Sino Jan ang Gumagawa ng Homework-Paper sa Lit Crit?

La lang. Kakabaliw na ang nosebleed task na ito. i'm choosing among poets like Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton and Muriel Rukeyser to affirm Plato's positions on poetry. Di pa ako makapili. habang nahihilo ako sa sobrang kulang sa tulog. Pinaghalong insomnia, anxiety for this last sem in my college life and pagpupumilit na gumising ng maaga. Well, at least never pa ako nale-late sa Practicum except for that one incident na nakalimutan ko magset ng alarm clock. But well I need to get this done! Sayang ang lahat ng ideas pag di ko to natapos! Sayang pag wala ako naipasa bukas. So, I'm cramming. Two weeks na puno ng cramming kahit malayo pa sa deadline. Cramming to achieve perfection...naks! hehe. Hep!

Oh My gosh!!!!

I'm beginning to lose my sanity!!! Wala pa rin akong naaccomplish sa lahat ng papers at lesson plans na gagawin ko!!! God Help me.

Repost: Bakit Flop ang ginawa nina Trillanes

Ang pagkabigo ng uprising ng mga Magdalo soldiers sa pamumuno ni Sen. Antonio Trillanes ay bunga ng maling taktika. TAMA ang kanilang pagpanawagan na suportahan sila ng mga mamamayan dahil nagpapakita ito ng pagkilala sa prinsipyo ng mamamayan ang mapagpasya. Ang MALI dito ay kung paano nila naipatupad ang prinsipyo na ito. Kung batay lang sa kasaysayan ng mga nakaraang People Power, parehong mahalaga ang pagbaliktad ng militar at ang pagkilos ng mamamayan.

 

Pero sa nangyari kanina, pinakita nito ang dogmatic na pagsuri nila Trillanes sa sitwasyon. Marami ukol sa nangyari kanina ay pwedeng ihambing sa mga pangyayari sa Edsa 1. May mga bumaliktad na militar. Sila ay nagtago sa isang lugar, kung dati ay isang kampo, ngayon ay hotel. May mga obispo rin na nanawagan na suportahan sila.

 

Pero dito nagtatapos ang pagkakapareho. Sapagka’t HALOS WALANG mamamayan na nasa likuran nila kanina. Samakatuwid, walang mapagpasya kanina. Habang sa mga ilang lugar tulad ng Diliman Campus ng  Unibersidad ng Pilipinas ay nagkaroon ng mga kilos protesta, ito ay walang koordinasyon sa mga nasa likod ng insident sa Peninsula Hotel.

 

Ang mga nasa likuran nito ay malinaw. Ang mga nakasama agad ng mga Magdalo ay mga katulad ni former UP President Dodong Nemenzo, JV Bautista, at Argee Guevara. Sa paligid naman ng hotel, na halos hindi makita ng media, ang mga iilang napadala ng mga organisasyon kung saan kilala ang mga nabanggit sa taas na mga lider nito.

 

Dito papasok ang unang problema. Inuto nila ang mga Magdalo, pati na rin ang mga obispo at si dating Bise-Presidente Teofisto Guingona na ilunsad ang naganap na insident. Marahil ay mga pangako na kaya nilang magpadala ng sapat na tao para magkaroon ng critical mass.

 

Hindi na kailangang sabihin na ito ay miserableng sumablay.

 

Bakit? Papasok tayo sa pangalawang problema. Kung susuriin natin ang mga kaalyadong grupo sa UP ng mga nabanggit sa taas, hindi sila maramdaman kanina. Wala sa kanilang kumilos para magimbita sa estudyante kahit na suportahan man lamang ang pagkilos ng mga taga Magdalo. Bagkus, marami sa mga indibidwal na miyembro nila ay nangungutya pa buong konsepto ng naganap kanina. Ang pagpanawagan sa pagsangayon sa mga rason na binanggit ng mga Magdalo para patalsikin si Gloria ay napunta pa sa kamay ng mga grupo na matagal ng kinukutya ng mga kaalyado nila Nemenzo, Bautista, et. al.

 

May schizophrenia ang mga grupo na ito. Dahil sa kanilang pagdala sa ilusyon ng multi-perspectivism at sa pagpapanggap na hindi sila dogmatic, napaparalisa ang kanilang pagkilos. Sa kanilang nais na magmukhang tinatanggap nila ang lahat ng ideya (na hindi rin naman totoo), wala silang patutunguhan. At para mapagtakpan ito, ang mga lider nila ay gumagawa ng mga sobrang radikal, na humahantong na sa extremist, na mga panawagan.

 

Nakakaawa ang mga obispo, sundalo, at si Guingona dahil nahuli sila sa pangako ng mga grupo na hindi naman kumakatawan sa mamamayan. Kaya naman kailangan na talaga na kumilos ng mamamayan!

 

2 Missing UP Students Tortured, Raped inside Military Camp

By Dabet Castañeda
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
BULATLAT
VOL. VII, No. 42, November 25- December 1, 2007

One year and five months after their abduction, a witness testified that he had actually seen and talked to Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, the two scholars of the University of the Philippines (UP) who were abducted allegedly by soldiers on June 26, 2006 while doing research in a farming community in Barangay (village) San Miguel, Hagonoy, Bulacan. Farmer Manuel Merino was abducted together with the two.

The witness, Raymund Manalo, also confirmed what had been feared all along - that the UP students were raped by their abductors.

First meeting

Manalo, who was abducted together with his brother, Reynaldo, in their home in Barangay Buhol na Mangga, San Ildefonso, Bulacan, on Feb. 14, 2006, said he first met Cadapan sometime in November 2006 at the barracks of Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan. Camp Tecson hosts the First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR).

It was an uncanny meeting, Manalo said in his signed affidavit submitted at the Court of Appeals (CA) on Nov. 12. “Sa loob ng barracks ko nakilala si Sherlyn, isang estudyante ng UP,” (I met Sherlyn, a UP student, inside the barracks.) Manalo said as she described Sherlyn as a “babaeng nakakadena (chained woman).”

At first, Manalo said he was told not to converse with the chained woman. But on the third or fourth day, Manalo said he approached Sherlyn and gave her food.

Sherlyn, meanwhile, gave Manalo some information about herself. “Sinabi nya sa akin na …matindi ang tortyur na dinaranas niya. Umiiyak sya,” (She told me she experienced heavy torture. She was crying.) Manalo said in his testimony.

Manalo also said Sherlyn was ordered to do the laundry during the day. But more than this, what was bothersome was Sherlyn’s confession that she had been molested by a certain Mickey, Donald and Billy. “Sabi ni Sherlyn sa akin na siya’y ginahasa,” ((Sherlyn told me she was raped.) Manalo said in his testimony.

Manalo described Mickey as “pandak na mataba, maputi,” (short, fat, and fair-skinned) while Billy is “maitim, bungi, pinakamataba sa kanila, pandak.” (dark, with missing teeth, the fattest, and short) Donald is Master Sgt. Donald Caigas, the same suspect in the killing of human rights worker Eden Marcellana and peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy in April 2003.

Manalo said the words “24th IB” was tattooed on the shoulders of Caigas.

Nine days after meeting Sherlyn, Manalo said, he also met Karen and Manuel inside the same military camp.

During the day, Manalo said he, Reynaldo and Manuel were told to do errands while the two women were made to do the laundry.

An unexpected visit

On Nov. 22, 2006, the Manalo brothers, Manuel, Sherlyn and Karen were transferred to 24th Infantry Battalion (IB) camp in Limay, Bataan. According to Raymund’s testimony, they stayed there until May 8 of this year.

Going to Bataan, Karen was separated from the four and was forced to ride a black car with Caigas. The rest of the captives rode a stainless jeep.

Raymund said it was in Bataan where he witnessed the torture of Sherlyn and Karen.

The torture happened after Sherlyn told their soldier-captors that she kept a gun at her mother-in-law’s place in Calumpit, Bulacan. She was taken to the place but the soldiers found no firearm there. Sherlyn also tried to leave a letter for her mother-in-law but her military escorts saw the letter and confiscated it.

At the hearing for the writ of amparo Nov. 21 at the Court of Appeals (CA), Sherlyn’s mother-in-law, Adoracion Paulino, testified that Sherlyn indeed visited her in the evening of April 11. Paulino said she hugged and kissed Sherlyn but the latter just looked at her and took some clothes. Paulino said her daughter-in-law had five escorts at that time. The visit was swift, Paulino told the court.

After the visit, Paulino said the threats to her life had become endless. As she broke down during her testimony, she said soldiers and police had been visiting her at home, asking if it was true that Sherlyn and five of her escorts paid a visit. “Dinenay ko dahil natakot ako para kay Sherlyn, para sa anak ko at para sa sarili ko.” (I denied it because I fear for Sherlyn, my son, and myself.)

Paulino said she tried to keep the brief encounter with Sherlyn to herself. It was only in May when she decided to tell Sherlyn’s mother, Linda, about the visit.

Torture

When Sherlyn was taken back to the camp in Bataan, Raymund said, he saw the soldiers torture Sherlyn, “Itinali sya sa bangko, itinaas ang kanyang mga paa, binuhusan siya ng tubig sa ilong, kinuryente sya.” (She was tied to a bench, her feet were lifted, water was poured to her nose, and she was electrocuted.)

“Sumisigaw sya.Matagal syang pinahirapan,” (She shouted. She was tortured for a long time.) Raymund added.

When Sherlyn told the soldiers that Karen helped her write the letter for her mother-in-law, Raymund said, he saw the soldiers take Karen outside. However, Raymund said, he did not see what the soldiers had done to Karen. “Narinig ko lang ang mga sigaw nya,” (I just heard her cries.) Raymund said.

The following day, Raymund said, he heard the soldiers hurling invectives at the two UP students. “Inuyam sila sa ginawang pananakit, ipinaalala sa kanila ang ginawang paghipo sa kanilang ari at pagpasok ng kahoy sa kanilang ari,” (They were taunted regarding the pain inflicted on them; they were reminded that their private parts were touched and a wooden stick was inserted inside their sex organ.) Raymund said in his testimony.

On the other hand, Raymund said, he and Manuel where forced to join military operations in Bataan. Raymund said they witnessed how the soldiers killed two relatives of suspected New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas.

Last sighting

From Limay, Bataan, Raymund said, the five of them (Manalo brothers, Sherlyn, Karen and Manuel) were transferred to a safehouse off the shore of Zambales. They stayed in the said place from May 8 or 9 (Raymund was not sure of the exact date) until June.

The five captives were taken back to Limay, Bataan sometime in June. After two or three weeks, Raymund said, he, Reynaldo and Manuel were taken to a forest by a certain “Lat.” They were made to sleep in the forest until Caigas ordered Lat to bring them back to the camp.

At night time, the three male captives were again taken to the forest, this time by a certain “Robin.” They were taken back to the camp the next morning. Raymund said it was then that he noticed that Sherlyn and Karen were gone. “Hindi ko na sila nakita,” (I never saw them again.) Raymund said.

The three male captives were then chained inside the cell where Sherlyn and Karen were kept before. They stayed there for three days, Raymund added.

Burned

On the third day, Raymund said “Lat” took Manuel outside the cell. “Kakausapin daw sya ni Gen. Palparan,” ( They said Gen. Palaparan would talk with him.) Raymund said, referring to retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, then the commanding officer of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army (ID PA) based in Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija.

“Nakapiring si Manuel, wala siyang suot pang-itaas, pinosasan,” (Manuel was blindfolded, he had no shirt and was handcuffed.) Raymund said in his testimony.

“Ði nagtagal, narinig ko ang hiyaw o ungol ni Manuel. Sumilip ako sa isang haligi ng kamalig at nakita kong sinisilaban si Manuel,” (After a while, I heard the shouts and moans of Manuel. I peeked and saw Manuel being burned.) Raymund said.

That was the last time Raymund would see Manuel alive. “Sabi ni Donald (Caigas) huwag na raw naming hanapin ang dalawang babae at si Manuel dahil magkakasama na sila.” (Donald told us not to look for the two women and Manuel anymore because they are already together.)

The Manalo brothers were then transferred to Pangasinan where they were allowed to tend a small farm owned by Caigas. Around 1 a.m. of Aug. 14, the brothers were able to escape from their captors when the soldiers became drunk.
A writ of amparo has also been filed for the Manalo brothers who are still kept in a sanctuary as threats hound them and their family to this day.

Raymund is scheduled to testify for Sherlyn, Karen and Manuel on Dec. 18. Bulatlat

3rd National Students' Congress

36th National Students' Congress

Start:	Dec 14, '07
End:	Dec 18, '07
Location:	Fransiscan Renewal Center, Tungkop, Minglanilla

The NATIONAL UNION OF STUDENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES (NUSP) is a nationwide alliance of more than 600 student councils/governments/unions committed to the advancement of the students’ democratic rights and welfare. Established in 1957, the NUSP has been consistently at the forefront of the students’ struggle for their rights and in solidarity with the Filipino people’s struggle for social justice and meaningful change in society.

This year, as the student union celebrates its 50th anniversary, the 36th National Student Congress takes as its theme, “NUSP at 50: Continuing the Legacy of Passionate Student Leadership, Advancing the Rights and Welfare of the Students and the Filipino People, Strengthening the Union Towards Serving Society.”

Among the invited speakers and facilitators include former Supreme Court Chief Justice and NUSP founding president Artemio Panganiban (confirmed), NUSP alumna Sonia Roco (confirmed), Senators Jamby Madrigal, Chiz Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Mar Roxas, Senate President Manny Villar, Congresswoman Cynthia Villar (House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson) , NUSP alumnus Rep. Carlos Padilla, NYC chairman Richard Nalupta and many more.

Sobakasu (Ruruoni opening song)

Daikirai datta sobakasu wo chotto
Hitonadeshite tame iki wo hitotsu
Hebi ikkyuu no koi wa migoto ni
Kakuzatou to isshoni toketa
Mae yori mo motto yaseta mune ni chotto
"Chiku" tto sasaru toge ga itai
Hoshiuranai mo ate ni naranai wa

( I touched those hated freckles lightly and sighed,
My "heavy class" love has dissolved clearly
Just like a sugarcube.
The thorn stuck in my thin breast went in further
And hurt much more than before.
Astrology didn't predict that at all.)

Motto touku made isshoni yuketara nee
Ureshikute sore dakede
(I wished we could go together farther,
It would be joyful enough to...)

Omoi de wa itsumo kirei dakedo
Sore dake ja onaka ga suku wa
Honto wa setsunai yoru nanoni
Doushite kashira? Ano hito no egao mo omoi dasenai no

(Memories are always beautiful,
But with only that you can't live.
Tonight should be a really sad night,
But why? Actually I can't remember his smiling face.)

Kowashite naoshite wakatteru noni
Sore ga atashi no seikaku dakara
Modokashii kimochi de ayafuya no mama de
Soredemo ii koi wo shitekita 

(I understand breaking apart and putting back together
Because that's my personality;
With impatient feelings and uncertainty
Which nevertheless are capable of good love.)

Omoikiri aketa hidari mimi no piasu ni wa nee
Waraenai episoudo
(I pierced my left ear to forget,
It's an episode I can't laugh about.)

Sobakasu no kazu wo kazoetemiru
Yogoretanui gurumi daite
Mune wo sasu toge wa kienai kedo
Kaeru-chan mo usagi-chan mo
Waratte kureru no
(Counting up the number of freckles
Embracing the spots and all
But the thorn piercing my breast won't disappear.
My stuffed frog and rabbit
Smile and comfort me.)

Omoi de wa itsumo kirei dakedo
Sore dake ja onaka ga suku no
Honto wa setsunai yoru nanoni
Doushite kashira? Ano hito no namida mo omoi dasenai no?
Omoidasenai no
Doushitenano?
(Memories are always beautiful,
But with only that you can't live.
It was a really tough night
I wonder why though? Why can't I remember that person's tears?
I can't remember,
Why can't I?)

Sylvia Plath

Dying
Is an art, like everything else,
I do it exceptionally well.

One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day.  Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel.  None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch.  And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones.  And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

---Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied.  It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

	-- Elizabeth Bishop

"Teacher, teacher, the Filipinos are poor...

The philippines is filled with poor people, teacher..."

These are the common insults that you will get from teaching those kids. They would even pour out cash from their wallets (literally. Ben did that to me the other day) to prove to you that we are poor, they are rich. They are just little kids, of course I could not hold that against them. Evidently, that is a part of the pedagogy that they have acquired claiming to be coming from a "First World" country.

They came here for only one important reason: the Filipino's talent that was acquired from our age-old history of subjugation by our colonizers. Speaking English as a second language and possessing the system of education that we have right now. truly, we still hold that our education system is rotten. the percentage of our out of school youth, the cramped up classrooms in public schools and the very expensive "quality" instruction from private schools with up to the ceiling tuition (there are exceptions of course...) which they could probably afford. Even the PUP Lab High, which boasts of its good students and instruction, exceeded the ideal classroom size for conducive learning.

Now what? They came here to seek us share this talent and get their Filipino mentors to teach them the language which everybody believes would help them survive the present world. It is not just simply teaching the language. It is helping them invest for the future of their country (or so they believe). In exchange, what we get are very meager salaries and arrogant insults from their kids. They haven't taught them the value of respect and treating everyone as equals. They are proud upon trampling upon our intellectuals not knowing that we are almost giving away our talents through charity.

In the future, after the transfer of talent and knowledge has been successful, they would be coming back, with more to ask for and with the authority to exploit more than what our human resources could give; not looking back to the teachers who have painstakingly taught them the language.

They are not to blame after all. Have they known that they are not supposed to do so? The State could do nothing but to welcome them with open arms and encourage them more to invest (I'd rather say "exploit").

Nakakapagod mag-English

Bale, halos apat na taon na ring dumudugo ang ilong ko kaka-Ingles.

Actually, I shifted to my course in a very happy-go-lucky way. Then i'm at least fascinated and a little bit (somehow, not much) fulfilled with the subject matter. I got to read a lot of literary pieces that really went deep into my heart and got to appreciate much of life's atrocities and fulfillments. it made me hungry for knowledge even if Im not really studying hard. I wish I could make a living out of being a student all my life, engaging in class discussions (of course with the most erudite professors of my choice, please), reading and writing(guided). Because after graduation, I don't know what the hell would be my job to provide me and my parents of the victuals needed in life(they say... a teacher?, 50% of my mind still could not decide on the fact)... Do I have to use my national language after all to decide what I really wanted to do with my damn life?