Painfully Gray as Mud: That's the Philippines (And Our Government) Now

One workday, over lunch, an office mate said she had an argument with her boyfriend regarding voting for Noynoy Aquino as president. The boyfriend had nothing against Noynoy. It's the fact that my friend couldn't explain why she is choosing Noy over other candidates that seemed to have triggered the argument. Up until that lunch, she still could not defend her choice.

I was itching to say a word but I let my other officemates who favored other candidates to butt in and say why she should not vote for Noy. I realized that many people still do not see the significance of this particular election to our future as a nation. Many will still vote based on the achievements and track record of the candidates. And many others will still vote based on personal leanings and loyalties.

If this were a regular election like any other elections we have had, any of the presidential candidates would be appropriate. Many of them, after all, are good in what they do, no matter what they claim or what others say about them.

But this is not a regular election. It is a vote for the future of the nation. When we go out there tomorrow to mark our ballots, we are either signing up for the death of the Philippines or for its continued existence as a real democracy. It is not a matter of who to choose but a matter of what we choose if we choose who we choose.

I'm not voting for Noynoy....per se. I'm voting for what he represents as a person, as a leader of the country if he wins. I'm not voting for him because he is Ninoy and Cory's son. I'm not voting for him because he is single and has no family distractions. I'm not voting for him because business groups favor him. And I'm definitely not voting for him because he is Kris' brother.

I'm voting for Noy because among the current presidential candidates, he is the only visible symbol of what GMA is not. 

-------------------- 
This was my blog post a few years back, specifically a day before the 2010 elections. When I wrote this post, I was filled with conviction. I believed in every word I said and I believed in Noynoy, and no one could persuade me to believe otherwise, no matter what they said.

But tonight, I reread this post and it didn't even leave a bitter taste in my mouth. In fact, it was so bland, it felt like eating paper. This article has lost its flavor, its spirit, its essence. And sadly, I don't even know what to believe anymore. The Noy that fired up this prose has killed the flame with six years of sandy promises and a platform of principles that are rooted on a vacuum. Nothing worth supporting or praising or owning was ever accomplished during his term as president, and despite being a confirmed bachelor who's leaning toward gay-ship, he has impregnated the Cabinet with corrupt friendships from his smoking and shooting circles.

In a few months, Noy is going to end his term with a very faint bang....or maybe a pfftt. And I will be voting once again. I'm no longer sure of who to vote and for what. The last election has ruined my trust in the government and in the elected officials' potential to go back to being clean, honest, brave and promising leaders of the Filipino people.

The prospect of voting yet another weakling pretending to be principled, and suffering his or her lack of political will for the next six years (again) is a scary thought. But I can't even distinguish anymore who is who and which is which.

The Philippines is painfully gray as mud.

A Facebook-born Group of Bakers and Baking/Cooking Enthusiasts Turns One!

You're all invited to the upcoming NEWBEE EXPO: ALL ABOUT Bs on Sunday, November 29, 2015 at the San Juan Gymnasium. Stay-at-home moms, baking buffs, aspiring food entrepreneurs and those who are on break from work or school will enjoy a whole day of demonstrations on many interesting things, such as sugar cookies, basic icing, edible decors, Christmas products, Asian cooking and healthy dishes.

Member home bakers will also set up tables and booths to sell their products or hold food tasting for participants. Exciting major prizes will be raffled off to early bird attendees who made advanced reservations and paid their tickets online. Walk-ins will also receive minor prizes from some of our sponsors, including Gardenia, Zeelandia and Sysu.

Below is the press release of the event. If you need more information about the expo or how to get to the venue, please email info@newbeebakingandcooking.com.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Manila, Philippines--People who love cupcakes, pastries, pies and anything baking will not want to miss this one event! The NewBee Baking & Cooking International, a group of professional bakers, home bakers and baking/cooking enthusiasts, is holding the “NEWBEE EXPO: ALL ABOUT Bs” on Sunday, November 29, 2015 at the San Juan Gymnasium, in celebration of its 1st Anniversary.

The mini expo will be a whole-day affair featuring baking and cooking demos by some of the country’s celebrity chefs, including Redj Baron Saguin of Cook Eat Right, Edward Mateo of Royal Patisserie, and companies like Gardenia, Zeelandia and Sysu.

NewBee members and select companies will also set up booths for baked products, other food items, baking tools and baking/cooking paraphernalia. There will be contests and raffle throughout the day.

If you are curious about how to make basic icing, sugar cookies, and edible decors, or want to start your own restaurant of healthy dishes, this is your chance to learn from the experts. And you can help children in need as well.

The “NEWBEE EXPO: ALL ABOUT Bs” is being held to raise funds for the group’s feeding program in December for orphans and homeless children. Your minimal contribution will go a long way in bringing a smile to a hungry child. Entrance to the expo is P300 for members and P350 for non-members.

One expo, multiple demos, and a chance to cheer a child! What else can you ask for?

Visita Iglesia: Visiting Select Churches in Manila

I started my Visita Iglesia habit more than 20 years ago when I was a Parish Youth Council (PYC) member of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Bacood, Sta. Mesa. My co-PYC members and I would attend mass and other related activities in church at 5:30 in the afternoon and go on from there. Sometimes, my parents would join us and sometimes, they would go with their own co-members in the Knights of Columbus and Daughters of Mary Immaculate.

Since we were all young people and still quite strong physically, we would visit all 14 churches on foot. For the uninitiated, the 14 churches correspond to the 14 stations of the cross. Chatting made walking easier to endure. The rare 7-11 stopovers were opportunities to look at other faithful making the same Visita Iglesia practice, basically to get a glimpse of handsome hunks or gorgeous babes. But when we're on the road again, the focus was back to walking, and once we're inside the churches, we'd be serious.

The altars of repose in every church - the centerpiece of the Visita Iglesia and Easter celebration - were a sight to behold. I realized, from helping out with conceptualizing or assembling our altar of repose in the parish back then, that looking forward to seeing altars of repose could be an added motivation in joining Visita Iglesia trips. Over the years, I noticed that the more commercialized and popular churches like the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church had simpler and more traditional altars of repose compared with the smaller churches. They were beautiful but predictable.

Parishes that I knew had active youth groups always had the most artistic displays. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Sta. Mesa (Stop and Shop) and the Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned in Sta. Ana, for example, never failed to stun visiting worshipers with their themes. At times, the elderly crowd would frown on their more modern concepts (like focusing on the the technology trends in relation to God), but you can hand it to the youth: they can come up with the most interesting altars of repose you can ever imagine. So, the next time you go on a Visita Iglesia, don't forget to observe the intricate details of the altar where you pray, and pray for the hands who created them.

When I finally had my own family, my Visita Iglesia trips mellowed down as there were children to consider. We no longer walked most of the distance but took the car to the nearest spot we could park. We'd also bring sandwiches, snacks and drinks, and have dinners at the back of the car in between churches. On rare instances when we allowed the children to persuade us to stop over in some fast food joint, we'd mostly make it after the 7th or 8th church before going home.

Yes, that's one major change in my VI routine. With the children around, we no longer finished 14 churches during Maundy Thursday. We would do half or more, and half on Good Friday - or even stay in just one church on that day and do all 7. Good Friday VIs were almost always done out of town or a bit farther than usual. We'd done the Grotto in Valenzuela, Rizal towns (Antipolo, Binangonan, Angono, Taytay and Morong), and the Taal Cathedral in Batangas. This year, if the weather is fine, we plan to visit some towns in Laguna.

Here's our usual Maundy Thursday route, give and take one or two, depending on the traffic situation:

• University of Sto. Tomas Field (mass)

 

• San Beda Church, Mendiola (1st station)

• San Sebastian Church, Quiapo (2nd)

• San Agustin Church, Intramuros (3rd)

• Manila Cathedral, Intramuros (4th)

• St Vincent de Paul Church, Adamson University (5th)

• Pope Pius Church, UN Avenue (6th)

• Our Lady of the Abandoned Church, Sta. Ana (7th)

• Sto. Nino Church, Pandacan (8th and last)

We also included the twin churches of Loreto and San Antonio in Legarda a couple of years back but there were always plenty of people that it had become such a grueling task. 

So, good luck on your Visita Iglesia journey. See you around!

Update 2024: Pictures not mine. ctto. But I don't know where I got them now. All sourced online.