Rewriting Vitruvius

By Rolo B. Cena

Random

Dumagutete Star Informer

August 7, 2016

When the Vitruvian Man was drawn, great Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci never had met nor talked to the famous Architect Vitruvius for the project. Da Vinci simply based his drawings on the notes of the Architect.  The drawing, which later was hailed to be a classic masterpiece, depicts a man in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and inscribed in a circle and square.  Sketched in a piece of paper, the drawing actually purports to display the proportions of man.

33-year old Australian Nicholas James “Nick” Vujicic, was born with phocomelia, a rare disease characterized by the absence of limbs.  His is mainly torso with a small foot on his left hip that he uses not only for daily tasks but also for occasional round of golf, football and skateboarding.  When he was a young boy as Nick revealed, he was bullied from age 6 to 12 that at the age of 13 he suffered depression.  Today, Nick is considered as one of the most sought-after motivational speakers conveying his modern-day moving masterpieces before a multitude of people, young and old, able or disabled.

Michael “Mike” Siaron was a 29-year old tricycle driver and was a suspected peddler.  He was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in July 6, 2016 along the streets of Taft & EDSA.  His cadaver, which was left in the street covered with a provocatively inscribed cardboard only President Duterte can rationalize through his “kill list,” was cuddled by his live-in partner Jennilyn, that only Michelangelo can understand and sculpt.  Thereafter, Mike gained international media mileage for being the first grassroots killed out of the kill list whose story was sensationalized by international media and social networking sites.  Jennilyn on the other hand made her social networking debut when the cuddling of the invisible man now made visible captured the lenses of photojournalists who splattered the story in best celestial canvass.

The classic Vitruvian Man, or better known as the “proportions of man,” which is the very essence of the master-piece drawing of Leonardo da Vinci, parleys not only how the Supreme Being created physical human bodies using the science of proportions; it also implies the social and economic proportions of man in relation to its habitat.

Nick is limbless but active.  Surely, kids of today’s genre would always exchange a tête-à-tête with colleagues to chatter about his peculiar exposition.  Notwithstanding its bizarre portrait appears the most desirable proportion of talent to deliver inspiring messages, the exceptional wit to create twists and turns to inspire and the stupendous confidence to face a crowd and merely open his mouth to motivate.  Along with that grotesque body is the blissful provision of a wife who is superlatively understanding and loving.

Mike is able but sickly.  Arguably, his minute structure invites predators to bully the prey that he was.  Physically complete and sane, he was peddling for a living – that is, using the locally made “trisikad” ferrying passengers from corner to corner in the metropolis for a meager ten peso-ride.  Despite the odd proposition, he managed to rent a shack with his partner, a tiny storeroom along a garbage-strewn creek rented for P500 per month.  Notwithstanding the incongruence comes another heavenly endowment of a woman as understanding and loving as she could be until that fateful day.

There are always proportions in asymmetry that only the likes of Vitruvius, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Nick and Mike understand and believe; proportions that speak about rejuvenating art, reassuring wisdom, and unifying order:  For one, art is seeing the invisible, the invisible that is articulated in abstracts, weirdest of melody, harshest of verses and offensive of dialogues that only those with the vision can see, feel and understand.  Two, the intellect, no matter how rich it can be, is always as reassuring as knowing that the sun rises after each night falls.  Three, all instructions are always geared towards simplifying and putting things in proper perspective.

And Vitruvius, through the creative imagination of Da Vinci captured the proportions and symmetries of humankind despite the obvious of all odds and oddities.   Beyond the bestowed physical proportions of man is the incongruent of intellect, the bizarre of emotions, and the shortsighted of vision:  Incongruence because man, being the supreme of all creation endowed with superego still continues to indulge; bizarre because he continues to introduce the most uncanny of human activities that destroys; and shortsighted because he ignores evil doings and forgoes the vision of a perfect and rationalized being.

There is harmony in asymmetry that only a visionary can see.  Sadly though, these creatures are becoming extinct.  If only Vitruvius detailed alternative notes, perhaps Da Vinci could have sketched a different proportions of man where there are no poorest of poor and weakest of preys.

Imagine!

Grassroots

By Rolo B. Cena

Random

Dumaguete Star Informer

July 31, 2016

Touching base with the grassroots has always been an effective channel to find talents:  Talents whose credence in their fields may and would later become highlights or pride of the country.

“Tayada sa Plaza” was once again launched in July 24, 2016 at the grounds of Dumaguete’s Quezon Park.  Running for years now since Mayor-Elect Remollo initiated the program 13 years ago, the initiative intends to showcase the grassroots talents from different schools of Dumaguete City, including out-of-school youths.

Grassroots have always been there as the source, or more than that, as the inspiration.  Take the case of self-made grassroots talents like Miss Lea Salonga, whose humble beginnings dates back to her singing ventures at the age of seven.  Local stage shows and talents searches paved the way for her.

In 1989 when Cameroon Mackintosh, the producer of Miss Saigon launched its search for talents in the Main Theater Lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, chose Lea Salonga to portray the role of “Kim,” the former never knew his production would make the latter a big name in West End theaters and later in Broadway, a high-end brand of theater talent and a by-word in theaters and films in and out of London, New York, Manila and other parts of the globe.

Flipping the other side of the coin, touching base with the grassroots may not be as good as what it does to finding would-be arts icons.  Take the case of the present administration that uses the grassroots in creating the “kill list” of drug lords, peddlers and users.  It may actually have benefited the administration for now for it is able to produce the list that becomes the basis for their all-out war against drugs.  Contrariwise, the glitch is that these people may be feeding erroneous or malicious information to whoever is in-charge of collating these names; worse, these grassroots are also giving grassroots.

Rationally, if the exercise produces the list of those politicians, businessmen, and personalities who are believed to be nvolved, then I would salute to the move.  As of even date, we still hear people say that there are those who are still freely doing that, although the onus of proof is on these people claiming to know them.  However, validation must be the key here.

Tweaking it more!

In June 2016, when President-Elect Rodrigo R. Duterte waged war against drugs, he knew he would make his war a big initiative in the political arena of the country, a brand of political will and a by-word in the drug-torn streets of cities, towns and municipalities where they circulate the prohibited drugs.

The Catholic Church has a different view of the action, though.  At present, they are staging nation-wide protest through the regular masses as a way of expressing their own defiance to the move.  Understandably, they oppose killing, as that is not how God plan to discipline his believers, so to speak.  But somewhere along the thin, red line, realization must dawn upon all of us now because the menace is no longer an archipelagic problem; it has become a global.  And somewhere along the line, the separation of the Church and the State must be fully understood, if not underscored or observed.

We have to bite the bullet!

Albert Einstein, the famous Physicist-Scientist of all generations once suggested that if he’d solve a problem in one hour, he would spend 55 minutes defining the problem and 5 minutes solving the problem.

Make sense, right?  Defining the problem must be the first thing to do:  scrutinizing the problem, identifying the root cause, dissecting sub-causes, analyzing cause and effect, plotting alternative courses of actions, and finally, implementing the best alternative course of action to solve the problem.

Unless this suggestion from the world’s famous and most admired scientist does not make sense, then the President can proceed amidst allegations that he and his team is actually not hitting the cherry bull’s eye.  After all, the number of big names identified and announced is inversely proportional with the number of grassroots already killed.  What a way to underscore the grassroots in the war known as drugs navigated by the country’s famed and powerful!

When Lea Salonga was listed in the cast of “Miss Saigon,” Mackintosh never knew she’d become a star.  After the first run of the play in the West End, Mackintosh realized he started to make the name Lea Salonga bigger than any celestial object in the universe.  She was a grassroots. 

In contrast, when fellow grassroots listed Michael Siaron as a drug peddler in the “kill list,” they never knew he’d stole the sixty-second spotlight and a page in several morning dailies. After Michael was shot and killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen near Pasay Rotonda on EDSA in July 6, 2016, the public realized that the salvaging gained ire and sympathy.   Surely, the public and his fellow grassroots realized that the puny suspect shouldered the consequence of the game maneuvered by the rich and mighty.  He, too, was a grassroots.

Or, you might have a better way, let him know!

Twisted Thoughts

By Rolo B. Cena

Random

Dumaguete Star Informer

17 July 2016

The UN-backed Permanent Court on Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China has no historic title over South China Sea and that it violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines with its actions in the strategic waterway.  Conversely, it ruled in favor of the Philippine’s claim over the group of islands.

Beginner’s luck!

Nope, credit of course goes to the preceding administration for formally filing our claim in 2013.

Before his assumption, President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte accused Senator Trillanes of undermining the country’s claim over Spratlys to China.  In an article published in one of the national dailies, the President lambasted the outgoing senator by accusing the latter of making series of trips to China meeting several Chinese dignitaries reportedly for the Spratlys negotiation.  The allegation in fact states that the Senator in his favor made the negotiation with the green light from his immediate head.

Twisted?

My two cents in:  Assuming for the sake of argument that the claim was true, what a twisted moral values the legislator could have.  It is not surprising to learn the behavior though knowing that it was him who led the military staff-off in a posh Makati District in defiance to the authority of the astute Lady President now detained Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo.  Again, if it were true, it would be a total disregard of the mandate given to him by the voting populace and disrespect to the peace-loving persona of the Filipino people in and out of the archipelagic Philippines.

Twister!

The defiance made by China on the Ruling promulgated by the United Nations may come in too heavy a cyclone for the new President and for all the Filipinos.  For one, China has been a long-time economic partner of the country.  Starting with the Barter Trade during the pre-Spanish or Pre-War era, the commerce and trade between our neighbors has actually proliferated and has been contributing to the national economic growth of the Country.  Two, the cultural support given to us by its government and the strong influence evidenced by its presence in the consumeristic lives of the Filipinos are felt and seen every where.  Three, there is no denying the fact that no matter what has happened since the Luneta hostage taking in 2010, thousands of Filipinos are still engaged by China’s select household names for overseas employment.

Twist!

The Ruling promulgated by the United Nations over the dispute does not end the melo-dramatic episode that has been taking the spotlight since 2013 in the prime time slots.  The promulgation is just the beginning of a very compelling plot of hate-love-friend- enemy twist of the story.  For one, with the kind of behavior Chinese government has shown and continues to show to the world that she is a supreme being of sort, expect a trending behavior of power and retaliation.  More than that, we can expect another kind of bullying in the coming days.  Two, the military buildup and activities China has undertaken is an apparent indication, and if I may opine, a proactive and tactical move of getting ready for another tranche.  Three, the structures built in the West Philippine Sea is a seeming disregard and disrespect of our existence as a noble race coming from a sovereign nation, that by historical and legal fiction, owns the disputed lands.

The challenge now is how can an International Court execute its decision or order without resorting to a more abrasive effort given the defying stance China exhibits today with the end in mind of maintaining peace and order in the Southeast Asian region; how can it sustain its ground knowing for a fact that one race has twisted the story that consequently twisted set of values that propelled a twisted claim for a property.

The decision of the supreme Tribunal is one thing.  Making it run in two completely different cultural grounds is another story.  Relatively, it will be a tough balancing act for President Duterte and his Cabinet to execute the ruling.    

While we have the backing through its Ruling by the United Nations, support from Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan, the fact still remains that China has been defying orders and has at present defied, or junked, for a better term, the decision of the supreme Tribunal.  The behavior suggests that they can and will continue to bully another race, creed or culture, much more, an Authority that all States of the World respect and decision uphold, just to stand by their claim of ownership over a territory they had no ownership of, to begin with.

Let’s see how can major players – the Philippines, China and the United Nations correct some twisted thoughts and make the law run for the countries.  Truly, we cannot expect something good out of twisted thoughts especially when these thoughts are the consequent results of using twisted values that run the conscious minds of the Leaders.

It is in fact happening right now, right here.  Good luck, Philippines!

Silence of the Lamb

By Rolo B. Cena

Hushed Poppies

Dumaguete Star Informer

10 November 2013

           

Manila, Phils – Controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles has finally taken the center stage of the star-studded Plenary Hall of the House of the Senate.  Kudos to her social networking cousin turned irate fan for spilling one of the beans accidentally taken out of the bullet-proof crypt of the Old, the Sexy and the Handsome, et al.  And by et al we mean the couple and their entourage who got fertilized by the controversial woman of substance, the commissioners and administrators, the congressmen and the senators both of the old and the new reign.

Her presence in the inquiry could have been her chance to narrate her own version of the hullabaloos.  Expectedly though, she refused to flip the other side of the coin.  For one, she did not answer what does her trading firm carry; two, she unwittingly, or maybe calculatedly, invoked her fundamental right against self-incrimination and; three, she oftentimes replied “hindi ko po alam” to questions.

The other side of the coin could have been interesting in the sense that one hundred million Filipino people plus the entire world have waited for this final moment to see and hear Janet Lim Napoles deliver her discourses after months of inconsistent and incoherent media releases in a more fitting and legitimate venue; intriguing in the sense that the constituents of these politicians could now see and hear how their leaders would murmur their organic pieces or sing their political nuisances, and; compelling in the sense that this melo-dama has been trending and topping ratings in the domestic households.

Wise or otherwise, it would have been a rare opportunity for all parties involved!     

It would have been commercially engaging if she answered the questions thrown at her during the six or seven hours of intense hearing sans planned twists and turns.  For one, in aid of legislation, the Senate may be able to extract resolutions towards process improvements; two, straight from the horse’s mouth, she could have provided names who really are behind the scam, or; three, negate what her cousin-turned-whistleblower Benhur alleged.

Arguably though, the alleged conspiracy that even an ordinary sidewalk vendor can comprehend was becoming observable.  Needless to say, her assaulting evasiveness reinforced the belief of legislators and the one-hundred million Filipinos that she is indeed the mastermind of the scam.  In addition to this anatomy, the seemingly apparent manipulative competence of the members of the chambers involved has momentarily become exceptional in the sense that this anomaly lasted for a decade encompassing at least two opposing administrative powers. 

Her silence is extremely deafening.  Its depth is immeasurable, its height unequalled.  It is the same silence that brings about unexpressed confession and revelation; silence that sporadically chides wisdom; silence that consistently cheats truth. 

Benhur’s memory may have served him right in his recollection:  Napoles plus Enrile plus Estrada plus Revilla plus Others equals ten.   But what happened to the “others” that formed part of the algebraic expression revealed by the Department of Justice?  Why haven’t they become the staple of the national dailies, local tabloids, broadcasts, internet, barber shops and coffee shops?  Where have these nobles gone?  

Absolutely, it was a tough balancing act for her facing these feisty senators while invoking her fundamental right against self-incrimination vis-à-vis protecting those who have parted the Red Sea for her P10-billlion glory.  Napoles has to strike the balance, somewhere, right now, whether she likes it or not.  She needs to appear innocent even if innocence translates to eternal damnation; to be ignorant even if ignorance is beyond her neurotic comprehension; and more so, to deliver silence, even if silence means sacrifice.

For the love of TEN BILLION PESOS or half of it, choose silence of the sacrificial lamb and let it be!  After all, they all have the same fur with the lamb used to save the masters of the game!