Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Is burning really the solution?

The problem of solid waste is in the headlines again.

With stories like the Baguio (Irisan) trash slide, the Olongapo trash slide and the flooding in Metro Manila and central Luzon aggravated by the fact that our rivers and canals are full of trash, the problem of solid waste is being confronted once again, both at the local and national level.

Sadly, instead of promoting ecological alternatives (there are plenty of success stories out there), certain groups and even media personalities are promoting fake solutions to something that is not even a problem in the first place.

The things that we throw away are not waste, they are resources if we only manage them properly.

Sadly, people are after quick "solutions" like incineration. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said he is open to reviving incineration as a way to address the problem of waste. DENR Secretary Ramon Paje is said to be to open to discussing it (thou he claims he was misquoted).

Ms. Karen Davila of ABS-CBN has been promoting it as a "practical solution," calling groups against it as "idealist." But are groups who are against incinerators really just idealist?


The EcoWaste Coalition, Mother Earth Foundation, GAIA, Greenpeace, and Health Care Without Harm are just some of the groups who are actively campaigning against the revival of incinerators. These are the same groups who worked hard to ensure that a ban on incineration is included in the Clean Air Act and Ecological Solid Waste Management Act which resulted in making the Philippines the first country in the world to ban incinerators (a lot of state or cities have made a similar move too).

So what is their issue with incineration? In their position submitted to the DENR and the MMDA, the groups summarized their position:

The revival and promotion of the use of incinerators, thermal waste-to-energy systems and more landfills will lead to:


1.    A BLATANT VIOLATION OF THE PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO LIVE IN A SAFE AND TOXIC-FREE ENVIRONMENT. No less than the Philippine Constitution of 1987, Section 17, provides that “The State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.” The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act 9003), Clean Air Act (RA 8749), Clean Water Act (RA 9275), and other related laws of the country are all designed to assure such right of the people.

There are more than enough studies already attesting to the irreversible ill-effects of the above-stated technologies for waste disposal on all forms of life and on the environment, and to their contribution to the worsening condition of global warming and climate change.

Very recently, on September 18, 2011, the special rapporteur to the United Nations Human Rights Council recognized the irrationality of these toxic facilities and called for an end to the incineration of medical waste in order to protect human health and the environment.   The recommendation is the substitution of incineration with more environmental-friendly and safe methods of disposal.   


2.    AGGRAVATION OF GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE. Incinerators and landfills are a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute greatly to the worsening climate.

The first of four fact sheets we are providing entitled “Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste / Impact on Global Warming” published by the David  Suzuki Foundation et al., in May 2007 states that a study comparing  technologies used in Ontario, Canada that produce energy shows that “incineration (labelled in the table as “gasification”) contributes the greatest amount of greenhouse  gas emissions” at 1,800 gms/kwh, followed by combustion or mass burning (1,400gms/kwh), coal-fired (1,000gms/kwh), natural gas steam turbine (less than 1,000gms/kwh), and natural gas combined cycle (less than 400). 

On the other hand, landfills are huge sources of methane, a potent GHG with 72 times more climatic impact compared to carbon in the next 20 years.


3.    TOXIC PROLIFERATION. Mixed solid wastes, when burned or heated, or subjected to gasification, pyrolysis or plasma produce air emissions or leach out extremely hazardous substances from heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, chromium, nickel, cadmium, vanadium and manganese to supertoxic dioxins and furans. 

Incineration also produces bottom and fly ash, and sludge which have been found in several studies to be even more toxic than those emitted to the air or leached to the ground.  And while incineration does reduce the mass of solid waste, the toxic ash which it will inevitably produce poses another equally difficult, if not greater, problem of disposal.

The problem with landfills is that they take up so much space that could otherwise be used for productive pursuits or for protecting the environment.

The reality is that so-called landfills are most often than not located in forested areas, watersheds, agricultural areas, beside rivers and near the seas, which are all environmentally critical areas.

With the increasing establishment of so-called sanitary landfills which regularly turn into dumpsites, more and more of the country’s soil and water resources are becoming toxic, which in turn expose more people to various tragedies.


4.    LOSS OF VALUABLE RESOURCES. Waste is a resource-turned-garbage if mixed with other useful discards.   If collected, hauled, and dumped or burned as such, it results in a tremendous loss of otherwise great wealth.

A study of the anatomy of waste reveals that almost 100% of our wastes, both biodegradable and non-biodegradable, can be recycled or composted; the remaining non-recyclable fraction— hazardous, infectious, and toxic wastes—can be properly dealt with using environment-friendly methods.

If research on the use and value of waste resources is fully pursued as mandated in RA 9003, this would generate substantial and continuing knowledge and know-how for the country to prevent discards from being wasted and use such resources in establishing a sustainable, cyclical - not linear - economy that is allows diminishing natural resources to replenish itself.


5.    LOSS OF MILLIONS OF JOBS IN THE RECYCLING INDUSTRY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT. Considering that waste is valuable resource, its incineration will result in the loss of livelihood in many informal recycling sectors, small industries, and communities whose residents are engaged in recycling, composting, segregation and collection of waste.


6.    INCINERATION IS A COSTLY COMMITMENT.  “State-of-the-art incinerators” like gasification, pyrolysis and plasma technologies are extremely expensive to install and operate.    They suck public resources that are better used for basic social services like health and education.  Studies show that Japan for example invested almost one third of the total expenditure of taxpayers’ money towards the improvement of incineration facilities with advanced technologies, this has not stopped the formation and release of dioxins from these plants. This is the same situation for other pollutants such as heavy metals and toxic trace chemicals.

Contractual obligations to supply a certain tonnage of waste per year to the incinerator can saddle municipalities with financial liabilities if there is a miscalculation in waste generation or a decreasing waste stream, giving them an incentive to maintain the supply of waste or even import it. [2]
Recent news even cited the bad experience of the City of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania where the city government “fell victim to the "incinerator from hell"—a waste-to-energy incinerator whose renovation caused the town to go $310 million into debt, five times as much money as the city has in its general fund, according to the Stateline newspaper.”[3]  This prompted Pennsylvania to declare its capitol financially distressed.

7.    PROLIFERATION OF FAILED TECHNOLOGY. In 2000, through a loan from the Bank of Austria, the Philippine Government received 26 “state-of-the-art” medical waste incinerators. At the outset, these incinerators failed our emission standards for dioxins, nitric oxide and other pollutants, which resulted in them being decommissioned. 

However, the Philippine government continues to pay PhP 92 million every year since 2002 and is bound to do so until 2014 for these loans.  Also, accidents involving incinerator plants in developed countries such as the US, Japan, and Germany have been widely reported.

Since the banning of medical waste incineration, health care facilities around the country have proven that there are safe and environment-friendly solutions in managing health care waste.  Autoclaving and microwaving, methods of disinfecting waste (without burning), which are widely practiced in health care today, require low investment and low operating cost and less the threat to health and environment.    
Still, other groups are claiming that incineration is a "safe" technology. To answer their claims, below are some of the highlights of a report published by the British Society for Ecological Medicine (a complete copy can be found here) entitled "The Health Effects of Incinerators" (June 2008):
    • “Incinerator emissions are a major source of fine particulates, of toxic metals and of more than 200 organic chemicals, including known carcinogens, mutagens, and hormone disrupters. Emissions also contain other unidentified compounds whose potential for harm is as yet unknown, as was once the case with dioxins.  Since the nature of waste is continually changing, so is the chemical nature of the incinerator emissions and therefore the potential for adverse health effects.”

        •    This fly ash is light, readily windborne and mostly of low particle size.  It represents a considerable and poorly understood health hazard.

        •    America have shown that fine (PM2.5) particulate air pollution causes increases in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and mortality from lung cancer, after adjustment for other factors. A more recent, well-designed study of morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women has confirmed this, showing a 76% increase in cardiovascular and 83% increase in cerebrovascular mortality in women exposed to higher levels of fine particulates.

        •  Higher levels of fine particulates have been associated with an increased prevalence of asthma and COPD. Toxic metals accumulate in the body and have been implicated in a range of emotional and behavioural problems in children including autism, dyslexia, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning difficulties, and delinquency, and in problems in adults including violence, dementia, depression and Parkinson’s disease.

        • Some chemical pollutants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals are known to cause genetic changes.

        •  Monitoring of incinerators has been unsatisfactory in the lack of rigor, the infrequency of monitoring, the small number of compounds measured, the levels deemed acceptable, and the absence of biological monitoring.

        •    It has been claimed that modern abatement procedures render the emissions from incinerators safe, but this is impossible to establish and would apply only to emissions generated under standard operating conditions.  Two of the most hazardous emissions – fine particulates and heavy metals – are relatively resistant to removal.

        •    The safety of new incinerator installations cannot be established in advance and, although rigorous independent health monitoring might give rise to suspicions of adverse effects on the foetus and infant within a few years, this type of monitoring has not been put in place, and in the short term would not reach statistical significance for individual installations. Other effects, such as adult cancers, could be delayed for at least ten to twenty years. It would therefore be appropriate to apply the precautionary principle here.

        •    There are now alternative methods of dealing with waste which would avoid the main health hazards of incineration, would produce more energy and would be far cheaper in real terms, if the health costs were taken into account.
But the most important part of this report is probably this:

    Incinerators presently contravene basic human rights as stated by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in particular the Right to Life under the European Human Rights Convention, but also the Stockholm Convention and the Environmental Protection Act of 1990.  The foetus, infant and child are most at risk from incinerator emissions: their rights are therefore being ignored and violated, which is not in keeping with the concept of a just 7society. Nor is the present policy of locating incinerators in deprived areas where their health effects will be maximal: this needs urgent review.
I hope Ms. Karen Davila gets to read this. And I hope that she will afford those who campaign against incinerators the same airtime she has spent on promoting incinerators. Her listeners and viewers deserved to know the other side of this issue.

At the end of the day, the question we have to ask ourselves is "Can we really afford to burn our resources when we are living on a finite planet?"

To quote the famous Chief Indian Seattle, "We did not inherit this earth from out forefathers, we are just borrowing it from our children." As such, each one of us has the responsibility to make sure that we are passing on to our children a better planet, or at the very least, a planet where there is still enough resources, where scarce resources are not wasted or burned.

Note: The writer is an advocate against incinerator. He is currently the President of Mother Earth Foundation.

Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas,
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,


Froilan Grate | GreenMinds
www.NoBystanders.net

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Speak up for your tukayo

Tukayo (variation: tokayo)
English Definition: (noun) namesake; person having the same first name as one's self
(Source)

You share a name, now know his story.

I first saw the website as a Google ad on my blog, but since I can't click on my own ads, I wasn't able to visit it at that time. And then, while watching GMA News TV this morning, I saw the ad again and I finally visited the site.

The project is called "Tukayo Campaign Against Impunity" and their website is at http://speakup.com.ph. When you go to the site, you'll see a listing of names. You can click on a name to know the story behind it. Or, you can enter your name and see if you share a name with anyone of them. I entered  my name and I got to know Atty. Froilan Siobal.

This is his story:

Atty. Froilan Siobal and his wife Erlinda were killed on November 19, 2006, at around ten in the morning along Siobal St., Barangay Inerangan, Alaminos City, Pangasinan. Husband and wife were in their vehicle when SPO1 Agapito "Pitong" Celino from the 106th Police Mobile Group, together with Ojing Olivarez, suddenly appeared and shot the victims. Erlinda attempted to get out of the vehicle, however, she stumbled and Celino killed her with two shots. Sworn statements from witnesses Reynaldo A. Dacon and Bernald A. Caballero corroborated the role of both Celino and Olivarez in the killing, as well as implicated Barangay Councilman Donald Sison and Edgar Parang. The eldest son of the Siobals, Francisco, further confirmed that the men seen by the witnesses had threatened his father. He further indentified Boyet Medrano, Bong Grate, Barangay Chairman Rico Aquino, Mading "Mading" Tobias, Daniel Luciano, Landong Losendo, and a certain "Taba", all residents of Barangay San Miguel, Bani, Pangasinan, as conspirators in his parents’ murder. Francisco supposes the motive for his parents’ killing was that his father was suspected of being one of the masterminds in the killing of Rommel Rolda, a native of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, residing at Barangay San Miguel, Bani, Pangasinan, who was shot to death on October 10, 2003. On 29 November 2006, a case of double murder was filed before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, Alaminos City, Pangasinan, against suspects SPOT Agapito Celino, Ojing Olivarez, Barangay Councilman Edgar Parang and other John Does under ID No. AC-06-341. SPO1 Celino is being re-assigned from the 106th PMG to Pangasinan Police Provincial Office. He will be restricted inside the camp pending the disposition of an administrative case against him. (Emphasis mine)
His story was particularly unnerving for two reasons, aside from the fact that we share the same first name (and I share the same last name with one of the suspects, sadly). First, I used to work in Alaminos, Pangasinan during the past two years. I know the exact barangay where he was killed and I could have passed the same street where his life was taken - on broad daylight.

Two, the manner by which he was killed is particularly disturbing. That it happened during broad daylight is bad enough, but to know that it was committed by state elements that was supposed to protect us in the first place is simply outrageous and unacceptable. The primary suspect is a police officer and some of the conspirators are elected officials. You could almost feel their sense of impunity, their confidence that they could get away with this crime.

But he is just one of the many victims of alleged extralegal killings (ELKs). This site also covers victims of enforced disappearances (EDs) and acts of torture committed by state agents.

 Also from the said site:
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines documented 1,001 victims of alleged ELKs for the period covering 2001-2009. On the other hand, the civil society group, Karapatan, reported 1,188 victims of ELKs, 205 victims of EDs, and 1,028 incidents of torture, for the same period. These are among other forms of human rights violations targeting political activists and members of the media.
The numbers alone are disheartening, but for me, one victim alone of ELK is one too many. Though the group also mentioned that the numbers are going down under the current administration, there is still more to be done to fully address this problem.They have a petition for President Aquino to sign the National Human Rights Action Plan.

The National Human Rights Action Plan or NHRAP, is more than a piece of paper. When signed by the President, it will be a roadmap for all branches of government at all levels in protecting the civil and political rights of all citizens, including marginalized groups like women, children, the disabled, migrant workers and indigenous people. 

To borrow their slogan: Speak up. Right a wrong. It's up to us.


Please visit the site, learn about the victims and sign the petition.

Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas,
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,


Froilan Grate | GreenMinds
www.NoBystanders.net

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Two seconds from impact

Two seconds from impact, and all I can think of is "Is this it?" 

I was at peace.

A few minutes after 12 noon today, July 24, 2011, as I was riding a jeepney from Katipunan to UP, I was looking at a white L300 van going on full speed towards the jeep I was riding as we were making a left turn towards UP.

Then it was all a blur. Sounds of metal hitting each other, aluminum twisting and glass breaking. It was as if time stood still for a brief moment. I remember being thrown on the floor, a hand or an elbow hit my left eye, and I felt weight on top of me.

And my first thought was: I AM ALIVE!

And then people started crying. Someone said, "I can't move".  And then a young woman cried "There's blood on my head." There were a number calling for help, my self included.

The drivers of both vehicles arguing who was at fault. (FGrate 2011)
Then, I tried to feel my head for any blood. There was none. Feeling that I can move, I tried going down and called for help. I wanted to be out of the way, feeling that I was ok. Standing in the center of the highway, I tried to remember my name and tried to form one sentence. Since I can remember my name, and the sentence I formed sounded coherent to me, I concluded I don't have any damage to my head. I tried feeling my other body parts, but there was no wet spot. My hips are sore for hitting the floor, and my left eye was sore too, but that was it. I think I am OK.

I looked at the other guy who went down also, he seemed OK, no visible wound or blood.

People started coming, calling for taxis and other vehicles to carry the wounded to the UP Infirmary which is only a few minutes away.

When all those who are wounded were brought to the Infirmary already, I went back to the jeepney and joined the other onlookers. The damage to the jeep isn't much, but during impact, it felt like it was totally crushed. I took some photos, and decided it was time to leave. There was nothing else I can do.

I decided to walk a bit inside UP. While walking, I was able to reflect on a few things.

First, if this happened in Commonwealth Avenue, I doubt if I would have survived. The van would have been running faster and the impact would have been greater.

Second, I was lucky to be sitting where I was sitting at the time of impact. I saw the van as it was approaching us up to the point of impact. The lady in front of me was directly at the point of impact, and she was bloody. And most of those who were serious (as per my amateur assessment) were sitting on the right side of the jeep.

Third, almost everyone would agree that a lot of drivers in Metro Manila are not worthy to be issued a divers license. And yet how many of us are acting on it? When do we stop complaining and start doing something about the problem? How many accidents would have to happen for us to say, enough is enough? Does the victim have to be someone close to us for us to act?

Then maybe it's too late.

Fourth, I found my immediate reaction amusing. Two seconds before impact, and all I can think of is "Is this it?"

I was at peace. 

This is in contrast to my reaction a few years ago when I was also in the face of death.I wrote about this experience here, but looking back, I remember being angry. As a gun was pointed at me, I was asking, "Why me?, Why now?, Why this way?"

But this time I felt ready. And I guess this is because after the first incident, I made an assessment of my life and made some drastic changes. I quit my 8-5 job to spend more time with my family, friends and in doing the things that I love. I traveled more, love deeply, forgave easily, held no grudges against anyone, and basically try to go to bed every night being at peace with the fact that tomorrow is not guaranteed.

And lastly, this experience has again made me reexamine my life.

Am I in a point where I want my life to be? Can I really afford to give up everything at this point to pursue the love of my life who is at the other side of the world? Do I really want to? Questions that I need to answer, and soon.

But as for today, let us celebrate life. It may be short, but we can definitely make it sweet.

Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas,
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,


Froilan Grate | GreenMinds
www.NoBystanders.net

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Willie, the boy who wouldn't smile, and the issue of child's rights (A compilation)


Below is a compilation of statements and documents related to the child abuse incident on the March 12, 2011 episode of the show Willing Willie by Mr. Willie Revillame on TV5.

In the said episode, also posted on YouTube (now deleted) , a six-year-old boy named Mike (not his real name) was shown dancing “ala-macho dancer," much to the delight of the host and the studio audience. As seen in the video, however, the boy was clearly distressed and humiliated by the said experience as evidenced by his crying while supposedly “entertaining” Mr. Revillame and his audience.


About Us
Our complaint letter
The signatories
Timeline of Events
Froilan's Clarification on ABS-CBN's participation

The Show
Original Sponsors
Advertisers and Contacts
Transcript of Willie Revillame's Speech on Willing Willie, April 8

Statements and Replies
Department of Social Welfare and Development
Movies and Television review and Classification Board
Apology of TV5 and Mr. Revillame
Philippine Association of National Advertisers
Commision on Human Rights
Council for the Welfare of Children
UNICEF
Full statement of TV5 on the measures it is undertaking
Pia Cayetano
Ateneo Human Rights Center
St. Scholastica's MassCom Dept
UP College of MassComr
World Vision
CBCP - NASSA

Advertisers' Action and Statements
Unilever Ad Pull out on all live game shows
Jollibee Food Corporation
Procter and Gamble
CDO Food Corporations
Cebuana Lhuiller


Others
House Resolution Condemning Child Abuse on Willing Willie




Hon. Loretta Ann P. Rosales, Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
Sen. Pia S. Cayetano, Committee Chair, Youth, Women and Family Affairs
Hon. Corazon "Dinky" Juliano-Soliman, Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development
Hon. Grace Poe Llamanzares, Chairman, Movies and Television Ratings and Classification Board
Mr. Manny Pangilinan, Chairman, TV5
Justice Santiago M. Kapunan, Officer in Charge, Integrated Bar of The Philippines
Mr. John Rojo, President, Philippine Association of National Advertisers
Ms. Charmaine Canillas, Chairman, Ad Standards Council
Ateneo Human Rights Center
Council for the Welfare of Children


SUBJECT: CHILD ABUSE ON WILLING WILLIE SHOW OF TV5


We wish to bring to your attention a deplorable incident that occurred during the March 12, 2011 episode of Willing Willie, hosted by Mr. Willie Revillame which was aired during TV5's primetime block. In the said episode, also posted on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YRCxh9q64w, a six-year-old boy named Jan-jan was shown dancing “ala-macho dancer," much to the delight of the host and the studio audience. As seen in the video, however, the boy was clearly distressed and humiliated by the said experience as evidenced by his crying while supposedly “entertaining” Mr. Revillame and his audience.

Children should be at school studying or playing at home. They should not be used as cheap sources of entertainment. The act of making children work is already unfortunate; however, the said act is even more deplorablewhen they lose their dignity and self respect in the process.

If TV shows that employ child actors are required to secure the necessary permits from the DSWD, are reality shows like Willing Willie required to do the same? Are representatives from the DSWD present to monitor these activities, especially for shows that air live?

We quote Article V, Section 9 of Republic Act No. 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act:

“Obscene Publications and Indecent Shows. – Any person who shall hire, employ, use, persuade, induce or coerce a child to perform in obscene exhibitions and indecent shows, whether live or in video, or model in obscene publications or pornographic materials or to sell or distribute the said materials shall suffer the penalty of prison mayor in its medium period.

If the child used as a performer, subject or seller/distributor is below twelve (12) years of age, the penalty shall be imposed in its maximum period.

Any ascendant, guardian, or person entrusted in any capacity with the care of a child who shall cause and/or allow such child to be employed or to participate in an obscene play, scene, act, movie or show or in any other acts covered by this section shall suffer the penalty of prison mayor in its medium period.”

Clearly, what transpired during this episode of Willing Willie was a violation of this provision of the law.

We condemn the blatant act of subjecting poor Filipinos -- especially minors, a group that history has shown to be one of the most vulnerable sectors of our society -- to humiliation in shows like these in exchange for some quick cash. Given the financial hardships that they have to endure, they often feel forced to do acts that violate their dignity as human beings in exchange for keeping body and soul together.

We condemn the host, not only for failing to stop the boy, who was clearly uncomfortable with what he had to do, but more importantly for milking similar situations for the sake of selling the show and increasing its ratings.

We condemn the producers of the show and the management of TV5 not only for failing to act appropriately on this incident, but also for tolerating these kinds of shows, as well as the host's tasteless and humiliating antics.

We express disappointment towards the parents of the boy for subjecting their child to this horrible experience.

We express concern for the studio audience and others at home who found this incident amusing and entertaining.

We express disappointment towards all the advertisers of the show for failing to consider the content and the values of the shows in which they advertise.

We challenge our government agencies, particularly the DSWD and the MTRCB, to act promptly on this and other similar incidents, and to institute measures to protect young children when they appear on Willing Willie and similar shows.

In this regard, we would like to request the following actions from your office:

For Mr. Manny Pangilinan and the management of TV5 to immediately implement a temporary moratorium on the guesting of children on Willing Willie and similar shows;

For Mr. Willie Revillame and the producers of the show to issue a public apology to Jan-jan and all their other guests whom they have humiliated in the past, and to promise never to commit the same acts in their future episodes;

For the MTRCB to conduct an investigation and review of the said episode to determine the violations made by the host and the producers of the show of the standards and regulations set by law and the Board, and impose corresponding penalties on those found guilty;

For the DSWD and the CHR to conduct an investigation into the said incident to determine the violations of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, committed by the host, the producers and the management of TV5, and initiate legal action against those who will be found responsible;

For the DSWD and the MTRCB, in partnership with the TV networks in the country, to formulate regulations that will cover the appearance of children on game shows and other reality-TV themed shows, especially those that are aired live;

For the Committee on Youth, Women and Family Affairs of the Senate to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, to institute amendments to Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 to protect children from similar violations;

For the DSWD to provide counselling to Janjan and to all other children who participated on the show in the past for possible trauma and other physiological distress, as well as to their parents who consider subjecting their children to such experience as acceptable;

For the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to provide legal support to the victims of these abuses who may want to pursue legal action against those who will be found responsible by the relevant government agencies; and

For the Philippine Association of National Advertisers and AdBoard to forward this complaint to all their members, especially those who advertise on Willing Willie, and to request their members to temporarily cease placing ads on the show until the host, the producer and the management have complied with this request and instituted reforms to avoid a repeat of this incident in the future. Otherwise, we will be constrained to start a call to boycott the products of those who will refuse to heed this request.


We are expecting a prompt reply and action on your part. We will be continuously monitoring this issue and will continue to gather support from the general public through a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Para-kay-Jan-jan-Shame-on-you-Willie-Revillame/102087546543288) we have started, as well as the mainstream media.

Signed:

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Original Sponsors of Willing Willie

P&G's Head & Shoulders,
UFC Cook & Dip Catsup,
Oishi Cookies,
Smart C Drinks,
Jollibee's Mang Inasal,
Unilever's Rexona,
Pepsodent,
Vaseline,
Surf Liwuid Detergent,
Glutamax Face Cream,
Pau Liniment,
Yakult,
CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino,
Technomarine,
Will Tower Mall,
Daily Spell fragrance,
Wil Cologne,
Protec-Cee,
Foton Automobile,
Manny Villar's Camella Homes,
Cebuana Lhuiller

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THOSE WHO PULLED OUT THEIR ADS:

Mang Inasal (Jollibee Food Corporation)
http://www.facebook.com/MangInasalPhilippines

Fit n' Right (Del Monte Philippines)
http://www.facebook.com/FitnRight

Proctor and Gamble, Distributing Pihilippines Inc.
Robert McDonald, CEO
brandinfo@ph.pgconsumers.com
Tel: (632) 894-3955 (MM)
1800-1-888-8008 (Outside MM, toll free)

Unilever Philippines
Fernando Fernandez, Chair
media.affairs@unilever.com
t: (632) 588-7400
f; (632) 588 7711

Cebuana Lhuillier
Jean Henri Lhuillier, CEO
T: (632) 895 1777, 8951619, 8951744, 8951222
F: (632) 5977814


THOSE WITHOUT OUT OFFICIAL STATEMENT OR THOSE WHO DECIDED NOT TO PULL OUT

Smart Communications Inc.,
Napoleon Navarro, President and CEO
publicaffairs@smart.com.ph

Suyen Corporation, Makers of Bench Clothing Line
Ben Chan, CEO
bench@benchtm.com
Tel; (632) 777-7888
Fax; (632)844-8150

Liwayway Manufacturing Corporation, Makers of Oishi Foods
Carlson Chan, Vice Chairman
carlsonroving@yahoo.com
T: (632) 844 8441-52
F: (632) 815 8343 or 887 4399

Aldrtz Corporate Center
Ritchie Corpus, Founder and President
Tel/Fax: (034) 432 3270
info@aldrtz.com

Nutriasia Group
Mr. Joselito Campos, Chairman and CEO
(632) 636 0279

Others not listed, in need of contact information as the website does not provide:
Technomarine Asia
Cherry Mobile

UPDATED 12:09 April 3,

Cherry Mobile
Maynard Ngu, Ceo
(632) 512 9302, 5479015, 547 8593, 577 5490

Technomarine Asia (Singapore)
+85223703555
info@technomarine.net

Foton Motor Philippines
Rommel Sutin, President
T: (632) 442 4076, 442 4077, 4424078
inq@foton.com.ph

Medical Test System (Distributor of Glutamax)
T: (632) 892 1250, 893 1443, 813 0069
F: (632) 816 6350
medtest@pldtdsl.net

Vista Residence Inc
Thrace Alcade, Business Development Head
T: (632) 298 5389
vistamanila@gmail.com

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Statement from the Department of Social Work and Development

PRESS STATEMENT of

DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman on the

Case of the Child “Jan-Jan” Shown in Willing Willie

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) condemns the emotional abuse and humiliation bestowed on a six-year-old child contestant, during the March 12, 2011 episode of the Willing Willie show aired on TV 5.

The sequence shows the boy gyrating in a distasteful manner with the audience, including the host (Willie Revillame), manifesting no evidence of concern or alarm for the child. This incident is clearly a violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and a blatant manifestation of child abuse. The term “child abuse” includes the following acts: “psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment,” and “any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the child as a human being.”

Putting pressure on children to do acts such as mimicking adult sexy dances, in exchange for a certain amount of money, and at the expense of being laughed at and ridiculed by hundreds of people, clearly traumatizes the child. This is a clear form of child abuse and will not be tolerated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The Department has already communicated to ABC Development Communication Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan asking that children should not be allowed to appear in TV shows like Willing Willie, especially those capitalizing on poverty as a source of immediate entertainment. In the formal communication with Mr. Pangilinan, the Department has also rebuked the insensitive actions and remarks of Mr. Revillame.

On a final note, the Department is also conducting its own investigation on the said incident and if warranted under the circumstances, legal action will be taken against the TV 5 management and other concerned parties in violation of RA 7610. The necessary counseling will also be awarded to the child and his parents, to prevent further trauma and abuse due to the media hype brought about by this saddening incident.

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Missing document.

Apology from TV5 and Mr. Revillame

Mr. Willie Revillame, the producers of "Willing Willie" and TV5 sincerely and deeply apologize for the segment of the show featuring 6-year-old Jan-Jan Suan which viewers may have found offensive or in bad taste. We wish to stress that there was never any intention to humiliate or abuse Jan-Jan or any contestant on the show.

"Willing Willie" is a program that was conceptualized to bring joy and hope and shine the spotlight on ordinary Filipinos. The program aims to provide a venue for everyone to show their talents, tell their stories and make their dreams come true. This is the thrust of everyone involved in the program, particularly its host, Willie Revillame.

Like most contestants on the show, Jan-Jan, accompanied by his aunt, joined the program to showcase his talent and play in a game segment in the hope of bringing home big prizes. He has performed in the past in school programs and mall contests, and his performance in "Willing Willie" was completely voluntary and with the blessings of his parents.

He appeared to be sad or even in tears, not because he was being forced to dance, but because he felt the dance was "serious" and he was playing a role. He did not want to smile because of his missing upper front teeth and because of the presence on the set of former basketball player Bonel Balingit who Jan-jan thought was a scary "giant".

Again, TV5 and Wil Productions express profound regret for any insensitivity on their part, and wish to thank all those who have expressed concern. We are always grateful to be reminded of our obligations to the viewing public. In turn, we hope to make clear that the objective of the show has always been to bring joy and hope to Filipinos, whether they are participating on the show or viewing at home.

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March 29, 2011

Dear Mr. Grate,

Greetings from the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA)!

This is to acknowledge receipt of your email sent to the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) office yesterday March 28.

Please find below the email circulated to the representative of PANA member-companies, attaching your letter documenting “Child Abuse on Willing Willie show in TV5”.

We are sharing this information to our membership consistent with our mission statement which states that: PANA aims to be an association of advertisers providing leadership, guidance and support in the promotion of effective, truthful and responsible marketing communications, championing self-regulation, consumer protection, values formation and the advancement of the practice of marketing communications to global standards.

With this information, we trust that our members will be guided accordingly on the best decision to take.

Rest assured that the management of TV5 has also been contacted regarding our member advertisers’ concern on this


Respectfully yours

John V. Rojo
President
PANA

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Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas, 
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,  

Froilan Grate | GreenMinds  
www.NoBystanders.com

Sunday, July 3, 2011

In the face of death

This incident happened four years ago, July 2, 2007.  I am re-posting this to remind myself, and again share with everyone, the lesson that I have learned from this experience. 

***********************

Youngblood
Hold-up 
By Froilan Grate
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:25:00 08/18/2009

I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it was all happening. The fellow behind me told me to go up the stairs. When I reached the second floor, the other guy pulled out something from his pocket and pointed it at my face. A gun.


At that moment, I knew it was for real. I wasn’t scared at all. All I felt was anger and sadness. Anger because I knew I was not the most evil person in the planet, so what had I done to deserve this? Sad because I thought my life was going to end this way. What a pathetic way to die.

Strange how things could change so fast. I was just standing on a road, near West Avenue in Quezon City, waiting for the rain to stop so that I could walk to the main road and catch a ride home. It was before 10 in the evening. Then, out of nowhere, a man or a boy (he couldn’t have been more than 20 years old) approached me to ask for the time. When I turned to look at him, another man came up from behind, put his arm over my shoulder and told me to take it easy, while pressing the tip of something metallic to my side. They said that if I would just remain calm, no one would get hurt. They told me to just follow what they told me and then I could go.

They asked me to walk with them. We walked for about 20 minutes until we reached a residential area. We came upon an old, abandoned house, one of them entered and the one behind me ordered me to follow. On the second floor, the guy pulled out his gun and pointed it at my face. I saw his face transform from that of a boy to that of the devil.

Maybe I cried—I am not sure about it now. But if I did, there were definitely no tears, and it was not because of fear, it was in anger. If I did cry, I am not ashamed of it: a person who cries in the face of death is no coward.

I remember saying, “Kuya, pag usapan natin ’to, please.” I said it over and over again, until one of them shouted, “P—g ina mo, hubad! Tumahimik ka!”

For some reason, I just stood there and pleaded with them. The man with the gun grabbed my bag and ordered me again to remove all my clothes. When I didn’t move still, he pressed the gun against my forehead and asked if I wanted to die.

I stripped to my underwear, while asking for something that they must have thought stupid. “Kuya, pwede iwan mo ’yung notebook?”

He threw it on the floor.

As soon as they got my shoes, my clothes and my bag, they walked out of the house as if nothing had happened. I was in shock and almost naked, so they expected me to hide in there and cry.

They were wrong. As they walked away, I did the most stupid thing anyone could think of. I jumped out of the window, barefoot but unaware that I was stepping on broken glass, and ran after them, all the while shouting and asking for help.

I caught up with them as they were about to exit the gate. When the guy with the gun saw me, he pointed it at me. I ducked behind a fence and hid.

They started running again, and I went after them. So there we were running on the street: one guy with all my stuff, the other with a gun, and me almost naked.

There were people around. Jeepneys, cars and tricycles passed us by. I stood in the middle of the street asking for help, but nobody stopped. So I kept running after them alone.

The guy with the gun stopped a tricycle and went off, so I went after the guy with my stuff. Suddenly, a man on motorcycle stopped beside me and told me to get on his bike. I did as he told me. He asked me what happened. I told him where the other guy went, and we went in the direction he took.

Unfortunately, the guy had entered a dark and narrow alley and my “knight” felt it would be too dangerous to pursue him.

He drove away fast. I asked him where we were going, but he did not answer. “Not again!” I thought.

Before I realized it, we were in front of a police station. Still naked, I entered the station and told the policemen on duty what had happened. They said we should go back, but the funny thing was that they were in no hurry to do so. No one bothered to offer me anything to cover myself with.

We went back to the place, with me still naked. The policemen asked around, but nobody wanted to say anything. No one saw anything. I pointed to the alley where the guy had made his escape. The policemen refused to go there, and I understood: There were just two of them, it was dark, and they didn’t even have a flashlight.

On our way back to the station, I asked them if we could pass by the old house so I could pick up my notebook. I went inside the house, alone and naked still, to get it.

Back in the police car (a multi-cab) when all the excitement was gone, I noticed a pool of blood on the floor. Only then did I realize that my feet were bleeding. (I would find out later that I had wounds in 14 different places, with the deepest wound taking about a month to heal.)

At the police station, I was interviewed so they could put the incident in the blotter. When the investigator learned that I had lost three phones (one was issued by the office) and P50,000 in cash and other valuables, he almost called me stupid, as if it was all my fault. The station commander told the investigator to hurry up, without bothering to hide his irritation.
I told them I could remember their faces, and could they perhaps ask someone to make sketches, like what we see the investigators do on “CSI”? For that, they said, I would have to go to Camp Karingal—on my own.

With the interview done, I was told to go home. I said I had no money left and I was naked and bleeding. It didn’t occur to them to bring me home or to a hospital. They said I could call home. I told them I was living alone. The station commander said, “E paano ’yan, mamamatay ka na lang pala niyan?”

I asked if I could borrow a cell phone. The commander said his phone had no load. When I asked if I could use their office phone, I was told somebody was using it.
After a long wait, I was finally able to call our office. Thankfully, one of our staff answered so I asked her to text my friends and tell them to pick me up.

While I was waiting for my friends, the guy in the motorcycle came back with a clean pair of shorts. I was touched by his kindness. He could have gone home and slept, but he came back to bring me something to cover myself with. When I asked who he was, he said his name was Chris. Then he said goodbye and went home.

A little later, two of my friends arrived and brought me home. They kept me company until I told them to go and get some rest.

I tried to sleep but couldn’t. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see the faces of the robbers and feel the gun on my face. Every time I heard some movement, I would think it was they. They had my ID, and my address, and they could have come after me. I stayed awake, until I was beside someone I love and trust. And only then did I cry.

All this happened two years ago. And it is only now that I am able to gather the strength to write about it.

Despite all the evil around us, I reaffirm my faith in the goodness of the human heart.

(Froilan Grate, 26, is chair of Add Up! Volunteers, a group of young individuals who have bonded together to do their share in nation building.)

Reposted from http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20090818-220798/Hold-up


Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas, 
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,  

Froilan Grate | GreenMinds  
www.NoBystanders.blogspot.com

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Globe responds, and I am happy

Two days ago, I wrote Globe and asked them three things:

1. Is Globe ready to commit that it will not advertise on Wil Time Big Time, at least until the KBP has ruled on the issue and the criminal case filed against Mr. Willie Revillame has been decided by the courts? I mean, would you be willing to risk your company’s reputation into someone (and a show) who will eventually be found guilty of child abuse?
2. Would Globe be willing to listen to its consumers on issues like this? Or will you be like SMART who refused time and again to listen to pleas from its consumers.

3. Would Globe be holding on to your values as a company and uphold the common good, or will you be like SMART who is only after profit?

You can find the entire letter here. 

Today, the President of Globe personally sent me a reply. The full reply is below:

****************

Hi Froilan,


First of all, thanks for acknowledging Globe's efforts in trying to improve our customer service.


Let me address some of your questions:


1. We will not be advertising either on the Willie show or on TV5. We did support Willie in his early years but pulled out because we felt that the values he began to demonstrate as his popularity grew became increasingly divergent to ours. We have not and will not support his shows on TV5 or any other venue.


2. We at Globe are transforming into a customer focused organization. That has become the hallmark of our strategy so it is integral to us to listen to our consumers. The development of our new products and services starts with understanding our customer's problems and solving them through innovative telecom solutions. An example of this is the groundbreaking 'My Super Plan' concept.


3. We believe that telcos should exist for a higher good as evidenced by how much we do in CSR and for the environment. We do need to maintain our profitability to fund this plus the heavy capital investments that we need to make on an annual basis.


Finally, thanks for continuing to be loyal to Globe. We are working towards building loyalty such as yours among our many subscribers and I believe we are making progress.


Best,


Ernest

****************

(*Emphasis mine)

I am personally satisfied with his reply, especially with Number 1. I will now be asking my friends and family to switch to Globe and stop supporting companies that promote (by financially supporting thru advertising) the commercialization and sexualization of children.

Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas, 
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,  

Froilan Grate | GreenMinds  
www.NoBystanders.blogspot.com

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Thou shalt not be a bystander

"Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
- Yehuda Bauer on the Holocaust


"The road to Auschwitz was built by hate but paved with indifference."
- Ian Kershaw

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

An appeal to Globe

Mr. Ernest Cu
President
Globe Telecom

Dear Mr. Cu,

Greetings! I pray this letter finds you well.

I hope that you don't mind that I am writing you again directly. You have personally answered my complaints before (and to be honest that is one of the reasons why I am still a Globe customer, for eleven years now), and I am taking the same liberty again to express my sentiment to you as a concerned subscriber.

I am part of an online community called Para Sa Mga Bata (Movement to End Child Abuse). Now 14,000-plus strong, this group came about as a result of what we believe was an incident of child abuse on a live game show on national TV. This group, I believe, is not only people power online, but also consumer power.


Immediately after bringing attention on this incident to various groups (government, media, advertisers, etc), we have asked the advertisers of the show to consider pulling out as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility and their commitment to upholding quality TV programming and most especially children’s rights. Major companies like Unilever, Procter and Gamble and Jollibee Food Corporation pulled out their sponsorship from the said show. This after the Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, international media organizations and thousands of Filipinos have said that indeed, it was child abuse. The MTRCB even suspended the show for one month for violation of broadcast rules.

After the suspension, however, the show went back on air supported by a few companies but most prominent among them were companies owned by Mr. Manny Pangilinan, including SMART. This despite the fact that a criminal case was filed against the host of the show where they chose to advertise.

A company does not own the money that they use to advertise. It is money paid to them by the consumers. As such, at the end of the day, it is basically the consumers who are paying for these poor quality shows with which these companies advertise. It is with this thought that I realized that some of my friends and family members are also guilty of supporting a show that is guilty of child abuse. And I cannot live with that.

It is for this reason that I will be asking my friends and family to give up their SMART number, and with the recent acquisition of Digitel by MVP, their Sun numbers as well. This leaves Globe as the only option. But before I do this, I need to ask you 3 questions:

1.   Is Globe ready to commit that it will not advertise on Wil Time Big Time, at least until the KBP has ruled on the issue and the criminal case filed against Mr. Willie Revillame has been decided by the courts? I mean, would you be willing to risk your company’s reputation into someone (and a show) who will eventually be found guilty of child abuse?
2.   Would Globe be willing to listen to its consumers on issues like this? Or will you be like SMART who refused time and again to listen to pleas from its consumers.
3.   Would Globe be holding on to your values as a company and uphold the common good, or will you be like SMART who is only after profit?

Lastly, for you, I would like to ask: Would you be the Globe President that I admired for transforming Globe’s customer service or will you be like Manny Pangilinan, who in my opinion, doesn’t give a damn about public opinion, doesn’t care about the request of their customers, and worse, doesn’t value the welfare and the rights of Filipino children.

When I wrote you last year about my concerns with Globe’s service and customer relations, you personally answered my concerns and have your people address them. When I wrote Mr. Pangilanan about this issue, he did not even bother to reply, much less ask his secretary to acknowledge it. I don’t want to be supporting a company headed by this kind of person. He might be one of the most successful businessmen around, but in my books, he doesn’t deserve even an ounce of respect as a leader. My hopes are with you.

Thank you for your indulgence in reading this letter.

Para sa mga bata,

Froilan Grate
Administrator
 
Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas, 
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,  
Froilan Grate | GreenMinds  
www.NoBystanders.blogspot.com

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Ang Kwento ng Puta

Tingin ng mga bobong kapitbahay ko puta daw ako. Nagpapagamit, binabayaran. Sabi nila ako daw ang pinakamaganda at pinakasikat sa aming lugar noon. Ang bango-bango ko daw, sariwa at makinis. Di ko nga alam kung sumpa ito, dahil dito naletse ang kinabukasan ko. Tara makinig ka muna sa kwento ko, yosi muna tayo.

Alam mo, maraming lumapit sa akin, nagkagusto, naakit.

Ang hirap pag lahat sa iyo virgin eh. Tinanggap ko naman silang tao, bakit kaya nila ako ginago? Masakit alalahanin, iniisip ko na lang na kase di sila taga rito, siguro talagang ganoon. Tatlong malilibog na foreigners ang namyesta sa katawan ko, na-rape daw ako.


Sa tatlong beses akong nagahasa, ang pinakahuli ang di ko makakalimutan. Parang maski di ko ginusto ang mga nangyari, hinahanap-hanap ko siya. Tinulungan nya kasi akong makalimutan yung mga sadistang Hapon at CoƱotics. Kase, ibang-iba ang hagod niya. Umiikot ang mundo ko sa tuwing ginagamit niya ako. Ibang klase siya mag-sorry, lalo pa at kinupkop niya ako at ang mga naging anak ko.

Parating ang dami naming regalo - may chocolates, yosi, ano ka! May datung pa! Nakakabaliw siya, alam kong ginagamit nya lang ako pero pagamit naman ako nang pagamit. Sa kanya namin natutunan mag-inggles, di lang magsulat ha! Magbasa pa! Hanggang ngayon, sa tuwing mabigat ang problema ko, siya ang tinatakbuhan ko. 'Yun nga lang, lahat ng bagay may kapalit. Nung kinasama ko siya, guminhawa buhay namin. Sosyal na sosyal kami.

Ewan ko nga ba, akala ko napapamahal na ako sa kanya. Akala ko tuloy-tuloy na kaligayahan namin, yun pala unti-unti niya akong pinapatay. P*** ng I**! Sa dami ng lason na sinaksak niya sa katawan ko, muntik na akong malaspag. Ang daming nagsabi na ang tanga tanga ko. Patalsikin ko na daw. Sa tulong ng mga anak ko, napalayas ko ang animal pero ang hirap magsimula.

Masyado na kaming nasanay sa sarap ng buhay na naranasan namin sa kanya. Lubog na lubog pa kami sa utang, kulang ata pati kaluluwa namin para ibayad sa mga inutang namin.

Sinikap naming lahat maging maganda ang buhay namin. Ayun, mga nasa Japan, Hong Kong, Saudi ang mga anak ko. Yung iba nag-US, Europe. 'Yung iba ayaw umalis sa akin. Halos lahat, wala naman silbi, masaya daw sa piling ko, maski amoy usok ako.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko na nagsisikap na tulungan ang kalagayan namin, siya din ang dami ng mga anak ko na namamantala sa kabuhayan at kayaman na itinatabi ko para sa punyetang kinabukasan naming lahat. Dumating ang panahon na di na kami halos makaahon sa hirap ng buhay. Napakahirap dahil nasanay na kami sa ginhawa at sarap.

Ang di ko inaakala ay mismong mga anak ko, ang tuluyang sisira sa akin. Napakasakit tanggapin na malinlang. Akala ko ay makakakita ako ng magiging kasama sa buhay sa mga ahas na ipinakilala ng mga anak ko Hindi pala. Ang tanga ko talaga. Binugaw ako ng sarili kong mga anak kapalit ng kwarta at pansamantalang ginhawa na nais nilang matamasa.

Wala na akong nagawa dahil sa sobrang pagmamahal ko sa aking mga anak. Wala akong ibang yaman kundi ganda ko. Pinagamit ko na lang ng pinagamit ang sarili ko, basta maginhawa lang ang mga anak ko.

Usap-usapan ako ng mga kapitbahay ko. May nanghihinayang, namumuhi at naaawa. Puta na kase ang isang magandang tulad ko.

Alam mo, gusto ko na sanang tumigil sa pagpuputa kaso ang laki talaga ng letseng utang ko eh. Palaki pa ng palaki. Kulang na kulang. Paano na lang ang mga anak ko naiwan sa aking punyetang puder? Baka di na ako balikan o bisitahin ng mga nag-abroad kong mga anak. Hindi na importante kung laspagin man ang ganda ko, madama ko lang ang pagmamahal ng mga anak ko. Malaman nila na gagawin ko ang lahat para sa kanila.

Sa tuwing titingin ako sa salamin, alam ko maganda pa rin ako. Meron pa din ang bilib sa akin. Napapag usapan pa din. Sa tuwing nakikita ko ang mukha ko sa salamin, nakikita ko ang mga anak ko. Tutulo na lang ang mga luha ko ng di ko namamalayan. Ang gagaling nga ng mga anak ko, namamayagpag kahit saan sila pumunta. Mahusay sa kahit anong gawin. Tama man o mali. Proud ako sa kanila. Kaso sila, kabaligtaran ang nararamdaman para sa akin.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko, iilan lang ang may malasakit sa akin. May malasakit man, nahihilaw. Ni di nga ako kinikilalang ina. Halos lahat sila galit sa isa't isa. Walang gusto magtulungan, naghihilahan pa. Ang dami ko ng pasakit na tiniis pero walang sasakit pa nung sarili kong mga anak ang nagbugaw sa akin. Kinapital ang laspag na ganda ko. Masyado silang nasanay sa sarap ng buhay. Minsan sa pagtingin ko sa salamin, ni hindi ko na nga kilala sarili ko.

Dadating na naman ang pasko, sana maalala naman ako ng mga anak ko. Isang buwan pa, magbabagong taon na. Natatakot ako sa taong darating. Ngayon pa lang usap usapan na ang susunod na pagbubugaw ng ilan sa mga anak ko. Sana may magtanggol naman sa akin, ipaglaban naman nila ako. Gusto kong isigaw: "INA NINYO AKO! MAHALIN NYO NAMAN AKO!"

Sige, dumadrama na ako. Masisira na ang make up ko nito eh. Salamat ha, pinakinggan mo ako.

Ay sorry, di ko nasabi pangalan ko.

Pilipinas nga pala.

Note: This is not an original piece but I am not able to trace who is the original author. If you happen to know, please leave a comment so that I can give proper credit. Thank you.

Edit: This is an original piece by Ms. Mike Portes, originally titled as "Minsan may isang puta"
Thanks to those made a comment as to the original author.

Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas, 
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,  

FG | GreenMinds 
 www.NoBystanders.blogspot.com

Marcos should be buried at the LNMB, but only if...

Yes, you got that right.

After being very much against it, I now have a change of heart. I am now in favor of allowing Ferdinand Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. Yes, even with full military honors. In fact, it should be a state burial due a true hero.

But only if the following conditions are met. And I mean all.

1. He should be buried on June 19, 2011 in celebration of Rizal's 150th birthday.
2. His family should surrender and return everything that they have stolen and plundered from this country.
3. His entire family, including Imelda, Imee and Bongbong, should also be buried with him. On the same day. All his other children and relatives who would refuse to admit that FM committed his crimes during the martial law years should also be buried with him.
4. Gloria Arroyo and Erap Estrada should be buried with him too.
5. All the 200+ congressmen who signed the resolution calling for his burial at the LNMB should be buried with him too. Yes, on the same day also.
6. Willie Revillame, Mikey Arroyo and MP should be buried with him. Of course, on June 11 too.
7. LNMB should be renamed to Libingan Ng Mga Magnanakaw (LMM).
8. A new Libingan ng mga Tunay na Bayani (LTB) shall be created using funds surrendered by the Marcoses.
9. All the real heroes currently buried at the LNMB shall be transferred to the LTB in a manner that will not dishonor them.The AFP general who stole from the Filipino people should remain at the LMM.
10. All of these will be shown on national TV, without commercial break.

Now, if all of these will happen, then and only then can we call FM a hero.

Patuloy na umiibig sa Pilipinas,
At naniniwala sa galing ng Pilipino,


FG

No Bystanders | GreenMinds
www.NoBystanders.blogspot.com
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