Ilonggo journalists don’t run away from a good cause

“Never run from the enemy, tackle them.” 

― Victoria Addino 

 

By Alex P. Vidal 

 

A YEAR ago, I stood toe to toe against several pseudo community leaders and phony moral guardians in the Filipino community in New York City who tried to stop me from dispensing my job and obligation as a critical journalist based in this part of the world.

This was when I criticized then Philippine Consul General Elmer Cato for posting on Twitter at least two dubious “Asian Hate” crime stories involving Filipinos in two separate “incidents.”

After conducting my own investigations and fact-checking, I found several loopholes in the tweets that were nonetheless picked and reported by several Philippine media networks.

It caused untold worries and panic among Philippine-based parents who had children or relatives in New York.

I felt it was a moral obligation to correct the wrong; a clarion call to give justice to truth.

I insisted Cato’s twin tweets lacked merits and authenticity and may have been fed to him by eager-beaver gossipers who tried to ingratiate themselves to the good consul general to curry whatever favors.

 

-o0o-

 

Instead of answering the valid issue, Cato refused to grab the bull by its horns and “relied” on a group of sips-sips and grutnols who called themselves “community leaders” to neutralize or silence me. They picked the wrong prey.

I stood my ground and refused to be intimidated. 

Ilonggo journalists, wherever we are around the globe, never ran away from good causes or crusades.

I fought them tongs and hammer and, through a video, dared them to a debate in the Philippine Consulate to resolve that Cato’s twin tweets weren’t shady.

None of these heavyweights answered my call; they chickened out. An overbearing physician, a nurse manager, a retired social worker (mostly socialites who frequented the consulate office doing beso-beso with the consulate bigwigs and engaging them in ballroom dancing at night).

In the first place, they had nothing to do whatsoever with my articles about Cato, but wanted to play false heroes for the embattled consul general.

I also exposed the missing $600,000 funds those impostors and hypocrites solicited from private persons and companies made possible through the support of past (I didn’t say Cato was involved) consulate big guns (a case for the missing funds was filed against this group in New Jersey).   

The articles I wrote reached the attention of Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo in the Philippines (thanks to the power of the internet). 

After several weeks, Cato, a good man, was removed from New York (I didn’t say because of my expose).

And the rest is history. 

     

-o0o-

 

Everywhere in the world today people experience moral, political, financial, and spiritual crisis. 

Political crisis if we make a mistake of electing clowns and magicians as leaders (Bad Boy Padilla, Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, atbp.). 

Spiritual crisis if we are smitten by false messiahs and businessmen masquerading as Bible preachers.

Financial crisis caused by global recession abetted by manipulative technocrats and oligarchs, unethical executives that stonewall economic growth. 

Moral crisis due to our weak values and lack of self-discipline; our predilection for escapism and heavy reliance on cyber technology as custodian of virtues and righteousness (watch how monster AI will destroy humanity, God forbid).

No matter what happens we should keep our chin up. When we indulge in gloom we are hurting ourselves most of all.

 

-o0o-

 

We know there are some feelings that poison us just as certainly as arsenic. They have a direct effect upon the body.

Anger reddens the face, fright makes the hair stand on end, grief destroys the appetite and embarrassment makes the mouth dry. 

One of the surest mental poisons is despair. It dulls the brain and confuses the hands. 

Why give up? As long as we live we will have some sort of a chance. Nine-tenths of success, after all, is pep. 

The man that faces misfortune with a smile and a stout heart cannot be beaten. 

There is always tomorrow, and what tomorrow has in store for us no man knows. 

At least we make up our mind to this one thing, no matter what fate may do to us it shall not make us afraid. Amen.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Malacanang should apologize to Treñas

“Apologies always seem to me like excuses.”

—Jim Harbaugh

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

INSTEAD of being belligerent, Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas has been showing signs he was willing to cooperate with the Marcos Jr. administration even if the administration appears to be indifferent to the Ilonggo leader, who openly supported former Vice President Leni Robredo in the May 2022 presidential election.

First, Treñas was ecstatic that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. mentioned the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project, which is included in the administration’s P8.3-trillion “Build Better More” program in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.

Second, Treñas claimed the enactment of MIF (Maharlika Investment Fund) would be a big help to accelerate the implementation of the national government's key infrastructure projects.

Despite his reputation as an outstanding city mayor in Western Visayas, the Marcos Jr. administration pretended Treñas didn’t exist when it didn’t send him official invitation in President Marcos Jr.’s SONA on July 24.

Even if Treñas had disclosed to the public he didn’t get any invitation at least four days before the SONA, the act of impropriety and unprofessionalism on the part of Malacanang was never corrected. 

 

-o0o-

 

The apparent shabby treatment was uncalled for and unnecessary.

They don’t do that to a former national president of the League of Municipalities (during the Arroyo administration).

If the reason was politics, it’s a shame on the part of the Marcos Jr. administration for showing its true color this early (politics is addition, right?).

If the reason was “honest mistake” or Treñas’ name was “inadvertently” removed from the list of local chief executives officially invited, it’s a big disgrace on the part of the protocol officer—or anybody assigned to prepare the SONA master list for invited guests.

This is not the right time for the Marcos Jr. administration to show conceit and smugness. On the other hand, it should reach out to its past adversaries and show humility to all and sundry.    

Malacanang thinks it has no obligation to explain why some important people in the LGU like Treñas had been “forgotten.”

We think Malacanang must apologize.

 

-o0o-

 

LET’S AVOID MENTAL LAZINESS. From the chin down no man is worth much more than a dollar or two a day. Even what we do with our hands depends for its value on the amount of sense we use. 

We can train and improve our mind as well as our fingers. Mental laziness is the most common disease.

Put in a certain amount of time every day at making our brain more efficient. Let’s read. Let’s study. Let’s think. Let’s not fritter away all our spare time. It’s all habit. 

We can get used to hard study as well as to hard work. And it pays. Let’s improve ourselves from the chin up.

THE DEVIL’S OTHER NAME. As a habit and as part of personal hygiene, taking a bath twice a day especially during summer is a must and should be inviolable. 

To prevent sunburn when collecting recycled wastes, we must protect our skin with lotion (Jergen). A regular perfume (preferably I suggest my favorites, Calvin Klein and Bvlgari) is also necessary.

I believe that cleaning up is more vital than dressing up. The most important thing in the world is to get rid of the waste. The salvation of the office is the waste basket.

The salvation of the home is the scrubbing brush. The salvation of the body is efficient elimination. The salvation of the soul is keeping dirt out of the imagination.

In the house of death there is the smell of cologne, in the hospital there is the odor of disinfectant. Because the cleansing processes of life are secret, private and not to be mentioned or witnessed they are all the more sacredly essential. 

The bacilli of Nature are the wrath of God that awaits for the unclean. The devil’s other name is Dirt.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

‘What good is money if you’re dead?’

 

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

— George Bernard Shaw

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

EGAY and Falcon went on a murderous binge these past days, killing scores of sea travelers and those waylaid by floods, destroying millions of crops and properties, and isolating many people from their usual activities and habits.

Many destructions had the telltale sign of nature’s breathtaking wrath and man’s cruelty to nature, as always feared, “came back” to haunt him.

When we abuse nature, nature will strike back and it’s always a question of when.    

What comes up must come come down. The law of karma states every action, positive or negative will have an equal reaction on our own self. Now, all our forward-looking actions are recorded as merits and the ones with negative intent are recorded as sins in our karma record book.

The Mind Fool tells us that in the language of Karma, every positive deed is merit and every negative deed is a sin. In our earthly birth, we are constantly settling scores and simultaneously creating new ones that are settled in subsequent lives. This loop of Karma is referred to as the Karmic Cycle.

 

-o0o-

 

To harmonize the environment and economy and create a win-win solution, we must do the following:

— Review all environment laws and policies; as well as all laws pertaining to economy. Come up with laws that balance human needs and nature;

— Environment-friendly governance is necessary; hence, education must be the priority. All schools must prioritize the study of nature and moral values;

— An energy transition is necessary. Harness and store the world's vast supplies of wind, biomass and other forms of solar energy which are more abundant than oil. Solar cells, wind turbines and fuel cells can power factories, homes, automobiles and aircraft. Clean energy now;

— A shift to organic farming; a shift away from excessive consumption of chemical products; and application of the precautionary principle to the chemical industry;

— Stabilize population by improving the economic and social status of women; design cities in ways that reduce distances traveled between home and work, shopping and school; and in urban transit systems, shift emphasis from cars to public transportation, bicycling and walking;

— Stop the rush to use genetically-modified organisms in agriculture;

— Reduce the use of pesticides because public health is non-negotiable;

— Reduce the use of harmful chemicals in the production process. For example, glucose is better than benzene; paper can be bleached without use of chlorine or chlorine-based compounds;

— Blend ecology and economy and make the universal law of: if you love nature, nature will love back work;

— Revamp the educational system from grade one to college. Make more values the main priority and love for nature will follow. Moral decay leads to nowhere;

— Excessive logging, mining and fishing are an assault on the soul of the environment;

—Save water and energy. Since oil is not a forever thing, come up with other sources of energy, like the sun, water, wind, etc.

— Reduce air, water and land pollution. Enforce the solid waste management law. Garbage in open dumpsites  emit methane gas; pollute the water and land. Recycling and reuse of materials preserve natural resources;

— Protect the forest-dwelling and indigenous people. They are the caretakers of our forests and part of nature; whether you believe it or not;

— Protect the forest by providing livelihood for kaingeros who make a living of cutting trees;

— Bamboo is the savior of our environment. The national and local government should cultivate bamboo. It is a substitute for timber and mild steel. It grows anywhere and fast. It provides food and shelter;

— On a personal note, buy only what you need. Over consumption weighs on natural resources;

— Slow down on building shopping malls. Besides increasing air pollution and consumption of energy, they displace small retailers and entrepreneurs and cause poverty (besides pollution). We already have an over-abundance of shopping malls;

— Slow down on building of golf courses. They consume gallons of water daily and pollute the land with chemical fertilizers; and

— Destruction of corals which they use for markers.

Give nature a breather. Live a healthy, happy life by just harmonizing the environment with economy. Money is necessary. But what good is money if you are dead? That's what Mahatma Gandhi said.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

Brutal heat wave not a joke

 

“Heat waves make you appreciate the crispness of fall.”

—Anonymous

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE scorching heat wave has reached us. At past 12 noon on July 27 (Thursday), I experienced its brutality when I walked for 15 minutes from Park Avenue to the Tim Hortons on 3^rd Avenue in the Upper East Manhattan.  

It’s not a joke.

I had to cut short my walk outside and decided to go back before I would experience a heat stroke, God forbid. 

As feared earlier, as nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population faces heat advisories this week, people in urban areas are more likely to experience higher temperatures—and New York City has the highest average of the urban heat island (UHI) index out of 44 large cities that were analyzed by Climate Central.

That means that on a 90°F day in rural upstate New York, people living or working in downtown Manhattan with a UHI index value of 8.6°F would experience temperatures of at least 98.6°F, according to NBC 4 New York.

The city of Newark in New Jersey reportedly came in second (8.4°F) when the UHI index values were averaged by the city’s total area, according to the analysis released July 26 (Wednesday) by the nonprofit group of scientists. 

According to the analysis, the average UHI index per capita was lowest in Wichita (7.2°F) and highest in NYC (9.5°F), followed by San Francisco (8.8°F), Chicago and Miami (8.3°F), and Seattle (8.2°F).

But what makes the heat so much worse (about 15-20 degrees) in our cities compared to rural areas, and what can be done to alleviate the extreme heat that's expected to worsen due to climate change?

 

-o0o-

 

Cities are generally hotter due to the simple fact that about 85 percent of people in the country live in metropolitan areas, according to the National Climate Assessment.

When we add on the number of buildings and other hard, dark surfaces that reflect back sunlight, the heat gets worse. Those reflections are called albedo, and they're considered the largest influence on what is known as the urban heat island effect, NBC 4 New York’s Kiki Intarasuwan observed. 

Other aspects of city life such as the heating and cooling of said buildings, transportation, and industrial facilities are also contribute to the urban heat island effect. 

According to Climate Central, air conditioning can add 20 percent  more heat to the outside air.

The designs of each city also play a huge role in how these hot spots are distributed, Climate Central's analysis found. New York City and Newark are considered to be dominated by sprawling heat intensity, meaning that high UHI index values are not concentrated in one area but rather spread out.

While New York City is considered one of the cities with sprawling heat intensity, city officials say there are still parts of the city that are hotter than others.

According to satellite data collected by the City Council's Data Operations Unit, south and southeast Brooklyn and southeast Queens experience higher temperatures compared to the rest of the five boroughs.

 

-o0o-

 

ON TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE. “He knows too much!” We often heard this in debates and public fora. President Bongbong Marcos Jr. "knew too much," his fans cheered after his recent SONA. Many politicians and sales executives are impressive because "they know too much."

But nobody knows too much. Nobody ever yet knew enough. We cannot have too much knowledge, any more than we can have too much health.

What we really mean when we say a person knows too much is that he knows too little, and is too positive about it.

An ignorant man’s mind is just as full of ideas as a wise man’s mind. But his ideas are wrong. There are just as many plants growing in his garden as in the wise man’s garden, but they are weeds.

Enemies to knowledge are egotism, sensitiveness and pride. These things keep us from being teachable. They build a wall around us, so that knowledge cannot get in.

The surest way to get knowledge is not to advertise that we have it. About the wisest man that ever lived was Socrates, and he was fond of saying of himself that he knew nothing at all.

TO MAKE CITIES LESS HOT. We must plant more trees. Trees help remove air pollutants that can trigger respiratory illnesses, reducing stormwater run-off

keeping the city cooler, providing shelter and food for wildlife, and even help reducing energy used by buildings, according to the Parks Department.

Green roofs, cooling roofs and cooling pavements can also help cities relieve some of the heat, Climate Central's analysis said.

To address short-term solutions like unequal access to air conditioning, the City Council aims to target home cooling support programs and cooling center locations in the most affected areas.

EQUALITY. The World Economic Forum recently reported that, at the current rate of progress, it will take more than 160 years before men and women are represented equal at the highest levels of government. 

It’ll take almost 170 years before we see parity in the workforce, in wages earned, in opportunities for career advancement.  

And we know those gaps are wider and progress even slower for women of color, for indigenous women, for women with disabilities.

CEBU APEC MEET. U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Matt Murray is currently in Cebu, Philippines (he’ll be there from July 26-30) to participate in the third APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting of the year and stakeholder engagements. 

The ABAC meetings in Cebu focus on APEC’s private sector priorities, with a particular emphasis on economic integration, sustainable growth, and digital innovation, among other topics. 

The ABAC priorities are well-aligned with the U.S. APEC host year goals emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement and public-private collaboration to foster a resilient and sustainable future for all.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

We live in different worlds

“We’ve been given a warning by science and a wake-up call by nature; it is up to us now to heed them.”

—Bill McKibben

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHILE the Philippines was being battered by Typhoon Doksuri (Egay) and many areas have been inundated by floods according to the news I monitored as of July 27, a scorching weather along with high humidity was coming to New York City starting July 27 (Thursday), with the city under a heat warning and “feels like” temperatures of over 100 degrees forecast in the coming days.

It seems that as a result of the climate change, we are now living in different worlds.

But between a typhoon and extreme heat, I prefer the former. Although I grew up in a tropical country, I have been used to dealing with storms and flash floods even when I was a kid. I would not survive in the deserts.  

New York City has a unique weather. Like other dense urban areas, the Big Apple is warmer than its rural and suburban surroundings. 

As greenhouse gas emissions cause the planet to warm, New York City will experience more frequent, longer lasting, and more intense heat waves, according to the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ).

“The average number of days a year above 90°F will likely triple by the 2050s and quadruple by the 2080s. Sustained exposure to high temperatures can harm public health, including dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat-stroke, and even death,” MOCEJ predicts.

“In fact, extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities across the country. In New York City, on average each year, there are approximately 370 heat-related deaths. But all heat 

deaths are preventable.”

 

-o0o-

 

Effective from 11 o’clock in the morning until July 28 (Friday) at 9 o’clock in the evening, though that could be extended, the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for the Big Apple.

We have been alerted as early as July 26 (Wednesday) that the city would bake with heat indices predicted to rise to over 105 degrees on both Thursday and Friday, with no relief from the potentially dangerous heat wave until July 30 (Sunday).

In a statement, New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned us, “That’s serious heat, so don’t underestimate it.”

Authorities also warned that heat could have deadly health impacts, especially on older adults and those with chronic health conditions. On average, it was learned that over 100 people suffer heat-related deaths in New York City every year.

“This is extreme even for some of the parts of our country where we’re seeing these numbers, but for New York State, this is highly unusual,” Governor Cathy Hochul said, warning us to take precautions. “And at this time, we’re putting out heat advisories that’ll be in effect all the way through Friday night.”

In an unrelated press conference on July 26, Adams said the heat advisory would likely be extended through July 29 (Saturday) as the scorching heat continues.

To help mitigate the heat wave, Adams said the city would be opening 500 cooling centers across the five boroughs starting July 27 (Thursday). We could seek relief from the heat in air-conditioned public spaces until they were expected to close on July 29 (Saturday).

 

-o0o-

We have been informed through a series of advisories the city’s list of open cooling centers would be online starting July 26 (Wednesday) evening. New Yorkers could also call 311 to find a center nearby.

Adams advised: “Make sure to check on your elderly neighbors or those dealing with breathing conditions so that we can look out of each other, and if you must be outside, take breaks, stay in the shade.”

All medium- and Olympic-size pools at city parks would be open an extra hour, until 8 p.m., from Thursday through Saturday, according to the Office of Emergency Management.

The mayor said the temperatures would start rising Thursday, with heat hanging in the 90s. The heat index value, which uses relative humidity to calculate how hot it feels outside, may rise to as high as 108.

Meanwhile, here what the New York Daily News reported on July 26:

“Cool winds will eventually push the heat down to more seasonal temperatures in the low 80s, but not until Sunday.

“Experts say it’s best to stay indoors with air conditioning, drink lots of water and wear lightweight clothing and sunscreen if you have to go outdoors to avoid any heat-related illness like heatstroke.

“The heat is especially dangerous to older adults and people with preexisting conditions including heart disease, lung disease, substance or alcohol abuse and mental health conditions.

“The last three weeks have been the hottest on the planet, and scientists warn of climate change’s impact making heat waves more and more common.

“The city’s public summer program is moving “strenuous activities” indoors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the heatwave and limiting all other outdoor happenings, officials announced on social media Wednesday night. Roughly 110,000 students in kindergarten through the eighth grade are participating in Summer Rising this year.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

A lesson about punching someone in New York

“What do you expect me to do about it?”

—John Dillinger

 

By Alex P. Vidal 

 

I WAS surprised when New York Police Department (NYPD) cops handcuffed and arrested the landlord or owner of our apartment in Queens July 24 evening.

Minutes earlier, I heard him shout violently in the ground floor. When I checked, I saw a man, a tenant in the basement, hurriedly ran outside. The owner of the apartment, who continued to shout, followed him.

Responding to a 911 call made by the tenant, four NYPD cops arrived.

One police officer interviewed the tenant, while the other pacified the landlord, who was ranting outside telling the police officer he had caught the tenant videoing the landlord’s teenage daughter using a cellphone.

“After you caught him videoing your daughter, did you punch him?” asked the police officer. “I pushed him,” the landlord replied.

“Carlo (name of the tenant) said you punched him,” the police officer snapped back. 

At this juncture, the police officer placed a cuff on the landlord’s hands in the back.

Here’s a case where the supposed “offender” (Carlo who allegedly videoed the landlord’s daughter) was not arrested, while the “offended” (father of the alleged victim of unauthorized videoing inside her room) was the one arrested and landed in jail.

In the Philippines, it would have been the other way around.

But in New York or in the United States for that matter, the law is different.

 

-o0o-

 

Under the New York’s “One Punch” rule, the intent of throwing one punch is considered a criminal act. According to New York law, a single punch can not be used as a basis for homicide charges. 

The “one punch” rule can limit misdemeanor assault charges if there was no intent to harm or minimal harm. When the victim was involved in the fight, the one punch rule may be invoked. This is similar to a barroom brawl. Even though criminal negligence is not possible, negligence presumes that the defendant knew or should have known about a danger of death. A reasonable person would not think that throwing one punch poses a danger of death. (Source: The Law Office of Benjamin Greenwald).

Although there have been numerous legislative attempts to eliminate the “one-punch loophole”, none of these efforts have succeeded. 

A defendant who throws one punch that causes death or serious injury can only be charged with misdemeanor assault under current law. More serious charges could be brought against a prosecution if they can prove intent to cause serious injury or death.

Criminal law usually requires that you only intended to do the crime, and not that you are aiming for a specific result. A defendant who intentionally shoots another person with a gun and causes them to die can be charged with murder even though they intended to only scare or minorly harm them. 

However, certain aggravated crimes require that the defendant intended the outcome. These are called “specific intent” crimes. For example, a murder conviction requires that the defendant intended for the victim’s death, according to the Law Office of Benjamin Greenwald. 

 

-o0o-

 

“Mga Binalaybay sa Kahapunanon” (Ginsulat kag ginbalhag ni Ambassador Leo Tito L. Ausan, Jr. sang mga 11:00 sang aga, ika 25 sang Hulyo, 2023, sa Dhaka, Bangladesh…)

ANG DIPLOMASYA

Nga  mayor nga sangkap sa akon obra, katulad sang Pagtuon sang Kasuguan, isa man ka maimon nga Kirida,

Bilog ko nga kabuhi kag tanan ko nga panahon kinahanglan nga Ipahanungod ko lamang sa iya,

Labi na gid subong  sa sini nga tion, nga Ambassador na ako diri sa Dhaka,

Kag ngaa abi indi,  kay kubos ako nga alagad, sang aton Mahal nga Pungsod, kag tanan nga mga Kababayan kag Kasimanwa?

Sang nagliligad nga inadlaw, kag semana, gintingu-haan ko, 

Nga sang pila ka mga binalaybay, makasasulat pa bisan masaku gid ako. 

Sa sin inga serye, nakabalay pa  gani ako sang mga bale walo,

Apang subong sini nga ako sa buluhaton ginatagaliog na, 

Ang padayunon magsulat sang manami nga mga binalaybay nga inyo tanan igakalingaw kag igakalipay, para sa akon duro KABUDLAY NA!!

Gani, bisan luyag ko pa, 

Nga kontani kamo nga akon mga sumulunod kag mga bumalasa, 

Sang padayon ang lingawon kag paga pahalipayon pa!, 

Ining akon serye nga ,  “Mga Binalaybay sa Kahapunanon”, subong nga adlaw paga untatan ko na.

Sa sining pag-untat, sa inyo tanan, ako hugot kag tampad gid nga nagapangayo sang pasaylo kag pasensya.

Salamat gid, kon inyo mahangpan, nga ordinaryo lang ako kag may mga kakulangan man nga tinuga, 

 MADAMU GID NGA SALAMAT SA INYO TANAN, NGA SA AKON MGA BINALAYBAY NAGSUBAYBAY KAG NAG BASA, SA PAGHANGOP KAG PAGBATON SINING AKON, PAG-PAALAM, NA,

KAG GAMAY NGA KUMPAS SANG DIPLOMASYA.

HUMALIN SUBONG KABAY NGA MAKAAGUM PAGID TANI KAMU TANAN SANG MAS MADAMU NGA BUGAY KAG GRASYA,

HALIN SA ATON MAGAGAHUM KAG MALULUY-ON NGA MAHAL NGA DIWA!!..

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

Can we now move on to the next chapter?

“The moving finger writes, and having written moves on. Nor all thy piety nor all thy wit, can cancel half a line of it.”

—Omar Khayyam

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IT’S okay to criticize or praise President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), but we need to move on after the hailstorm of discussions and arguments.

There’s no sense in insisting the President should have mentioned something he inadvertently missed to mention. 

What has been forgotten can never be remembered or restored swiftly in another follow up speech of such magnitude.

There’s no such thing as a supplemental SONA.

While a constructive criticism is good and needed, there’s nothing we can do about the “forgotten” issues he supposedly failed to tackle in the speech other than wait until the next SONA.

Between criticism and praise, it’s better, of course, to criticize. 

Criticism is healthy for any leader. Constructive criticism will help the leader improve and grow. 

It is through criticism that the leader—in this case, the President—will know his faults and shortcomings, as well as his strengths and level of achievement, if there’s any.

While praises will bloat egos and obscure reformation, they can also help inspire a leader; but he shouldn’t rest on his laurels. 

The more he receives accolades and plaudits, the more he should work hard so as not to halt the momentum and cripple his chances of becoming a great leader.

After the SONA, Mr. Marcos Jr. was able to, in fact, “move on” immediately by flying to Malaysia for a state visit a day after to honor the invitation by Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah from July 25 to 27.

Let’s now move on to the next agenda.

 

-o0o-

 

I would like to share an interesting story, an article written by Patrick J. Kiger in the Inside History dated July 24, 2023 about Ferdinand Magellan, whose own overconfidence, according to the article, “proved fatal.”

When Magellan reached the Philippines in March 1521, he saw an opportunity to convert the indigenous people to Catholicism and place them under the authority of the Spanish King, according to Australian Catholic University scholars Kate Fullagar and Kristie Patricia Flannery.

Some local rulers, who saw advantages in an alliance with the Spanish, went along with Magellan. But Lapu Lapu, chief of the island of Mactan, refused. Magellan, who had experience as a soldier, decided to attack. On April 27, 1521, he and a small Spanish force of 60 armed men and 20 to 30 native allies attempted an amphibious invasion at dawn.

As Bergreen notes, Magellan assumed that his superior technology—muskets and armor—would overcome the indigenous people armed with wooden spears. That proved to be a fatal miscalculation. 

In Pigafetta’s account, the invasion force’s boats couldn’t get too close to shore because of rocks in the water, which forced Magellan’s men to jump into the water and try to wade to land. 

More than 1,500 warriors awaited them. Magellan’s musketeers and crossbow archers fired on the defenders, but in the chaos, they weren’t able to hit them.

“So many were the spears and stones that they hurled at us, that we could offer no resistance,” Pigafetta wrote. 

Magellan himself was shot through the leg with a poisoned arrow and had his helmet knocked off by attackers. 

He fought hard to survive, until a warrior slashed him in the leg with a cutlass, and he fell, allowing others to swarm over Magellan and hack and stab him to death.

 

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Only one of Magellan's ships and 18 sailors made it back.

The Spanish suffered so many casualties that they had to abandon another of their ships, the Concepción, because they didn’t have enough men left to sail it. The two remaining vessels eventually made it to the Spice Islands in November 1521.

One of the two remaining ships, the Trinidad, was in disrepair and stayed behind for an overhaul. It was later captured by the Portuguese and eventually sank in a storm. That left only the Victoria to sail around Africa’s Cape Horn and head back along the west coast of Africa toward Europe.

On September 6, 1522, the Victoria reached the same Spanish harbor from which it had departed three years before. As Bergreen describes in his book. The Victoria’s tattered sails and battered, sun-bleached hull were evidence of the ordeal it had survived. Just 18 sailors out of the original 260 were left, and they were so weak from malnutrition and exposure that they had trouble walking or speaking.

The survivors did manage to bring back a load of spices, it was obvious that Magellan’s notion of establishing a westward route to Asia was too slow, costly and downright dangerous to be practical.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Is Treñas ‘safe’ for reelection?

“If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.”

—William Tecumseh Sherman

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas will continue to focus his energy and time as a pro-active local chief executive and retains his distinction as the top performing mayor in Western Visayas, the Marcos administration might think twice if it will field a strong candidate against him in the 2025 mayoral race.

Treñas recently garnered 86.7 percent to top the latest survey conducted by the RP-Mission Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD) besting 14 other mayors in the region.

The Marcos administration will most likely support Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, who went all-out for then “presidential candidate BBM”, if Ganzon decides to run against Treñas.

The speculations that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will field one of his sons in an elective position in Iloilo City will remain a speculation until both the father Marcos Jr. and First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos will themselves confirm and announce it.

If true, it will be most likely in the congressional office. 

Either a Marcos son will collide versus incumbent Rep. Julienne “Jam” Baronda (who ironically also went for then “presidential candidate BBM” in the 2022 presidential election), or a second district in Iloilo City “will be created” through a legislation to accommodate the Marcos son.

Again, everything will remain a speculation until the political grapevine finally reveals the real cards.

 

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We encourage qualified Filipinos to check this program by the  United States Department of State. 

In 2023, as part of ongoing efforts to increase the global impact of U.S. Department of State exchange programs, the Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will award 259 small grants to recent International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni from 103 countries. 

The IVLP is the Department’s premier professional exchange program, bringing current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields to the United States to experience it firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. ECA’s IVLP Impact Awards initiative provides follow-on support to alumni to build on their exchange experience in the United States and implement innovative and meaningful projects to address challenges and promote opportunities in their home communities all over the world.

The 2023 impact project themes will cover key U.S. and partner nation foreign policy priorities, including promoting media literacy and countering disinformation, advancing climate solutions, supporting democratic governance, and more. 

Individual alumni will receive up to $5,000 USD each to implement their projects. 

Since the IVLP Impact Award initiative’s launch in 2022, over 200 IVLP alumni recipients have implemented impact projects, inspired by their exchange experience in the United States, to effect positive changes at home.

The IVLP Impact Awards is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported in its implementation by Meridian International Center. For press inquiries, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov. To learn more about the IVLP Impact Awards and its recipients, please visit: https://eca.state.gov/ivlp/ivlp-impact-awards.

 

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Twitter's ad revenue has dropped by 50 percent in recent weeks as concerns mount over Elon Musk's chaotic control of the social media platform. Some investors and lawmakers have grown increasingly worried that the disorder has spilled over into Musk's management of Tesla, one the most influential electric car companies in the US. This week, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked the SEC to investigate Tesla and its board of directors for possible "conflicts of interest, misappropriation of corporate assets, and other negative impacts to Tesla shareholders."

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)