Showing posts with label views. Show all posts
Showing posts with label views. Show all posts
Voices from the heartroots
Posted:
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Mr. Walter I. Balane is a journalist from Mindanao. He is one of the invited resource speaker of the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit held recently in October 25, 2008 at General Santos City. Here below is the contents of Mr. Balane privilege discourse presented during the summit.
Good morning!
I would like to thank the organizers for inviting me to speak today on the topic: Voices from the Heartroots: Notes on Life and Living in communities.
My sharing is largely about my personal experience and reflections as a “journalist who blogs”.
Yes, a journalist who blogs, that’s how I call my self now. It sounds remarkable. But there’s an anomaly in the phrase because journalists are supposed to be busy with reportage. How come they have time to blog?
Actually, when I opened an account with blogspot in mid-2004, I only meant to “go with the uso”.
Parang hi-tech kasi pakinggan. May blog ako! (kahit hindi naman alam ng mga kaibigan ko dati ano yang blog.) I bragged about it!
Sa tingin ko since my email address naman ako at natuto ng magchat, mag google, baka its time to go “next level”.
So the blogger in me was born.
This was also the time when I was already serious about crossing over from print to online media. I joined MindaNews in 2002 and moved to its Davao office in 2004.
Then, the reason why I blogged was because I wanted to see my articles online.
I thought of putting up an archive of my stories from MindaNews.com and from the local newspaper in Bukidnon that I was editing.
Since most of my stories were about my coverage of Bukidnon and Mindanao as a whole, I thought of calling it ISTAMBAY SA MINDANAO (Standing by in Mindanao).
Like any beginner, my early experience in blogging was about experimentation and adventurism. Sa time na yon, hindi ko pa kilala sina Blogie Robillo, Avel, at iba pang bloggers.
Ang alam ko blogger ako at reporter ako. Ako si Istambay sa Mindanao. Nasisiyahan akong mabasa ang mga naisulat ko. Feeling ko meron ding mga tao na nagbabasa ng mga post ko. Feeling lang.
Kasama sa naging experiment ko ang pagmigrate galing blogspot papuntang wordpress noong 2006.
Slowly, I got hits and there were those who were kind enough to post comments.
Mukhang masaya.
Ngunit magulo din.
Ilang beses din akong na reprimand ng editor ko dahil na nauna kong napost sa blog ko and isang istorya bago ko na ifile sa desk.
At sa isa pang araw, merong nag post ng comment na violent reaction doon sa sinulat ko sa blog.
At sumunod pa ang isang comment na “paki ko sa opinion mo” “ano ba ang alam mo sa sitwasyon” .
Hindi ko rin pweding kalimutan ang mga spam message na kong pumasok akalo mo na marami nang nagreact sa post mo.
Napag-isipan ko na parang hindi ko pa na harmonize ang pagiging blogger at reporter ko at saka naging self-publisher na ako na parang “the world revolves around me” as if the world cares about my news, my aspirations, dreams, reactions, pains, and victories.
These and other factors made me reflect on why I blog and why I should continue blogging.
The responsibility is doubled with me as a journalist who should keep his credibility, focus, and relevance intact.
It is trippled with the fact that my setting is Mindanao where there are a lot of stories, good or bad, which are left untold.
I decided to be a journalist first as it should be.
But I also decided to continue blogging. I can’t imagine myself “not blogging”. In fact I learned to tweak on my header, sidebar and other stuff on my dashboard.
With the focus on my job as a journalist, I became more conscious about reporting (and blogging) accurately, about using more point of views, about ground-truthing, and about fairness, balance, and timeliness.
I learned that if my voice should count it will only count so much.
I have to use my platform as a journalist to cover the different and diverse voices around me.
I cannot just rely on the opinion or statements of the usual and official sources.
I have to be on the ground to get the facts right and fast.
I learned most of these things when I joined a team formed by MindaNews to do grassroots reporting and documentation training engagements in communities around Mindanao.
In Caraga, Davao Oriental; Tandag, Surigao del Sur; in Upi, Maguindanao; in Bagra, Cotabato City; In Midsayap, North Cotabato; In Iligan City, In Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur and in other commuities I learned that the people there have stories to tell and yet we don’t hear them at all.
Most of these peoples and communities battle hunger, fear, ignorance, and isolation everyday.
They seek peace, justice, hope, life, victories,even the most basic --- food.
The mainstream media cannot cover everything. Sometimes they choose not to cover it at all or cover it smacked with generalizations, misrepresentations, and angles taken out of context, among other concerns.
This is a challenge for journalists and an opportunity for bloggers.
Already, Mindanao bloggers are known as organized and ahead of other blogging communities in the country.
Blogging has already occupied a level of command in the information highway.
That is why I believe this could be handy.
Blogging the Mindanawon consciousness could be blogging more about these peoples, issues, events, concerns, dreams.
We are ought to give them the chance because opportunities for them to express themselves and be heard are scarce.
This is especially true in a time when Mindanao continues to experience unpeace and is misunderstood in many ways.
Mindanawons blogging about Mindanao is a natural course and is the perfect energy needed.
It might not be enough, however, that there are Mindanao bloggers who discuss on Mindanao from their online platforms.
We, Mindanawon bloggers can only do so much. We can speak only for ourselves, our work, our views on Mindanao, our feelings, reactions, victories, pains, excitements, plans, dreams, and aspirations.
We have to gather more voices and flood the information superhighway with solutions, too, not just problems.
But a bigger part of Mindanao’s people is still “offline”. They are not yet connected to many things linked in Mindanao, enjoyed in Mindanao.
Ang kadaghanan wala pa makasakay sa sakyanan nga gigamit sa uban.
Apparently, there is a big gap between the volume of the voices of Mindanao’s bloggers and those of the “offline Mindanawons” in expressing their humanity.
“Blogging the Mindanawon Consciousness” might mean bridging this gap.
Mindanao bloggers might consider helping enable other key sectors and peoples in their communities to blog about themselves.
Blogging might not only be limited to blogging about Mindanao and its peoples but also helping the “voiceless” learn to blog so they, too, can blog about themselves.
Of course it would be extremely difficult for existing Mindanao bloggers to acess many of the areas safely and for the people in communities to appraoch which local bloggers can help them.
But bloggers must continue to try linking them and engaging them for mutual respect and understanding in an effort to connect more and more people.
Many of us who are already blogging about the voiceless must continue doing it and infect others to do the same.
We can focus on a Mindanao consciousness that is more inclusive, not exclusive.
Let us blog about how we can build the “we” among Mindanawons and not on “us” and “them”.
On the other hand, many of us might be turned-off by this kind of appeal.
Sometimes we have the impression that blogging about the conflict is flooding the information highway with bad news about Mindanao, when bloggers wanted to change the image to “good”.
But how can we have good news if we continue to blur and ignore the not-good news.
Mind you, there are also good stories that come out from the evacuation sites: there are stories of resilience, stories of hope, stories of dreams, stories of humanity.
There are many opportunities to give voice and attention to people in the communities, like helping explain (of course to understand it first) the peace process in general and the MOA-AD in particular.
My editor Carol Arguillas told me earlier that she commends our fellow blogger Sarah Matalam for what she is doing and blogging about: connecting people who have something to share to the bakwits in Pikit and neighboring areas.
It is not as easy as I say it here.
But we are not only bloggers. We are Mindanawon bloggers.
Altogether in our own communities cities and circles of influence we can collectively promote the Mindanawon consciousness.
Indeed it will not be easy.
I liken it to our trip yesterday from Iligan-CDO-Bukidnon in Bobby Timonera’s Mitsubishi Adventure.
Along the way, there were good and picture perfect sights, an early lunch, fresh air and fruits, lively chats, and good music.
But there were also spoilers like a heavy rain in Malaybalay, more expensive unleaded gas in Maramag, a busted tire in Damulog, Bukidnon, chargers left at home, and endless detours over long and winding routes.
But we made it here. We all made it here.
Yes, Mindanao bloggers can make it.
Thank you and once again good morning!
Good morning!
I would like to thank the organizers for inviting me to speak today on the topic: Voices from the Heartroots: Notes on Life and Living in communities.
My sharing is largely about my personal experience and reflections as a “journalist who blogs”.
Yes, a journalist who blogs, that’s how I call my self now. It sounds remarkable. But there’s an anomaly in the phrase because journalists are supposed to be busy with reportage. How come they have time to blog?
Actually, when I opened an account with blogspot in mid-2004, I only meant to “go with the uso”.
Parang hi-tech kasi pakinggan. May blog ako! (kahit hindi naman alam ng mga kaibigan ko dati ano yang blog.) I bragged about it!
Sa tingin ko since my email address naman ako at natuto ng magchat, mag google, baka its time to go “next level”.
So the blogger in me was born.
This was also the time when I was already serious about crossing over from print to online media. I joined MindaNews in 2002 and moved to its Davao office in 2004.
Then, the reason why I blogged was because I wanted to see my articles online.
I thought of putting up an archive of my stories from MindaNews.com and from the local newspaper in Bukidnon that I was editing.
Since most of my stories were about my coverage of Bukidnon and Mindanao as a whole, I thought of calling it ISTAMBAY SA MINDANAO (Standing by in Mindanao).
Like any beginner, my early experience in blogging was about experimentation and adventurism. Sa time na yon, hindi ko pa kilala sina Blogie Robillo, Avel, at iba pang bloggers.
Ang alam ko blogger ako at reporter ako. Ako si Istambay sa Mindanao. Nasisiyahan akong mabasa ang mga naisulat ko. Feeling ko meron ding mga tao na nagbabasa ng mga post ko. Feeling lang.
Kasama sa naging experiment ko ang pagmigrate galing blogspot papuntang wordpress noong 2006.
Slowly, I got hits and there were those who were kind enough to post comments.
Mukhang masaya.
Ngunit magulo din.
Ilang beses din akong na reprimand ng editor ko dahil na nauna kong napost sa blog ko and isang istorya bago ko na ifile sa desk.
At sa isa pang araw, merong nag post ng comment na violent reaction doon sa sinulat ko sa blog.
At sumunod pa ang isang comment na “paki ko sa opinion mo” “ano ba ang alam mo sa sitwasyon” .
Hindi ko rin pweding kalimutan ang mga spam message na kong pumasok akalo mo na marami nang nagreact sa post mo.
Napag-isipan ko na parang hindi ko pa na harmonize ang pagiging blogger at reporter ko at saka naging self-publisher na ako na parang “the world revolves around me” as if the world cares about my news, my aspirations, dreams, reactions, pains, and victories.
These and other factors made me reflect on why I blog and why I should continue blogging.
The responsibility is doubled with me as a journalist who should keep his credibility, focus, and relevance intact.
It is trippled with the fact that my setting is Mindanao where there are a lot of stories, good or bad, which are left untold.
I decided to be a journalist first as it should be.
But I also decided to continue blogging. I can’t imagine myself “not blogging”. In fact I learned to tweak on my header, sidebar and other stuff on my dashboard.
With the focus on my job as a journalist, I became more conscious about reporting (and blogging) accurately, about using more point of views, about ground-truthing, and about fairness, balance, and timeliness.
I learned that if my voice should count it will only count so much.
I have to use my platform as a journalist to cover the different and diverse voices around me.
I cannot just rely on the opinion or statements of the usual and official sources.
I have to be on the ground to get the facts right and fast.
I learned most of these things when I joined a team formed by MindaNews to do grassroots reporting and documentation training engagements in communities around Mindanao.
In Caraga, Davao Oriental; Tandag, Surigao del Sur; in Upi, Maguindanao; in Bagra, Cotabato City; In Midsayap, North Cotabato; In Iligan City, In Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur and in other commuities I learned that the people there have stories to tell and yet we don’t hear them at all.
Most of these peoples and communities battle hunger, fear, ignorance, and isolation everyday.
They seek peace, justice, hope, life, victories,even the most basic --- food.
The mainstream media cannot cover everything. Sometimes they choose not to cover it at all or cover it smacked with generalizations, misrepresentations, and angles taken out of context, among other concerns.
This is a challenge for journalists and an opportunity for bloggers.
Already, Mindanao bloggers are known as organized and ahead of other blogging communities in the country.
Blogging has already occupied a level of command in the information highway.
That is why I believe this could be handy.
Blogging the Mindanawon consciousness could be blogging more about these peoples, issues, events, concerns, dreams.
We are ought to give them the chance because opportunities for them to express themselves and be heard are scarce.
This is especially true in a time when Mindanao continues to experience unpeace and is misunderstood in many ways.
Mindanawons blogging about Mindanao is a natural course and is the perfect energy needed.
It might not be enough, however, that there are Mindanao bloggers who discuss on Mindanao from their online platforms.
We, Mindanawon bloggers can only do so much. We can speak only for ourselves, our work, our views on Mindanao, our feelings, reactions, victories, pains, excitements, plans, dreams, and aspirations.
We have to gather more voices and flood the information superhighway with solutions, too, not just problems.
But a bigger part of Mindanao’s people is still “offline”. They are not yet connected to many things linked in Mindanao, enjoyed in Mindanao.
Ang kadaghanan wala pa makasakay sa sakyanan nga gigamit sa uban.
Apparently, there is a big gap between the volume of the voices of Mindanao’s bloggers and those of the “offline Mindanawons” in expressing their humanity.
“Blogging the Mindanawon Consciousness” might mean bridging this gap.
Mindanao bloggers might consider helping enable other key sectors and peoples in their communities to blog about themselves.
Blogging might not only be limited to blogging about Mindanao and its peoples but also helping the “voiceless” learn to blog so they, too, can blog about themselves.
Of course it would be extremely difficult for existing Mindanao bloggers to acess many of the areas safely and for the people in communities to appraoch which local bloggers can help them.
But bloggers must continue to try linking them and engaging them for mutual respect and understanding in an effort to connect more and more people.
Many of us who are already blogging about the voiceless must continue doing it and infect others to do the same.
We can focus on a Mindanao consciousness that is more inclusive, not exclusive.
Let us blog about how we can build the “we” among Mindanawons and not on “us” and “them”.
On the other hand, many of us might be turned-off by this kind of appeal.
Sometimes we have the impression that blogging about the conflict is flooding the information highway with bad news about Mindanao, when bloggers wanted to change the image to “good”.
But how can we have good news if we continue to blur and ignore the not-good news.
Mind you, there are also good stories that come out from the evacuation sites: there are stories of resilience, stories of hope, stories of dreams, stories of humanity.
There are many opportunities to give voice and attention to people in the communities, like helping explain (of course to understand it first) the peace process in general and the MOA-AD in particular.
My editor Carol Arguillas told me earlier that she commends our fellow blogger Sarah Matalam for what she is doing and blogging about: connecting people who have something to share to the bakwits in Pikit and neighboring areas.
It is not as easy as I say it here.
But we are not only bloggers. We are Mindanawon bloggers.
Altogether in our own communities cities and circles of influence we can collectively promote the Mindanawon consciousness.
Indeed it will not be easy.
I liken it to our trip yesterday from Iligan-CDO-Bukidnon in Bobby Timonera’s Mitsubishi Adventure.
Along the way, there were good and picture perfect sights, an early lunch, fresh air and fruits, lively chats, and good music.
But there were also spoilers like a heavy rain in Malaybalay, more expensive unleaded gas in Maramag, a busted tire in Damulog, Bukidnon, chargers left at home, and endless detours over long and winding routes.
But we made it here. We all made it here.
Yes, Mindanao bloggers can make it.
Thank you and once again good morning!
The Ferment of Change: A Case for Maharlika
Posted:
Thursday, August 14, 2008
By Eddie U. Ilarde
Even more hostile was the accusation that the bill was drawn-up by President Ferdinand Marcos himself, "Maharlika" having been associated with him during the war when he named his guerrilla unit to fight the Japanese invaders “Maharlika.” If true, the bill would have passed without question in that “rubber stamp congress.” But the measure did not even merit a committee hearing. The consoling thought however is, the bill was ahead of its time in a country long indoctrinated to accept blindly historical inaccuracies and Western hegemony and culture—the people made averse to resisting a deeply rooted conservative status quo as a consequence.
“The times are changing” is an affirmation of present circumstances. Today we see encouraging developments in favor of our proposal, but only after 27 years. Opposition has started to give way to an open mind by the same people who yesterday sneered at it.
Recently we have been receiving letters mostly from Filipinos abroad asking if our proposal to rename the country is still alive, realizing the relevance today. This country’s image in the eyes of the world today is at its worst, tarnished by such epithets as “the most corrupt country in the world,” a nation of cheats and thieves,” “a country of slums and hungry children,” “the dirtiest country in the world,” and other negative exaggerations. Heir common complaint: “We are constantly humiliated as “Filipinos’ in our host countries with insults like ‘the Philippines is a country of prostitutes, maids, thieves,’ and other indignitaries we cannot swallow any longer.” The shared optimism is “if we become Maharlikans this Filipino identity shall be erased forever and the world shall take notice and stop insulting our country as we create a new image and rebuild our reputation.
Great thinkers and visionaries have some time derived their thoughts and judgment from the common people. We must take our cue from this urgent call. If we don’ move this country shall be left behind by then winds of progress. In this country the wheels of change are heavy and slow. Our people are averse to change and are easily disinclined to anything outside the scope of easy comprehension. It is time to find the psychological why and wherefore and from there we must find the catharsis to expel this negative nature. Simple experiment al applications of new ways to improve existing conditions are always met with contempt, which lead to protracted squabbling and to miscarriage of good intentions. “Let us keep what we have; the known evil is best,” describes us best.
Our people's character of easily accepting “what is there and what is given” is so ingrained; what were imposed upon us in 1543 have coarsely acquired lasting currency through the centuries. The “ferment of change” addressed by other counties in Asia, Africa, Europe, and in other regions, we have ignored. Formosa, Siam, Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, Malaya, Ceylon, Burma, Khmer/Kampuchea, Persia, Bombay, Calcutta, to name only a few have all changed their names. We have remained as is even as we behold the phenomenal economic growth of these neighbors brought about by a compulsion for change back to the reassured ethos of their past which served as the touchstone for their quest for progress and prosperity.
Our penchant for change is so trivial, proven by changing only the names of streets and other minor things and places. Dewey Blvd. is changed to Roxas Blvd. because Dewey was American; Azcarraga to Recto because Azcarraga was Spaniard, etc. The country is named after King Philip II of Spain. Have we ever asked ourselves what kind of a man we were named after?
Philip was only ¼ Spaniard, his father Charles V was Hapsburg and did not even speak a word in Spanish when he became a king. Philip was as some historians call “a monster of bigotry, ambition, lust and cruelty.” His own official court historian described him as a man whose “smile and dagger were very close.” He was the son of fist cousins. His grandmother Juana died of insanity. Even today she is known in Spain as “Juana la loca.” His “auto-da-fe” after being sworn in as king was the burning in the stake alive of thousands of Muslims in Spain. Protestants in Europe, then under Spain were beheaded as heretics. He was ex-communicated as a Catholic by the pope for looting Rome. He died of what historians evasively described as a very communicable social disease (syphilis) that had affected his mind. Before he died thousands of insects festered his whole body which was covered with ulcers dripping with puss and reeking with unbearable smell. His name is better forgotten whose unpleasant memory we still honor today by identifying ourselves as Filipinos, carrying his name with pride.
Maharlika is our ancient heritage and has been with us long before Western colonialists set foot on our shoes. Maha is Sanskrit for noble, great, as in Taj Mahal. Mahatma (a great soul); the moon that supports all the planets and celestial bodies,” “The food that nourishes vital forces in everyone, “chanting Maha is to be one with the Lord,” “Maha is God Himself.” The inflectional ending of Maharlika, Likha is our own word for create, make, cause, design, breed, conceived, Maharlika therefore means “nobly created,” “God’s creation,” “the self personified,” etc. The great philosopher-philologist-spiritual master P.R. Sarkar said, “Maharlika means a small container (country) containing great things (people).” Maharlika is a spiritual mantra, a divine name.
The name “Filipino” has obscenely outlasted is purpose and has become malapropos. We only need it as much as we need a tragic memory. Our people must hear from our leaders in government, business, the academe, and from our opinion makers. Maharlika shall be the precursor of the great transformation of this country; it shall inspire a romantic tale, nay, a great national epic which is absent in our present annals. Maharlika shall discover our true identity, then beginning of our renaissance, our rebirth to greatness.
[Eddie Ilarde is a former councilor, congressman, senator, and assemblyman. He is a Lifetime Achievement Awardee for radio and television having pioneered many programs of lasting value to the country. He is the founder of Maharlika Foundation for National Transformation and Golden Eagles Society International, a movement to benefit the older people of the world. Kuya Eddie, as he is fondly called is semi-retired author and free-lance writer and spends his time in his small arm in the province].
Astonishment and wonder were the unfavorable reactions of our peers in the Interim Batasang Pambansa when we filed Parliamentary Bill 195 on August 14, 1978 seeking to change the name Philippines to Maharlika. It was as if to say “some members have lost their marbles to even contemplate such a thing”, as if they didn’t know that Article XVI, Section 2 of the constitution says that “The Congress, may by law, adopt a new name for the country x x x x which shall be truly reflective and symbolic of the ideals, history, and traditions of the people x x x such law shall take effect only upon ratification by the people min a national referendum.”
Even more hostile was the accusation that the bill was drawn-up by President Ferdinand Marcos himself, "Maharlika" having been associated with him during the war when he named his guerrilla unit to fight the Japanese invaders “Maharlika.” If true, the bill would have passed without question in that “rubber stamp congress.” But the measure did not even merit a committee hearing. The consoling thought however is, the bill was ahead of its time in a country long indoctrinated to accept blindly historical inaccuracies and Western hegemony and culture—the people made averse to resisting a deeply rooted conservative status quo as a consequence.
“The times are changing” is an affirmation of present circumstances. Today we see encouraging developments in favor of our proposal, but only after 27 years. Opposition has started to give way to an open mind by the same people who yesterday sneered at it.
Recently we have been receiving letters mostly from Filipinos abroad asking if our proposal to rename the country is still alive, realizing the relevance today. This country’s image in the eyes of the world today is at its worst, tarnished by such epithets as “the most corrupt country in the world,” a nation of cheats and thieves,” “a country of slums and hungry children,” “the dirtiest country in the world,” and other negative exaggerations. Heir common complaint: “We are constantly humiliated as “Filipinos’ in our host countries with insults like ‘the Philippines is a country of prostitutes, maids, thieves,’ and other indignitaries we cannot swallow any longer.” The shared optimism is “if we become Maharlikans this Filipino identity shall be erased forever and the world shall take notice and stop insulting our country as we create a new image and rebuild our reputation.
Great thinkers and visionaries have some time derived their thoughts and judgment from the common people. We must take our cue from this urgent call. If we don’ move this country shall be left behind by then winds of progress. In this country the wheels of change are heavy and slow. Our people are averse to change and are easily disinclined to anything outside the scope of easy comprehension. It is time to find the psychological why and wherefore and from there we must find the catharsis to expel this negative nature. Simple experiment al applications of new ways to improve existing conditions are always met with contempt, which lead to protracted squabbling and to miscarriage of good intentions. “Let us keep what we have; the known evil is best,” describes us best.
Our people's character of easily accepting “what is there and what is given” is so ingrained; what were imposed upon us in 1543 have coarsely acquired lasting currency through the centuries. The “ferment of change” addressed by other counties in Asia, Africa, Europe, and in other regions, we have ignored. Formosa, Siam, Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, Malaya, Ceylon, Burma, Khmer/Kampuchea, Persia, Bombay, Calcutta, to name only a few have all changed their names. We have remained as is even as we behold the phenomenal economic growth of these neighbors brought about by a compulsion for change back to the reassured ethos of their past which served as the touchstone for their quest for progress and prosperity.
Our penchant for change is so trivial, proven by changing only the names of streets and other minor things and places. Dewey Blvd. is changed to Roxas Blvd. because Dewey was American; Azcarraga to Recto because Azcarraga was Spaniard, etc. The country is named after King Philip II of Spain. Have we ever asked ourselves what kind of a man we were named after?
Philip was only ¼ Spaniard, his father Charles V was Hapsburg and did not even speak a word in Spanish when he became a king. Philip was as some historians call “a monster of bigotry, ambition, lust and cruelty.” His own official court historian described him as a man whose “smile and dagger were very close.” He was the son of fist cousins. His grandmother Juana died of insanity. Even today she is known in Spain as “Juana la loca.” His “auto-da-fe” after being sworn in as king was the burning in the stake alive of thousands of Muslims in Spain. Protestants in Europe, then under Spain were beheaded as heretics. He was ex-communicated as a Catholic by the pope for looting Rome. He died of what historians evasively described as a very communicable social disease (syphilis) that had affected his mind. Before he died thousands of insects festered his whole body which was covered with ulcers dripping with puss and reeking with unbearable smell. His name is better forgotten whose unpleasant memory we still honor today by identifying ourselves as Filipinos, carrying his name with pride.Maharlika is our ancient heritage and has been with us long before Western colonialists set foot on our shoes. Maha is Sanskrit for noble, great, as in Taj Mahal. Mahatma (a great soul); the moon that supports all the planets and celestial bodies,” “The food that nourishes vital forces in everyone, “chanting Maha is to be one with the Lord,” “Maha is God Himself.” The inflectional ending of Maharlika, Likha is our own word for create, make, cause, design, breed, conceived, Maharlika therefore means “nobly created,” “God’s creation,” “the self personified,” etc. The great philosopher-philologist-spiritual master P.R. Sarkar said, “Maharlika means a small container (country) containing great things (people).” Maharlika is a spiritual mantra, a divine name.
The name “Filipino” has obscenely outlasted is purpose and has become malapropos. We only need it as much as we need a tragic memory. Our people must hear from our leaders in government, business, the academe, and from our opinion makers. Maharlika shall be the precursor of the great transformation of this country; it shall inspire a romantic tale, nay, a great national epic which is absent in our present annals. Maharlika shall discover our true identity, then beginning of our renaissance, our rebirth to greatness.
[Eddie Ilarde is a former councilor, congressman, senator, and assemblyman. He is a Lifetime Achievement Awardee for radio and television having pioneered many programs of lasting value to the country. He is the founder of Maharlika Foundation for National Transformation and Golden Eagles Society International, a movement to benefit the older people of the world. Kuya Eddie, as he is fondly called is semi-retired author and free-lance writer and spends his time in his small arm in the province].
Women's Rights
Posted:
Saturday, March 08, 2008
We, men and women, are the progeny of the same Supreme Consciousness. Women and men are equally divine and inherit similar and equal rights to life, liberty and expression. The significance of life does not lie only in living. Animals also live. But life to us means something more -- rather something much more.
To us life means living for a great cause. Life implies the endeavour to have the freedom to express one's potentialities in the physical, economic, psychic and spiritual realms. It means real liberty and not license to commit anything good or bad.
In the annals of human history we do find women whose memory glorifies not only womanhood, but the entire human world. In philosophy and spirituality, social reform and educational pursuits, science and technology, they stand second to none. Women are found discussing the riddles of philosophy, solving problems of social and educational reform, and are inspiring men in times of struggle. They have their potentiality no less than men. The difference in natural and biological characteristics between men and women speaks only of coordinated cooperation, not of subordinated cooperation.
Yet the annals of history depict the sad and painful episodes of women's exploitation throughout the world. To fulfil this sinister design, dogmas were created which led to psycho-economic exploitation. Dogmas were cunningly popularized and women were degenerated to slavery. Psychic exploitation has been infused into the minds of women and many symbols which are religiously observed are nothing but symbols of slavery. In many religions of the world today women are not allowed to become priests in the religious hierarchy.
Women's exploitation is more or less the same everywhere. Is it not a fact that in many countries even franchise rights were not given equally to men and women?
Even today women are slaves to the male-dominated social order. This is not only bad but deplorable. We should decry such domination of women and their psycho-economic exploitation through the evil design of dogmas. To abolish dogma and liberate women from psychic exploitation, there should be:
We stand to create a powerful, dynamic and upsurging social consciousness, especially among women, so that they are inspired to rise, abolish dogma and annihilate all symbols of slavery, and usher in a new era of coordinated cooperation and glorious achievement. Let women be the vanguard of a new revolution which humanity must achieve for a glorious tomorrow.
by: Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
20 April 1981, Calcutta
A Few Problems Solved Part 9
In the annals of human history we do find women whose memory glorifies not only womanhood, but the entire human world. In philosophy and spirituality, social reform and educational pursuits, science and technology, they stand second to none. Women are found discussing the riddles of philosophy, solving problems of social and educational reform, and are inspiring men in times of struggle. They have their potentiality no less than men. The difference in natural and biological characteristics between men and women speaks only of coordinated cooperation, not of subordinated cooperation.
Yet the annals of history depict the sad and painful episodes of women's exploitation throughout the world. To fulfil this sinister design, dogmas were created which led to psycho-economic exploitation. Dogmas were cunningly popularized and women were degenerated to slavery. Psychic exploitation has been infused into the minds of women and many symbols which are religiously observed are nothing but symbols of slavery. In many religions of the world today women are not allowed to become priests in the religious hierarchy.
Women's exploitation is more or less the same everywhere. Is it not a fact that in many countries even franchise rights were not given equally to men and women?
Even today women are slaves to the male-dominated social order. This is not only bad but deplorable. We should decry such domination of women and their psycho-economic exploitation through the evil design of dogmas. To abolish dogma and liberate women from psychic exploitation, there should be:
- Free education for all women in all countries of the world.
- No discrimination in the social, educational and religious realms.
- The provision of economic and social security to all women.
We stand to create a powerful, dynamic and upsurging social consciousness, especially among women, so that they are inspired to rise, abolish dogma and annihilate all symbols of slavery, and usher in a new era of coordinated cooperation and glorious achievement. Let women be the vanguard of a new revolution which humanity must achieve for a glorious tomorrow.
by: Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
20 April 1981, Calcutta
A Few Problems Solved Part 9
Dr. Ravi Batra talks on PROUT and World Poverty
Posted:
Monday, December 24, 2007
Nationalism and the language issue
Posted:
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I’d like to take a modest time to discuss a few insights about language issues in the Philippine setting -- since this is relevant in the WIKA 2007 occasion. Because of this event (MARAMING WIKA, MATATAG NA BANSA), I’ve been more and more aware recently entries of a certain misunderstanding that a lot of Filipinos have thought about language vis-à-vis nationalism.
Nationalism does not equal language. Language does not equal nationalism. Perhaps they may be correlated, yet they are not the same… and this confusing of the two is an unfortunate misleading notion in our popular thinking about national (Pilipino) language, identity, and culture that really limits us from having a truly culturally diverse experience with each other.
Why is this disagrees with? In its positive sense nationalism is nothing other than a philosophy of political self-determination instigate by geo-sentiments or socio-sentiments in other terms. While language is the inner human expression of once culture. The language of the tongue varies in accordance to place, time and person. Just as the communication style of men varies from that of women because of their different experiences. The study of the English languages evolution and expansion over the last hundred years, to accommodate changing values and technological advancements, is a good example of dynamic language.
Our history tells us that the Philippines is a classic example of pseudo-cultural exploitation. After the Americans “liberated” the Filipinos from Spanish colonization in 1898, … they embarked on an intensive ten-year pacification campaign of pseudo-cultural propagation. They strictly suppressed all expression of Filipino culture --- books, plays and even the raising of the national flag. The nationwide school system organized by the American established English as the language of instruction, distorted the history of American occupation, taught American rather than Filipino history, and altogether glorified the American way of life.
Until today, this pseudo-cultural exploitation is still dominant in the Philippine society. This problem has been a system that does not encourage self-reliance on individual, cultural, and economic levels. Indeed, P.R. Sarkar wrote in his Neo-Humanism: the Liberation of Intellect: “If the people’s cultural backbone is broken, then all their struggles for political and social freedom will end in nothing. Can those necks and backs are crushed under the weight of pseudo-culture be expected to hold their heads high in any sphere of life.”
In this context, the key to the maintenance of psycho-economic exploitation is cultural exploitation. And if we think only about the present and the future, and we don’t reflectively think about our pasts, any cultural dialogue is empty and false. Any ‘multiculturalism’ based on deceptive and naive ideas of culture, is not multiculturalism at all, but some convenient and valueless conformity to substitute harmony.
Nationalism does not equal language. Language does not equal nationalism. Perhaps they may be correlated, yet they are not the same… and this confusing of the two is an unfortunate misleading notion in our popular thinking about national (Pilipino) language, identity, and culture that really limits us from having a truly culturally diverse experience with each other.
Why is this disagrees with? In its positive sense nationalism is nothing other than a philosophy of political self-determination instigate by geo-sentiments or socio-sentiments in other terms. While language is the inner human expression of once culture. The language of the tongue varies in accordance to place, time and person. Just as the communication style of men varies from that of women because of their different experiences. The study of the English languages evolution and expansion over the last hundred years, to accommodate changing values and technological advancements, is a good example of dynamic language.
Our history tells us that the Philippines is a classic example of pseudo-cultural exploitation. After the Americans “liberated” the Filipinos from Spanish colonization in 1898, … they embarked on an intensive ten-year pacification campaign of pseudo-cultural propagation. They strictly suppressed all expression of Filipino culture --- books, plays and even the raising of the national flag. The nationwide school system organized by the American established English as the language of instruction, distorted the history of American occupation, taught American rather than Filipino history, and altogether glorified the American way of life.
Until today, this pseudo-cultural exploitation is still dominant in the Philippine society. This problem has been a system that does not encourage self-reliance on individual, cultural, and economic levels. Indeed, P.R. Sarkar wrote in his Neo-Humanism: the Liberation of Intellect: “If the people’s cultural backbone is broken, then all their struggles for political and social freedom will end in nothing. Can those necks and backs are crushed under the weight of pseudo-culture be expected to hold their heads high in any sphere of life.”
In this context, the key to the maintenance of psycho-economic exploitation is cultural exploitation. And if we think only about the present and the future, and we don’t reflectively think about our pasts, any cultural dialogue is empty and false. Any ‘multiculturalism’ based on deceptive and naive ideas of culture, is not multiculturalism at all, but some convenient and valueless conformity to substitute harmony.
