A Day In The Life Of RJ

One would think I write this post for the sole purpose of SEO (search engine optimization), specially that their much-awaited reunion concert last night, August 30 was cut short when frontman Ely had an emotional breakdown and was rushed to the hospital after performing only 15 out of the planned 30 songs. But no, I did not write this for SEO. People who don’t know me and even the ones close to me have no idea how such an E-heads fan I am. And I couldn’t really blame them. The Eraserheads came at a “serious” time in my life — high school. Okay, that’s self-imposed “seriousness” for sure. And people who knew me then wouldn’t think I digged the music of The Eraserheads (and that is if they even thought I listened to music at all). The normally-most-enjoyable-time in a person’s life was ironically the most serious period of my life. (more…)

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I find it inexplicable why the BJE MOA on AD is being considered at odds with our constitution, hence this TRO and oral arguments, when a member of the MILF peace panel, MOHD. MUSIB M. BUAT in his article “A new formula in resolving the Mindanao conflict—Mohd. Musib M. Buat” at the abs-cbnNEWS.com website, said:

“But subsequently in February 2008, information was received by the MILF Peace Panel through the Malaysian facilitator that the GRP had decided to have the draft MOA-AD first reviewed by a panel of legal experts to ascertain whether or not the draft agreement would meet a constitutional test if challenged before the High Court. It took the government more that 100 days to conduct the “due diligence review” of the draft MOA-AD.”  (more…)

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Year 2007 — it was all about the environment.

This year — 2008 — it’s time to talk about POVERTY.

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Coming from an impoverished country of 90 million people, living with highly-talented, young and promising citizens, I urge you all, people of the web — the so-called “netizens” (more…)

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Today’s article at abs-cbnNEWS.com “From Brink of Peace to Brink of War” by Atty. Soliman M. Santos, Jr. brings to mind my long-held stand on the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (BJE MOA on AD). (more…)

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It’s about time we go out of our old and outdated 19th century practices.
It’s about time we take matters into our own hands.
This is our country’s future anyway.
This is our children’s future at stake here.

And because we are “Free To Decide.”

(more…)

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***WARNING:***
Boring post ahead.
———————————-

My astrological sign is Aries.

Aries people — so I’ve read, usually suffer from diseases of the head. Psychological maybe? Maybe. Or of a more physical sort? Probably. Whatever it is. I am proof that horoscopes and character-typing, in the realm of the planets — has some truth in them.

I am having an annoying headache yet again — similar to what I’ve blogged about before, and before that. And well, yes, I am hoping this doesn’t mean I’d die soon, because, you know, dying a “bum” and unaccomplished isn’t exactly “sexy”. Well, I’ve written about dreading dying so soon. But, come on, who doesn’t, right? Unless you’re “emo” and borderline suicidal, that ain’t something you’d find comfortable talking about. Anyway, enough of that. Let’s get back to the headache. Just so you know, I am writing this as I’m suffering from this head-pounding, skull-cracking headache. Torture, I tell you. (more…)

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In observance of “Buwan ng Wika”, the following article was written entirely in Filipino and will take exception from my blog language policy.

<== Pindutin upang patugtugin ang "Ako'y Isang Pinoy"

Ikinalulungkot kong medyo huli na ang sanaysay na ito. Plinano kong isulat ito sa unang linggo ng Agosto ngunit sa dami ng mga pangyayaring dala ng BJE MOA, naisantabi ko ito at halos nawala na rin sa isip ko. Mabuti na lang at napaalala ito ng aking anak habang nag-eensayo kami para sa kanyang pagtula at pag-awit sa pampaaralang selebrasyon nila ng “Buwan ng Wika”.

Nakatutuwang isipin na malayo-layo na rin ang narating ng ating wika — simula ng magdeklara ng pambansang wika hanggang sa mga ipinatupad na pagbabago dito upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng panahon. Ipinagmamalaki ko at ipinagbubunyi ang patuloy na pagiging “buhay” ng ating wika. Bagama’t laganap ang Ingles sa maraming babasahin, lalo na sa internet, marami pa rin akong napapansing aktibong gumagamit ng wikang Filipino. Maliban dito, ang pagiging “buhay” ng ating wika ay kapansin-pansin din sa patuloy na pagdagdag ng mga salita upang maiangkop ang ang ating wika sa kumbensyonal na Ingles. Ginagawa ito sapagkat maraming aklat at iba pang uri ng babasahin ang nakasulat sa Ingles at kailangan nating tugunan ito ng karapat-dapat at eksaktong pagsasalin sa Filipino. Sa ganitong paraan lamang natin masisiguro na hindi tayo malilimitahan pagdating sa pagpapalawig ng ating kaalaman. (more…)

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I need not elaborate. I’m sure any of you reading this have heard the news — endless and hopeless as it may seem. Fighting continues in Mindanao. Ambush here. Strafing there. Evacuations here and there. Oral arguments re: unconstitutionality of BJE MOA (which, by the way, has been extended Firday once more, August 29) happened today. Sol. Gen. Devanadera submitted a petition for the SC citing GRP’s decision not to sign the MOA, thereby rendering the petition filed against it “moot and academic”. Torion, the petitioner’s counsel, on the other hand insists on a court decision saying regardless of the BJE MOA being signed or not, SC’s ruling is important so as to create a “guideline” for the GRP on it’s expected “renegotiation” or “furthering of negotiations” and subsequently assure compliance to the constitution.

There are certain points in the oral arguments I’d like to comment on, as follows:

(more…)

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Four years, four months and thirteen days after I was born — someone died. It would have been any ordinary day. That person would have any ordinary person. He could have lived any ordinary life. He could have died for any ordinary reason.

But no.

August 21, 1983 is no ordinary day. Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino is no ordinary man. He did not live an ordinary life. He did not die for an ordinary reason. And that is precisely why he is a hero. He is our modern-day hero — our modern-day Jose Rizal. Elected youngest Mayor and Vice-Governor at 22 and 27, respectively. Governor 2 years later. And youngest Senator at 34. His life and death inspired a country to revolt in a bloodless way — that brought a perceived infallible dictator regime to its knees and ultimately gain us back our democracy.Can any man of our generation be more extraordinary than that?

He was dubbed as the “greatest President we never had”. And at a time like this, how we wish we could raise him back from the dead and lead us to victory from the turmoil of demoralized politics and unstable economy. How we wish he lived longer to inspire us with his policies and reforms. How I wish he lived longer to occupy the highest seat in the land — the seat he deserved the most. How I wish he lived longer for me to hear his voice at a time when I can digest to the very fiber the words he uttered. How I wish that I was older then so I wouldn’t busy myself playing with toys — so that when I watched the television then or heard the news, I’d find more delight and pleasure from listening to his wise counsel on politics and good governance. But no. I was younger then. So young to even care if we were under Martial Law or if the President was a dictator or if human rights violation was commonplace on a daily basis. So young to realize that during that time, a man walked among us who stood up for something higher than the frivolities of life or of the Filipino’s usual undertakings. So young to realize that within my lifetime, I have the rarest chance of sharing life on earth with a hero.

(more…)

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