Tambuling Batangas Publication January 09-15, 2019 Issue | Seite 4

OPINYON January 9-15, 2019 Lingguhang Pahayagan ng Lalawigan ng Batangas na inilalathala tuwing Miyerkules / PRINTING PLANT: Sinag Publishing & Printing Services, National Highway, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City, Laguna. Tel nos. [phone] & [phone] / Subscription fee: One year P360.00 Six Months: P180.00 / Commercial Advertising rate: P160 per column cm / MEMBER: Publisher’s Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) / Raia Jennifer E. Dela Peña Managing Editor / P.L. Villa, RC Asa Contributing Editors / Shara Jane Falceso, Rachelle Joy Aquino, Jacquilou Lirio, Maria Carlyn Ureta staff writers / Ruel T. Landicho Lay-out Artist/ Ms. Corazon D.P. Marcial, Amber D.C Vitto Legal Consultant. email add: [email protected] & [email protected] 19 for ’19 INSTEAD of making New Year’s resolutions as most of us are wont to do at this time of the year, we found it more worthwhile to look at the brand-new year with renewed optimism and instead jotted down the 19 things we’d like to see in 2019. True, things wouldn’t be complete without coming up with resolutions, but fulfilling them is an entirely different matter. Last year began with a record-high 96 percent of Filipinos welcoming 2018 with hope, instead of fear, the Social Weather Stations said while noting that hope for the New Year has always been high. Historically though, 99 percent of the time, resolutions are not kept. So, rather than resolutions, we listed down things we’d like to see in the Year of the Earth Pig that we hope would make our country a better place to live in. Here goes our 19 for 2019: 1. That our lawmakers would learn how to moderate their greed following the intramurals that marked the pork barrel allocations disguised as parked budgets. 2. That Sen. Antonio Trillanes, fiercest critic of the Duterte administration, would finally find it in his heart to stop the lies and deceit that have made him the villain that we’re sure he doesn’t want to be. 3. That the Marcos family, led by its matriarch Imelda Marcos who has been convicted of seven counts of graft in connection with the family’s hidden wealth, would likewise find it in their heart to apologize to the Filipino people for their misdeeds. 4. That Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, would abandon the leftist struggle for the sake of the CPP-NPA cadres who have been waging an uphill battle in the boondocks while he lives comfortably in The Netherlands. 5. That the Supreme Court would have a “new beginning” under Lucas Bersamin following the turmoil that led to the removal of Ma. Lourdes Sereno, the country’s first woman Chief Justice for failing to disclose her wealth. She was replaced by Teresita Leonardo de Castro who served as top magistrate for 41 days, the shortest in Philippine history. 6. That the International Criminal Court would leave the Philippines alone and let President Duterte finish his war on drugs without any harassment. 7. That the Department of Environment and Natural Resources would continue its rehabilitation of other tourist destinations in the country following its effort in Boracay to include Baguio, Tagaytay, Manila Bay and Palawan, among other places. 8. That the Bangsamoro Organic Law signed into law by President Duterte late in 2018 would live up to its promise of finally ending the age-old secessionist problem in Mindanao and allow peace to reign in Moroland. 9. That the country’s newest telco player, Mislatel, would finally end the duopoly of Smart and Globe for the betterment of the telecommunication industry. 10. That the newly returned Balangiga bells would continue to be a symbol of the country’s struggle for independence and that the Eastern Samar town would become the newest tourist destination in the country. 11.. That Catriona Gray would have a fruitful year as Miss Universe 2018 and be a stellar example of Filipina beauty that, in the words of 2015 title holder Pia Wurtzbach, is “confidently beautiful with a heart.” 12. That the bully in that viral video would mend his ways after being dismissed from Ateneo and learn the hard way that there’s no place for bullying in school campuses. 13. That the Church and State would just mind their own businesses under the principle of separation of powers and stop the bickering that has divided the predominantly Catholic nation that is the Philippines. 14. That the Filipino people, in this year’s midterm elections, would finally mature in their choice of politicians who would serve them and shun those who would only cause them more misery. 15. That the one big fish in the government’s anti-corruption drive would finally be caught and jailed in the aftermath of the exoneration of Sen. Bong Revilla that left a bad taste in the mouth. 16. That corrupt government officials and employees, particularly in the Bureau of Customs, would stop their shenanigans and think about the future of the children in this country who would surely be the victims of the illegal shabu shipments that slipped under their very noses for reasons we obviously know. 17. That the Philippines would continue to be on a roll as one of Asia’s best performers and keep in check a surge in inflation which came alongside a spike in world oil prices in 2018. 18. That Federalism, which has been one of President Duterte’s major campaign promises, would go full swing to include a ban on political dynasties and political turncoatism. 19. That peace would finally reign in our land and there would be an end to the bickering that has made its mark among our government officials, politicians and institutions. In ending, we’d like to quote the lyrics of John Lennon’s song to wit: “And so happy Christmas / For black and for white / For yellow and red one, / Let’s stop all the fight.” Ni Teo S. Marasigan Ja-Jollibee Kami, Jo-join Kayo? (1) Kuwento ng isang kaibigang aktibista, may kagawian siya at mga katrabaho niya: Madalas, kapag kumakain sa pagitan ng mga pulong, usap-usapan nila ang masasarap na pagkain. Bukod sa napapasarap daw ang kinakain nila, masayang pansamantalang pahinga raw sa seryosong usapan ang ganoong kuwentuhan – hindi pagtakas sa tungkuling baguhin ang lipunan, kundi kakatwang bahagi nito. Parang ganyan ko inuunawa kung bakit sa gitna ng lalong pag-igting ng krisis ng ekonomiya ng bansa at ng pagdating ng samu’t saring trahedya sa mga mamamayan, naaakit akong magsulat tungkol sa Jollibee – oo, ang paboritongfastfood chain ng nakakarami. Hindi ba’t “panukat ng kaligayahan” (happiness indicator) ng mga Pinoy ang pagkain sa mga fastfood, tampok ang Jollibee? Natutuwa pati ako sa format ng Amerikanong blogger na si Adam Kostko sa pagsasabi ng mga naiisip at nararamdaman niya sa isang panahon – na parang nangungumpisal. Puwes, ganito: Inaamin kong mula pagkabata ay mahilig na ako – at ang buong pamilya ko – sa Jollibee. Sobrang hilig nga, sa puntong may konsepto ako ngayon ng isang patalastas nito batay sa sarili kong karanasan. Pinalaki kami ng mga magulang na iisang fastfood lang ang pinupuntahan at kinakainan – iyung may malaking bubuyog at hindi iyung may nakakatakot na payaso sa labas. Siguro, bahagi ito ng moda ng mga magulang ko. Dahil middle class silang dating maralita sa probinsiya, nagkumahog silang ihain sa mga anak ang mga produktong numero uno: Colgate, Safeguard, Tide, Jollibee at iba pa. (2) Lagi raw nakikita noon si Prop. Zeus A. Salazar – historyador, guro ng kasaysayan sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, at ama ng kilusang intelektuwal na tinatawag na “Pantayong Pananaw” – sa Jollibee. May nakapagsabi rin sa aking hinihikayat niya ang mga estudyante sa klase niya na mas kumain sa Jollibee kaysa sa McDonald, dahil pag-aari ng mga Pilipino ang una at ng mga dayuhan naman ang ikalawa. Gusto nga raw niyang maging mascot nito – biro lang. Dapat naman talagang tulungan ang mga negosyanteng Pinoy na nagsusumikap at hindi nagsisilbing tau-tauhan ng mga kapitalistang dayuhan. Pero dahil mas mabenta ang Jollibee kaysa sa McDonald, masasabing mas todo-kayod – at sa gayo’y mas napapagsamantalahan – ang mga empleyado ng nauna. Mas kritikal sa karaniwan ang pagtingin ni Prop. Salazar, pero mahalagang igiit na di sapat ang mga opsiyon sa ngayon. Kailangan pa rin ang panlipunang pagbabago. Minsan namang inilarawan ni Prop. Atoy M. Navarro, historyador at kapanalig ni Prop. Salazar, ang globalisasyon na “homogenisasyon o mapag-isang kapangyarihan na hindi kumikilala at gumagalang sa kabuuan, kakanyahan, katangian, kalayaan at kasarinlan ng mga bansa na makipag-ugnay [nang] makatwiran sa isa’t isa” [“Ang Bagong Kasaysayan sa Wikang Filipino,” 2000]. Sa hanay ng ilang makabayan, palasak ang ganitong pagtingin sa globalisasyon. Sa isang antas lang nito naipapaliwanag ang penomenon ng Jollibee at ngfastfood sa pangkalahatan. Dahil walang diyalektikal na oryentasyon at kongkretong pag-alam, makaisang- panig ito at hindi nakikita ang talab ng kulturang Pilipino. Sa Jollibee at mga fastfood, makikita ang pag-angkop ng mga korporasyon sa kulturang Pinoy, na nagpapartikularisa sa mga produkto nila sa Pinas kumpara sa produkto sa ibang bansa: Matamis na spaghetti, halimbawa. (3) Puwede bang maging poor man’s patent ang blog? Kahit not-so- poor man’s patent? Kuwento ng isang kaibigan dati, kapag may naimbento ka o natuklasan na hindi mo maiparehistro ng patente, puwede mong isulat sa isang papel ang konsepto tapos ipadala sa pamamagitan ng koreo sa bahay mo. Puwede mo na raw iyong itago at parang patente na rin daw iyon. Hindi ko alam kung totoo ang sabi niya, at hindi na rin ako nag-abalang alamin. Nakakatawa lang kasing isipin. Anu’t anuman, may konsepto ako ng patalastas ng Jollibee batay sa sariling karanasan: Sa lahat ng mayor na eksameng kinuha ko sa eskuwela, kasama ang Chickenjoy. Mula sa pagpili ng magiging top 10 noong nursery at kindergarten(Ahem) hanggang sa mga quiz bee na nasalihan ko noong elementarya (Ahem ulit, pero ni hindi umabot sa regional level), at sa ilang mayor na eksamen at quiz bee noong hayskul, dinadalhan ako ng tatay ko ng paborito kong Chickenjoy. Pang-telebisyon ang drama, dahil madalas, habang nage- eksamen, marahang kakatok ang tatay ko sa bintana para ipakita ang dala-dala niyang moral supportsa ipinagmamalaki niyang anak (at siguro, para istorbohin at idemoralisa ang mga kalaban, Hehe). Hindi naman ako laging panalo o numero uno, pero premyo ko na ang pagdating ng tatay kong ni ayaw pumunta sa ibang aktibidad sa paaralan, lalo na sa mga pulong ng Parents-Teachers Association o PTA. May dramatiko pang rurok. Noong gabi bago ako kumuha ng entrance exam sa unibersidad, nag- away kami ng nanay ko – di ko na maalala ang dahilan. Noong pupunta na ako sa eksamen, binawalan niya akong umalis ng bahay. Hindi daw niya ako bibigyan ng pera. Noong tiningnan ko ang pitaka ko, may kaunting pera pa ako, sapat lang para makarating sa eksamen. “Bahala na,” sabi ko. Noong palabas na ako ng pinto, umiiyak, humabol ang tatay ko, sasama na raw. Nalimutan ko nang hindi pa ako kumakain noon. Noong medyo nakalayo na kami, nagtanong siya, “Kumain ka na ba?” Saan kami kumain? Siyempre pa! (4) Pahabol: Minsan, kumakain sa Jollibee ang apat na panatiko nito. Masaya sila, nilalait ang pinakamalapit na kalaban nito – payat at mamantika ang fried chicken, maasim ang spaghetti, at kahit ang timpla ng softdrink, hindi masarap. Biglang may nagpilit maging balanse: “Pero in fairness, ha, crispy ang fries nila.” Parang nagpanting ang tainga, tumaas ang boses ng isa, galit na nagsalita: “True! Crispy ang rice nila!” 02 Hulyo 2008