On My "Writing Habits"

Tanong mula sa Formspring: "Ano po mga favorite mong topic tuwing nagsusulat ka? :) Saang place ka madalas magsulat? Kailangan ba talaga ng inspirasyon kapag magsusulat? Kung ganun, sino/ano inspirasyon mo? xD"

Halos lahat. Nasubukan ko na rin noon sumulat ng tungkol sa showbiz pero laging may halong pulitika or should I say, 'social perspective?' Madalas din ang tungkol sa buhay ko dahil masyado akong madrama. Lol.

Madalas nag-uumpisa ung mga isinusulat ko sa isang note na tina-type ko sa cellphone. Tapos pag naubos na ung 3000 characters. Saka ako magsusulat sa isang papel na madalas di ko natatapos. Kaya sa harap ng computer ako nagsusulat. Pag inspirado ako, tuloy-tuloy ang pagpindot ko sa keyboard. Pag ndi. Pinapanuod ko ung mga paboritong videos ko na nakasave sa PC.

Kung place, lahat halos ng artikulo na naisulat ko eh naumpisahan habang nakasakay ako sa kahit anong sasakyan. May makikita kasi ako na isang bagay o pangyayari sa byahe na nag-iinspire sa akin magsulat.

Siguro ung inspirasyon eh secondary. Una talaga eh kailangan na gusto mo talaga magsulat. Un ang mahalaga.

Inspirasyon? Hmmm.. Depende sa kung ano ang aking isinusulat. Ung huling post na sinulat ko na nasa FB ay dahil sa mga nakita ko na bata noong naglalakad ako pauwi. Nagkakalkal sila ng basura. At iyung narinig ko na argumento sa dyip na kaya hindi raw nakakapag-aral ung anak nung kapitbahay nila eh dahil tamad ung nanay at tatay. Ayaw daw magtrabaho.

Kaya wag ka tatabi sa akin sa biyahe at malamang na magawan kita ng artikulo. :D

Ang haba uli ng sagot ko. Haha.. :D

Tanong lang ng tanong. Make me feel important. Lol.

On the "Yellow" Posters in Bulacan

Tanong mula sa Formspring: "Anu masasabi mo sa mga posters na kumakalat na tumutuligsa sa mga alvarado ng pagtatayo ng isang political dynasty sa lalawigan? tingin mo, sino yung nagpapakalat nito? at panu mo nasabi na hindi nga tutulad si alvarado sa mga naunang namuno sa bulacan?"

Well, obvious na galing ito sa kaniyang mga nakalaban. May dalawang punto ako hinggil sa dinastiya. Una, nagiging masama ang dinastiya dahil isinasara nito ang oportunidad para sa ibang tao na may kakayahang maglingkod ngunit walang pinansyal na kapasidad at nagdudulot ito (madalas) ng katiwalian at tila pag-angkin na ng isang pamilya sa pamahalaan (gaya ng ginawa ng Mendoza siblings na nagpasahan lang sila ng puwesto).

Ikalawa, hindi masama ang pagkakaroon ng dinastiya kung ang kanilang pananatili ay lehitimo at suportado ng mamamayan at ang kanilang pamumuno ay kakikitaan ng malawak na progreso at pag-ahon ng mga tao sa kahirapan.

Pero sa akin mas matimbang ung unang punto. Ngunit wala naman din kasi un sa kung sino ang nakaupo - ito ay nasa kung may ginagawa ba ang nakaupo.

Si Alvarado ay may magandang reputasyon noon pa man sa Unang Distrito. Kilala na madaling lapitan at hingan ng tulong. Kung tama ang aking nabalitaan, naglalaan sila ng dagdag na pondo sa PGH para sa mga indigent patients mula sa Bulakan. Mga bagay na hindi nagawa nung dalawang magkapatid na walang ibang ginawa kundi magpatayo ng mga waiting shed at magpasikat.

May malinaw din na paninindigan si Alvarado sa mga isyu sa Bulakan gaya sa North Food Exchange, pagmimina sa Biak na Bato at sa kalagayan ng mga Dumagat sa DRT. Paninindigan na hindi natin nakita sa magkapatid.

Ang mahalaga lang, babantayan pa rin natin si Alavardo gaya ng pagbabantay na ginawa natin sa dalawang magkapatid upang ang kaniyang mga polisiya at ipapatupad na programa ay maging pabor sa mga mamamayan.

Tanong lang ng tanong. Make me feel important. Lol.

My Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs (Partial List)

This is my first time to nominate for the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2010. It is "a writing project that seeks in identifying new and emerging blogs who are making an impact to its readers in 2010." For the rules on how you can participate, check it out here. I felt compelled to nominate these blogs which made a lot of difference in my life these past few months so here they are. (I'm becoming emotional again. Lol.)

Ang Lungga ng Babaeng Otes

With over a thousand posts in her blog, Pia Montalban is a really passionate writer. She can write well-versed poems and thought-provoking essays. She talks about from the most personal to the most pressing social issues of our country. Blogging since 2007, she is but one of the few who remains firm and fervent in her desire to speak out her mind and share the lessons of her life.

Kapirasong Kritika

Teo Marasigan's long posts in his blog would bore any typical web user whose attention span is short and prefers seeing more images than text. But I tell you once you get hooked, you'll surely ask for more. More than his progressive views on politics and society, he doesn't claim to be self-righteous but he is firm on his principles and what he is fighting for. Progressives should read his blog often as well as those people who often criticize the Left for Teo's posts clearly explains things which are often misrepresented on mainstream media.

Rafael Anton Dulce

Currently ANAKBAYAN's National Vice Chairperson, I won't forget that day when this guy suddenly placed harsh comments on my previous blog. But I must admit, he made me realize later that what I wrote is simply baseless and full of crap. Eventually, I end up joining ANAKBAYAN back in UP.

Now, Anton, as everyone calls him, continues to write hard-hitting and sharp political commentary on his blog without apologies. You may decry him for being so rude in his posts and becoming too personal sometimes but in a crisis-ridden society that we are all into, we need to get real, straight to the point and give concrete solutions to the most pressing problems that majority of Filipinos are facing.

REKLAMOTION

For the first time, we now have drinking buddies sealing their friendship with a blog. Kidding aside, this blog contains contains the musings, commentaries and opinions of four friends sharing the same interests though they have differing views. This is quite unusual for a collaborative but that's what makes this blog a must-read for years to come. I must admit that this blog inspired me to push through with a project that I've been dreaming of eversince. Coming soon! Thanks to Reklamotion. :D

Secret Garden

Who would've expect that 'an average girl with a broken camera' (as she says so) can come up with nicely taken pictures that would surely captivate you. She's also awesome at creating vector images (which I hope she'll teach me how to do it) which are really nice, cute and girly. :D

The Barefoot Scientist

We may have disagreed on some things but I really admire how intellectual and progressive this man is. But what him different from other intellects is that he never fails to reach out and connect well with his audience. He's a geek who supports Free and Open Source Software but he never loses sight on the different social issues that are hounding our country today.

The Red Diary

She's annoyed with me because I keep on asking why she has the same profile pictures for all her online accounts - Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, etc. But you won't be annoyed with her (even if she has the same profile pic all over) as chronicles her life in this blog as a student leader and an ordinary teenager who lives out her life while serving for the greater good of her fellow students.

We Sell Martians

From drinking buddies (just kidding) now we have lovers. Lovers often seal their unending love with a kiss. But Lara and BB chose to seal it with a blog. These two lovers came into prominence when they published their widely circulated post about a senatoriable who ran last elections and almost won Gladly that senatoriable didn't won (sorry no clues for you. :P).

Pedestrian Observer

I may not always agree with what they say but this collaborative blog helps me think and rethink my stand on issues. Many will find it hard to understand some of their posts but you will surely appreciate how they give time and effort to give a deeper look on today's pressing issues.

One more to go. :) If you want your blog to occupy the last spot and you think you are worthy of it, leave your creative comments and responses below and tell me why should I include you on my list.

Thank you for these sponsors who made this project possible: Events and Corporate Video, Budget hotel in Makati, Pinoy Party Food, Copyediting Services, PR Agency Philippines, Budget Travel Philippines, Send Gifts to the Philippines, Roomrent - units for rent, Search Profile Index, and Corporate Events Organizer.

On Today's Philippine Independence Day

I somehow deplore my previous post a year ago on independence day. I had stated a line there that seems to be not-so true with the fact that some see a hopeless case in the current line of problems that our beloved Philippines has. It would now seem inevitable for some to take up arms and take the fight to the hills. I also deplore the fact that I have restated some lines owned by authors whose names I now cannot remember. (My apologies)

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Anyway, I am not supposed to be writing about anything today until I saw the slew of comments made after my comment on why I think that message of Hillary Clinton for our independence day is just another piece of crap.

I am not really quite surprised that a lot find my comment too bitter and that I was dweling too much on the past.

Some gave me unsolicited advices to move on and forget the past so we can move forward - just like an already trashed up relationship (which is what should be because of the unfavorable relationship for us that we currently have with the US).

As expected some would point out that the Spaniards and Japanese did worse. But how can you even say that when the kind of history that is being taught in schools all over the country merely discuss that part of our history wherein some 'power-hungry democratic country' seized our just proclaimed independence and even called us rebels in our own country!

But I guess the common denominator among their comments is that: we look up to America as some sort of a role model and a big brother.

And that most of them I guess, have not known what is life then under the Stars and Stripes. For your reference, you may read my previous post containing a brief summary of what happened during the Philippine-American War.

These comments really made my Independence Day.

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I once remembered how I looked up to America as an 'ideal state' and even wished someday that we would be like them.

But as soon as I found out how they treated Filipinos as nigger, bandits, bandido and tulisan, I suddenly feel disgusted at how can a supposedly bastion of freedom and democracy do that to us? I began to doubt that there was a huge cover-up on this topic because I don't remember it being discussed thoroughly unlike other topics in Phil. history such as the abusive friars, slave labor and monopolies during the Spanish period and the rape of our women during the Japanese period.

Photo Courtesy of The New Yorker

Photo Courtesy of HistoricalTextArchive.com

I was about 10 then. I was lucky enough to pick up that book (I forgot the title) and learned what school hadn't taught me.

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So I would like again to reiterate my statement:

"As long as the US won't say sorry for the atrocities they commited when they occupied the Philippines and be accountable for the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos killed during the Philippine-American War, which ironically happened after we declared our independence, their greetings are just a piece of crap. Where's our sense of history guys? Alamin ang nakaraan para malaman kung paano natin haharapin ang kinabukasan. :)"

Actually, this is not just about asking for apologies for what they did in the past but is also about the continuing meddling of the US in our affairs.

Since they came to colonize us, our history contains a lot of instances wherein the US is working behind the scenes to make things favorable for them even up to the point of supporting a tyrannical and authoritarian dictator just so their interests would not be harmed.

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This is not about how I hate America or how I want the US to be completely destroyed because that would make me act like an imperialist too. This is about letting people know what really happened back then. I know that past is past but if we have become completely ignorant of the past, we allow our past to continually haunt our future. Just like now at how we deplore ourselves for being like this and like that and we are all hands down for America because 'she gave us almost everything' - including AIDS.

But don't get me wrong. I will still celebrate this independence day even if just a few years ago Bonifacio had been excecuted by his fellow compatriots. I will still celebrate this independence day even if the illustrados then seized the credits of the revolution from the masses who ignited it.

Because even if this was a short-lived triumph interrupted by American imperialism, we have shown that we are capable of uniting against a common enemy. This only shows that we can still do it today, not on our individual means, not on individual promises that 'I'll change myself' but collectively as a Filipino people who will by all means bring about lasting changes to this nation.

But to say that we have been truly free is another story.

For the meantime, let us look back and reflect on our past so we will know what we should do for our future.

Ipaglaban ang Kalayaan ng Pilipinas!

Paglingkuran ang Sambayanan!

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Postscript: Someone commented that freedom has no use if people are all hungry, I urge that person to read my post on what's the use of 'freedom' that we have right now.

For more on the Philippine American War, click on this links: here and here.