Marlon’s World

(In)Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez is at it again. He again focuses his energies to the University of the Philippines (UP), branding it as a haven of destabilizers and naked runners. His wittiest line? "They are acting as if they are the only ones who know how to run the country."

Excuse me, Mr. Gonzalez, while I barf. The last time I look, your boss was a UP alumna, having graduated from the economics program of the State University. (Or, has she been removed from office while I write this blog entry?) To comment that only UP graduates know how to run the country may be a little bit awry, or at least, a very childish and prudish move from someone who never gained access to the gates of the University.

Is Mr. Gonzalez insinuating that the same students, faculty and staff of the State University who joined the rallies in 2001 to oust Joseph Estrada are the destabilizers of the present Administration? Doesn’t this sound too self-serving, too inconsistent and too self-aggrandizing? After all, when the previous regime fell, never did Gonzalez criticize the State University for its active participation in state affairs. Many private prosecutors (who, if I may add, offered their legal expertise to back Gonzalez’s otherwise mediocre presentation during the impeachment trial) are products of UP.   

Is Mr. Gonzalez insinuating that the same School that has given birth to national artists, scientists and leaders could now only breed destabilizers? Doesn’t he realize that many people who erect buildings, who write and articulate the feelings of the voiceless, who perform and entertain the country, who warn people of an impending volcanic eruptions, who make mass media run, who discover innumerable scientific feats, who carve important policies in and out of government came from UP? For all we know, Gonzalez sees a doctor from the UP, and has a staff full of UP graduates.      

Is Mr. Gonzalez devaluing the Oblation Run by saying that it’s just a mere annual streaking? Doesn’t he even know that it started to protest the unjust killing of a fratman in the 70s and is now regarded as an avenue to promote social awareness on issues in our country? The Oblation Runners protested against Erap, Mr. Gonzalez. Were they destabilizers then? And by the way, Mr. Gonzalez, they have protested against the UP budget cut, the rising oil prices, the widespread corruption in government. Are they destabilizing the Arroyo Administration too for wagging their penises out in the open? Aren’t these issues legitimate concerns that a liberal State education must tackle and bring to the consciousness of the masses?

Mr. Gonzalez was quick to hedge his pronouncements, saying that UP does have bright students. But who are the bright students now, Mr. Gonzalez? Are they those who don’t speak their mind in the present regime? Are they those who think about getting themselves well-placed in the echelons of government and business? The ideals that the students who rallied during EDSA 2 are the same ideals at work among students who rally during this Administration. Are the students who ousted Estrada destabilizers for you now, Mr. Gonzalez?

If I correctly remember my Fili class in highschool, José Rizal himself criticized Mr. Gonzalez’s Alma Mater, the University of Santo Tomas, for being a very backward institution. Remember Padre Millón and his Klase ng Pisika? I don’t know how it was during Mr. Gonzalez’s law school days, but I really hope that UST Law (which, by the way, is a very good school) didn’t do to the law books what Padre Millón did to the lab instruments. Oh, and someone told me that Leonardo Aragoncillo, that guy detained in the US for spying, is an alumnus of UST.    

From where I am standing, that a community can and must exist in a healty symbiosis of dissent, criticism and response is something inconceivable in Mr. Gonzalez’s universe. A society, say, a university for example, is just an institution where students go and take down notes. Add a cheerdance competition or two and you have an entire school year (UST’s Salinggawi is priceless, by the way). Sadly, the concept of a multifaceted society is just as inconceivable in the mind of everyone else in this regime.

Alas, the debate here is not which school is better. The debate here is based on the issues. I remember something from my Mass Media and Law class with Atty. Marichu Lambino. Someone has written something like this: the best test of an idea is to let it stand in an open arena of ideas (you correct me, Mr. Gonzalez. Your law degree was better than my CommRes degree).

Mr. Gonzalez, if this Administration can and does send its bullies to malign dissenters, maybe it has to do something more concrete and let Gloria Arroyo stand on trial. Maybe by then, you yourself could be her counsel and the whole Philippines would marvel at how a Secretary of Justice who doesn’t lack the wisdom to say the brightest political tidbits in recent political history defends someone widely believed and alleged to be fake. And I hope by that time, no UP destabilizer would find his way into the defense panel, lest he be accused of destabilizing the flawless arguments of a consummate lawyer.

Hello…

It’s the first and probably the last time I’m gonna write you. And I want this letter to be short.

The truth is I don’t know where to begin. I’ve always felt that I know you and you know me, but it seems that I took everything for granted all this time and now that it’s finally over, I am rushing like a madman to find the write words to say how much I admire you. It’s my weakness, you know; I’m always slow… too slow, perhaps.

Everything has not been peachy. I, for one, know how much people derailed you and called you names. For them, you’re always the coldest, the most aloof, the strangest. And for a good reason… You always seemed too far to reach. Everyone knows you and has spoken of you at least once. Everyone remembers your name but, strangely, no one remembers your face.   

I guess what I’m trying to say is I would miss you so much. We’ve been through a lot. Do you still remember during grade school when we used to play? It was among the happiest moments of my life. I really felt happy drawing you, and plotting your stars. But then time changes us. The falling out began in high school. Somehow I felt that you’re not that important anymore. That you’re one of those things that one knows but not necessarily something that one ought to remember always. Then in college, nothing.

Sorry for that. Sorry for not paying too much attention. Sorry for taking you for granted. Sorry for many things I failed to say.

You know what they say about letting go? It hurts especially when you’re not prepared for it. Corny as it may sound, that’s me right now. I’ve always known you and the space you left would be hard to fill.   

And hey, man, thanks for being there… for never failing to make me awestruck with your serene silence and unaffected detachment. I wish we could have had more, but the circumstances fail us. Perhaps someday in another universe where all stars are treated equal and where no meteor burns senselessly, everything would be possible.

Watch over me as I always watch out for you. And when a tiny sparkle dots the clear night, I’d know that you’ve heard me and you’ve somehow understood…

Love,

Marlon

P.S. Maybe now, you could change your name from Pluto to something more pleasant. Hercules, perhaps?

Pluto has been demoted to a dwarf planet. Read all about it here.

Mag-Filipino naman tayo ngayon. Nagsisimula na akong mag-thesis dito sa Spain. Sa totoo lang, n’ung una kong i-formulate ang aking research problem para sa aking adviser at sa course director, naisip ko na magsulat tungkol sa linggwistiks ng mga imigranteng Pinoy sa Espanya. Logical nga naman na kung hihingi ka ng extension sa scholarship, kailangang justified ng iyong study ang isa pang taon ng (limpak-limpak na?) kayamanan. Ang hindi ko inaasahan, marami akong makikitang siwang habang ginagawa ko ang aking draft.

Naging estilo ko na sa pagsulat ng mga research papers ang paglalagay ng mga news items. Sa tingin ko kasi, lalong nagiging malinaw ang importance ng isang study kung nakabase siya sa mga kasalukuyang nangyayari sa lipunan. In fact, n’ung ginawa ko ang undergraduate thesis ko on Meteor Garden, marami akong magazine at newspaper clippings na isinama para maipakita ang pagiging popular ng chinovelang ito sa Pilipinas noong 2004.

Ngayon, gumagawa ako ng study about pragmatics (ibig sabihin, ang tipo ng wikang ginagamit sa isang specific na context) at ang relationship nito sa phemonenon ng migration. Of course, marami-rami na rin akong nabasang news bits mula sa Internet at sa tingin ko, masakit sa ulo ang napili kong topic.

Pero, na-realize ko rin, mas masakit ang topic sa loob lalo na noong na-encounter ko ang annoucement ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo regarding sa mga umuwing OFWs galing ng Lebanon. Aniya, ang gagawin ng gobyerno ay i-train ang mga Pinoy na ito para maging mga "super maids" sa malao’t madali. Super maid, ibig sabihin, marunong mag-first aid, astig sa emergency situation, at fluent sa language ng pagtatapunang bansa. 

ANG SAKIT, NO?

Lumalabas na para sa aking pamahalaan, ako ay isang katulong lang. Anumang tapusin kong degree, magsulat man ako ng libong research papers, magpakabihasa man ako sa pangangastila, ang priority ng aking gobyerno ay "maibenta" ako sa ibang bansa bilang katulong na maghuhugas ng puwet at mag-aalaga ng bata.

Hindi masamang maging katulong. Malaki ang paggalang ko sa mga kasama sa bahay, lalo na ‘yong mga may kailangang iwanang anak sa Pilipinas para lamang makabuhay ng pamilya. Ang masakit sa akin ay napakakitid ng ating pangarap bilang bansa. Tila kuntento na tayong mangamuhan at maghingi mula sa iba.

Never pa akong naka-encounter mula sa gobyerno ng anumang komprensibong programa para sa mga gustong matuto ng ibang languages in situ, o sa mga gustong magpakadalubhasa sa physics at chemistry, o sa mga gustong maging astronaut, o sa mga nais lumahok sa filmfest abroad, o sa mga mahilig sumulat ng panitikan, o sa mga may talent sa business at strategic planning. Ang investment natin lagi, sa mga domestic helpers. Kumbaga, meron tayong facilities para i-train sila sa trabahong-bahay at huthutan — I mean, singilin — ng pera para sa mga papeles pang-abroad. Pero para sa human resources development na mas malayo ang mararating, wala tayong capacity for that.

‘Wag na ngang sabihin pa na pagtapak na pagtapak ng mga Pinoy sa ibang bansa, every man for himself na. Bahala ka na kung masabugan ka ng bomba o rape-in ka ng amo mo. Hangga’t walang media flak na nakararating sa Pilipinas, ok lang na walang kumilos. 

Lumalabas pa na, sa tingin ng gobyerno ko, mas effective akong mamamayan kung maipadadala ako sa ibang bansa para magtrabaho. Menos problema sa Pilipinas, ‘baga. Itinataboy ako ng aking mga leaders sa ibang bansa imbis na sanayin ako at bigyan ng mapagkakakitaang marangal sa sarili kong bayan. Tayo namang walang ibang choice, tatanggapin na lang natin kaysa naman mamatay nang nakadilat at walang makain sa Pinas.

Ok nga rin naman. Sa ibang bansa kasi, ‘pag nagkasakit ka, libre ang konsulta at gamot. ‘Pag nawalan ka nang trabaho, may social security. ‘Pag gusto mong mag-aral, may free education (yung talagang free, ha? hindi yung free na may miscellaneous fee for janitorial services). In short, may independence kang gawin kung anuman ang gusto mong gawin.

Ayokong magtunog colonial mentality ang dating ng entry ko ngayon. Pero nakakalungkot lang na sa dami ng talent at utak sa Pilipinas, karamihan ay nauuwi sa pagkukuskos ng kubeta at pagwe-waitress sa bar. Lagyan mo man ng salitang "super" sa unahan, "maid" pa rin tayong lahat.      

When I was a freshie at the University of the Philippines (UP), there was a hush-hush list that was going around every frosh’s hand. It was a descriptive rundown of professors and the General Education (GE) subjects they teach. The comments were curiously very detailed and many a naive freshman took down notes and enrolled the following semester in the courses where a 1.0 was a virtual no-brainer.

I have to admit that I did enlist in three or four courses indicated in the list, but after realizing that those who prepared it either went to UP to party or were just very busy with other scholastic activities (I’m giving you a lofty option, just in case), I began taking on the challenge of enrolling blindlessly in courses that fit my schedule rather than those whose professors were kinder. Nerdy as it may sound, I’m so glad I did. Wanna know why? Here’s my own teacher-list for those who are interested:

GE Subjects:

Kom 1, Prof. Wilfreda Jorge-Legaspi. One thing: ultra-flawless armpits. She is famous for being a strict and temperamental professor but, in fairness, I learned a lot. I’ll never forget the "kababayan" incident with a certain Mr. Alcantara.

Kom 2, Prof. Florentino Inigo. A political prisoner during Martial Law. He wears Dinolite sneakers to class. During EDSA 2, he entered the room without saying a word. He took out his marker and wrote on the board "All roads lead to EDSA." He quietly stepped out; we followed. A week later, Joseph Estrada was removed from office.

Comm 3, Prof. Teresa Paula Sangil-de Luna. A fashionista. She always had something to say about skin whiteners.

Humad 1, Dr. Ruby Gamboa-Alcantara. She’s a bit disorganized but she had a lot of stories to tell. Even during quizzes, she would just suddenly blurt out a chismis. It’s the only class where the students were the ones asking the prof to keep quiet. Hahaha.

Hum 2, Prof. Alden Lauzon. Hmmm. I don’t know what to say. I remember, though, that he delivered a lecture by just putting the entire text on a transparency. Silent reading, in short.

Kas 1, Dr. Milagros Camayon-Guerrero. Yes, The history professor. I remember all her stories and the way she told them. "World affairs" not "world affair."

Kas 2, Dr. Dante Ambrosio. Hehe, our class was the bomb. A girl named Beverly was the class clown.

Philo 1, Mr. Allan Abstract Layug. We’re 70 in class. A cool prof, but sometimes I felt that I was not studying philo at all. He’s an atheist, btw, and he likes violet.

SocSc 1, Prof. Mark Reese. A visiting professor from Britain. All girls in class were swooning, even though the prof would come in unkempt, dressed in a wrinkly blank shirt with a hole at the back. 

SocSc 2, Mr. Arnold Alamon. Have you ever heard a professor say "putang ina" in class? If you answer "no," then you haven’t been enrolled in Sir Alamon’s class. Very intellectual, btw. As in, Marx, Nietschze, Durkheim… You get the drift.

Math 1, Ms. Adora Calaor. One lesson that stuck: It’s OY-ler, not YOO-ler.

NatSc 1, Dr. Jose Magpantay and Prof. Delicia Sunio. Dr. Magpantay’s class was like taking up PE: you enter and sit down, and then he begins talking rapidly for one-and-a-half hours. I mean, I had to catch my breath after every lecture. One time, his mobile phone rang in class. He was so engaged with lecturing that he answered the phone with the mic on. Professor Sunio was the complete opposite. In each chapter, we always talk about the properties of carbon, hahaha.

NatSc 2, Prof. Eligio "Jun" Obille and Dr. Cecilie Longid. Sir Jun is the best! He handled Geology in such a way that analyzing igneous rocks seemed like watching MTV. He even sang a song on the last day of class. Dr. Longid weirded me out. She divided the class into four groups and each had to report a topic. The thing was, we’re 120 in class so each group had 30 members. The report ended up with each member reading a sentence from the book.

STS, Prof. Ranjit Rye. Hahahaha, ang gulo namin sa class. We reported on a science and technology topic by dubbing a Juday-Piolo film.

PI 100, Ms. Jasmine Icasiano. Tatahi-tahimik lang ito, pero iba kung bumanat. A feminist and activist, so we always had the alternative readings and analyses of Rizal’s work.

PE Scrabble, Ms. Marie Filio. Yes, scrabble is a PE subject in UP. My only physical activities were flipping tiles and rearranging letters. I passed with flying colors.

PE Social Dance, Prof. Tom Edison Pena. I had Sir Tom for the basic, which I enjoyed. Then, when I didn’t have any PE subject left the next semester, I was forced to do the advanced, which I hated. After the finals in Kublai, Katipunan, I ended up dressed in my skimpy social dance attire along Quezon Avenue. I was half-expecting people to mistake me for a prostitute (ROFL).   

PE Arnis, Ms. Rachel Peneyra. She’s an uber-kind professor. I like her class. Nice people, too, even though you’d have to hit them with a rattan cane.

Language Courses, Non-MassComm Electives and Cognates

Span 1-2, Prof. Ana Gloria Margarita Ventanilla. A very good professor. I thoroughly appreciated Spanish because of her. Years later, I would find myself in Spain applying all the things she taught me. Ricky Martin always figured in our lessons.

Span 3, Dr. Maria Paz Rodriguez-Hidalgo. Actress Celia Rodriguez’s sister. Very motherly and accommodating. I never regretted taking up Spanish 3 with her. During the impeachment trial, most of our examples of subjunctives had something to do with good governance (Si Erap no fuera presidente…)

German 10, Mr. Andrei Paul Villamar. Wacky and crazy prof. I was guffawing like a madman at 7:00 AM. Wie gehts dir?

Math 11, Dr. Constante Torrechante. Yes, my friends, the famous "terror" professor in Math. I was so afraid of him that I studied Math like I never did before. I got a 1.75, btw (hehehe).

Econ 11, Dr. Maria Socorro Gochoco-Bautista. She’s one of the few professors who speak English throughout the lesson. I had her for both lecture and discussion. Microeconomics was tough, though.

PolSc 14, Prof. Crisline G. Torres. Very systematic and engaging. One of the best profs I had in UP. Teaching PolSc is like taking a tour….

Lingg 110, Prof. Maria Khristina Manueli. Hehehe, she taught linguistic using gay lingo. Astig. I liked doing all the activities for they were like playing a game.

CW 140, Prof. Emil Francis Flores. Sci-fi galore. We talked about Batman and Superman and comic books and anime and robots and the Lord of the Rings, and I realized how drab my life was.

English 100, Dr. Maria Corazon Saturnina Aspeli-Castro. Another fashionista. I liked her classes and the journals that we were required to write. Even when I was not her student anymore, she would always be so kind so as to greet me in the hallway.

CMC Core Courses and Electives

Comm 100, Prof. Arminda Vallejo-Santiago. Films galore. We spent most of the time watching docus and flipping through slides.

Comm 120, Atty. Marichu Lambino. My batch calls her "Ma’am Britney." Endless readings of court cases and articles on mass media issues.

Comm 140, Dr. Lourdes M. Portus. Presently, the College Secretary of UP MassComm. I was thankful I got her class. The way she handled comm theory was very much related to its utility in research. Key word: Triangulation.

Comm 141, Prof. Josefina M.C. Santos. Critical theories about media and the society. All the background stories that media never lets you see. Ma’am Jo has remained a very good friend and consultant after our course.

Comm 190, Prof. Rachel Khan. She’s a nice teacher. It’s like a philosophy class all over again. BTW, Jem Cortez makes a rather funny impersonation of Ma’am Khan. Hahaha.

BC 100, Prof. Elizabeth Lorenzana-Diaz. This is the most boring class ever. I didn’t learn anything that cannot be read from the books. The professor spoke on the first day and then let us talk for the entire semester. She spoke again on the last day to repeat what she said on the first.   

Journ 101 and 109, Prof. Danilo Arana Arao. Takot akong mag-comment, baka mabasa ni Sir, hehehe. Kidding aside, one of the most sensible profs in CMC. The way he analyzes issues and the clarity of presentation of ideas were remarkable.

Film 102, Dr. Lena Strait-Pareja. Films from the heyday of Philippine Cinema. Rogelio dela Rosa, Carmen Rosales, Rosal Rosal, Fernando Poe Sr. I always came out singing a kundiman after class.

CommRes subjects

CommRes 101, 130, 200, Dr. Florinda de Fiesta-Mateo. Presently, the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs of UP. She was described in the survival guide as a "woman of the times." She is. She has a lot of excellent ideas, especially on qualitative research, and the way she presented them was superb. I ended up taking her as my thesis adviser.

CommRes 199, Dr. Elena Enriquez-Pernia. Presently, the Dean of UP MassComm. Other than the fact that she’s the most fashionista and sosyal prof I’ve ever had, she is the goddess of communication research. She’s addicted to doing researches and was always challenging everyone to come up with better outputs. All hail Ma’am Neny! (BTW, she always has rakets for interested students).

CommRes 115, Prof. Violeda Acosta Umali. I initially feared Ma’am VAU. She has a reputation of being strict and demanding. Besides, she’s teaching quanti, so for someone who has a perpetual fear of Math, Ma’am VAU could be very intimidating. But every computation, every reprimand, every red ink on the paper served as a challenge to improve.                   

CommRes 120 and 125, Ms. Alexandra More M. San Joaquin. My friends and I used to have a list of Ma’am Golda’s favorite lines: vis-a-vis, therefore, moreover. Very approachable. She’s friends with Gravetter and Walnau.

CommRes 170, Dr. Aleli Agoncillo-Quirante. Keywords: crystals, Mt. Banahaw, interdimensional communication. I remember her ghost stories. They still creep me out.

CommRes 165, Dr. Fernando Paragas. Techie. Okrayan during the presentation of results. Popularization of research outputs.

CommRes 195, Prof. Kate Mirandilla. Very tactful. She’s obsessed with changing the syllabus every so often, hahaha. She presented her lessons systematically with itemized lists peppered with keywords.   

Just a short announcement: I have been making major changes in my weblog and I hope that you would find the new version better.

Due to the popular demand of one person (hehehe), I have uploaded my photos to thematically-titled albums. I have to be content, though, with uploading 50 pictures per month since I am using the free service. I promise that monthly, there would be new photos and new albums.

Also, I’m changing the color to green. Blue is so last year.

To those people who read the entries, furtively or otherwise, thank you. Keep the comments coming. I love to read all of them.

To those who are not in my friends list but are somehow attracted to the possibility of inviting me to their circle, bring it on (I’m desperate).

To those who are telling themselves "Who the f*ck is this blogger? I will never read his blog again," well you better get your act together since you’ve reached the last sentence of this entry.