HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION
“Every kid (and kid at heart) looks forward to October, 31st each year. Little boys magically turn into vampires and little girls into fairies, bidding for the greatest haul of sugar laden sweets and candies. However, Halloween has a much deeper, and in some ways darker history, that has given birth to one of the most beloved holidays in the world.
Halloween’s origins go all the way back to Ancient times with the Celtic festival of Samhain. This was the Celt’s version of a New Years Eve celebration honoring the end of summer and harvest time, and marking a period of cold, darkness, and death of winter. Celts believed that this end of the year time marked the time in which the barrier between the living and the dead became thin. On October 31st the spirits would come back from the dead and create havoc by damaging the crops with frost and causing a multitude of other troubles.
The Roman church soon enacted a holiday to detour the worship of spirits, and so proclaimed November 1st as All Saint’s Day to honor the saints and martyrs of the church. This day was also known as All Hallows Eve. As the two religions began to mix much of the traditions of Samhain, such as dressing up in costumes and dancing around the fire, became one with All Hallows Eve to create Halloween”.
At present the celebration of Halloween has given so much emphasis on the negative spirits so that now even policemen and security guards are wearing masks of ghosts and other fearful elements. The result of this practice is turning the celebration to the darker side of life.
Since this is already accepted as All Saint’s Day I wonder why the Roman Catholic Church allow such kind of celebration. A better way of doing it probably is to encourage all Catholics to bring out in front of their houses their revered images of Saints on this day. That way the celebration shall me more positive, more festive and more relevant. Our Saints and Martyrs of the Church shall be properly honored.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
BEAUTIFICATION
BEAUTIFICATION
Who doesn’t like things beautiful? Beauty is one of the triad of harmonious living. Remember the True, the good and the beautiful of the fabulous Imeldific? Yes everybody wants oneself to be surrounded by things beautiful, if possible at all time.
Likewise higher authorities do things to create and promote beautiful places.Following this idea, the Church official made the Church Plaza more beautiful by fencing it with iron grill and creating a more impressive entrance arch. In like manner the Municipal authorities also saw to it the Municipal Plaza was also ‘beautiful’ with good clean landscape for everyone to behold.
Parking buses, jeeps and tricycles were not allowed. Vendors of all kinds were also told to vacate the spaces around the covered court. Now the unfinished Municipal Building was visible to everyone. Suddenly there was a wide open area that doesn’t suffocate.
Unfortunately streamers and tarpaulins of all sizes and colors were still hanging all around in wild abandon. The buses and other transport vehicles moved forward in front of the wider and longer front of the Church Plaza. But, as if attached to the transport vehicles by invisible rope the candy-vendor with its compartmentalized box and table followed. And so the vendor of delicacies such as puto, kutsinta, sapin-sapin, maja-blanca, petse-petse and cassava products and many others. In no time at all the ‘kwek-kwek’ and ice cream vendor were not left behind.
As the Municipal Plaza got clearer, cleaner and seemingly safer, the Church Plaza is beginning to be crowded and dirtier. They are now beginning to hang “sitsiriyas” on the newly painted iron grills. Some are even fixing their none functioning vehicles in the very front of the arch.
It is lamentable but it seems to be a cycle going round and around. The tricycles were remove because they were ‘eye-sores’ but they were allowed to gather in great number enough to occupy two blocks in a once very peaceful and serene neighborhood. This was true also in many previously quiet Barangays.
It is every citizen’s dream to live in a community where the true, the good and the beautiful keeps the harmony and peace. It will possibly remain a wild dream.
Who doesn’t like things beautiful? Beauty is one of the triad of harmonious living. Remember the True, the good and the beautiful of the fabulous Imeldific? Yes everybody wants oneself to be surrounded by things beautiful, if possible at all time.
Likewise higher authorities do things to create and promote beautiful places.Following this idea, the Church official made the Church Plaza more beautiful by fencing it with iron grill and creating a more impressive entrance arch. In like manner the Municipal authorities also saw to it the Municipal Plaza was also ‘beautiful’ with good clean landscape for everyone to behold.
Parking buses, jeeps and tricycles were not allowed. Vendors of all kinds were also told to vacate the spaces around the covered court. Now the unfinished Municipal Building was visible to everyone. Suddenly there was a wide open area that doesn’t suffocate.
Unfortunately streamers and tarpaulins of all sizes and colors were still hanging all around in wild abandon. The buses and other transport vehicles moved forward in front of the wider and longer front of the Church Plaza. But, as if attached to the transport vehicles by invisible rope the candy-vendor with its compartmentalized box and table followed. And so the vendor of delicacies such as puto, kutsinta, sapin-sapin, maja-blanca, petse-petse and cassava products and many others. In no time at all the ‘kwek-kwek’ and ice cream vendor were not left behind.
As the Municipal Plaza got clearer, cleaner and seemingly safer, the Church Plaza is beginning to be crowded and dirtier. They are now beginning to hang “sitsiriyas” on the newly painted iron grills. Some are even fixing their none functioning vehicles in the very front of the arch.
It is lamentable but it seems to be a cycle going round and around. The tricycles were remove because they were ‘eye-sores’ but they were allowed to gather in great number enough to occupy two blocks in a once very peaceful and serene neighborhood. This was true also in many previously quiet Barangays.
It is every citizen’s dream to live in a community where the true, the good and the beautiful keeps the harmony and peace. It will possibly remain a wild dream.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
FOR WANT OF A MAID
FOR WANT OF A MAID
She came from Bacolod. A 48 year-old, talkative woman who had been widowed twice. She was referred to us by a friend who knew all along that we have been looking for a housemate to help us do the regular household chores.
Immediately, she started telling many interesting stories about her family. Both her husbands died of accident and she was left with four children two each from both former partners. Her eldest daughter was taking up Nursing while her son was taking up Engineering. The two younger are still in the elementary grades.
Asked how she managed to send her children to school, she said they were both full scholars because they were intelligent. She seemed to be the housemate we have been looking for. We considered ourselves pretty lucky this time. She knew how to cook, do laundry and ironing and almost anything that we wanted her to do.
We offered her a room used by my nephew before he got married and have a house of his own. Because the room had been idle for a long time some insects and house lizards have been everywhere. It was cleaned by my two boy helpers. When she was about to sleep she was greeted by a giant “tuko” lying flat on her bed.
I asked my boy helpers to chase the “tuko” and in fact it was killed.
The new housemate was probably traumatized and was unable to sleep. The following morning she was going around telling everyone how uneasy she felt that night to the point that she thought she heard laughter and some undecipherable sounds as if from ghosts.
She did her job well. Both my wife and I silently wished that she stay longer with us. All is well the whole day but at around 10:00 O’clock in the evening she came up to the second floor where my wife and I were sleeping, complaining of severe abdominal pain. I gave her anti-acid thinking that she probably was suffering from hyperacidity. But she was not relieved. I gave her anti-spasmodic but also to no avail. She claimed that it was the first time it happened to her.
I presumed that the pain was psychological and was probably being experienced by her for second gain such as “attention-getting or mask of responsibility”. I went to bed myself assured that the pain would be gone soon enough. But no… it turned more severe. She started doubling up. Imagining that it could be a symptom of “pancreatitis” I brought her to the hospital. As a routine procedure she was given drips, injections and other medicine. An electrocardiogram was performed as well as blood chemistry, urinalysis and fecal examination. When she complained of mild chest pain she was administered Oxygen inhalation and scheduled for Ultra sound examination the following day.
I talked to the Resident-on-duty to explain my suspicion that the symptom was psychological and true enough when I told her that I would ask her “Ninong” to fetch her so that she could rest and recuperate in his place, she immediately felt relieved of all her symptoms. What we first thought was a gold find turned out to be just a bundle of mad. It cost as much.
Moral of the story: If you can do the job yourself, don’t depend on maids.
She came from Bacolod. A 48 year-old, talkative woman who had been widowed twice. She was referred to us by a friend who knew all along that we have been looking for a housemate to help us do the regular household chores.
Immediately, she started telling many interesting stories about her family. Both her husbands died of accident and she was left with four children two each from both former partners. Her eldest daughter was taking up Nursing while her son was taking up Engineering. The two younger are still in the elementary grades.
Asked how she managed to send her children to school, she said they were both full scholars because they were intelligent. She seemed to be the housemate we have been looking for. We considered ourselves pretty lucky this time. She knew how to cook, do laundry and ironing and almost anything that we wanted her to do.
We offered her a room used by my nephew before he got married and have a house of his own. Because the room had been idle for a long time some insects and house lizards have been everywhere. It was cleaned by my two boy helpers. When she was about to sleep she was greeted by a giant “tuko” lying flat on her bed.
I asked my boy helpers to chase the “tuko” and in fact it was killed.
The new housemate was probably traumatized and was unable to sleep. The following morning she was going around telling everyone how uneasy she felt that night to the point that she thought she heard laughter and some undecipherable sounds as if from ghosts.
She did her job well. Both my wife and I silently wished that she stay longer with us. All is well the whole day but at around 10:00 O’clock in the evening she came up to the second floor where my wife and I were sleeping, complaining of severe abdominal pain. I gave her anti-acid thinking that she probably was suffering from hyperacidity. But she was not relieved. I gave her anti-spasmodic but also to no avail. She claimed that it was the first time it happened to her.
I presumed that the pain was psychological and was probably being experienced by her for second gain such as “attention-getting or mask of responsibility”. I went to bed myself assured that the pain would be gone soon enough. But no… it turned more severe. She started doubling up. Imagining that it could be a symptom of “pancreatitis” I brought her to the hospital. As a routine procedure she was given drips, injections and other medicine. An electrocardiogram was performed as well as blood chemistry, urinalysis and fecal examination. When she complained of mild chest pain she was administered Oxygen inhalation and scheduled for Ultra sound examination the following day.
I talked to the Resident-on-duty to explain my suspicion that the symptom was psychological and true enough when I told her that I would ask her “Ninong” to fetch her so that she could rest and recuperate in his place, she immediately felt relieved of all her symptoms. What we first thought was a gold find turned out to be just a bundle of mad. It cost as much.
Moral of the story: If you can do the job yourself, don’t depend on maids.
Friday, October 16, 2009
HE DID NOT DIE IN VAIN
HE DID NOT DIE IN VAIN
A very young and healthy man died as a result of “brutal hazing practice” The incident was broadcast on T.V. The whole town was shocked. Things like this were never heard before. Ours is a “quiet” town.
Parents won’t believe that a kind of Fraternity was operating in our “peaceful” locality. Until this horrible incident no one really cared and no one seemed to listen to a few concerned citizens warning about supposedly “brotherhood organizations” and their secret activities.
Now everybody is talking about it and everybody is interested especially parents who used to be unconcerned about the whereabouts of their children.
Like the destructive onrushing of flood brought about by Typhoon Ondoy the killing was a ‘big bang’ that awakened the whole community.
Municipal officials shall be busy inquiring on important data about the existence of several groups recruiting members. Policemen shall be investigating and watching more thoroughly. Schools shall be more careful and concerned about their students.
Churches shall be preaching more and more about the dangers of such groupings.
I don’t personally know the fellow who was brutalized ‘hazingly’. He is not from our town but happened to be here because he is employed in one hardware store.
I also learned that these ‘fraternities’ are not the legitimate ones like those existing in big Universities. They are just gang groups masquerading as “fraternities” and recruiting mostly out-of-the-school youth and helpers coming from other regions.
If the death of the victim could bring about a better outlook and would eventually prevent formation of other “fraternities” then I could honestly say he did not die in vain. May he rest in peace.
A very young and healthy man died as a result of “brutal hazing practice” The incident was broadcast on T.V. The whole town was shocked. Things like this were never heard before. Ours is a “quiet” town.
Parents won’t believe that a kind of Fraternity was operating in our “peaceful” locality. Until this horrible incident no one really cared and no one seemed to listen to a few concerned citizens warning about supposedly “brotherhood organizations” and their secret activities.
Now everybody is talking about it and everybody is interested especially parents who used to be unconcerned about the whereabouts of their children.
Like the destructive onrushing of flood brought about by Typhoon Ondoy the killing was a ‘big bang’ that awakened the whole community.
Municipal officials shall be busy inquiring on important data about the existence of several groups recruiting members. Policemen shall be investigating and watching more thoroughly. Schools shall be more careful and concerned about their students.
Churches shall be preaching more and more about the dangers of such groupings.
I don’t personally know the fellow who was brutalized ‘hazingly’. He is not from our town but happened to be here because he is employed in one hardware store.
I also learned that these ‘fraternities’ are not the legitimate ones like those existing in big Universities. They are just gang groups masquerading as “fraternities” and recruiting mostly out-of-the-school youth and helpers coming from other regions.
If the death of the victim could bring about a better outlook and would eventually prevent formation of other “fraternities” then I could honestly say he did not die in vain. May he rest in peace.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
TAMING A MINI FOREST
TAMING A MINI FOREST
Our ancestral house is surrounded by trees, big fruit-bearing trees plus many others for ornamental purposes. I called my place a MINI FOREST. It looks so good, so refreshing and so invigorating – an envy of many guests who happen to see and experience it.
It is also my pride because it serves as nature’s show window complete with beautiful birds and cute pretty butterflies flying around at all time. The harmony of nature’s sound is like an endless lullaby that keeps you dreaming continuously.
But there is one big problem. During Typhoon Season the tree branches turn to be dangerous fractured pieces of nature that could damage greatly our house and those of our neighbors.
I decided to cut (not kill) the tall ones like the Narra, the Mahogany, the Ilang-ilang, the Santol, the Mango and the Eucalyptus as well as the Indian trees. My garden suddenly turned bright but not really changed. New crude landscaping is needed to keep the whole place natural.
Soon new branches will grow out of the cut trunks and new younger looking trees shall be back to revived my Mini Forest-Garden.
What I did without the intention, turned out to be a useful protective measure that gave me tremendous peace of mind when Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng came one after the other. I was able to sleep contentedly even if the rain was pouring hard. No branches were flown by the wind to damage properties while my garden was growing fresh green branches at the same time with the colorful poinsettias in preparation for Christmas Season.
Our ancestral house is surrounded by trees, big fruit-bearing trees plus many others for ornamental purposes. I called my place a MINI FOREST. It looks so good, so refreshing and so invigorating – an envy of many guests who happen to see and experience it.
It is also my pride because it serves as nature’s show window complete with beautiful birds and cute pretty butterflies flying around at all time. The harmony of nature’s sound is like an endless lullaby that keeps you dreaming continuously.
But there is one big problem. During Typhoon Season the tree branches turn to be dangerous fractured pieces of nature that could damage greatly our house and those of our neighbors.
I decided to cut (not kill) the tall ones like the Narra, the Mahogany, the Ilang-ilang, the Santol, the Mango and the Eucalyptus as well as the Indian trees. My garden suddenly turned bright but not really changed. New crude landscaping is needed to keep the whole place natural.
Soon new branches will grow out of the cut trunks and new younger looking trees shall be back to revived my Mini Forest-Garden.
What I did without the intention, turned out to be a useful protective measure that gave me tremendous peace of mind when Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng came one after the other. I was able to sleep contentedly even if the rain was pouring hard. No branches were flown by the wind to damage properties while my garden was growing fresh green branches at the same time with the colorful poinsettias in preparation for Christmas Season.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
POLITICAL RARITY
POLITICAL RARITY
It is uncommon in the Philippines. In fact it is the first that something like it happened. It is so rare an incident that some skeptics were quietly disappointed. I am referring to the peaceful take-over by Mayor Joy Peñano who was vindicated several years after filing a protest against the result of the last election that originally proclaimed Ver Varias as winner.
From the very start of the protest there were only wild talks and wilder jokes but there were never great fights between political opponents and followers. In other municipalities, situations like this results to many quarrels and misunderstandings sometimes resulting to killings – but not in Alfonso, our town which has always been relatively peaceful as proven during the Second World War.
Local residents attributed it to the miraculous intercession of the town’s Patron Saint, John Nepomucene. During the Japanese occupation the neighboring towns were all heavily disturbed but the town of Alfonso remained peaceful and surprisingly festive. Social organizations did not run out of interesting activities for everyone. As a result the damage of war was minimal though the Japanese also stayed there for quite sometime.
In 1934 the elected Mayor Juan Mojica, Sr. won only one vote over his opponent, Laureano Rosanes but there was no commotion. Everybody seemed to trust everyone so genuinely that the result wasn’t protested or discussed further.
Going back further before Alfonso was established as a separate town from Mother Indang there was very strong oppositions between Don Bonifacio Aveo and Don Felix del Mundo in choosing the site to be made the Poblacion. Aveo was sponsoring Taywanak (Malaking Bayan) because it is the meeting point between Indang, Maragondon, Magallanes and Bailen, while del Mundo was backing Pajo because it is directly connected to Indang. Both were established political leaders and no one would give way. During the heat of the controversy Don Herminigildo Aviñante, a civic leader, offered Alas-as as a compromise solution since it is located in a neutral point. Both Aveo and del Mundo readily accepted the suggestion and since then Alfonso has always been peaceful.
At present the peace and tranquility of the place is possibly because it remained a virgin after all those years gone-by. There are no factories and business establishments that usually attracts workers from far places and since there are few outsiders there are no beer gardens or red houses. Staying in Alfonso is simply an experience in Paradise. Thanks both to Mayor Joy Peñano and Ex-mayor Ver Varias
It is uncommon in the Philippines. In fact it is the first that something like it happened. It is so rare an incident that some skeptics were quietly disappointed. I am referring to the peaceful take-over by Mayor Joy Peñano who was vindicated several years after filing a protest against the result of the last election that originally proclaimed Ver Varias as winner.
From the very start of the protest there were only wild talks and wilder jokes but there were never great fights between political opponents and followers. In other municipalities, situations like this results to many quarrels and misunderstandings sometimes resulting to killings – but not in Alfonso, our town which has always been relatively peaceful as proven during the Second World War.
Local residents attributed it to the miraculous intercession of the town’s Patron Saint, John Nepomucene. During the Japanese occupation the neighboring towns were all heavily disturbed but the town of Alfonso remained peaceful and surprisingly festive. Social organizations did not run out of interesting activities for everyone. As a result the damage of war was minimal though the Japanese also stayed there for quite sometime.
In 1934 the elected Mayor Juan Mojica, Sr. won only one vote over his opponent, Laureano Rosanes but there was no commotion. Everybody seemed to trust everyone so genuinely that the result wasn’t protested or discussed further.
Going back further before Alfonso was established as a separate town from Mother Indang there was very strong oppositions between Don Bonifacio Aveo and Don Felix del Mundo in choosing the site to be made the Poblacion. Aveo was sponsoring Taywanak (Malaking Bayan) because it is the meeting point between Indang, Maragondon, Magallanes and Bailen, while del Mundo was backing Pajo because it is directly connected to Indang. Both were established political leaders and no one would give way. During the heat of the controversy Don Herminigildo Aviñante, a civic leader, offered Alas-as as a compromise solution since it is located in a neutral point. Both Aveo and del Mundo readily accepted the suggestion and since then Alfonso has always been peaceful.
At present the peace and tranquility of the place is possibly because it remained a virgin after all those years gone-by. There are no factories and business establishments that usually attracts workers from far places and since there are few outsiders there are no beer gardens or red houses. Staying in Alfonso is simply an experience in Paradise. Thanks both to Mayor Joy Peñano and Ex-mayor Ver Varias
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
LUCKY NINE
LUCKY NINE
9-9-9 is the numerical representation of the date September 9, 2009 but to many old folks ”s’yam-s’yam” (9-9) means 9x9, signifying endlessness when referring to non stop raining like what we are experiencing now, at least here at Southern Luzon due to the passing of typhoon Labuyo.
When it is raining continuously, calamities such as flood, landslide, etc., are experienced in many communities in the lowlands. Lucky are we in the uplands where such calamities are almost nil.
It is pleasant to eat anything during rainy days. Pleasant too, it is to relax and just indulge in daydreaming. More pleasant still is to just observe the surroundings with the trees swaying gently left and right, sometimes wildly in all directions.
Few birds are flying. But one little humming bird catches my attention. It is happily jumping from flower to flower of the bright Japanese Bougainvillea.
I wonder if it could sip from the rain-drenched blossoms. That bird must be too hungry to try its luck under the very dangerous situation or perhaps that little bird is a worried mother trying to get something it could share with its tiny offspring.
Then I see two bigger birds also looking for food. They sighted the ripe bananas hanging at the window of my open terrace. I just allowed them, even took pictures of them while happily feasting on my ripe bananas.
Back to 9-9-9, this is the 40th day of Cory’s death and this is the day Noynoy will make or announce his decision if he is going to run for presidency this coming election next year. As I am writing this he is at Press conference and whatever he shall announce I just hope it will bring much luck to the already too deprived Filipinos.
9-9-9 is the numerical representation of the date September 9, 2009 but to many old folks ”s’yam-s’yam” (9-9) means 9x9, signifying endlessness when referring to non stop raining like what we are experiencing now, at least here at Southern Luzon due to the passing of typhoon Labuyo.
When it is raining continuously, calamities such as flood, landslide, etc., are experienced in many communities in the lowlands. Lucky are we in the uplands where such calamities are almost nil.
It is pleasant to eat anything during rainy days. Pleasant too, it is to relax and just indulge in daydreaming. More pleasant still is to just observe the surroundings with the trees swaying gently left and right, sometimes wildly in all directions.
Few birds are flying. But one little humming bird catches my attention. It is happily jumping from flower to flower of the bright Japanese Bougainvillea.
I wonder if it could sip from the rain-drenched blossoms. That bird must be too hungry to try its luck under the very dangerous situation or perhaps that little bird is a worried mother trying to get something it could share with its tiny offspring.
Then I see two bigger birds also looking for food. They sighted the ripe bananas hanging at the window of my open terrace. I just allowed them, even took pictures of them while happily feasting on my ripe bananas.
Back to 9-9-9, this is the 40th day of Cory’s death and this is the day Noynoy will make or announce his decision if he is going to run for presidency this coming election next year. As I am writing this he is at Press conference and whatever he shall announce I just hope it will bring much luck to the already too deprived Filipinos.
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