Dota Pa? (Published in UIC Roots)

 Dota pa?

By: Leo Vincent A. Villanueva

June 28, 2011, maliban sa petsang July 2, 2011 kung s’an sinapak at biniyayaan ng “smokey eyes” ni Mayor Sara Duterte ang isang aroganteng sheriff ng RTC 11, marahil ay ‘di ko rin makakalimuan ang petsang ‘to sa buong buhay ko. Oo, isa ako sa iilan at piling-piling kasama sa isang pangyayaring paminsan-minsan lang naman nangyayari sa kasaysayan ng Davao City.

 Tulad ng ibang trahedyang nangyari, mayroong nakalakip na kuwentong tiyak na makakaantig sa inyong mga puso’t makakapagbukas sa inyong mga isipan.

Kung ‘di ako nagkakamali, nangyari ‘to sa araw ng martes. 7pm nang natapos ang klase ko, tumambay ng konti sa labas, at naglaro ng isang round ng dota. Walang kamalay malay sa paparating na unos…ay hayahay!

Nang biglang bumagsak ang ulan. Sinaklot ng matinding takot at poot ang aking loob, nababalisa at nanginginig ang aking katawan, nakisabay sa bagsik ng panahon ang takot na aking naramdaman. Sa kabila ng matinding buhos ng ulan, ako’y lumusob, hindi ko sinawalang bahala ang aking mga naramdamang hindi ko maipaliwanag. ‘di ko na ininda ang mabasa, basta’t ako’y sumugod nalang, at sumakay ng jeep.

Bangkal, Matina. Dito kami lumipat ng pamilya ko pagkatapos kaming palayasin sa dati naming tinitir’han, wala na talagang perang mailabas ang nanay ko noon, baon sa utang at samut-sari pang mga karaniwang problema ng mga mahihirap na mamamayang Pilipino, at sa sobrang pagiging “karaniwan” tila wala na yatang pag-asa.

Tinanggal ko ang aking sapatos para hindi mabasa, ang aking nag-iisang balat na sapatos na punong-puno na ng bakas ng iba’t-ibang klaseng landas na tinahak, binalot q sa plastic at maingat na ibinitbit. Lampas tuhod na ang inabot ng maruming tubig pagbaba ko sa jeep, malakas ang agos, para akong tinutulak nang sangkatutak na maliliit na tao sa lakas ng agos ng tubig.

Natatanaw ko na ang aming payak na bahay, maingat akong tumawid at lumangoy sa malasapang baha. Alam kong hindi na ako nalalayo sa aming bahay, ngunit parang langit at lupa pa rin ang pagitan ko sa aking tahanan. Inisip ko ang nanay ko, ang kapatid ko, at ang aking pamangkin na sanggol pa lamang, silang palaging nasa bahay, wala namang dahilan upang lumabas, wala namang pera.

Ilang beses silang pumasok sa isipan ko, at alam kong sila rin ang dahilan ng aking matinding pangamba.

Sa aking pagtawid, ako’y sumuko, mga paa ko’y nanghina at ako’y inagos ng tubig. Sinubukan ko muling bumangon at bumalanse, Kailangan kong bumalik sa aking pamilya, at alam kong Kailangan nila ako.

Dumating din ko sa bahay namin, ako’y natakot, wala na roon ang pamilyang aking inaasam-asam. Marahil sa matinding pagod at kawalan ng loob, bigla akong napatumba at nahimatay sa sahig.

Kinabukasan na nang ako’y nagising, huni ng sirena ang gumising sa akin. Kaagad ko silang hinanap, “Nay! Te! Asa na mo?” walang sumagot…”Nay! Te! Asa na mo??” wala pa ring sumagot…

Umabot ako sa evacuation center sa kakahanap sa kanila, doon umasa akong makita sila. Nakita ko ang aking mga pinsan, at iba pang kamag-anak, ngunit walang nanay, ate at pamangkin. May narinig akong mga hiyaw ng mga pusong naghihinagpis sa isang silid. Mga ilang hanay ng nakarolyong banig ang aking nakita, hinila ako ng aking pinsan at binuksan niya ang isa sa mga banig.

Tumakbo ako papalayo, sa ‘sang tabi ako’y umupo’t napayuko, at sa matagal na panahon, ako’y nanalangin, pangalawang buhay para sa aking mahal na pamangkin.

Blind Filipina with world class talent

Blind Filipina sings like Karen Carpenter in Pasig Market...wow!

 GOOD PUBLICITY for Dan Brown...

MMDA worries about the bad image that

Manila, gates of hell? MMDA fumes

By Mike Frialde (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 24, 2013 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino yesterday joined the bandwagon of critics slamming Dan Brown for his latest novel “Inferno,” in which the author describes Manila as the “gates of hell.”

Tolentino said he wrote Brown a letter telling him that his description of Manila was “inaccurate.”
“We write to you with much concern regarding your recently published novel ‘Inferno’ and its mention of Manila being defined by a number of terrible descriptions of poverty and pollution, among others, having ‘suffocating pollution, and a horrifying sex trade’ and worse, being alluded to as ‘gates of hell’,” Tolentino said in his letter.

“While we are aware that yours is a work of fiction, we are greatly disappointed by your inaccurate portrayal of our beloved metropolis. We are displeased with how you have used Manila as a venue and source of a character’s breakdown and trauma, much more her disillusionment in humanity,” Tolentino added.

Tolentino defended Metro Manila as a “center of Filipino spirit, faith and hope.”
“Our faith in God binds us as a nation and we believe that Manila citizens are more than capable of exemplifying good character and compassion towards each other, something that your novel has failed to acknowledge. Truly, our place is an entry to heaven,” Tolentino said.
Tolentino invited the bestselling author to visit Manila.

The End of Filipino Time

 Finally, Philippine Standard Time, Institutionalized...why it took so long???

From an article :

Aquino signs law setting Philippine Standard Time

 @http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/05/23/aquino-signs-law-setting-philippine-standard-time-283808

Thursday, May 23, 2013

MANILA -- President Benigno Aquino III has signed into law a consolidated bill setting the Philippine Standard Time (PST) and institutionalizing the first week of the year as the "National Time Consciousness Week."

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a press briefing on Thursday, said Aquino signed last May 15 Republic Act 10535 or "An Act to set the Philippine Standard Time in All Official Sources throughout the country, to provide funds for the installation, operation and maintenance of synchronized time devices to be displayed in key public places and to declare the first week of every year as National Time Consciousness Week."

The new law otherwise known as The Philippine Standard Time (PST) Act of 2013 is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 3284 and House Bill No. 164 that was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 4, 2013.

The Act mandates all national and local government offices to display Philippine Standard Time on their official time devices, including bundy clocks, in accordance with the official time provided by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) using its network time protocol.

All of these offices shall coordinate, at least once a month, with the Pagasa to synchronize their official timepieces and devices.

The Pagasa's Time Service Unit, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (Dost), shall be tasked to monitor, maintain and disseminate the PST throughout the country. The Pagasa shall operate and maintain a timekeeping system to perform these functions and shall endeavor to install and maintain sufficiently large and prominently displayed synchronized time devices in all their field stations and in key public places.

The procurement of equipment necessary for the automatic dissemination of time with global positioning system (GPS) shall be in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act). The DOST shall be the procurement overseer of the said equipment. 

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will also require the participation of all government and private television and radio stations to ensure synchronization of timekeeping devices even in the most remote parts of the country.

Owners of private television and radio stations who shall fail to calibrate and synchronize their time devices with the Philippine Standard Time during their broadcast shall, upon hearing and due proceedings, be penalized with a fine of not less than P30,000 but not more than P50,000 in the first offense. A subsequent offense will merit a revocation and cancellation of their franchises to operate.

The fine to be collected as penalty for the violation of this Act shall be deposited in the general fund of the National Treasury.

The law also institutionalizes the first week of the year as "National Time Consciousness Week."

The Pagasa, in coordination with the Dost, the NTC, the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of National Defense, Department of Health, the Department of Education, and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), shall promulgate the necessary guidelines for the effective implementation of the calibration and synchronization of the timekeeping devices and implementation of this Act within 90 days from the effectivity of this Act. 

This Act shall take effect after 15 days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in two 2 newspapers of general circulation. (SDR/Sunnex)