivated. And when these financially advantaged politicos use their financial power to motivate people through the use of the powerful boob-tube, Filipinos are led to believe and highly encouraged. And this may lead to something more negative than expected.

Politics may be defined as "selling one's self to achieve a position", but can't we at least draw a line and not make politics a business?

A Warning we should take heed

The happening in the afternoon of Saturday, September 26 broke out like a raging typhoon to the world. And it really was. Typhoon Ondoy hit Metro Manila and neighboring provinces like a sudden spill of a cup - unchangeable, inalienable. The typhoon shook, and took away a hundred (and counting) lives. The metropolis suddenly transformed into an eerie of doom and gloominess while debris march along the flow of the current in the flooded areas of the place; with people waiting with their feet firm on rooftops of flooded houses, hoping for a quick rescue.

I heard of the fateful happening while spending my weekend in Cebu City, the first time after a long time. This also came to me like a shock like how it came to everybody because I have never seen a shot of progressive Metro Manila in its flooded, extremely drenched scene. I have never seen Manila in its calamity state, drenched not only in waters but also in melancholy, silenced cries, and the indescribable luminance of malady at its peak.

And to add to my increasing shock, I remembered my brother Jerry in Rizal, who we later discovered to have walked 8 hours with half of his body under water, to rescue immediately his belongings in his house 20 kilometers away.

Perhaps, as these scenes flash on our eyes on television, realities cross our minds. There's nothing we can do but prevent such to happen again. In this light, we remember that the humankind has done a mistake.

Realizations come that God crafted all these things to happen: to shake our minds and hearts through stirring it, and in the end, making us realize that we can do our part for the environment.

There's something we should do so we will no longer hear these alarming news next time. And the answer is on our hands.

Pinoy into the K-Pop Mania

While reading the first few pages of "Angela's Ashes" last Saturday evening, a documentary show on television took me aback. But it was not really the television show who took me aback actually, but that very familiar beat of a so-widely-popular Korean song "Nobody," by the Korean Wondergirls did. Yes Actually. That very danceable music of "Nobody" did.

And why not? And WHO would hate dancing to such a danceable beat?

It was as if ever since I heard that song and seen its video, my eyes have seen my neighbors, classmates, even office mates metamorphosing to becoming "Nobody" avid fans. And I have actually been a listener of the song too.

But I am not fan. In fact, I just can't be a fan. Seeing that documentary strongly reinforced my belief that becoming a fan of Korean pop (K-pop) could not do me well. More often than not, it gives some lurking adverse effects to us Filipinos and this, unfortunately, may have remained oblivious to many who are now slowly metamorphosing themselves into Korean music followers.

But I came to ask through the documentary i saw: Could there be more non-sense than lovingly singing a song you do not understand? When the lines "I want nobody, nobody but you," is the only line we understand?

What makes the whole thing absurd and saddening is when we see our own fellows turning into avid fans of these Koreans, to the extent of others wasting their pesos for trips to Korea (as seen on TV) only to see the Korean artists they've been madly, deeply in loved and crazy about. Ridiculous.

The more it becomes detrimental absurdity is when such dominance of Korean music drags our own Filipino pop culture away from the limelight. It loosens that once-tight pride we have to our Filipino music and to our Filipino Musicians, who, as we know, are one of the bests in the world.

Because I know there is something to proud of in our Filipino artistry and Music, and that shouldn't be disregarded amid the invasion of other culture's music to our archipelago. Filipino artists are one of the bests in the world, and we can push that further through our initiative of patronizing and avidly supporting our Filipino music, the first step.

To The Woman of the People

To the woman whose life is, to us, a life given for the Lord and Nation
To the epitome of democracy
an Icon of Filipino Faith, and Nationalism
The Woman whose patriotic spirit continually gives us power...
To the once-in-a-lifetime Cory,
we give all our thanks and respect
...You are the pattern of modern-day heroism.

You are loved and will be missed.