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message board 3...
Name: Adelbert S. Batica
Address: 2525 Columbus Ave. South, Minneapolis, Minnesota
55404, USA
Email: basaynon49@yahoo.com
Date: Sept. 16, 2004
Thanks for the update, Mano
Professor. I'm indeed sorry to hear that Kezia's notes were stolen
by a kahoynon, but here's hoping that she could construct those
notes from memory, after all, she doesn't have those "senior
moments" like us older folks do. Thanks also for summarizing the
accomplishments to date of this Gugma group, which has been in
existence for almost 3 months. If you hadn't summarized the many
things that have transpired so far, we would be tempted to think
that all we do is iro-istoria, karo-kayakan la. The way I see it,
there's a program of action that's beginning to gel, and as soon as
we see a clearer picture of what we've set out to do, many things
will fall into place.
However, we do need ground troops in
Samar to do the legwork for us those of us who are thousands of
miles away. Without our partnering NGO's as well as passionate
members like Ray, JoBal, Kezia, Christine and the rest - it will be
difficult to get many of our plans moving in the right direction.
Like I've said before, those who are based in Samar have a better
grasp of the political, economic, cultural, and environmental
terrain, hence their participation is crucial to this noble effort.
We haven't been wasting our time
chit-chatting, after all. Many ideas and plans have surfaced as a
result of these discussions taking place through 13 time zones.
Hopefully, we'll even have a clearer picture of things as soon as
Loudette's "Building Futures Together" fundraising walk is
completed, and as soon as she heads back to Samar for
"consultations".
Might I suggest a consultation meeting
(possibly in Calbayog or Catbalogan) between Loudette and our prime
movers in Samar? Aside from a get to know you kind of encounter, it
will serve as a good opportunity to put forth more ideas on the
table.
Name: Cesar Torres
Email: CesarT1185@yahoo.com
Date: Sep 14, 2004
Subject: Our Hingyap for Samar ~ Where we are (Ningas cogon,
anyone?)
OUR HINGYAP FOR SAMAR ~ WHERE WE ARE
(Update as of September 11, 2004: When Humanity Changed Forever)
If you are interested, our Gugma Han
Samar Cyberspace Movement Yahoo List was formally created on June
26, 2004. Today, September 11, 2004, we would have been around for
approximately two months and three weeks.
In that period of time, what have we
accomplished? The following seem worthwhile citing:
1. Our "membership"list has grown from
0 to 92 as of last night. Of course,even I do not know how many are
indeed "members". I do not have the expertise to check whether
screen names, e-mail addresses or Internet IDS are still valid or
not. And I don't have the desire anymore to study more computers.
(Perhaps, Kezia can do this. But she has been traipsing from
Catbalogan to Ormoc, from Ormoc to Cebu, from Cebu to Catbalogan,
and from Catbalogan to that enchanted and fabled "City of Beringan",
famous for being the abode of Mga Kahoynon. Even Japanese sailors
have been enticed by lovely Kahoynons to jump from their ships to
join them in that mystical city in Samar.
2. The number of files, verbiage,
useless or profound bits and bytes that we have generated follows:
10 in June, 278 in July, 498 in August, and 152 as of September 11,
2004 and running.
3. Thanks to Ray Gaspay, we now have a
website,
http://gugma.samarnews.net. It is a subdomain of the
increasingly becoming famous Samar News.Com. But it is still in the
process of becoming. Our Gugma website has become some sort of a
specialized website catering to the more "cerebral" and
"intellectual" thoughts of Adelbert Batica, Quint Lambino Doroquez,
and Jose N. Avelino III.
It has even a Message Board. But I
have requested Ray to change the name of Message Board to
"Discussion Board" because the postings there are kilometric and so
difficult to navigate reminding me of the terrible road between
Calbiga and Catbalogan, and Catbalogan and to Ludette's Calbayog.
(Now that the Philippines is bankrupt, I don't know how things can
improved in Samar, starting with this road.)
4. Ruben Gerardo, our IT genius from
Norway who is highly connected with a lot of more serious NGOs in
Norway and Europe, is contemplating the design, together with other
IT geniuses, Ray Gaspay and Kezia and Jobal and Chris Sulla of our
Gugma Website once we are weaned by Ray's Samar News.Com. Ruben
argues that we need this very badly considering that we will be
applying for grants all over the world, especially from the more
enlightened European Union or the Canadian CIDA (Canadian
International Development Agency) with the help of Me Ann Pineda in
Atikha).
5. Through the initiative of Ruben,
and synthesized by all of us, the following modules/sectors have
been formulated with tentative members:
(5a) Livelihood Projects --
Bart, JoBal, Christine, Loudette, Cesar, Beatrice Duran (Status:
Loudette Avelino is at the forefront with her "Building Futures
Together", Dr. Bart Saucelo is waiting on the wings, we are hoping
that Tandaya will communicate with us, the group of Ray Gaspay and
Christine Casurao have plans on the drawing board, we are awaiting
someone from NAFFA to give us Heifer cows, Anita is raving and
ranting to generate funds for Loudette's foundation.)
(5b) Re-Education & Information
Sector -- Ruben, Christine, Loudette, Addi, JoBal, Cesar, Man
Onding, Denkoy Miel (Status: Mano Onding has a proposal, Christine
has an ongoing project with her fellow "developmental communicators"
(5c) Environment Watch --
Ruben, Christine, Loudette, Edgar Rediang (Status: Kezia has
attended a meeting of SINP which was attended by NGOs all over the
island. Her report was stolen by a Kahoynon in the Enchanted City of
Beringan)
(5d) SPA -- Ruben,
Christine (Status: nothing new.)
(5e) Agriculture & Fisheries --
Ruben, Christine, Addi, Cesar (Status: Same as 5a above.)
(5f) Political & Social Movements
-- Cesar, Addi, Ruben, Loudette (Status: Cesar, Addi, Ruben have
been studying these issues before those horde of children, Anita's
protégés in Payatas, were created in drunken orgies due to the
laziness of those Samarmoans. We are enjoining Prof. Mila Aguilar of
the UP and Elmer to join us in this group, and also Anita so that
she can share the travails of Third World thinkers with the
hubris-laden but ignorant but powerful people in the First World.)
6. Other Highlights:
(6a) We are interacting with the
University of the Philippines System and the administrative and
governmental system of Region 8.
(6b) We are interacting with the
Consulate of San Francisco so that we can provide some advice and
insights into how "development diplomacy" can focus on Samar.
(6c) We are intensifying our network
in the San Francisco Bay Area, hopefully extending to other
Samarnons and Filipinos all over the world because we are hoping
that ultimately we can have a bayanihan or pintakasi for the
progress or "kauswagan" of Samar, with the possibility that they can
help us.
(6d) Jobal, Christine, and Kezia had
breakfast in a lovely beachfront restaurant in Catbalogan. They had
a heavenly view of the tranquil Maqueda Bay with Romblon in the
horizon. But surprise! They forgot to talk about FITS, to respond to
the shrill screams in the Internet of Ex-DOST Regional Director,
Beatrice Duran. She has become hoarse and her fingers have been
stricken with arthritis. So this is it. I might be wrong.
(6e) We have P10,000 Gugma Funds in
Catbalogan right now. We have allowed it to be used by someone who
had great need of it.
Salamat for being here with us.
Cesar
Name: Cesar Torres
Address: 2724 East Court, Hilltop Village, Richmond,
California 94806, USA
Email: Cesar1185@aol.com
Date: 9 August 2004
Salamat Ray for being one of us. In
the words of Ruben Gerardo of Norway and Villa, "Samar Rising". I
just hope that our "rising" is relevant and productive and can
indeed help us attain our longing for the progress of Samar and the
Philippines.
To those who will stumble on this
Message Board, please tell us what you think. Again remember: "Let
a hundred flowers bloom, let a thousand thoughts contend." And: "I
may disagree with what you say but I will fight to the death your
right to say it."
Padayon!
Name: Raul Abejuela
Address: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Email: r_abejuela@sbcglobal.net
Date: Sept. 9, 2004
Dear Cesar,
I was really amused with the articles
that you presented. Danay gad nakakapaghuhuna kita nga waray nagud
mahihimo nga progreso iton Samar kay iton mga tawo resigned na to
fact that Samarenos in Samar themselves cannot effect the change.
Yes, puede gad maging progreso iton Samar, but it would take a sort
of a "revolution" to do that. With "revolution", I do not mean and
instigate uprising -magpabukid. It has to come from within. An mga
Samarnon mismo magkakamayada in paghunahuna nga enough is enough.
Pero an-anhon man ine. Cyberspace is a good medium, if there is a
way to get the message to Catbalogan. I do not know if there are
internet cafes in Catbalogan. But as more and more homes in Samar
get hooked up to the cyberworld, then it would be easier to get
information out to them.
You mentioned about a container van
full of medical supplies that was destined for Samar. Whatever
happened to that? Did it just rot at the customs warehouse? That is
one of the pitfalls of Philippine customs bureau. Customs would a
slap a import tax plus a 10% vat computed on the market value of the
items. And if the recepient cannot come up with the funds, items
will not be released by customs. What a waste of efforts!!! That is
why, I said it would take a political will to effect this change.
We, who are outside of Samar can scream and shout of the bad
policies that the government. But the actual desire for change for
progress must also emanate from the people of Samar.
Continue addressing issues that would
affect the lives of the people of Samar. We will be there to
help.....
Raul
Name: Adelbert
Batica
Email:
basaynon49@yahoo.com
Date: August 25, 2004
Subject:
On Lazy Goats, eating Corn, and Samarnons Subsisting on
Garbage in Payatas
Pastilan, Mano
Professor - kay di gadla udog it mga taga
Samar it may pagka-hubya, ngan diri ini yana pala nga kasugad.
You can go back more than 100 years, to Rizal and his essay
Sobre la Indolencia de los
Filipinos. Of course, our great bayani did his best to
defend the poor
indio, and it
must have hurt him that many of the accusations of laziness being
hurled at Filipinos also happened to be true. 100 years after Rizal,
Ninoy Aquino struggled with whether the Pinoy was worth dying for,
given that the Pinoy tends to be cowardly, opportunistic,
irresponsible. And his answer was still "Yes", just like Rizal.
If it's any
consolation at all,
dependencia is still an ailment that many in Latin
America suffer from. As a poli-sci professor, Mano, you have
already discussed this issue at great length in your lively
classroom discussions at UP-Diliman. The launching of Alianza para
el Progreso, JFK's alleged Marshall Plan for the continent south of
the border - only sought to thrive on the dependencia mindset of
Latin Americans. Of course, there were voices of dissension, like
the one coming from Cuba - in the person of Dr. Ernesto Guevara.
Othrwise, many leaders in Latin America could easily fit into the "tuta
ng Kano"
mold, licking boots to get more
U.S.
aid (sounds familiar?) However, we are not Latin Americans, that's
why our nationalistic blood cells have a rather low count.
Yana nga mga panahon, sering pa ni Joker Arroyo,
Huwag mong sabihing nationalist
ka, dahil pag sinabi mo - patay ka! You saw what
happened to Bobby Tanada during the 2001 senatorial race - he was
buried, at the bottom of the heap.
I don't know why
it's so hard to grasp the ideal of nationalism, when all it means is
acting in the national interest, putting Filipino interests over and
above everything else, and striving for national development. But
of course, nationalism or love of country also requires action, and
that's something hard for many people to do. Sanglit, asya naman
iton nga di ak contento hit nationalism la, kinahanglan may
praxis, may
pragma. Which is what
I hope we're trying to do for
Samar nga aton hinigugma. I don't despair even if there are
many who are lazy (including some members of my own family who only
have energy for endless drinking and videoke sessions), because
there are also some who truly care about
Samar's future. The younger generation that has decided to step
up to the plate is all we need, to make this movement snowball.
What we have right now, in the person of Christine, Kezia, JoBal, et
al - is a cadre of change agents. With a little help and
encouragement, they can make a difference in the lives of many.
One need not be
in Samar year-round to make a difference, those of us who can't be
there full-time just have to make a serious effort to invest in that
poor, hapless island of ours. And by "investing", I mean more than
a simple infusion of foreign exchange. Rather, we should be
thinking along the lines of human development and human
transformation. It's still about changed lives = transformed
communities. Natural and financial resource is incidental to our
efforts, what's more important for us right now is harnessing the
human factor and turning it into a strong force for social change.
This process of transformation can start by taking simple steps,
like learning to take responsibility for one's surroundings,
especially learning not to deposit
oros
del hombre
wherever one
wants to deposit them. Hygiene and sanitation are basic, these
don't require a lot of effort, just a little common sense and
sensitivity. As soon as these are taken care of, then it would be
time to move on to the next level.
Many of us can
contribute towards a sound development vision in many different
ways. These can range from small livelihood projects to bigger
ventures like Villa San Juanico (which I'm seriously considering,
given that Bart has now provided me with more information).
Granted, Villa San Juanico is in Tacloban, "across the bay" from
my beloved Basay. However, there was a time when that part of Leyte
was a barrio of Basay and besides, we're linked to
Leyte by that (in)famous "Bridge
of Love" - the San Juanico Bridge which, like it or not -
Samar also benefits from. At the same time, should Bart's dream
of attracting retirees to that part of Tacloban come to fruition,
just imagine the pension checks that will follow them. Not only
that - many of the retirees can be encouraged to share their
expertise with NGO's in the area, thus strengthening development
efforts that are already in place. It's a win-win situation - we
will not only see new arrivals, but new money will be tagging
along. And with new money and more investments plus livelihood
projects in the area - it means more jobs opening up.
In fact, some
U.S. residents are already beating me to it, in terms of going back
to Samar. A Kano overseas worker (alright, he's an engineer and
ex-US Navy) who met and married a distant cousin of mine in Saudi,
has decided to relocate to Sta. Rita, to farm and open a auto repair
shop - a few feet away from our family farm. A year or so from now,
I won't be surprised if I start seeing John Deere tractors
prowling in the area - a sight of rolling hills and idle lands. I
can work with the
Kano,
with Bart, with just about everybody who cares about uplifting our
people from their dire poverty and hopelessness.
Yesterday, I had
a good visit with my acupuncture therapist (an Ilocana from Abra)
who has just returned from a vacation to Zambales and the Ilocos
provinces. She was telling me how very pleased she was that her
older brother's model farm project in Zambales is finally making
progress. Her brother is an ex-SVD priest and a good friend of
mine, who used to work for the Dept. of Human Services in Chicago.
He relocated to the Philippines in 1999, to develop their family's
25-hectare landholding in Zambales. Some of their workers are ex-NPA's.
This is one of the projects which our Philippine Study Group of
Minnesota
has decided to fund. Small farmers in the area come to the model
farm to learn techniques in rice farming and vegetable raising.
They have also been organized into a farm cooperative. Manny also
has Leyte connections, as the SVD's have launched a model farm
project in Babatngon, right across the old ferry crossing from Sta.
Rita. It is this passion for grassroots development that's
beginning to link Filipinos from other regions and provinces. I
couldn't have imagined, 30 years ago - having good friends from Abra,
Famfanga, Panay, and other provinces. And this all happened not
because of a fleeting interest like Valentine's or induction balls,
or $50 a plate entertainment dinners - but because of this
honest-to-goodness interest in hunger, poverty, and development
issues.
True, the
Philippines is in a deep financial crisis, but then again - Crisis =
Danger + Opportunity. It's really up to Filipinos to choose which
side they will prefer: danger or opportunity. Our very
articulate friend Ka Edong (from the Talsik list serve) - puts it
simply: Huwag na tayong umasa sa gobyerno at wala namang magagawa
iyan. And he's right, we can't wait for the powers that be to get
their act together, as they are suffering from organizational
diarrhea - they can't even agree whether there's a crisis or not.
They're all output and no input, that's what organizational diarrhea
is. Many in the business community, on the other hand - suffer from
organizational constipation: all input and no output (they need a
strong laxative). I think when it comes to gastro-intestinal
health, the Gugma group is in good health, as we are able to balance
input and output. Just give us a little time and people in Samar
will see in addition to the input of ideas and resources - programs
and opportunities. A little at a time, one day at a time. We're
not interested in merely producing
oros
del hombre,
because the entire country is already deep in it - literally.
Padayon gihapon
ngada hit kahinog hit aton Gugma.
Addi Batica
Name: Gonzales
Reynaldo
Email: speedy_reynaldo@hotmail.com
Date: August 24, 2004
Subject: Lessons
for Samarnons ? - The 2004 Olympics in TIME
Dear Colleagues,
When I opened the
subject regarding swimming at the start of the Olympics, I did not
apprehend that Samar will have a hold of my thoughts while watching
the competitors.
Meanwhile,
someone dismissed the comparison by Anita between the USA and the
Philippines.
(But) In fact, we
make comparisons each time as part of our nature.
What is the
modern Olympics? It can be compared to the semantical gymnastics in
GugmaHanSamar where we inform, we instruct, we offend, we bewilder
and, always, we amuse. And we raise funds.
The interim tally
of Olympic medals is now taking shape. On Day 10 as I write, the
USA has 66 (23 Gold, 26 Silver and 17 Bronze) while
Australia
has 35 (13, 9 and 13, respectively).
The trend
suggests that the Americans can no longer hold the commanding
dominance as the "Champions of the World" despite the Might and
Power of the USA as the land of the Free and as the home of the
Brave. The USA still and will continue to stay among us "top of the
top" but spelled with the small letter 't' nowadays and for Games to
come.
In absolute
terms, the USA still has the champions but as must surely happen,
despite money and politics, there has to be new arrivals. This time
it is China and Japan. The USA will find itself in a relatively
weakened position to where it was in the recent past but if the USA
faces its challenges as a fierce but compassionate competitor, its
relative weakness can mean its societal (Is this the correct word,
Quint ?) happiness. In this regard, the Way of the Marshall Plan is
still the ONLY way to go; no strings or qualms; just give when
giving. After all, the strongest muscle of any Olympian that will
take any person faster, stronger, higher, is the HEART. And
according to the TV ad by Bocelli (another blind who can see and
sing at the same time), "HEART is the Soul of the Olympic Games."
Another
generation at it is possible that other nations will follow the lead
of the USA, China and Japan. Surely, Brazil and India. And
Indonesia, perhaps? Sports should by then be a natural part of
life, as it was in days of old.
But note what
this implies. Australia beat the USA in men's baseball and
Australia beat Japan in women's softball. If a nation like
Australia with a population of barely 20 million can produce its
relative share of winners, what is there to stop us from solving the
problems on earth if we have good will one to another? I know there
are still hindrances.
On this Addi is
completely right in the course that he is leading us, if the
Philippines is to shine at the Olympics 20 years from now. No
magic, no shortcuts, he says, but only consistency, dedication,
tiyaga. And support. Also, it has got nothing to do with the
colour of one's skin; we simply have to repudiate the supremacist
mentality-motto of "White is right, Brown stick around and Black
stay back". Remember that the Olympics is forever about how people
should live by, how winning is great but getting beaten is not
failure. (I am only re-phrasing here what I have learned as I
watched with my wife the gamut of human emotions with each victory
that we were able to witness on TV. For to me, everyone in those
arenas was victorious. As were the TV "technicians", in the
broadest sense of the word.)
And also, NO
DRUGS please !
Remember, too,
that from when the glory of the ancient Olympians was lost in time
and up until as recent as the 1900s it was still a tough life for
almost all people everywhere. Probably one-third of mothers were
still dying at childbirth only a century or so ago.
London
was the filthiest, cold place on earth, filthier than Payatas for
sure, if we are to believe Dickens. And this is not sleeping,
dreaming. This is True Life. (Could we understand, then, why
everyone almost would like to go to Heaven in those days? And the
remnants of whatever religious foundations or 'isms' continue to
this age, supposedly modern?)
Anyway, my point
here is that just because Luzon is ahead in terms of attracting
those Samarnons who now labour and are heavy laden in Payatas (and
the high resolve of Professor Miranda notwithstanding), there is
very much room for Hope and a bright future for a Filipino, much
less any Samarnon. (Samar, you hust have to develop the
cohesiveness to find alternative energy, hopefully SOLAR; with your
bright minds among you, you can find it.) Until then, while ranting
to the heavens with Addi and his favourite curses (Pastilan,
Peristihon, as your choice may be), let us all journey onward.
Viewed in this
perspective, there is no better life in
Samar than now, even for the dispossessed and the
disillusioned. That is the direction we ought to be looking. So
when Jobal tells us "elders" to 'Cheer Up' or when Kezia tells the
old men among us not to be serious, we must take heed; life is too
short to be grumpy. Unless one is suicidal or manic depressive, no
other day but today is the best day in our life.
'That's all,
Folks'. No 'More Later' on this for me; Padayon !
Ang inyo nga
Ilongo nga Bisaya nga Kaupod (or should that be 'ang inyo nga kaupod
nga Ilongo nga Bisaya ?).
Gonz
Name: Cesar Torres
Email: Ceasar1185@aol.com
Date: 19 August 2004
In the Samar News.Com today, there is
news regarding what Coefredo or Tekwa is doing for Catbalogan. This
is fantastic. I fervently hope he succeeds. God knows we need this,
not only in Catbalogan, but for the entire Philippines.
However, there is no point in saying
that Tekwa is a "Filipino-Chinese" businessman. He is Filipino!
Period.
We from the Land of Mai had economic
and cultural relations with the Chinese long before the Spaniards
got lost in Homonhon. And yet we don't refer to the mestizos in
Catbalogan as "Filipino-Spanish" or to those whose ancestors belong
to the American soldiers like the Motaks, etc., as
"Filipino-Americans" or those who trace their ancestry to the Arab
traders in Tubig Indangan as "Filipino-Arabs". I think a
clarification by Ricky is in order. Thank you Ray. Sorry Ricky.
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