The height of arrogance

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! First things first, advanced birthday greetings to Mayor Mel Sarmiento. He will turn a year older tomorrow.

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This column was supposed to have come out last Friday, but thanks to my puffy eyes brought about by the funeral of tita Cory (of which much has been written about), I did not make it to the deadline.

I thought I was not going to write anything about “the queen that we never had”. I simply made sure I collected all the national dailies which reported on the death and funeral of the former President. That is until a cousin of mine approached me and sought help for a nephew’s school assignment. He gave me a small sheet of paper on which was written the following instruction:

(short bond paper)

1. Significant contributions of Pres. Corazon Aquino
2. Insights=
3. Reaction =
4. Reflection =

My initial reaction was that of someone realizing how old he was, I can’t believe it, kids are now studying about a person who was a star in my generation (now I’m really old).

And it occurred to me, how can you write about a person who is bigger than life? About someone whose life will never be completely told in all the books and magazine there is; about a person whose name alone is enough to tell everyone that she is a hero. She was not perfect, but certainly she was several notches above all the rest of ordinary mortals like you and me.

And yes, I was not able to help my nephew on that particular assignment.

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And what’s with today’s title? It has nothing to do with politicians and the like. I am referring to the powerful in the local academic community and yes, the local church. In one meeting, a head of a local school uttered something like this, “… I know that some among you do not like me”; and in one mass many Sundays ago, a priest included in his homily this line, “… maaram kami nga damo sa iyo an dire narururyag sa amon tungod kay dire kam natutumanan san iyo mga karuyag…”

I would have wanted to elaborate on those lines which basically mean the same. But c’mon guys, even the Pope has his detractors, you could do no less. Forgive me, but that’s plain and simple arrogance.

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Ah that National Artist Award! I was never into that stuff until I got to see Ben Cab in Calbayog; and lately when Carlo Caparas went on TV castigating the CCP officers and critics for being elitist. So what the hell is Filipino culture? Caparas got the flak for supposedly coming out with movie hits that were in the massacre category. To which he retorted that that’s the problem with the elitists, they tend to forget about the masa, citing an example, like the ones you see in wowowee (yup I started watching that program after hearing that argument on TV).

If my memory serves me right, my anthropology subject (which I took 25 years ago) told me that there is no such thing as a unique culture; and that it is something that is brought about, affected, or characterized by the realities (and / or events) that happen to a certain group of people (or something to that effect).

Are massacre movies reflective of Filipino culture? I dunnow, but they made it big in the box office. Are images and stories of contestants telling their miserable lives on national television Filipino culture? Maybe yes, for it was brought about by - as they always say - the hard life that all of us are into (yes, thanks to the usual suspects in government, etc, etc.) Yes, even making promises of loving one another and / or changing one’s ways in life - all on national TV tears and with background music and all. Whew! I’m tempted to say, start eating your heart out Kris Aquino.

That’s not reflective of Filipino culture, or is it? Or is it that of the new emerging Filipino culture?

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to the awarding program. Nope, not to see the awardees receive their prizes or deliver their speeches, but to watch the ceremony (program) flow and the pageantry that goes with it.

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More than a week ago, Mayor Mel Sarmiento turned-over seven (7) units of brand-new motorcycle to Calbayog PNP. These will be used for the nightly patrol that PNP officers will be doing in Calbayog. This is still part of the measure being put in place by the local government to curb the series of shooting incidents which occurred in the city in the past few months.

A few weeks ago, checkpoints have been set in some barangays outside of the city proper. One will also notice the regular foot patrol (akin to the Japanese kabo system) and police officers stationed in various areas around the city.

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Obituary. Ricardo “Cadong” Tan, former City Councilor, former City Vice Mayor and former City Mayor returned to his creator on August 2, 2009. His remains lie in state at his residence in Barangay San Joaquin. He will be interred at the Tan Mausoleum in Barangay San Joaquin on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 after the Necrological Service at the San Joaquin Gym.

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Concert. The CKC – Jose Gomez Orchestra will have a post-fiesta Concert in Calbayog City. This will be held on September 9, 2009 at the Frs. David and Leopold Auditorium in Christ the King College

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Let me leave you with something inspiring from a guardian of our souls, morals, faith, and what have you (try checking my column last Monday). I dunnow if it was my favorite priest who actually uttered this, but my source said that it was a priest who said it. I suppose you are familiar with that organization called Catholic Women’s League, and we call it C-W-L for short. Well, a local clergy supposedly referred to not as CWL, but C Devil-U L. Yun lang.

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Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!