Remembering the Maguindanao Massacre

It's amazing who you find in social networking sites. I, for one, have recently been contacted by an acquaintance from my NSPC days. Karlos Manlupig, I remember him from the time I was in Paete Laguna but I didn't know I competed with him directly during high school. I was surprised to know that he has gone tibak now.

Anyway, I borrowed this photo from him which he took the other day at Davao City. It's the same one which landed on gmanews and pinoyweekly, though the one on gmanews had been quickly replaced.

It's been six months, but still, no one has been held accountable for the Maguindanao massacre. It's depressing, really, that until now no case against the Ampatuans who were accused to be behind the mass murder has prospered. Even though this event had shook the nation and enraged journalists and human rights activists the world over, I fear that the Maguindanao massacre will be buried in the Filipino consciousness under the category "important but forgotten". Just like Joseph Estrada's jueteng scandal or Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Hello Garci and NBN-ZTE deal or even JocJoc Bolante's fertilizer fund scam.

That being said, I do believe those who are pushing for the case should still be cautious. Although the families of the victims are disappointed with the snail-paced judicial process, I do believe that whoever is prosecuting the case should do so with great care as we can't avoid to have short-cuts that might only bring it down during the appeal process.

Indeed, justice is yet to be served. Describing that massacre, where more than fifty people were murdered in cold blood, as brutal and inhuman is just an understatement. If we allow justice to elude the victims, would that not amount to the same inhumanity as the massacre itself?

I sincerely hope that the perpetrators of this crime be made responsible soon. But I hope, even more so, that the public's memory will not be as fickle as its political opinion.

Freshman Again

Graduate school -- this is the extension of my college years.

Despite my doubts, I have officially decided to proceed to law school. In fact, I have already enlisted myself online, and with that, I'm happy to say that I only have 16 units this coming semester. That amounts to two subjects a day except on Fridays when I only have one. Based solely on the number of units, it would seem that this academic load is way lighter than the one I had during my BAA undergraduate years. But as far as word-of-mouth goes, this won't necessarily be the case.

I've heard several law school horror stories, and I believe some of them are true. A few could be exaggerated, maybe even made-up just to scare me. But for some reason, I am not intimidated by law school. It's not out of pride or anything, because as far as I'm concerned, the idea of going to school, not exactly to study law, relieves me more than it arouses feelings of academic pressure.

If there's one other place where I feel most at home, it would be UP Diliman. It was here that I built dreams, met friends, was humbled, cried and poured my heart and soul on things that I knew would either make or break me as a person. Here, I was never bothered by traffic or polluted city air or expensive lifestyle. In fact, I stayed in its dormitories for four years, paying very little for my lodging and nothing for my tuition fees. It was here that I literally ate, slept and studied. For quite some time, this was my whole world. Little though as it was, I was content.

As an alumna, all I feel for the university now is gratitude for everything it has given me. Of course, all the nice things I typed here might change once I'm in law school and I'm crying my heart out because of a bad recitation. When that time comes, I might think that the world has conspired against me, but let this post be a personal reminder to myself that the days I spent in UP were among the happiest. So there is absolutely no reason for me to sulk and be the drama queen I am likely to morph back into.

On a lighter note, I do hope to find new friends at Malcolm Hall, though it would still be sweet to occasionally annoy Bambi and Ate Anisah especially before their dreaded recitations (insert evil laugh here).

For reference to my future friends, I am in Block A and although we haven't officially met or got ourselves enrolled for that matter, we already have -- tantararan -- an assignment.

King Bee

Look at them. I swear, King Bee could be Jollibee's ultimate copycat. In fact, King Bee could pass off as the Chinese version of Jollibee whereas Jollibee himself is just a copycat of Ronald McDonald. Come to think of it, Jollibee doesn't look Filipino at all, what with his red tuxedo and pale complexion.

I discovered King Bee through my friend RJay, who I am convinced is out to stuff me with food and make me fat. Unlike Jollibee, King Bee serves authentic Chinese cuisine. Known for its branches at the outskirts of Manila like those in Cavite and Antipolo, King Bee ventured to put up another branch at E. Rodriguez right in front of the Church of Christ the King. It's a very good location, being the midpoint between where me and the rest of my friends live.

We went here last week to avail the 40% discount on all dimsum items, a promo which can be availed of only from 8:00 p.m. onwards. It was so sulit because the food was great and the service was excellent. Although I am reluctant to post another food entry, I can't help but talk about King Bee because of its association with Jollibee in my head. Besides, what can I do? I will only be a bum for a dwindling two weeks and so far, all I have been doing is lamon to the max.

Faith(less)

I don't know how he knew, but a close friend recently pointed out the fact that I am ignoring my Sunday obligation. Blatant as the truth was, I thought I should give the church another go. So even though it was a Thursday, I decided to tag along him as he say his weekly novena prayers at the parish of St. Jude Thaddeus.

The church was hot that day, as with everything else. It was a skin-deep never-ending Thursday heat, like being baked inside an oven. I wondered, wasn't it the cold that was next to godliness, while sin was supposed to be the one associated with the fires of hell? What was it about God or Jesus or whoever he was that I often feel out of place and a little distracted every time I go to church, at any church for that matter?

All churches felt like this, or all the churches I had been in anyway. There was something about them -- the mean stabby wood, the stones exhaling dead breath all over you -- that always made me think of Dante's Inferno. I wonder if it might be worth announcing myself a Catholic.

Catholics, we have a thing for candles. Perhaps we cannot get enough of the heat as it is, lining up the way we do at the church's narrow candle area, hoping against hope that all our wishes will reach the ears of God via the little black smokes of the burning little sticks. That was how it was at St. Jude, him being the patron of hopeless cases and all.

I only stood throughout the entire Eucharist, like all other late-comers. I left my pamphlet at home too, so I sang Tantum Ergo guided only by my memory. Maybe it was a mistake for me to come here, with a heart that was stone-cold and the words of God not penetrating through. I wasn't always like this you know, having served as a lector for two years at the church inside my university. Somewhere between transferring to our current apartment and working in Ayala Avenue, I lost touch of my spirituality. It was only during my board exam review that I got to do novena prayer every week or attend Sunday service without fail. Perhaps it was only when I needed a miracle that I sought for God with fervor. A fervor that could easily be mistaken for hypocrisy.

St. Jude being renovated. Only the middle section retains the glory of the old days.

It was exactly around this month that I started going to St. Jude last year. The church was beautiful then, in an old-fashioned Filipino sort of way. Now, the pale-pink walls are replaced with a cleaner, more modern kind of white, like the ones you see in hospitals. I think the one thing that hasn't changed is the priest. He is Chinese, with defeated hair and mimsy voice. He is still around, his diction still odd and he still keeps punctuating things in the wrong places.

Perhaps most of the people I had gone to church with that day were students. Aspiring CPAs to be exact, as the board exam is on-going as I type this. I wonder how may of them will pass this May. I wonder, even more so, how many of them were like me, coming to St. Jude with aspiration and leaving just as quickly once the wish has been granted.

I am not out here to persecute them and say things that will only reflect my own lack of faith. I have not found any resolve as to how to change myself and my attitude towards religion. But I will try to go to church more often, and I will listen to priests even when they speak incomprehensibly, and I will try my hardest not only to become a good person, but to become a practicing Catholic because believe it or not, I am not as godless or as faithless as you might have come to conclude I am.

Peanut Butter Co.

Have you ever tried putting peanut butter in your spaghetti? Nobody say eeeeww until you've tasted Peanut Butter Co.'s classic spaghetti. Yes sir, this unlikely combination has left me with a delectable first impression that makes me yearn for more.

Peanut butter. Who would have thought to put this on everyday food like chicken wings and fried potatoes? I'd say the concept is genius, but the marketing is a bit off. The owners might have thought of capturing the movie-goers at SM North EDSA's IMAX theater, but there really wasn't much foot traffic going on in the store.

The ones who flock it are perhaps gourmet lovers who might have heard of the store from a friend or had read rave reviews about it. Otherwise, I don't think anyone in his right mind would want to try peanut butter with roast beef straight off. If I may make a bold, unsolicited suggestion here, a branch should be opened at Serendra, somewhere in Boni High where a more sophisticated market can be easily captured.

But whoever owns the store, I've got to hand it to him, the food was spec-amazing-tacular. Since I can't really eat superlarge servings, I only had the spaghetti. RJay had the PB Burger Sandwich, which was equally delicious as my food choice. Though he says it's way better.

Classic Spaghetti (Php 130) in sun-dried tomato peanut butter and meat sauce

PB Burger Sandwich (Php 185) with sesame peanut butter, lettuce, tomato and peanut cucumber mayo

Other choices include Elvis, The King Sandwich, a bestseller with its crunchy peanut butter, bacon and banana; Green Tea Vanilla Sandwich with green tea peanut butter, rice crispies and vanilla cream cheese; Black Forest Sandwich with dark chocolate peanut butter, cherries and vanilla cream cheese and much much more.

Apart from the gourmet pasta and sandwiches, you can also buy bottles of exotic-flavored peanut butter including Sun-dried Tomato, Chili, Cardamon, Sesame, Butter, Green Tea, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Creamy, Curry, Crunchy and Cinnamon.

Peanut Butter Co. is located SM North EDSA near the IMAX theater and the bridge going to the Sky Garden. This is their second branch, the first being at Clark Pampanga. Prices average at Php 180 which is at par with other specialty stores.

When Your Customer is the Government

Imagine the Philippine government transform itself into a single living, breathing member of the human population. It would be the most irrational, most indecisive and ultimately most annoying of all customers in your local supermarket.

With all the frenzy surrounding the national elections on alleged vote-rigging, I wouldn't be surprised if Smartmatic's CEO Cesar Flores is at his wits end trying his very best to please the Filipino people. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he would curse us under his breath after a stressful ambush interview. The customer is king after all, and it's usually near impossible for kings to be pleased. Let alone be nice about it.

There is nothing wrong with questioning the results of the automated election as is the case with Jamby Madrigal, Nicanor Perlas and JC delos Reyes. Neither is there anything wrong with a possible whistle-blower coming out into the open. Skepticism, in fact, is often a precursor to truth.

I'm only wondering, with all the accusations thrown to COMELEC, what signals are we trying to give foreign investors with how we run our country? The peso has slightly slipped. Exactly how much economic side effects are we willing to take in the name of skepticism?

Looking for Juan: Everyday Filipino Heroes

Today I thought about ordinary people being heroes. I can't help it, the tarpaulins around the Academic Oval all had this singular theme. From Rizal's youth, to your average manong driver, the artworks illustrate that the idea of heroism can be stretched to include almost everyone.

As a project by the Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS), the idea is to put up outdoor banners that will send a collective message about everyone's role in free elections this May. The elections, as it is indirectly portrayed in the exhibit, is not about a search for heroes. The banners around the Academic Oval depict ordinary Filipinos -- policemen, parents, students, OFWs -- performing little acts of heroism. A heroism that doesn't anymore include martyrdom at Bagumbayan.

The national election is done as I type this, but these works of art still line the University’s Academic Oval today. At the end of the exhibition, it is said that the banners will be recycled and transformed into tote bags. Once sold, the proceeds will be given to selected charities and will also be used to support other initiatives that promote greater appreciation for Philippine art, culture and the environment.

Even if the grass in the Sunken Garden has turned brown this summer, looking at these banners felt like a breath of fresh air. Yet what I like most about this project is its message. Under the heat of the sun with papers on hand, it tells me that you and I, we can both be heroes.

(Outdoor banners of Everyday Filipino Heroes will be hanged on the light posts of the University of the Philippines Diliman only till May 31.)