By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
06 November 2011
Imagine a city without traffic lights, and here’s the plan: It will have two sets of roads. The roads in one set will be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the roads in the other set. All roads will be one way. The direction of traffic on each road will be opposite to that on the adjacent roads. There will be a simple flyover at each intersection.
To assure motorists of no intrusions from the sides, all roads will be fenced. Each block will have an internal ring road that will be connected to each of the four roads forming the block and to the internal roads in the block. Stopping and parking of vehicles on main roads will be prohibited; it will be permitted only inside a block. Pedestrian, cyclists and bicyclists will have their own independent network on similar lines that will be interwoven with this network and flyover wherever they cross each other.
And this how I wished Dumaguete would have been.
It was in December of 1991 when I first stepped in the soils of Dumaguete to fulfill the promise: to have our wedding at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bacong. I fell in love with the place: pristine environment, laidback culture, unassuming corporate behavior, and organized traffic.
In May 2003, my wife and I finally decided to leave Imperial Manila and settle here; worked for about four years and most recently, re-settled in Saudi Arabia in the last three years.
Vertigo may have attacked my senses but truly though, in the first day of my homecoming, I was amazed to see how the traffic converged from one road to the other. For instance, the Daro Highway from the airport was moderate to heavy between five and six o’clock in the evening. The inner roads, Perdices, Real and Boulevard in particular were frantically heavy.
Farther south, the intersection where Robinson’s, the caterer of the first major commercialism in the “City of Gentle People” nestles was an instant (and will be a) perpetual irritant. As the flow converges from the south, from the area of Hypermart and Talay, and from two exits points from the City, no motorist could ever take the dilemma of the moment.
It was a classic taste of commercialism, the consequential reaction of embracing development more than naïveté already at hand. But of course, for the City or the province to farther enhance its growth and development, it has to buy-in commercialism being sold out in the market in the guise of development.
And development always has its idiocy and mayhem. The Metropolitan Manila is a classic example; commercialism included.
Lately, it took us more than thirty minutes to reach the city from Bacong. Before Dumaguete adapted commercialistic development, it would only take us ten to fifteen minutes to ply the same route.
As I and other motorists trudge the same paths people in the city and the province travel, the ire brought about by under-studied traffic condition is getting into one’s nerves. Urgently, city planners or officials should wander around and check for themselves the gravity of the situation.
But this is progress. Arguably though, it’s taking its toll in different tone. Moving north of growth or development is not an option; moving south of it, for some peculiar and uncontrollable reason or circumstance, is.
Under the norms or precepts of growth or development, a city without traffic lights becomes a far lesser idea. At the crossroads, it would be better if the city will venture into erecting traffic lights instead of installing traffic officers who hide in the middle of the day or under heavy rains. It’s in fact, a traffic-causing action.
What a spectacle to wander around and ply the city streets sans the hassles of congestions, both of humans and vehicles!
Onward, Dumaguete!
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
60
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
02 October 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Surely, taking a business class-seat flight from Riyadh to Manila with a scant two-hour stopover at Hong Kong was just fair enough after three years of being barred from vacation due to massive workloads and pressing project timelines and deliverables. Other than feeling peculiarly different while seated in this classy cabin, the stress associated with traveling has been completely toned down to my advantage.
And I thought it was at all comforting. Welcomed by the melancholic storm rains, the Cathay Pacific Airbus touched down at the tarmac of NAIA 2 at about 5:00 p.m. From the window of the aircraft, I can visibly see the flooded lanes where this steel aviary was taxiing, evident of the storms. When my nephew picked me up at about 6:00 p.m., I knew the perks I enjoyed in the trip have been infringed.
Driving our way out from NAIA 2 to Magallanes Inter-Change was as tactically mazy as proving the most heinous of crimes of the century – the Maguindanao Massacre, or in convicting these annihilators. While all traffic lights are technically working, the humps and bumps along the troubled thoroughfares en route to EDSA are as obvious and dubious as the turns and twists the Ampatuans and their colleagues are crafting, ultimately, to the advantage of the One.
Finding the best way out to Fairview for my overnight accommodation was as horrendous as proving the 2004 electoral fraud lodged against the former petite lady of the Palace now Pampanga Representative. While most of the roads are technically passable, the rain waters deposited in the sewers of the Metropolitan Manila are as dreadful and atmospherically horrible as the twists and turns the first family and its camp are crafting for their advantage.
Plying the historic EDSA was rather suffocating than breathtaking: the billboards donning “skins” of showbiz personalities in the guise of endorsing commercial products sans the metaphoric invites of the flesh trade, massive skyscrapers in the guise of building “homes” sans the rhetoric lures of quick-and-easy life, the metropolitan rails plying the spreads of highways in the guise of economic solution to traffic sans the allegoric invites of corruption in government contracts, and all, and all.
If at all these are the proposed solutions to social stigma at hand, then I hold no qualm against them. While it is true that unprecedented rise of commercialism has gradually eradicated authentic Filipino industry, creativity and value, it has somehow, literally and figuratively, benefited its recipients, if it would be sacrilegious to call them prey. However, I do have one to the plaguing traffic problem in the metropolis because for the same score, the situation has never improved; worse, after a brief period, it has worsen.
Sans the hullabaloos from critics, the government has imposed the “60kph” speed limit in major thoroughfares. For one, discipline has to be imposed to erring motorists; two, lives of the motorists have to be protected.
The sterling question is: For how long can the government sustain to do this?
In Saudi Arabia, CCTV cameras are installed in four areas of the traffic posts. In the absence of traffic lights, AUVs are parked along conspicuous portion of the roads or highways with CCTV cameras installed in them. These CCTVs are controlled by central monitors in the respective police stations, which are then connected to the system network that integrates all agencies of the government. Once a violation is detected, the system automatically captures and records the offense, transmits warning notice to the all concerned including but not limited to the Immigration (for the expatriates), Interiors (for the Driving License and Car registration), the motorist (via SMS) and the bank for automatic deduction from the account of the erring motorist. In the event that the motorist does not have bank account, upon renewal of National ID or Iqama, the system shall automatically retrieve the offense and thus penalize the offenders.
In contrast, speed violation in the Country is detected by a traffic officer who operates manually the speed reader. He then informs another traffic officer who shall apprehend the offender. Once this happens, a traffic violation ticket is issued and the offender has to settle with the Land Transportation Office.
What is the difference between the two systems? Saudi Arabia’s is systematic, effective and less prone to corruption. In contrast, ours is manual, less effective and absolutely a fertile ground for corruption.
And why should Saudi Arabia be any different? Is it because they have money? Is it because they have imposed National ID system?
The answers to these preceding questions are denominated to a big “NO!” Saudi Arabia made it happened because for one, its government has the political will; two, Saudi Arabia maximizes its money; and three, Saudi Arabia has maximized its existing system.
If our government can only define prudent spending or re-tame this animal deduced to“pork in a barrel” in its truest form and meaning, only then novel projects like this can be implemented, or, succeed!
Take it from the petite lady!
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
02 October 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Surely, taking a business class-seat flight from Riyadh to Manila with a scant two-hour stopover at Hong Kong was just fair enough after three years of being barred from vacation due to massive workloads and pressing project timelines and deliverables. Other than feeling peculiarly different while seated in this classy cabin, the stress associated with traveling has been completely toned down to my advantage.
And I thought it was at all comforting. Welcomed by the melancholic storm rains, the Cathay Pacific Airbus touched down at the tarmac of NAIA 2 at about 5:00 p.m. From the window of the aircraft, I can visibly see the flooded lanes where this steel aviary was taxiing, evident of the storms. When my nephew picked me up at about 6:00 p.m., I knew the perks I enjoyed in the trip have been infringed.
Driving our way out from NAIA 2 to Magallanes Inter-Change was as tactically mazy as proving the most heinous of crimes of the century – the Maguindanao Massacre, or in convicting these annihilators. While all traffic lights are technically working, the humps and bumps along the troubled thoroughfares en route to EDSA are as obvious and dubious as the turns and twists the Ampatuans and their colleagues are crafting, ultimately, to the advantage of the One.
Finding the best way out to Fairview for my overnight accommodation was as horrendous as proving the 2004 electoral fraud lodged against the former petite lady of the Palace now Pampanga Representative. While most of the roads are technically passable, the rain waters deposited in the sewers of the Metropolitan Manila are as dreadful and atmospherically horrible as the twists and turns the first family and its camp are crafting for their advantage.
Plying the historic EDSA was rather suffocating than breathtaking: the billboards donning “skins” of showbiz personalities in the guise of endorsing commercial products sans the metaphoric invites of the flesh trade, massive skyscrapers in the guise of building “homes” sans the rhetoric lures of quick-and-easy life, the metropolitan rails plying the spreads of highways in the guise of economic solution to traffic sans the allegoric invites of corruption in government contracts, and all, and all.
If at all these are the proposed solutions to social stigma at hand, then I hold no qualm against them. While it is true that unprecedented rise of commercialism has gradually eradicated authentic Filipino industry, creativity and value, it has somehow, literally and figuratively, benefited its recipients, if it would be sacrilegious to call them prey. However, I do have one to the plaguing traffic problem in the metropolis because for the same score, the situation has never improved; worse, after a brief period, it has worsen.
Sans the hullabaloos from critics, the government has imposed the “60kph” speed limit in major thoroughfares. For one, discipline has to be imposed to erring motorists; two, lives of the motorists have to be protected.
The sterling question is: For how long can the government sustain to do this?
In Saudi Arabia, CCTV cameras are installed in four areas of the traffic posts. In the absence of traffic lights, AUVs are parked along conspicuous portion of the roads or highways with CCTV cameras installed in them. These CCTVs are controlled by central monitors in the respective police stations, which are then connected to the system network that integrates all agencies of the government. Once a violation is detected, the system automatically captures and records the offense, transmits warning notice to the all concerned including but not limited to the Immigration (for the expatriates), Interiors (for the Driving License and Car registration), the motorist (via SMS) and the bank for automatic deduction from the account of the erring motorist. In the event that the motorist does not have bank account, upon renewal of National ID or Iqama, the system shall automatically retrieve the offense and thus penalize the offenders.
In contrast, speed violation in the Country is detected by a traffic officer who operates manually the speed reader. He then informs another traffic officer who shall apprehend the offender. Once this happens, a traffic violation ticket is issued and the offender has to settle with the Land Transportation Office.
What is the difference between the two systems? Saudi Arabia’s is systematic, effective and less prone to corruption. In contrast, ours is manual, less effective and absolutely a fertile ground for corruption.
And why should Saudi Arabia be any different? Is it because they have money? Is it because they have imposed National ID system?
The answers to these preceding questions are denominated to a big “NO!” Saudi Arabia made it happened because for one, its government has the political will; two, Saudi Arabia maximizes its money; and three, Saudi Arabia has maximized its existing system.
If our government can only define prudent spending or re-tame this animal deduced to“pork in a barrel” in its truest form and meaning, only then novel projects like this can be implemented, or, succeed!
Take it from the petite lady!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Discriminated!
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
24 July 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Travel has always fascinated me. Since I started travelling outside of the country in 1996, I never had done so without making sure my travel documents are ready.
Superstitions have, by certain norms and questionable bases, associated number “13” to bad luck. As I don’t believe in this and have always believed in the providence of God, travelling on the 13th of June 2011 to Jordan was just as normal and ordinary as travel during the April Fools’ Day.
On the instruction of the Management, I, along with my team member, a Jordanian, engaged on a premature seventeen-day business trip to Jordan, one of the countries I dreamed of visiting for three reasons: The Baptism Site of Jesus, the Memorial of Moses and the Dead Sea. It was premature in the sense that as planned by the team, it should have been a week later to make us ready for the activities.
The classy and gigantic Royal Jordanian Airline Airbus A310 took off from Riyadh International Airport twenty minutes past six in the humid evening and touched down the airport of Amman, the Capital City of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan two hours after. Passing through the Immigration officer, I handed my passport, my invitation letter from our subsidiary company in Jordan, certification from the headquarters of the conglomerate, and twenty Jordanian Dinars for my business visa. After examining my papers, he asked me to sit down and wait for his call.
After about ten minutes of frantically waiting, a dark non-English speaking Jordanian ushered me to a small office where I met an Arabic speaking officer. He was asking me for my return ticket. Their order was: fly back to Riyadh for travelling without visa. My heart began to pound and I started to entertain the fear that I had been trying to erase from my mind: denied and banned.
In a scant quantity of Arabic language, I managed to secure the nod of the officer to bring my Jordanian colleague in the same room where I was detained. I prayed and decided to call our Vice President in Riyadh who was himself a Jordanian. He called and negotiated for my visa. After more than two hours of detention, I was granted a one-month visa.
In our conversation wit the immigration officer, I requested my colleague to ask why my entry to Jordan was almost denied when tourists are welcome in the Kingdom. Translated, I come to know that airport visas are not allowed to Indonesians, Pakistanis, Sri-Lankans, Bangladeshis, Yemenis, Hindis (Indians), and Filipinos, among other nationalities mentioned. Specifically for us Filipinos, the reason is: terrorism.
Further the officer made mention of the popular engagement of our Muslim factionalists in the south and the world-watched August hostage taking that claimed lives of Chinese tourists.
What a way to discriminate Filipinos in this area where we used to be favored in the human capital exchange market? What exactitude of reference to this malignant social stigma that has been plaguing the country?
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We cannot blame them for placing us parallel with these nationalities. Just as we cannot blame employers in the Middle East and/or Gulf Countries for discriminating Filipinos in terms of compensation packages, workloads and social treatment when most of the overseas Filipino workers abused their positions, the privileges and the responsibilities assigned to them. But still surely, we are far different from them.
But what is it in us?
Undoubtedly, we are world class workers; we are world premier performers. Indisputably though, that favorable review about our race has gone down the drain. It was wasted when the Graham couples were kidnapped and tortured in Mindanao; when the protectors of the country attempted to dethrone a government made by people; when the friendly image of the country was stained by one false move of one officer in August last year; when a lot of Filipinos jump-shipped or toured countries and never come back.
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We have been promoting the country as a peaceful country and yet all branches of the government are in trouble with each other; one is trying to out-best the other; one is trying to superimpose over the other. Who shall believe us when our lawmakers are law breakers themselves?
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We cannot blame them to believe that we are socially well when one of our congressmen has been in drug mess in the neighboring Hong Kong state. We cannot blame them when the country is still listed in the travel bans of most countries.
And surely, we cannot blame them to enlist us in the roster of terrorists when terrorism and related activities are apparent in our home front.
For as long as we maintain the same perspective in our socio-economic and political life as a nation, we will still become victims of racism or discrimination.
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
24 July 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Travel has always fascinated me. Since I started travelling outside of the country in 1996, I never had done so without making sure my travel documents are ready.
Superstitions have, by certain norms and questionable bases, associated number “13” to bad luck. As I don’t believe in this and have always believed in the providence of God, travelling on the 13th of June 2011 to Jordan was just as normal and ordinary as travel during the April Fools’ Day.
On the instruction of the Management, I, along with my team member, a Jordanian, engaged on a premature seventeen-day business trip to Jordan, one of the countries I dreamed of visiting for three reasons: The Baptism Site of Jesus, the Memorial of Moses and the Dead Sea. It was premature in the sense that as planned by the team, it should have been a week later to make us ready for the activities.
The classy and gigantic Royal Jordanian Airline Airbus A310 took off from Riyadh International Airport twenty minutes past six in the humid evening and touched down the airport of Amman, the Capital City of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan two hours after. Passing through the Immigration officer, I handed my passport, my invitation letter from our subsidiary company in Jordan, certification from the headquarters of the conglomerate, and twenty Jordanian Dinars for my business visa. After examining my papers, he asked me to sit down and wait for his call.
After about ten minutes of frantically waiting, a dark non-English speaking Jordanian ushered me to a small office where I met an Arabic speaking officer. He was asking me for my return ticket. Their order was: fly back to Riyadh for travelling without visa. My heart began to pound and I started to entertain the fear that I had been trying to erase from my mind: denied and banned.
In a scant quantity of Arabic language, I managed to secure the nod of the officer to bring my Jordanian colleague in the same room where I was detained. I prayed and decided to call our Vice President in Riyadh who was himself a Jordanian. He called and negotiated for my visa. After more than two hours of detention, I was granted a one-month visa.
In our conversation wit the immigration officer, I requested my colleague to ask why my entry to Jordan was almost denied when tourists are welcome in the Kingdom. Translated, I come to know that airport visas are not allowed to Indonesians, Pakistanis, Sri-Lankans, Bangladeshis, Yemenis, Hindis (Indians), and Filipinos, among other nationalities mentioned. Specifically for us Filipinos, the reason is: terrorism.
Further the officer made mention of the popular engagement of our Muslim factionalists in the south and the world-watched August hostage taking that claimed lives of Chinese tourists.
What a way to discriminate Filipinos in this area where we used to be favored in the human capital exchange market? What exactitude of reference to this malignant social stigma that has been plaguing the country?
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We cannot blame them for placing us parallel with these nationalities. Just as we cannot blame employers in the Middle East and/or Gulf Countries for discriminating Filipinos in terms of compensation packages, workloads and social treatment when most of the overseas Filipino workers abused their positions, the privileges and the responsibilities assigned to them. But still surely, we are far different from them.
But what is it in us?
Undoubtedly, we are world class workers; we are world premier performers. Indisputably though, that favorable review about our race has gone down the drain. It was wasted when the Graham couples were kidnapped and tortured in Mindanao; when the protectors of the country attempted to dethrone a government made by people; when the friendly image of the country was stained by one false move of one officer in August last year; when a lot of Filipinos jump-shipped or toured countries and never come back.
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We have been promoting the country as a peaceful country and yet all branches of the government are in trouble with each other; one is trying to out-best the other; one is trying to superimpose over the other. Who shall believe us when our lawmakers are law breakers themselves?
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We cannot blame them to believe that we are socially well when one of our congressmen has been in drug mess in the neighboring Hong Kong state. We cannot blame them when the country is still listed in the travel bans of most countries.
And surely, we cannot blame them to enlist us in the roster of terrorists when terrorism and related activities are apparent in our home front.
For as long as we maintain the same perspective in our socio-economic and political life as a nation, we will still become victims of racism or discrimination.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
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!
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!
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