This song was a poem written by Ninoy Aquino in 1976 as tribute to Cory on the occasion of their 19th wedding anniverversary. The poem was later turned into song by Jose Mari Chan.
I Have Fallen In Love With The Same Woman Three Times
I have fallen in love
with the same woman three times;
In a day spanning 19 years
of tearful joys and joyful tears.
I loved her first when she was young,
enchanting and vibrant, eternally new.
She was brilliant, fragrant,
and cool as the morning dew.
I fell in love with her the second time;
when first she bore her child and mine
always by my side, the source of my strength,
helping to turn the tide.
But there were candles to burn
the world was my concern;
while our home was her domain.
and the people were mine
while the children were hers to maintain;
So it was in those eighteen years and a day.
’till I was detained; forced in prison to stay.
Suddenly she’s our sole support;
source of comfort,
our wellspring of Hope.
On her shoulders felt the burden of Life.
I fell in love again,
with the same woman the third time.
Looming from the battle,
her courage will never fade
Amidst the hardships she has remained,
undaunted and unafraid.
she is calm and composed,
she is God’s lovely maid.
Former President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino passed away today at around 3:18 a.m. Filipinos mourn her passing as if it is a personal loss. Filipinos are mourning as if they have lost a mother. The country mourns her passing because it has lost a great leader. Nonetheless, she will continue to be an inspiration and her legacy will be always remembered.
President Cory was the embodiment of what is good, sincere, and unselfish. She was not greedy, power-hungry, or conceited. She was idealistic and trustworthy. Although she might have some shortcomings as a head-of-state, she always thought of the best interest of the country above her own personal interest. She never used her political powers to enrich herself or gain special favors. She never clung to the office of the president as if it was some kind of personal property.
She was born in privilege and affluence but she was never boastful or flaunting. She was very intelligent and well-educated but had chosen a career as a low profile housewife of a celebrated and powerful politician. However, in spite of her choice of a simple life, she was destined for something great. Greatness was thrust upon her even if she did not ask or aspire for it. She reluctantly accepted the mantel of leadership when the nation asked her service. Her administration might not have been perfect but it had served its purpose of paving the way for the restoration of democracy. Whatever political freedom, press freedom, and economic freedom that we are enjoying today, we are indebted to her in so many ways.
It is sad that the freedom and democracy that Cory and many other heroes have fought for are now being abused and threatened by some who are now enjoying power and privilege. If there is one great lesson that should be learned by our leaders from Cory, it would be the principle of leadership dispensability. Cory always believed that leaders, no matter how skilled and intelligent, are always replaceable. No politician is justified in clinging into power by thinking that he or she is indispensable.
The Filipino nation bids farewell with grateful tears to a leader, mother, heroine, and moral compass who was Corazon Aquino. She now enters the pantheon of great Filipinos who have changed the course of history.
I have watched Reporter’s Notebook program the other night featuring several political and economic experts from different universities and research institutions. They all tried to assess President Arroyo’s performance base on her ten-point agenda during her inaugural speech. The experts who were interviewed in the Reporter’s Notebook program tried to be non-partisan and objective in their assessments but I think most of them were vague in their assessments. Here are two video clips of Professor Solita Monsod’s analysis of President Arroyo’s performance based on the BEAT THE ODDS slogan. I find this analysis more informative, clear, and objective.
B - balanced budget
E - education for all
A - automated elections
T - transportation and digital infrastructure.
T - terminate hostilities with the MILF and NPA
H - heal the wounds of EDSAs I, II and III
E - electricity and water for all.
O - opportunities for livelihood and ten million jobs
D - decongestion of Metro Manila
DS - develop Subic and Clark.
It was her last State of the Nation Address. The least she could have done was to tell the truth and apologize for her shortcomings and crimes. Instead, she has again chosen to boast about her administration’s flimsy achievements and tell economic fairy tales for most parts of the speech. All the bloated claims about the nation’s economy were not made more credible by the charts and statistics presented. Higher credit ratings, lower foreign debts, and bigger GDP are all meaningless in the midst of hunger and poverty. The 8 million jobs generated in the past years might be correct but is quantity more important than quality? It is more likely that the seasonal and underpaid jobs were included in the count.
The statistics gathered and prepared by the government might show some improvements but are they significant or just mere sugar-coatings? For instance, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stated in her SoNA speech that remittances from OFW’s significantly increased during the past years of her administration; however, this could be interpreted as an indirect admission that more Filipinos are seeking opportunities abroad because of lack of available jobs here at home!
The resiliency of Philippine economy in the midst of global economic recession was over-stressed and mis-represented in the speech. It seems that the government does not agree with the World Bank that the Philippines has yet to feel the lash of the tail of the global financial breakdown. Things first will become worst before it gets better. Big multi-national companies that have been operating in the Philippines for decades have shutdown their operations just recently at the wake of the financial crisis. Thousands became unemployed. Even the supposedly growing BPO industry also have done some trimmings to streamline their operations. How about the government rationalization plans? Are these good indicators that the economy is indeed strong?
Unpopularity and Arrogance
President Arroyo is too arrogant and self-righteous to listen to her critics even if these critics are the majority of the Filipino people. She set the record lowest approval ratings at negative thirty-eight (-38%) in 2008 and maintained negative ratings since then. The Filipinos generally mistrust GMA but she is too arrogant to point out:
“I did not become President to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and preserve our country, our people, that is why I became President.”
She seems to have forgotten that as president, she serves the will of the people. What right does a president have to govern if he or she has already lost the mandate of the people? GMA defended the move to amend the constitution by saying:
“The noisiest critics of constitutional reform tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-Cha when they thought they could take advantage of a shift in the form of government. Now that they feel they cannot benefit from it, they
oppose it.”
Patronizing, Lashing, and Begrudging
Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has not forgotten to praise and thank her allies in congress for passing “monumental” bills into law but she also has not forgotten to lash on her critics by saying:
“I am accused of misgovernance. Many of those who accuse me of it left me the problem of their misgovernance to solve. And we did it.
I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my position for personal profit. Many who accuse me of it have lifestyles and spending habits that make them walking proofs of that crime.
We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves [note: this is obviously a veiled reference to former President Joseph Estrada].
Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there.”
Uncategorical and Vague
Although GMA mentioned that her term of office as president will end next year, she has not made a categorical statement that she will not seek to hold onto power by other means. She is most likely keeping her options open depending on where the political wind might blow. Most people who listened to the SoNA in radio and watched it on television were anticipating her to make categorical statement about her political plans but she has again chosen to be vague about it.
There is no legal impediment that will prevent President Arroyo from seeking a congressional seat in her district in Pampanga. She is not even required by law to resign from the presidency should she decide to run for congress this coming 2010 general elections. Apparently, the COMELEC resolution requiring political candidates to resign from their current government posts upon filing candidacy has been revoked. According to a recent survey, the voters and politicians in the second congressional district of Pampanga are solid in their support for the President just in case she runs for congress. Combine this with strong political machinery, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would be unbeatable in the congressional race.
What then prompted Prof. Randy David to decide to pose a challenge against a political juggernaut if he knew that he would surely be crushed? Although a popular public figure himself, Prof. David lack the experience and resources to vie for a congressional seat in a province that is dominated by the Macapagal-Arroyo political dynasty. Prof. Randy David’s public announcement that he would challenge Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should she decide to run as congressional representative is nothing short of being quixotic.
If ever President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo indeed run for congress, it would not be an issue of legality. It would be an issue of ethics. Filipinos call it delicadeza or kahihiyan. It would not be an issue of winning but an issue of motive. What exactly is the reasonable and ethical motive of GMA to run for a lower position. Although she is silent about the allegations, her recent actions clearly demonstrate that she is already campaigning in her district, pouring deluge of projects using public funds but claiming credits for it.
Prof. David has the right motive but he is unlikely to win considering the political immaturity of the Filipino voters. Patronage politics is still the status quo. For instance, one Pampanga mayor stated in a TV interview that he will not support Prof. Randy David simply because, unlike Gloria, the professor had never donated even a single basketball court.
Do you have a verified PayPal account? PayPal is a convenient and secured means of receiving payments and sending payments online. If you are an online freelance worker or an online business owner, PayPal offers an excellent way to do your transactions. Using your credit card or debit card to withdraw funds from PayPal usually takes about 5 to 7 days and the standard fee is 5 US dollars (approximately 240 pesos). However, if you have a bank account, the transaction process is much faster and the fees are lower. If you use your bank account, you will only be charged with minimum fee of only 50 pesos. The transfer process only takes 2 to 4 banking days. Here is list of PayPal Philippine bank codes that you can use in registering your bank account to PayPal.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Sunday said it is studying the possibility of raising the alert level of Mayon Volcano in Albay in the Bicol region after it recently showed signs of increased activity.
PHIVOLCS said it has intensified its monitoring on the activity of Mayon Volcano.
PHIVOLCS confirmed that the crater glow of the volcano has intensified from level one to two which means the glow is visible with the naked eye.
Ed Laguerta, PHIVOLCS resident volcanologist, said the increase in the crater glow means the magma activity inside the volcano has increased.
Aside from the crater glow, Phivolcs has also noted an inflation of the volcano’s edifice in the ground deformation survey conducted this June compared to the 12 millimeter deflation recorded in the survey conducted last January. The survey was conducted in Buang Leveling Line in Barangay Buang in Tabaco City.
This also indicate an abnormal activity of the volcano PHIVOLCS said.
Meanwhile for the past 24 hours, PHIVOLCS also said it has recorded four low frequency volcanic earthquake.
Alert level one however is maintained over Mayon volcano and residents and tourists are advised not to enter the seven-kilometer extended danger zone and the six-kilometer permanent danger zone. PHIVOLCS said with the recent abnormal activity of the volcano, a sudden phreatic explosion is possible.
Phreatic eruptions is desribed by US Geological Survey as steam-driven explosions that occur when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits (for example, tephra and pyroclastic-flow deposits). USGS says the intense heat of such material (as high as 1,170° C for basaltic lava) may cause water to boil and flash to steam, thereby generating an explosion of steam, water, ash, blocks, and bombs.
PHIVOLCS noted that the alert level can be raised if there is a continuous increase in parameters such as seismic ground deformation and sulfur dioxide emission rate.
Mayon Volcano’s last eruption happened in July until August of 2006 which had the alert level of the volcano raised to four. No casualties were recorded in the last eruption. With reports from Jose Carretero, ABS-CBN Bicol and dzMM
The last time Michael Jackson was in the Philippines was in December of 1996. It was a two-day concert that was part of a historic world tour. It was the third and last world concert tour of Michael Jackson as a solo artist. That was almost 13 years ago. He was only 37 years old then. He might not had been in the apex of his career that year but he was still well-enthroned as the undisputed King of Pop Music.
Although the issues of child sexual abuse were already hounding him in 1996, these issues were not enough to discourage some 50,000 Filipinos to attend his concert. In spite of the dizzying prices of the concert tickets, many Filipino fans waited for more than 8 hours at the entrance of the Asianworld concert site in Parañaque just to make sure that they would have the best vantage view to watch the performance. The social elites, celebrities such as Garry Valenciano (a Michael Jackson imitator), politicians, and ordinary Filipinos were among the audience.
After 13 years, 13 Grammy Awards, and more than 750 million albums sold, Michael Jackson now entered the pantheon of celebrity gods and goddesses. He will be forever immortalized as a cultural icon of his era and one of the greatest music performers of the 20th century.
The Filipinos are one with the world in mourning the loss of a great man. In spite of his eccentricities and controversial lifestyle, Michael Jackson was a consummate genius in his own right.
Michael died on Thursday at around 2126 GMT (5:26 a.m, Friday, Philippine time). It was presumed that he suffered from cardiac arrest.
Clinched fist, defiant words, Che Guevara T-shirts, red banners, mega-phones, folk songs from the 1970’s, and protest placards — these are the classic symbols of political activism here in the Philippines. These are the representations of the progressive social movement whose advocates are sometimes stereotypically branded as communists, NPA-sympathizers, anarchists, or socialists. However, advocates of the progressive social movement also include the academe sector, the business or corporate sector, the civic sector, religious groups, politicians, and the youth. The leftist or socialist-leaning groups are only caricatures of the real progressive social movement.
The real street parliamentarians are actually comprised of different sectors of Philippine society. They do not merely want media mileage. They demand authentic reforms. They are the catalysts of change not only in terms of inciting public indignations against government corruption and abuses. They are also the guardians of civic liberty and human rights. Their ranks are maybe small in number when they are marching in the streets but they are only the tip of an iceberg. They are the courageous voice of the silent and disenfranchised majority. Without their vigilance, the nation will be the milking cow of the greedy and the power-hungry.
Political activism is not a mere fad in college campuses. It is not a past time of the radicalized youth. It is not a mere exercise in futility. Political activism should be the obligation of all Filipinos who have real concern for their country. Political activism is not limited in street protests. Political activism is also about vigilance and the desire to participate in creating a better society.
You do not need to wear arm bands or carry placards to become an activist. If you are afraid of being sprayed by high-pressure water cannons or if you are afraid of being mauled by police truncheons, online activism is a viable option. Although it is a weaker and less-involved form of activism, it is a better alternative than simply being silent.
The streets have been the traditional battlefields for political activism but today the web is an emerging new ground for social awareness and political participation. If you want to be counted, you can start by reading and signing-up to the following online advocacies:
Unofficially, the swine flu pandemic is assumed to have claimed its first Filipino victim since it entered the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines. A 49 year-old woman supposedly succumbed to the deadly clutches of the dreaded A(H1N1) virus. The woman died two days after the onset of flu symptoms have appeared. She died last Friday, June 19 after being hospitalized for dry cough, chills, difficulty in breathing, and high fever. However, according to the autopsy report, the immediate cause of death was “congestive heart failure and acute myocardial infarction aggravated by pneumonia.” Post-mortem examination has also revealed that the woman also had tuberculosis. It was only after a throat swab test that it was confirmed that she was indeed infected by the A(H1N1) virus. Health officials said that although it was not absolutely conclusive that the flu virus has direct link to the death of the woman, it was likely that her preexisting medical conditions were exacerbated by the A(H1N1) virus.
No Need to Panic
The secrtary of the Department of Health, Sec. Francisco Duque, has reassured the public that there is no need to panic. The secretary said that the swine flu or A(H1N1) virus is only fatal to those with preexisting and chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, tuberculosis, and weak immune system. It can be noted that out of the 445 presently reported cases, 84% of them have already recovered while the remaining are still being treated. The first presumed death due to A(H1N1) here in the Philippines is still unconfirmed as to the direct link of the infection. Health officials have also pointed out that although the the swine flu was already declared as pandemic, it has not shown any sign of becoming more lethal. Furthermore, the mode of transfer is of the swine flu virus is still relatively weak. It is not airborne and it is only contagious through direct contact with the infected. The mucus membranes in the eyes, nose, and mouth are the common entry points in the body. The virus can only last up to eight hours on inanimate objects such as door knobs, pay phones, computer keyboard, etc.
Clinical Background
The A(H1N1) virus or swine flu virus is a weaker strain that is similar to the flu virus of the 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic which killed about 100 million people worldwide. The present flu pandemic is the third of its kind but it is relatively less harmful than its predecessors. The nomenclature, A(H1N1), is derived from the specific virus type and form the names of the protein antigens found in the virus. The A stands for type A flu virus which commonly affects mammals. The H1 and N1 refers to hemagglutinin and neuraminidase proteins, respectively. The exact mechanism of lethal infection is due to cytokinine storm. This is a type of over-reaction of the immune system leading to systemic failure. For instance, the lungs might become flooded with mucus and the normal cell might be destroyed by phagocytic immune cells.
Former President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino passed away today at around 3:18 a.m. Filipinos mourn her passing as if it is a personal loss. Filipinos are mourning as if they have lost a mother. The country mourns her passing because it has lost a great leader. Nonetheless, she will continue to be an inspiration and her legacy will be always remembered.
Fairytale Statistics
There is no legal impediment that will prevent President Arroyo from seeking a congressional seat in her district in Pampanga. She is not even required by law to resign from the presidency should she decide to run for congress this coming 2010 general elections. Apparently, the COMELEC resolution requiring political candidates to resign from their current government posts upon filing candidacy has been revoked. According to a recent survey, the voters and politicians in the second congressional district of Pampanga are solid in their support for the President just in case she runs for congress. Combine this with strong political machinery, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would be unbeatable in the congressional race.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Sunday said it is studying the possibility of raising the alert level of Mayon Volcano in Albay in the Bicol region after it recently showed signs of increased activity.
Clinched fist, defiant words, Che Guevara T-shirts, red banners, mega-phones, folk songs from the 1970’s, and protest placards — these are the classic symbols of political activism here in the Philippines. These are the representations of the progressive social movement whose advocates are sometimes stereotypically branded as communists, NPA-sympathizers, anarchists, or socialists. However, advocates of the progressive social movement also include the academe sector, the business or corporate sector, the civic sector, religious groups, politicians, and the youth. The leftist or socialist-leaning groups are only caricatures of the real progressive social movement.
The Victim
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