CAMPAIGN SIGNATURE

Continuing the campaign to obtain signatures of Ramon members of Isabela Electric Cooperative for Iselco's conversion into a CDA-registered cooperative. So far, I have obtained 54 signatures out of 300. The deadline is December 12.

Once registered with CDA, expect consumers to pay lower electric bills because the value added tax of 12 percent and other charges will be scrapped.

Despite Iselco's loses in millions--they could not collect the alleged million-peso electric bills respectively of the city governments of Cauayan and Santiago, Isabela- Iselco board members reward themselves fat bonuses.

This is a project of a Multi-Sectoral Committee on Electric Cooperative Conversion. Deadline of submission: this Friday

IMPUNITY, PHILIPPINE STYLE

Impunity is an ugly word. It is as ugly and terrible and murderous like Philippine politicians associated with it. Prominent among them are the Ampatuans of the infamous Maguindanao massacre, and their creator, Gloria, who headed the the most corrupt administration in the country's history.

But what exactly is the meaning of the word that has evoked so much contempt?

Webster's dictionary defines impunity as "exemption from punishment, penalty, or harm." A synonym is immunity which is exemption from criminal prosecution or exemption from obligation imposed on others. Or a grant as witness in exchange for self-incrimination testimony. This is how people in a criminal act come under the witness protection program.

Yes, it is applied to politicians and their ilk including followers and kin who show no respect for the law and do whatever they wish to do in violation of the law, knowing they can get away with it. Even if they are hailed before the courts, the means for them to escape punishment is always there--money to pay off judges, lawyers and witnesses.

SUDDENLY, IT IS EVENING

Suddenly, It Is Evening*

the room is widethis morning as wide
as your pain somewhere
in a corner
of remembered remembering
where were you when the seawas bereft of broken beer bottlesand crumpled tin cans?
last night the rainbow jukebox blared your song while the smoke-filled bar echoed with drunken laughter and your epilogue of wasted years

it should have been this way-- no, no, no-- it could have been that waythe sun lingering on the glass panes has now climbed the rooftops: remembering is a perfect blade as sharp as the edge of morning.

time for you is a dry leaf on a hot windless day yet ricebirds must cry as the pulse of life beats in the shuffle of many feet on the stage where the drama was played.you remember the innocence of youth in the old hometown and, suddenly, it is evening.

*Nairaman iti expanded version nga antolohia dagiti dandaniw nga Ilokano ken Ingles, "Umayka Manen, Ganggannaet/Come Again, Stranger."


photo captions: clockwise, singapore, las vegas, singapore, singapore

Conjugal Subterfuge

It appears that the conjugal liars are making all kinds of scenarios: fake ambush, fake death, fake health certificate.

Somebody up North, who was his fellow Rotarian, has claimed that the husband is really corrupt.

I sympathize with the Little Woman only because she has a drop of Ilocano blood--her forbears came from somewhere in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. I heard her once speaking in Ilocano during a campaign rally in San Fernando City, La Union. She worked her speech/oratory.

During the Magdalo siege at Oakwood, I was rooting for her.

DepEd issues guidelines for mother tongue teaching

DepEd issues guidelines for mother tongue teaching

The use of the mother tongue has been found effective in the grades in Kalinga in Amianan. The language policy on teaching medium which favors Tagalog in all levels in the entire country should now be a thing of the past.





Photo caption: School children of the Oscariz Elementary School in Oscariz, Ramon, Isabela do their oath during the morning flag-raising ceremony.

Journal of December 1, 2011

BLESSINGS

The networks and the newspapers like the Philippine Daily Inquirer are counting the days before Christmas. I count my blessings-- health which has given me the luxury of this ripe old age and counting more years before crossing the Great Divide. No house built by the salaried man, no cars, no land purchased, a little pension fund, a lot of books, journals and magazines to consist a small library, 8 sons all living, the first-born more than 40 years of age, 21 grandchildren. Still, I dream of winning the Lotto, which will give us the means to embark on a tour around the world or a cruise on board the most luxurious ship in the world. And do a lot of charity work, scholarship for economically-deprived kids.

It's 1:09 am on my laptop, have been here since 11: 30pm when I woke up, roused from sleep by TV my wife has opened when she came into the room from downstairs. Have to sign off and continue sleeping. Thank you, O Lord of Hosts, for these extra minutes and hours, and days and months and more years.

Photo captions: My laptop and books in my getaway at the ancestral home in Laoag, the gate to the Universal Studios in Sentossa, Singapore through a gnarled tree. Kayanga (gumamela) in Raul-Emmanuel's garden. My apoko SLU Baguio poster girl Margarita Denden Julian. Jeric-Israel Julian's medals as most outstanding student of the Paloma Valley High School in CA.

COVER STORY

               Spent the longest hours editing the cover story of the Dec. 1-15, 2011 issue of TJ. No compensation here except the satisfaction that we fulfill the unwritten principle of making the magazine the best of its kind in Amianan and the Philippines. The story is about a Lithuanian royalty, a son of a Polish officer who emigrated to Australia and married an Ilokana from Barrio Cili in Binalonan, Pangasinan.

Were the hours wasted and could have been spent for a more fruitful endeavor like writing a short story or a poem for publication in some national magazines and journals? Can I still be creative? What should I WRITE now to befits the old fogey?

It's quarter to two in the afternoon of Nov. 30. No school classes the whole country? If there were no classes, how will the children spend the day profitably. Just relaxing their bodies and their minds?

That's right, it's a national holiday. They are celebrating the birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, who founded the KKK and led the armed struggle against the Spaniards. He later on was ordered killed by the faction of Emilio Aguinaldo, first president of the Republic.