The Wandering Savant

I have read about the plan of some religious groups to file charges against the CCP officials who approved of the Kulo exhibition and the artists who behind the said it for reasons that I have yet to fathom. They reasoned out that CCP being supported by government funds must only have exhibitions that are reflective of and do not run counter to the majority of the population's  religious beliefs. And, considering that majority of the Filipinos are catholics, CCP officials have committed a grave abuse of authority in approving the said exhibit and said abuse is tantamount to graft.

I have just finished reading a news article about the resignation of a CCP executive amidst "furor" over an art exhibit. The said exhibit "Kulo" incited controversy for being "sacrilegious" and "blasphemous". I don't want to delve into the details of the controversy since it's one of the many talked-about issues in the national scene these days. 

Time flies fast! It seems like yesterday when I started to blog. Six months and twenty-eight articles later, in July, my momentum had come to a halt. For the past two months, I partially cut myself off from the rest of the worldwide web. I did not even take the pains of updating my social networks. I was then a passive observer of everything that has been happening around.

Choosing the road less travelled has made all the difference, Robert Frost once said. The phrase still brings such a profound meaning to people of integrity anywhere in the world.  We are now in the time when it is not uncommon for us to see evils and rotten ideals. There seems to be a tragic erosion of honesty and integrity everywhere. At most times, integrity and honesty are the basic foundations with which most organizations are build upon.

This government is basking on the supposed savings in millions of pesos as a result of its efforts in promoting good governance.  This government offers no other explanation on the slip of President Aquino's ratings, except that there is a considerably low output in infrastructure projects. It has already been established that construction is a great multiplier of economic activities. Construction is one easy way to spur economic activities in a particular place.

With so much luck, I am still updating this blog now. The date registering on my calendar is 22 May 2011.  The world did not come to an end contrary to the prophecies of  Harold Camping, erstwhile head of the Family Radio Ministries. This end of the world hype actually produces several kinds of people. Lofty dreams, a beautiful house, wonderful family, among others were the things they stood to lose, had the the world come to an end yesterday. Those reluctant to believe that the earth was going to end havef a whole range of excuses and scapegoats like " I have yet to see my offspring," I have to see my son become a lawyer, a priest or doctor."

I am Filipina – emailed to me today. I always made it a point not to post twice in one day, but I just can't help myself. I have read this poem by a Filipina, purportedly emailed to the blogger. I could not help myself but raised eyebrows for the temerity of the writer of the poem to send something like that. I could not copy and paste it so just click the link above. I had to react violently of which I profusely apologize.

Manny's glorious moment I just can't allow this week to pass without writing about Manny. I am referring to "the people's champ" Manny Pacquiao. Despite the many things that I need to do during these times. If I may mention it here, as of this writing, I am on the process of moving to a new place and I just don't feel like updating this blog; but then, I have to. That's life.

The President in Pensive Mode I sorely miss our president! I'm sure that the huge media enterprises that helped catapult him to office could not tolerate this brewing boredom. Save for a few rather inconsequential pronouncements and scandalous indiscretions, like the "used Porsche" hulabalo, the Philippine president has been enjoying his presidential life in dreamlike obscurity, in as far as public policy is concerned. The president, who calls himself P-noy (I still don't know the significance of the name is and I am not expecting to find any), has been a fixture in the presidential office for quite sometime.

I just had have a love affair with aphorisms, more particularly on the ones that start with the hypothetical word "if". Wanting to create a kind of intellectual upheaval among my peers, I posted one in the online community facebook.com.  True enough, it sparked so much interest when I had it posted in our work chat. I asked, "If Manuel L. Quezon were alive today, still, would he rather have the Philippines run like hell by Filipinos or like heaven by the Americans?" The question stemmed from his quite nationalistic pronouncements, that he would rather "have a country run like hell by Filipinos than a country run like heavens by the Americans, because however a bad Filipino government might be, we can always change it"--quite hopefully. 

CONFRONTATION WITH GREED In this age of rising food cost and rising cost of fuel,  where making a living seems to be the hardest of chores, how can we effectively fight the evils of our time? Fighting greed is one tough act especially if one is fighting against the financial powerhouses of our time. 

'Tis the season to be jolly, 'tis the season of beauty pageants, once again. The recently concluded BB Pilippinas 2011 showed that we do have so much potentials. We just have to develop them.  I am not so much beholden to international  beauty pageants as avenues of showcasing our best and brightest. There are a lot of endeavors that we can focus on, however, I could not also denigrate the importance of these beauty contests. Training a candidate to represent the country is not an easy task. And I think that BB Pilpinas has a lot of things to address in as far as the conduct of the search. 

I have no idea, whether I have given this piece a correct title or not. But I guess the title is apt in a way considering the kind of dazed state that we are in right now. Dawning of a new day, Bantayan Island I welcome this month of April with renewed hope and vigor. I hope the same holds true for the rest of us, though we had to leave the month of March with the tingling memories of such tragic events as  earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown in Japan and the more recent execution of the three Filipinos in China. 

(This is an exposition of my liberty. I don't know what's going to happen next.) Wasting an opportunity, for me, is worse than plunder. Plunder is just money lost while wasting an opportunity means lossing the future of the next generation.  The much-vaunted 1986 EDSA Revolution, which everyone thought was the final salvation from the evils of the Marcos administration, tossed Ninoy Aquino's "housewife" Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino to the seat of power. As the head of a revolutionary government, the then president was bequeathed with vast amount of power that she could have used to change the course of our destiny as a nation. Amidst that power, the then president lay powerless. What an irony!

With so much reluctance, I am publishing this piece. I am reluctant because the article contains matters pertaining to the metaphysical aspects of life, which tend to be controversial. But I would rather be stoned than cower in the dark. Over the past week we have seen how  nature unleashed its fury. It created a sudden upheaval in the earths tectonic plates causing an 8.9 magnitude earthquake that sent harrowing waves of sea-water into the island nation of Japan, virtually clearing away everything on its path like grains of sand.

I would like to share, with you this picture of the Rizal Blvd., in Dumaguete by one of the best photographers in the country today, Mr. Hersley Ven Casero.

Journalists plan pullout as rebellion in Libya collapses LA Times's award-winning photographer, Luis Sinco, filed this report about the situation in Benghazi as he was packing to leave for Egypt. The much vaunted Libyan rebellion collapses and Libyan leader Muamar al Gadaffi is poised to regain foothold of his civil war-torn country.

Nothing really pisses me off big time other than the waste of time and energy. I am amazed at how much time and effort we invest on insignificant endeavors rather then directing our energy on things that really matter. What's the matter with us? What has gone terribly wrong with us. Have we just become a massive collection of degenerates?

           ...Baguio Escapades... Baguio City has kept most of its charms despite the onslaught of urbanization. It is the the regional center for the Cordillera Administrative Region. Famous for its flowers and the annual Panagbenga Festival, Baguio is also considered as the educational center of the north with the presence of such educational institutions as St Louis University, UP Baguio among others. The ambience of the city makes a conducive learning environment for students, writers and scholars.

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs; If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and tear them into pieces."--Matthew 7:6 (NIV) Not a few days ago, I remember reading an article by a balikbayan describing his last visit to Subic (SBMA). The article was a boring litany of what Subic has been as a booming free-port to what it has become become--a seemingly wretched place. Like the author, I am reminded of the the passage above every time I think of my own travel. In my case it is Banaue  and its once renown Rice Terraces, in the province of Ifugao.