Ilonggo Ambassador Ausan invited as guest at historic Dhaka poetry festival

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.”

— William Wordsworth

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

PHILIPPINE Ambassador to Bangladesh, Atty. Leo Tito L. Ausan Jr., has been invited as guest poet in the 36th National Poetry Festival at Hakim Chattar adjacent to Dhaka University Central Library on February 1-2.

Ausan, an Ilonggo poet and former professor at the Central Philippine University (CPU) in Iloilo City, Philippines, will join with poets from Argentina, Nepal, Germany, Iraq, Philippines and other countries would participate in the festival.

His participation as “guest poet” was confirmed in an official invitation dated January 28, 2024 sent by Dr. Muhammad Samad, president 

of Jatiya Kabita Parishad (National Poetry Council) of Bangladesh and secretary general Tarik Sujat.

Samad and Sujat assured to provide Ausan’s “local hospitality from 1^st February to 2^nd February 2024 in Bangladesh with humble effort.”

'Jatiya Kabita Parishad' disclosed the event’s information at a press conference held on the 2nd floor of the Teacher-Student Centre building of the university on January 28.

Reading a statement Sujat said, "We have continuously talked about dictatorship, communalism, fundamentalism, war crimes trial and the trial of Bangabandhu's killers. Born from the spark of betrayal of poets, this festival has evolved from a national into an international festival. Poets of Bangladesh have always stood for progress."

He added: "For almost three and a half decades, the struggling poets of different countries and languages of the world have spoken shoulder to shoulder with us about the liberation of people in this festival. We have managed to turn this festival into a gathering of poetry.”

Samad, who presided over the conference, highlighted the historical context of the National Poetry Festival saying, "It's not possible for today's generation to imagine how poetry originated in Dhaka University campus. However, we got support from people. Journalists, writers, and publishers all supported us."

 

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More than 400 Bangladeshi poets and sixteen foreign poets were scheduled to participate in the event otherwise known as 36th Jatiya Kabita Utsab 2024.

Poet Nirmalendu Goon was scheduled to inaugurate the two-day festival, organized by Jatiya Kabita Parishad, at 10 o’clock am on February 1.

The event would feature recitations, songs, seminars, discussions and others.

Poets Aslam Sunny, Dilara Hafiz and Shihab Sarkar, among others, spoke at the press conference.

‘More than 400 Bangladeshi poets will participate in the festival. Ten poets from five countries will attend the festival’s opening ceremony,’ said Muhammad Samad.

‘Six poets from four countries will join the festival virtually from Cairo International Book Fair at the closing day,’ he added.

This year’s festival has been dedicated to the late Asad Chowdhury, Mohammad Rafiq, Jahidul Haque, Bulbul Mahalanobish and Hanif Khan.

The name of the winner of Jatiya Kabita Parishad Puraskar will be announced at the closing ceremony.

The festival originally began in 1987 with a view to raising voices through poems against dictatorship and tyranny.

The festival will end on February 2.

 

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WELCOME THE WIND. Many products can cause air pollution to build up in our home, including modern cleaners, which contain strong chemicals. Let's make sure to ventilate our home well, ensuring a through-flow of air to help reduce pollution levels and encourage good ventilation.

SUCCESS. The first and most important step toward success is feeling that we can succeed. That's the secret of success.

LOOK AFTER OUR BUTT. It is estimated that a third of all smoked cigarettes end up as litter. Let us make sure that our cigarette has been put out properly and we dispose of the butt in a waste can or designated area.

ACTIVE SEX. We burn about 200 calories during 30 minutes of active sex.

HEART PRINTS. Whatever our hands touch, we leave fingerprints; as we touch, we leave fingerprints; as we touch, we leave our identity. Wherever we go today, may God help us leave heart prints of compassion and kindness. And if someone should say "I felt your touch", may that one sense God's love touch through us.

ACCOMPLISHMENT. To accomplish great things, we must not only ACT, but also DREAM, not only PLAN, but also BELIEVE.

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

Our real worries and sadness

“Nobody trusts anyone in authority today. It is one of the main features of our age. Wherever you look, there are lying politicians, crooked bankers, corrupt police officers, cheating journalists and double-dealing media barons, sinister children's entertainers, rotten and greedy energy companies, and out-of-control security services.”

—Adam Curtis

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHIRLING with excitement and amusement, a 68-year-old Filipino-American friend shared to me a “news” January 29 afternoon that Philippine comedian and entertainment host Willie Revillame “will run for senator in 2025.”

He described the story as “big” news in the Philippines after the Marcos-Duterte drug addiction fisticuffs. 

The friend was astonished when I replied with a mild grin: “And you consider it as news?”

“That’s not news,” I hollered. “That’s a normal happening in the Philippines.”

His facial expression drastically changed as he muttered, “Oh yes, I got what you mean.”    

“Willie Revillame becoming a senator or even vice president—and to some extent—president in the Philippines isn’t news,” I snapped back. “What’s news is if the likes of (the late former Comelec chair) Haydee Yorac, a Yale University graduate; Chel Diokno, and other brilliant and competent Filipino public servants will win in a senatorial contest in the field of Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla, Robin Padilla, Manny Pacquiao, Jinggoy Estrada, and other clowns and film stuntmen who dominate the elections in the Philippines. This isn’t only news; it’s blockbuster headline story in any media platform.”

I told my Fil-Am friend that the electoral system in the Philippines is so sick that it requires an immediate surgery if the country will survive the “invasion of the worst kind” in public office in the next 20 to 30 years and even beyond.

Ray Davies once said, “Money and corruption are ruining the land, crooked politicians betray the working man, pocketing the profits and treating us like sheep, and we're tired of hearing promises that we know they'll never keep.”

 

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“If Willie Revillame will win and other showbiz and entertainment personalities like KaladKaren will also become senators, what do you think will happen to the Philippines?” my Fil-Am friend asked. “We will become the laughingstock of the world?”

“Your guess is as good as mind,” I retorted. “But that’s not my main concern and worries. We can elect all the deranged, hooligans, gorillas, and other barbarians into public office and that’s none of the business of other people around the world. What’s worrying and sickening is we waste the taxpayers’ money for the mediocre and incompetent who are elected to higher public offices like the Senate and House of Representatives.”

I added: “What the Philippine legislature needs is quality legislation. We elect our senators and representatives to legislate laws—good and quality laws with lasting benefits for the Filipinos today and in the future.”

“We elect the lawmakers not because they will win the Famas awards for best actors and best actresses. We elect them not to win a world boxing title, participate in more coup d’etat like Gringo Honasan and Antonio Trillanes IV, and teach basketball and tango.”

I further emphasized: “We spend millions of pesos for their salaries, pelfs, and other privileges; as well as the salaries, allowances, and other expenses in their district offices and staff while they perform miserably and scandalously.”

“You are right,” he answered. “In committee hearings, they just play with their mustaches, fall to sleep, shout at guest speakers, and ask irrelevant and nonsense questions. Aside from being incompetent and not qualified for the legislative job, they also steal the people’s money.”

 

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LET'S GO NONTOXIC. Let's request a nontoxic environment in our child's school. Cleaning products, lawn care, teaching supplies and paint can all be switched for more environmentally friendly versions.

LET'S THROW THE LICE. Head lice are becoming resistant to chemical shampoos designed to kill them. In addition, if we use them, we're flushing insecticides down our drain. Let's make a conditioning rinse with our usual conditioner, vinegar, and tea tree oil, then comb through thoroughly once a week until the lice are gone.

LET'S GET ARTY. Let's encourage our children's school to recycle paper they use in the art room. For every ton of paper we reuse, 17 trees are spared.

HAND WASH HEROES. It has been estimated that 4 percent of domestic waste consists of used disposable diapers. One of the best choices we can make to reduce landfill and help the environment is to use washable diapers instead.

DUST UP A STORM. Instead of throwing away old T-shirts and letting the material go to waste, let's tear them up and use instead of store-bought dusters. We will have a never- ending supply of rags for cleaning and wiping up, and they can simply be washed and reused time and time again!

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

Marcos, Duterte can’t deal with anger

 

"What is it about me that you hate so much?" a man asked his wife six months into his sobriety. "Everything!" she replied with a glare. 

--Anonymous Quote

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

CAN former Philippine President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte and ally-turned-nemesis President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. deal with anger?

The answer is obvious. They can’t. They refuse. They weren’t taught how to deal with it?

Their anger, already at fever pitch based on heavy swapping of charges of illegal substance addiction, is a manifestation they have been swallowed by mankind's most destructive emotion. 

And because they are in the field of politics, the civilized world’s dirtiest battlefield, they are expected to throw more mud at each other in the next weeks, months, and even years to come before the next presidential election, where Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Carpio-Duterte, is rumored to tangle versus Mr. Marcos’ first cousin, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

In her book, Codependent No More: How to stop controlling others and start caring for yourself, Melody Beattie describes anger as "may be a commonplace emotion, but it is tough to deal with."

Most of us haven't been taught how to deal with anger, because people show us how they deal with anger; they don't teach us. And most people show us inappropriate ways to deal with anger because they're not sure either, Beattie suggests.

According to her, people may give us good advice. 

"Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger." "Don't seek revenge." Many of us can't adhere to these mandates, she says. Some of us think they mean: "Don't be angry." Many of us aren't sure what we believe about anger, adds Beattie. 

Some of us believe lies about anger.

She warns that repressed anger, like other repressed emotions, causes problems. 

"Sometimes our anger may leak out inappropriately," she explains. "We scream at someone we didn't intend to scream at. We wrinkle up our faces, curl our lips, and help people feel like they don't want to be around us. We slam dishes around even though we can't afford to break anything of material value because we've already lost so much."

 

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Other times our anger may show its face in different ways, reveals Beattie, who stresses: "We may find ourselves not wanting, unable, or refusing to enjoy sex. We may find ourselves unable to enjoy anything. Then we add more self-hatred to our already heaping pile by wondering what is wrong with us and going on our hostile way."

When people ask us what's wrong, we tighten our jaw and say, "Nothing. I feel just fine, thank you." We may even start doing little sneaky mean things or big sneaky mean things to get even with those we're angry at, she warns.

"If anger is repressed long enough, it will ultimately do more than leak out. Unpleasant feelings are like weeds. They don't go away when we ignore them; they grow wild and take over. Our angry feelings may one day come roaring out. We say things we don't mean. Or, as usually happens, we may say what we really mean," Beattie observes.

"We may lose control and unleash ourselves in a fighting, spitting, screeching, hair-pulling, dish-breaking rage. Or we may do something to hurt ourselves. Or the anger may harden into bitterness, hatred, contempt, revulsion, or resentment."

Beattie says "we have every right to feel anger. We have every right to feel as angry as we feel. So do other people. But we also have a responsibility--primarily to ourselves--to deal with our anger appropriately."

Dealing with repressed emotions will not happen overnight. Dealing with a significant amount of repressed anger may take time and effort. Dealing with new anger takes practice, she counsels.

 

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Beattie makes some suggestions for dealing with anger:

1. Address any myths we have subscribed to about anger. 

2. Feel the emotion.

3. Acknowledge the thoughts that accompany the feeling.

4. Examine the thinking that goes with the feeling.

5. Make a responsible decision about what, if any, action we need to take.

6. Don't let anger control us.

7. Openly and honestly discuss our anger, when it's appropriate.

8. Take responsibility for our anger.

9. Talk to people we trust.

10. Burn off the anger energy.

11. Don't beat ourselves or others for feeling angry.

12. Write letters we don't intend to send.

13. Deal with guilt.

Once we start dealing with anger, Beattie says we may notice we feel angry most of the time. "That's common," he explains. "We're like kids with a new toy. We'll settle down with it. Be patient. We aren't going to deal with it perfectly. No one does. We'll make mistakes, but we'll also learn from them. The reason we're told not to seek revenge is because getting even is a common response to anger. If we've done or do some inappropriate things, deal with earned guilt and go on from there. Strive for progress."

 

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She advises that "we need to be gentle with ourselves if we've been repressing loads of angry feelings. Things take time. We may need to be that angry for now. When we don't need to be angry any more, we'll quit feeling angry if we want to. If we think we might be stuck in anger, get professional help."

Beattie continues: "Some people believe we never have to become angry; if we control our thinking and are appropriately detached; we will never react with or wallow around in anger. That's probably true; however, I prefer to relax and see what happens, rather than guard myself rigidly."

"I don't believe that anger should become our focus in life, nor should we look for reasons to become angry to test ourselves. 'It's not good to be angry all the time,' says counselor Esther Olson. It's not healthy to act hostile. There is much more to life than anger. But it's okay to feel anger when we need to."

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

 

Do we trust each other?

"If you have a secret, people will sit a little bit closer." 

—Rob Corddry 

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

TRUST remains to be the most important aspect of any meaningful relationship.

"More specifically, it is a mutual condition that must exist between a manager and his subordinates, a husband and wife, and between friends," writes Dr. Jan Halper, author of Quite Desperation.

Halper warns that a husband who doesn't trust his wife to listen and be supportive will not disclose his personal thoughts and feelings. If he doesn't trust her judgment, he will not confide in her. 

"As a result, they will grow apart. A manager who doesn't trust his subordination will not delegate responsibility or authority. Instead, he will resort to controlling them," Halper stresses. "When employees don't feel trusted, they are likely to become territorial, derisive, and antagonistically competitive."

In his book Man's Search for Himself, Rollo May discussed the destructive aspects of this attitude:

--this type of individual competitiveness--in which for you to fail in a deal is as good as for me to succeed, since it pushes me ahead in the scramble up the ladder--raises many psychological problems. It makes every man interpersonal hostility and resentment and increases greatly our anxiety and isolation from each other.

 

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Raised with a competitive spirit, where winning is more important than caring, competition more important than friendship, men search for their opponents' vulnerable points to be used as ammunition in the future, explains Halper.

Halper cites the case of investment banker Anthony Rich, who told him, "I store confidences away to be used at a later date, if it's to my advantage. Any bit of knowledge is fair game to be used against your perceived enemy in order to declare a victory." 

Although Rich did not admit it, Halper says the implication was there: "It's okay to betray someone you treat as a friend if it means winning or losing."

Consequently, this intense competitiveness and desire to win breed fear and distrust between men, according to Halper.

Halper says in general men are discouraged from "opening their kimono" with one another. They are told to never count on anyone but themselves. Halper finds that when he encouraged men to talk with one another about their haunting conflicts and issues, that which was troubling them suddenly seemed less important or disappeared.

"They unburdened themselves of feeling vulnerable by exposing their private side and finding someone who understood them," he points out. 

"Most often the men I interviewed were shocked at how a simple step could alleviate their loneliness and pain and provide clarity and insight."

 

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Although there is some truth to the assertion that men distrust others because they themselves can't be trusted, another important factor comes into play, Harped says. 

"Men don't believe they are in control of their feelings, that they choose to feel as they do. Instead they think feelings are something that come over them, that they are made to feel as they do by a mysterious external force," explained Halper. "They attribute the power and ability to others, believing someone else made them feel fear, hurt, happiness, or anger."

Men fear getting close to anyone, women or men, because it's another way they might put themselves on the line, becoming vulnerable, asserted Halper.

"Countless men told me they longed to be close to others, but if it meant feeling out of control, they didn't want anything to do with intimacy," he noted.

 

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GET SOME FRESH AIR. Let us spend time in nature. Taking a walk, having a picnic, or simply sitting outside and watching the sky deepens our connection to the natural world, motivating us to be better stewards of the earth. I do this each time I visit Boracay Island in the Philippines and in my two other favorite places: Nagoya, Japan and Denver, Colorado.

CHEW IT UP. Let's choose mastic-based gum for our chewing habit--normal gum takes years to biograde and can cause problems for wildlife because of its stickiness. Mastic gum is made from the resin of the Aegean mastic tree and is 100 percent natural. It is available in gum and capsule form from health food stores.

A WEIGHTY MATTER. Ten treadmills in the average gym use the same amount of electricity in a day that it would take to run our hairdryer non-stop for a year. Let' stick to weights and non-electric machines like spinning bikes. 

HEAL OURSELVES WITH TEA TREE. Tea tree oil is a great alternative to chemical healing ointments and balms. A natural antiseptic, it's great in emergencies for cuts and grazes as well as for cleaning up after animals (for children) who have not been house-trained.

LET' GET OUTSIDE. Instead of heading for the bright lights of the gym next time we work out, let's take a step into the fresh air. Running, walking, and working out outdoors have little effect on the environment.

ANTHROPOMIMETIC MACHINES. No matter how closely a robot resembles a human on the outside, if we crack it open, the jumble of wires is unlikely to bear much resemblance to our insides. A group of European researchers aims to bridge that gap--its robot prototype is anthropomimetic, maning it mimics the human form.

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

 

Cult of prayers

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

—Ave Maria prayer

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE words of the Ave Maria, spoken daily by millions of Roman Catholics, summarize one of the most perplexing elements in the riddle of Roman Catholicism, the cult of prayers and veneration addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The late Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan, who wrote The Riddle of Roman Catholicism on the eve of the Second Vatican Council and in the early phase of the Cold War, explained that other elements in that riddle may seem strange or even fascinating, “but the cult of the Blessed Virgin is downright repugnant to many non-Roman Christians.”

Non-Catholics look upon it as “a species or vestigial remnant of pre-Christian paganism,” Pelikan explained.

He noted that “they smile intolerantly” when they see or hear the invocation of the saints by the Roman Catholics or read notices in the “Personal” column of a metropolitan newspaper that say: “Thanks to St. Jude and the Blessed Virgin for obtaining an apartment for us.”

Pelikan observed that even those Protestants who look at the mass with respect rather than suspicion are caught short by the veneration of Mary.

 

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“In the eyes of many Protestant lay people this is surely the most obnoxious feature of Roman Catholicism,” Pelikan stressed. “Here, they say, you have to draw the line beyond which Christianity dare not go.” Protestant theology, too, sees in the cult of Mary, as it has climaxed now in the dogma of the Assumption, one of the chief barriers between Roman Catholics and Protestants.

Pelikan said even sympathetic Protestant theologians felt constrained to warn in 1950: 

While today the majority of the churches with tears of penitence confess before God that they share in the guilt of a divided Body of Christ, and in common prayer and serious scholarly effort seek to diminish the area of disagreement and increase the area of agreement…the Roman Church would increase the area of disagreement by a dogma of the Assumption. Creation of a dogma of the Assumption would be interpreted today in the midst of the efforts at closer relationships between the churches as a fundamental veto on the part of the Roman Church.

“Thus there is little sympathy for Roman Catholic Mariology outside the borders of the Roman communion,” stressed Pelikan, who died on May 13, 2006 after a battle with cancer at age 82.

 

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Calling Mary “holy” was originally a way of speaking not about Mary herself at all, but about Jesus Christ, suggested the one-time Lutheran professor of church history at Yale Divinity School.

Almost every reference to her in the earliest Christian literature is, in point, a reference to her son.

When Paul says that Christ was “born of woman,” he is saying nothing about Mary, but is asserting that our Lord was truly human. (See Gal. 4:4.)

Pelikan pointed out that even the narratives of Matthew and Luke, which tell of her conceiving without a man, are aimed at the glorification of Christ, not of Mary.

“Whatever else may be said about the idea of the virgin birth, it is a declaration about Jesus Christ,” wrote Pelikan. “It means that even in the circumstances of his humble birth Jesus manifested God’s power and freedom over the created world and its laws.”

He added: “To that power and freedom it points as a sign. Even without the sign of the virgin birth, the gospels of Mark and John and the epistles of Paul are able to speak of the power and the freedom of God in Christ.”

Pelikan explained that the sign loses its powers as a sign, its “significance,” when it is interpreted as merely an incredible happening or when it is taken as a key to the holiness of Mary.

“Mary and Pontius Pilate are the only two ordinary people mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed,” disclosed Pelikan. “Both are there as signs pointing to Jesus Christ—one to show his lordship even in infancy, the other to show his lordship even in death.”

Pelikan believed that “neither Mary nor Pilate is important as a figure in history except for the role each of them played in the career of our Lord.”

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

A state of mind

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

—Napoleon Hill

 

By Alex P. Vidal 

 

DINAGYANG Festival is not just an event, it has become a state of mind for most Ilonggos. 

Wherever an Ilonggo lives around the world, he or she experiences a particular mindset or mood that is associated with or inspired by Dinagyang Festival, which has “globalized” Iloilo.

If Taj Mahal connotes New Delhi and Mardi Gras implies Rio de Janeiro, Dinagyang alludes to Iloilo.

It’s gratifying to think that if you are born and raised in Iloilo, you are part of the universal consciousness that is ensconced in the religious and cultural pneumatics. 

With ideas and attitudes anchored on battlecry that nobody can stop them from doing what they want and what they will achieve, Ilonggos relish in the struggle, fight, and determination in everyday life.

An ideal llonggo state of mind fluctuates between thinking and engaged—whatever a current situation demands of it. 

There isn’t a formula that dictates when we should be in one state and when we should be in the other, but much like dancing, we need to find a rhythm and delicately move as the situation or music requires.

Viva Senior Santo Nino!

 

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Appeal from Kansas City-based Ilonggo Marvin Salcedo, who hails from Sara, Iloilo: “Sen. Raffy Tulfo please help us in putting behind bars those who are accountable in the failed Ungka flyover construction. Or perhaps turn it over to Department of Tourism to turn it into a P680-M tourism project and promote it similar to Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. 

“Let us also support Kabataan Partylist Raoul Manuel in his call to investigate the anomalous Ungka flyover bridge. He is the only Ilonggo solon to initiate a congressional hearing regarding this highway robbery happening in front of Pavianhon and Ilonggo peoples' eyes. The only lawmaker who has the balls, so to speak.

“What would be the best name to call the Ungka flyover if it will be turned over to Department of Tourism?”

 

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SAVING OUR PLANET. Let’s polish off watermarks. Instead of using chemical treatments for wood, or varnishes that contain air-polluting chemicals, let’s get rid of watermarks using a dry cloth. Let’s rub the mark with olive or almond oil or mix butter with cigarette ash to turn it brown, then polish.

SAVING OUR PLANET. Clean clothes with bleach. If we want to get rid of blood in our clothes without using bleach, let’s pour salt or cold club soda onto the stain and soak in cold water before washing. For a more stubborn stain, mix cornstarch, talcum powder, and a little water into a spreadable paste and apply; then allow to dry and brush away.

CLOSER. Close to us is not family but death.

The secrets of the universe, according to Eykis, are:

1. We must learn to cultivate our own garden.

2. The kingdom of heaven is within.

3. Everything in the universe is exactly as it should be.

4. It’s never too late to have a have a happy childhood.

5. Where I go, there I am!

6. Keep it simple.

7. These are the good old days.

8. You are perfect.

ANTHROPOMIMETIC MACHINES. No matter how closely a robot resembles a human on the outside, if we crack it open, the jumble of wires is unlikely to bear much resemblance to our insides. A group of European researchers aims to bridge that gap--its robot prototype is anthropomimetic, making it mimics the human form.

HEAVY AND LIGHT. Heaviest weight is not elephant or iron but responsibility. Biggest is not the mountain or sun, but our lust and desire. Lightest is neither wind nor feathers, but not praying or delaying it.

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

Last but not least

 

“Festivals are happy places, and you don't really want to enjoy them on your own.”

—Christine and the Queens

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

BECAUSE it is held in the fourth weekend of the month of January each year, Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival (January 27-28 major events) is considered as the last—but not least—festival in relation to the celebration of the holy child Jesus, Senior Santo Niño, in the country’s Christian community.

But if the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo and the Sinulog Festival in Cebu are considered to be the Wimbledon Open and US Open respectively, Dinagyang Festival is both the French Open and Australian Open because of the two major and dazzling highlights—the cultural presentation on Saturday and ati dance competition on Sunday.

When everyone else is tired and weary after rounding up all the other festivals with the same characteristics and cultural value in the month of January, Dinagyang Festival towers above the totem pole for tourists, marketing strategists, pilgrims, politicians, and media. 

The two popular Visayan festivals in Kalibo and Cebu are unique with each other: Kalibo’s Ati-atihan highlights the ritual of the native dance while Cebu’s Sinulog focuses on the dance’s historical aspects.

The Dinagyang Festival has been known to be a dyed-in-the-wool cultural and religious celebration. 

Although Dinagyang has its roots in the Ati-atihan festival that represents the Ilonggos’ link in our Christian faith, the Iloilo celebration also specifically pays tribute to the arrival of the Malay settlers in the country, including the notable barter of Panay Island from natives called Ati.

In terms of marketing, global impact, and number of activities lined up during the week-long celebration, Dinagyang Festival is considered to be the largest event held in honor of Senior Santo Niño.

 

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There should be no need for a religious or spiritual activity or celebration anywhere in the Philippine or around the globe to constantly remind us that we must love one another, respect each other, don’t gossip and foment intrigues, stop judging others, don’t envy, stop the irrational jealousy, be happy, and always make it a habit to pray. 

With or without the religious festivals and religion’s valuable reminders, we are supposed to know what is right and wrong; what is evil and good.

If we are compelled to only practice these Christian virtues because of the homilies from religious leaders and the temporary euphoria brought by the religious festivals. 

We become hypocrites after several weeks and months and back again to our moral and spiritual aberrations.

If we are spiritually and morally strong, we will always choose the right path and eschew wickedness even if Lucifer will be the one to lead and organize the bacchanalia. God bless us all.

 

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THE administrations of all the five previous Philippine presidents—Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III, Rodrigo Duterte—have failed in their malice-ridden bids to tamper with the Philippine Constitution.

The sixth administration, under Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is bound to fail, at least according to the recent developments in the fresh move for people’s initiative for Charter change (Chacha) now that the senate has made its voice heard loudly.

Many Filipinos may be suckers to populist presidents and their antics, but majority of them still value the sacredness of the fundamental law of the land and they have been proven to be assertive and allergic to any attempt to amend, rearrange, distort, and “improve” it however strong is the justification put forward by prime movers in the Lower House.

We agree with former Comelec chair and constitutional expert Christian Monsod who said that in some of the attempts, “people saw selfish motives like a proposal to grant authoritarian powers to the president, sync the Bill of Rights with the Anti-Terrorism Act and allow elected officials to stay in power for as long as they want.”

The 1987 Constitution limits the president and vice president to a single six-year, non-renewable term.

After Marcos Sr., Arroyo was the longest serving president, staying in power for nine years but this was not the result of Chacha, but a Supreme Court ruling that allowed her to run for a regular six-year term as president after serving three years as replacement of Estrada following his ouster for massive corruption.

 

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY? More than 13,000 tech employees have been laid off so far this year, data shows, as the industry doubles down on investments in artificial intelligence, according to CNN.

On January 23, eBay's CEO Jamie Iannone announced the company is cutting 1,000 positions, or about 9 percent of its full-time employees, citing the "challenging macroeconomic environment." Meanwhile, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has warned employees to expect additional layoffs in the months to come as the tech giant reorients itself toward AI "and beyond." Duolingo laid off around 10 percent of its contract workers as it moves toward a heavier reliance on artificial intelligence tools. Amazon has also cut hundreds of jobs this year, including at the game streaming platform Twitch.

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

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Spiritual approach

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore, all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”

― Voltaire

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

ONCE the furor over the people’s initiative (PI) for Charter change (Cha-cha) will start to ebb, the news about the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its controversial mission in the Philippines will take centerstage.

Cha-cha will come and go; ICC will come to hold accountable abusive and sadistic leaders even if they are shielded and tolerated by their successors. 

ICC, in the forefront of probe on the death of an estimated 6,000 Filipinos during the Duterte regime’s brutal war against illegal drugs, investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

ICC’s possible resurgence was manifested by the recent tense exchanges between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa whether Malacanang will allow the ICC to recognize its presence in the country.

To calm down the nervous Senator Bato, Mr. Marcos immediately declared: “I do not recognize the jurisdiction of ICC in the Philippines. I consider this as a threat to our sovereignty. Therefore, the Philippine government, will not lift a finger to help any investigation that the ICC conducts. However, as ordinary people, they can come and visit the Philippines.” 

Despite Mr. Marcos Jr’s solid stand, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said a warrant of arrest might soon be issued against Mr. Duterte and his former henchman, the neophyte senator Bato.

 

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Let’s approach the problem from the spiritual point of view. My 70-year-old chess rival in Queens has suggested that in order for the controversy on EJK or extra-judicial killings in the Philippines to be resolved, Filipinos should embrace the religion of Janism.

“Master Sam”, an Indian-American, said followers of this ancient religion wouldn’t even hurt a fly–literally.

He was saddened by reports that thousands of suspected Filipino drug addicts and traffickers of illegal substance “have been murdered like animals” in the streets and inside their houses in raids since a “no non-sense” battle against illegal drugs was launched in the Philippines during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 to 2022.

Handpicked by President Duterte to “cleanse the country with criminal elements,” Bato dela Rosa, then the PNP chief, denied the PNP had initiated the mass killings insisting “we adhered to the due process and respected the human rights of the suspects.”

Janism is one of India’s three ancient religions, along with Buddhism and Hinduism.

“Master Sam” said because of this religion, he could not even get mad at chess hustlers in the park who had been bilking him.

“I’m a peaceful person,” he said. “When I beat you in a chess match once, I felt I humiliated you (referring to me) in front of your friends. When it was your turn to beat me (eight times in another meeting), I felt it was necessary to compliment you and tell people around that you are a better chess player,” 

“Master Sam,” who once lost $1,500 to Filipino chess hustlers at the Queen’s Elmhurst Park, played blitz matches with yours truly without any bet.

 

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Despite the fact that it has only a few million adherents and is confined almost entirely in Southern India, Janism’s philosophy of non-violence has spread throughout the world, according to “Master Sam.”

To Janists, he said, the world is divided into the living (or the soul) and the non-living.

They believe that the soul is invaded by karmic matter, or negative passions, that can dominate people’s lives. These include violence, greed, anger, and self-indulgence.

This karma reportedly bonds to the soul and impedes the search for perfect understanding and peace.

To reach the heavenly stage, “Master Sam” said Janists must stop the inflow of bad karma and shed the karmic matter that has already bonded to their souls.

Once this has been accomplished, he explained, they reach moksha or a level of pure understanding where the soul is liberated from all earthly matter.

Master Sam said achieving this heavenly stage is quite an ordeal. An individual must spend 12 years as a Janist monk and go through eight reincarnations in order to get there.

Along the way, each must also adhere to the Three Jewels of Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct. 

More extreme worshippers deny themselves even the most basic of life’s pleasures by fasting and wearing only the simplest clothing.

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