IF THE ELECTION FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT WERE A 12 ROUND BOXING MATCH, HOW DID THE BATTLE BETWEEN MARCOS AND ROBREDO GO PER ROUND (REGIONS/PROVINCE/CITY)?

                                                                                                                  







                                              IF THE ELECTION FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT WERE A 12 ROUND BOXING MATCH, HOW DID THE BATTLE BETWEEN MARCOS AND ROBREDO GO PER ROUND (REGIONS/PROVINCE/CITY)?
 
For posterity, I am sharing the blow by blow account of the Robredo-Marcos match. Some of the 18 regions were grouped together based on population, proximity and similarity to make 11 rounds. The Overseas and Absentee Votes were added as Round 12. Every province won is considered a wallop or an upper cut. A city won is a flurry of jabs.  A 1 million lead in a round constitute a knockdown. A ten-nine point system was applied, with a KO as a minus 1 point. The data was based on the 7:45 PM, May 18, 2016 COMELEC-GMA Mirror Server, representing 96.14 percent of the Election Returns.

As summary, Vice President Leni Robredo won six rounds. She was knocked down twice in the Solid North (2^nd) round. Marcos also won six rounds and was knocked down twice – in the Bicol (5^th) round and the Western Visayas/Negros (6^th) round. Marcos won in rounds 1, 2, 3, 8, 10 and 12 while Robredo got rounds 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11. With two knockdowns each, the score is even at 112-112.

Beyond the scorecards, Robredo won in 10 of 18 regions. She got the most number of votes in Calabarzon (IV-A), Mimaropa (IV-B), Bicol (V), Negros Island (NIG), Western (VI) and Central Visayas (VII), Zamboanga Peninsula (IX), Northern Mindanao (X), Caraga (XIII), and Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. prevailed in the National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), Ilocos Region (I), Cagayan Valley (II), Central Luzon (III), Eastern Visayas (VIII) and Soccsksargen (XII). He was second to Cayetano in the Davao Region (XI).

Of the total 81 provinces, Robredo won in 44 provinces (54%) – 15 out of 38 in Luzon, 14 out of 16 in the Visayas and 15 out of 27 in Mindanao. Marcos won in 37 provinces (46 %) - 23 in Luzon, 2 in the Visayas and 12 in Mindanao.  Of the total 142 cities, Robredo won in 70 cities (49.3%) - 16 out of 71 cities in Luzon, 37 out of 39 in the Visayas and 17 out of 32 in Mindanao. Marcos won in 72 cities (50.7 %) - 55 in Luzon, 2 in the Visayas and 15 in Mindanao.

ROUND 1 – NCR: Marcos -10  Robredo - 9

In the opening round Marcos unfurled a battery of sneaky jabs. Marcos won over Leni in all 16 cities in NCR. Marcos got 2,179,073 votes while Robredo had 1,361,629 for a 817,44) difference. He was top in Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Quezon, Marikina, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Valuenzuela, Navotas, Las Pinas, Pasay, Makati, Muntinlupa, and Paranaque. (He was second to Cayetano in Taguig-Pateros).

ROUND 2 - Solid North (Reg. 1-2 & CAR): Marcos -10 Robredo - 7

Robredo was floored twice in round 2. Marcos won in 14 out of 15 provinces and in all 15 cities in the “solid North.”  He had combined votes of 3,258,246 against Robredo’s 598,549 or a winning margin of 2,659,697 for the two knockdowns. In the Cordillera, Marcos won in Abra, Benguet, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao and the cities of Baguio and Tabuk. In Region I, Marcos clobbered Robredo in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan and the cities of Laoag and Batac (in I.N.), Candon and Vigan (in IS), San Fernando (LU), Dagupan, San Carlos, Urdaneta, and Alaminos (in P).  In Region II,  Marcos won in the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino and the cities of Tuguegarao (Cag.), Cauayan, Santiago and Ilagan (in Is.). Robredo was saved in Batanes.

                                                                   

 ROUND 3 – Central Luzon: Marcos -10;  Robredo - 9

Marcos won in six of seven provinces and 12 out of 13 cities in Central Luzon. Robredo only got one province and its city. Marcos received 2,136,431 votes against Robredo’s 1,334,104 or an 802,327 margin. Marcos won in the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Zambalez and the cities of Balanga (in Bat.), Malolos, Meycauayan, and San Jose del Monte (in Bul.), Angeles and San Fernando (in Pam.), Cabanatuan, Munoz,  Palayan, Gapan  and San Jose (in NE), and Olongapo (in Zam.). Robredo won only in Tarlac and Tarlac City, the bailiwicks of Pres. Aquino.

ROUND 4 – S. Luzon 4-A (CALABARZON) and 4-B (MIMAROPA): Marcos -9 Robredo - 10

Although beaten in the first three rounds, Robredo came back in this round. Robredo got 2,464,226 against Marcos’s 2,128,476 votes or a Leni lead of 335,750 from 10 provinces and 20 cities of Southern Tagalog/Luzon. In Region IV-A (with a total voting population of 7,619,272) Robredo won despite winning only in two (2) of the five provinces and six (6) of the 18 cities. Marcos won in three provinces and in 12 cities. Robredo won in the provinces of Batangas and Quezon which have a greater combined voting population than the other three provinces. She also got the cities of San Pablo City (Laguna), Batangas, Lipa and Tanauan (in Bat.), Lucena and Tayabas (in Quezon). Marcos  won in  Cavite, Laguna and Rizal and the cities of Bacoor, Cavite, Dasamarinas, General Trias, Imus, Tagaytay, and Trece Martires (in Cav.); Calamba, Binan, San Pedro, and Sta Rosa (in Laguna), and Antipolo (in Rizal).

In MIMAROPA (with a voting population of 264,578) all five (5) provinces and two (2) cities are all for Robredo. She won in Marinduque, the two Mindoros- Occidental and Oriental, Palawan and Romblon and the cities of Calapan (in Min Or) and Puerto Princesa (in Pal.).

ROUND 5 – Bicol Region Marcos -8; Robredo - 10

Marcos was knocked down in this round. In Region V where Leni hails from, she garnered 1,499,923 votes to Bongbong’s 187,235 and won over Bongbong by 1,312,688 votes. She won in all the six provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte and Sur, Catanduanes and Masbate. She was second to Escudero in Sorsogon. She also won in all the seven (7) cities of Legaspi, Tobaco and Ligao (in Albay); Iriga and Naga (in CamSur); and Masbate City; she placed second to Escudero in Sorsogon City.

ROUND 6 - Region VI Western Visayas Marcos -8  Robredo - 10

Marcos was knockdown for a second time. In Region VI and the Negros Island Region, Robredo won in all seven (7) provinces and 22 cities.  She garnered 2,237,358 votes for the two areas. Marcos got 498,301 votes for a Robredo lead of 1,739,057. She won in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and the two Negros - Oriental and Occidental. She won in the cities of Roxas (in Capiz) and Iloilo and Passi Cities (in Iloilo). She also won in the 13 cities of Negros, Occidental, namely Bacolod, Bago, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, La Carlota, Sigay, Silay, Sipalay, Talisay, Victorias, and San Carlos City (2^nd to Escudero). She also won in the six (6) cities of Negros Oriental: Bais, Bayawan, Canlaon, Dumaguete, Guihulngan, and Tanjay.

ROUND 7 – Region VII Central Visayas : Marcos -9 Robredo - 10

In Region VII, Robredo got 1,111,979 votes and won by 718,833 over Marcos who got 393,146 votes. She won over Marcos in all the three (3) provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor and in all 10 cities. She was number one in the cities of Tagbilaran (in Bohol), and Bogo, Lapu-Lapu, Naga and Toledo (in Cebu). She was second to Cayetano in the cities of Cebu, Carcar, Mandaue, Talisay (in Cebu). She was third while Marcos was fourth to Cayetano and Escudero in Danao City.

ROUND 8 – Region 8 Eastern Visayas:  Marcos -10 Robredo - 9

A close round. Marcos won in Region VIII, but actually led in only two out of six (6) provinces and two (2) out of seven cities.  Marcos got 724,537 and Robredo got 686,950 for a Marcos lead of 37,587 votes. Marcos won in the provinces of Leyte and Biliran and the cities of Tacloban (in Leyte) and Catbalogan (in W. Samar).  Leni won in the 3 Samar provinces - Northern, Eastern and Western, and Southern Leyte. She also won in the cities of Ormoc and Baybay (in Leyte), Borongan (in N. Samar), Calbayog (in W. Samar) and Maasin (in S. Leyte).

ROUND 9 - Zamboanga Peninsula (IX) and Northern Mindanao (X)  Marcos -9 Robredo - 10

Robredo won in Regions IX and X with a combined vote of 1,169,229 over Marcos’ 752,120 for a lead of 417,109. She won in two (2) of the three (3) provinces and three (3) of four (4) cities of the Zamboanga Peninsula (Reg. IX). She also won in four (4) out of five (5) provinces and six (6) out of nine (9) cities in Northern Mindanao (Reg. X). 

In Region IX (with a voting population of 1,931,795), Robredo won in the two provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay and the cities of Dipolog (in Zambo N), Zamboanga and Pagadian (in Zambo Sur). Marcos won only in Zamboanga del Sur and the city of Dapitan (in Zambo N). In Region X (with a voting population of 2,541,331), Robredo won in the four provinces of Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Occidental. She was also tops in Malaybalay City (Bukidnon), the three cities of Misamis Occ., namely - Oroqueta, Ozamiz and Tangub, and the Mis. Or. cities of El Salvador and Gingoog. Marcos only had a small lead in Lanao del Norte and the cities of of Valencia (Bukidnon) and Cagayan de Oro (Mis Or). He is second to Cayetano in Iligan City (Lanao N.)

ROUND 10 – Region XI (Davao Region) and XII (Soccsksargen): Marcos -10 Robredo - 9

In the Davao Region (XI), the bailiwick of Duterte, Marcos won over Robredo in four (4) out of five (5) provinces and all six (6) cities. In Soccsksargen (XII), he also won in all four (4) provinces and three (3) out of four (4) cities. Marcos garnered 979,519 votes to Robredo’s 656,669 for a lead of 322,850.

In Region XI, Cayetano won in all provinces and cities, with the second and third spot being contested by Marcos and Robredo. Marcos won second in Davao Sur, D. Norte, D. Occidental and D. Oriental. He also got second place in the cities of Tagum, Samal and Panabo (in D. del N); Davao and Digos (in D. Sur) and Mati (in D. Oriental). Robredo got second in Compostela Valley province. In Region XII, Marcos won in the four provinces of North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. He also won in the cities of Kidapawan (N. Cot.), General Santos (S. Cot.) and Tacurong (SK). Interestingly Robredo won in Koronadal City (S. Cot.). She also won in Cotabato City which is in Maguindanao but outside ARMM.

ROUND 11 – CARAGA (XIII) and ARMM:  Marcos -9 Robredo - 10

In the two regions, Robredo won over Marcos in eight (8) of ten (10) provinces and seven (7) of nine (9) cities. Robredo got 871,360 votes against Marcos’ 491,742 for a lead of 379,618. In Region XIII (a voting population of 1,547,093), Robredo placed first in the three provinces of Agusan Norte, Agusan Sur and Surigao Norte. She was second to Cayetano in Surigao Sur. She won in the cities of Tandag (S.Sur), Bayugan (A. Sur) and Surigao (S. Norte). She also placed second to Cayetano in the cities of Butuan (Agusan N) and Bislig (S. Sur). Marcos won only in Dinagat Island province and Cabarbaran City (Ag. N.). In ARMM (with a voting population of 1,863,230), Robredo led in 4 out of 5 provinces,namely Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Tawi Tawi and Maguindanao. She also won in Lamitan City (Basilan). Marcos won only in Sulu and Isabela City (Basilan).

ROUND 12 – Overseas/Local Absentee Voters Marcos -10 Robredo – 9

This is a Marcos round. Based on Comelec records for the OAV and LAV, Marcos got a total of 188,687 votes against Robredo of 92,380 for a lead of 96,307 votes. The breakdown for Marcos: 176,669 OAV and 12,018 LAV votes; for Robredo: 89,935 OAV and 2,445 LAV votes.

Farewell Letter From Gabriel "Gabo" Garcia Marquez

The Puppet

If for a moment God would forget that I am a rag doll and give me a scrap of life, possibly I would not say everything that I think, but I would definitely think everything that I say.

I would value things not for how much they are worth but rather for what they mean.

I would sleep little, dream more. I know that for each minute that we close our eyes we lose sixty seconds of light.

I would walk when the others loiter; I would awaken when the others sleep.

I would listen when the others speak, and how I would enjoy a good chocolate ice cream.

If God would bestow on me a scrap of life, I would dress simply, I would throw myself flat under the sun, exposing not only my body but also my soul.

My God, if I had a heart, I would write my hatred on ice and wait for the sun to come out. With a dream of Van Gogh I would paint on the stars a poem by Benedetti, and a song by Serrat would be my serenade to the moon.

With my tears I would water the roses, to feel the pain of their thorns and the incarnated kiss of their petals...My God, if I only had a scrap of life...

I wouldn't let a single day go by without saying to people I love, that I love them.

I would convince each woman or man that they are my favourites and I would live in love with love.

I would prove to the men how mistaken they are in thinking that they no longer fall in love when they grow old--not knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love. To a child I would give wings, but I would let him learn how to fly by himself. To the old I would teach that death comes not with old age but with forgetting. I have learned so much from you men....

I have learned that everybody wants to live at the top of the mountain without realizing that true happiness lies in the way we climb the slope.

I have learned that when a newborn first squeezes his father's finger in his tiny fist, he has caught him forever.

I have learned that a man only has the right to look down on another man when it is to help him to stand up. I have learned so many things from you, but in the end most of it will be no use because when they put me inside that suitcase, unfortunately I will be dying.

translated by Matthew Taylor and Rosa Arelis Taylor

The Philippines on the Math

The Philippines on the Math

Cesar D. Liporada

Reading the headlines, it appears that this administration had done nothing good and calls for the ouster of President Noynoy Aquino are being pushed. Are we worst than ever before as pundits claim? Had the “matuwid na daan” (strait path) really gone awry?  The only way to find out is to check the numbers of the Philippines against all other countries in the world. This is the Philippines on the Math!

Numbers are objective and devoid of emotions. They may not be 100 percent accurate, but they are better gauges than political analysts with intents of destroying the administration not for the sake of the Filipino, but to bolster their political interests. Numbers are also not people. But again, they provide insights as to where we are and what we can do to move on. As the math would show, this administration and its governance had done fairly well.

Human Development Index

In the 2014 Human Development Index (HDI) Report released by the UN Development Program (UNDP), the Philippines ranks 117^th (out of 187 countries) with an HDI of 0.660. It had a higher rating from 2013 (of 654), although it ranked 114 that year because three other countries move up. It is among 47 countries considered with Medium Human Development (0.536-0.710). There are 94 countries with either very High (0.805-0.955) or High Human Development (0.792-0.796). The top three countries are Norway, Australia and Switzerland. Among the 28 countries in East Asia, the Philippines is ranked 16^th. The top 5 countries in East Asia are Australia, N. Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

The HDI, which was started in 1990, is a comparative measure in three dimensions of human well-being: (1) life expectancy, (2) literacy, and (3) education. In 2010, a further Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) was introduced, with two other dimensions added: (4) standards of living and (5) quality of life.

Corruption Index

In the 2014 Corruption Index  release by transparency International, the  Philippines ranked 85 out of 174 countries, with a corruption rating of 35 (0 as most corrupt and 100 as least corrupt). This moved from ranked 95 (with a rating of 34) last 2013. Denmark is least corrupt with a 92 rating. The most corrupt countries are North Korea and Somalia, with identical 8 rating. In a 2004 global corruption report, Ferdinand Marcos ranked number 2 as most corrupt president in the world, while Joseph Estrada was ranked number 10. GM Arroyo did not yet figure in  2004.

Happy Planet Index

2012 Happy Planet Index: the Philippines ranked 24^th, out of 111 countries, with an index rating of 52.2. The best scoring countries were Costa Rica, followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Belize and El Salvador. The lowest ranking countries in 2012 were Botswana, Chad and Qatar. The HPI value is a function of a country’s average subjective life satisfaction, life expectancy at birth, and ecological footprint per capita. Nine out of the ten top countries are located in the Caribbean Basin, despite high levels of poverty. Among the top five world's biggest economies in terms of GDP, Japan has the highest ranking in 45th place, followed by Germany in 46th, France is placed 50th, China 60, and the U.S. is ranked 105, mainly due to its environmental footprint of 7.2, the seventh highest of all countries rated for the 2012 index.^[20]

Global Gender Gap Report

 The report was first published in 2006 by the World Economic Forum. In the 2014 report that covers 142 major and emerging economies, the Philippines ranked high at 9^th place, with a rating of .781. The Global Gender Gap Index is an index designed to measure gender equality. The highest possible score is 1 (equality) and the lowest possible score is 0 (inequality). Among the highest are European countries like Sweden (.8165), Norway (.8374), Finland (.7958), and Iceland (.8594). The Philippines ranked higher than the US (.7463)

Millennium Development Goals

The MDGs were adopted during the 2000 UN Millennium Summit by 189 member states (193 current). They are a set of 8 goals and 18 targets to be achieved in 2015 from a 1990 baseline. The goals are: (1) eradicating poverty and hunger, (2) achieving universal primary education, (3) promoting gender equality and empowering women, (4) reducing child mortality rates, (5) improving maternal health, (6) combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, (7) ensuring environmental sustainability, and; (8) developing a global partnership for development.

From the latest report, progress towards reaching the goals has been uneven across countries.  The major successful countries include China (whose poverty population declined from 452 million to 278 million) and India (612 million).  The Philippines’ target of “halving the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day” (of 22.7%) may or may not be achieved. From the 2012 poverty statistics released in December 2013 by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), one out of five Filipino families (19.7 %) and one out of four Pinoys (25.2%) were poor.

But note that these are percentages. The number of poor people in China is more than twice the population of the country (estimated at 100 million). The number of poor people in India is six times more than the population of the Philippines.

World Economic Report

In terms of the world economy in 2013, “the largest economies in the world with more than $2 trillion, (€1.25 trillion) by nominal GDP were the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, Italy and India.  It is unclear, however, how many of the world's 7.13 billion people have most of their economic activity reflected in these valuations.”            ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_economy)

In the list of the 25 largest economies by contribution to the global economic growth by GDP (PPP) in 2014, the Philippines is ranked 18^th among the world’s countries, contributing 0.6 percent to the global economy. China leads, with 29 percent, followed by the US, with 12.8 percent. In the ASEAN region, the Philippines follow China, India (3^rd), Indonesia (4^th), Japan (5^th), South Korea (11th) and Malaysia (16^th). The country is ahead of Taiwan (19^th), Pakistan (20^th) and Bangladesh (24^th).  

In the Predictive List of the 50 Economies with the Greatest Contribution to Global Economic Growth in GDP (PPP) from 2010 to 2019, the Philippines is ranked 20^th, with an incremental GDP of and a market share of $ 514.503 Billion or 0.9 percent of the global GDP growth. The two highest countries are China ($14,781.982 Billion or 26.4 %)) and the US ($7,183.437 Billion or 12.8 %).

Concluding Remarks

The numbers show that one out of four Filipinos are still poor. There is reason for discontentment. But rather than blame PNOY for the miseries encountered, there is reason to be more hopeful. The country may have fallen short of expectations from some quarters. But I suppose, no other president could have done better. Under this administration, the dirty arms of endemic corruption have been unearthed. People are more aware and vigilant. Open governance is on an upswing. Rather than hit the administration for its failing, it is more prudent to assist in improving the positive numbers. It is time to pave further the straight path.     

My Fortress and Home in Baguio City

(A Picture of my Garden)













My Mountain

            You will not miss Mt. Santo Tomas as you approach Baguio City from Marcos Highway. On its top nestled two large radars that looked like giant electric fans, presumably, relay stations for satellite radio and TV. We used to kid newcomers to the city that these huge “electric fans” were causing the cool climate. The truth is that the coolness was diminished because of the clearing of trees in the area.

Once upon a time, Mt. Santo Tomas was a volcano. It is now extinct. It also used to be a thick forest, with a wonderful biodiversity of plants, butterflies, birds, monkeys and other life forms. Because of its thick mossy forest, it was the major reservoir of water to the city. Now, the forest is gone; the only remnants being green grass and a sizable number of pine trees, shrubs and ferns, which made the place serene and disturbed only by the humming of birds, fluttering of butterflies and buzzing of bees. It is now the site of Baguio’s dairy farm.

Since I discovered the place 20 years ago, in 1985, I adopted it as my mountain. It was my “fortress of solitude,” where I would watch the sunrise, with rays that sparkle with the morning dew. From there, and on a clear day, I have a panoramic view of the China Sea on one side and a face of the city – with the silhouette of house rooftops, on the other side (a wonderful contrast between nature and human habitat). At dusk, I would marvel as the sun sinks quietly in the sea, giving out its last radiance of red, orange and yellow, before bowing to the night. 

Why do I love going to my mountain? There, enveloped by fog, I would ponder about just anything. There, I would freely soar the universe of my mind and express my feelings – hurts, joys, anguish and angers, unabashed. And the mountain would listen without interruptions. It would also talk without words, silently reminding me that I partake in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes, it would rouse me to awareness, with an ant bite, a gentle breeze, the twitting of the bird, or the prick of the afternoon sun.

The mountain would also absorb my burdens and brighten up my load. I suppose it carried a lot of negative ions or the Eastern concept of prana, vital force. Like my mom’s embrace, it comforts and completes me.

After the day is done, I would be revitalized to face Baguio and the rest of the world. Just about that time, I would shiver as darkness swallowed the clouds and all earth, while I silently trek back home.

Mt Home on a Hill

Home, in the practical sense, was in a barangay (village) just some two kilometers away from Mt. Sto. Tomas. (Note: the picture is that of my garden)

In 1983, my family was one of the first 40 households to establish residence in Phase IV of the SLU-SVP Housing Cooperative in New Site, Bakakeng. (The cooperative site, known earlier as St. George Hill, became a separate village from the original Bakakeng.) Before my house was erected, at least six pine trees have to be cut on the lot. The same thing happened to the rest of the houses – the trees had to be cleared to give way to human habitation.

Fifteen years earlier, in 1965, as a boy scout, I was in St George Hill for camping; swimming in a small brook, daftly covered by shrubs. At that time, St. George Hill was a thick forest of pine trees. A little further down from St George Hill was the Maryheights Minor Seminary, where my brother stayed as a hopeful would-be priest.

Then, the pathways to Maryheights were of sand and gravel, either through Kennon Road going up or from Marcos Highway going down. Now, the two roads are connected with a cemented road, making my place a convergence point between the two major roads leading to Baguio. What was once Maryheights is now the new St. Louis University.   

In the early 1900s, St. George Hill and at least 20 hectares more of land was acquired property by the CICM priests, who established St. Louis University. The priests sold some 4 hectares to the cooperative at a very cheap price, for the housing needs of their employees and residents of St. Vincent Parish. I acquired “my property,” a 250 square meter house and lot, for less than P75,000.00. Now, surrounding the housing cooperative were four to five subdivisions, which sold a square meter of “prime lot” for P10,000.00 per square meter. The priests probably also sold their (tax free) parcels of land to developers, who profited much from the transaction.  

I suppose all the hills in the city, which used to be free land, became the property of the state and eventually broken into private owned parcels. This included Club John Hay, which was managed by the Americans before the “liberation.” This happened to Aurora Hill, Quezon Hill, Hillside, Quirino Hill, and Dominican Hill (the grotto), which were forests primarily named after Philippine presidents, their spouses or the religious “owners.” These places are now urban centers, communities teeming with people. 

Paradise Remembered

            From a larger scheme of things, no person owned anything, even probably one’s body. The opposite is true: we belong to the earth, like every creature – living or inanimate. We were born of nature in a wonderful ecosystem; with each thing depending on each other thing, under the sun. However, against nature, was set culture. Against the backdrop of the ecosystem, culture emerged and set the invisible separation from what is natural. Because of cultural traditions, we have divided the earth among races, classes and faiths. As if it were not enough, people fought over land and property, with a minority hording a big chunk of nature and called it their own.  

In a deeper sense, I was conceived in paradise. But, I was born in a muddled paradise, so that it was no longer pristine. I had to grow into a culture, which dictated how I should own and protect property. I realized, paradise was not a place that is physical. It was a state in tune with what is natural, beyond time and space.

Paradise was the harmony of nature, with us flowing with it. Paradise was never lost; but because of cultural traditions anchored on property relationships, we simply forgot that it existed.

Post Scripts to "Mom and Independence Day"

(Note: These are two Post Scripts to an earlier post: "Mom and Independence Day." The first PS was my brother Rudy Liporada's recollection on the death of our Mom, Rosing Delima Liporada on June 12, 1987. I am uploading them instead of it being a mere comment on the blog post.

Except for the date for the demise of my mom, no changes were made on my brother's piece. which reflects my own sentiments. It also shows a change in perception and attitude as one grows up and learn more lessons in living. I suppose, as one reflects, more light comes through! Moreover, as one grows as old as one's parent, then one understands why certain things had to happen the way they did. 

The second PS was a conversation thread between me and brother Rudy, about Mom and Dad, triggered by a picture uploaded by my wife Salud. The picture was taken sometime in 1952, when brother Rudy was one year old, my mom was 28 and dad was 23. I wasn't yet born then.)

PostScript I 
Rudy's Recollection of Mom's Passing

My brother in law, Mar, had a long distance call from my mother-in-law who was in Baguio City in June of 1987. I was in the receiving room as he took the call at the dining area.

After a while, he said in a sad matter-of-factly tone, “Isu aya! – Is that so!”

Somehow, I felt I knew what it was all about.

And I was right.

“Bayaw, mommy wants to talk to you,” he called. He handed me the phone with sadness in his eyes.

“Hello, mommy,” I said holding back my tears.

“Rudy, wala na si Kumare – Kumadre is gone. She went to sleep this afternoon. Will you be able to come home?”

Into our second month here in the United States, I just got a temporary job. With four kids to sustain and staying with my in-laws, we have to save as much as we can to keep us grounded as early as possible. “No, mommy, I can’t but I would send as much as I could for the funeral. Just tell Ces to take care of everything.” I started to choke. “Okey, Mommy.” I handed back the phone to Mar.

I rushed into the room and for the first time in my life, I sobbed with my back jerking uncontrollably. I felt sorry that I can’t go home because of the expense and I did not have enough money. I felt sorry that I can’t go home because I just got accepted in a job with which I had to start my life in the US. I felt sorry that I rationalized that my living children are more important than the dead. I felt sorry that I rationalized that, after all, I and my family saw her just a month ago; and when we left, I knew that I will never see her again alive.

I comforted myself with the thought that she must have been happy to see all her apos - grandchildren from my side when we came from Zambia, Africa in route to the US. She was then completely paralyzed from a progressive stroke that ate up her body functions over the years. Yet, her eyes sparkled when Paul, then 13; Handsome (Jose), 11; Karl, 9; and Rudy Julius, 8 kissed and hugged her.

I also comforted myself with the thought that she freed herself from the misery of her pains, immobility, and not even able to control her mess. I comforted myself that, in death, she would appear more dignified instead of the sorry sight that I have last glimpsed of her.

I do love my mom, deeply…that is after I matured and realized she had only love for us – the way she knew how – and she gave it all the way she could. Before realizing how much I love her, however, my infantile self hated her to the core of my toddler years.

Somehow, I did not understand why I always had to be responsible for my brother, Ces, when we were growing up just because “mas matanda ka – you are older.” This translated to my being castigated for everything that went wrong even if it was my brother’s fault. And my mother could whip – ‘mata at dila mo lang ang walang latay’ – only your eyes and tongue will be spared – with a belt which left welts over my back, arms, legs, and thighs. If the US was the venue, my mom would have been a high risk candidate for a 911 I would call so she could be imprisoned for child abuse and I would have ended up in a foster home.

My father? I remember him belting me only once. I don’t remember about what but I must have really angered him to trigger him to slash also a welt on my back.

My mother also had a temper and she would take it on me whenever she flared up. She may have been in her monthly period, arguing with my dad, or simply playing bowling and she is losing. She would criticize my washing the dishes as per not her instructions – when I hated to wash plates anyway. I tried to be invisible as much as possible and not be in her temper path whenever I could.

After Grade VI, I thought I heard a call and I entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary Minor Seminary. It is called Minor because it was preparing high school students to the Major as one enters college.

Recollecting, I am now convinced that I entered the seminary to escape the harshness in my younger life – my mother’s whip, the constant arguments of my parents, and the humiliations whenever they fought in public – about my father’s philandering and about where monies went.

For two years in the seminary, I was spared the rod. When I got out (because I was there for the wrong reason), I was already too old to be whipped.

In those two years, I have left my fledgling brother alone with my parents. They were not as monstrous to him as they did me. First, he was the youngest and was their favorite (as I saw it). Second, my parents lost a youngest son, Pedro, at birth. Realizing that Ces could be their last child, he was spared the whip, the welts, and the tantrums. Not that I was expendable. It was just I also had to be an instrument in taking care of their favorite.

When I matured, however, I realized that my mother was not a monster. Far from it – just a pigment of a conclusion of a child, who received the brunt of over protectiveness, imbedded psyche of foregone but calloused memories, and stresses of the moment.

You would, perhaps, be protective, too, if during the Japanese war, you lost your first two boys with their father from hail of bullets. You would be, perhaps, be protective, too, if you left your daughters in the hinterlands of Cebu to migrate in Manila as a domestic helper with a decision to keep your past a secret.

You would, perhaps, be stressed, too if you are keeping a secret from your present children that you have two older surviving step-sisters and one among them, even living with you – who you know only as a ‘katulong’ (maid) , she knows you are his brother but you don’t know that she is your sister. Couple this with the daily grind of the business, with your suspicions that your husband always has a ‘babae’ – another woman.

With all these stresses, my mom developed a temper with which, partly, she took out on me.

But when I matured and I understood, I saw beyond my mother’s stresses and beneath everything, she cared for and loved me as much as she did for my brother – the way she knew how, they way she could.

That is why, when she died, I sobbed like I never did in my life.



Post Script 2
A Conversation Thread between me and Rudy FB

Cesar: Hmm, lets see. Mom Rosario "Rosing" Delima (1924-1987 ) and Dad Dioscoro "Coro" Liporada (1929 - 1993). The picture was taken i suppose when brother Rudy was a year old (1952). Rose was 28 and Coro was 23.

Mom passed away during Independence Day, June 12, 1987. Dad passed away May 21, 1993, three days after his birthday. they were both 63 when they died.

Mom died without seeing her wish for my brother fulfilled. Her wish: for my brother to be the best "panadero." Well, the only thing my brother accomplished was marry one who can cook!

An anecdote from my dad: "I have only two kids. One wanted to replace the one in Malacanang (Presidential home and office). the other wanted to go to heaven. The outcome? One landed in Fort Bonifacio (jail inside a military camp). The other, halfway to heaven, fell down with a thud!"

During the 1970s, my brother was a leader in the activist movement, with the slogan: "Workers of the world, unite!" I was with a spiritual group, singing "All we are saying is give peace a chance!"

Sometime, in the 1980s, when both my brother and i were already married, with children of our own, we surmised: "No matter what ideology one espouses, the center of it all was still family."

Mom and Dad had had their limitations. They were cat and mouse - Tom and Jerry, every waking day of our lives with them. And yet, they stayed together. Also, dad never hit mom. They also made sure that our schooling is complete.

Mom literally does not know how to read. Dad finished 3rd year Commerce. And yet they were able to rear and ensure that their two kids grow up to be smart boys. Their legacy was education and family-oriented values. Thanks mom and dad.

Rudy: That's very nice, utol. Mom was so simple that she actually thought that I was going to be just a janitor and had no intention of sending me to school. At Papa's insistence ( I remember he was the one who enrolled me at St. Louis Elementary...

I actually taught mom how to read when I was in third year high school. She at least was able to enjoy komiks stories which before then she had to be dependent on Lolo Coro to enjoy the stories.

I really regret that I was not able to bring them to the US before they died. At least bring mom to the casino so she could go beyond her tong-its and dad to Tiujuana, Mexico so he could go beyond his Tip-top thrills. ;-).

Yes, beyond their yelling matches at Strike and Spare (which contributed to my being shy which I had a hard time overcoming), they stayed together for their two sons who they took care of the best they knew how - and cousins, and nephews, and whoever...They had the heart to help. Yes, thanks, mom and dad.

Cesar: Mom's legacy was cleanliness. She was a stickler for neatness. We had to do our share for household chores. Imagine, we had to clean the canteen, despite the maids. We even have our share in cleaning the whole 8 lane of Strike and Spare Lanes, with the pinboys! Cousins Bhoy Delima on mom's side and Jose Liporada Precia on dad's side have their own anecdotes. We were not the only ones benefitted by their "togetherness."

Through mom and dad, we fulfilled our dreams. From their genetic line, and though their two sons (with their respective spouses), came the succeeding generation:

Paul, Jose, Karl, Rudy Julius, and Maria on Rudy's side. Thanks to Au for the improvement of the species on your (Rudy’s) side!

On my side came Ligaya Marie and Isagani, courtesy of the brew with Aida. And the next generation kids - the Betita's (baby titas) thanks to Salud Liporada – Chantal, Tiara and Leia.

It all started with the accident that was utol. Dad got mom pregnant with Rudy. One moment of lust and love … (became) a lifetime of responsibility...and a whole legacy for the clan.

Unity amidst Diversity

Last Wednesday, August 18, 2010, at 5:05 PM, I received a text message from Brother Bien, a Hare-Khishna follower: Brother Carlos died in an accident. I was flabbergasted! I was with Brother Carlos earlier Sunday (August 15)for our regular third Sunday meeting in the house of Brother Harold, an Indigenous Peoples group advocate.

At around 6:00 PM, it was confirmed that Carlos, together with Ricky, Sister Cristina and Sister Rose, and some 38 others, was among those who died when a bus fell into a ravine in Sablan, along Naguilian Road sometime at 10:00 AM. It was a tragedy! It was certainly an unforgettable and traumatic experience for the families of those who died and for the eight others who survived.

It was also a triumph of spirit for the members of the Divinity in Diversity Alliance, Inc., (DDA) a multi-faith association. The DDA has the vision of making Baguio City the spiritual center of the country, in the same manner that Jerusalem was revered in the world as the center of faith for Christians, Jews and Muslims. It promotes an atmosphere where mutual respect of each other’s faith or belief system is the norm.

During that Wednesday night, Brothers Haj Moh, a Muslim and Jun Conde, a Christian, were the ones who identified the bodies. Ricky Lim, a Taoist-Christian, was eventually claimed by his brothers. But Carlos Miranda Angeles has no known relative in Baguio City; he was born in Canlaon City (March 29, 1964) and grew up Bacolod City. However, since he had been out of his birthplace since he was 17 years old, the likelihood that his body may not be claimed is highThe first concern of DDA was therefore to exert efforts to locate his relatives. The Red Cross, GMA.tv, ABS-CBN, Bombo Radio were contacted.

In consultation with several board and other members of DDA, and in the spirit of brotherly and sisterly love; and for practical purposes, the association had assumed the responsibility for his remains, unless and until a close kin claims otherwise. . It proved easy! Because the association is formal, negotiations for his remains with the funeral homes was made. Likewise, within a day (Thursday), a free coffin was provided (with assistance from the DOH and DSWD), funding for the cremation was raised, and he was suited up, courtesy of the members.

The body of Carlos was cremated last Friday, August 20, 2010, after a prayer ceremony officiated by Brother Mar and chanting of Hare Krhisna. Saturday, August 21, necrological services were held in the home of Brother Alex. His ashes were housed in the residence of one endeared to him and his colleague in Ageless Wisdom, Bea Ajero, at Richgate Square 2, Monticello Rd, Camp 7 Baguio City. It will stay there for thirty days, for friends who may want to pay their respect or for relatives who may want ro claim his remains. (Please get in touch with either of the following: CESAR D. LIPORADA, President DDA with cp number 0907-943-0289 or HAROLD TAWANA, Board Member and owner of the house where the DDA office is located, with cp number 0927-313-3391.

The body of Brother Ricky was cremated Wednesday, August 25, 2010. The night before, Brother Gil, an ex-priest, assisted the relatives of Ricky in holding a solemn ceremony for his departure. Sisters Cristina and Rose were also accorded their ceremonies by their relatives.

The DDA was registered with the SEC last November 11, 2009. But it informally began in the 1980s, with the convergence of people by the Burnham Lake, on the pathway side from the football grandstand. The people talked, shared and debated about their understanding of God, the Truth, and the purpose of Life. They came afternoons at about 2:00 pm until dusk, by the lake, referred to as “Dagat-dagatang Apoy.” Soon, a group culture emerged. Each learned to respect each other, despite the differences. The group norm shifted: from one “seeking to be understood,” to “seeking to know more and understand.”

My Mom and Independence Day

Roses from Mom

Twenty-three years ago, June 12, 1987, was the celebration of Philippine Independence. It was also mom’s release from her bondage at 63 years old. I wasn’t around. I was taking up a course in Program for Development Managers at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati City. But I expected her death. She was bedridden since her fatal stroke in 1980, during the 7th birthday anniversary of my eldest daughter. She was overwhelmed with joy; her heart couldn’t take the excitement.

I felt mom had suffered enough after seven years of being bedridden. Her death was freedom from the physical pain caused by the atrophy of the left side of her body, aside from the rushes and bedsores. More importantly, mom was freed from the emotional pain of being a paraplegic. It must have been very difficult for her not to be able to express what she felt. After seven years, people around her took things for granted. Mom was reduced to a person with physical needs. At times we forgot that she was a human being who needed the human touch.

When I was at AIM, I asked one favor from God: “let her passing through be smooth, so that the burden would be light for her and for everyone - dad, Kuya Rudy, my family.” My request was granted. She died on a Saturday, I was up in Baguio on a Sunday and she was buried the following day. After the burial, I was on the road back to Makati, which was a five-hour ride.

When I arrived at AIM, there was a class party, which started Monday evening, and I was caught in the merriment. I recalled that in the midst of the celebration, I talked to Father Monsi, one of two priests among my classmates. I didn’t have time to mourn; I simply had to share mom’s death with someone. I don’t remember what Fr. Monsi advised. But I felt relieved and joined the merrymaking, which lasted until 3:00 am.

As I was going to my room, after the party, it hit me: “here I was, enjoying the time of my life, when just the day before, I was attending the burial of mom.” How could I be so callous as to take mom’s death for granted? I did not respect the rite of passage; I was supposed to be in mourning. I had my fears for the night, like the devil would just show up and take me to the gallows (although it was already wee past midnight).

While in my room, I carried those morbid thoughts to bed, as I fell asleep. It was then that I had a most wonderful dream. All of my room was surrounded with red roses. The vases, the table, by the lampshade, on every corner and even on the floor around my bed were filled with roses. Then I smelled the rose fragrance and felt mom’s presence. Somewhere in my mind, I felt her voice speaking in Pilipino: “Its okay my son; I understand. I’m in a place that comforts me.” Thereafter, I felt so much love and understanding. Mom’s name, of course was Rose.

Mom’s Story

Rosario, mom, was a “Cebuana” from the obscure town of San Fernando in Cebu island-province. To reach the place, one needed an hour plane ride or an overnight boat ride from Manila to Cebu City. From Cebu City to San Fernando, one would take a four-hour ride. From the San Fernando town proper to mom’s village, was another painstaking “habal-habal,” a motorbike with a wooden plank to accommodate around five people and balanced by the driver. This meant that up to this time and age (2004), the place is still remote, with no electricity. I suppose during mom’s time it meant a day’s hike from her village to the poblacion.

Ferdinand Magellan, from the viewpoint of western inspired world history, first landed in Sugbu (Cebu) when he “discovered” the Philippines in 1521. There, he led the systematic conversion of the friendly Sugbu-anons under Rajah Humabon to Christianity. Nonetheless, Lapu-Lapu, from a village in Mactan, Cebu, had the distinction of causing Magellan’s death; the blood of the foreigner dripped in Philippine soil. Lapu-Lapu was a Bangingi warrior who refused homage to a colonizer, a Filipino tradition before colonization.

What happened to mom in her earlier years? According to stories, mom, who was known as Rosing, was a natural entrepreneur even when she did not read and write. She would take the cow, pitched it to the plow and till the soil. Afterwards, she would bake and sell suman (rice-cakes wrapped in banana leaves). She would share her little earning with family. She was the eldest of a brood of 10 and she was the tough breadwinner.

When she was 17 years old, mom was already married, with two kids. During the Japanese occupation, mom watched all members of her family brutally killed. She was spared only because her family members shielded her from the bullets and fell dead on top of her already fallen body; she was mistaken for dead. After that traumatic war episode, mom married again and bore two daughters and stayed on in San Fernando. Then, in 1949, when she was 25, she decided she had enough of rural life and sought her fortune in Manila’s urban life, along with two younger siblings, both boys. She left behind her second husband and two daughters, her parents and the rest of her siblings. Somewhere along the way, one of her siblings, an uncle got lost and was never found.

Soon after mom and uncle Balbino arrived in Manila, they stayed together for a time. Eventually, uncle Balbino married and settled in Tondo, Manila, where the family lived as squatters, together with the scum of the city. Tondo then, was the battleground of two notorious gangs – the Sigue-Sigue Gang and the Sputnik Gang, two rival groups from the Visayas, organized to take care of their own against the harsh city jungle. Such was the Manila life mom had to go through with uncle Balbino.

Back in the 1960s, my brother and I had had our share of Tondo life, when we spend vacation in our uncle’s place. Cousin Boy would guide us through the labyrinths of Rivera St., Tutuban (the railroad station), Divisoria, Sta Cruz, Avenida, Recto and Ongpin Sts. I did not know it then, but cousin Boy was a “lagarista,” an errant boy who makes the rounds of movie houses to deliver movie films. I would tag along with my brother and cousin (both older by three years). At that time, I was an innocent child in my pre-teens enjoying free movies, unknowingly watching grown-ups ply their trade of flesh, deceit and fake diplomas.

Uncle Balbino and his family had a new lease in life, when they became recipients of a housing program of government. They acquired land and house in Sapang Palay, San Jose del Monte in the province of Bulacan, which was an hour drive north of Manila. My uncle was a good mechanic, which was his source of livelihood. My cousins, the boys grew up as mechanics too. The girls, like mom, became efficient caregivers.

A Homecoming

In 1981, my brother, Kuya Rudy and his family migrated to California. After 15 years, in 1996, an ethnic conflict between Chicano and Filipino youth erupted in his place. To avoid “the heat,” my brother sent his youngest son to stay in Baguio. Then, we agreed to sustain the schooling of relatives as a tribute to mom. My nephew stayed at home with my children, together with my half-sister’s (Ate Shirley) daughter, my other half-sister’s (Ate Paring) son and cousin Boy’s daughter. (Kuya Rudy’s son called me “uncle” with an American twang; my sisters’ kids called me “angkol,” with a Cebuano accent; my cousin’s daughter called me “angkel,” typical of Bulacan’s Tagalog.)

After six months, my nephew went back to the US with a tattoo on his chest: “I am a Filipino.” (Ironically, he joined the US Navy and was among those who “liberated” Iraq in 2003. Iraq was ancient Mesopotamia, where the Sumerians, the oldest known civilization, took root 6,000 years ago.) My other nephew and nieces also went to their hometowns. Like my kids, they now have their families; Filipinos linked with the world.

In 2000, my brother made a sentimental journey to mom’s remote hometown in San Fernando, Cebu. His written recollection was nostalgia enshrouded with redolence. In mom’s town, life seemed to be at a standstill – houses made of bamboo and cogon grass, and crude farming. Our relatives, including my half sisters and their families, struggled for their daily meals. My brother stayed in a tattered “barong-barong” (hut), which was some 20 square meters of kitchen, bedroom and living room enclosed by bamboo and grass. Mom lived in this hut since 1929, her birth, until she was 24 years old. After more than eighty years, the house still stood, although left un-kept.

Deep in the night, my brother laid in a bamboo bed, with only a rice sack as bed sheet. In the candlelight that flickered in the dark, he lingered on the shadows: “Mom left more than fifty years ago because there was no future here for one who craves for a better life.” Mom left the rut to seek her fortune. She never returned to her hometown or her village life. Paradoxically, she left the place where colonization first began in 1521.

Mom never learned to read and write. I recall that during election time, she would practice writing and copying the names of candidates she would vote. At the polls, she would take an hour to vote what normally would take fifteen minutes. Mom and dad (who did not finished college), like many during their time and the people who lived in squatter areas, had to struggle. They belonged to the nameless faces called “poor.” Unfortunately for them, their plight had been obscured by centuries of colonization.

Legacy of Humanity

As the Philippines celebrate its 112th Independence Day from the Spanish colonizers, I can’t help but surmise about the true meaning of freedom.

Here’s an insight from The 3rd Patriarch of Zen, entitled Trust in the Heart: “When we return to the roots, we gain meaning. When we pursue external objects, we lose reason. When the deep mystery of one suchness is fathomed, suddenly we forget the external entanglements. When the 10,000 things are viewed in their oneness, we return to the origin and remain where we have always been.”

Beyond culture and my biological DNA lies a deeper part of me, the one that connects with all life and a silent intelligence. Apparently, a “field of organization” determines the direction of life. For a larva, this “field of organization” determines the structure of its body and the functions of its organs, causes the constriction during the pupa stage, and, eventually disappears. It leaves behind a disorganized mass of living cells, with no apparent purpose. Then, a miracle happens. A field of organization of a new type expands from a particular point in the mass of cells, directing the manifestation of a particular blueprint in flesh and blood. The final result is the complex body of a butterfly.

I think that a human being has its own “field of organization” like that of a butterfly. Beyond the cultural patterns from mom and dad, my DNA patterns must have been my line to a deeper intelligence and the one that had guided my destiny. Although coursed through mom and dad’s DNA patterns, my DNA blueprint was not only biological; it was a “field of organization” that attracted the appropriate conditions for my gradual development. And my nerve cells seem to be the link that connected my physical brain with the world in which consciousness is rooted.

I guess I owe it to my genes for growing up the way I am. Otherwise, I would have ended up as a scavenger and scum, like other migrants from the provinces to the big city (I have to apologize to them for the comparison, for they too are humans, with their own dreams).

Fortunately for kuya and me, mom and dad pursued a vision for a brighter future for us, all the way to Baguio City. Through education, they nurtured our growing consciousness of the social, political and economic realities of our times. This was why, I suppose, kuya and I, despite different paths, had our hearts crying out for the poor. The Filipino was rich as a people; most simply forgot that birthright. Mom and dad were deprived, but enabled us to remember. They came out of the rut and left a legacy for prosperity. They linked us back to our colorful heritage.

Thank you mom, for the roses; your independence from earth life was also my key to freedom!