Paalam, Ka Fort, Salamat!

KATARUNGAN PARA KAY DIOSDADO "KA FORT" FORTUNA!

Dalawang tama ng kalibre .45 sa likod habang pauwi sa bahay nila mula sa piketlayn ng Nestle noong gabi ng Setyembre 22. Si Ka Fort o mas kilalang Ding Fortuna, ay ang humaliling Lider ng Unyon ng mga Manggagawa kay G. Meliton Roxas (na pinaslang noong Enero 21, 1988) sa pabrika ng Nestle sa Cabuyao Laguna. Siya'y naging huwarang lider ng mangagawa sa iba't ibang kasapian sa Timog Katagalugan. Isa sa mga taong nakausap ko na kilala siya ng personal ang nagsabing ang pakikipaglaban para sa karapatan ng mga manggagawa na ang naging buhay ni Ka Fort.

Agosto 2002 nang huminto akong tumangkilik sa kahit na anong produkto ng Nestle. Laking lungkot ko nang mapasailalim sa multi-nasyonal na korporasyong ito ang Goya at Bear Brand. Buti na lang may Lala at Alaska pa para bigyan ako ng aking "daily dose of cheap chocolates" at calcium. Isa't kalahating taon mula nang huli akong nakatikim ng Milo, may nakapagsabi sa aking tapos na ang boykot. Sa kabila ng kakulangan ko sa impormasyon kung natapos na nga ba ang boykot ay pinagpatuloy ko ang hindi pagtangkilik sa mga produktong Nestle, dahil sa kadahilanang minsan nang inabuso ng Nestle ang kanilang mga manggagawa. At hindi ako nagkamali sa aking desisyon. Hindi kailan man natapos ang boykot, lalo pa ang piket sa pabrika. At tiyak na ang trahedyang ito ay magbubunsol pa ng mas malawakang boykot at pag-aaklas.

Mag-a-alas diyes na kagabi nang natanggap ko ang mensaheng nasa isang Chapel sa UP ang katawan ni Ka Fort. Hindi ako nagdalawang-isip. Sinuot ko lang ang aking jacket at naglakad sa kahabaan ng Dahlia hanggang may makitang traysikel. Pagdating sa burol, na itinuturing din na pagpaparangal para sa isang dakilang lider-manggagawa, hindi ko naiwasang malungkot. Napakadaming tao. Mga mula sa iba't ibang kasapiang Nasyonal at mga estudyante mula sa iba't ibang paaralan, lalo na mula sa PUP.

Apat sa mga nakasama ni Ka Fort ang nasaksihan kong nagbigay ng mga salita para sa kanya. Hindi nagkakaiba ang kanilang mga sinabi. Si Ka Fort ay huwaran, mapagkumbaba, maaasahan, isang tunay na Lider-manggagawa. Isang tunay na Lider.

Bago umuwi ay dumaan ako sa Mercury Drug sa Tandang Sora. Nakita ko ang isang kaibigan at sinabi sa kanya kung saan ako nanggaling. Pinakiusapan ko rin siyang hangga't kaya niya'y huwag siyang tumangkilik ng Nestle products. Nakakalungkot isipin pero sa maliliit na bagay na ganito lamang ako makapag-aambag sa hustisyang marahil hindi agarang makakamit ni Ka Fort. Mas nakakalungkot kung ang hustisyang ito, na sa Pilipinas ay parang gasgas na plaka, ay hindi na makakamit kailan man.

Katulad ng ibang mga lider-manggagawa at lider ng masa, itinaguyod ni Ka Fort ang karapatan ng kaniyang mga kasama. 28 taon siyang nanilbihan sa Nestle. Duon na siya inuban at humina. Pero nanatiling matatag sa kanyang mga prinsipyo. Duon na rumupok ang kanyang mga buto, pero nanatiling malakas sa pakikibaka.

Sa pagkakataong ito, ngayon lalo na kahit kailan, mas pagtitibayan ko ang pagboboykot sa Nestle. Ito ay isa na namang patunay na "there's blood in your coffee."

Paalam, Ka Fort. At maraming maraming salamat!


27 Sept 2006
1:45 AM

27th Masskara Festival

It looks really good in the photos but it's nothing compared to seeing it in person. Even the commercial postcards or the WOW Philippines! website don't measure up to the astounding view it really makes.

The first 10 minutes of the 27th Masskara Street Dance Competition left me in awe. No exaggeration but it was really eye-popping, jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, earth-breaking....you get the point...

You can tell by the paricipation of all 25 barangays of Bacolod City, the deployment of the AFP and CAT/ROTC troops, the attendance of the townsfolks, and the number of foreigners that stayed long under the harsh sun how big this event really was. You can also tell by the length of the lens of the photographers that were there!

Everything is wonderful, shiny, vibrant, glittering. It's very colorful, very alive, picture-perfect. It's something that you see that you feel. You should really be there. No wonder the event is occasionally featured in Living Asia and the National Geographic!

The Masskara Festival lives up very true to its name. The grandest of masks, handmade of sequins, feathers, paper, plastic, cloth, buttons, beads, all materials imaginable, and the very merry and festive celebration of a valued tradition. Indeed, Bacolod is the City of Smiles.

See some of the photos i took from the 27th Masskara Street Dance Competition.

Stranded in Bacolod

No Manila-bound flight until the 24th. First available flight is on the 25th at 6:40 AM. We're supposed to go home on Sunday, so we'll overstay here in Bacolod for 2 more days.

Sana Umulan

Kahapon lang, nagsulat ako sa likod ng readings ko ng mga katagang "SANA UMULAN." Mahal ko ang ulan. It makes me happy. I feel like every drop cleanses me. Pag malungkot ako, uulan lang, masaya na ako. Dahil ganito lang sumaya ang mababaw na tao.

Medyo exhausted ako nung mga nakakaraang araw. Minsan malungkot. Minsan masaya. Minsan pagod. Minsan confused. Minsan nagbabaliw-baliwan na lang, in anticipation of my board exams.

Kanina kausap ko si Alvin, sabi ko sa kanya, sana umulan.

Hindi nga kase ako makatulog kahapon, so I wished that it rained. Ngayon, inaantok na ako pero ayaw pa ng isip kong matulog. Eh malakas ang boses ni Nick Hexum, hindi ko masyadong nadidinig yung paligid. Parang me nadidinig ako sa labas. Nagpunta ako sa pinakamalapit na bintana. Voila! It's raining! I could not be any happier!

So paalam na muna dahil sabi nga ni Ruffa Mae Quinto "This is it!" Kailangang makahiga na ako kay kama at mayakap si Unan bago maubos ang ulan. Ansarap nito! Pramis! Tagal kong hinintay to!

Log out.

Kung Anik-anik

Habang kumakain (ng paborito kong "Tomtillos" - tortillos w/ "diced" tomato) at naghihintay (sa maraming tao at bagay), naisipan kong maningin-ningin ng mga links ng blog na to. Nabasa ko ulit yung mga malullungkot at pa-deep na tula ko mula sa heartaches, which actually made me productive most of the time.

Mighty Butterfly

Nabasa ko ulit yung "Mighty Butterfly" na inareglo na ni Papa John, yung gitarista ng Sweet Valium High, para gamitin sa gigs. Nung ginawa ko yung "Mighty Butterfly", nisip ko yung person na nagrepresent sa paru-paro (o, umamin ka, ngayon mo na lang ulit nabasa/nasabi sa utak yang word na yan, so say it again -- "PARU-PARO! Nice no? :) ). Nisip kong yung paru-paro ang topic ng kanta, dahil para sa kanya yung kanta, kaya ipinangalan ko sa kanya.

Tas si Papa John, "Flower" ang tawag niya dun sa kanta, which made me think just now na minsan talaga iba ang viewpoint ng babae sa lalaki, no? Siguro mas na-picture nya yung batang babae sa song na kinumpara ko sa isang bulaklak na nalanta nang lumayo at umalis yung paru-paro (PARU-PARO!). Sa viewpoint nya siguro, yung batang babae ang topic nung kanta. At dahil na rin sa babae ang bokalista namin, malamang nisip nya, pambabae yung ginawa kong kanta. Hindi ko na sya natanong tungkol dito kasi hindi ko naman dati napagtuunan ng pansin, ngayon lang. At yun nga ang naisip kong dahilan kung bakit iba ang tawag nya sa kanta. Yun lang naman. PARU-PARO!

Techno Shit 1: Cellular Phones

Sa sobrang uso ng cellphone, ang dami-daming pagpipilian -- a variety of colors, shapes, models, and sizes - which, at a time became small in standards - di'ba may time na para sabihing luma ang cellphone mo, sinasabi mo "malaki" siya? Pero wag mangamba! Ilabas na ulit ang Nokia 2110! 1600! At iba pang mga "pangkayod ng yelo", "remote control", o mas malala pa, ang "Frigidaire" - na kung tutuusin ay brand name ng ref. So kahit ang Ref mo ay Nokia o ang cellphone mo ay "Frigidaire", keber! Malalaki na ulit ang mga models ng phones, dahil sa "camfon" (na nung una kong nabasa ay nagtaka ako. "Nawala ang camfon". Huh?! Nisip ko kung sinong tagasunod sa dark side ang nawala. Camfon?!

Anyway, akala ng marami, the latest cellular phone models are being designed to suit our lifestyles. I beg to disagree. I believe it's actually the other way around. Our lifestyles are now being "designed" to suit our cellular phone models.

Kailan pa ba tayo naging sobrang hilig o sipag sa pag-a-"alarm"? Kinalimutan na natin ang mga mala-tren-na-dumadating na alarm clocks. Pinalitan na natin ng ating Ericsson alarm to the tune of "Wag na Wag mong Sasabihin". O kung ano mang fad na gusto nating marinig first thing when we awoke. Yung alarm nung Ericsson ko dati ay mala-Ragga na tune. Na minsan dahil sa sarap ng tugtog ay lalo akong nakakatulog. Bumili nga ako ng battery ng alarm clock kong parang-laging-may-sunog-ang-tunog. Kaya nga "alarm" clock eh. It's supposed to alarm us!

Kailan pa ba tayo naging mahilig o masipag mag-sort out ng "details" ng "contacts" natin? "Change Type" to fax #, office #, home #, mobile #, o general #. Hindi pa dyan natatapos yan, meron pang "add detail" na kung e-mail or home address, notes, birthday, reminder, shoe size, bra size, cup A, B, or C! Ang tanong, Set as Default?! Pero dahil minsan nang na-reset ang Nokia 7110 ko noon kung saan nawala ang mahigit 700 kong "contacts" na kumpleto sa "details", nagpasalamat pa rin ako at hindi ko nakakalimutang bumili ng filler ng old school kong organizer.

Kailan pa ba tayo naging "chummy" sa lahat ng tao sa paligid natin? Dati nga, picture mo lang at malamang ng karelasyon mo ang nasa wallet mo. Picture nga ng nanay mo, wala eh. But no, ngayon, pati chao-chao ng Professor nyo sa Speech, may picture ka. Pati picture ng daliri mong maganda ang nail polish, o ng Astroboy na t-shirt ng kaklase mo. Sa birthday parties, hindi na kailangan ng film (Kodak, Fuji) dahil may memory card naman ang phone mo. Pag napuno, bubura lang ng picture ng favorite mong kendi. Lahat ng bisita, may picture ka, pati hindi mo kakilala, basta mukhang maganda siya sa picture. Malala pa nyan, wala pa ring picture ng nanay mo.

Dati, ang "Payong Kaibigan" ni Jolina Magdangal sa "Ang TV", kailangan ipapadala by snail mail. Tapos sasagutin nya sa show. Ngayon, ang payo, pinapadaan na lang sa "text". At para pansinin ka ni Jolina, hindi mo na kailangan sumulat (not to mention matagal nang naka-off "Ang TV"), isang text lang at aaraw-arawin na ni Jolina ang pangangamusta sa'yo through Star Text. At kung dati, lahat ng humihingi kay Jolina ng picture ay sinasabihan niya ng "punta ka ng lang dito sa Studio at mag-kodak-an tayo", malamang hindi na yun ang sasabihin niya kundi "pnta k nlng d2, dlin m yng "cmfn" n pnntxt m."

At iyak na lang tayo kapag na-reset, nag-"crash", nadukot o na-snatch ang "camfon". Pno n pc2r nmn n Jolens?!

Kailan pa naging action word ang salitang "text"? Text. May gerund pa nga siya eh -- "texting". Eh yun ngang lumang word na "text" as in "textbook/copy" ay wala sa "New Enlarged Webster's English Science Dictionary Authoritative and Simplified. Hehe. Kunsabagay, dynamic naman daw ang mga meaning ng salita. And retroactive, I must add. Minsan nakakapan-tumbling kapag may natatanggap akong note -- sa papel, sinulat ng kamay gamit ang bolpen o lapis -- na naka-"text lingo". "Mit en elenji tayo emya-emya. Eykyu en elenji emjititixt sa you." Tumbling diba?

Kasalanan na lang natin kung mahina ang comprehension natin. Mababa ang EQ o may gap ang left and right hemispheres ng utak natin. Yung gap na yun ang pagkakalsuhan ng Textpower na book para maenhance ang ating "text knowledge"

K? 2loy q n lng 2 nxt tym. Mwah!

I Am Sad

I was about to say to the person that's been the subject of my writing a few months back that I went gaga over him. Just so I could get it over with and move on. Though I planned to tell him on November, I thought why not tell him now, though not personally, while I still feel like telling so? But before I was even able to finish typing my message, he said goodbye. And it made me sad.

I am also sad about a lot of other things, which I try not to mind, because as the person that I am, sadness is just "not my thing". But right now, I am probably one of the saddest people on earth. Save for the people of Africa and Iraq. Save for the victims of Katrina. For the people of Gaza. For the students who have been water-cannoned in Mendiola a few days back, just because they were fighting for their rights to a better country. For the people in the picket lines, in the mist. For the people who are still begging for food in Baywalk at this time of the day. And for the quarter of the world that's suffering injustice and doing time. For the quarter who are missing a departed loved one. And for the quarter who are praying with eyes closed and pouring with tears right now, telling their heartaches to their gods.... All these thoughts made me even sadder.

Jackets Galore

I LOVE JACKETS!

I don't know why. I just do. I also love the rainy days. But that's another story.

The oldest jacket that I have is my "Baby Sporty Jacket". I named it so because just like a baby tee, its size is just as fit and small -- maybe because I've outgrown it, when it used to fit like great grandma Altum Viditur jacket. I have been wearing it since grade 3!

Check out my jacket uhm... "collection".

The Blueberry Rock Show

UP Diliman's Statement on the "Gloriagate" Scandal

The President Must Resign Now

Statement of the University Council (UC) of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City on the political crisis facing the Arroyo administration.



13 July 2005


The pursuit of the truth and the quest for a democratic society are integral to the university's mission in society. In the conduct of its work, the University of the Philippines is strictly guided by the paramount values of honesty, personal integrity, and responsibility.

We have strong reason to believe that the recent actions of the Arroyo administration in relation to the so-called "Gloriagate" tapes – the initial attempt at a cover-up, the use of threat and intimidation to prevent public access to these tapes, and the clever admission of half-truths to conceal a serious offense, among others – constitute a direct assault on nearly all the values we hold sacred in academe.

A careful analysis of the content and context of the recorded conversations between the President and Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano clearly shows that there has been a betrayal of public trust, if not a subversion of the people's will in the last presidential election.

Grave economic problems confront the nation today. At no other time have we needed a leader who can heal the divisions in our society and inspire hope especially among our young people. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has done enough damage to our public institutions and to the country's self-esteem. We cannot afford to be led any further by a dishonest president who has shown no qualms about using the awesome powers of her office for purely personal interests.

The University Council (UC) of UP Diliman, Quezon City - composed of professors, associate professors and assistant professors and chaired by the Chancellor - calls on the people to guard against foreign meddling and military takeover in charting the nation's future in the event of her removal from office. UP Diliman faculty members will join the people in their struggle to build a progressive society and a responsible government and in their commitment to uphold civilian supremacy in government and governance. We thus call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately resign.


Source: League of Filipino Students' website

Hello, Garci?

First She Said "Hello, Garci?"

First she said "Hello, Garci?" and then there was The Tape. She was gifted with a distinctively "her" voice, so she decided not to speak about it for several days. Maybe she thought that if she spoke again, people would recognize the voice in the wiretapped tape to be really hers.

Those silent days seemed strange. She did not say anything about The Tape as if she didn't know about it or even watched the news. Even the kids on the streets knew about that certain Garci thing. I mean, it's all over the country, in fact, it was even all over Asia. Everyday, before "The Simpsons", Star News Asia headlines the Philippines about her. And so there were Garci, and Bunye, and Gonzales, and Vidol, and Concepcion. Then there were Fidel, and Cory, and the CBCP. There was even Kris Aquino.

First she said "Hello, Garci?" but she never hunted Garci to disprove that hers was the voice in The Tape. First she said "Hello, Garci?" and then there were "Hello, Garci?" ringtones, songs and dance steps. Radio stations played "Hello, Garci?" teasers in between segments. Major networks and newspapers nationwide headlined "Hello, Garci?" Everyone knew about it. I'm sure you've heard co-commuters answered their phones with "Hello, Garci?" I'm sure you've heard teenagers exclaimed "Hello, Garci?" in sarcasm instead of the usual "Hello, Okay ka lang?!"

"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?"
"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?"
"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?""Hello, Garci?"

First she said "Hello, Garci?" and two weeks after, she said "I am sorry." And we were sorry too.
Lastly She Said "Hello, Garci?"


She supported the US government as far as she thought was right. But a lot of things turned up wrong. "Laban nga natin sa sarili nating Bayan, hindi natin maipanalo, nakilaban pa tayo sa ibang bansa."

She supported and funded the military instead of the education sector and other basic social services. There was VAT but she was not contented, there must be an E-VAT. More journalists were killed during her term than Fidel, Cory and Erap's terms combined. Let's not start comparing her term to Marcos' term. We will take forever, especially if we will compare her to Marcos. Marcos had the decency to declare Martial Law.

Honestly, I don't read the papers so much now like before. I don't have the time to watch the news. But I definitely experienced the transportation fare hiking steep. Sometime like only a year ago, my 5-peso coin was enough to take me from Quezon Avenue-EDSA to UP, until it wasn't. Then suddenly one day, the fare that I always paid the jeepney driver was 2 pesos short. I never availed the Student Fare before. This was the very first time that I felt the need to avail it, but too late, I have already graduated college. On the brighter side of it, buti nga grumaduate pa ako, sa hirap ng buhay.

I don't wonder why different groups call for her ouster, some for her resignation, and some for her impeachment. Bottom line is that it's not only the opposition that would want her out of the presidency, may it be through constitutional, or extra-constitutional, even unconstitutional means. She's done a lot of things to annoy these groups. And she's definitely done a lot of things to antagonize the people.

I know that nobody can be perfect. She cannot possibly light all highways, restore all cultural buildings, clean all bays and rivers. She cannot possibly trap all thieves, gamblers, drug lords, illegal loggers. She cannot possibly give every man a job, every woman a shelter, every kid an education, every family a dish on the table. I know nobody can do or has done those things before. But nobody has thought of the EVAT before. Or funding the military real big time. And though others before her time have family-incorporated government corruption already, or neglected civil liberty rights, nobody has done it as good (or bad) and blatant as she did this time. She might be forgetting that we learn from experience and that the people will not be fooled again. Okay, I might be repeating myself. Or just repeating what you might have probably heard and known before. You see, she wasn't able to do a lot of right things and maybe, just maybe, we can forgive that. But she's done an awful lot of bad things.

And lastly, she said "Hello, Garci?"


11 July 2005 | 11:44 PM