Good Grooming and Owning a Gun in Armed Region

“crime laboratory found hi-powered firearms and ammunition with PNP, DND and US prints.”

Haller! This is so old news! Ampatuans and most families in ARMM own one or more firearms. Even families of the massacre victims and Christians have guns in the region. Sobrang normal na po yan sa ARMM!! [clinch fist and grits]. AGAIN! sobrang normal na po yan sa ARMM. Kaya nga tinawag sila na ARMM (armed) region.

To put a good light on it. It is a culture—a taboo in some extent—in ARMM. If cars and bungalows project status quo to most of us, weapons are to the region. If the poorest crams to own a TV, poorest family in the region crams to own a weapon. Did you ever know that weapons often are good dowry in the region?

Where did this gritting need to own a weapon in the region start?

The struggle for independence and history of violence in Mindanao are two, but not sufficient causes. How did violence in Mindanao start? Had there been violence in Mindanao in the pre-Hispanic period? Was the popular “bravery” of the Moros true before Spanish came? I only heard of Tausugs as the bravest. Lapu-Lapu is one (nope, he is not from Mactan). The issue of bravery is just even a pigment of the intertwining factors.

Well, the gritting need came from feeling of not being naked, literally and figuratively. It was similar to our gritting need to dress and look good. Kaya nga patok na patok yang mga designer clothes, accessories, beauty spas at lahat ng mga palamuti sa katawan. Weapons, specifically the Kris for the Moros, were key part of the everyday wear of a man’s dress. It was often felt that to be without a bladed weapon was akin to being naked (a sentiment shared by many native groups in the Philippines).The kris was a key symbol of a man's status/rank in society, as well as often bearing strong talismanic properties as an anting-anting (talisman/amulet).

If however other native groups in the country share the same sentiment on having a bladed weapon, then all families in the country could have already owned a weapon now.

Were the Moros un-educated? No! They were just educated late of the new world ideas. Remember, they were mostly un-colonized by Spanish and Americans. They were exposed late to capitalism, where money became a new key symbol of man’s status. They were exposed late to new buying frenzies, especially those from Americans, like owning a car. They were educated late to private ownership (that is why they were stuck to feudal system like having feudal lords). They failed to adopt with the time. After Spanish and Americans left, other weapon-fanatic native groups in the country were already in stage 5 while the Moros were still in the stage 3.

And so, the old culture of grooming a man with a weapon remained among Moros.

This culture is so preserved, it spread to most families in the region. From a symbol of power and status quo, it also became a defense gear against tyrant powerful families. Eventually, some marginalized families earned strength and became tyrants too. Some love peace and left the region. Those who remained helpless…well…stood on guard with their cute rusty guns (at least, they have one) and stayed with the feudal lords.

It must have been Marcos idea to send Ilocanos and Ilonggos to Mindanao to fast-track education of the Moros of the new world ideas. Marcos must have wished Filipinos to be in stage 10 altogether.

I hope those who left the region would go back and re-educate the whole region. I believe these families, including Ampatuans, can stop the old culture of owning a weapon. I believe they are capable of responsible use of weapons, if indeed, guns cannot be stopped immediately. I still believe in our Moro brothers and other families in the region can push peace in Mindanao.


and yes! gun trading of our armed forces is true. it however will stop if the demand for guns will stop

Di na Tatakbo si Erap

Erap on recorded speech (after being ousted) in Juan on 1, Tv Patrol: "wala na po akong balak na muling pumasok sa larangan ng maruming pulitika. ang nalalabi ko pong panahon ko ngayon ay iniaalay ko na sa paglilingkod sa aking kababayan. ngunit ang personal...malubhang kalagayan ng aking mahal na ina..."

** so, di na talaga sya tatakbo?

Erap to Ted Failon: yun nga sabi sa nanay ko, nung pinuntahan ko sa hospital. 2 taon na sya nakaratay...."ano ba nangyari syo,joseph? yung pagkapangulo mo, di mo tinapos. pati ang sentinsya mo, di mo tinapos. e mamamatay na lang ako, wala kang natatapos."

** aba! bigla nakapagsalita ang masakitin na ina

Erap followed through: Wag ka mag-alala, mama. babalik ako pagkapresidente at tatapusin ko

** bwahahahahahahahahaha ginamit pa ang ina sa alibi bwisit!

Life Is Short

Life is short, but why work for longer life expectancy? Why take care of your health to live beyond 60 or 50? We all know that senior life is a pain to the knee (and back). Even if we have a faithful partner (and complete life insurances), we just cannot enjoy life as much as we were at 20s than at 60s. Do you think you could still trek mountains at 60? Can you still walk around a foreign city the whole day or play a sport? So, why live longer?

Society should not design health programs to extend life. Health programs should develop body that could take advantage of an active young life.

But of course, you will live longer if you have a healthy body when you were young. Senior life is a bonus. Senior life is not meant to be enjoyed like youth. It should be rested and settled peacefully.

Family, Friends, Frisbee and all the F**king Fs' in the World

While skimming photos to cut for my father’s work, I stopped on one old Sunday Inquirer magazine. It covered Rica Peralejo. Nope, it did not feature her skin (via Balahibong Pusa movie). Rica’s transformation from bold starlet to simple student amazed me. Suddenly, I was on a personal recollection.

I also love to write like Rica. I shop and read books. I love rock, frisbee, lomography, politics (especially democracy vs. martial law), saving earth, beaches and Mati. I love art and architecture most. I draw good caricature and cartoons back in school days. And I am proud creator of Atenews’ knight-armored Tinyo and founder of Ateneo’s first art club, ArtCo. They are both decade old now.

I am not a Fine Arts graduate, but Economics. I am a development worker after school. So, where is my life heading with incompatible passion and post-graduate experience?

Complicating it more, they say I am funny, smart and overcritical, but I am not.

I do not think however that I am likely living a “skewed” life. God put me into this, I believe, and He introduced me to great people to implement His plan for me. I do not know His funny plan, but I think I have a hint. It is a perfect blend of my incompatibilities. I am excited now and wanted to thank all God’s great people.

Mama – for not pushing me to study Fine Arts or Architecture;
Ate Mia – for enrolling me to Economics, without me knowing;
Macoy, Manggob, Dax, Jb and Milans – for cofounding ArtCo;
Teng, Atenews editor-in-chief – for pushing me to re-create the shirt-clad Tinyo;
Ms. Pastrano – for teaching good economic analysis;
Ms. Rose Sanchez – for recommending and introducing me to research work, which is still my profession;
T’bel and Ms. Alpha Lajato – for sharing research and project management skills;
Elsan – for educating me on Islam, I almost converted;
Edwin – for re-educating me on Christian faith (and convincing me to stay, but do the Ramadan)
Peter Walpole – for opening me the real environment actions;
Inday Arcenas – for teaching us a new way of changing the country (contract naming, day hehe);
Juan and Monci – for inspiring me to cook and rock more; Id cook for you one day;
Dax – in any way, you inspire me to live against odds;
Ipe – for introducing me to frisbee; pre, boardmate gihapon ta ka;
Jerson, Mark, Juan and Cocoy – for cofounding Davao Disc Squad;
Greta – for changing my life and teaching me impatience, temper and washing my feet with laundry clothes;
Papa – for inspiring me to always love and let God do everything;

They are great people because they “formed” me. Whatever success (and failures) I had and will have, they would forever deserve my gratitude.


Oops, this is not my obituary, but you can have me killed. God will not kill me yet, anyways hehehe

Grow your own gnome

Grow your own gnome

Thank God Its Feeding Day (Poker Is So Overrated)

today is really a great day!

i joined juan and rica and the gang to feed around 150 undernourished grade schoolers in SIR elementary school. it was fun, worthy and fulfilling, swear. taking photos of happy kids was....undefinable.

it was long that i was into this volunteer community outreach with very informal group-the barkada approach of philantrophy or say, giving back.

i was (we were) happy (really happy) at the end of the feeding program. thanks juan and rica. i really look up to you as cool couple. dont worry, id be a regular to your social program :) hope we could do the public library, urban farming and frisbee for the kids. it will be big but humble in depth

but not only the kids made my (our) day. a bit of margie cake, tong-its and vodka and paul masson did! though i ended up losing PhP60.00 (card game loser me!hahaha), i walked home with giggling.

thank God its friday!


juan: tag me when you post the photos ha :) til next!

Success Is Hard, But Harder When You Are The President

"unsa kalainan sa SONA ug fairytale? ang fairytale kay istorya nga dili tinuod nga naay duwende. ang sona kay naay duwende nga naga-istorya og dili tinuod"

o c'mon! stop filibustering! you all know personally how hard to reach the top. and six (6) years is not enough for one personal dream. not even geniuses like bill gates and the beatles achieved their greatness in less than 10 years. and ye, to all my college batchmates (1999), please stand up if you are already earning millions now, it would be a big pleasure to know your secrets in reaching the top for a very short period.

one (1) presidential term-six (6) years-is certainly not enough to make our republic a wealthy nation (again)

singapore did not just became rich in six (6) years, not even in china. singapore prime minister built singapore for 25 years!

so, c'mon! don't be fooled by our president's critics (again). let us help her. let us start working together towards one direction and not pulling everyone down.

i mean, honestly, i didn't vote for her last election. i voted for eddie villanueva because i thought it was moral recovery that is foremost needed for our country. now, im even tempted to vote panlilio because i still believe on that moral-based governance or do-well-do-good principle. but society practically has necessary evils that a united, not moral, country is more necessary to defeat those evils.

so i cooperated...to fill-in my political frustration of placing in a more-moral-than-the-church president. i paid taxes even though some of it were pocketed and even though some evaded it. i even believed on every government project. roro system made my lanao-misamis trips cheaper and faster. i own a house through a very affordable and easy housing program. i even met people who freely studied vocational courses with monthly allowance under tesda program. ive also seen more teachers in isolated and inaccessible barangays. ye, most working public services i have mostly seen are in "inaccessible" areas. this is why people interviewed on tv and most inquirer readers, who have mobile phones, fax and emails and graded gma has done little or none at all, considered gma unpopular because they did not see the project! (ever wondered why you have not been a respondent in those public polls?)

i believed that our president really built schools, roads and provided jobs, but not everybody in six (6) years. all global philantrophists and the richest have not even solved malaria for decades. i believed her sona but acknowledged some margin of errors in the data that her statisticians processed.

yes! cooperation (or participation, per se)! participation best defines democracy and precedes unity. with unity, i believe, and not filibustering, will cut-short our nation's way to success. with unity, we might not even need another presidential term.

i am both hopeful and hopeless though. hopeful, because it is what is needed for our country. hopeless, because i know one (1) presidential term is not enough to become a wealthy nation (again) especially with the presence of barking and power-hungry dogs. hopeless, because even the most intelligent and visionary president marcos did not achieve his bagong lipunan in his second term.

i am definitely not for martial law, but i am for extended term or reelection. and i believe there would be no martial law anymore. it is so out na kaya; so old; so outdated. and ye, more than half of the globe would certainly be against gma if she will declare one.