Bisaya Blogger Balita

(Right Photo) Reggie seemed so happy and relax after we had lunch. She wasn’t mindful of the camera coz she was just talking to me ‘candidly’ while facing Tañon Strait.

I had so much fun. There was so much to say about our little trip despite the fact that we were there because of work.

Tuburan’s museum was a a wonder. They were able to preserve religious artifacts and even the table used by their very first mayor (if I am not mistaken) was also displayed. We were entertained by elders who sang Tuburan’s hymn. They have very powerful voices.

Anyways, back in Lantawan resort, the presence of the Special Reaction Unit is evident. Why? Because Tuburan is infested with rebels.

Me and Reggie tried one of the rifles. The police officers were very accommodating as they showed us how to load M203 in the grenade launcher.

Even if the trip back to the city was exhausting, I could say that it was one of the amusing and valuable trip I had in the province.

The trip also made me realize how beautiful Cebu is. I did not expect that Tuburan can be picture-perfect!

I am now really looking forward for the upcoming Mid-West Suroy-suroy Sugbo!!!

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Much about the leadership of President Arroyo gives cause for demoralization, but there is also much to worry of…about Erap pardon was done deal with Eraño Manalo, the leader of the politically-powerful sect Inglesia Ni Kristo (INK). According to the Newsbreak, INK’s Manalo had reportedly negotiated the deal for Estrada in 2001. In exchange, INK withdrew its support from the anti-Arroyo protests and vowed to support some of administration’s senatorial candidates in the May 2001 elections.

Likewise, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) which is dominantly controlled by conservatives will not support the GMA resign call. These conservative bishops were likely sympathizers to the President’s financing livelihood projects in their areas. Some of them are also regular guests in Malacañang.

At this point in time, the church leadership is becoming mute about bribery and corruption in government… this is a signed of a ruthless and powerless civil society. The Philippines is now at the crossroad of moral degradation. The phenomenon on corruption is staggering violence and it will continue to create more violence, and the impact of which is social disaster…

THE CHALLENGE: How to overcome this moral degradation? Who has the integrity to lead (if not President Arroyo) the Philippine society into political stability and solidarity to work productively and grow progressively?

Lyrics: Fr. Albert E. Alejo S.J.
Composer: Dodgie Fernandez

paano mong nagagawa
kapatid mo’y dinadaya
sa’yo kami’y nagtiwala
ngunit ano ang napala?

paano kang nabubuhay
nangungupit; nagnanakaw?
di ka ganyan noong araw
iba ka na kung gumalaw

chorus 1:
sana naman kayanin niyo
panindigan ang prinsipyo
mahirap nga ang magbago
ngunit ikaw ang ehemplo!
sana naman kayanin niyo
panindigan ang prinsipyo
mahirap nga ang magbago
ngunit ikaw ang ehemplo!

may kilala akong drayber
nagsauli ng atache
may kilala akong fixer
nagsisi na’t ngayo’y titser

may kilala akong mayor
may palabra de honor
at may isa ‘kong auditor
walang lusot, walang pabor!

chorus 2:
sana naman gayahin niyo
panindigan ang prinsipyo
mahirap nga ang magbago
ngunit tayo ang ehemplo!
sana naman gayahin niyo
panindigan ang prinsipyo
mahirap nga ang magbago
ngunit tayo ang ehemplo!

sana naman kayanin niyo
panindigan ang prinsipyo
mahirap nga ang magbago
ngunit ikaw ang ehemplo!
sana naman gayahin niyo
panindigan ang prinsipyo
mahirap nga ang magbago
ngunit tayo ang ehemplo!

tulungan n’yo ‘kong magbago
maging tunay na ehemplo

Many teachers and students expected so much… that I would be talking about a nationalist perspective in relation to the theme celebration, MARAMING WIKA: MATATAG NA BANSA. However, I never did, instead I focus my speech on the importance of universal outlook and local application of multilingual communication in society building.

In my discourse, I told them that nationalism is fast becoming outdated in the age of information technology… we need to progress our society for social and culture blending of humanity and to cement solidarity of the world. The Neo-Humanist perspective is the call of the global community of the present age.

Nationalism does not equal language. Language does not equal nationalism. Perhaps they may be correlated, yet they are not the same… and this confusing of the two is an unfortunate misleading notion in our popular thinking about national (Pilipino) language, identity, and culture that really limits us from having a truly culturally diverse experience with each other.

Why is this disagrees with? In its positive sense nationalism is nothing other than a philosophy of political self-determination instigate by geo-sentiments or socio-sentiments in other terms. While language is the inner human expression of once culture. The language of the tongue varies in accordance to place, time and person. Just as the communication style of men varies from that of women because of their different experiences. The study of the English languages evolution and expansion over the last hundred years, to accommodate changing values and technological advancements, is a good example of dynamic language.

Our history tells us that the Philippines is a classic example of pseudo-cultural exploitation. After the Americans “liberated” the Filipinos from Spanish colonization in 1898, … they embarked on an intensive ten-year pacification campaign of pseudo-cultural propagation. They strictly suppressed all expression of Filipino culture — books, plays and even the raising of the national flag. The nationwide school system organized by the American established English as the language of instruction, distorted the history of American occupation, taught American rather than Filipino history, and altogether glorified the American way of life.

Until today, this pseudo-cultural exploitation is still dominant in the Philippine society. This problem has been a system that does not encourage self-reliance on individual, cultural, and economic levels. Indeed, P.R. Sarkar wrote in his Neo-Humanism: the Liberation of Intellect: “If the people’s cultural backbone is broken, then all their struggles for political and social freedom will end in nothing. Can those necks and backs are crushed under the weight of pseudo-culture be expected to hold their heads high in any sphere of life.”

In this context, the key to the maintenance of psycho-economic exploitation is cultural exploitation. And if we think only about the present and the future, and we don’t reflectively think about our pasts, any cultural dialogue is empty and false. Any ‘multiculturalism’ based on deceptive and naive ideas of culture, is not multiculturalism at all, but some convenient and valueless conformity to substitute harmony.