On "Lupang Hinirang" (Re-Mastered)

During the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch, I wrote a lengthy blog post about out National Anthem. In it, I critiqued the various performances before boxing matches.  Until then, it was a hit or miss thing that did nothing to boost national pride.

Tomorrow morning, Karylle [Tatlonghari] is given the honor.  Despite a famous ex-boyfriend and a diva for a mother, she's got her head on straight.  She has better odds than Pacquiao of giving a great performance.

Speaking of odds, what's gotten into our "Pambansang Kamao?"  It's hard to believe what most say that he's just in for the purse.  Additionally, this bout is turning out to be a gambler's wet dream. So they're all in it for the money. What the ****!?  Where's Pac-Man's patriotism and "para sa bayan" mantra? Honestly, I just wish he comes out of this with his pride intact.

For those like Pacquiao who need a shot in the arm, there's a new film version of "Lupang Hinirang." It is meant to touch the hearts and minds of Filipinos everywhere.  This 2:28-minute video was created purposely "for reflection.  It is not meant to replace the official anthem normally played as a march."

Please watch it and be reminded.

Printed WITHOUT PERMISSION(!) from proudlyfilipina.com

On Playing Devil’s Advocate

During announcements at Mass, the Program of Activities for Parish Week came up.  Sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony will be held for free, a medical clinic will be held and there will be the usual distribution of goods to our less fortunate neighbors.  “An Instructive Talk by Bro ___ & Sis ___ from Ministry of Family Life speaker of a relevant issues on the church stand against propose congressional bill on Reproductive Health[sic]” is scheduled on Thursday night.  All parishioners are invited, according to the flyers. 

So what will I do Thursday night?  I will participate in the Angelus and Rosary at 6pm then attend the 6.30 Mass.  “The Talk” will begin at 7:30.  What do I expect?  I expect to hear a rational and detached speech outlining the practicality of the Church’ opposition to HB00017.  I am looking forward to seeing the full text of the Reproductive Health Bill and discussing it point by point.  I am writing down my questions and hope that I get straightforward answers.  And although chances are nil that I’d change my mind, I hope that some salient points will be brought up that make me understand the Church.  Finally, I’m excited to have intelligent discussion on something I feel strongly for. 

Will I finally be excommunicated?  I seriously doubt it though it’s a possibility.  Will I be unpopular because of my stand?  For sure.  Will it stop me?  Never!  As “filipina42,” I’ve shown that I’m proud of my citizenship, my gender and my age in that order.  These are the things that define me.  My identity is insignificant.  If I was named Kitty Go, I’d use that nick too.  Unfortunately, it’s not. 

I will do everything in my capacity to do right by Filipina mothers.  Change that:  Catholic Filipina mothers.  I will continue what I do for just one violent reaction.  Please take a stand.

On The Reproductive Health Bill

I maintain a hard-line stance supporting the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill because of two incidents that have happened in my life.

At the age of 19, I had been bleeding for about a month and went to a private obstetrician’s office.  I consulted about my condition as I concluded the worst.  As the MD was taking my history, she learned that I was still single.  I cannot describe the disbelief on her face as she learned of this fact.  She then proceeded to ask me in a voice loud enough to be heard in the waiting room:

-And you’re still single?

Yes Doctor.

-And you’re here because you’ve been bleeding for a month?

Yes, Doctor.

-And you’ve been having sexual relations?

Yes, Doctor.  (Repeat 5 times).

On the sixth round of the conversation, I mumbled something and stepped out of her office into a waiting room full of pregnant women staring.  It was only years later that I realized that my health may have been in serious peril.  Back then it was just an inconvenience.  Those zealots made it impossible for me to gather up the courage to go to another doctor. 

The second incident was when my daughter got pregnant at the age of 15.  It was a scandal in our openly religious city.  She was enrolled in a Catholic school and was, not surprisingly, promptly expelled.  I had wanted her to remain in school but it was impossible to find one willing to accept her in this condition.  Finally, a small Baptist school near the outskirts of the city took her in.  They had exemplified what being Christian truly was.  To this day, I am grateful for their unconditional acceptance.

Then the nuns from her old school made a strange request.  They asked that my daughter’s attendance from their school be stricken from the transcript!  I was supposed to ask the Baptists to LIE for them?

In Manila where these things are more commonly accepted, I know of Catholic schools that retain these single, pregnant girls.  However, they are often required to stay away from the general population.  Mostly these girls are home-schooled, taking their examinations in campus at night or supervised at home.  They're rarely acknowledged in normal conversation and usually spoken of in whispers or as the subject of gossip.

Catholic guilt makes it taboo to even talk about the subject of sexual relations.  It’s a costly mistake I made, not speaking to health-care professionals or discussing these with my daughter or parents.   Now I know that when intelligently and openly discussed, reproductive health care awareness will benefit everyone.  Nobody can second-guess me, what if the atmosphere is finally right and I can openly teach abstinence to my children?  It's the safest alternative, no doubt.  There is a massive outcry on the Bill that most have yet to see.  In other countries, this Bill is deemed anti-life.  Worse yet, some have claimed that a "Two-Child policy" will be imposed, not unlike China's "one-child" policy.  The ignorant are the most vocal about this, yet nowhere in the Bill is abortion or population control is mentioned.  In fact the title of the Bill includes the words "Population Development."

The Church is obstinate regarding extramarital relations, which I totally accept as a Catholic Filipina.  However, to deny the health care and information to all is to deny them their right to choose.  This interference with legislation reeks of a modern-day Inquisition.  Will the Church actually involve our Muslim sisters? How about those without access or unable to obtain quality service?  The proposed Reproductive Health Care Bill is national in scope, providing for each Filipino regardless of age, religious affiliation or economic status.

A post on pinoyexchange says it best:  Instead of meddling in political affairs, the Church should focus on attending to the Church should focus on attending to the spiritual and corporal needs of its flocks. In my opinion, if the Philippine Catholic Church is really intent on overstepping the boundaries, it should focus instead on preaching “Thou shalt not kill” of the extrajudicial killings and “Thou shalt not steal” from the national coffers.  

Rather than following blindly, please make an informed choice by reading the Inquirer article  Reproductive Health Bill: Facts, fallacies penned by the author of House Bill 00017, Rep. Edcel Lagman. The full text of this bill is still unavailable in the Philippine Congress website, but to view its history, please click here.  Read the significance of "Humanae Vitae" on these events.  Read articles for and against the controversial bill.  Finally, read this eye-opening opinion which cites a problem far larger than the issues at hand.

This Online Petition supports the immediate passage of this Bill into law.  Please sign up after reviewing all available opinions/facts.

One of the articles claims that Saint Thomas Aquinas had said "...anyone upon whom the ecclesiastical authority in ignorance of true fact imposes a demand that offends against his clear conscience, should perish in excommunication rather than violate his conscience."

Go ahead, excommunicate me.

On School Uniforms & Dress Codes (Part II)

I pity Silliman University authorities for even trying to define "appropriate dress." It's so subjective that it's bound to generate arguments on all sides. I won't spare anyone my take on this matter. I will, however, make it a lot more interesting.

Sleeveless shirts for both men and women are not only worn for their fashion merit. There's a whole sensibility to this. It keeps the wearer cool in the Dumaguete weather and the blackouts:) The best part of these articles of clothing is that they spare the public at large from those disgusting things called sweat marks.


Unless I go to a private affair, I don't wear tube or off-shoulder blouses. I wouldn't exactly define them as inappropriate, but I got that email with the video of a girl whose tube top was pulled down as a prank by a stranger. It totally freaked me out!

Source: www.olivergoodstuff.com

Source: community.livejournal.com/sfas

Source: houseofholland.co.uk

And who's to tell us what's foul or not? Even being politically correct is a matter of taste. The shirt above cost 35 pounds and anyone "fasyon" recognizes it. If it's "in," is it right? And how about politically incorrect t-shirts, what does it mean anyway? Is a "Gloria Resign!" slogan foul? Any number of minorities may find any number of logos offensive. Take your pick.

What's with plunging necklines? I made a comment regarding bra size in my last post. I wasn't exaggerating. They matter. Plunging necklines only seem obscene when it's filled it out, and even that's a matter of debate. With anyone with cup size smaller than "B," you would only expose your clavicle.

Source: www.people.com

An identical dress, a fairly decent one by any standard, can look different on two women. We may write down all the rules and the kids may try to follow it to the letter with malice to no one. Sometimes, though, we should just admit that we don't have it all covered.

This pair of pants retails at $79.00 at Abercrombie & Fitch. These are "The" tattered/torn jeans!

What if you can't get these jeans and can afford only ukay? I once had a pair of those and literally wore them till they fell apart. And it was the time when torn jeans weren't even uso.

Source: www.abercrombie.com

Athletes in shorts always look HOT, they distract you in the worst possible way. Is that why they want to ban athletic wear in the campus? So for as long as the Varsity teams compete to the best of their ability, let them wear what they want! I'm kind of divided on the PE uniform thing though, especially when they've been recently used. If it's a matter of hygiene, I'd probably consider. But as to the comfort and time element, I'd rather run to my next class in this gear than in a pretty dress.
Source: www2.hkedcity.net

On the subject of "short" shorts for men however, I agree that they should be banned. Just because they're fugly, nothing else. Wearing those infamous "nutcracker" shorts are over. Plus, this might cause blood to rush to you head. Not nice!
Source: www.stevetaft.com

Leggings are cute. I was there when they came out the last time, I think the 80's. I hope they're not on the way out. It's entirely different how they are worn by kids today. It's actually a form of modesty to wear leggings or skinny jeans under a short dress.

Source: www.areyouabeauty.com

Fashion is dynamic so it keeps changing. And even as the dress code is being discussed, tube tops might not be "it thing" anymore. As for trends yet to come, do we keep adding them to the list?

I am not for the imposition of a dress code. As a conservative mother, it's important for ME that my children wear clean clothing and attire appropriate to the event and venue. They were taught to give due respect to those who admit them into their territory, so to speak.

To impress my standards on others however, is not right. Part of the respect is accepting what OTHER PEOPLE deem appropriate.

Silliman is known as a progressive and liberal Christian university. Will it risk losing this reputation with the imposition of a dress code? I suggest their students be "gently" reminded that their demeanor reflects not only their education, but more importantly, their person. They should be "encouraged" to dress as befits their distinction of belonging to this elite institution. They should be acknowledged as adults and told so. The most severe of these actions should be a "request" for self-monitoring.

The biggest complement Silliman University can pay itself is to forget about this. It is for them to believe that their students have inculcated their vision and been taught well. As a late, great Law School Dean told me a long time ago: "We cannot teach our children independence and critical thinking if we do not willingly give them the opportunity to practice these."

On School Uniforms & Dress Codes (Part III)

I can't believe I left out the part about footwear! It may be because it wasn't brought up in the Weekly Sillimanian. Though I remember shortly before Foundation Week, there was something like "Come To School in Slippers Day" as a form of protest. This necessitates a Part 3 to the already long series. I'll be quick.

As I mentioned two posts ago, the students at De La Salle University in Taft Avenue vigorously defended their right to wear their favorite footwear.

Everyone knows that the now fashionable flip-flops originated in Asia. In the vernacular, they're the ever reliable tsinelas. Who knew they would be all the rage?

Source: havaianas.americanas.com.br

Source: www.eastlandshoe.com

Source: www.islander.ph

I'm all for comfort. When you have a campus as large as Silliman's, it's a blessing to have comfortable shoes. The terrain varies from place to place from dirt, concrete, asphalt, grass, marble and tile. The lowly slipper can walk with ease wherever it goes come rain or shine.

Besides, if you consider all the conveyances students ride to get to school, you're better off in slippers. Students take the pedicab (read:tricycle), the back of an easy-ride (those locally assembled miniature pick-up trucks), bicycles and scooters. We're not even talking about walking here.

I admit there are many alternatives for women: flats, loafers or sneakers. Oh yeah, and the infamous Crocs. Let's leave it to them to decide. In the same way they decide to put themselves in serious danger with heels higher than 2."
Source: www.salvios.com.au

Men on the other hand, classify their footwear into just two categories: open/closed, leather/non-leather, black/non-black, depending on who you're talking with. With one whole option unavailable to them, imagine the air of discontent in the campus.

NOTE: I have been unable to think of anything else to say that I haven't said before. So I'll just spare all of us the discomfort and end it!

On Milk

I just heard this ad on TV. Kesyo "ang gatas ng baka ay para sa baka...." and goes on to imply na dapat human milk lang ang fit for human consumption. Eh, yung soymilk kaya, para saan?

I'm all for breastfeeding. I did it. And I agree na when possible, at least the first six months of life breast milk talaga. Pero sobra naman! I know the issue, well at least I think I do. Iba yung ban ng milk ads, but it's beginning to look like they're outlawing everything else but breast milk. What's happening?

Last week there was this parade of topless women (may body art naman) na nagpo-protest kuno against the milk companies. I feel a conspiracy theory here. The women looked like they couldn't care less about the issue than being on TV and getting paid to bare their boobs. Who's behind this? Magpakita kaya sila and mag-bare ng dede, much less their faces.

After breast milk, the pedia advised the kids to drink any full cream milk. When the kids decided they didn't want milk in any form, I sneaked it into their food. Gata, cream, evap, kahit powdered milk in their dessert. Lahat yun isinama ko sa food. I knew that the kids needed their milk, especially the girls. Growing up, Lolo would bring us a warm bottle of carabao milk everyday we were in the farm.

Now that they're older, they still get their soy milk and low-fat high-calcium milk. Why not? I'm proud to be living in a country where we have choices, at least in consumer goods. Now they're telling me better wag na sila mag-milk imbes na uminom ng gatas ng baka. There's already gonna be legislation, so why the hard sell? What's in it for them? It doesn't sound like any form of advocacy to me.

I'll never look at a can of evap the same way again shett. Thank you ha, sino man kayo!