Oplan Balikbayan

Hinintay... dumating.
"Eto na."

Agawan, unahan.
"Ako na! Ako na!"

Sabik, nagmadali.
"Pusila! Pusila!"

"Op!" ... Katahimikan...
"Ya" ... "Bang!!!"

Ayos na! Patay na!

Tita Cory: A hero, a saint

Cory was a hero. She was confronted with choices to do right and she chose to do them, not because of convenience, or vengeance, or power, but simply because they were right. She saw the depths by which power could be abused and yet she wielded it with humility and sincerity even while she was accused of reluctance. Beyond the presidency, she led more through the shining example of her own life. She needed no position in government – she happily and peacefully handed over power to a freely elected successor -- and yet she continued to exert “power and influence” mainly because she was looked up to and was respected by the people for her convictions, for her sincerity, for her abiding faith in the goodness of the Filipino.

More than being a hero, however, she was also a saint. Saints can do wrong, too, and are definitely not faultless but their lives always exemplify, in almost dramatic ways, the triumph of good against evil. Cory showed us that we are actually all called for holiness and that we can all be saints. Almost all through her life, she led a life of holiness, of sacrifices for the good of the many even at her and her own family’s expense. She walked with us, suffered with us, experienced our own pains and strived to show us how to rise above suffering if not to completely vanquish it -- all through the path of holiness, of deep and unwavering faith in God and of complete obedience to the Holy Mother Church. And for which she was rightly called the Joan of Arc of the Philippines. With her, we collectively realized we are all capable of making miracles – we witnessed the miracle of Edsa and with her death, we are now witnessing the unfolding of another miracle – the miracle of being united once more.

In light of past and especially recent events in our country, political as well as religious, we definitely need someone whose life exemplifies the kind of life that Cory lived. Present in our times, right in our midst, among sinners that make us all. We definitely need someone whose life-example can help us turn our ways from darkness to light, from sinfulness to holiness, from defeat to glory, from death to life.

I humbly submit therefore that moves to officially make Cory a national hero commence. More than that, I humbly submit that moves to request the Church to study the possible beatification of Cory be made, too.

Lessons along the road (aka, Roadside photography)

I took my kids on a ride around the metro the past couple of days. Our mission: to document anything that captures our attention by taking photos of the same. We focused our sights on anything that we see along the roads of Manila. Our main objective: to capture a historical moment and store it in a flashdrive for a possible learning experience or for future reference.

It became one memorable lesson in photography. It turned out as a review of the socio-political situation of the country. It became a chance to learn more about ... Life.

We had lots of fun. We had great bonding time. We found a lot of lessons, a lot of life, a lot of ourselves, just along the road.

Herewith are a few of the photos we took:

Smoke belching

Stairways to dreamland

Chickening out

Lipat bahay

Sniff the cokeFlags, plates, signages and trapos

Baiting the red light

Putooo!

Six scandals; Six videos, anyone?

Yes, it’s a pun and definitely not Bisaya-ish (and I hope the Bisayas wouldn’t mind). For the past days, we’ve been bombarded with – what else -- scandals. And videos. Of the sexual kind, of the celebrity kind. Of the really dirty kind. You all know what these scandals are and you all have found yourselves -- ano pa nga ba – scandalized.

Hereunder are six of these scandals:

6. Whatchayoucallit? Video-by-Hayden-Cam-of-Hurricane-Katrina-in-Action-Exposed? GMA network calls it the Hayden Cam Scandal; entries in Youtube call it the Hayden Kho-Katrina Halili Sex Video Scandal; some call it the Hayden Kho Sex Video Series; still others call it the Hayden Kho Sex Video Diary. What can one say? It’s the current talk of the nation, from the night owls of the metropolis to the crickets of the boondocks. The Senate, with actor Ramon “Bong” Revilla at the lead cast, is “acting” on it; The Department Store of Justice, with the flamboyant Raul Gonzales at the helm, is onto what they do best – explore and utilize injustice; the NBI, the PRC, women’s groups like Gabriela, even Malacanang, are on it, too. On top of that, the media networks and share-ware media in the cyberspace, blogs included, are on it like vultures circling over a corpse. And now, this blog … Ouch.

Who hasn’t seen the video/s? DVD copies are enjoying brisk sales with our politicians no less as the first takers. Senator Revilla says he’d seen three videos among what he claims he knows to be more than forty. Even Press Secretary Cerge Remonde has flaunted that he and his staff have seen the video and were even entertained – repeat: ENTERTAINED -- by it. Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III proclaimed he watched it for “educational reasons” (Anyone knows the educational background of Sec. Bello?). The Optical and Media Board has called on the people to stop patronizing the pirates and to refrain from buying the video and threatened to arrest and hail to court those who would. Will they start with Senator Revilla, Remonde and Bello? Meanwhile, congressmen are said to secretly envy Hayden Kho for the latter's sexual exploits. And the nation awaits with bated breath the next installments in the video series – those of Vicky Belo and who knows who else (it may be someone you very well know). Get ready to be shocked, and if you aren’t numb yet, to be really scandalized to the bones.

5. H1N1 virus, also known as Swine flu, reaching the Philippine shores as silently as Silent Night. The day after its arrival was announced, the news appeared only at the left ear of the country’s leading daily, meriting a very short report. Why? Well, because everyone was sooo stuck with the Belo-Boy-Toy-with-the-Hayden-Cam issue which not surprisingly drowned other issues of national concern and monopolized the headlines for several days.

4. Former President Joseph “Erap” “Estrada” Ejercito insists that he can run for president again. Brandishing a study made by his team of legal perverts – one is actually tempted to say they are the legal equivalents of one Hayden Kho – the actor-turned-president-turned-convicted-plunderer and later on pardoned by the Philippine’s most unpopular and allegedly most corrupt president proclaims himself a presidentiable for 2010.

3. A Navy Lieutenant exposes military officials of pocketing millions in RP-US Balikatan exercises and gets sued and hunted in return. Navy Lt. Nancy Gadian, accused retired Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, chief of Western Mindanao Command, of pocketing over P40 M in funds intended for RP-US Balikatan exercises in 2007 and soon finds herself sued for insubordination and lavish spending in the ESB. She receives death threats and is now in hiding.

2. Former Senate President and current presidentiable Manny Villar being investigated no less than by his peers in the Senate for the P200-million insertion in 2008 budget. Villar and his apologists claim that the insertion was scrutinized and approved by the Senate in the plenary. It was approved in the Bicameral Conference, too. Finally, the Bicam report was sent back to the Senate and was signed by most of the senators, the other presidentiables including, and was thereby approved and ratified. Now, the other presidentiables, in an obvious effort to bamboozle Villar’s chances at the presidency, are complaining it is illegal.

1. Our own mortal tendency towards scandals. Why are we naturally so inclined towards news about human folly? Why are we naturally so inclined towards scandals, especially of the sexual kind? Humans that we are, that fact still is most of the times, just scandalous.

Now, as mentioned, we’ve been seeing videos that have scandalized us lately. But why scan cyberspace for vandals, for those who cause scandals? Scandals are best left on their own and their perpetrators to suffer for their own misdeeds. Why not promote ordinary things done extraordinarily, simple accomplishments achieved heroically, some larger-than-life achievements? Why not some videos that uplift our collective spirit, our nationalistic spirit for that matter? Why not some videos that inspire, that make us wanting to do good, that awaken our virtues and heroic tendencies? There are a lot to be sure. And so I dare ask:

Anyone?

Bonsais for sale

I am disposing some of my bonsais. Check here and let me know of your interest. Drop me an email at balangaw98@yahoo.com.

Statement of Solidarity for Mother Earth

On the occasion of the coming International Earth Day, I am reprinting herewith a Statement of Solidarity I penned for Balangaw, the official publication of Responsible Stewards of the Earth, Inc. RSE, Inc. was an environmental group I co-founded way back in 1997 in Bicol. It pursued the mission of being true to its name: to spread the gospel of true and responsible stewardship of the earth. The organization was, however, very unfortunately infiltrated by traditional politicians. We decided to fold tent because of that (a sad story and a very sad experience but a very good eye-opener for me, especially on how this cursed species called traditional politicians devilishly boombazzle almost every well-meaning project that manages to break ground in this part of the globe).

The facts mentioned in the Statement were based on data available in 1997. They may most probably be worse today as evidenced by the fact that we find the earth today no better, in fact objectively worse, than in 1997. The call, however, remains and indeed becomes more pressing by the day:

Unite to save our mother earth!

Statement of Solidarity

International Earth Day

April 22

“And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it.”

- Genesis 2:15

With the advent of the industrial, scientific, cultural and technological revolutions, the cravings of man for a more sophisticated and luxurious life has become so intense that he soon forgets his responsibilities, and the need to maintain a balance between his desires and his resources, as well as the effects of his mundane explorations. Amid the gigantic tumult of a changing environment, amid the bedlam and furor of voices, amid the thundering throes and agony of the oppressed and the victims of poverty, man is undoubtedly digging his own grave, as he continuously permits the ruts and quagmires of an ecological imbalance, the irresponsible stewardship of the natural resources, and the improper utilization of the wealth and wonders of a vast world.

To date, deforestation alone is occurring in a massive scale, happening largely among the 3,000 mile-wide belt of tropical forest which stretches around the world. No amount of reforestation to date, can keep up deforestation. It is proceeding at a calculated rate of 50 acres per minute – over 72,000 acres every day – more than 25 million acres every year! It is estimated that by the year 2,000, the world will be consuming an estimated 300 million cubic meters of hardwood. Only one third of the existing forest will be left.

In the Philippines, much closer to our homes, out the original 30 million hectares of trees, only 900,000 hectares of virgin dipterocarp forest remain. At the present rate of cutting, this could disappear within 7 to 12 years.

Lately, the government’s attempts to lift the ban on export of lumber in compliance with the demands and pressure of the IMF only emphasized the zero commitment of the administration to environmental protection and further displayed how the government plays the role of an accomplice to the rape of our forests and to the murder of our nation. FAO records show that over the last 25 years, we sold over 101.6 million cubic meters of prime logs abroad, subsidizing developed countries with cheap timber.

Other environmental concerns in our country are equally alarming. 17% of over 5 million hectares of arable land has been badly degraded. Over 70% of our coral reefs are ravaged, mostly through blastfishing, poison and sedimentation. Between 1920 and 1988, Philippine mangroves, one of the most productive and biologically diverse wetlands, were stripped by over 462,000 hectares. Only 38,000 hectares remain today, leaving our coastal zones ecologically brittle. Half of our endemic forest flora, with irreplaceable genetic building blocks, is now gone, with the actual figure probably higher. The same is true of our wildlife.

The call, the challenge, indeed the demand, is very clear: the consolidation of man’s efforts and potentials to counteract the rising tide of the present ecological maladies in order to save the world, humankind, and to prepare ourselves for the years to come.

We, therefore, heeding the call of the Almighty Creator to become His responsible stewards of the earth, and through our demonstrated efforts and dedication, do solemnly pledge to:

1. Encourage every individual who believes in the Almighty Creator to live – in thoughts, in words and in deeds – as responsible stewards of the earth;
2. Help preserve nature by personally initiating and actively participating in environmental protection and development activities;
3. Contribute our share in saving wildlife, wildlands and the natural environment, whether in our homes and front yards or at the national level;
4. Be ever vigilant never to give up the future well-being of our children and of the generations-to-come for destructive technological and scientific practices today that are marginal at best and ephemeral at worst;
5. Never to allow a species’ extinction or decimation as a result of greed, ignorance, political ambitions, or just poor judgment.

Signed:

Kiko Gacias; Bishop Jesus Y. Varela, DD
Roni Gile; Msgr. Francisco P. Monje
Melchor Baliatan
Dines Gile; Plus: Hundreds of other signatories

Chili: The Bicolano Aphrodisiac?

The rains were torrentious, the winds howling wild. The local radio station had announced just a few hours ago typhoon signal number three in the whole of Bicol region. The roof of the small house was leaking, ready to be blown by the winds. The household furnitures were now all wet, the posts about to surrender to the strength of the maelstrom pounding on their very foundation. Each howl produced by the angry wind battering the different parts of the house very clearly stressed the warning that the house would crumble in any moment.

Suddenly, the man of the household came out clutching several large sticks in his hands. He ran towards his backyard garden, unmindful of everything, braving threats and dangers unto himself. He reached a small plant and quickly removed the fallen branches that were now threatening to crush it. He planted the sticks around the plant. He glanced at his house and watched as it slowly crumbled to the ground. He smiled. His favorite plant, his most important possession in life, was safe.

His chili was alive.

The aforementioned story is a classic Bicolano tale narrating the Bicolano’s preference for his chili over all his other possessions. Bicol has been notorious, since time immemorial, for hosting the strongest typhoons known to man and the tale of the Bicolano securing first and foremost his chili plant from the storm’s anger has been legendary. It has become a cliché. The Bicolano would prioritize the safety of his chili plant before his house, before his other possessions, or even before himself.

Such is his love for his chili. Greater love no man has than this Bicolano who braves threats of death for his favorite plant: the chili.

Common Names of Chili

While the Bicolano refers to chili only as lada, pasitis, or rimorimo, chili has been known in the Philippines under different names. For most dialects in the Philippines, it is simply referred to as sili. Other common names include but are not limited to:

Tagalog: Siling labuyo; Pasitis; Pasiti; Siling bundok; Siling palay
Bisaya: Katumbal; Kitikot; Siling kolikot
Ilokano: Silit diyablo
Ifugao: Paktin
English: Bird pepper; Bird’s eye chili; African chilies; Cayenne; Chili pepper; Red pepper; Chili; Spanish pepper
Spanish: Chile picante

The Chili Plant

The chili or sili plant is erect, branched, half-woody, and 0.8 to 1.5 meters in height. The leaves are oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3 to 10 centimeters long, and pointed at the tip. The flowers are solitary or occur several in each axil, and are stalked, pale green or yellowish-green, and 8 to 9 millimeters in diameter. The fruit is commonly red when ripe, oblong-lanceolate, and 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long. The seeds are numerous and discoid.

History of Chili

It is widely and commonly held that chilies originated in Mexico and were already being cultivated there as early as 3,500 BC. In the early 1500’s AD, the Spaniards and the Portuguese took them to India and Southeast Asia where, largely owing to the tropical climate in these places, these plants flourished. The early colonizers, ironically in search of spices, found that it was easy to take with them dried seeds of chili in their travels and that chilies thrived in hot climates. They grew at a wide range of altitudes, with rainfall between 600-1250 mm. Thus, the chili was rapidly adapted in many parts of India, Indonesia, Philippines and other tropical Asian countries. The locals then easily took to the spice and soon, their national cuisines were heavily influenced by the “heat” generated by the fruit.

How to measure the “hotness” of chili

Chilies contain capsaicin which irritates the skin in your mouth and throat. Capsaicin has no smell or flavor but it is what provides the “heat quotient” for the specific chili. It is primarily located in the pith that connects the seeds to the pod, not in the seeds itself as is frequently mentioned. The “hotness” of a chili is measured in Scoville units (typically used in the west) which, simply put, is a scale that dilutes capsaicin in sugared water until the “heat” can no longer be detected. The longer it takes to dilute the heat, the higher the score. To give you a range, sweet bell peppers are rated zero while the Habanero, at some time considered as the world’s hottest pepper, is rated at 100,000-300,000 Scoville units.

Classifications of Chili

Chili or Sili belongs to the genus Capsicum of which there are at least four known major species. These are:

1. Capsicum frustescens
2. Capsicum annuum
3. Capsicum fastigiatum
4. Capsicum minimum

The Bikolano lada or pasitis has been commonly referred to in Tagalog as siling labuyo. This, as Bicolano chili connoisseurs would attest, is both wrong and correct. It is wrong in the sense that the Bicolano lada or pasitis is adjudged as hotter than the Tagalog siling labuyo; and it is correct in the sense that the Bicolano lada or pasitis and the Tagalog siling labuyo both have almost the same appearance.

To elaborate, it is important to note that currently, there are two different varieties of siling labuyo available in the Philippine market. The most popular and the one most easily available has bright red color, and is pointed and longer. This is, as far as Bicol chili connoisseurs are concerned, actually an imposter whose seeds have come down from Taiwan or elsewhere in the past 15 years or so. Because they are so easy to cultivate, and so nice to look at, they have fastly taken over the older, more “real” siling labuyo. Identified with the scientific name Capsicum frustescens, they are currently the favorite of traders and merchants because they have a longer shelf life, almost triple than the “real” siling labuyo’s. While the siling labuyo would only keep fresh for a couple of days before going totally wrinkled, Taiwan chili would still look fresh even after three weeks. But this variety generally has less heat than the “real” one. At right is a photo of said Taiwan chili.

The chilis at the left are the basic siling labuyo also known as siling bilog. They come in varying stages of ripeness from green to red and sometimes white or yellow. Their heat quotient varies from time to time and from area to area. This definitely is hotter than the Taiwan chili. The green ones are often too painful although said pain is ironically said to be addictive, thus the need to add more and more chili once you get the bug.

For many years, people assumed that siling labuyo was of the Capsicum frustescens species or a relative of the famous Tabasco chili. However, recently, other experts seem to agree it is a member of the hotter variety of Capsicum annuum species, probably of the grossum variety.

The Bicolano lada or pasitis looks almost like the siling labuyo although with a slight difference. It is smaller in size, has smaller leaves and has tougher skin. Its fruit does not turn yellow but brown prior to getting fully ripe and becoming bright red. But one thing is certain: perhaps owing to the quality of soil in the region, the Bicolano lada or pasitis is definitely much hotter than the basic siling labuyo.

Many years back, our own siling labuyo apparently made it into the Guiness Book of World Records as the hottest chili in the world. It’s no longer so. At about 80,000 to 100,000 Scoville units, siling labuyo is at the lower end of the range for the Naga Jolokia or Bhut Jolokia, now considered as the hottest chili in the world. Today, second to the Naga Jolokia or Bhut Jolokia is the Dorset Naga and Red Savina Habanero ranks third. Red Savina Habanero was formerly crowned as the hottest chili in 1994 and it held that record until it was dethroned by Naga Jolokia or Bhut Jolokia in September 2006. Taiwan chili which many Filipinos now also erroneously refer to as siling labuyo, ranks seventh. The rank of original siling labuyo, much less of the Bicolano lada or pasitis is yet unknown.

The importance and uses of chili

For the Bicolano, the chili is indispensable both on his table and in his medicine cabinet. For him, there are at least two functions of chili – nutritional and folkloric.

1. Nutritional uses:

1. The fruit has a very sharp taste and is extensively used as a popular condiment. It is mixed with or made into pickles and is a principal ingredient in Bicolano dishes.
2. The leaves are very extensively used as vegetable. They have a very pleasant, somewhat piquant flavor. They are an excellent source of calcium, iron, phosphorous and vitamins A and B. It contains an active ingredient, capsaicin, 0.14 per cent; and capsaicin, 0.15 - 0.5 per cent; starch, 0.89 - 1.4 percent; pentosans, 8.57 percent; and pectin; 2.33 percent.

2. Folkloric and medicinal uses:

When eaten fresh, chili is an excellent promoter of ligaments. The bruised berries are employed as powerful rubefacients, being preferred to sinapisms in sore throats. They are also given, with the best results, as a gargle. Chili vinegar (made by pouring hot vinegar upon the fruit) is an excellent stomachic. Chilies are employed, in combination with cinchona, in intermittent and lethargic affections, and also in atonic gout, dyspepsia accompanied with flatulence, tympanitis, and paralysis.

Warm fomentation of both leaves and fruit is applied for rheumatic pains. The leaves of some varieties are used as a dressing for wounds and sores. A strong infusion of the fruit of the hotter kinds is applied as a lotion for ringworm of the scalp.

Chilies are used in native practice in typhus intermittent fevers and dropsy; also in gout, dyspepsia, and cholera. Externally, they are used as a rubefacient and internally, as a stomachic.

For arthritis and rheumatism, crush fruit, mix with oil and apply on affected part. For dyspepsia and flatulence, eat the fruit as condiment or drink an infusion as a stimulant and antispasmodic. (Infusion preparation: 3-10 grains every 2 hours to a cup of boiling water) For toothache, press the juice of the pepper into the tooth cavity. For scalp ringworm, apply as lotion a strong infusion of fruit.

For several years now, contests have been held in Legaspi City on eating the most pieces of chili. Said contests are usually held during the yearly celebration of Ibalong festival. The person who gets to eat the most number of chili is proclaimed the Sili King or Queen. And it is quite interesting to note that the number of pieces of chili consumed by the contestants progressively gets higher every year. It started from 300 and it now reaches 600 pieces.

Lada or pasitis as the Bicolano aphrodisiac

Chili is believed to be wholesome for persons of phlegmatic temperament, being considered stimulating. For the Bicolano in particular, it is widely believed to be a stimulant – yup, a sexual stimulant.

There is no definitive study yet made on the effects of lada or pasitis on the Bicolano’s sexuality. And yet, if data from the National Statistics Office and the Department of Health are anything to go by, it would be easy to conjecture on the influence of lada or pasitis on the “hotness” of the Bicolanos/Bicolanas. The Bicolano/Bicolana has been declared and has been holding on the title of the “Sexiest” Filipino for several years now, being the most sexually active among all the Filipinos. For several years now, the Bicolanos have had the highest rate in teenage pregnancy, premarital sex, and very sadly, also in rape and abortion. This is no good news most certainly and this is very unfortunately the downside of this phenomenon called lada or pasitis.

But would you be interested to know the upside of it? Well, it may sound like hubris but there’s only one way to find out:

Marry a Bicolano/Bicolana and you’ll soon find out on bed.