Digital Chain

World famous US director Quentin Tarantino, who recently visited Manila to accept an award, wears “barong” to the 65th Annual Golden Globe Nominations at the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California.

A Barong Tagalog (or simply Barong) is an embroidered formal garment of the Philippines. It is very lightweight and worn untucked (similar to a coat/dress shirt), over an undershirt. It is a common wedding and formal attire for Filipino men as well as women. The term “Barong Tagalog” literally means “Tagalog dress” (i.e., baro ng Tagalog or dress of the Tagalog) in the Filipino language. (wikipedia)

Listen and read the lyrics - it offers a lot of wisdom.

BETTER DAYS

Silver gray hair neatly combed in place.
There were four generations of love on her face.
She was so wise, no surprise passed her eyes,
She’d seen it all.

I was a child, oh, about three or four.
All day I’d ask questions.
At night I’d ask more.
But whenever; she never, would ever, turn me away.

I’d say how can I be sure what is right or wrong ?
And why does what I want always take so long ?
Please tell me where does God live
And why won’t He talk to me ?

I’d say, Grandma what is love ?
Will I ever find out ? and
Why are we so poor, what is life about ?
I wanna know the answers before I fall off to sleep.
ohwoohwohwoh…….

She sort of smiled as she tucked me in.
Then she pulled up that old rocking chair once again.
But tonight she was slightly, remarkably, different somehow.

Slowly she rocked, lookin’ half asleep.
Grandma yawned as she stretched.
Then she started to speak.
What she told me, would mold me, and hold me
Together inside ahahahahah yeah yeah.

She said all the things you ask
You will know someday.
But you have got to live in a patient way.
God put us here by fate
And by fate that means better days.

She said, child we are all moons in the dark of night.
Ain’t no morning gonna come ’til the time is right.
Can’t get to better days lest you make it through the night.
You gotta make it through the night, yes you do.

You can’t get to no better days
Unless you make it through the night.
Oh, you will see those better days
But you gotta be patient.
(Be patient) oh baby, be patient.

Later that year, at the turn of spring,
Heaven sent angels down and gave Grandma her wings.
Now, she’s flying, and sliding, and gliding
In better days

And although I’m all grown up
I still get confused.
I stumble through the dark
Getting bumped and bruised.
When night gets in my way
I could still hear my Grandma say
I can hear her say,
I can hear her say.

(Be patient) You can’t get to no better days
Unless you make it through the night baby.
(Be patient) Oh, you will see those better days
But you gotta be patient.
Child, do you hear me, yeah.

(Be patient) You can’t get to no better days
Unless you make it, you got to make it
you got to make it
You got to make it through the night

(Be patient) Oh Grandma, oh Grandma
Do you see me now, lady
Oh oh oh oh oh…

(Be patient) She used to sit me on her knee
She used to comb my hair
She used to tell me stories..
My Grandma took me everywhere

Back in the days we played “tag” or “kinnammat” or what we fondly called “out catcher”. The basic rules to out catcher are quite simple. All you need is a group of kids and a decent enough space (an alley, a basketball court, the street, etc.) One person is designated as “it” or “catcher”, and that person runs around and tries to touch(more like slap) someone else. If they succeed, the person they touch is now the “catcher” and tries to chase everyone else. The game continues until everyone is exhausted or until your mother calls you home for dinner.

Now we have internet tag. I was tagged by Bill Bilig. The rules are different this time. Instead of tagging one and keep running around, each tagged member will tag others until everyone’s exhausted or your wife calls out, ” It’s 2:00 in the morning! Go to bed!”.

The rules:

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months.
3. Pick your month of birth.
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

My month:

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

My tags:

1. Intuitions
2. Sa Wari Ko
   
3. Maskina Ano na Isip
4. Sarcasm Aside
5. Sayote Queen
6. Smorgasbord of Random Thoughts
7. Watson.Online
8. Baguiowriter
9. Igorot Blogger
10. *

* That’s all folks

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes ninsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying.. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quite. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts , music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

One of my favorite breads is now beyond the reach of many Filipinos. The great pan de sal has now joined the ranks of the expensive pastries and breads.

I remember buying pan de sal for 25 centavos per piece. I grew up with the bread. From childhood to adulthood the pan de sal has been with us - from children’s parties to over night projects, the pan de sal has been a constant comfort food. It’s so sad…

I experienced the price increases but dealt with it. Before coming to the US, I bought the pan de sal from a boy, who carried them in a used cardboard box, for piso (one peso) per piece. Hoping to maintain the pan de sal’s heat while he calls out “Paaan de saaaal!”, he carries the box over his head while trying to fight off our dog from devouring his wares. With the news that the price per piece will increase to PhP 2.50 I’m afraid that hawking pen da sal will no longer be a profitable venture for this budding entrepreneur.

Paalam pan de sal.

Image taken from [1]

Pandesal (or pan de sal; literally, salt bread) is a rounded bread usually eaten by Filipinos during breakfast.[1]. It is a bread made of flour, eggs, lard, yeast, sugar, and salt. It has a soft, powdery texture and can be prepared in a number of ways by using numerous sandwich spreads. Despite the literal meaning of its name, the taste of pandesal varies from bland to slightly sweet. It usually costs one Peso (about two cents U.S.), with larger varieties costing 2 Pesos. (Source: Wikipedia.com)

You probably have an inkling or can tell outright who is a gang member. However, one can be wrong and label them as hard core members because of their attire, body language, manner of talking. Others might be copy-cats and/or just want to be identified with the group without actually being a member or just wants to “talk the walk” but not the other way around. They might want to be a”gangsta” for a while or a member of a dance group.

Here’s a list of the most common identifiers :

• Caps or hats– tilted to the right or left or worn backwards refers to certain gang affiliations. A certain type of baseball cap may indicate a specific gang membership.
• Colors– some gangs identify with specific colors such as red and black, or blue and black.
• Clothing– Certain colors on starter jackets or baggy or sagging pants may represent gang involvement. Other clues are one pant leg rolled up, a certain colored bandana on one side of the body, a glove on one hand, one pocket out or one shoe lace untied.

  

• Hand Signals– signals such as a crown or falcon have been developed by many gangs to identify their gang affiliation. Showing or “flashing” gang signals is a way of identifying one’s gang.

• Graffiti–emblems or insignia on buildings, street signs and bus stops mark gang territory. Gang members may have graffiti markers on their clothing or personal belongings. Graffiti written upside down or with a line drawn through it means one gang is disrespecting or “dissing” another gang.

In my previous post I mentioned that there was a program initiated by the Baguio City Police Office to control the escalating gang and fraternity wars.

I think the program was able to unify the different groups in the city which paved the way for the forging of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the formation of the United Fraternities Organization (UFO). Read the whole report written by Ernie Olson for SunStar Baguio here.

I remember Atty. Mark Baliton was one of the proponents of the MOU and I did get to talk to him a few times about the UFO. There were a couple of times I saw him overseeing a ‘graffiti clean-up’ drive near the post office with various members of gangs and fraternities.

Fraternities and gangs are now viewed as one and the same. There used to be a distinction but that has been blurred. I did a search of what gangs and fraternities are currently ‘operating’ in Baguio. Here is the list (as of July 30, 2007):

• Samahang Ilocano
• Genuine Ilocano
• United Ilocandia
• Akrho
• Phi Lambda Epsilon
• Alpha Phi Omega
• Beta Sigma
• Crips
• Bloods
• Notorious Underground Crips
• Sacremento Tag Crips
• North Side Terrorists
• Rappers Delta Foundation
• Real Pinoy Crips
• West Side Terrorists
• Pinoy True Crips
• Sudden Death Gangsters
• Mafia Crips
• God Mob Carnalis
• East Side Thugs
• Ragstah
• Peer Group Trouble
• Souls
• Trece Hudas
• Selda Trece
• Tropang Muslim
• True Brown Style

Surprisingly absent from the list are the Bahala na Gang, Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Batang City Jail.

I also found these videos about the gangs in Baguio. The have Friendster, too.

1. Ragsta

2. North Side Terrorists

3. TBS Crips

The videos contain some disturbing images. If you recognize some the the face of these children tell their parents or somebody before it’s too late.

Kirk was a day shy of his 17th birthday when he was pushed to his death from a bridge while on his way home. His killers were never apprehended and investigations are still on-going. The tragedy happened September 6, 2006. To date, the case is still under investigation. (News report here.)

Many believe that Kirk was a victim of gang violence. He might have been a random target or was deliberately attacked. No one can tell but the level of the violence is disturbing. Gone are the days when gangs settled their issues like men and faced each other in “rumbles”.

A few years ago, I sat down and talked to a young lad about his experience as an advocate against gang violence. He was an engaging person but behind his smiles was a past that was paved with violence and delinquency. He was a member of a gang and was directly responsible for the death of a neophyte in a violent initiation rite.

In the December 2 issue of the Baguio Midland Courier city officials recognized that the increasing number of gang related violence is cause for concern and that the city must acknowledge that the “gang wars” are clear and present danger.

It is notable that a city resolution was passed to “regulate the activities of these young people and to channel their efforts, resources, and idealism to make them pro-active partners in governance”.

The escalation was made evident with the publication of high profile cases of violence linked to gang members such as the grenade attack inside an Internet café last Oct. 2; a free-for-all street brawl involving dozens of gang members in front of Saint Louis University last April 14; and a shooting incident along Session Road last April 13.

There used to be a program sanctioned by the Baguio Police and spear-headed by a former city hall official on regulating the activities of fraternities and gangs in the city. I think there were unification talks, too.

Here are the news reports from BMC about the growing problem [1] [2] [3]

When was the last time you read something good about Basilan, Philippines? By mere mention of the place, an image of terror appears. CNN called it the wild west of the Philippines. For the New York Times it looks like Vietnam.

But a Los Angeles Times article written by Robert Kaplan cited gains in the war-torn area. In his November 25, 2007 article he mentions the development introduced in the area. For Kaplan, it might not be much and at times uneven but he is optimistic:

“Before 9/11, the southern island of Basilan was a Muslim terrorist hide-out. In 2002, with the help of Green Berets, Filipino army forces cleared it. By last year, Manila-based businesses felt safe enough to invest there. When I visited last year, Basilan had cellphone towers, more roads and bridges paved with asphalt, more schools and increased agricultural production. Power outages were common because of surges in demand, a sign of uneven development but of development nevertheless.”

Read the entire article here.

Stories of Change with KALAHI-CIDSS. A music video. Support poverty reduction programs!

To popularize the Medium Development Goals, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Philippine government created an MTV and asked various Philippine artists to do it. I think they did a good job. I like how it turned out. How about you? What do you think?

Back in the Philippines, when I was with the DSWD we made it a point to show this MTV prior to a meeting, a conference, a presentation or a seminar or whenever we had the chance. We wanted to drum up the MDG . For a time we did generate discussion about the MTV and the programs supporting the MDG.

Now, what’s the score? Check it out here.