Appeal to HELP (updated as of April 22)



The Barangay Hall

Don Mariano Marcos is a community a few kilometres away from the City of Mati in Davao Oriental. As of this month, this has been my workplace conducting what we call Peace and Development Outreach Program. In essence we assist the local government particularly the Barangay Council in improving the delivery of government services through liaising, organizing and whatever assistance possible. Through this. we hope to increase community participation in governance, empower the barangay council in the performance of their duties and innovate solutions to problems in the community.

The reason I write this now is to formally use my blog as a tool to solicit help for the various initiatives we have been doing right now in the community. I am aspiring to put up a community library for this community. You see, although this Barangay is remote, potential here is abundant. These community has four (4) daycare centers; four (4) elementary schools; and a national high school. Ironically, the community has no library where the students of all these schools can use.

The first time I came here, I had an enlightening chat with the Teacher in charge of the national high school. From initially asking about her students, we came to the serious topic as to how many of those who graduate from the school actually go to college. From the small number she gave, I then asked how many of those will graduate and get a degree?; then the very troubling answer…. “Swerte na sir pag may ISA”

This is the National High School

Having been privileged to come from good schools (Silliman University and the Philippine Military Academy), I was perfectly aware how important atmosphere can be to assist a student. According to the teachers here, they do not give research work to the students because they have nothing to use for research. Sadly, research is a major activity in college plus the discipline it teaches a student allows them to be better learners. Students here cannot be encouraged to read because in the first place there is nothing to read. Although there could be other factors that will affect the future of these students, I feel that they are being denied of various opportunities just because there is no library in this community.

Well, I believe something can be done. I believe somewhere out there are books that people do not use. It may be old encyclopaedias, dictionaries, atlases and other reference materials. Rather than throw them out maybe you can just give them to this community so that we can start this community library. We will deal with whatever donation people will bring. I am appealing to the kind heart of people out there please extend a helping hand to this community. We might just be able to give them a better chance for their future.

For more information about this project you can reach me through my number (09177192179) or just leave a comment here. Please help.

Thanks

(Note: This appeal has resulted to donations from as far as the United States. You can read the follow-up blogpost to this appeal here)

EDSA @ 26

I was reading a statement written by SenatorBongbong Marcos on his Facebook account about the EDSA 1 Celebration happening in a few days’ time. In that statement he did not dwell much in defending his family or criticizing the revolt rather, he asked the obvious question what has happened to our country after that historic event.

Growing up, the grandeur that was given to that event has always been a story to behold. Although I wasn’t exactly aware of how these things have happened (I was born in 82), my generation just can’t rid of himself about stories of a peaceful revolution, with tanks, soldiers on one side; nuns, priests and ordinary citizens on the other. It was only later that I learned that EDSA actually meant Epifanio delos Santos Avenue. I thought it was a nickname for that event. What I do remember very vividly was the tanks that barricaded our subdivision during one of the coup plots in the late 80’s. Our subdivision was developed by the AFP Insurer AFPMBAI and at that time, most if not all the residents were officers in the Armed Forces from both the Government and the RAM side. I remember how, as little children, we would threaten our friends that we will report his father as one of the RAM Boys (my father was with the government). At that time though, I did not have a clue what RAM was, I just knew they were the ones being arrested.

I also had memories of the power shortage the country experienced were we dealt with daily blackouts up to 9PM. For us kids, it was a perfect excuse to go out of the house and play with other kids. I remembered the Mt. Pinatubo Eruption where we dreamed we were in some other country experiencing “winter” for the first time. There was also the earthquake where I learned that “linog” was actually the Visayan term for “lindol.” And then the 1992 elections where I idolized the now Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. At that time her brilliance was mostly considered “kabaliwan.” I would like to think that people then was not yet that accepting for someone as brilliant as she is.

In all these events in our country’s history, the glory of EDSA Revolution seems to be a spirit that provides inspiration and aspiration for the people to hope for a better Philippines. Today, as I read Senator Marcos’ Facebook statement, I realized that we have never moved on from that EDSA hysteria. Not that it is bad to relive the glory of that proud event, but considering the state of our country now, I think one can say that the EDSA Revolution is some dead star like the one described by Paz Benitez in her classic short story.

In the ABS-CBN Article that printed Sen. Bongbong’s statement most comments were criticizing how the late strongman’s son has no ascendancy to speak of such things, how he is still the part of the devil that brought about the horrors of martial law. But in his Facebook page, most were praises for a fine statesman he has become. My bias is leaning on Senator Marcos.

I think it is one thing to remember the horrors of the past so as to become vigilant so that we will not allow it to happen again but it is another thing to be tied down by these horrors and not move on. The question is simple, what have we done after EDSA 1. After 26 years, when we have been overtaken by many of our neighbors in terms of national development, our country’s laurels are still those that have been laid down by those who marched in EDSA. That was the question that Sen Bongbong asked but was missed because he is a Marcos.

In all important events the often missed point is the effect that event has done to the person. In everything there always has to have an effect that goes beyond the mushy feeling of that clincher. Like in a relationship there has to be something beyond the courtship. In the case of our country today, that is yet to be seen.

Today, I am in a barangay conducting Peace and Development Outreach Program. Many of the people here now do not know anything about EDSA, but like those who joined the revolution 26 years ago, they too want a good life for them and their children. While many will talk about the impeachment, about the Hazing in San Beda and the glory of the EDSA Revolution, people here do not give a damn. The truth of the matter is, we are missing the point why issues are ISSUES in the first place. We can have Renato Corona impeached or even all of the other justices be impeached, and then WHAT. We can eliminate hazing, and then WHAT. We can celebrate EDSA Revolution for another century and then WHAT?

Umiinit ang ulo ko… good day everyone

A look at Bad Politics

I spent most of the day yesterday monitoring a picture in Facebook posted by an old school friend from Silliman University. It was a relief good being given to the earthquake victims in Negros Oriental bearing the name of Roel Degamo, the Governor.

I have spent some of the best years of my childhood as a student of Silliman University. I spent my four years of high school there and some college before going to the Academy. I have always said that if not for the Academy I would have graduated College from Silliman also. Fate had different plans for me and moved me away from the campus beside the sea but not before the school has taught me values that would place me where I am right now. It was in Silliman that I learned the value of service to others, the very value that propels me to do my job right now as a soldier.

Now, in the long thread that was created because of the outpour of reactions to that Facebook picture aroused issues that I wish to put into context and perhaps be able to illustrate my perspective in the kind of governance our people need.

I am presently deployed in one of the Barangays of Davao Oriental. Although a poor barangay but far better than those that I have been to before. In this community are several elementary schools and a young high school who will have their second set of graduates this coming March. In this place I am lucky that the Barangay Hall is pink. Lucky because the pink color on the wall of the Barangay Hall is a manifestation that the incumbent Barangay Officials are “berks” with the Governor of the province (pink is the provincial color). In one barangay that I have been to, somewhere in Davao del Sur, an unfinished covered court is the landmark of their Barrio center. It is unfinished because the Barangay Captain of that community is a “berks” of the losing gubernatorial candidate last elections. Work on his covered court was halted after the defeat of his candidate for Governor who was formerly the Representative of that Congressional District. Unlike this Barangay that I am presently deployed on, that community was unlucky. In that same municipality, only four out of the 16 barangays are electrified and their concrete road is limited to a few hundred meters stretch in front of the public market, the rest are all rough roads (as in literally rough). The Municipal Mayor of that town is again from the party of the losing gubernatorial bet. Perhaps with the COMELEC recently ordering a recount on the gubernatorial elections for the province of Davao Del Sur, a tinge of hope is present for those poor localities who are victims of bad politics. No violation is obvious as resources of the province are limited and projects are done on a priority basis. The determining of that priority lies entirely on those in control.

In Sultan Kudarat, it is a different story. Some Barangays do not have a Barangay Hall AT ALL. It’s not about whose party they were affiliated to during the last elections, it’s just that their officials would rather use the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of their turf to other “expenses” rather than where it is supposed to. How come the Commission on Audit (COA) has not discovered these anomalies? The answer lies on a technique that works perfectly well for these areas. When an audit is forthcoming, rumours of war will begin to spread. As the Auditors are fetched by the Host Officials that they will audit, they will then begin to tell stories of skirmishes between the rebel groups and the government that happened very recently. This will be supported by stories of deaths of innocent civilians that were caught in the crossfire. At the end of these stories, the Local Official will advise the Auditors to be careful. Needless to say, the Auditor will simply advise the Official to bring all his documents to the nearest safe community so that they can audit it there instead of going to their “dangerous” Barangay. Well, one would ask, how come nobody dared bring this up to the Ombudsman? Well, the people there do not even know how to say the word Ombudsman much more report these incidents to them. Also, the tradition of violence in these places is so rampant that one would rather keep their mouth shut than put their own lives or of their families at stake.

These observations form the foundation on why I find the “Degamo incident” in Negros Oriental very disconcerting. You see Negros Oriental is home to Dumaguete City, home to my alma mater whose tradition of Academic Excellence is world renowned. To put it simply, people in this province are educated plus they do not have the conditions that are present in the examples that I presented. I have very much accepted that a lot of work is to be done in those provinces whose bad politics are already deeply rooted and have been compounded by other problems. In Negros Oriental though, doing that is simply insulting the intelligence of the people. While Maguindanao was almost able to get away with zero votes to the late Fernando Poe Jr. in the 2004 elections, surely Negros Oriental is of a different lot; definitely of a different lot and a far better lot.

Today, the banner story of the Philippine Star states Secretary Robredo’s advise to the good governor regarding the incident. I’m hoping he might just do that for I am sure that the good people of Negros Oriental will not cease to create a noise until their politicians will know their place in our democracy. It is bad enough that they took advantage of the situation to gain political mileage, but to think that your citizens are stupid is just out of this world. Our people need good and credible governance. One that is founded on service above self and not for vested personal interests. This kind of governance is still a distant dream to many places especially here in Mindanao. While much work still has to be done in our part of the country, vigilance should be exercised by citizens of localities like that of Negros Oriental so as not to add to our already problematic political situation.

Matrapik pa po sa matuwid na daan pero sana yung nasa matuwid na na daan tumuloy tuloy na para konti na lang ang naliligaw.

Talk about irony

Forced to stay inside barracks while the rain perennially lashes itself outside, I had to make do with whatever entertainment I can find. There’s my laptop with three seasons of Brothers and Sisters and several recently downloaded (aka pirated) movies, Red Alert 3 and, of course, the ever-reliable Television set. I also get to explore my recently acquired Blackberry (I love it!!!) and in the process familiarize myself with Twitter. With my obvious boredom on a weekend, I get the chance to explore my thoughts of the things that happen around me. I can’t help it, it is just all over.

A few weeks back, while waiting for the Ferry that would bring me to San Carlos City from Toledo City, I happen to strike a conversation with another commuter. Upon learning that I was with the Army he began to ask me with many questions about my profession. I cannot remember much of the details in that conversation but what I recall the most was me saying that the Armed Forces has matured enough not to launch coups to express its dissatisfaction. It is the same statement that I say to everybody and I am proud to be able to say it. It meant that I am part of a professional organization. One that has matured to become truly the people’s Armed Forces. But this does not mean we are happy with how things are (me in particular). Although, I could personally say that another Magdalo-ish group is a distant probability, it is also wrong if the AFP will look like an insensitive institution that follows the President’s “tuwid na daan” without any protest. First, the All-out justice that was promised for soldiers last October is still OUT THERE. Then the hunt for one of the most successful military commander in recent time complete with a one million bounty while the government boasts of spending the country’s coffers WISELY. A million peso that is readily available to whoever can provide information that will lead to the capture of an effective retired soldier when as of today, the subsistence allowance for the soldiers is YET TO BE MADE AVAILABLE. Talk about irony.

I’ll stop now. I’m a soldier. Just do your job.

An open letter to the Class of 2010

In 2007, I was a graduating cadet at the Philippine Military. The whole Cadet Corps mourned the death of then 2LT Camelon and several other PMA graduates that followed after that series of skirmishes with the Abu Sayaff. I did not understand how it really felt but simply mourned the loss of an upperclass who graduated a year ahead of me.

In 2008, I triumphantly graduated from PMA. I was very eager to be part of something noble as an Army Officer. Shortly after I reported to Davao City together with my other classmates, we saw on the news how the peace talks between the government and the MILF collapsed because of the MOA-AD. I reported to a Battalion that participated in the military offensives after the forces of renegade MILF leader Ameril Umbra Kato attacked Maasim Municipal Hall in Sarangani Province. I arrived listening to very recent war stories and the heroism of one PFC Bayawanon, who was the only casualty of the Battalion in that military offensive. Shortly after that, in October 24, then 2LT Jeffrey Domingo was killed in Barangay Manurigao, New Bataan, Compostela Valley. He was the first casualty of my PMA class and we reported together in Davao barely six months ago. This was the time that I understood the reality of danger in my chosen profession. Unlike the death of an upperclass a year ago, I did not just mourn, I now lost a classmate. About two weeks after that, I will experience my first meeting with death. After we were dropped by three vehicles as we begin our military operation, explosions were heard from afar. The vehicles that hauled us were ambushed. The vehicle that I used was the one that was heavily damaged and the two escorts were killed. I did not remember much of that day only that I knew that those who ambushed our vehicles were already in position when we first passed. I would have been dead have they decided to attack when we passed.

In 2010, I was a team leader during the test mission of my Scout Ranger Class. It was my first time to go to Basilan Province in a municipality called Sumisip. On the third day of our military operation, an improvised explosive device exploded while we were trying to clear a hill that overlooked the road junction where our supplies will pass. Four of my companions were wounded, I was about 100 meters away from the blast. This was to be my closest brush with death.

Today, I hear the news about so many soldiers dead in Basilan, two of which where in my generation of cadets at the Philippine Military Academy, one an upperclass, and the other a constant companion in the discussion and debate society where we were both members. More importantly he was a classmate of my squadmates, he was part of the class that the Class of 2008 groomed to become soldiers. We taught them soldiery. Back in the days when we were cadets, it was hard to teach your squadmates what to expect in the "real" world. Although we had more experience, our idea of soldiery was confined inside the Academy. Maybe this time, I will have gained more of that "wisdom" to tell them something just as how I did it when I was their squad leader.

Dear Class of 2010,

I am writing this open letter because I feel that I have to express my sincerest sympathy over the loss of your classmate in Basilan. In the years that followed after graduation, a lot of my ideas changed out of the experiences I gathered through my years in the Army. After the death of my classmate in Comval Province, I took it as a constant reminder to always be very sure of every decision you make as an officer. In the process, I learned that to be able to decide well requires more than just being a PMA graduate. It means that sometimes we will have to stand our ground even if others will criticize us. It means that you will have to take an extra effort to understand your men so that when you go into the battlefield together your decisions will not just be tactical decisions, rather it will reflect the general well being of the men who follow you. I learned that as an officer, you must constantly persevere to be a better person on the premise that by being better you are giving the men that you lead more years to enjoy their life. I also learned that our motivations and aspirations as a Filipino soldier should be shared to our people. They may not believe you but you will become committed to show them that you are sincere.

I want you to know that I am together with you in mourning the death of your classmate, but I also want to motivate you to take your classmates heroism as your inspiration to be better at what you are doing. By doing so, you are putting value on his death. A lot of you ask questions now. When we had our first casualty, I asked myself why is death so sudden but so difficult to understand?

The media today speaks of the heroism of Lt Khe. You should take this opportunity to stand in front of your men and declare that he is your classmate. A lot of us will never have the opportunity to be heroes like those of them who died in Basilan, but by bringing life to the sacrifice of their death we become heroes in our own right. In our class we have this battlecry, BAGHAWI BUO. Incidentally, this was coined by our first casualty, Lt Domingo. After his death, those words have become so real to each of us in the class. In some way, his death has united us never to tarnish the name of our class, the Academy and the Armed Forces. I also pray that you class will draw the same inspiration from the death of your classmate.

I think I can safely say that the rest of my classmates also feel the same way over this tragic incident. We know the feeling of losing but still we will persist. As our song in the Academy would say: And when the taps shall sung for men, banners drape our last remain; Let singing comrades bury me, to the echoes of the strain.

1LT Cabales