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Untitled Poem after Ondoy

mars — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:29:54 +0000

A couple of nights ago I sat in my room

Thinking about what I, we are doing here.

And I thought to myself,

Well I know im not here

To screw around and sip beer.

Well maybe…

But seriously there has to be a greater purpose than that.

Some of us are here cause we wana be smart and all of that.

Now, I did realize one thing we are here to try and be all that we can be…

And that’s a fact.

That night I sat in my room typing on my mac

Writing all kinds of lines about home and how I wana be back

But then I realize if I was home I would never get the chance to gain what I lack

Then I got tired and hit the sack

I woke up the morning after and despite my hurting back

I sat down by my mac

To write another line about home and the things that I lack.

Then it hit me like a smack.

See I realized that I had this knack

To write rhymes that are actually kind of wack

But at the same time state a lot of fact

I noticed these signs that I put up with a tack

It read, Belfort, and never quit…

Belfort is a guy that I admire.

This guy made me realize

That with clearer eyes

I could maximize

My potential to become real wise

About things that are important to girls and guys like you and me.

See

There are these things that matter no matter what side of the sea

You and I may be.

Around the world people wonder

What is wrong or right

But the truth of the matter is

No matter how much you ponder

Nothing we do is wrong or right

It just matters that in the end of the day, like at night

What we do is generous to others and not out of spite.

And to some… things like that are well,

Out of sight!

Unfortunately that’s not very tight.

In fact, the mere fact that people can be so selfish is actually kinda messed up.

In fact

We stand here now talking about this and that

While people around the world are fighting for their lives and that

Is kinda wack

Did you all see the Philippines on the news?

It looks like they were hit by a tsumani

Rain pouring down ruining a house of a family

And then I wonder… Hows my family?

I stand here now rhyming words about what I saw on the news

And I realized damn that’s my daddy.

Handing out bags of relief

To families that in one brief moment

Lost everything.

Then… I was reminded of the grief.

Somehow despite being free

Here

I feel like I’m stranded on a reef

I cant help my countrymen

Now I stand here in disbelief.

How can I preach about generosity

When I spend the majority

Of my time

TALKING about the monstrosity

That has wrecked my home with up most ferocity.

How I wish I could travel at a terminal velocity

To help the people of a metropolis suffering now from a natural atrocity.

So to end this poem

I must ask you a question

And honestly this is more of a suggestion

After what I just said I hope I didn’t cause you indigestion

But when you hear about news regarding nature’s aggression

Doesn’t that stuff just grab your attention?

In this story there is no bad guy

Cause with your help.

Theres just some family and a guy

Asking for help from passersby.

So he can once again say “finaly

food

I can again buy”

Instead of asking for food and sitting under the sky

he can now breathe a sigh

Of relief

Cause you were all kind enough to hand out cash for relief

So if you can donate anything to this jar of belief

You can now give your selves a pat in the back

For helping some Filipino’s get a nice big sack

Of some stuff that they now lack.

Politics and Web 2.0

mars — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:25:41 +0000

Hi all,

First, let me say that it’s great to have settled down again after an amazing honeymoon experience in Japan. As soon as I got back to the country though, a lot of my friends wanted to know if it was really me and Korina who were ‘tweeting.’ Let’s just say that I found the question amusing. Just so everyone knows, I’ve been using Twitter since late last year; Facebook, for over two years now (although these days I prefer looking at the comments in my fan page rather than my personal account). I’d also like to call myself a blogger but I don’t think the number of articles I’ve written will justify the title, haha. Hanggang ngayon parang newbie pa rin : )

At first, I thought that these social networks were just for getting in touch with my contacts online, sort of like e-mail only more social. Later, I was pleasantly surprised to find many of my schoolmates from high school and college adding me up as friends. People from work and even constituents from all over the country started sending me messages. Medyo na-overwhelm ako.

Reading messages came by the hundreds on some days. I’d add people up only to find out that I was limited to just 5000 friends. Now that I’ve gotten a hang of it though, I’ve limited myself to occasionally reading and answering messages, posting photos, and tweeting when time permits. I particularly like it that Facebook has a fan page that doesn’t limit the number of contacts I can have. My good friend Noynoy now has over 100,000 fans supporting and listening to him. Sobrang impressive ang pag-dami ng supporters! I am very proud that the internet population is doing its share in bringing about change to the country.

For the record, let me state that these are amazing tools for a country like the Philippines, a country so divided by geographical boundaries that it’s almost impossible to tell what’s going on without news coverage by national TV networks and newspapers. These physical limitations are now so easily beaten by two-sentence tweets or status updates. Nakakamangha.

Some say that these social networks belong to the younger generation and that us politicians should stay out of it. Sa palagay ko, hindi e. It’s an interesting experience, to say the least, both for the politician and his constituents. What better way for us to hear what people have to say than having comments appear real-time in a medium which everyone treats as their online identity? I remember when Congress attempted to railroad cha-cha with HR1109, the web exploded with so much negativity that one can’t help but be impressed with the online reaction. When the $50,000 dinners were held in the states, the net once again erupted in anger. When the flooding occurred in the metropolis, I remember reading dozens of contact details spreading virally because of both celebrity and non-celebrity tweets. It’s no secret that the the relief effort after the typhoons was largely a product of “bayanihan 2.0” – a combination of web and Filipino culture. Ang galing talaga!

I’d go even as far as saying that it might be a good idea for all our officials to have Facebook and Twitter. For one thing it would make them more accessible to those who’re interested in reaching them. For now, just for myself, having both Facebook and Twitter accounts, reading about what people say about current events, and tweeting every now and then about my own public, personal, and even married, life seems like a good way to start. Who would’ve thought that something that allows for so much transparency in government could be so easy and fun to use at the same time? Until my next update, feel free to let me know what you think about politicians and the internet in the comments below. Thanks!

Operation Tulong Bayan

mars — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:40:47 +0000

Saturday, 3pm. The tweet read @maroxas heard about flooding in MLA. I’ve asked friends to donate goods for flood victims. Feel free to help if you’re able donations can be brought to Balay, Expo Centro, Edsa cor. Gen Macarthur, Araneta Center, Cubao. Thanks

Just a few moments before that, Metro Manila was literally underwater. Everyone knew it and felt it. During the early chaos, Facebook and Twitter instantly became everyone’s personal news network. Friends were constantly sharing their personal experiences with the flood, emergency contact numbers, distress calls, and offers to help. That’s when I saw Senator Mar’s call for volunteers in Twitter.

Immediately after that, a friend sent a text saying that they would be organizing a relief operation called Operation Tulong Bayan as soon as possible. I hurriedly made plans to help out the next day. I made my way Sunday morning and found mostly familiar faces and some new faces. It looked like it was going to be a modest operation that would consist mostly of staff and friends of the organization.

For us girls, we were assigned the task to secure relief goods. Surprisingly, the grocery was quite full that Sunday morning and it was filled with people who themselves were trying to buy relief goods. It was really an inspiring site to see so many people buying cart loads of things to donate to the typhoon victims. As the grocery’s stocks depleted people settled with whatever else is available.

Much to our surprise, when we returned, the volunteer center already had an assembly line for packing the relief goods and volunteers had started arriving. There weren’t a lot initially, but there were enough to create an efficient assembly line. The center started filling up with new but determined faces all willing to work to do their part. All that was bought and donated disappeared almost instantly into relief packages.

Then truckloads of crackers and water came in and suddenly it all seemed so different from the morning. We were all carrying boxes and loading trucks with 1000 relief packages which already seemed quite amazing for such a short period of time. The assembly line was packing packages faster than it could be restocked.

When the first 900 relief goods were loaded and the truck was about to leave, we impulsively decided to ride along and visit the site. Our first delivery was to Bagong Silangan in Quezon City where 300 were already missing and 59 were dead. The church and the barangay gym already housed displaced families but there were still more trapped in the floods. Some of the community members that were spared from the flood told us how even they were giving their old clothes to help their neighbors. We started to unload the contents of the first truck when Noynoy and Mar arrived to help out. The community despite the dire situation cheered them on and seemed excited to see them. They listened patiently and seemed to be temporarily distracted from their need of relief goods.

Over the course of the next few days I saw the relief operation become more and more a volunteer initiative. Suddenly, the cartons from the relief goods were turned into makeshift beds so that the victims would have a clean place to sleep on. Then making of beds suddenly had its own production room and the volunteers took the initiative to make signs for their department. Outside the door was a carton sign that said “Furniture Department (Bed Making)” and a list of acceptable boxes to be brought to the department. Inside you’d find signs with a map of the area showing the flow of the production and signs sharing the department’s philosophy and motto.

By the third day, volunteers were already being turned down because the center was overflowing with volunteers. In the production area, volunteers were stepping up and beginning to lead their fellow volunteers. Some were line managers making sure the packaging of goods stayed efficient and some made sure that the incoming stocks didn’t take too much space. The volunteers had made the relief operation their own. Everyone was making new friends and contributing whatever they could.

Before we knew it, we hit the 10,000 deliveries mark, then the 100,000 mark. The volunteers were proud of themselves and their newfound friends because it had their names all over it. Each one had contributed to the process in their own little way, they put themselves into the operation. Some got lessons on how to separate and open plastic bags from Tita Ria, donations were warmly received by Mark, unloaders were taught to stack boxes by Jackie, and many other volunteers had their own quirky talent to bring.

Tulong Bayan started out as a relief operation but over the week evolved into a strong volunteer base of people who all wanted a better Philippines. Some had never volunteered but acted like it’s all they ever did. Everyone was tired but just kept going on because they knew this was bigger than themselves and that they could always sleep next week. As the operation neared closing there were jokes of now what do we do and having withdrawal when it’s all done. It rarely happens but like the rest of the volunteers I’m proud to have been a part of one of the rare moments when everyone unites to help one another out and it’s something I hope will continue even after the relief operations.

The Filipino in the Face of Calamity

mars — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:58:56 +0000

Hi guys,

Over the last few days, we’ve seen many unfortunate things happen to the country. The flooding and landslides have changed and continue to change millions of lives… but in the midst of this calamity, in a nation with morally bankrupt leaders, we find a people who help without asking anything in return, who donate their time, energy, and what little they can spare, to alleviate grief and loss of those affected the most. Watching and being a part of Bayanihan in action is an overwhelming feeling that cannot be put into words but I will try anyway.

Noy and I were in Bukidnon when the rains started. As soon as we heard what was going on though, we rushed to Manila. After seeing the devastation Ondoy caused, reducing parts of the metropolis to small urban ponds, we decided to do the only thing we could: help those who suffered, those who lost, and those who grieved. Warm food, water, and clothes were no longer just idle items in the back of our closets. These were critical necessities to those affected by the unrelenting tide of wind, rain, and floods. I asked my friends and family to help. I asked my staff to help. I asked you to help. This was no order from a public officer. This was a plea made to those capable of contributing the little things they could: canned goods, bottled water, rice, spare clothes, and noodles. Small, maybe even insignificant, commodities to many of us were now items of survival to those reduced to poverty overnight.

With the help of thousands of volunteers, young and old like you, with donations coming from both rich and poor alike, we were able to provide these critical necessities to those needing them the most. Watching the Filipino spirit kick in, in this time of grief and desperation has moved me, our countrymen, and even the global community. I saw a twitter photo the other day which captured everything with the words, “Where I’m from, everyone’s a hero.” One only needs to read and hear the stories in the last few days to know this to be true. This may be one of the worst tragedies our nation has experienced in recent years but it’s also testament to our capacity as a people. I am very proud to call myself a Filipino.

Thank you for volunteering, for donating.

In behalf of those we serve, thank you.
M.

P.S. We are now trying to gather support for our countrymen in the north. Please contribute or volunteer if you can.

The Filipino Spirit

mars — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:36:41 +0000

It was Tuesday 4:00 PM when I first entered the Balay Expo in Cubao to help other Operation-Tulong-Bayan volunteers prepare relief packs for the typhoon victims. I, together with my friends proceeded to this relief center as most of those we’ve gone through have more than enough hands but less to pack.

As I entered, the irony of it all struck me. Here I am standing in the middle of what seemed to be a well organized production department of a manufacturing facility, where human labor, appears to be a functional part of a huge well-oiled machine, has been in place so it could give aid to a pandemonium caused by Typhoon Ondoy. A sight to behold indeed – amazingly structured production area composed of people who hardly know each other and are from different age groups.

You’ll never miss to notice it – the atmosphere. Everyone, though have their hands full, are warm, smiling even giggling yet are actually seriously in a rush to pack as much while making friends on the side. The energy radiating from every volunteer alone is more than enough doze to boost your strength and will to keep going. Little did I know that four hours had passed and I have been scooping more than 10 sacks of rice to be repacked and hearing stories of two ladies I have just met, who by the way, were strangers to each one prior to that evening too.

As the days pass and going through the production line to being deployed here and there, your body may feel really tired and exhausted but your spirits are high. You would feel that certain sense of gratitude, feeling so blessed to have been given a healthy body, perfectly working pair of hands and feet. You’d be grateful to the advancement of the communication technology too, that your connections on your network and the contacts on your mobile phone are multiplying.

What surprised me is that in the midst of all these none took advantage of raising themselves up to be noticed nor to earn recognition. It was all for the spirit of Bayanihan. What stunned me more is that people are actually surprised how united we can all be and all support a good cause – to give as much help as we can to our fellow Filipinos who have lost a lot. Should that really come as a surprise to us until now?

More than two decades ago we have proven to the world that we are one by walking through the streets of this same calamity-stricken region for the same cause – every Filipino’s welfare and future, which describes the very essence of Bayanihan. The stimulus or drive may be of different nature but the goal is still the same.

History do repeats itself. We all decided to take part in marching for every Filipino’s interests after the tragic death of a hero more than two decades ago. Now, we are again moving here and there, united still, after the tragic retort of Mother Nature, for everyone’s safety. So now I’ll ask again…should this still come as a surprise?

We are Filipinos. Our values are deeply inculcated in us. I think we all just got caught up with all the clutter that we tend to neglect the innate good in us. I think more than anything this is what we should ascertain to treasure the most – we have great, unique principles. May we learn not to wait for another misfortune to remember what our ancestors have taught us. May we value it so much that we would think twice before we take advantage of our fellowmen for personal gain.

Together let us refuse to accept that corruption and crab mentality is a Filipino trait, as it is of every man’s, across all races. All over the world we are known to be hardworking, warm, spiritual and compassionate. That is who are and this is what we’ve been showing the world the past few days…and that is our system. That is the idea behind our relief operations – to re-live the morals handed down to us and not just to relieve ourselves of what may have caused all these disasters.