WiP [Work in Progress]

Thoughts and ramblings of a Filipino author

Lessons from Yolanda (Ep. 001)

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Mga ginigiliw kong kababayan,

Sana dahil sa Bagyong Yolanda, bukod sa natuklasan natin kung ano’ng mga kakulangan natin in terms of kagamitan o kahandaan, mas maganda kung natutunan din natin na dapat maging mapanuri sa pagpili ng kandidatong iboboto. Sana pinipili natin iyong totohanang magtatrabaho para sa atin bilang mamamayan, hindi iyong natawag pa silang ‘public servant’ pero nauna nang pinagsilbihan ang sarili. Kunsabagay, ‘public’ din naman sila. ‘Wag na tayong padadala sa mga namimili ng boto. Isipin natin, kasama sa ibinenta nating boto, ibinenenta na din natin ang sari-sarili nating dangal.

The Popular Pope

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“This Vatican-centric view neglects the world around us. I do not share this view and I’ll do everything I can to change to it. I believe in God. Not a Catholic God.” ~ Pope Francis

Way to go, Pope!

* from fordhamnotes.blogspot.com via Google Images

He’s been making quite a number of statements that are very endearing to many. I would believe, though, that these statements of his would be unpopular as far as the ‘guilty’ ones are concerned. These are words that cut right through the gut and if one has any conscience to speak of, he’d actually feel the pain.

Change. It’s something we cannot stop, but something we can accept and mold and use so we can be better. And he, Pope Francis, is making things better all around.

God bless you, Pope Francis! Thank you for championing the people.
Quote lifted from this article.

Kapatiran

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Inspired by a post on FB by veteran theater actor Bodjie Pascua, via another FB post by friend and PETA colleague Avic Ilagan, I’d like to blog here a portion of the song Kapatiran, from Charley dela Paz’ 1896 The Musical. Staged by PETA for the centennial celebration of the Philippine Independence.

At tayo’y lilikha
Ng isang bayang dakila
May pag-ibig sa kapwa
At paggalang sa dukha.
May tahanang puspos
Ng tunay na kalinga
At sa bawat mukha
Ay may sinag ng tuwa.
Ang sulo ng kapatiran
Ang tanglaw ng bayan

* Image from www.straitstimes.com via Google

Bangon bayang Pilipinas! Bangon mga Pilipino!

Rising from the ashes

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Or the ruins of #YolandaPH, as it were. Here’s a heart-warming first-hand survival story as related to and heard by this blogger.

My kumare and good good friend Dinky braved uncertainty when, earlier this week, she and a friend’s son went on a rescue mission to Tacloban to pick up her mom and daughter (who, incidentally, is my inaanak). Initially, she and I were talking of plans that if and when Mommy Pinay and Ingrid manage to get on a C-130 and they land in Cebu instead of Manila, and she would not be able to make it to Cebu from Manila, I would take charge of things while they are there and until I can get the mag-lola on a commercial flight to Manila. Well, that part of the plan kinda went through a bit of adjustment dahil nga si Dinky na mismo ang nagsundo. But I still went to Cebu to meet up with them because I’d committed to take care of the Cebu part of the mission.

Tuesday morning, the 12th, Dinky and Iggy arrive in Cebu, they get tickets for the flight to Tacloban. They reach TAC the next day, Wednesday and I get a message as soon as she was reunited with Mom and daughter. I get another text later in the day telling me that they are flying out Thursday morning pa but if they can get a flight that evening, they would. They didn’t. And so, Thursday morning came, I woke up about 7am, I get a call something like a half an hour later while I was having breakfast in the hotel room and I hear Dinky’s sing-song voice saying, “We’re here!”

Of course, kulang na lang tumili ako sa tuwa, ‘di ba? Ayoko lang bulabugin ang buong hotel. So I tell her to take a cab na from Mactan airport to the hotel, I will wait. And as soon as Ingrid and Mommy come out of the cab, I rush out and hug them and syempre, iyakin that I am, we spent a good five minutes on the curb hugging and crying. Until I said, “Mommy, pasok na po tayo, baka masagasaan na tayo dito.”

In my room (the other room I reserved for them was still being cleaned), Mommy starts to recount the ordeal. She was in tears, so was I kasi I cannot imagine how it had been for them. Tapos, in the midst of crying and thanking God that they are safe, Mommy says… “Teka muna, eh, bakit ang laki mo na?”

tagadug-pis! 😀

FYI, the last time she saw me was ten years and about forty pounds ago…

Filipino resilience and humor is totally unparalleled!

Still, at the end of it all, dear God, thank you for keeping them safe. We continue to pray for safety and healing of those who went through the same ordeal and maybe even worse. There is a lesson to be learned from all this and may we all realize that to help us improve as Your people.

* image courtesy of www.talk.ph via Google Images

Upcoming title!

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Love Will Lead The Way, the story of Darren and Czarina…

  “Maraming salamat sa tulong, Attorney,” narinig niyang sabi ng isang babaeng naunang lumabas mula roon.
“Wala pong problema, tawagan n’yo lang po ako kung may kailangan pa kayo o kaya mag-iwan kayo ng message sa sekretarya ko.”
Napatigil yata siya sa paghinga.
It was a sexy voice. Lalaking-lalaki. Sinabi nga sa commercial, kumbaga sa alak, suwabe ang mainit na hagod. Tagos sa buto. At kung boses pa lang, guwapo na ito, paanong guwapo pa kaya ang hitsura nito lalo at sinabi ni Arby na magandang lalaki talaga itong si Attorney Feliciano?
Huminga muna siya nang malalim pero bago niya nagawang iangat ang mga mata, napuno na ang buong pagkatao niya ng samyo nito at agad na naparalisa ang kanyang pag-iisip. Hindi ito umaalingasaw sa bango. His scent was subtle. Masculine. Iyong tipong nag-uudyok sa nakakaamoy na sumubsob sa leeg nito para singhut-singhutin.
Lumunok siya dahil baka tumulo na nang tuluyan ang laway niya. Saka siya nag-angat ng mga mata.
  Aysusmaryosep, Apo Diyos…  
May kaharap siyang…
Si Attorney Feliciano ay iyong tipong maiisip mo na iniregalo ng Diyos sa mga kababaihan. Kung tutuusin, medyo typical sa isang Middle-Eastern male ang features nito—makapal at maiitim na pilik na mas malalantik pa kaysa sa kanyang sariling mga pilik. Matangos ang ilong nito at mapupula ang mga labi na nang mga sandaling iyon ay nakangiti. Pero ang pamatay talaga ay ang kulay tsokolate nitong mga mata na namumungay, giving him that sensual look.
“Attorney, this is Miss Czarina Madarang,” pakilala ng sekretarya. “Kanina pa siya naghihintay.”
“Ganoon ba?” Lumapit ito sa kanya. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Darren Feliciano po, Ma’am. What can I do for you?”
Tinitigan niya ang kamay na inilahad nito sa kanya. He had long fingers. At malapad ang palad nito. Tipong puwedeng mawala ang sarili niyang kamay sa loob niyon.
Na-realize niyang ibinababa na nito ang palad at saka siya natauhan. Hinabol niya ang pakikipagkamay nito.     “Hi,” ang pathetic niyang nakayanan. “Ahm, I’m sorry to be taking up your time pero kailangan ko lang sana kayong makausap.”
“No problem.” Bahagya itong ngumiti. “Arby’s sister, right? I see the resemblance.”
The man was a lawyer. Magaling ito sa logic. And he’d probably read Arby’s file. Hindi naman kailangan ng extreme powers of deduction para mahulaan nitong kapatid niya si Arby. At gaya nga ng sinabi nito, magkahawig sila ng bunso.
“Yes, she’s my sister. I need to talk to you about her.”
Bahagyang tumaas ang kilay nito. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“I don’t know.” Umiling siya. “Just tell your cousin Giles to leave my sister alone. Hindi namin siya pinag-aral para maging glorified housekeeper lang.”
“Shall we step into my office?” From the looks of it, tila gusto nitong sakalin ang pinsang tinukoy niya.
At sa tindi ng inis na nararamdaman ni Rina, she would gladly help this man.

Watch for it! 🙂

(c) Bookware Publishing Corp. 2013

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