Barco et Santa

By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
26 December 2010

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The 39-member Philippine Balangay Expedition Team finally ended their more than a year of voyage across six countries in Southeast Asia. The flotilla of “balangay,” comprising three replicas of pre-Hispanic indigenous Malay water vessels docked at the CCP Breakwater where it first set off in September 1, 2009.

Surprisingly, most of the major players are not certified mariners; some in fact are certified mountaineers who planted the Philippine Flag at the tip of the highest geographic protuberance on earth, Mt. Everest.

Arturo Valdez’ Balangay does not differ from the smallest political subdivision we have from where, Barangay, its forerunner. It projects more than its structure: Unity, power, and political will. And these national Barangays like Malacanang, Senate, and Congress must inculcate within their respective unit.

Apparently, Arturo Valdez and his colleagues applied the simplest form of teamwork to proceed with their expedition, to reincarnate the same pre-colonial Philippines’ spirit. The unity they used is the same unity the “Katipuneros” used during the Spanish occupation.

Looking back, authentic Filipino unity gave birth to EDSA 1. It was the basic element EDSA 1 mixed to successfully oust the dictator that has ever lived in the compound of the Palace; the same element added to a concoction called EDSA 2 that successfully ousted Pres. Estrada out of power; that catapulted Pres. Aquino to power via the 2010 May electoral process.

Sadly though, this value is dying; a lot has super-abused this ingredient for their self-serving political agenda. It falsely gave birth to EDSA 3 in an attempt to bring high profile gambler-actor and ousted president back to power. It wrongly gave rise to the three military adventurisms founded on the protectors-of-the-country ideology during the prime of the Arroyo government.

It would have been better if the PNP and the involved cabinet executives used the same “unity” in dealing with the August 2010 hostage crisis and thus shielded the president and the entire country from being ridiculed for ignorance. The tourism industry wouldn’t have suffered if it was used indeed. More to this, constituents of Barangay Malacanang should use the same brand of unity in coming up with a unified syllabus of good governance, not writing their own version of two houses separated by the historic EDSA.

The frail boats, which have journeyed for about 12,600 miles across high seas of Southeast Asian sphere, are a complete picture of power. Beating the terrible rough Asian waters and strong northeast wind is power by itself. And this power is by far no different from the power mandated to these political creatures robed in the glossy fabric of politics called greed.

Scarcity does not impede them from wheeling. Balangay re-defined scarcity as an opportunity to yield to the power of the scarce resource. Interestingly, the team employed ancient navigation methods of seafaring as their power to propel their iconic boats: Using the stars and the position of the heavenly bodies, the direction of the wind and the weather. These methods are by far no different from the ones used by pre-Hispanic and Hispanic colonizers of countries like the Philippines and its neighbors. They made it!

They reached their places of conquest; they survived. Balangay did! The voyage the Philippine politics is making does not guarantee to reach places of conquest; it does not guarantee survival. Which is why, political crisis is apparent; politicians kill their arch-rivals, journalists are murdered, whistleblowers are silenced. Money talks, walks, and works, and so power does!

Lastly, Balangay is a political will. The flotilla was propelled by its mandate: sail, conquer, and survive! Their spirit was their political will; their commitment was their governance.

The three replicated structures suggest the will to perform according to the mandate of the Filipino people without sacrificing the sanctity of the constitution; it purports the will to super-use this mandate; and it requires the honest commitment to uphold the ideals of the mandate.

Incidentally, this is not happening in the biased and greed controlled political arena of the country. Their political will is wrongly exercised along with the erroneous interpretation of the constitution to the extent of defining by themselves the danger lurking in the country’s bleak political arena.

Balangay was proud to say that they have reconnected the present with the country’s glorious, historical past; Barangay is proud to articulate that they have disconnected the past and re-created history for their vile niches. Balangay inspired and stirred national pride in the hearts of the Filipinos at home or abroad; Barangay frustrated and stained national pride in the hearts of the Filipino people elsewhere.

Convincingly, Balangay succeeded; Barangay didn’t. Balangay will always carve a remarkable icon in the annals of history; Barangay will always leave a despicable scar in the annals of history. In their future endeavors, Balangay will always succeed; Barangay will never succeed for as long as greed takes precedence over the genuine use of unity, power and political will.

Conceptually, Balangay is reality; Barangay is imagined only a child who believes that Santa exists can comprehend!