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Some Secret Words of Wisdom for Couples

2009-04-06T07:13:00.003+08:00

Here are some real true-to-life expriences of blissful couples that are worth sharing because of the reason that they simply work. Take them from the horse's mouth so-to-speak and learn to live happily ever after.

Attack the issue

"On my wedding-invitation RSVP cards, I left space for guests to write their favorite wedding wisdom. The tidbit that rings truest after almost nine months of marriage is: 'Attack the issue, not each other.' How it works: If my husband and I disagree about something, we stay focused on the issue and skip the personal put-downs." -- Melissa Gitter Schilowitz, 31, Metuchen, NJ

Share hobbies

"My grandmother insisted that I learn how to play golf. 'If your husband loves to play, you can go along and spend hours together,' she said. So I took lessons, and now my husband and I hit the links once a month. We both love the game and are thrilled to share a hobby, even when we spend half an hour looking for my out-of-bounds balls!" -- Aimee Borders, 27, Houston, TX

Tabletop Trick

"My aunt told me that if I'm running late when it's my turn to make dinner, just set the table. That way my husband thinks he'll be eating any minute, so he doesn't start complaining, which buys me some time. It's a silly trick that sounds straight out of the 1950s, but I have to admit that I've tried it a few times in the three years I've been married -- and it works!" -- Dawn Clayton, 34, Holdrege, NE

Boob-Tube Brilliant turns

"Because my husband is such a remote-control freak, my mom suggested that we have 'my turn' TV nights. That means three nights a week I get to hold the remote and watch whatever I want, and on the other nights it's his turn to hold the remote and watch whatever he wants. Now when he starts flipping through the channels, it doesn't get on my nerves like it used to." -- Angela Clayton, 27, Odenton, MD

Pop the Question

"My sister-in-law passed this helpful hint on to me, and it has served me well for our five years of wedded bliss: 'Marriage is not mind reading, so ask your spouse what he/she wants and believe what he/she says.'" -- Clare Graca, 27, Dallas

Nix the Nit-Picking

"Before I said 'I do,' my mom (who's been married to my dad for 55 years) told me to take out a piece of paper and write down the top three things that bugged me about my husband-to-be. Then she told me to forget the things on that list and forgive him for not being flawless. Once you make a commitment this big, she explained, you can't let petty things get in the way. In our eight years of marriage, my husband and I have had two kids, tackled cross-country moves and started two businesses -- and so far, so great."-- Rebecca Hart Blaudow, 31, Jacksonville, FL

Space Smarts

"Always have separate closets, my best friend told me. It may seem silly, but I listened to her and made sure to find a one-bedroom apartment with two closets (mine being the larger, of course). Now my husband and I each have our own private space, and we respect that: If he wants to keep his shoes in one huge heap or leave his dirty clothes in a pile on the floor, the mess doesn't bother me a bit!" -- Patricia Bontekoe, 26, Lake Hiawatha, NJ

Agree to Disagree

"Before we got married, my minister told my husband and me, 'You are two imperfect people making an imperfect union, and that's wonderful.' This advice made me ditch my belief that in a happy marriage, the couple always agrees. My husband and I have learned to appreciate our differences (yes, even differences of opinion!); in fact, we encourage them because we realize now that those differences are what makes each of us unique and special." -- Beth Swanson, 28, Chicago

Comic Relief

"Before I headed down the aisle, my stepfather told me to always laugh and never take myself too seriously. After four years of marriage, I know that this trick works. My husband and I often play practical jokes on each other and always try to crack each other up, even in the middle of an argument. Hey, if one person laughs, a fight tends to fizzle, doesn't it?" -- Lisa Giassa, 31, Bogota, NJ

Stay married and save the planet

2009-02-28T09:51:00.002+08:00

This may sound quite strange but "staying married is better for the planet because divorce leads the newly single to live more wasteful lifestyles," an Australian lawmaker said Tuesday. It has to be made clear, though, that this does not apply to those who have been single all their lives, but only for singles coming from marriage divorce.

Senator Steve Fielding told a Senate hearing in the Australian capital Canberra that divorce only made climate change worse.

When couples separated, they needed more rooms, more electricity and more water. This increased their carbon footprint, Australian Associated Press quoted Fielding as telling the hearing on environmental issues.

"We understand that there is a social problem , but now we're seeing there is also environmental impact as well on the footprint," AAP quoted him as saying.

Such a "resource-inefficient lifestyle" meant it would be better for the planet if couples stayed married, he said.

During the hearing, the senator read out quotes from a U.S. report that advocated his stance.

Fielding, who leads the independent Family First party, grew up in a family of 16 children and has been married for 22 years, his website says.

It is to be understood though that preserving marriage should not only be made for the sake of the environment but more so for respecting the sanctity of family life borne out of love and devotion.

FREEconomics: The economics of Free Stuff

2009-02-23T05:32:00.001+08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

FREEconomics: The economics of Free Stuff

View more presentations from Navin Kabra. (tags: technology cloud)

Kissing unleashes chemicals that ease stress levels

2009-02-14T18:08:00.002+08:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day, a panel of scientists examined the mystery of what happens when hearts throb and lips lock. Kissing, it turns out, unleashes chemicals that ease stress hormones in both sexes and encourage bonding in men, though not so much in women.

Chemicals in the saliva may be a way to assess a mate, Wendy Hill, dean of the faculty and a professor of neuroscience at Lafayette College, told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Friday.

In an experiment, Hill explained, pairs of heterosexual college students who kissed for 15 minutes while listening to music experienced significant changes in their levels of the chemicals oxytocin, which affects pair bonding, and cortisol, which is associated with stress. Their blood and saliva levels of the chemicals were compared before and after the kiss.

Both men and women had a decline in cortisol after smooching, an indication their stress levels declined.

For men, oxytocin levels increased, indicating more interest in bonding, while oxytocin levels went down in women. "This was a surprise," Hill said.

In a test group that merely held hands, chemical changes were similar, but much less pronounced, she said.

The experiment was conducted in a student health center, Hill noted. She plans a repeat "in a more romantic setting."

Hill spoke at the session on the Science of Kissing, along with Helen Fisher of Rutgers University and Donald Lateiner of Ohio Wesleyan University.

Fisher noted that more than 90 percent of human societies practice kissing, which she believes has three components — the sex drive, romantic love and attachment.

The sex drive pushes individuals to assess a variety of partners, then romantic love causes them to focus on an individual, she said. Attachment then allows them to tolerate this person long enough to raise a child.

Men tend to think of kissing as a prelude to copulation, Fisher said. She noted that men prefer "sloppy" kisses, in which chemicals including testosterone can be passed on to the women in saliva. Testosterone increases the sex drive in both males and females.

"When you kiss an enormous part of your brain becomes active," she added. Romantic love can last a long time, "if you kiss the right person."

Lateiner, a classical scholar, observed that kissing appears infrequently in Greek and Roman art, but was widely practiced, despite the spread of skin disease at that time by facial kissing. And there was a potential for social faux pas by kissing the wrong person at the wrong time.

Overall, the science of kissing — philematology — is under-researcherd, Hill concluded

Playing Tetris could 'reduce stress symptoms'

2009-01-20T14:02:00.001+08:00

Those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder could see their symptoms reduced by playing a popular computer game.

According to experts from Oxford University, playing Tetris soon after a traumatic experience could help erase bad memories of the incident.

It is also claimed that playing the game could reduce the number of flashbacks people experience. Dr Emily Holmes, a psychologist who led the study, said: "This is only a first step in showing that this might be a viable approach to preventing post-traumatic stress disorder."

Experts hope that the findings could lead to new treatments for people hospitalised after an incident, as well as those who have experience of war zones.

Post-traumatic stress syndrome often affects those who have experienced wartime trauma, such as seeing others injured or killed.

Those who took part in the experiment were shown traumatic images of injury then 30 minutes later, half played ten minutes of Tetris while the others did nothing.

Tetris is one of the world's most popular computer games and was first made nearly a quarter of a century ago, reports Infopackets.

Seven Things No One Tells You About Marriage

2009-01-02T15:48:00.002+08:00

You're smart. You know life is no storybook. But admit it: Somewhere deep in your subconscious lurk romantic visions of Cinderella, or maybe Julia Roberts. The images may be sketchy and a little outdated, but you can still make out the silhouette of the bride and Prince Charming riding off into the sunset.

In real life, sometimes your Disney fairy tale ends up feeling more like a Wes Craven horror flick -- and you're the chick who keeps falling down and screaming for her life. I've been there. Let's face it, marriage is not for the faint of heart. You want to believe your pure love for each other will pull you through. And it does. But it ain't always pretty.

That may sound grim. But here's a secret: Sometimes it's the least romantic parts of marriage that have the most to teach you about yourself, your partner, and the nature of love. Read on for some simple truths that will unlock the surprising treasures and pleasures in your imperfect, unstorybook, real-life love.

1. You will look at the person lying next to you and wonder, Is this it? Forever?

When you get married, you think that as long as you pick the right guy -- your soul mate -- you'll be happy together until death do you part. Then you wake up one day and realize that no matter how great he is, he doesn't make you happy every moment of every day. In fact, some days you might wonder why you were in such a hurry to get married in the first place. You think to yourself, "This is so not what I signed up for."

Actually, it is. You just didn't realize it the day you and your guy were cramming wedding cake into each other's faces, clinking champagne glasses, and dancing the Electric Slide. Back then you had no idea that "for better and for worse" doesn't kick in only when life hands you a tragedy. Your relationship mettle is, in fact, most tested on a daily basis, when the utter sameness of day-in/day-out togetherness can sometimes make you want to run for the hills. That's when the disappointment sneaks in, and maybe even a palpable sense of loneliness and grief. It's not him. It's just you, letting go of that sugarcoated fantasy of marriage that danced in your eyes the day you and your beloved posed in all those soft-focus wedding photos. You're learning that marriage isn't a destination; it's a journey filled with equal parts excitement and tedium.

Waking up from a good dream to face the harsh morning daylight may not seem like a reason to celebrate. But trust me, it is. Because once you let go of all the hokey stories of eternal bliss, you find that the reality of marriage is far richer and more rewarding than you ever could have guessed. Hard, yes. Frustrating, yes. But full of its own powerful, quiet enchantments just the same, and that's better than any fairy tale.

2. You'll work harder than you ever imagined.

Early on, when people say, "Marriage takes work," you assume "work" means being patient when he forgets to put down the toilet seat. In your naivete, you think that you will struggle to accommodate some annoying habit, like persistent knuckle cracking or flatulence.

If only it were that easy. Human beings, you may have noticed, are not simple creatures. Your man has mysterious, unplumbed depths -- and from where he sits, you're pretty complicated, too. You have to learn each other the same way that you once learned earth science or world geography. And getting married doesn't mean you're done -- it just means you've advanced to graduate-level studies. That's because every time you think you've mastered the material, he'll change a bit. And so will you. As two people grow and evolve, the real work of marriage is finding a way to relate to and nurture each other in the process.

"It's like losing weight," says Andrea Harden, 45, of Buffalo, NY. "You want it to be a one-time deal. You lost it, now just live. But then you learn it's a lifestyle. That's marriage. The effort is a forever thing." So don't be too hard on yourself -- or him -- on those days when you feel like you're struggling through remedial math.
3. You will sometimes go to bed mad (and maybe even wake up madder).
Whoever decided to tell newlyweds "Never go to bed angry" doesn't know what it's like inside a bedroom where tears and accusations fly as one spouse talks the other into a woozy stupor until night meets the dawn. If this scenario sounds familiar, I've got three words for you: Sleep on it.

You need to calm down. You need to gain perspective. You need to just give it a rest. I've found that an argument of any quality, like a fine wine, needs to breathe. A break in the action will help you figure out whether you're angry, hurt, or both, and then pinpoint the exact source. Maybe the fight that seemed to erupt over the overflowing garbage can is really about feeling underappreciated. Could be you're both stressed out at work and just needed to unload on someone. Taking a break will help you see that, and let go. Or maybe you really do have a legitimate disagreement to work out. Without a time-out, sometimes a perfectly good argument can turn into an endless round of silly back-and-forth, rehashing old and irrelevant transgressions as you get more and more wound up.

Even when you do manage to stay focused and on topic, there are some fights that stubbornly refuse to die by bedtime. And if you stifle your real feelings just to meet some arbitrary deadline, your marriage will surely be the worse for it. "This was a huge lesson for me," says Andrea. "As women we've been trained to make nice. But the whole kiss-and-make-up thing just to keep the peace was eating me up inside. I'd let things build up inside me until I just exploded. Now I wait a while to get hold of myself -- let the emotions settle a bit -- and state my position. Even if that means reopening the fight the next day."

4. Getting your way is usually not as important as finding a way to work together.

I can be a bit of a know-it-all. There, I said it. It's really not my intention to be hurtful or brash with people I love. It's just that a lifetime of experience has taught me that in most areas, at most times, I am right about most things. What shocked me several years into my marriage, though, was the realization that the more "right" I was, the more discontented my husband and I were as a couple. See, oddly enough, throughout his life Genoveso has been under the misguided impression that he's right most of the time (go figure!). So we'd lock horns -- often. That is, until I learned a few things.

Namely, that when it comes to certain disagreements, there is no right or wrong -- there is simply your way of looking at things and your husband's. "I used to be very black-and-white earlier in our marriage," says Lindy Vincent, 38, who lives in Minneapolis. "Now I see that I'm not all right and my husband is not all wrong. There's more gray in life than I thought, and that's taught me patience and the value of compromise."

5. A great marriage doesn't mean no conflict; it simply means a couple keeps trying to get it right.

Maybe you think that because of my newfound wisdom, Genoveso and I never fight anymore. Ha! As important as it is to strike a balance, it's also important to have a big, fat fight every now and then. Because when you fight, you don't just raise your voices; you raise real -- sometimes buried -- issues that challenge you to come to a clearer understanding of you, your man, and your relationship. I wouldn't give up our fights for anything in the world, because I know in the end they won't break us; they'll only make us stronger.

6. You'll realize that you can only change yourself.

Ever seen the '80s sci-fi cult classic "Making Mr. Right?" When the stylish heroine, played by Ann Magnuson, is hired to teach a robot how to act like a human, she seizes the chance to create a perfect guy. A hotshot commercial whiz, she uses her marketing prowess to shape John Malkovich's android character into her personal version of the ideal man -- sensitive, eager to please, and willing to listen.
There is a bit of that makeover fantasy in all of us -- something that makes us believe we can change the person we love, make him just a little bit closer to perfect. We may use support and empathy or shouts and ultimatums, but with dogged conviction we take on this huge responsibility, convinced we're doing the right thing.

Whatever our motives, the effort is exhausting. Transforming a full-grown man -- stripping him of decades-old habits, beliefs, and idiosyncrasies -- is truly an impossible task. And you will come to realize, sooner than later if you're lucky, that it is far easier to change the way you respond to him.

7. As you face your fears and insecurities, you will find out what you're really made of.

There were clues when Genoveso and I were dating, especially with the trust thing. Early on, I was supersuspicious of him. He used to say things like, "I'll call you at 8." Then, just to try to trip me up, he'd call at 8. I knew he was up to something, I just couldn't figure out what. The same kinds of experiences followed after the wedding. Except occasionally he would actually mess up. And I had no sense of scale when it came to rating his offenses; everything was a major violation. Whether he teased me about a new haircut or came home late, I seethed for days and even let thoughts of divorce creep into my head. I figured, if he loved me -- really and truly -- this stuff wouldn't happen.

I'd like to be able to say that this irrational behavior lasted only a few months and I eventually worked it out. Kind of, sort of, is closer to the truth. After years of looking deeply into my soul and talking to good friends and the best sister a girl could ever have, I've come to recognize certain things about myself. Not to get all Dr. Phil about it, but I've had to examine my history with an emotionally distant dad and a strong-willed mom and face up to all the ways, both good and bad, that those relationships have affected how I approach my marriage.

That's the strange beauty of marriage: It's full of hard times and hard lessons that no one can ever prepare you for. But in the end, those are the things that give richness to your life together -- and make your love even deeper and stronger than when it began.

Some Unusual But High-Paying Jobs

2008-12-29T09:49:00.002+08:00

Some of these hot new careers you may have never heard of are "green-collar" jobs. These jobs are on the rise as the business world responds to dramatic increases in energy costs and environmental regulation. And while disposable income seems threatened by a roller-coaster economy, other new careers are springing up to suit those who have cash to spend.

Here are some of the hot career fields you may not have heard of:

Eco Tourism Director

Traditional hospitality careers are increasingly marching to the ecotourism drumbeat. According to the International Ecotourism Society, ecotourism is growing at three times the rate of traditional vacationing, increasing annually up to 30 percent. If you're just preparing for the field, seek an associate's degree in hospitality, travel, or tourism. If you're already aboard, why not train to manage a hotel, bed and breakfast, spa, or resort with a graduate degree in business or hospitality? The majority of lodging managers are self-employed professionals. Top earners in 2007 averaged $83,240 for the year.

Professional Hacker

Ever hear of a certified ethical hacker? That's the professional IT certification for a computer scientist that works as a security specialist, forensic investigator, or network defense architect for corporations, the government, and law enforcement agencies to help prevent hacking or to track down perpetrators. To get into the field, you'll need more than the hacking skills you tweaked together in your garage. Begin by earning a bachelor's degree in computer science or information technology. You can get additional online college training in network security. The top 50 percent of computer scientists earned between $97,970 and $123,900 in 2007.

Pet Psychologist

Don't be so shocked. Even Sparky sometimes needs help to keep from gnawing through the neighbor's bed of prized roses. Once the local vet has ruled out physical ailments that can contribute to rude pet behavior, people who love their animals may need to call in a trained, certified behaviorist or pet psychologist. As with human patients, pets can be analyzed and taught to act contrary to destructive impulses. There are even certified applied animal behaviorists. To get into the field, you'll need a master's or doctorate degree in psychology, preferably with additional work in zoology and animal behavior. Salaries vary greatly by locale, but can be upwards of $90,000 a year.

Conservation Consultant

There are companies who are greatly concerned with increasing energy efficiency. And there are those with a conscience, striving to reduce their carbon footprint. When some states decided to go carbon-neutral by 2007, they hired a director of energy strategy and climate change. Combine your thirst for conservation with an engineering degree to prepare for this thriving field. The U.S. Labor Department predicts a hefty 25 percent increase in environmental engineers during the 2006-2016 decade. In 2007, the top 50 percent earned between $70,000 and $106,000.

Fashion Consultant/Personal Shopper

Among those who care about their appearance, many are born with amazing taste; some have to work for it. Fashion designers and consultants help those who can afford personal attention to transform their image. You can be the one to consult on hair, makeup, and fashion--and then be the one to take your clients shopping. Get career training through an associate's or bachelor's degree program in fashion design. Top earners in the fashion design trades in 2007 took home $121,640 on average.

Mobile Experience Architect

The cool streaming videos and eye-popping CD covers that get delivered to the screens of millions of cell phones and PDAs each hour are designed to make you spend money. Information architects create the structure and mind-manipulating patterns (site maps) of each mobile delivery. You'll need to learn about marketing, strategy, and user testing through a degree program in computer science, Web design, or business. There's even an IT certification for professional mobile architects. Salaries range into six figures.

As our world rapidly evolves, it's no surprise that the work landscape is evolving as well. You can prepare for and keep up with the changes by updating your training and credentials.

Ten Ways to Improve Your Memory

2008-10-24T10:49:00.002+08:00

Brain Pictures

When your reminders affect your sense of fashion, it's time for some tips on improving memory. See more brain pictures.

The human brain is like a library that stocks memories instead of books. In some ways, that makes the hippocampus, the part of the brain most involved in memory, the brain's librarian. The hippocampus has the most responsibility in this cranial library, juggling the new releases of short-term memory while cataloging materials for the permanent collection of long-term memory. It's not the only part at work, however, in storing these chapters of our lives. Different kinds of memory are stored in different areas of the brain. With such a large system, the brain needs a system of encoding and retrieving memories, something a bit more complex than the local library's Dewey Decimal System.

The brain has to be able to pull information at the drop of a hat, whether it's a fact on hold (such as a telephone number) or a dusty memory that's been sitting in storage for years (the memory of your first kiss). No one likes a library that loses books or shelves them in the wrong place. Yet sometimes we find ourselves with a very poor librarian on our hands, one that doesn't allow us to retrieve memories when we need them. Sometimes it's trivial, like when we tear apart our homes looking for glasses perched innocuously atop our heads, and sometimes these lapses in memories are more embarrassing, such as when we call a colleague "sport" because we simply can't remember his name.

Whether you're a college student studying for an important test or an aging baby boomer concerned about forgetting a recent doctor's appointment, there are a few things everyone can do to optimize the storage and checkouts in our private libraries of memories. Alert the librarian and head to the next page for the first tip.

10. Drink in Moderation

Before you settle in to read this article, you may want to get yourself a glass of wine. Surprised that such debauchery begins our list of memory improvers? Well, hear us out. Memory and alcohol have an interesting relationship.

Stockbyte/Getty Images

Cheers to your health!First off, you'll notice we didn't advocate bringing the entire bottle back with you. Too much drinking handicaps the memory, as anyone who's ever woken after a binge with a fuzzy recollection of the night before can attest. And one component of a DUI test shows how overconsumption of alcohol can immediately affect the brain: Even simple mental tasks like counting backward and reciting the alphabet can become tricky under the influence. Alcohol abuse will have a negative effect on the cells of the brain related to memory.

But as long as you're not pregnant and able to maintain control of how much you drink, there's evidence that light to moderate alcohol consumption can improve memory and cognition. Though more research needs to be done, some studies have found that moderate drinkers do better on certain tests of memory and cognition than nondrinkers and heavy drinkers [sources: Victoroff, Minerd]. There may be some long-term effects as well. A French study that followed almost 4,000 people over the age of 65 found that light drinkers, who consumed up to two glasses of wine a day, were 45 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than nondrinkers [source: Victoroff].

But as we said, don't start tipping back beverages if you have certain risk factors, such as a family history of alcoholism. No one is recommending that teetotalers start drinking, either. Resveratrol, one of the flavonoids in red wine that's believed to have special benefits for blood vessels, is also in red grape juice.

If you tend to drink when you're sad, head to the next page for some information on how your blues affect your brain.

9. Seek Treatment for Depression

Anything that causes major stress in life, including anxiety or anger, will eventually eat away at the parts of the brain that are responsible for memory. Chief among these stressors is major depression. Depression is often misidentified as a memory problem since one of the main symptoms of the condition is an inability to concentrate. If you can't concentrate on schoolwork or the information needed to complete a task on the job, then you may feel as if you're constantly forgetting things. As it is, you're not even able to concentrate long enough to learn them in the first place.

altrendo images/Altrendo/Getty Images

Can't concentrate at work? It may be depression.

Depression causes an increase of cortisol levels in the bloodstream, which in turns elevates the amount of cortisol in the brain. With the help of brain imaging devices, doctors have been able to see how that increased cortisol diminishes certain brain areas, chief among them the hippocampus [source: Tan]. One study showed that people who had been depressed, even if it was years ago, had suffered a 12 to 15 percent loss in the hippocampus [source: Victoroff]. Since the hippocampus is the clearing center for short-term memory, prolonged depression demolishes the brain's ability to remember anything new.

Additionally, depression affects the types of things a person is able to remember. While everyone's brain is selective about which memories make it into long-term storage, people with depression seem only able to retain negative memories [source: Crook]. That means there's a neurological reason why a person with depression remains obsessed with the one time a loved one forgot a birthday or anniversary, even if it was remembered every other year.

But happy memories needn't be lost forever to someone battling depression. Medications for depression, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been shown to jump-start the process of cell regeneration in the hippocampus [source: Tan].

The next item on our list can help fight depression while it improves memory as well.

8. Get Moving

Ariel Skelley/Photographer's Choice RR/Getty Images
A brisk walk can be the best exercise for your brain.If you've ever taken a break from work or studying to take a quick walk around the block, you may understand the rationale for this next tip. Exercise not only exercises the body, it exercises the brain as well.

Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and conditions that eventually wreak havoc on the brain, including stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Without regular exercise, plaque builds up in the arteries and blood vessels lose the ability to pump blood effectively. While you may know how plaque buildup leads to heart attacks, you may not think about the way your brain is gasping for breath as well.

The brain depends on energy received through a constant intake of oxygen and nutrients from the bloodstream, and when those nutrients don't arrive, the brain's ability to work is compromised. So to keep the blood moving to the brain, you're going to need to get up from your chair (after you finish reading this article, of course) and get the blood pumping. It doesn't matter what you do -- a brisk walk, a swim and even a dance move or two can all provide a good mental workout. Studies show that the more physically active a person is, the greater his or her cognitive performance [source: Victoroff].

Keep a lookout on your brisk walk for interesting images -- you'll need them for the memory tip on the next page.

(Till next issue..)

(By Molly Edmons; Oct. 18, 2008)

How Sex Addiction is Affecting Your Life

2008-09-18T16:30:00.001+08:00

By Dr. Laura Berman
Posted Wed, Sep 17, 2008

This month, gossip blogs and celebrity magazines were rocked with the news that Californication star David Duchovny checked into rehab for sex addition.
Previous reports suggested that Duchovny was struggling with an addiction to Internet pornography and cybersex, but more recent rumors maintain that actual physical infidelity occurred. (However, just because Duchovny created a television series in which his fantasized writings turned into actual dalliances, we can't assume this infidelity manifested in his real life as well. Until we receive proof to the contrary, let's assume that he kept his pants on, unlike the main character he dreamt up and plays everyday.)

That being said, most couples would agree (rightfully so) that cybersex addiction can be just as devastating and hurtful as an actual affair, and it is becoming a growing concern in our tech-savvy society. According to a study released by Stanford University, 25 million Americans visit cybersex sites 1-10 hours per week, while 4.7 million Americans visit cybersex sites more than 11 hours per week.

What does the growing presence of available Internet pornography and cybersex mean for modern relationships?

Communication is required. Couples need to discuss what they consider infidelity within the confines of their relationship. For instance, is it okay for your partner to look at online pornography? Does it matter if you are present, or can he/she be free to surf solo without fear of you taking offense? Is it permissible for your partner to contact other people via the web for cybersex? Whatever you and your partner decide, agree to keep the honesty intact when accessing the web.

Consider the amount of time the cyber world takes away from your relationship. Even if you and your partner decide that cyber play is permissible, be aware of how much time you are spending on the Internet. If you are devoting more time to online erotica and virtual strangers than you are to your partner, then something is amiss. This can also be a sign of a cybersex addiction, particularly if you feel helpless to control your time online.

Secrets are a warning sign. When secrecy creeps into your "innocent" Internet play, it means that there is a problem. Whether you are hiding from your partner how much time you spend on the Internet, the sites you visit, or the people you talk to online, you are creating an environment for infidelity and relationship breakdown.

If you think that cybersex activity has become more than just a passing hobby, don't despair. Cybersex addiction can be treated, and your partner can help you through this difficult time. Click on this link for resources and treatment options. Cybersex addiction (and all sex addiction) can be just as devastating as drug/alcohol addictions, and most people need a system of support to stop their destructive behavior. Ask for help -- you will be so happy you did.

Are Bad Habits Keeping You Single?

2008-09-14T12:47:00.002+08:00

In the search for love, it's all too easy to get sidetracked by bad dates, broken hearts, and bad love habits. And while bad dates and broken hearts are part of the dating journey toward happily-ever-after, bad love habits can and should be avoided at all costs.

So what's a bad love habit? Any dysfunctional, destructive, difficult belief or habit you have towards love and relationships that's keeping you from finding, attracting, and/or maintaining a healthy relationship. The following are some common bad dating beliefs:

You choose potential partners who are incapable of meeting your emotional needs.

You think love has to be difficult, painful, and/or hard.

You think your potential partner is going to fix whatever you don't like about yourself or your life.

You think your potential partner is going to fix whatever you don't like about yourself or your life.

You believe time is running out on your search for love and/or your chance to have children.

If any of the above sound familiar, don't worry. You're not a lost cause. In fact, with a little time and effort, you can turn things around! What follows are five simple and effective tips and techniques geared toward helping you break free of limiting relationship beliefs and bad dating habits. Practiced over time, you can and will kick any bad dating habit -- for good!

1. Identify the dating traps you're stuck in

Think you've got to miraculously solve all your problems before you'll be deserving of love? Convinced there are no good "ones" left? Or do you believe that your perfect partner will one day swoop in and magically save you from your life? If any or all of the above sound familiar, chances are good that you suffer from some common dating traps. In order to become a successful single, you first need to free yourself from these traps. Acknowledging the traps you're stuck in is the first step. Next, you've got to break free of these traps, as well as any other limiting or destructive beliefs that are keeping you stuck. To find out how, keep reading.

2. Assess your excess baggage

Next, it's important to get honest with yourself about what you might be lugging around with you on dates (or in life in general). What are you holding onto that no longer serves you? Rejection, disappointment, betrayal? This is from your past, not your present or future. If you've got negative or destructive beliefs or fears weighing you down, you owe it to yourself to dump that excess baggage!

3. Dump your excess baggage

In order to have a happily ever after future, you have to first believe you deserve finding a mate. Gather those painful memories, that chip on your shoulder, any residual anger from past relationship experiences, and tell them they've got to go. Thank them for the lessons you've learned and tell them that it's now time for you to stand on your own two feet. In your mind's eye, give them the heave-ho! Next, start visualizing the kind of life you want to have, complete with your dream job, perfect partner, ideal home, etc. By getting clear about what you want, you give yourself permission to attract it.

4. Stop putting off your life and/or personal happiness

So many of us put off personal happiness waiting for some external result like "I'll be happy when I lose weight, when I pay off my debts, when I get a better job." The truth is, you deserve to enjoy your fabulously imperfect life right this very minute!

When you stop putting off happiness, you start attracting happy people, healthy relationships, exciting and new opportunities.

When you stop putting off happiness, you start attracting happy people, healthy relationships, exciting and new opportunities. Instead of postponing joy until something external happens, today's the day to start celebrating the joy in your everyday life.

5. Embrace a new dating vocabulary

Now that you're baggage light and dating-trap free, it's time to introduce a new vocabulary to your dating belief system. Every morning and night for 30 days, practice the following exercise: Say to yourself "Love/dating/my ideal relationship is..." and then fill in the blank with the appropriate words (words like healthy, whole, loving, fun, etc.). By creating a new vocabulary for yourself, you may be surprised at how your outlook on dating and relationships changes, and as a result, you'll start attracting happier and healthier potential partners. Love that!

So there you have it -- five simple dating tips and techniques to help you break free of limiting relationship beliefs and bad love habits. May you learn them, love them, live them. In doing so, you just may fall in love with your life all over again, not to mention exponentially increase your chances of future relationship success.

Good luck and happy dating!

How to Tell if a Guy Is Cheating

2008-09-07T14:40:00.001+08:00

Do the headlines have you spooked? Here are the surprising signs a dude is being unfaithful.

By Holly Eagleson

1. He's superprotective of his gadgets. "The main way that trysts are found out is through the discovery of incriminating e-mails, IM chats, cell phone texts or bills," says Belisa Vranich, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in New York City. So if he's being unfaithful, he may guard his gadgets or act really defensive when you innocently touch his phone or computer. It should be a giant red flag if he readily gave you passwords in the past, and now he's more evasive.

2. He steps up the grooming. This is so obvious, but it's a sign many women miss: "If your man starts grooming more without you requesting it, that could be an indication that he's getting intimate with someone else," says Vranich. You can actually thank modern mass media for this tipoff. Guys today are used to viewing manscaped dudes onscreen, so if he has another chick to impress with his appearance, he may emulate those ultra-trimmed guys. Another clue: He's spending more time at the gym.

3. He smells different. "When he comes home, if he doesn't smell the same as he did in the morning, and it isn't the scent of soap in the gym or at your home, it may be because he's showered at her place," offers Vranich. So pay attention, because in this case, that old saying "the nose knows" might very well be true.

4. Nothing fazes him anymore. "If he was short-tempered before, a combination of added intimacy and attention could be making him way more relaxed, even downright giddy," Vranich says. Adds Mira Kirshenbaum, author of "When Good People Have Affairs: Inside the Hearts and Minds of People in Two Relationships": "
If your guy is suddenly going around all happy and whistling, then you need to find out why.

If your guy is suddenly going around all happy and whistling, then you need to find out why."

5. He becomes suspicious of you. "If he's normally a mellow type, all of a sudden he may want to know where you are all the time and with whom," says Vranich. "It's the result of him realizing that if he's cheating and it's not that hard, you might also be getting away with it." Also, beware of extremely detailed responses to even your most innocent "How was work today?" queries. He may be preparing epic answers because he's terrified of getting caught.

One caveat: If your romantic life hasn't fallen off, that's no guarantee that he's faithful. "It's a serious mistake to think that affairs are necessarily physical. He may just be unhappy in other parts of the relationship," says Kirshenbaum. In fact, an illicit relationship could even stoke his lust for you.

(Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.)

5 Ways to Love the Woman You Married

2008-08-07T08:39:00.003+08:00

Here are better ways to love the woman you married. It is called loving with wisdom. Do these 5 things on a consistent basis and, after one month, you will find out that your marriage has improved.

Step 1: Listen to Your Wife

Do you listen to what your wife is saying? You listen to your boss when he is rambling on, don’t you? You listen to your naïve buddies tell you all kinds of things that don’t really matter in life, don’t you? Well then, why aren’t you listening to your wife? Start really hearing what she has to say and be supportive of her feelings and opinions. That means, opening up your ears and being perceptive to your wife’s needs.

Step 2: Appreciate Your Wife

When was the last time you told your wife how much you really appreciate her and all the things she does? A woman puts out a lot more energy into the home and family affairs than the husband does. Sometimes she may feel as if she is the only one doing anything around the house and this is when she starts getting bossy and naggy with you.

I encourage you husband’s to start appreciating your wife for all that she does for you and the family. Marriage can be such a beautiful relationship when you show your love with wisdom. Stop just for a moment, and mediate on the beautiful woman you married. Be thankful that God gave her to you. Realize how blessed you are to have this woman as your wife and know that she is your right arm and sometimes your left arm too. Make your wife feel good about who she is and all that she does.

Step 3: Make Love. Please Your Wife Sexually

There is a difference between having sex and making love. Sex is a one sided selfish act that is mostly enjoyed by the husband. Women need a bit more pampering and nurturing in the bedroom. I mean, what does a woman get out of five minutes of copulation? Okay, so it takes a little bit more time to please your wife and you’re tired, so make love in the afternoon or early morning. You do have options. Love your wife with wisdom and start pleasing the woman you married.

Step 4: Be More Helpful

Be more helpful by “asking” your wife if there is anything she needs you to do around the house, in the kitchen, or in the yard. For instance, she isn’t the only one who eats dinner you know. Maybe she would like some help chopping up vegetables, setting the table, or loading the dishwasher. She probably has mowed your yard for you, so give back in return and do some extra things for her around the house. She will be pleased that you did.

Step 5: Be the Man of the House

Be her man and she’ll want to be your woman. Did you know that your wife becomes bossy and domineering because you are not listening to her? She feels unloved and unneeded by you when you take her for granted instead of appreciating all that she does for you and the family? A woman needs to be valued by her husband. This gives her more love to give to you.

If you want a humble and kind wife then don’t behave as if you are better than her. Share your feelings with your wife and get close with her. Don’t be afraid to let down your guard once in awhile. If you have emotions that are not getting met, talk to your wife about it. A wife wants to be there for her husband but if you don’t let your wife in, how can she help?

If you want a feminine, humble and kind wife, then don’t try and control her to be what you want her to be. She needs to be her own person. What you can do though, is control yourself to behave a certain way that makes your wife want to submit to your loving influence. Be a good example and she will want to surrender her love to that example. Love your wife with wisdom.

To the man who pleases her wife, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness.

(Source: http://www.ehow.com)

Simple tricks that help trim down your waistline

2008-07-22T17:56:00.001+08:00

A big part of my recent weight loss—especially my shrinking waistline—may have been the easiest thing I did in the past year (and still do!): Eat vitamin C–rich fruits every day. I usually have them as a midmorning snack or as part of my breakfast. If not an orange or grapefruit, I'll mix strawberries with lowfat yogurt to ensure I'm set on C for the day. (You can even buy unsweetened green tea with vitamin C.)

This nutrient helps curb fat absorption, and studies show that low levels of C are associated with bigger waists. Also, people with the most vitamin C in their blood have the lowest body-fat percentages, researchers at Arizona State University at Mesa say. But about 30 percent of Americans don't get enough of the vitamin. Women need only 75 milligrams a day, 90 mg for guys (about the amount in a cup of strawberries or an orange).

Try this tasty recipe to get your daily dose. This zippy sip from Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah, delivers a serving of fruit and has only 64 calories:

Sparkling Melon Soup (Makes two servings, each with 96 mg of C.)

Chop half a ripe cantaloupe into 1-inch chunks. Blend with 1 tsp chopped fresh mint and 1 tbsp lime-flavored Perrier. Drop in 1/4 cup minced pineapple. Add 1/4 cup minced strawberries. (By Lucy Danziger, Editor-in-Chief, SELF Magazine)

Dating Older Women

2008-07-20T13:30:00.002+08:00

Perspectives from the "younger men" and dating tips for them

The reasons why some men date older women are as varied as the women themselves. These women, because of their experience, often have more wisdom and self-assurance than younger women -- perhaps they may also possess more self-reliance and tolerance.

Some men receive mentoring from older women, who have had more relationship experience and often understand men well.

Some men receive mentoring from older women, who have had more relationship experience and often understand men well. Clearer about who they are and what they want, "older women" may even have an advantage in the dating arena.
In some cases, having a relationship with an older woman may work for men who don't want children:

"My wife and I have been married for almost 20 years," says Rocco. "She was 53 and I was 41 when we met. We both shared many values, including our faith. Our children are grown up now, and mine love her. So, it's worked out very well. I tell men who have been divorced at least once to go for an older woman... If you find the right one, don't worry about age -- unless you still want more children."

A man who dates someone who has children his age will run into the occassional social opposition. But there are men (like Ben, 25, who is dating a 45-year-old woman) who can overcome resistance.

Ben says: "A woman can be 25 and marry a man of 45 or 55 and, hey, whatever. Traditionally, it's been ingrained in our psyches... that's the way it goes, but not the other way around. We've always known that age may be an issue. But now that we've been together for a while, I have a new perspective.

Not all men are comfortable dating older women. Some men, like Clyde, worry about the future. Clyde says: "I dated a woman who is 15 years older. We dated for a bit and then settled into just enjoying each others company. She has a fit body and is an attractive woman. People said to me, why don't I commit to her if we enjoy each other's company? I told them I worried about how things would feel in 10 years when she's over 60 and I'm in my 40s... And then further down the years."

Through my experience as a therapist and marriage counselor, age difference isn't as important in a relationship as most people think. What counts is whether a couple can create a working partnership and build an enjoyable life together. So, for you men who've fallen head-over-heels in love with an older woman, I've developed nine tips on how to enjoy your newly found romance:

1. Be a gentleman. An older woman wants to be treated with respect, like any woman does. While she might attracted to your rebelliousness or youthful attitude, she still wants you to treat her with good manners.
2. Don't get ahead of yourself. Don't worry about the future until you actually might have one. Take your time and allow the relationship to develop.
3. Stay calm. You may be excited, but don't overdo it. Have fun and enjoy your dates, but don't come on too strong. She has some reservations, too.
4. Be charming. Don't underestimate how powerful your smile can be. Use it often, make eye contact, and keep the conversation flowing. Pay attention to what interests you about your date, and show interest in her opinions, experiences, and activities. Be complementary whenever possible, and respond intelligently to whatever she says.
5. Don't focus on looks.
Give complements, but focus less on her physical appearance -- she may be anxious about it.
Give complements, but focus less on her physical appearance -- she may be anxious about it. And even if you're complementary, she may worry that you're too focused on looks. She wants to be appreciated for who she is, including her intellect and style. Compliments like "That color is lovely on you," or "You look great tonight" are safer than "You're in great shape."
6. Have fun. Keep your dates simple and have a good time. Focus on being pleasant, and not getting too far ahead of the relationship. Refrain from talking too long about any one subject without inviting a comment from your date.
7. Keep conversation interesting and light. Feel free to talk about anything, including your personal lives, past relationships, and love in general, but don't be the one who brings up the intimate topics first. Be wary of prying too deeply into her private life and secrets, unless the information is voluntarily offered.
8. Avoid talking too much about yourself. Keep your focus on learning about your date. Dole out the boring information about yourself. Punctuate your conversation with questions: "What do you think?" "Has it been that way for you?"
9. Pay attention! Listen to answers to your questions. You have things to learn here! Seek to get to know each other better. No matter how thrilled you may be about her, listening to what she says, watching what she does, and understanding how she feels are the most important things you can do.

Ten Signs that You're Dating the Committed Guy

2008-07-07T14:49:00.002+08:00

Are you ready for a relationship that is going to lead somewhere without you being led on? It's time to start weeding out the commitment phobics and put your time and effort into men that are looking for the kind of relationship you want -- one that has a future. If you're interested in getting married, ignore these at your own risk. Here's what to look for:

1. His friends are married

If you are interested in a guy, check out his friends' left hands to see if they have wedding rings on.
Research has show that if his friends are already married, he's more likely to get married.
Research has show that if his friends are already married, he's more likely to get married. If all of his friends are still single and in the "party-with-the-boys" phase, that's a bad sign.

2. He's financially secure

Studies show that men who own a home are more marriage-ready. A man who is generally financially stable, and has his ducks in a row, feels marriage is a practical next step for him.

3. He pursues you

The guy who is commitment-ready is going to initiate doing things with you. If you're emailing him and he takes days to email you back, if you have to text him to find out where he is, if you are always calling him, you're chasing a man who's probably not marriage-material.

4. He's willing to wait

Yes, research is telling us what we already know: If a guy gets to know you before getting intimate, he is more likely to commit.

5. He watches DVDs with you when you're sick

Taking care of you when you're sick shows that this guy isn't just in it for the fun and sex. If he wants to be with you in bad times, it's a sign he's in it for the long haul.

6. He gets to know your friends and family

A guy who is thinking long-term wants to truly get to know you. Seeing you interact with your family and friends helps him learn where you come from and more about who you are. The flip side of it is that he will also want you to get to know him! He'll want to see if you fit in with his family and friends. A guy who keeps you separate from the important people in his life is just playing around.

7. He says, "we" instead of "me"

When he switches from "me" to "we", that's a sign he's committing to you at a deeper level. If your guy is all, "I", "me", and "my" instead of "we" and "us" in conversations after you've been dating a while, his mindset is still in single guy mode.

8. He's not afraid of compromise

A commitment-ready guy is going to ask your opinion, consult you about decisions he needs to make, and has the ability to meet you half-way.
A commitment-ready guy is going to ask your opinion, consult you about decisions he needs to make, and has the ability to meet you half-way. A bull-headed guy who needs everything his way or it's the highway, isn't ready for the compromise that's naturally part of a mature relationship.

9. He doesn't need excuses

Commitment-phobic guys always have an excuse about why they can't be with you on Saturday night, why they didn't call, and why they aren't ready for a relationship right now. A commitment-ready guy doesn't need excuses, he just needs you.

10. He likes being in a long-term relationship

Some men like being in a monogamous relationship and some don't. The sooner you realize and accept this the better. If he complains all the time about needing space, treats you like a giant burden instead of a gift, and keeps talking about taking things slow, he's telling you he's not ready for a commitment. On the other hand, if he's done with the party scene, enjoys your "couple time" together, and has a strong sense of family, you've found a commitment-ready guy.

Why do you fall asleep after sex?

2008-06-30T20:08:00.003+08:00

1. Why do you fall asleep after sex?
To escape the inevitable questions that arise: "Do you love me?" "Am I pretty?" "Can I have $300 so my aunt can have an operation?"

No one needs an interrogation when his body has just performed a feat of stunning humanity. You see, powerful hypnotic brain drugs are released during orgasm: good shit like endorphins, oxytocin, and prolactin (or, as they're known on the street, Sleepy, Dopey, and Kim Jong Il).

Men produce more of these neurochemicals than women and also tend to exert themselves more during sex, usually doing most of the heavy lifting, thus leaving the woman free to close her eyes and fantasize about England.

2. I haven't been with many women.. but my new girlfriend's labia seem really different. They're huge. Is this common?
Allow me to interrupt for one moment. As your sexual counsel, I must advise you not to admit that in the press again.

Not today, but many millions of hundreds of years ago, women like your girlfriend were prized for their large, strapping labia, which made it easier for them to navigate through rough river currents during Flapulus, a sort of primitive wake-boarding sport played by kings. And we all owe a debt to the brave, brawny-lipped women who aided the resistance movement by relaying covert semaphore messages to the Allies. But things have changed a lot since then. Your repulsion at the sight of her may be spurred by the female genitalia you've no doubt seen in your precious porn. However, not all current women look that way, and not all those who do arrive at it naturally.

Dr. Scott M. Gulinson, of the Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Phoenix, says his patients routinely bring in magazine pictures of their ideal vulvas and, after having the picture turned right-side up for them, often choose to undergo labiaplasty -- a newish procedure for the very spiffy, wherein the inner labia are made smaller, more symmetrical, more aerodynamic, and much, much better. And while the rest of us marvel at how gentle Homo sapiens is slowly giving way to newer, sleeker strains of primate (I speak specifically of Homo electivus surgerius, dubbed "Van Nuys Woman," whose fossilized remains date back to A.D. 1984), some people are unhappy. Sexologist Betty Dodson is one of them. "They trim off their beautiful petals," she says, "so they'll have what they call the clamshell look, which is very prepubescent." And superhot for spring!

Now, labiaplasty shouldn't be performed on your girlfriend unless she's truly ashamed of herself. And there is perhaps another way. "We need to reach women in grade school!" pleads Dodson. "We need to let them see the variety out there so they won't feel like this! As an owner of large inner lips" -- and this is where my correspondence with Betty unfortunately broke off. But if you'd like to get involved in the Grade School Women Labia Acceptance Movement, write your congressman.

3. My wife and I love each other, but we just don't have a great sex life anymore. Is it actually possible to reinvigorate a stale sexual relationship, or is that just therapist nonsense?
Say what you will about therapy, but at the risk of sounding glib, I'll admit that my thrice-weekly angel-guided rebirthing sessions are really starting to kick in, and I barely mind being in the trash bag anymore. Therapists and therapy experts alike recommend solving any big problems first. Sex therapist Stephanie Buehler believes that once couples halt "the repeated trips to rehab, gambling, and domestic violence, then there is room for love to grow like a rose." (She didn't say what color rose.) Then maybe attempt some open, honest, slightly icky sex talk with your wife. "We suggest that people begin to have those conversations in nonsexual settings," says Pala Copeland, who, along with her partner, Al, runs a tantric-sex thing at their home in Ottawa. Any nonsexual setting will do; it needn't be a Minnesota airport or even a public men's room, for that matter. Or why not join Pala, Al, and some of the other tantra-heads for a group encounter? "We show video clips," she says. "There are periods of intercourse interspersed with periods of cuddling and holding, or feeding each other something, or kissing, or oral sex, or manual stimulation." Which is all super, but I come for the live lute shows and nightly smoothie specials. Anyway, everyone seems to agree that it's best to relax during sex and not focus on orgasms, unless you want to have orgasms, in which case, you may have to rub them out for yourself a while longer.(Stacey Grenrock Woods; esquire.com)

How to flirt online and get a date..!

2008-06-23T07:35:00.004+08:00

10 questions to get sparks flying

By Liz H. Kelly

What can you say in an email or instant message (IM) to entice someone to get to coffee talk? You are trying to get to the first date level. So what are the tricks to flirting online?Three keys to online flirting success:

1. Humor is your ally. A 35-year-old male film editor told me, "It depends on the person. You need to be able to read the person to tell what kind of humor you can get away with.

Humor is definitely sexy

Humor is definitely sexy, and so is confidence because girls pick that up."

2. Keep it simple. Use light-hearted emails or IMs with an upbeat tone to attract dates online. A 40-something female painter shared, "Make your responses simple and use easy questions in your messages to flirt." There is no need for long emails or IMs either. A 42-year-old accountant told me, "I can tell if I am interested in three or four sentences."

3. Hand out compliments. One of the best ways to flirt online is to extend a sincere compliment.

One guy told me, "I always try to say something subtle but sincere." You might say to someone who plays the piano, "I think it is awesome that you play piano." He added, "Be sincere and don't throw out phony baloney."

10 IM or email flirting questions

Based on interviews with hundreds of active daters for my book, "SMART Man Hunting," here are 10 proven questions that can help you ignite sparks online:

1. Where did you get that fantastic smile?

2. What is your favorite ice cream flavor and why?

3. What is the most romantic place that you've been on a date?

4. What would you do if we got stuck in a snow storm in the mountains?

5. If you were going to take me out for a romantic evening, what would we do?

6. What is your favorite thing to do with a partner for fun?

7. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

8. How long have you played guitar? (Ask about something in their profile.)

9. Wow, is that your cute golden retriever? (Compliment something in their photograph.)

10. When are we going to meet to find out whether we would ever want to kiss each other? (Depending on the person, you can sound cute using this one)

Have some fun -- use humor and good will. Keep it simple when you're using these email flirting questions. You will have better luck using levity and sincere compliments online.

How to attract and keep 'Mr. Right'

2008-06-19T06:41:00.003+08:00

An Open Letter To A Woman Who Wants To ATTRACT And KEEP Mr. Right...

Dear Friend,

I'd like to ask you a few questions. Be open and honest with yourself as you answer them...

Have you ever met a guy who seemed to be "Mr. Right", but after getting to know him better you could tell that he just didn't feel that same level of "connection" you felt?

You were attracted to him, but he just wasn't into you the same way you were into him?

In your mind, you could sense what a great guy he was, and that, somewhere deep inside, you both shared this strong "chemistry" that made you feel close and comfortable. But for some reason he didn't want to truly connect with you.

Another one...

Have you ever slept with a guy very quickly after meeting him, but as it started to happen you got that sinking feeling in your stomach? You knew it was a mistake, but you did it anyway. And then the thing you KNEW would happen actually happened: He unexplainably disappeared from your life. Honestly, have you ever had this happen?

Of course, the worst part wasn't that it happened, but that you KNEW you shouldn't have done it in the first place... but you did it anyway.

And finally:

Have you ever dated a great guy for a long time... I'm talking about six months, twelve months, or even longer... and it was getting to the point where you needed to have "the talk" with him. But when you tried to bring up the topic of having a relationship and making a bigger commitment, his eyes just glazed over... and then he became distant from you... and the relationship ended soon after?

You were trying to get CLOSER to him, and somehow he kept moving farther AWAY from you.

I'm guessing that when one of these things happened, your girlfriends said things like:

"He's just a jerk, forget about him".

Or they said: "He doesn't see the mistake he's making or what he'll be missing". But he never seemed to see these mistakes... or even miss you.

And the worst part of all: You kept thinking about it.

In fact, it really GOT TO YOU. And I'll bet the REASON why it got to you is because you worried that it might have been something to do with YOU (and not just because he was a total jerk).

In fact, TO THIS DAY you still have the feeling that YOU may have done something wrong, and that you may have CAUSED some of the problems in the first place... and if you would have known the RIGHT thing to do, things would have turned out differently...

Unfortunately, the bad news is that you're probably right.

Chances are you DID have something to do with it, and things probably WOULD have turned out differently if you would have known how to deal with the situation.

You COULD have done something about it... if only you had known WHAT to do...

The Secret To Attracting And Keeping
A Great Guy...

The main PROBLEM here, and the thing that stood in your way, is that men aren't easy to understand. And when you find a good man, he doesn't come with an "instruction manual".

Just because your girlfriends told you it wasn't your fault, or that he was just "a jerk", doesn't mean that they understood the problem (or that they understand men at all, for that matter).

Most women don't "get" men. Your friends who try to comfort and encourage you have good intentions. They're just trying to make you feel better.

But they're also accidentally making the situation WORSE.

They're trying to blame the situation on HIM, instead of trying to help YOU understand how to KEEP a great guy around.

This situation is MOST dangerous when you meet a really GREAT GUY, but you don't know how to catch him or keep him. Let's face it, great guys are hard to find... and when you do find one, you can't afford to lose him because you made a dumb mistake.

You can't afford to throw away a good six months, a year... or even LONGER... and risk losing what could be a valuable relationship... just because you didn't know how to handle a particular situation.

Well, there is some good news here... I personally believe that there IS something you can do about it.

You CAN learn how to understand men and get them to be open up and understand you. You can learn how to CATCH that great guy, and how to KEEP him.

And how do I know this?

Because I AM a guy. And I've been in all the situations I just mentioned to you... from the OTHER side.

I've seen it from a man's perspective. I've been in those difficult "places" in dating, relationships, and love.

After years and years of experiencing these types of situations and hearing about them from my female friends, I decided to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...

I spent well over a year carefully documenting and writing about my experiences. I spent much of that time researching, interviewing women, and working out all the ways a woman can get what she wants out of a relationship without scaring off the man she loves... and without letting any of those confusing "guy issues" get in the way.

Here's what I discovered:

The 3 Deadly Mistakes Women Make With Men Without EVER Realizing It...

Through my research and personal experience, I've found that these 3 mistakes are responsible for more failed dates and relationships with men than any other factors. Here they are:

» Mistake #1: Leading A Man To Think You Are "Needy" And "Insecure"

Did you know that there are 6 ways you can set off a man's "Insecurity Alert" and make him think twice about pursuing a relationship with you?

Sadly, even confident women often "accidentally" give off one of these signs... and just one can kill the chance of a man asking you on a second date.

As you read through these signals men pick up on as "needy" and unattractive, ask yourself if YOU have ever been guilty of committing one of these deadly mistakes:

Talking or saying nasty things about your past boyfriends. Saying bad things about men you have been involved with actually reflects the negatively back on YOU. It makes a man worry you are carrying around "baggage" that HE will have to deal with should he become involved with you.

Speaking negatively about other women. When women call other women names like "slut", "bitch", and "crazy", it is anything but impressive to a man you are attracted you. Women will often do this when they see a good looking, desirable woman, especially if they feel their man might be attracted to her. This just makes a man think you are trying to cover up your own insecurities, and looking for validation and attention. Not good.
Too much physical contact, especially in public.
If you are constantly hanging on a man or touching him too much he'll start to see it as clingy behavior... but you'll never hear about this from him. It's far better to save your touches for short and infrequent moments that will surprise and enchant him.
The next 3 are far deadlier, but less obvious... and it's important that you learn what they are and how to avoid giving them off.

But before I show you how to do that, let's talk about mistake #2:

» Mistake #2: Appealing To His "Sexual" Side Instead Of His Emotional Side

Many women make the mistake of thinking that men are primarily driven by sex alone... and think if they can attract a man SEXUALLY they will be able to attract him EMOTIONALLY as well.

Women too often give up sex to a man in the hopes that it will translate into a relationship and get them what they want. In reality, a man has the capacity to view a sexual connection and an emotional connection as two entirely different things, and it requires a special set of skills to mold these two things together in a man's mind... and keep them connected.

Men are out for far more than just sex... and a woman who knows how to fulfill a man EMOTIONALLY and SEXUALLY will be the woman who captures a man's heart... and gets that same fulfillment for HERSELF. In a moment, I'll show you how you can learn to do just that...

» Mistake #3: Not Knowing How To Size Up A Man's "Relationship Potential"

A lot of women will decide whether or not they should put energy into building a relationship with a man based on ATTRACTION.

Yes, attraction is important. But it can also be DANGEROUS.

When we feel a strong sense of attraction for someone, it can cause us to override our logic and ignore our instincts... leading us to overlook potential partner's deadly faults that could spell trouble down the road.

If you've ever found yourself stuck in a relationship that is dragging you down, this is probably why.

It's important to be able to size a guy up and spot any "warning signs" of a future bad relationship FAST... so you don't waste any of your time or emotional energy on someone who isn't right for you... or who will leave you heartbroken. Fortunately this is a fairly easy thing to do, and I'd like to show you how...

(Reference book by Christian Carter.. more on next posting)

Dating Tips / Advice

2008-06-13T09:14:00.002+08:00

Nothing would be better if you end your date with your special someone fun, one of a kind and memorable. So in order to have a successful and unforgettable dating experience, listed below are some of the most powerful and sure-fire tips in dating.

1. Forget about your past relationships. Past is past so there is no need to discuss the bitterness and heartaches of your past relationships. Talking about past relationships may likely bring an awkward atmosphere to your date because you are there to kick off another journey of your love life and yet you talk exes. Not a good sign to start a brand new relationship.

2. Be yourself. Acting like a second version of someone else will not impress your date. It is one of the major turn offs to most girls or boys. This may likely ending your date with a total mess or complete embarrassment to yourself. Pretending to be on someone else shoes is starting things on a wrong foot. So better, behave and act yourself.

3. Give each other some respect. Do not act as if you are the king or queen of the world. This may probably create a disgusting moment for your date. Being respectful is one of the greatest assets that every people admire. In addition, this can gain trust in favor of you, thus expecting another round of date is a whole lot easier.

4. Observe proper hygiene, outfit and accessories. This may be a basic thing but often mistook. Learn to mix and match things without looking yourself like a Christmas tree. Moreover, who would dare to date someone if he or she stinks, no one, right? However, do not overdo things like showering the whole bottle of perfume in your mother’s closet.

5. Be a good conversationalist. But not to the point that you do all the talking and your date is just listening. How boring! A good conversationalist is a person who knows how to give others a chance to talk and at the same time pay attention to her or him. You will never realize that time flies too fast. This is also good to avoid dead air.

6. Avoid awkward topics. Not all topics are good to talk about. There are some things in life that should not be open up especially if you are having your first dates. Better keep it for yourself unless you know that person way back elementary years.

Healthy Foods that you can buy in Supermarkets

2008-06-05T06:05:00.003+08:00

It took months of scouring grocery store aisles and enlisting the help of our favorite nutritionists and chefs to come up with our extended list of the best supermarket foods across the land. We chose foods packed with plenty of the things you want — fiber, protein, healthy fats — without the unnecessary calories, fat, sodium, sugar and salt that pollute so much of our packaged-food supply.The nutritionists ensured that the foods listed below will do your body good, while the chefs made sure we weren’t sacrificing taste. (Because let’s face it, some nutritionists would eat the cardboard boxes these foods come in, strictly to max out their fiber counts.)

From breakfast to dessert and everything in between, we’ve picked out a variety of foods that’ll bring you a ton of flavor, keep you lean, and help you look, feel, and live better than ever. Here are eight of our favorites that’ll satisfy your hunger and taste buds.

BEST INSTANT OATMEAL

Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal (per packet) 160 calories 3 g fat 7 g protein 29 carbs 6 g fiber 1 g sugars.

This instant oatmeal is high in soluble fiber — the stuff that provides long-lasting energy — and gives you a morning shot of belly-filling, muscle-making protein as well. The banana-bread flavor hits the spot without an overwhelming sugar and calorie count. Zap a bowl at home or at work, and you'll get your day off to a fast and body-friendly start. (Remember: Studies show that those who skip breakfast are 450 percent more likely to be overweight or obese!) Less temptation around the doughnut tray at work, too.

BEST GRAIN

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa (per 1 cup prepared) 160 calories 2.5 g fat 6 g protein 30 g carbs 3 g fiber 0 g sugars.

We don't expect you to eat something you can't pronounce, so here goes: It's KEEN-WAH, and you should think of it as a high-protein, high-fiber replacement for brown rice. Also, whole-grain quinoa packs vital amino acids, which help your body grow and repair itself.

BEST SNACKING CHEESE

Laughing Cow Mini Babybel Original (per piece) 70 calories 6 g fat 5 g protein 0 g carbs
0 g sugars.

You may think of cheese as an indulgence, but it can be a great snack. The fat in cheese is proven to suppress your appetite, making it ideal to take the edge off hunger in between meals. Laughing Cow’s little packages will keep you from overdoing it — who has time to unwrap more than three of the little bundles?

BEST BOTTLED TEA

Honest Tea Green Dragon (per 16-oz bottle) 60 calories 16 g carbs 10 g sugars.

We sent a swath of green teas off to an independent lab to test for antioxidant levels, and Honest came back the winner. Then we did our favorite part of food testing: We guzzled the contenders. Lucky for you, Honest Tea aced our taste test.

BEST FLAVORED NUTS

Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds Dark Chocolate (per ounce) 150 calories 12 g fat 6 g protein 6 g carbs 3 g fiber 1 g sugars.

Almonds are packed full of heart-healthy fats and antioxidants, which makes them perfect for staving off mid-afternoon hunger cravings. We especially love these almonds because they remind us of a Hershey almond bar, minus all the sugar. This is our new favorite way of doing crunches in the afternoon.

BEST ENERGY BAR

Lärabar Apple Pie (per bar) 180 calories 10 g fat 4 g protein 23 g carbs 4 g fiber
17 g sugars.

A great new twist on the mom-apple pie connection. Most energy and protein bars are polluted with sugar, making them more akin to a Snickers than to something you might actually want to snack on. But Lärabar ditches the synthetic sugars and fillers in favor of six simple ingredients: dates, walnuts, apples, almonds, raisins, and cinnamon. Wash it down with high-protein, high calcium Organic Valley Low Fat milk (another winner): Mom would definitely approve.

BEST FROZEN TREAT

Edy’s/Dreyer’s Slow Churned Vanilla with Crunch Bar (per bar) 150 calories 19 g carbs 8 g fat
10 g sugars.

We know what you’re thinking: “Ice cream bars are flat-belly foods?” Remember: People who don’t treat themselves to an occasional indulgence end up with an empty carton of ice cream on their laps at midnight. Part of getting lean and staying lean is picking relatively innocent indulgences that will satisfy your cravings without sabotaging your diet. Bonus: Bars also keep you from the “just one more bite” risk that the tub of ice cream will turn you into a tub, as well.

BEST PACKAGED COLD CUTS

Hormel Natural Choice Presliced Deli Meats (per 3 turkey slices) 50 calories 10 g protein 1 g carbs 1 g fat 0 g sugars.

Their turkey cold cuts are another tasty way to deliver protein. Hormel deli meats are 100-percent natural, as well as nitrate- and nitrite-free. Wrap a slice around a slice of Sargento Deli Style Aged Swiss for an all-star snack.

What is the Opposition up to?

2008-05-01T19:51:00.006+08:00

The essence of the opposition, in any free and sovereign nation, is to check and balance the excesses of the powers-that-be. Not in this country, it seems. What we simply have, from the looks of it, is a noisy opposition that espouses so much rants against the administration. Yes, the opposition is quick to expose (with the aid of the media) the scams and anomalies under this administration, but it was never quite effective.

Have the wrongdoings of the present administration stop whenever they are exposed? I think we have only the benefit of a short lull, then, the next time we are confronted in the face with new scams, anomalies or the likes. Some of them are still waiting to explode like the North and South railway projects amid the deafening explosion created by the NBN-ZTE mis-deal and the fertilizer scams.

One may argue that the oppoosition is effective only when the ruling administration is sensitive to what people say. Right. Bu this seems to be correct on the surface only. A deeper insight would really bring us to the other side of this notion. Those who take advantage of their bestowed POWER and AUTHORITY for some personal aggrandizement are not ready to listen to what people say - which is ideally represented by the opposition. When the opposition does not effectively represent the voice of the people, those who ride high on the excesses of their POWERS and AUTHORITY do not hear them.

The system of checks and balances is apparently inoperative under the present dispensation. While it remains in power, any effort to resurrect this system and pressure the institutions that make it work will prove futile especially in a political environment where a system of cover-up is so orchestrated as in even some of those who weild power and authority from the military, PNP and the legal system are willing to cooperate as evidenced by the Supreme Court's unpopular decision on the Neri case.

Such is the situation that it is no longer a question of hope, principle or public rage. This is a case of weak fiscalization on the part of the opposition that is apparently good only at investigating the anomalies in aid of legislation. First and foremost, the opposition must be able to put to a stop these anomalies as a first-aid treatment. Then, it can proceed to enact laws that will serve to deter the commission of these anomalies in the future. When this is done, then, I would say we have a credible and effective opposition.

At this point, let me be the first to criticize the opposition. Where are you when the country needs you most? The nation will not support a squabbling rabble in the opposition that is afflicted with much of the same shortcomings that the present dispensation has. No People Power will materialize without a coherent and credible opposition. The person in Malacanang may be the darkest force to inhabit it, but it will continue to sow dismay and fervor when no counter-force equal to it or more is applied.

We are still fortunate that we have the media that is not yet cowed down by the excesses of the powers-that-be. We only lack the other ingredient coming from the opposition to make this administration succumb to the might of public opinion and reaction. The good people of the Philippines may know as much as our “very free press”, but without a credible opposition to lead it into action, the exposes that explode every now and then may only create more fear than hope!

The opposition should better reconsolidate and solidify and show some magnanimity if it is to muster a critical mass of people who can make this administration tremble down to its knees whenever it commits some wrongdoings. We no longer have Sen. Jose Diokno, Sen. Ninoy Aquino, Chino Roces and Cardinal Sin with us. What we have are some opposition personalities who talk more for publicity’s sake rather than for actions. And what more! They compete for popularity rather than act in unison to support each other. The best man (and woman), it seems, among the opposition is the one who has the freshest material to expose and explode in the Senate or the media. Unless there surfaces among them a real selfless one with credible words and action and with the magnanimity to say “I am not afraid to die for this cause”, I am not inclined to place so much hope in the opposition that we have now.

The Philippines, I believe, is not yet a hopeless case. We just lack some of the important elements of politics and society that make a country great. One of them is a credible and effective opposition.

Some Quotable Quotes Spice Up the Powers-that-be!

2008-04-08T16:03:00.002+08:00

Some quotable one-liners spice up specific eras in our nation’s history. For the most part, however, the more easily remembered one-liners are hardly complimentary. In fact, these often evoke memories of wrongdoings.

The classic “What are we in power for?” exudes all the arrogance of those who let the heady elixir of authority trump the responsibility of public service for which they were empowered. The origin of this is hazy but it was last used as a quote by a secretary of the Garcia administration. The quote came from a senator during the Quirino presidency. As this quote shows, false leadership was already in the Philippines in the 1950s and got worse with each succeeding government.

More recently, Joseph Estrada’s “weather-weather” (the Anglicized version of the vernacular “kanya-kanyang panahon lang iyan”) refers to the “franchise” of those in power to steal from the country’s coffers. The tragedy is that most, if not all, politicians think in these terms today. From a minority view in the 1950s, the truism that politics is the only Philippine business to be in has spread like an epidemic, becoming the standard since the 1990s until the present.

As such, it’s no surprise that the present administration has come to be known as the “pera-pera” era, to be remembered for the alleged bags of cash distributed as a matter of course in Malacañang to voracious supplicants as well as wavering loyalists. After all, the “it’s a numbers game” is the principle that guides this administration's efforts to gain and retain power. With this rule, bribing and being bribed have become so ordinary. In fact, it did not even spare a priest-on-leave or a ranking cardinal as bribery targets.

And what happens when crimes, including graft, kidnapping and even treason, are discovered? “I am sorry” is uttered with the sincerity of an iceberg, upon advice of bishops who are waiting for donations to the poor as the restitution for violations of the Seventh Commandment. Now, "I am sorry" for a wrong done, when discovered is not a monopoly of this administration. It was also used by Pres. Clinton when the media exposed his flirtations with a White House intern.

Can our "very free press" stand on guard for some emerging quotable quotes? Maybe they should. This is also part of the freedom of speech in this country.

(Reprinted with modifications from Inq.net)

Things we learned from the Pacquiao-Marquez fight

2008-03-20T07:15:00.007+08:00

Manny Pacquiao won a split decision to claim Juan Manuel Marquez's WBC 130-pound title Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) in a sensational fight that left both men bleeding, battered and triumphant.

The highly anticipated rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao was supposed to answer one very specific question: who is the most dominant featherweight in boxing?

Now that it's over ... we still don't know. We only knew that Pacquiao won by a slight split decision and Marquez can stage a potentially strong come back.

Pacquiao escaped with a narrow split decision Saturday night (Sunday in Manila), taking advantage of a third-round knockdown to edge Marquez and capture the WBC super featherweight titles.

But was Pacquiao the better fighter? Well... a third encounter is really in order to see who's who in the featherweight division.

Certainly Pacquiao, who improved to 46-3-2, deserves credit. He once again showcased uncanny power for a 130-pounder (though by virtue of adding 16 pounds since Friday's weigh-in Pacquiao checked in at 145 pounds), flattening Marquez (48-4-1) in the third round with a short left hand.

Still, Marquez showed the same warrior-like mentality he showed in the first fight between the two, surviving the third and rebounding to win the majority of the remaining rounds.

So what did we learn from Marquez-Pacquiao II? Let's take a look:

1. Nothing

If you were looking for definitive answers, all you came away with were more questions. Few fighters could have withstood the sporadic onslaughts from Pacquiao, who connected on several left hands that would have KO'd any other featherweight in the division. Marquez also did not shy away from brawling with Pacquiao, connecting on a number of hard power shots of his own. At the same time, Pacquiao showed a more tactical side, using his right hand more than in the first fight and occasionally boxing with the technically superior Marquez. While both fighters efforted to fight their own fights they were clearly willing and able to alter their styles in the flow of the fight.

2. There needs to be a third fight

Will there be? That's the multi-million dollar question. After the fight, Pacquiao expressed a desire to move up to 135-pounds, while Marquez remains content to continue fighting at 130. Since little was decided in Part II, a third installment is required. And if Marquez wins the third fight, a fourth, deciding fight should be made.

3.Paquiao should be in no rush to move up

David Diaz? Nate Campbell? Jose Alfaro? Those are three of the recognized champions in the lightweight division, and each one carries about the same box office appeal. Not one of those fighters would be able to carry a lucrative pay-per-view and even a decisive victory wouldn't guarantee Pacquiao anything beyond a relatively meaningless title. If Pacquiao were willing to move up to junior welterweight, where he could get potentially lucrative fights with Ricky Hatton, Paul Malignaggi or even Floyd Mayweather, then he should consider leaving super featherweight. But with lightweight carrying the same cache as cruiserweight, he should be in no hurry to move up.

4. Practically speaking, the loss doesn't mean much to Marquez

Yes, Marquez was hoping a victory over Pacquiao would help him escape from the shadows of legendary Mexican champions Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales -- and it would have. But if Pacquiao does make the jump to lightweight, Marquez immediately regains his spot as the top super featherweight. Undefeated Edwin Valero and Mzonke Fana currently hold titles, but they are not in the class of Marquez, who has re-established himself over the last two years. With Pacquiao gone, Marquez, 34, stands a strong chance at unifying the division.

5. Judging should be a job for the media

I probably won't get much support for this one, but the corruption that has plagued boxing begins with the judging. Marquez-Pacquiao II isn't a good example (two judges scored the fight 115-112 for Marquez and Pacquiao, respectively, while the third gave Pacquiao a 114-113 edge), but the boxing landscape is littered with questionable decisions.

I say put the judging in the hands of reputable boxing news organizations like ESPN, The New York Daily News and, yes, Sports Illustrated. Showtime already does press row scoring that, in general, is far more accurate than the judges. We might as well make it the real thing and hope that the world's sporting boxing bodies recognize this soon.

I know for certain that the boxing organizations can agree with this option but the Judges' Organizations would say otherwise because this is effectively removing their bread and butter from the boxing world. Well, then I say: "improve your craft gentlemen."

Where should education bring us?

2008-03-15T08:09:00.002+08:00

This month is graduation time, and the country’s turn out of more or less 300,000 graduates each year is no small figure to talk about considering the ratio from among them that get employed, or better still, considering their employability both here and abroad.

The recent report on the deteriorating English proficiency among our graduates is no less alarming, not to mention the ever-rising unemployment rate due to the absence of viable jobs in the country.

This is one of the reasons why our graduates, especially of medical-related courses, train their eyes abroad for employment. It is no surprise that doctors, nurses and even midwives and physical therapists leave the country for good.

While this is the sad plight of our graduates, it is no issue that education is still the best hope for Filipinos to get even with our Asean neighbors. But certainly, something must be done to reconsider the present thrusts of our educational system and how it should go considering the inevitable need to globalize.

There is no question that education is the future for us, so it is needless to ask the question as the title below, rather, we should ask “Where should education bring us?”, to emphasize the fact that we should not only be made literate through education but that education should also lead us somewhere or towards a clearly defined path whose end is what the Philippines and Filipinos ought to be in the very near future.

This end should be achieved soonest because the fact is that it has been long overdue. It has been what the Philippine education should have been about two decades ago.

We have been mesmerized in awe by the fact that education has been getting the highest share from our national budget. True, but we have not asked how this budget compares with other ASEAN countries in terms of the GNP ratio.

The other point is, given our high literacy rate, that we had been so proud about, where should education focus at this point in time? What should be aptly considered by the public education sector, the private education sector, and the business sector? Where should each of these sectors focus their efforts on considering their expertise and what they can do better given the nature and scope of each of these institutions?

To understand this better, we shall feature an article by Mahar Mangahas, President and Founder of the famed Social Weather Station:

Social Weather Station

Will education be our future?

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara spoke on “Education is our future” at the Jaime V. Ongpin annual memorial lecture at the Ateneo de Manila University, Rockwell campus. I was a discussant of the lecture.

I said that I agree with almost everything Senator Angara said -- the global context, the general analysis, and certainly with the theme that education should be our future. (The only part I disagree with is on tax breaks for business. Business only needs them when projects do not promise a very high rate of return. When social returns are not well captured by business, projects are better done by non-business institutions.)

I said that education should already have been our present, if the call for a quantum leap in investments in science, technology, and innovation had already been heeded by the government two decades ago, when made by former University of the Philippines president Emanuel “Noel” Soriano, and others.

My question, “Will education be our future?” is really asking when will the government accept the responsibility, pay the cost, and follow the principles of global competition in undertaking the needed investment in education. In all countries, it is the public sector -- and not the private non-profit sector or the business sector -- that is responsible for the major part of elementary and high school education, graduate-school training, and research, in science. (Collegiate training is an area where private education can be dominant.)

Accept the cost. The first issue, the cost, is very well worth paying. Senator Angara’s norm of 1.0 percent of the gross national product (GNP) for research and development is the same as the one that Noel Soriano recommended long ago. On an annual GNP of P6.6 trillion (2006), 1.0 percent is P66 billion. But the Philippines is currently investing only one-tenth of 1.0 percent, i.e., P6 billion. Thus the immediate annual shortfall is P60 billion ($1.5 billion). When will the government commit to filling this financial gap? It isn’t too large. It isn’t enough to catch up with Singapore and Japan, which are investing 2+ percent and 3+ percent, respectively. It only serves for the Philippines not to fall further behind in the global race.

There is no investment without sacrifice. Increasing public investment requires raising the savings rate, and the tax rate, on the present generation and -- to the extent that investment is based on borrowings -- on future ones. Alternatively, funds for more R&D can be raised by reallocations away from other investments. For example, the P60 billion could be cut from annual national government spending on public works projects with a lower rate of return than the return on R & D. Perhaps the local governments should pay for those public works instead. And if no one can pay for them, then let us just do without them.

Pay people competitive rates. My second point is on government employment policy toward people in science. Education is a human-resource-intensive activity. Most of the people engaged in it are, and should be, government employees, not private employees. The fundamental way of mobilizing human beings is by offering attractive compensation for their work. When will the government accept the principle of paying globally competitive salaries for its own workers in science?

Such workers should be freed from the Salary Standardization Law. Their employers, such as the University of the Philippines (UP), should have authority to set their own internal salary scales. For that matter, the UP management should be free to set a salary scale for each field of specialization!

A serious push towards R&D entails mobilizing very many, very qualified, people very fast. We should think global, and recruit not only Filipinos but also all other nationalities, as do Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and, of course, the United States. Let us look for talented scientists from Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America who want to emigrate but are denied visas by Western countries for political reasons. Let us prioritize young and unmarried scientists, many of whom, through chemistry and biology, will naturally find Filipino partners. Let us give them family visas in order to encourage them to settle down here.

Involve private institutions. My third point is that the government should support research in private institutions also. Private universities cannot be expected to sustain research solely on the basis of tuition fees. Under market rules, tuition revenue will cover the costs of teaching time only, and not the costs of research time also.

Not more than half of a research professor’s time should be for teaching. The research time, particularly for basic research, should be funded by the government and philanthropic sectors. For instance, the National Science Foundation, the US government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering, funds both public and private research on the basis of competitive proposals -- an excellent case being its 1994 grant that led to the development of the search engine Google at Stanford University, which is private.

The whole world is competing for scientists. Education will be our future when the government invests at least P60 billion per year in it, pays market rates to people in science, and makes use of the entire research community. When will that be?

So what..? Even if Pres. Arroyo finishes her term or not!

2008-03-08T23:19:00.004+08:00

Given all the scandals erupting around it, it would be wishful thinking to expect major improvements in governance during the remainder of the term of President Arroyo. It seems that the poor will not only remain with us while she continues to govern but they will continue to grow in numbers too.

The administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo proudly touts the relatively high economic growth during its watch as if it were its crowning achievement. It never misses any opportunity to remind everyone that the rate of economic growth has been accelerating since 2001, allowing it to outperform previous administrations, while glossing over the fact that, except for last year when the Philippines posted a remarkable 7.3 growth in gross domestic product, it still was not keeping pace with its dynamic neighbors like Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei to name a few. And always the key question is: Who is benefiting from such growth? Why are the main streets in major cities teeming with hungry children and why are there sidewalks filled with homeless people?

By the government’s own statistics, the number of Filipinos who were poor grew by some 3.8 million over a period of three years, from 23.8 million in 2003 to 27.6 million in 2006. That means that almost one out of every three Filipinos (32.9 percent) is considered poor.

And that is not the last of the grim statistics. According to the same survey, the number of families that did not earn enough to buy the minimum amount of food they needed rose to 1.9 million in 2006 from 1.7 million in 2003. That means that 12.2 million Filipinos, or 14.6 percent of the population, were not eating enough or “food-poor.”

How did so many millions swell the ranks of the poor at a time when the economy was growing? Augusto Santos, acting director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority, said this was due to the higher prices of essential commodities and an “insufficient increase in personal income.” The first, he said, was partly caused by the expanded coverage and the increased rate of the value-added tax, while the second could be partly attributed to agricultural losses from two devastating supertyphoons that struck the country in 2006.

What Santos failed to mention was that despite sustained economic growth, real family incomes actually fell during the period not only because of higher prices but because economic growth was not high enough to improve family incomes as the population continued to grow at a fast pace. And the worse news is that there is little reason to hope that the war against poverty can be won anytime soon.

The Asian Development Bank, for one, says the country would be hard put to sustain last year’s record (for the past three decades, at least) 7.3-percent growth, which it said was largely driven by huge election spending. In its report, titled “Philippines: Critical Development Constraints,” the ADB identified three major factors that are bound to hamper economic growth. These are: (1) the government’s “tight” fiscal situation; (2) declining investments in infrastructure; and (3) lack of investor confidence because of corruption and political instability.

And what would it take to correct these constraints? Good governance. Checking graft and corruption and other government reforms will improve tax collection, ensure the proper use of government resources and enhance investor confidence.

It seems, these are not for this administration of Pres. Arroyo to achieve in the short term, given her remaining term of office, even if we assume that she tries very hard. A President who loses so much credibility in the face of scandals, mostly charges of graft and corruption, will find it hard to steer government back on track as different sectors of the society try to pull her down.

Good governance is not only the making of the highest official of the land but also of the different segments of society cooperating towards its attainment. Even if we assume that it is only Metro Manila's population that is loudly against her continued stay in power, people from the rest of the country would tend to believe what they hear and read most of the time as mouthed by media.

From what we have right now, where do we expect to go from here? Or more appropriately, given all these, what must a President do? Pres. Arroyo holds the moral answer to these questions.

Are there better things to expect yet in less than two years of the President's remaining term? Maybe none, maybe no more, but it would certainly be a little bit different if she gives up the presidency for good. The sooner, the better!

Tips on Writing a Graduation Speech

2008-03-04T18:38:00.003+08:00

So, you've been assigned to give a graduation speech for your graduating college or high school class. Maybe you're the valedictorian or the class president, or an invited guest speaker, or maybe you're just lucky. Or perhaps you need to write a graduation speech for your public speaking class.

Most graduation speeches aren't really good. You know why? Because they're too generic. They talk about the future and "spreading your wings" and all kinds of cliche things that can apply to any graduating class. A good graduation speech should be tailored only for your graduating class. The speech should be unusable by other classes because it is filled with details and stories specific to these students' experiences.

Here are some tips to writing an unforgettable graduation speech:

Tell lots of stories. The stories should be about the students in the graduating class, the teachers, and other important people in the school. The stories can be funny, or touching, or just descriptive. The audience is filled with parents and people who are not part of the graduating class, so what you want to do is make that graduating class come alive for the people who aren't a part of it.

Talk about major events. What are some important things that happened in the world, your community, or at your school in the last four years? Include them in your speech, especially if these events evoke emotion. If a teacher or student died, mention them and say how much everyone misses them. If your football team won the state championship, mention this (and expect enthusiastic applause from the audience).

Talk about meaningful activities your class did together. Here's where you talk about the prom, Spirit Week, a successful charity event, the awesome school play, etc. If your school has some traditional events, mention them. Some of the audience members will be alumni and will appreciate this.

Talk about values that are important to the students and the audience. If this is a Christian school, talk about God. If this is a liberal arts college, talk about the value of a liberal arts education. Don't dwell on these kinds of topics or you risk sounding corny, but mentioning them will make your speech feel more inclusive to everyone.

Be inclusive. Talk about everyone in the class: the jocks, the band geeks, the Honor Society kids, and everyone else. This speech is for everybody.

Use popular culture references. This is a popular culture era, so including popular culture references is another thing you can do to make your speech more personal. Work in references to popular TV shows, movies, and songs. Just don't mention that Green Day song (see below).
Don't talk about yourself. Well, you can talk about yourself a little bit, but only a little. This speech is for everyone, and it isn't very classy to steal the focus.

Don't speak badly of anyone. This is not the time to make fun of that nasty English teacher, nor is it time to get even with that kid who bullied you from grades 3 through 10. Be nice. You can gently poke fun of quirky things, like that weird green stuff they serve every Thursday at the school cafeteria, or the fact that your dorms were voted worst in the country. But do this sparingly, and be careful not to offend anyone.

Be appropriate. Use common sense. This is not the forum to discuss the drunken antics of your classmates or other indiscretions. Don't swear.

Use inside jokes sparingly. Your classmates might appreciate inside jokes, but the audience won't know what you're talking about.

Avoid cliches. The phrases "spread your wings and fly," "new chapter in our lives," and "be true to yourself" should not appear in your speech, and neither should other cliches.

Give advice sparingly. Graduation speeches do not have to contain advice, and if you're part of the graduating class, you may not have much advice to give.

Thank the parents. Ask everyone in the graduating class to give them a round of applause. This will mean the world to them. Make your mom cry.

Thank the teachers. Lord knows teachers don't get enough praise. Thank the principal or the dean too.

Reading Jamju's mind . .

2008-03-03T20:20:00.003+08:00

(Here is a man’s opinion on Mindanao and the Bangsamoro and related issues. He wields his mind and arguments ubiquitously in every space of taboan.net and impresses his eloquence upon everyone in that site – old and newcomers. He seems to have mastered his own kind of argument and brandishes them so skillfully – you would not know whether he is admirable, credible, annoying, a plain and simple skilled pauper, or all of the above.)

(Frankly, I can’t help but admire his eloquence, have mixed thoughts on his credibility and get annoyed in the end by how he tries to disprove every point you raise. That seems to be what he had defined for his existence and purpose in life. To help you know how this man’s mind runs.. here are some of his impervious remarks on some issues concerning Mindanao, the ARMM, the Bangsamoro, the Moro fronts as well as the Abu Sayyaf.. This man’s full name is Jamju Alano Rivera from Isabela, Basilan. It's for you to believe in him or otherwise get awefully amused by his verbal antics!)

These are what he says:

1. On the MILF’s clamor to restore the Peace Talks

Why force the issue? Why look to "solve" this impasse if the only solution in the minds of the MILF is the one that they have always insisted on all this time? The MILF has thrashed and cried and whined for a Bangsamoro Homeland (or a more euphemistically termed "Juridical Entity") like an infant bawling for its milk... ! Why is it that it should always be the Government of the Republic of the Philippines who should always give in? More precisely, why are all these talks being done above the heads of the Filipinos who live and work in Mindanao? What's with all the secrecy anyway? Can't they handle a public relations backlash once all these "talks" and "offers" are laid out for all to see and hear? Has the people of Mindanao (and I do mean the entire Mindanao...and not merely the gerrymandered Mindanao that the MILF proposes to be called their BJE) ever been asked about this?

I remember distinctly that several plebiscites and referenda were held and conducted... and the constant reply by Mindanaoans was and is a loud and emphatic "NO!" Why can't the MILF just accept this reality? Nagbibingi-bingihan ba?An why the arrogance of NOT RECOGNIZING THE CONSTITUTION? Well then... if that's the case, then these brigands...these criminals...shouldn't wonder any longer why WE WILL NEVER RECOGNIZE THEIR BOGUS CLAIMS OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER ANY PART OF MINDANAO!

Tit for tat. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

Yes, you may add us up under that column which says: "HAWKS"... the stand of Mindanao's Business Sector on this issue is clear and incontrovertible: NO BANGSAMORO HOMELAND. NO MILF TREATY. NO FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS. These criminals should be rounded up like common law crooks and tried and incarcerated for the bandits that they truly are.Otherwise, these MILF bullies can always give up their guns, go back to their farms and businesses, make a good and legitimate living, pay their taxes, marry off and multiply their tribe. Wouldn't that be much simpler? Wouldn't that be a much better alternative?

Self-determination is not a destablizing concept IF AND ONLY IF it is determined by all the people in a particular community. Otherwise, self-determination is like 13 southern states seceding and calling themselves the CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA all for the defense of a way of life based on one group being superior over another... what we're trying to point out here is... not all struggles for self-determination are right and correct just because some people think it is.And the one in Mindanao by the Moros alone...surely is not!

2. On his Wish List for Mindanao

(1) a true and genuine PEACE that involves the people of Mindanao first and foremost...let the MINDANAOANS decide on the best form of peace it wants for its own home...the National Government and the Organization of Islamic Countries should step back and listen to what WE, THE PEOPLE want for Mindanao;

(2) the abolition of the AUTONOMOUS REGION OF MUSLIM MINDANAO...which is the biggest legal form of government sanctioned corruption by petty warlords and local political kingpins;

(3) the abbrogation/nullification of all existing TREATIES, AGREEMENTS, COMMUNIQUE'S, etc. with the MNLF, MILF, CPP-NPA, and whatever other sham organization comes forward to claim the voice of Mindanao;

(4) the non-recognition of a BANGSAMORO HOMELAND...there is no such thing. There is a Philippine State. The Constitution of the Philippines must be above all other considerations. Territorial claims by indigenous minorities and other ethnic cultural groups is nothing but an illegitimate rush to grab lands from legally established Filipino land-owners;

(5) the opening of Mindanao to long-term foreign investments...WE WANT MORE TRADE, NOT AID...MINDANAO IS NEITHER CHRISTIAN NOR MUSLIM...IT IS FILIPINO!!!

3. On the Bangsamoro’s Claim for a Homeland

Yes, I agree there WAS such a thing as a Bangsamoro Homeland before Christian Settlers came over in the late 19th century till the early part of the 20th Century... WAS, because this Homeland that you speak of has gone the way of Prussia, Chou, Annam, Khmer, Assyria, Persia, Rome, and the Grand Empires of the Spanish, the Portuguese, the French, the British, Nazi Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics! IT DOES NOT EXIST NOW....THEY ALL DO NOT EXIST NOW. To insist that it does... that they all do... is probably a lesson taught by your History Professor, not mine.

ALSO ONLY PARTLY TRUE... because as much as Christian Filipinos migrated into Mindanao (up to the present...this internal movement of peoples has never really stopped...!) conversely, Muslim Filipinos were likewise migrating into Visayas and Luzon all at the same time! BEFORE, your Sultans ruled 80% of Mindanao... NOW, what piece of Mindanao do they rule? Going by your logic, sir...since your Sultans ruled 80% of Mindanao, and therefore that you basically own Mindanao in perpetuity... then are you likewise proposing that we return the rest of the Philippines to the Datus and the Rajahs that can be assumed to have ruled the rest of the islands before Magellan came to visit his Cebuano pal Lapu-Lapu? Oh well then, why stop there? Since the Datus and the Rajahs...and yes, even your Sultans, were preceded by a millennia of Aetas... then are you willing to give up your precious Homeland to the Aetas (from whom we've never heard a peep on about these "ancient" rights!)???Think about it sir...deeply... your forefathers may have come to Mindanao before my forefathers did... but even your ancestors weren't the first here... unless you yourself ARE IGNORANT OF YOUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY. Again, not my fault... probably your History Professor’s…again.

Besides, now that 80% of Mindanao is beyond the grasp of all your modern-day Sultans combined (i.e. Ampatuans, Akbars, Dimaporos, Tans, Loongs, Paglases, Macarambons, Datumanongs, Rasuls, etc.)... did you ever hear any of your Christian neighbors even sheepishly propose that this 80% be called an Autonomous Region in Christian Mindanao? Or worse... a Bansang Kristiyano Homeland??? NO!Why don’t we? Because we acknowledge the inherent strength that unity and understanding between peoples can bring to our nation... especially here in Mindanao. We do not want to keep Christian Filipinos and Muslim Filipinos separated by these ever widening rifts. We want these artificial borders between the Christians and the Muslims to be totally erased from the map. Its a reverse APARTHEID SYSTEM which we do not wish to be institutionalized any further than it already has. We want all Christian and Muslim Filipinos to learn the beauty of living together harmoniously without too much of the excess baggage of the past which, we admit, has been equally violent on both sides. The debate on whether or not we should have a Federal State in Mindanao is heartily accepted… we actually support the idea as well… but please, YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY RIGHT WHATSOEVER TO CALL IT MUSLIM… as much as we never even dreamed of calling it Christian or Lumad or Buddhist or Animist or Agnostic or Atheist! Nor should it be called a homeland of the Moros alone… as much as we would not wish to call it a Federal State of Visayans, Tagalogs, Ilocanos and Ilonggos (who are clearly the majority in Mindanao’s population now!) alone as well.So we insist that there is no Bangsamoro Homeland as much as there is no Christian Homeland in Mindanao today. Again, our stand is, and it remains: Mindanao is neither Christian nor Muslim...it is Filipino.

Who says that we should be thankful that they (the Muslims) are claiming only a very small portion of Mindanao. We should be thankful indeed that the MILF is blackmailing the sovereign Philippine State into accepting a Bangsamoro Homeland carved out of its sovereign territory? Thankful why? Because otherwise, if we insist on not recognizing this bogus homeland of theirs, all hell will break loose? We should be thankful that the MILF, just like the MNLF, and just like the Abu Sayyaf...are asking for just a very small portion of Mindanao in exchange for Peace of Mind? In legal jurisprudence...sir...I'm sorry to say it as it should be said... but this is called EXTORTION. In street lingo... we call it a HOLD UP... !

They want something, sir... they go on ahead and offer something for it... they buy it... exactly like what my grandparents did when they BOUGHT the lands that this homeland of for the Moros is claiming to encompass right now. They want something? They shouldn't take it for free… claiming some divine intervention in the distant past awarded these lands to them in some Biblical passage akin to Israel’s being given, by Divine fiat, to Moses’ descendants...!The problem with your arguments sir...is that you want US to respect people who do not even care to reciprocate the respect that they so noisily demand! Respect the laws of the land first and they shall earn the respect of law-abiding citizens everywhere. They cannot demand respect when they themselves do not respect the legal systems that the State upholds...as enshrined in our Constitution...and as protected by our Republic and its duly constituted institutions. Respect the MILF? Respect the MNLF? Respect the Abu Sayyaf? Respect their reasons for making so much trouble in these last four decades? Sir, you ask too much!And then the temerity to raise that oft-repeated mantra that Christian Settlers are "LAND GRABBERS"?

Let me ask you sir... And I do hope I do not prick your sensibilities with my questioning... but, what of the Muslim Filipinos who live and work and own lands in Luzon and Visayas? What of them? Are they land grabbers as well? I do not believe us ever calling them that. They may not be as numerous but they are there... vital members of Phiippine society, brave, valiant, and proud of their heritage as much as the next Ilocano, Pampango, Bicolano, Bisaya, Ilonggo, Waray and Tagalog! And we are happy and grateful to live our lives with them as or neighbors and friends and family.And yet, according to your own flawed logic, only the Filipino settlers in Mindanao, professing a religion other than yours, should be considered LAND GRABBERS. This has always been the separatist movement's guiding principle, has it? Misuari was mouthing this as early as his UP days. Hashim Salamat also. And Abdurajak Janjalani. Even some of the most exalted Muslim Senators, Legislators and Local Executives have perpetuated this fantastic MYTH that the Moros own Mindanao...and that we are nothing more than unwanted guests.

But really sir, by your own admission that the first owners are the rightful owners...then only the Aetas actually have the real right to even call anyone land grabbers. Not you! So, unless you are an Aeta sir... your calling my forefathers land grabbers is simply the height of arrogance and/or ignorance (whichever way you might wish to put it...sir.), again...an issue that you must really take up with your History Professor."Your forefathers do not own a square inch of land in Mindanao. These lands were tilled by Muslims and the Lumads before your grandparents came.

"TRUE!!! Alas...my forefathers do not own a square inch of land in Mindanao! I Agree. Why? Because they are all dead. The legal system simply does not allow dead people to claim ownership over lands in Mindanao or elsewhere in the Philippines for that matter. Yes, these lands were tilled by Muslims and Lumads before my grandparents came... but just like my industrious and innovative and law-abiding grandparents... your grandparents and the grandparents of the lumads are all equally DEAD. Just as much as your Bangsamoro Homeland IS DEAD. Just as much as the great empires of the Incas and the Aztecs of the Americas ARE DEAD. And the Kingdoms and Principalities that used to make up modern-day Europe ARE ALL DEAD. You get my drift?We own pieces of land in Mindanao because our OCTs and TCTs say so. You can go as far as the International Court of Justice at The Hague... and you will find the same answer, sir. Moreover, our Land Titles are guaranteed and protected by the sovereign Republic of the Philippines... NOT by your mythical Bangsamoro Homeland...Besides, my gardener makes my garden all tidy and pretty... but it still doesn't make him the owner of my yard... unless of course, he buys it from me.

So my grandparents came and bought land from your grandparents... whatever reasons your grandparents may have had in selling this land that they only "claimed" to be theirs in the first place, is an issue wholly between you and your grandparents. Why your grandparents refused to have your vast "ancestral lands" properly titled and registered and taxed... is something that you must make extra effort to find out for yourselves. Your grandparents sell my grandparents a pot of land and after the day they all die you simply come out of the woodwork and claim that my grandparents stole this pot from your family...! That's a cheapshot. That's just plain and simple delusional. That's like Imelda Marcos claiming that she and her family owns one half of the Philippines! Did you ever realize how many millions around the world guffawed at her over such a dubious claim?After Mindanao, will you go on ahead and lawyer for the descendants of Raha Sulayman and Lakandula and Raha Humabon and Raha Matanda... claiming Metropolitan Manila and Cebu for your clients as well?

Finally, I say this... those who refuse to know and appreciate the realities of the present should bring their case to the courts and kingdoms of the past (if they still exist!)... and seek judgment in a past that they must first resurrect ... yes, history records a lot of things ... and its pages are littered by records of fallen kingdoms, lost empires, defeated principalities, abolished shogunates, eliminated reichs, false gods, faiths and prophets, numerous experiments in human society ... and the common thread running through each and every story is one and the same ... that they are all a part of history... HISTORY.

But you have the choice to see past these discombobulating contortions in your understanding of the world if you really wish to get past your own prejudices. If you will just accede to the realities of the present and say, finally: “Whatever we had before, we do not have now... but what we could have in the future is a far greater alternative than the past” ... that is: a united people, blind to the differences of religion, culture, race and origin... ONE UNITED PEOPLE. ONE STRONG NATION! NOT CHRISTIAN...NOR MORO...BUT FILIPINO. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that, do you?

4. On the Abolition of the ARMM

No, sir... abolish the ARMM not merely because it is corrupt... abolish the ARMM because the whole premise of establishing it is inherently wrong... it should not exist even if it was not corrupt.The fact that IT IS CORRUPT is just a case of "I told you so".

Who asked that ethnic lines be drawn to divide us in the first place? By calling this mythical homeland 'Bangsamoro'... by naming your autonomous region a 'Muslim Mindanao' region... who drew the first line? It all used to be just Mindanao.We only aim to erase these artificial dividing lines "imposed" on all of us in Mindanao. We should stop calling each other Christian or Muslim or Lumad... just as much as Americans should stop calling their citizens Whites, Blacks and Latinos... our worldview dictates that we all start calling ourselves simply, FILIPINOS. That's it. No more, no less.

Lastly, we agree with you wholeheartedly that all Good Mindanaoans should work to vanquish all Bad Mindanaoans, once and for all. We too, believe that we are all inherently GOOD. On this thought, we support you completely, and we are willing to work hand in hand with you on efforts that will bring about this great reawakening.

Much Ado Over a Policeman's Picture

2008-03-01T07:32:00.009+08:00

(Following was a correspondence we had with Suara Bangsamoro, a militant Moro youth group, that works with several other progressive civil society groups. I recall my own kind of arguments when I was as young as they are now and having been member of such radical student groups as the LFS and CEGP I felt how it was to be like them once upon a time. Now I speak the language of the elders way back then - the same langguage that I wouldn't quite understand before. What an awefully revealing experience I have now to be wearing a different kind of shoes!)

Suara Bangsamoro writes..

Salam,

Attached are photos of a 'policeman' roaming around the rally in Pikit Municipal Plaza on February 18, 2008 against the conduct of Balikatan military exercises in the area. He introduced himself as PO1 Arwin Jobiane of Pikit Police Station when asked by Mohida Sali, provincial coordinator of Suara Bangsamoro-North Cotabato.

Upon coming to the site, he already holds a program of the rally. He asks the participants who are the leaders and speakers of the rally because he was tasked by his station to do so for their file report. He also took pictures of all speakers of the rally.

According to the participants/residents of Pikit, they know the rosters of policemen in their area but don't recognize the face of the 'policeman' as one of them. They claimed that a certain PO1 Jobiane exists but it's not the 'policeman' who roams during the rally. They doubt that the 'policeman' is a member of the intelligence and only borrowed the uniform from a certain PO1 Jobiane. But, we are still confirming this report.

Participants are worried and felt fear on the presence of this ‘policeman.’ They also found this ‘policeman’ disrespectful and ill-mannered because he wanders around the site while the speakers are giving their statements. He even brought a firearm with him while roaming around. This is a clear manifestation of harassment to progressive individuals and organizations especially the Moro people who are active in getting involved to various political and economic issues like Balikatan.

Please consider.

Thank you so much for continuous support!

Shukran!

Bai Ali Indayla
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Mau writes..

I don't think there was any harassment that took place against the ranks of the Suara Bangsamoro. There was no such thing as far as I am concerned. Matter of fact, you were granted the required permit by the Office of the Mayor in recognition of your right to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech in redress of legitimate grievance.

It is normal, though, as a matter of routine security actions that the government keeps an ear on what you say and how you acted. As to who was assigned to that task is immaterial and the government is not duty-bound to explain its covert security details. In fact, there was nothing new. The government knew the personalities behind Suara Bangsamoro, and therefore, there was no need to tail on anyone and act like a stalker.

Despite the ill-timing of the rally due to the presence of our foreign visitors from the World Food Programme we granted the permit. Somebody reminded that the timing was not good. I said, the foreigners are too aware that the militant groups are against the conduct of the 'balikatan' even if it was just a civic action as in Medical/Dental Missions and no military exercise or war games.

I hope that the Suara Bangsamoro does not make a big deal out of their own analysis of certain things and certain situations as we do not make a big issue out of that rally.
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Suara Bangsamoro writes..

Salam Brother,

Harassment is not only in the form of physical but also emotional and psychological. Taking photos by a man with a police uniform and pistol already creates harassment to the protesters. If you can remember the story of an old lady in Manarapan, Carmen who died in heart tack after she saw men in uniform (military) and US troops coming to their place during the Balikatan 2006, you will feel the same. That story runs pages in local and national dailies.

We can’t blame the Bangsamoro people feeling this way. The Bangsamoro have had enough! History will tell us.

With regards to permit, we sincerely thank Mayor Sultan Sumulong in granting it. After all, it is our constitutional right.

We just want to register that a policeman or any individual roaming around the rally site and taking photos to every speaker in the stage as well as the participants, would not be a big deal if they coordinated with the group like what we did with the LGU of Pikit. Anybody can have photos and details of the program as what you had received. Everybody can access to real stories of the poor Bangsamoro people. By doing so, we had informed the participants not to panic and react.

We are sorry if our activity is simultaneous to the activity of your foreign visitors. We hope it is just a coincident, not planned. We cannot suppress the legitimate sentiments of our people. After all, we all know that these humanitarian aids are only to win over the hearts and minds of the Bangsamoro to soften and would not protest on the permanent basing and military deployment of the US troops in Mindanao .

We even received information that even local government units are not consulted and properly informed of the US troops and AFP activities. Hope the activities of the foreign visitors are not façade to cover-up what is going on in the ground.

We are not against with developments and aids. We are against with activities which are dubious and insincere thus not really serving for the real needs of the Moro people.

We appeal that you will see the objective side of this matter. The poor Bangsamoro people need your truthful services. They want intelligent people like you who can help them defend their lands against aggression; protect their children from harm and terror and advocate their rights for self determination.

We are not making a big fuss out of this story. We just want to tell the responsible people of what was happening in the grassroots. We hope that we can be united in defending the Bangsamoro and Filipino people’s interest. We must learn from the divide-rule tactic that the colonizers used to divide us and rule over our nation. We thank you for your support for the Bangsamoro people.
Shukran!
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Mau writes..

Salam Bai:

I do appreciate people like you who have the talent and time to spare for the Bangsamoro.. Right on Bai, right on..

I have had my time and I spared a lot for the people we all love so much.. the poor Bangsamoro, the lowly Bangsamoro.. the innocent, the meek, the poor victims, not only of foreign dominations and deceptions, but also of our local leaders' greed, deception, wanton squabble for political power and bickerings, amassing wealth at the expense of the lowly and ignorant Bangsamoro..

I said I've had my time, though, it's not over yet. I just feel lucky and relieved that there are people like you Bai - willing to take over the unfinished task. You should expand your 'defense perimeter' though, not only against foreign mingling and deception, but against local cohorts of these foreign powers who conveniently shield their identities in the name of public service and 'jihad'. I'm sorry but you should look around and qualify them one by one.

It is not appropriate that you speak loud against the foreign masters and keep silent against the local cohorts, be they people who identify themselves as Muslims or non-Muslims or anyone else. I was a combatant in the Jihad in the 1970s and early 80s - at a time when the Bangsamoro Homeland was ravaged by bloody fighting.. but that was the glorious era of the Jihad, I should say because I just felt that everyone was so sincere and dedicated to the cause. Let me emphasize here, however, that I don't say that everyone is now insincere and crook; no, I don't say that.. there are a few good leaders that we still have in the Jihad.. (Hadji Murad and others..), but among our political leaders?? please help me identify the few good men among them.

I hope and pray that Allah (SWT) does not befall upon us His 'fitnah', not yet, because you see, Bai, there are signs of the time that tell us we are on the brink of such WRATH from Allah.. Subha'nallah.. You see, Bai, the few good men among our leaders in the Jihad and in the government service are not the ones holding the reins of power. It is the crook and the wicked that wields and brandishes power here, there and everywhere. With what we have at present, where do we go from here??

Help me find the answer, help the lowly, the poor and the meek Bangsamoro to get out of this situation.. this is not what we long to see for the poor, the meek, the ignorant, the oppressed Bangsamoro.. tell them to rise because we can do so.. the Bangsamoro grassroots hold the real power to change for the better and create a situation where it is possible to achieve their dreams, where there is hope for everyone, where there is peace, harmony and prosperity.

We can do all these, Insha Allah! We only need WILL POWER and PIETY to do all these. All efforts, without Allah in our hearts and mind, shall come to naught and will not prosper. Subha'naka La ilmalana illa ma allamtana!

Wassalam..

EDSA Rites: Now a Historic Hypocrisy?

2008-02-26T16:13:00.003+08:00

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the four-day commemoration of EDSA I, its 22md anniversary. Of the four icons of EDSA I, only former President Fidel V. Ramos shared the limelight with her, but apparently not in very conforming mode. Former President Corazon C. Aquino, the soul of EDSA I, has opted out – presumably to have no part in a historic hypocrisy.

Of the two others, Jaime Cardinal Sin is dead and, now senator, Juan Ponce Enrile has long dissociated himself from EDSA I. What is being commemorated every year is the triumph of the Filipino people, in the truest meaning of the word – millions massed at EDSA with millions in the provinces glued to their radio and TV sets throughout the days and nights taking part in spirit with their prayers – in winning back miraculously, without a drop of blood, from a tyrant their freedom and rights.

The 14-year Marcos dictatorship was characterized by repression and suppression of basic freedoms, rampant violation of human rights and massive graft and corruption. After seven years, the Arroyo regime – to a large degree -- is comparable to the Marcos dictatorship. There is freedom – that difference cannot be denied. But that the Filipinos have to fight for it only highlights the use of presidential powers to repress and suppress freedom and to abet human rights violations and graft and corruption.President Arroyo, extolling the ideals of EDSA I against this background, will sound hollow -- impersonating historic hypocrisy. But her doing so with flourish will not be a surprise. She and the people around her have become impervious to moral sting.

Rebuke

Ramos joined Arroyo to open the 4-day commemoration at the wreath-laying ceremony at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery) last Friday, the 22nd of February. Doing a gadfly, he zeroed in his speech on greed and corruption – the pre-EDSA I sins that have come back. By the direct quotes of his speech from INQUIRER.net and Philippine Star, February 22 and 23, he was clearly chastising the Arroyo government – redeeming himself somewhat from criticisms that by his “win-win” support of Arroyo he has become irrelevant to EDSA I :“It is customary nowadays to denigrate the EDSA events – perhaps because the greed, the apathy, the corruption we brought down then are once again rearing their heads.” [Observes INQUIRER.net: Thrice he said in his speech that greed, apathy and corruption constituted a problem that the nation needed to address. Ms Arroyo showed no emotion. After Ramos’ speech, she left without delivering her prepared remarks.]

“Around the world, the Philippines included, there are new tyrannies in the form of self-serving leaders, immoderately greedy autocrats and cliques of corrupt officials that we must still confront” – [The reference to the First Family and cronies is just thinly veiled. -- ppd]“History might yet call us to come together again to offer our lives and fortunes on the altar of our civic ideals,” Ramos said, underscoring the need to “banish from our political and economic life” oligarchies, dynasties and opportunists. [INQUIRER.net interpreted this as “a call to action;” the Philippine Star, as a warning of another people revolt.]

Impervious

But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, exemplifying the imperviousness and dead conscience of the Arroyo administration, dismissed the clear rebuke as something else. To Ermita, Ramos did “not necessarily” rebuke the Arroyo administration but only “reminded” it “to do something to lick corruption before it got worse.” All that Ramos said had been in the papers. Meaning – they are only rumors and lies? The government has been doing enough to fight corruption.He was not alarmed by the possibility of another “people power uprising”. Like the past crises, the present ZTE-NBN scandal lacks the elements of developing into another EDSA.Bunye saw in Ramos speech just a statement of facts about corruption.

Quoting Arroyo, he said, “we have come a long way in the fight against corruption”, a continuing “effort at all levels of the bureaucracy.” The lie is as clear as a bright sun-lit day. Ramos was deploring “immoderate greed, apathy and corruption” in the Philippines today. But they must be seeing another regime, not the Arroyo’s; another country, not the Philippines.

Insensitive

Arroyo and her minions are not only impervious to moral sting. They are insensitive to truth and ideals that have evolved from EDSA, the first and the second. That, above all, is what makes their leading the celebration of the 22nd anniversary of EDSA I a historic hypocrisy.At EDSA I, the Filipinos launched the historic people power peaceful revolution to redeem themselves from 14 years of Marcos tyranny. United in their quest for freedom and rights, a people – with prayers, not with arms – with the help of God, no doubt, triumphed. That was a historical fact and a miracle.EDSA’s eternal mandate is unmistakable: Henceforth, good governance founded on freedom and rights should be the cornerstone of national unity, peace and progress. The rulers owe it to EDSA to govern for the good of all the people, not for the promotion of their selfish collective interests disguised as common good.

To be candidly honest with history, the Aquino and Ramos governments did not fully live up to the unmistakable mandate of EDSA. When confronted with political and economic realities, they understandably compromised ideals although obviously keeping the latter to try to rein the first.In the election of 1998, the very popular Joseph Estrada was overwhelmingly elected president on the promise of a pro-poor government. That was a ruse. In two and a half years, true to the warning of Cardinal Sin, the Estrada government turned into a disaster – incompetent, immoral, corrupt, pro-cronies. The economy went into a tailspin.

At EDSA II, people power intervened – taking over the aborted impeachment – to remove Estrada from the presidency. As vice president, Arroyo became president. She had Estrada charged with plunder – as an example that the highest official of the land is not immune from criminal prosecution for corruption. EDSA I and II are one in continuity. The criminal prosecution of Estrada upheld morality and integrity in government in consonance with the ideals of EDSA and pursuant to its mandate. After six years of trial, Sandigabayan convicted Estrada of plunder. Instead of making Estrada serve his 40-year life sentence as an example that corruption does not pay, Arroyo pardoned him immediately.

The pardon dealt a death blow to the ideals of EDSA. To avoid irrelevance, Arroyo did not commemorate the 7th anniversary of EDSA II. However, that pardon also made her irrelevant to EDSA I; for, as stated above the two are one. To reiterate, Arroyo’s leading observance of the 22nd anniversary of EDSA I is historic hypocrisy.

Another Pinay in American Idol!

2008-02-24T08:14:00.002+08:00

This time, it's not about creativemind, but about a talented creative young person who made it to the finals of the famed American Idol..

After Jasmin Trias and Camile Velasco, another Filipina made it as one of the 24 finalists of American Idol.
The very pretty 20 year old Ramiele Macrowon-Malubay, a native of Miramar, Florida, who once said …

"If Jasmin can do it, I can do it!"

… freaked out after knowing she is included in the final 24. Ramiel established her attachment with music early at age 12 when she sang in her cousin’s birthday. The very talented Filipina can also play the piano as well as the guitar which is being taught to her by her sister. Besides singing and playing instruments, she also did some Polynesian Dancing since she was on the first grade.

The “Pinay American Idol” is a huge fan of Regine Velasquez. She said that she really doesn’t want to be famous but instead, represent the Asian community especially the Filipinos in this competition where the whole world is watching.

And guess what, like every Filipino; Ramiele Malubay also tried eating balot (balut)…
The weirdest thing I have ever eaten, balot (balut), It’s like a … I think it’s a duck egg. It’s cooked but there’s a baby inside. … I don’t know, I don’t eat it anymore. But it tastes good if you eat the outside part, instead of the baby inside.

Ramiele stopped nursing school for this season and promised to go back if not chosen to be the next American Idol.

Just like Renaldo Lapuz, it’s really a pleasure to see another Filipino in the limelight of this season. If you are listening Ramiele, you are an American Idol for us all and we are certain that you will outstrip the other finalists.

Break a Leg Malubay!… Mabuhay!

Is the ARMM a failed arrangement?

2008-02-16T16:23:00.003+08:00

(A blog by taboan.net)

(Following was a discussion about the ARMM among bloggers, which I found interesting, hence I am featuring the same in this page. I also participated in the discussion though I used a pseudonym)

Its been over a decade since the establishment of the AUTONOMOUS REGION OF MUSLIM MINDANAO (we insist, it should be the Autonomous Region OF Muslim Mindanao instead of Autonomous Region IN Muslim Mindanao...a world of difference lies in the use of one or the other) and what does it have to show for itself?

Isn't it time to throw in the towel and call it quits for this Cory-era experiment in local governance? Haven't we wasted enough taxpayers' money for a totally dispensable layer of government bureaucracy that gobbles up nearly 90% of its annual budget for salaries alone?

What more, this regional government has proceeded to "gerrymander" provinces, municipalities and even villages to suit the whims and caprices of local warlords and political kingpins, cutting these up to create more 'salaried' positions which usually only goes to relatives, allies and/or tribe-mates.Why should there be a Muslim Mindanao in the first place when there is no room in our Constitution for a Christian Visayas or an Animist Cordilleras?Mindanao is neither Muslim nor Christian...it is FILIPINO! (Jamju Alano Rivera)

EF says on Dec. 19, 2007

Jamju it is a little bit more. Let us forget about corruption ok? Because that is a fact it seems we have to live with, like it or not. And most of the time corruption starts by BIG BUSINESS MONEY people. They want things done and no matter how, so you buy and deal! If it works with money if necessary with blood. It is like a river starting in the mountains it is small, clear and healthy for all that lives. Down under it grows stronger, deeper and get dirty by pollution and abuse.....

Is the ARMM a failed experiment? Not yet or maybe even not yet at all. Many wish and maybe pray to see this happen. So there is again room for a civil war and........... room for BIG MONEY COWBOYS who want to start coalmining, woodcut and golddigging..... Beside that is the ARMM a promisssssss, maybe one of the few that is (keeping) alive by the Manila clan euhhhhh sorry Government?! Another thing is that promises make between money-grabbers ("developers") and gov’t.-party's most of the time not hold by the developers. We know this for decades already. "As the logging companies did not fulfill the reforestation agreement as stated on the Timber License Agreement (TLA), the same thing would happen with the mining company. They could never bring back the soil of the mountains that they would destroy, flatten, and dig.""Since the arrival of the company (SUDECOR), the rivers and creeks have been silted. Slowly, the fish such as tilapia on the rivers and creeks have been disappearing.""Based on our experience, the areas that were destroyed by logging never again regained its former appearance and state. What more with mining where the mountain itself will be destroyed?""TVI Minerals Processing, Inc., an affiliate of a Canadian mining company TVI Pacific Inc., filed before the regional office of MGB-DENR two exploration permits for the exploration of gold, copper, silver, and other associated metallic mineral resources in three barangays in this town; namely Dapiwak, Dilud, and Lipawan; covering a total of 13,446 hectares".

You are right Jamju...Mindanao is neither Muslim nor Christian...it is FILIPINO! How about it is time we call all FILIPINO's to stand up and protect the wonderful rich sources we have for our grand-grandchildren. Doing so the Philippines have what is about nowhere in the world A BEAUTIFUL NATURE. People all over the world will come to see that. Even today many rich country's spend billions of dollars to restore the "green area's" in their country, realizing they are going much too far in developing.........

Let us all work together and see the ARMM stays the way it is as a promised land!

Michael says on Dec. 20, 2007

hi ef... can you blog on this? I mean about what’s happening here... MOST of us doesn’t even know this is happening. It’s a pity if we can’t have access to this kind of information..

EF says on Dec. 20, 2007

Dear friend Michael: I only give 4 quotes on lifetime issues right here in Mindanao. If I want to do so, i can give you 4,000 right now. Official reports both from Manila as local officials. And i think we have to listen more and more to local authorities if, IF, we really wanna know the truth. And NO i can not give all sources as it is dangerous to do so. But read the information given by some close friends of you Michael....... it is heartbreaking but inspiring. Don’t get sad my friends.... HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN..........

Jamju Alano Rivera says on Dec. 21, 2007

The ARMM isn't a promise. Far from it. It’s a concession. Much like the mining and logging concessions which you believe should not fall in the hands of what you so succinctly called "BIG MONEY COWBOYS"...the ARMM is the biggest concession ever given to a single corporate entity...the MNLF!The Philippine Government under Marcos initially agreed (without our consent, I must add) to give away 13 provinces to the MNLF as a part of their autonomous Bangsamoro Homeland in the infamous Tripoli Agreement... and very, very soon...the MILF as well will be given yet another concession by our Imperial Government in Manila in the form of the euphemistically termed "expanded indigenous peoples' homeland" which will - AGAIN - include areas of Mindanao, the populations of whom are vehemently against any form of concession to these Muslim Secessionist groups.

After a succession of openly corrupt regional governors (give me one name...ONE NAME...among them that isn't tainted with corruption!)... the ARMM remains today as the government's biggest dole-out! Money is funneled into ARMM and is immediately dissipated, first through a legal maneuver which ensures that the entire family of a local warlord receives a monthly "pension" from the national government...I say pension because these people aren't doing anything at all to earn the money that they are practically stealing under our very own noses.

Corruption is endemic throughout the Philippines, I admit. The ARMM, however, tops everyone else in its venality. Be it in public works, distribution of funds, ghost employee payrolls, unpaid GSIS payments, even elections! You name it, the ARMM is the worst at it. And nobody's doing anything about it.

We advocate the immediate abolition of the ARMM and the nullification of all its acts since its inception. It is an anomaly... a cancerous growth that needs to be excised at the soonest. Its an utter waste of taxpayers' money. It is a welfare society that practices "reverse discrimination"...and yeah...you can tell this to all the Ampatuans and their lordlings reigning over the ARMM right now... we will move heaven and earth to return Mindanao to its people... the real people of Mindanao... and by this I definitely say ALL MINDANAOANS...and not the bogus Bangsamoro ONLY!!!Mindanao is neither Muslim nor Christian...it is FILIPINO!

EF says on Dec. 22, 2007

Simple question: have you any proof, any written or spoken testifying or justification of all you write here? Yes, the ARMM is far from perfect but, as you stated here yourself dear Jamju, corruption is endemic throughout the Philippines. Our beloved Government including Manila is even killing, murdering, abusing and more of these "fine" things as a rapport of the European Union bring out to the world. And about corruption, please Jamju.... "give me one name...ONE NAME...among them that isn't tainted with corruption"!!!! And how about you and me??? Are we not also, now and then, more or less, eating something from the same bread of corruption?? Sometimes we like or not??

I work over all the major islands and I can tell you I have not yet find any gov’t. service that is NOT corrupt or not stealing right under my nose! Or at least try to do so even abusing the Law!!And to be very clear i think The Philippine Government in Manila makes big mistakes with all these "autonomous area's"!Do i love the ARMM? No! Do i like the idea of Bangsamoro Homeland? No! Do i like MNLF? No! And I don’t have to like them nor love them. But I well have to respect them as they are a given fact in our country. And I only ask you not to speak in hate or untrue facts as long you have not given any proof no matter from what side. Up till now I have seen more help and more cooperation activities from Muslim groups in many Christian projects, than in any other way.

So let us try to find some place in our hearts also for the "sinners" among us.......... HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN... merry Christmas and a blessed, healthy and wonderful 2008 to you and your beloved ones. Please walk in the Light and build on The ROCK!

Jamju Alano Rivera Dec. 25, 2007

You ask: "have you any proof, any written or spoken testifying or justification of all you write here?"Sir, I live in Basilan. I'm a resident of Isabela City...which means I am fortunate enough to live in a place that is not within the ARMM, but close enough to know what sorry things are happening on the other side of the fence. Our Congressman who just died from the bomb knew more than most of us what corruption meant...apparently schooled under the strict tutelage of his Ampatuan overlords.

You want proof? Look around you and you will see all the proof you will need staring back at your face...a stark reminder of corruption that is endemic and tolerated nationwide, but institutionalized and established in the ARMM! I'm not saying this out of hate. No! I'm saying this as a matter of fact.Just very recently, teachers from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and, yes, Basilan...met with Gov. Zaldy himself, in Zamboanga City...why? Most of these valiant teachers have not been given their salaries for the last...take this...EIGHT MONTHS!!! While everybody else OUTSIDE OF ARMM got theirs on time, these teachers got nothing! For eight long months. Ask GSIS...how much of what should have been remitted actually was...if any at all were! Check out the government-funded projects...if you can call them that! Or maybe the ARMM has done wondrously well enough to lift its population from abject poverty and into the welcoming arms of the struggling middle class? Has it? It has done nothing but PROMISE! Yes...the promise of the ARMM, much like the rest of ARMM is based on one humungous LIE. And need I reiterate the fact that among all the provinces of the Philippines, the ones most notorious for election-related transgressions are, by an exceptionally phenomenal margin, located within the borders of this ARMM. Can anyone...yes, even the COMELEC...contest these claims? You want more proof?

You also said: "Yes, the ARMM is far from perfect but, as you stated here yourself dear Jamju, corruption is endemic throughout the Philippines. Our beloved Government including Manila is even killing, murdering, abusing and more of these "fine" things as a rapport of the European Union bring out to the world. And about corruption, please Jamju.... "give me one name...ONE NAME...among them that isn't tainted with corruption"!!!! And how about you and me??? Are we not also, now and than, more or less, eating something from the same bread of corruption?? Sometimes we like or not?? I work over all the mayor islands and i can tell you i have not yet find any gov. service that is NOT corrupt or not stealing right under my nose! Or at least try to do so even abusing the Law!!

"Which is precisely what I mean, sir...the corruption is way too entrenched and too institutionalized that we have got to do something about it...not tolerate it...but really do something to solve it once and for all. Defeatism in this regard means we should all but surrender our hopes for a better future for our children. That, we cannot accept. The people, we believe, will always react to the kind of system that either allows or constricts them from doing certain things...be it benevolent or malfeasant. The system MUST BE CHANGED COMPLETELY. The system that is perpetuated by the ARMM, most especially, MUST BE DESTROYED! NOW! We do not believe that people are corrupt by nature...but a system that makes corruption "LEGAL" will inure even the most upright individual and "permit" certain acts of ignominy to be committed...as is the case in the ARMM!

You added: "And to be very clear I think The Philippine Government in Manila makes big mistakes with all these "autonomous area's"!Do I love the ARMM? No! Do I like the idea of Bangsamoro Homeland? No! Do I like MNLF? No! And I don’t have to like them nor love them. But I well have to respect them as they are a given fact in our country. And I only ask you not to speak in hate or untrue facts as long you have not given any proof no matter from what side."With this, we obviously agree tacitly...it is wrong to put up "autonomous areas" just as it is patently wrong to recognize rebel groups as though they were legal plenipotentiaries in an international conference of equally sovereign states! We do not believe that any of the negotiated treaties with the MNLF, MILF or whatever other name for a secessionist group they will come up with...would solve the question of PEACE FOR MINDANAO in its finality. These are stop-gap measures, band-aid diplomacy at best...which does not aim to solve the underlying problems...but only wishes to stave off the inevitable from happening at this time...for fear of what? An international backlash from, say, the OIC? The EU? The UN? So who died, anyway, and gave them the power to decide over the fate of 14 million Mindanaoans from the comfort of their armchairs in airconditioned conference halls several thousand miles away?

We believe that true PEACE FOR MINDANAO can only be made by the ones most affected by this decades-old conflict...doesn't matter if they're Muslim or Christian...for as long as they are FILIPINOS LIVING IN MINDANAO...!

You likewise said: "Up till now a have seen more help and more cooperation activities from Muslims(groups) in many (Christian) projects, than in any other way."Do you mean, by this claim...Christians have not been very cooperative and helpful with projects for Christians, and that Muslims are more ready to lend a hand in your endeavours? Or did I get it all wrong? Didn't quite get your stand here, sir...because, if this is your claim...then we applaud these Muslim groups for helping out. As we have been saying all along, it doesn't matter if it’s a Muslim or a Christian who does the job...what matters most is that THE JOB IS DONE! We never said that Mindanao's future lies in it's being Christian. No! Far from it...we have always contended that Mindanao should neither be Muslim nor Christian...it should, however, always BE FILIPINO! And there is definitely no way that anyone can convince us otherwise!

FInally, you said: "So let us try to find some place in our hearts also for the "sinners" among us.......... HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN... merry Christmas and a blessed, healthy and wonderful 2008 to you and your beloved ones. Please walk in the Light and build on The ROCK!"

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL! Merry Christmas to all Christians and Happy Hariraya to all Muslims! We do hope that 2008 brings about great changes not only in the way things are done around here...but that changes be felt from the heart of every FILIPINO, Muslim and Christian!

BUT...on whether we will ever be able to find a place in our hearts also for the "sinners" among us...or not? Sorry, we believe that this is simply OUT OF THE QUESTION.

We do not wish to be contrarian, and we applaud EF for taking the time to rebut our statements made here...but we do hope that readers would understand where we're coming from on this.

WE ADVOCATE:

(1) THE IMMEDIATE ABOLITION OF ARMM...AND THE NULLIFICATION OF ALL ACTS OF ARMM...

(2) THE NULLIFICATION OF ALL TREATIES WITH MINDANAO SECESSIONIST GROUPS...AND THE NON-RECOGNITION OF THE BANGSA MORO HOMELAND

(3) THE CESSION OF ALL "TALKS" WITH THESE ARMED GROUPS...

(4) THE FULL ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES AS LAID OUT IN OUR CONSTITUTION...AND THE FULL INTEGRATION OF ALL THE PEOPLES OF MINDANAO INTO FILIPINO SOCIETY...

Until these things are fully dealt with and implemented...MINDANAO WILL KNOW NO PEACE!!!

Tambo Lontok says on Dec. 31, 2007

Yes, from all that I've read about ARMM, corruption and nepotism are as bad as they are in the rest of the Philippines. It would be nice to have one united nation but I would not call it Pilipinas (after King Philip II), I'd call it Bansa Laya or something more native to our language. That's one.Secondly, Muslims in Mindanao have a separate history starting with the 14th Century arrival of Arab merchants and thus the spread of Islam in Mindanao. They and the native tribes made up the majority of the people of Mindanao until the early 20th Century when an exodus of Christian Filipinos settled in Mindanao.

Lastly, even if we wanted to have one united Mindanao, it is likely that Muslims will want to stick to their value system as Christians will want to stick to theirs.I want to see a secular Mindanao where autonomous regions will have a secular government because only such government can guarantee religious freedom to every single citizen of that autonomous region.As for corruption, the entire government, politicians and bureaucrats alike, from Aparri to Jolo , are corrupt except for a few. Whether Christians or Muslims , many are thieves and work only for their families and relatives instead of all their constituents.

I agree with you that the bloated and corrupt bureaucracy is a hindrance to sustainable development. It needs to be reduced by 50 percent -- AT LEAST.

Maxim says on Feb. 16, 2008

Dear Friends (EF, Jamju, Tambo):

I like the way you discuss the good and bad sides of ARMM, whether you talk about its political leaders and some followers, the dispensable bureaucratic layer i.e. the ARMM, and how corruption seems to be orchestrated from Manila down South.

Regardless of the amount of proofs there are, I believe that all that you said are true and correct. However, it was not by design that the ARMM shall have to be what it is today; I still believe in the good intentions of the people behind its creation. The ARMM was a by-product of legitimate negotiations entered into by and between the GRP and the MNLF witnessed and hailed by the OIC as a better option than a shooting war. It's a pity that it has fallen into the wrong hands - those of the circus puppets of the Manila government who not only tolerate everything but manipulate the way these puppets sway their hands and trample their feet.

We complain at the bitterness of the fruit but we forget that it just came from the poison tree. The fruit i.e. the ARMM and the poison tree i.e. Malacanang. Unless we cut the roots of this poison tree it will continue to bear bitter fruits. (Remember that GMA loves the Ampatuans so much because they were the only political clan that has delivered the 12-0 mandate from Malacanang; also made her sweep Maguindanao in the Presidential election!)

Rather than argue with each other, there is something better that we can do. I do not say, however, that all that you said ought not to be said at all. They were all very strikingly informative and plausibly awful facts!

The First Time!

2008-02-10T09:27:00.000+08:00

(A love poem to recall on Valentine's Day)

The first time I took her hand
It trembled faintly
Yet noticeably
Like a wild bird's fluttering heart
In the hand of its captor

The first time I kissed her

Her heart raced
And when I touched her skin

I felt her pounding heart
Through my fingers

The first time we made love

Was the first time
For us both
And in our passionate embraces
Our senses were over loaded
The first time became many times

Though we are older now
The passion is stronger
Our senses fine-tuned
We are one soul mates
We share the same shadow

Seven Dating Ups and Downs

2008-02-06T12:07:00.000+08:00

Dating is a process a lot of us really can live without. It's an emotional rollercoaster that can drive one to drink ten bottles of beer from the back of your refrigerator.

Now, because February is ‘love’ month, it might help some to understand the few significant intricacies of the dating game. Not a few went home without really enjoying the date they had for the night or evening because they simply lack the way it should have been handled before it ever happened.

Here's a list of the top ups and downs of dating -- and how to feel better about them:

1. Stop the mental post-date recap abuse. You went out with somebody with whom you thought you had a connection, and it turns out you didn't. So now you're going to mentally torture yourself for the next four days trying to figure out what you said wrong. You'll even torture all your friends asking them what you could have done differently. The post-date recap is a form of mental torture. You will never know what that other person is thinking unless they call you. If they don't call, it really does mean that he or she is just not that into you (which is about the only good advice from that ridiculously stupid book I read).

2. We made out in the parking lot and they never called again. Making out is fun! You needed it. They needed it. Don't beat yourself up that you did it, just realize you did it. Be okay with it. It was a great date. You were in the moment, and you experienced something that you wanted to do.

3. I texted them the next morning and said, "I had a great time last night," and they never texted back. So what? You had a great time last night. So did they. They just woke up, and their post-date recap was different from yours. They probably had a good time, but when they thought about it, the chemistry and the "it" factor wasn't there. It's not about you. At least you were honest. So you did all you can do.

4. Should I have said something different in my voicemail message? You left a voicemail message and now you're replaying it in your head a thousand times. "Should I have said 'Last night was fun' with more enthusiasm? Is that why she's not calling me back?" When it comes to voicemail messages, the shorter the better. From an old sales technique, I always prefer to say, "Last night was fun. I have something really funny to share with you the next time we speak." That's it -- it creates a little bit of intrigue, a little bit of mystery and no mental torture.

5. Who cares what they think? You left the above voicemail message without knowing if you'll ever see them again, and they don't call you back. You start to think, "Now they know that I like them, and they don't like me." So what? Is it better to just sit there and hope and pray they call? I always believe in being honest. You've got to do what feels right for you.

6. Stop giving your power away to one person. If a two-hour date can cause you to give away all your power and confidence, then you need to learn to embrace yourself and love yourself more. This is just one person you went out with for two hours. They don't know what an amazing person you are. The only thing they know is the person they sat across from at the table. Whether they choose to hang with you again isn't the issue. The issue is that one person does not determine your worthiness. You've got to toughen your skin. Rejection is what dating is all about; you can't take it personally. If I go out with someone and I have a great time but they never want to see me again, I'm still a great person the next day.

7. In order to feel better about dating, you need to think abundance. Just because you think you like somebody and they don't call you back, this is not the last person in the world you're going to meet. In order to be a successful dater, you need to practice abundance. The power of abundance is training your mind to realize that if it doesn't work out with one person (or 10 people), there are plenty of other people out there who do want to hang out with a fantastic person like you.

My Diary in Japan (Jan. 16-27, 2004)

2008-02-02T13:13:00.000+08:00

Introduction

Japan was known in ancient times as NIPPON, meaning the “Source of the Sun”. This explains the red disc on the Japanese Flag which represents the rising sun.

For many centuries Emperors have been the heads of states in Japan. Until the 1900s, Japanese Emperors claimed to be divine, believing they were descended from the gods. The amount of power held by the Emperor varied greatly from one era to another. Today, the Emperor’s role and duties are ceremonial only. The government of the nation is carried out by a democratic parliament called the “Diet”.

Modern Japan is world-famous for its powerful business corporations and advance electronic technology. However, Japan is still a land where ancient customs and traditions are held in the highest esteem. In the workplace, the Japanese are noted for maintaining a high level of ethical standards and professionalism.

Following is an account of my diary in Japan:

Jan. 16

We reported to JICA, Makati City for a briefing/orientation. Mr. Osamu, Vice President of JICA, Philippine Office, briefed us about existing JICA projects in the Philippines and other parts of Asia. Ms. Grace Reyes showed us some video clippings of selected places that we have to visit in Japan. We were told that, this time, it is coldest in Japan because it is the peak of the winter season.

We were given a shot of anti-flu vaccine because Japan is a flu-free country. The vaccine costs more than a thousand pesos but everything was pre-paid by JICA.

I think we over-reacted by bringing with us several thick winter overcoats which we were forced to leave behind, on our way back home, to reduce the weight of our baggage because a kilo of excess baggage would cost us ¥1,600 (P800).

Jan. 17-18

I bought all the required provisions such as: thermal clothing, winter gloves, lip bum, overcoats and ties, etc. I had my calling cards printed and bought some gift items.

Jan. 19

I made sure that I was at the NAIA 3 hours before boarding time. Minutes before boarding, I called up my wife Jasmin, my daughter Johannie and sent text messages to the three boys (Datu, Jim and Chip). Bai jokingly warned me to avoid a Japayokie (I think mothers should train their daughters to do the jealousy bits for them because this is quite more effective).

We boarded the plane (Japan Airlines) at 3:15 p.m. I really like the Japanese foods and wine served on board. I have particular fondness for “saisake” (rice wine). We arrived at Narita Airport in Tokyo at 7:45 p.m. or exactly 4 hours and 30 minutes flying time. We had to adjust our timepieces one hour earlier because the time difference between Tokyo and Manila is 1 hour.

We were met by a JICA Staff at the airport; after a short briefing and checking of travel papers, we took the bus to the Tokyo City Air Terminal (TCAT) which is more than 100 kms. away. At TCAT, we were met by another JICA Staff.

Boarding 3 limousine vehicles, we proceeded to our hotel - KEIO Plaza Hotel. (I jokingly told Nash that the name of the hotel tells us what people do inside, hehehe!).

Jan. 20

Ms. Ayako Nakano, our guide and interpreter for the whole duration of the study tour, fetched us at 9:00 a.m. and brought us to JICA Headquarters, the Tokyo International Center (TIC). We were told that about 7,000 people attend JICA-sponsored activities every year.

Ms. Nakasato gave us short briefings, checked our papers and told us to fill up some personal data forms.

A Japanese doctor checked our blood pressure and body temperatures. The lady doctor was surprised to find me the coldest participant at 35.6oC. She advised me to drift in warm water for 3-5 minutes upon my return to the hotel.

We were given medical cards that we can use in any hospital in Japan.

A JICA staff briefed us about the City of Tokyo. He told us, among others, about the following: the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, which is 300M high, is the tallest building in Japan; the Shinjuku (where our hotel is located) is the busiest commercial district in Tokyo; Akihabara is the home of cheap electronic gadgets and appliances; Asakusa is the biggest flea market; the Imperial Palace is not open to the public, not even to Japanese people; Emperor Hirohito is sickly, that is why the government declared a no smoking zone within 1 km. around the palace as a matter of respect and reverence for the sick Emperor.

Mr. Matsunaga, Executive Director of JICA met us at 12:30 p.m. and briefed us on what to expect for the next several days until the 27th of January. He emphasized, among others, that the primary objective of the study tour is to finalize the JICA Governance Support for ARMM and to learn from governance experience in Japan.

Jan. 21

Ms. Nakano fetched us from KEIO Plaza Hotel at 9:30 a.m.;

Mr. Matsuoka, Vice Pres. of JICA, sponsored our lunch; he was an upbeat executive with so much to tell about Japan-Philippine cooperation experience.

We met Dr. Alex Brillantes of U.P. He is in Japan as visiting Professor of Kobe University;

We had a tele-conference between JICA-Tokyo and JICA-Manila from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.;

At past 6 p.m., Ms. Kobayashi of the Kokusai Service Agency briefed us on the things that we have to do regarding our return flight to Manila.

At 8:00 in the evening we went shopping around Shinjuku commercial district in Tokyo; I bought a digital camera, wrist watch for my wife, FM Card Radio for my daughter, novelty items for my 3 boys, and some gifts for friends and relatives at home; then, Nash and I went to a restaurant to partake our favorite Japanese food, Japanese green noodles, a soup (I forgot the name) and green tea.

Jan. 22

Ms. Nakano fetched us from Keio Hotel at 9:30 a.m.;

We took a bus to the JICA International Cooperation Office to attend a program;

Atty. Salmani, head of our delegation, gave an opening remarks;

Prof. Katayama of Kobe University and Prof. Temario Rivera of the International Christian University presented the general outline of politics, economy and governance in Mindanao, Philippines;

Dr. Amy Malbun, member of our delegation, presented some of the programs on education in the ARMM.

Ms. Mashako Ishii gave response/remarks to the presentation of Dr. Amy Malbun; she recommended for peace education as a means of confidence-building for the tri-people of Mindanao (Muslims, Christians, Lumads); she also recommended for active inter-phase between the Madaris and the public school system in the ARMM.

Dr. Lampa Pandi, member of our delegation, presented the health programs in the ARMM; Mr. Takahiro Nakashima from the Asia Health Institute, an NGO based in Japan, made remarks and recommendations on the presentation.

Jan. 23

Ms. Nakano fetched us from Keio Hotel at 9:30 a.m.;

But before our departure, Nash and I had a picture-taking outside; we did not stay long outside the hotel because it was too cold; the temperature was 8ºC.

At the Tokyo International Center, Ms. Tanaka, Evaluator of the Cebu SEED Project, presented the project’s activities and accomplishments.

In the afternoon at around 2:00 p.m., we went to the Asakusa (flea market) to buy more gift items; a prominent Japanese Temple is located nearby; I bought a Japanese kimono, shoulder bags, several handkerchiefs, neckties, towels and rice cookies.

Jan. 24

We checked out from Keio Plaza Hotel at 7:00 a.m.; while waiting for a ride, I enjoyed the snow falling like loose cotton balls, walked outside and took pictures.

We took the bus to the Tokyo Station at 8:50 a.m.;

We took the train to Kyoto at 10:06 a.m. and arrived at the Kyoto Station at 12:40 p.m. On board the train was a wonderful experience; the ride was smooth, fast and silent;

Along the way, we saw urban and rural Japan; except for high-rise congested structures that characterize urban Japan, there was not much difference with the rural areas in terms of cleanliness and orderliness; rural Japan is characterized by rampant small villages orderly arranged depicting Japanese discipline all throughout; one can readily tell modern farming practices by the sight of farm machineries, farm structures and on-site farm factories.

At 1:40 p.m., we went on guided tour to visit 3 famous temples in Kyoto; Kyoto was the former capital of Japan; it is the third largest city next to Tokyo and Yokohama; now, it is famous for its historical sites and tourist attractions; we visited the Hai Gian Temple, a Budhhist Temple, and a Taoist Temple; In all these places, the Japanese Garden is a stand-out attraction.

At about 6 p.m., we took the bus to Osaka, arrived at 7 p.m. and proceeded to check-in at Hotel Granvia; it was in Osaka that the famous World Expo was held in 1975.

After dinner, Nash and I went to a coffee shop and spent about 1 hour sharing some experiences and observations; we moved on to watch a live band performance at the Osaka sub-way station.

Jan. 25

We checked out from Granvia Hotel at 8:45 a.m. and took the bus to the famous Osaka Castle;

We had picture-taking around and inside the castle, but we had to respect areas where picture-taking was not allowed; It was a very beautiful castle; I bought a postcard and booklet about the castle; while inside the castle premises, it was incidental that the national Japanese Marathon for Women passed by; the winner will compete in the world Olympics games;

In the afternoon, we went to the Osaka Aquarium; it was a wonderful experience seeing samples of the undersea treasures and creatures of the world;

After we had lunch, we took our famous ride at the TENPOZAN, the biggest ferris wheel in the world; it has a diameter of 112 m. and carries 60 cabs.

At 3:30 p.m. we went to Kobe University to pay courtesy visits to Dean Katayama and Dr. Alex Brillantes; we came to know 3 Filipina students (Gina, Marie and Leah) taking up doctorate degrees; all of them are members of the UP faculty; we went back to Hyogo at past 5 p.m.

We checked in at the JICA International Cooperation Center at Hyogo; we met two Filipino compatriots, Mr. Mariano Rivera Jr. of DOH, Manila and Mr. Asterio Gallardo Jr. of the Philippine Ports Authority based in Davao City; they were also attending a JICA-sponsored training.

Jan. 26

At 8:45 a.m., we checked out of JICA-Hyogo; Nash and I had some picture-taking outside while waiting for the bus; I was really enjoying the cool sunny morning and the beautiful sceneries around.

We took the bus to Kakogawa Plaza and arrived at past 11 a.m.; we were met by Mr. Narao Okada, Executive Director General of the Higashi-Harima District Administration Office; we were presented with the concepts and approaches used in the establishment and operation of the district administration office; then, the strategies and approaches used in the establishment of the Inamino Tameiki Project (water impounding project) was discussed to us showcasing government-community partnership in project implementation, management and operation;

We left at about 3 p.m. and went back to Osaka; we checked in at Rihga Royal Hotel, and had dinner outside; as usual my favorite hang-out, with Nash, is the subway station where we can have coffee and watch a live band performance before retiring to our hotel.

Jan. 27

For the first time we woke up earlier than usual; at 6:30 a.m. most of us were already at the hotel lobby, except that we had to wait for Asec. Kader, as usual. We left the hotel by taxi to New Honkyu Hotel where we had to take a limousine bus to the Kansai International Airport. It was almost 1-hour ride to the Airport which is located more than 3 kms. from the seashore; it was an amazing structure in the middle of the sea;

After alighting from the limousine bus, we took our individual carts, as everyone of us was dangling with baggage; at the entrance we were accommodated by courteous and beautiful airport staff;

It was still more than 2 hours before boarding time, and so, I spent the time going around the airport, mostly at the duty free shop, trying to consume every yen that I have; went to a coffee shop where I met a Chinese lady by the name of Chien Li Huang; she was going back to Guangzou province after a 2-week packaged tour in Japan; then Nash took a picture of me with two beautiful Thai flight stewardesses;

Before boarding, we had to take a mini-cable car to the passenger tube; we boarded the plane (Thai Airways) at 10 a.m. Again, I enjoyed a sumptuous Japanese food on board, but this time, I did not drink saisake. I took Ballantines (recommended by Nash); it was a superb wine with its smooth mellow taste. I think I had drank enough and so I had a good sleep on board the plane; when I woke up it was 30 minutes before landing time, and so, I took advantage of the few minutes left to buy some t-shirts and perfume (on board the plane) to dispose a few dollars.

We landed at NAIA at about 2 p.m.; the Japan experience was a wonderful one; something that I would cherish so much; I would not forget the kind and courteous Japanese people that we met; thanks to JICA, our benefactor; I learned a lot of good things from Japan and its people; I think the study tour was worth every cent spent.

The White Handkerchief

2008-01-17T08:14:00.001+08:00

Short Story

Maugan P. Mosaid, Ph.D.

I was raised in the remotest barrio I can imagine and consider that was circa 1960s. I recall that a team of government workers would often surprise us with their house to house spraying of DDT because malaria was rampant in almost everywhere. That was the time when the forest and cogonal grassland were just nearby. My mother would ask from them a handful of DDT in exchange for a half-dozen eggs that were just taken from the corner. My father used this DDT to spray our tobacco farm because it was found out to be very effective against all kinds of insects, both harmful and useful. Nobody would tell us then that DDT was not ideal for such use because of its harmful effect even to humans when inhaled directly.

Our house was just a box-type enclosure of carefully woven coconut leaves from the walls to the roof and what could be a better flooring than Mother earth herself. I enjoyed running around and playing with children of my age in the neighborhood. Speaking of neighbors, the nearest house is more or less 300 meters away. And so if there were more than ten of us playmates, you would imagine that we came from places within a span of more or less 3 square kilometers.

It was not until 1970s that the Muslims of Mindanao learned to live in clusters in the barrios. We were just happy carefree children who run around without a slipper and most of the time in one piece clothing. At the end of the day, nobody would tell us to wash or clean ourselves before going to sleep. Such was simple living at its simplest. I never heard about toothbrush, toothpaste, bath soap, much more, perfume. All I know was that was the best part of the earth for me. What was simply innocence that time is already the worst form of ignorance to children of today. But I love my innocence. I beg to disagree if you would call that ignorance. Anyway, I know everything that comes to my senses that time. The only thing I cannot imagine was going to school because I have no knowledge of how far was the nearest school.

Then finally a primary school was opened in my barrio in 1960. Next to the Mosque, it was the most beautiful building made of woven bamboo slacks for its walls and galvanized iron for its roof. Inside were wooden benches attached to one another. When one of us is restlessly naughty, the whole group is affected. I recall that I was just barely qualified to enroll in grade one because I could hardly reach my left ear using my right hand extended over my head. (I found out many years later, using the same technique to my son, that it was a reliable way of determining a child’s schooling age). They say that I was the brightest pupil in grade one. By the middle of the year I was promoted to grade two because I can read with understanding the English textbook Pepe and Pilar. And so, I graduated from the primary school in only three years. Yes, there was a primary graduation that time.

After primary graduation, my parents enrolled me to the public central elementary school in the poblacion. For the first time, I saw the so-called outside civilization where houses were so close to one other. I have tasted a cold sweet tasting bottled liquid which they call lemonade. Everything was so new to me. I thought from the first day of class that I will be out of place as I imagined that most of them were brighter than me. By the end of the year, I was among the top five in class, modesty aside. I long to go home during weekends because I miss my playmates and the fresh barrio breeze. I had to hike about four kilometers from the last point where the jeep could bring us from the poblacion to reach our barrio. But I realize that I was luckier than my playmates for having enrolled further into the elementary grades.

Months and years passed and everything around me seems to be moving and changing fast. I was also learning fast to adapt to the so-called civilization. When I was in first year high school in a private sectarian school I could enroll on my own. I don’t want my mother to go with me everytime I enroll. I wanted to prove to her that I was maturing fast to adolescence. And so I believe that I could already manage to do things on my own. I felt that I was already a young man even in my third year in high school. I had learned to feel ‘crush’ everytime I see my beautiful girl. I wanted to court her but I had a problem. I feared the moment that she would turn me down because I was a Moro. I also feared the day that my mother would know that I was courting a ‘kafir ’ (infidel, as they call a non-Muslim) because it was taboo that time. Until late 1960s, marriage between individuals of different religious affiliations was not tolerated by the Muslim culture in our place.

But I was seriously falling for my beautiful girl. And so I wanted to test the waters, so to speak. I wanted to find out her initial reactions. I gathered all the energy that I could muster but my knees would tremble and no words would come out of my mouth. This must be the real love at first sight! After several attempts, it was all the same. There was only one thing that I was progressing through in terms of level of confidence and that I was beginning to feel that the feeling was mutual. She would no longer turn down my invitations for snacks at the canteen. And so we were talking to each other on topics of mutual interest except ‘love’.

Finally, I said the words and expressed how much I love her and she turned around without saying anything. Until we went out of the refreshment parlor she refused to say a word and would not look at me. I must have offended her, so I thought. I don’t want to ask for forgiveness neither would I follow up what I said earlier. Maybe it was just good that I had expressed what I feel for her. Maybe time will decide in my favor. In school, she would try everything to avoid me. I wanted to look at her; she’s the apple of my eyes. I would try anything to corner her until I did finally cornered her. Without much ado, I asked for forgiveness and went back to my old trick to regain her confidence. Several months passed and I was steadfast at winning her heart. “There is no rocky hill to a man with an iron will”. These words from an old sage were all I need to keep me going.

True enough, time was on my side. In our fourth year in high school, it was different altogether. Did the summer vacation made us long for each other? May be so. At last, my diligence finally paid for me. Several weeks before graduation, I heard from her what I had always longed for - a verbal confirmation that the feeling of love was mutual. And so I heard the sweetest words: “yes, I love you too!” What a beautiful world it was for the two of us.

And then, it was graduation day. More than the apprehension that her parents and mine would know about our relationship, and the consequences that would follow, the fear of being separated from each other was a dreadful scenario I would not even dare to imagine. She knew that I could not continue to college and I knew that she would be studying in Manila.

The following day, immediately after graduation, I looked for her. I gathered all the guts I could muster to go to their house. That was the only place I would certainly find her. And so I went to their house and she met me at the gate. We agreed not to mention anything about our relationship so her parents would not sense anything. We were cracking jokes so we would feel happy and comfortable but the fear of being separated was enormous. What else can we do? Finally, we agreed to give each other small tokens that would keep us reminded of each other. We agreed to exchange white handkerchiefs.

In school white handkerchief was a must for every student. It was checked every morning during flag ceremony. We were together the whole day and really enjoyed each other’s company. As the sun was setting, she begged that I would dine with them in the house, which her mother duly seconded. I had already lunched with them and I felt that it was already too much to stay until dinnertime. And so I begged off to just go, saying, that I still had to go home to the barrio, even if I knew that it was no longer possible. The last jeep must have left at 5:00 p.m. We promised to write each other – something that I would deligently check at the Post Office on market days (Thursdays).

In the beginning, we used to exchange letters. She was doing good in her studies in Manila while I was back to my old ways in the barrio: playing with playmates, pasturing the work animals, gathering firewood and helping in our tobacco and corn farms.

Months and years passed and this time, I would no longer received letters from her. In short, our communication was cut. I deserved this, I sighed to myself. I was not going to school; there are boys in Manila who are certainly more good-looking (and good smelling too!); what will she get from me?

Then the armed conflict erupted in Central Mindanao in the early 1970s and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was actively recruiting young and able-bodied boys to join its armed forces. For six years, I had my stint with the MNLF, not because it was my choice, but because I had no choice. My barrio was a favorite battleground between the government and MNLF forces. In 1976 the Tripoli Agreement was signed between the government and the MNLF. For a time there was a lull in the fighting as the formal ceasefire agreement was implemented on the ground several months after.

I felt that this time was a golden opportunity for me to enroll in college but it was not until three years later that I was able to go to college. I asked for some money from my mother so I could finally enroll. She said that she didn’t have any but there was money being saved for the hospitalization of my younger sister. She was having on-and-off fever for several weeks already. I asked my younger sister if I could take two hundred pesos from her savings so I could go and enroll. As a younger sister, she acceded to my request.

I enrolled in the nearest state university where I could possibly be taken as a ‘grant-in-aid’ scholar, a special program of the University for poor and deserving students from the cultural minorities. Three days after, I went back home to see my sick sister. From a distance, as I was approaching the house, I saw an unusual number of people gathered. My God, my sister just died. Oh, I can’t forgive myself. That two hundred pesos I had taken from her savings; maybe that was the reason why she was not brought to the doctor; maybe, that was the reason why she died. I refuse to imagine anything; I felt that I was just slowly melting from where I stood. I entered the house and they were looking for a white piece of cloth. It was the practice to cover the dead person’s face with a white piece of cloth; I remembered the white handkerchief. Oh, what small thing I can do but I was willing to do anything for my sister.

After the seventh day of my sister’s wake, I went back to school. I took up a five-year engineering course. I never imagined anything that would come my way, no matter how hard it was. I only knew that I have to graduate someday. Believe it or not, there were times that I was skipping meals but I don’t want to get affected. “There is no rocky hill to a man with an iron will!”. Finally, after five years, I graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering.

This time, I was not thinking seriously about my ‘beautiful girl’ anymore. I still had the white handkerchief with me, though, it was no longer the usual white that it was before. In the year 2000, the first grand alumni homecoming in the high school where we graduated from was held. The first person I was expecting to see was my ‘beautiful girl’, my high school sweetheart. I really came earlier to check on everyone arriving to make sure that I would not miss her. The thrill of seeing each other after a long, long time is still there but this time it was more for curiosity’s sake. I was already almost twenty years married at this time and I was sure that she must have married also.

Many had already arrived but she was not one of them. Not being able to hold anymore, I asked our classmates. One of them said, “you still did not know that Erlinda died of leukemia a few years back?” “My God, everything in this world will certainly have its own ending,” I murmured. But why should death occur even at the wrong time. My hands slowly drifted inside my pocket to reach out for the white handkerchief. It was already having some stain but to me it was still so white as in the intention that was associated with it was so pure.

For the second time, I felt that I was melting down but I managed to keep my calm. I was unanimously chosen as the Guest Speaker from our batch. I was the next speaker and so I had to keep my composure. After my speech my classmates told me that my speech was so passionate and eloquently personal. Believe it or not, you have just read the rehash of my speech. I would love to tell everyone my real-life experience because to me it was so powerfully inspiring to people who are about to lost hope in everything they had wished for. Not in the case of someone with an iron will and enduring faith in God.

Several months later, I was called up by my brother and told me that our mother was sick. This time, I was already head of a government office. Having little extra resources, I lost not time fetching my mother. I don’t want her to miss the doctor due to my imprudence. On the way, my brother had reminded me several times that I was driving fast. We reached the hospital in due time and I was informed by the doctor that she has hypertension. There was no cause for alarm for as long as medication is maintained. I asked the doctor if we could continue the medication at home. I had a niece who just graduated from a nursing course. I asked her to delay her plan of going abroad so she could keep watch of my mother as all the children were going to school and my wife and I are working with the government. After two months, my niece finally went to work abroad as my mother was already doing well. It was then that I traveled often as required by my job.

One evening, after arriving from Cebu City, my mother requested that we have dinner together. I acceded to her request. After eating, I told her to go to sleep ahead of me as I would be watching TV. She politely acceded. After a few minutes she complained of an intense abdominal pain. I took her to my lap. She stared at me as if she was laboring hard. After few minutes, she had one final look at me as if saying, “probably, this is my last breath”. Indeed, it was. My God, how can I believe that my mother would die when she was declared fine by the doctor. As I felt like I was melting down again, I had only fervently prayed in silence. “My Lord, at last I had one final noble use for the white handkerchief; but this time, it shall rest with my mother; I had enough of its memories; please take care of all the people I have loved and whose memories were directly associated with the white handkerchief, amen.”

Some Options to Overcome the Impasse

2008-01-13T20:27:00.000+08:00

On the stalled GRP-MILF negotiation:

SOME OPTIONS TO OVERCOME THE IMPASSE

Maugan Buat Mosaid, Ph.D.

Brief Background

After the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) signed the Final Peace Agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on September 2, 1996, the next best and most logical thing to do is to negotiate peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). With following and military capabilities more or less equal that of the MNLF, the GRP may have realized that its task of peace-building is never complete if there remains of the Bangsamoro a restless force that has not come to settle peace with the government.

And so on August 3, 1996 Executive Secretary Ruben Torres met MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghadzali Jaafar in Davao and relayed the government’s desire to enter into formal negotiations with the MILF. This was followed by the meeting of the GRP and MILF Technical Committees on January 7, 1997 which marked the start of formal negotiations between the two parties. Subsequent meetings, mostly at the technical level, followed.

The MILF originally proposed nine talking points which were later clustered into six talking points. When the GRP and MILF panels met in Tripoli, Libya in June 2001, this was fine-tuned to three aspects that served as the main agenda for the peace talks. These are: 1) Security, 2) Rehabilitation and Development, and 3) Ancestral Domain. This resulted to the signing of the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001. Thus, the MILF had its own version of the Tripoli Agreement. If the Tripoli Agreement of 1976 served as the framework for the government’s negotiation with the MNLF, the Tripoli Agreement of 2001 served the purpose for the MILF.

The agendum on ancestral domain was further subdivided into four strands, namely: 1) General Concepts, 2) Territory, 3) Natural Resources, and 4) Governance. These four strands were discussed during the 7th exploratory talks (April 2005) and 8rh exploratory talks (September 2005) and the consensus therein shall become the framework within which both panels would be crafting the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain.

Other Frameworks for the Negotiation

There was clear understanding between the two parties with respect to the Tripoli Agreement of 2001 but occasional misunderstandings occur when references were made on some other frameworks for the negotiation. On one hand, the GRP Panel made it a point that it negotiates on the bases of the Philippine Constitution and territorial integrity of the country. Therefore, any agreement shall pass through the usual constitutional processes and any realignment of territorial boundaries shall have to pass through a plebiscite. On the other hand, the MILF Panel insists that its claim for a Bangsamoro homeland was based on an established right to ancestral domain recognized by the Philippine constitution and quest for self-rule based on an established right to self-determination recognized under international law and a duly recognized instrument for peace by no less than the United Nations. In addition, the MILF panel insists that the government shall take into consideration some historical realities related to the Bangsamoro issues on ancestral domain and self-determination.

The following are some concepts and principles on self-determination under international law and practice (as cited by Atty. Musib M. Buat, member of the MILF Panel):

“Self-determination is not a destabilizing concept. Self-determination and democracy go hand in hand, if democracy means the rule of the people, by the people, then the people of self-determination assures that no one people may rule another – and here lies its enduring appeal” (Nadesa Satyendra, 1998);

“The right of peoples to self-determination exists as such in modern international law, with all the consequences that flow therefrom” (Hector Gross Espiell, 1980);

“All peoples have the right of self-determination. By the virtues of that right they determine the political status and freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development” (Article 1.1: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966).

Breakdown of Negotiation

The first major breakdown in the negotiation was on June 1, 2000. Before this, on April 27, 2000, the GRP and MILF panels met in Cotabato City to discuss ways on how to diffuse the tensions brought about by armed encounters between government and MILF forces which started in the Lanao provinces. However, at dawn of the following day the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) attacked Camp Abubakar, the main camp of the MILF. Thus begun the all-out war enunciated by the Estrada administration against the MILF.

The second major impasse was during the 13th Exploratory Talks in September 2006 when both panels could not agree on the delineation and delimitation of territories that shall comprise the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) – the more technical term for a Bangsamoro Homeland. The GRP panel would consider more or less 600 Muslim-dominated villages outside the ARMM while the MILF panel would insist for more than a thousand. These areas are over and above the present areas covered by the ARMM. The other contentious issue was the definition of contiguity.

The third major breakdown in the talks happened on December 15, 2007. Both panels were already in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the supposed 15th Exploratory Talks to fine-tune the consensus points on Ancestral Domain. There was no major debate expected as most of the consensus points were already settled during the 14th Exploratory Talks. All was set for the panels to initial the draft MOA which was calendared for formal signing when the talks resume in January 2008. Then, the MILF panel learned that the GRP panel had inserted in its draft of the Memorandum of Agreement the phrase “in accordance with constitutional processes”. This was vehemently opposed by the MILF panel as this was an insertion – an adulteration of the original draft of the MOA. Not being able to cleanse its copy of the draft MOA, the MILF panel decided that it is no longer feasible to face the other party in the negotiating table. Thus, the talks bumped into another impasse.

How Previous Snags in the Talks were Resolved

The circumstances, as well as the personalities and institutions involved, in the resumption of the talks are important as they give us significant lessons in the peace process. In a way, they serve to guide future actions that will have to be undertaken to put the negotiation back on track. While each particular situation may require distinct creative ways and adept means at a given time, the fundamentals of handling them remain the same.

The first parting of ways in the negotiation was caused by the government’s violation of the ceasefire agreement. Apparently, the government’s armed forces did not give much credence to its peace panel when, despite some consensus reached to diffuse the tension brought about by the armed confrontation that started in the Lanao provinces, it proceeded to attack Camp Abubakar at dawn of June 2, 2000. Immediately, thereafter, the MILF disbanded its panel and withdrew from the talks.

When Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the Presidency in 2001, she sought the assistance of Prime Minister Mahathir to convince the MILF to go back to the negotiation table. After a series of trips by the Malaysian emissaries to the Islamic Center in Camp Rajahmuda, MILF Chair Hashim Salamat agreed to resume talks with the government.

The second impasse was primarily caused by some technicalities in the matter of interpretation of delineation and delimitation of areas that will comprise the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity including some ambiguity on the definition of contiguity.

This time (2004), the coming in of a third party (country) monitoring team composed of representatives from Malaysia, Brunei and Libya was an added dimension. The ‘back-channeling’ efforts from both parties to revive the negotiation was minimized as this was replaced by the so-called ‘shuttle diplomacy’ employed by Malaysia, in particular, as a creative means of convincing the parties to go back to the negotiating table. After a series of shuttling down to Manila and Camp Darapanan, the Parties agreed to attend the 14th Exploratory Talks in November 2007. That proved to be very fruitful as some 29 consensus points, mostly on ancestral domain, were settled.

Then, the 15th Exploratory Talks was set December 15-17 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The MILF panel was in high spirits as it was more of a formality like initialing the draft MOA than talking because everything on ancestral domain had been settled during the previous exploratory talk. Then the MILF panel learned that the GRP panel’s copy of the draft MOA contained the phrase “in accordance with constitutional processes” which it vehemently objected to the point that it did not enter the negotiating room when the GRP panel failed to cleanse its copy. And so the talks bumped into another impasse.

This time the breakdown in negotiation was the making of the GRP panel as obviously influenced by the so-called ‘spoilers’ of the talks. These are people, alleged by the MILF, as well-entrenched in power and having strong influence in national policy and decision-making. They are also thought to be people of the cabinet cluster “E” or the national security cluster.

The Bone of Contentions

First, let us examine the obstructing mechanisms both legal, traditional, historical and behavioral on the part of both parties. Then let us fit them against the facilitating mechanisms in the same aspects and see if some adjustments are possible without causing major shifts in terms of positions or positioning espoused by both parties.

The MILF insisted that the claim for a ‘Bangsamoro Homeland’ is based on an established right to ancestral domain as well as the claim for ‘self-rule’ based on an established right to self-determination. However, some people in government commented that the MILF’s claim for ancestral domain based on some historical antecedents is no longer plausible or logical. So, the first bone of contention, it seems, is the relevance of historical antecedents to the claim for ancestral domain. In our view, the issue of historical relevance would not have been an issue at all because the Philippine Constitution of 1987 recognizes ancestral domain as one of the bases for recognizing minority rights in the Philippines. On this basis alone, the Bangsamoro claim for ancestral domain can be accommodated under the Philippine Constitution in much the same way as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) passed by Congress was anchored on the same principle.

The Philippine Constitution of 1987 recognizes the right of self determination (Art. II, section 7, on State Policies) but unfortunately it has its limiting mechanisms such as the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. One of the justifications for the Philippine’s claim of territorial integrity, with particular reference to historic rights under the 1935 Constitution, was the foreign treaties entered into by the Moro suzerains.

The same Constitution under Article II, Section 1 on Declaration of Principles “…adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, unity with all nations.” This is another restricted principle under the Philippine constitution. As interpreted by the Supreme Court, treaties entered into by the Philippines have the same category as domestic laws and as such like any legislation enacted by Congress, these treaties could be amended. This interpretation runs counter to the principle of pacta sunt servanda whereby the state parties are duty bound to honor their treaty obligations under treaties entered into. Thus, the Supreme Court, in the Bayan case when the constitutionality of the VFA was raised, sustained the principle of pacta sunt servanda under international law. This was the reason why the MILF Peace Panel during the resumption of he peace talks in Tripoli, Libya registered its objection to use the Philippine constitution as the framework of negotiation. The MILF Panel preferred the adherence by the Parties on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the internationally recognized Human Rights instruments in defining the relations between the Philippine Government and the Bangsamoro people with respect, among others, to their fundamental right to determine their future political status, which specifically refers to the right to self-determination (Atty. Musib M. Buat, 2007: Right to Self Determination).

As early as April 2005, the Government of Republic of the Philippines (GRP) through its peace panel, has offered the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) a federal state but the latter rejected it, saying the government is not in a position to offer much less grant it. The offer was contained in a document submitted to the MILF peace panel during the 7th GRP-MILF Exploratory Talks in Guoman, Port Dickson, Selangor, Malaysia.

However, the MILF’s rejection of the offer of a federal state should be put to context. The MILF viewed this as a ‘trick’. Knowing the propensity of the GRP panel to invoke the constitution whenever confronted with issues of constitutional concerns, how can the government grant something that is non-existent in the constitution? It means that the offer is only as good as when the constitution is amended and the form of government changed. Otherwise, this is tantamount to having made no offer at all. With the present Senate, any proposal to amend the constitution is next to impossible; at least, not before 2010. Must we wait after 2010 for the talks to resume? While this is possible, the danger of prolonged negotiation is the so-called ‘negotiation fatigue’.

From the looks of it, the MILF would stand pat on its position to pursue the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) with all presently-Muslim-dominated villages in Mindanao to compose it and have it governed by the shariah. Defining the extent of the BJE, although already a contentious issue, would not be as complicated as implementing the shariah en toto in this part of the country. Physical mutilation, under the shariah, is allowed as a form of punishment but same is not allowed under the Philippine Constitution. This was the reason why the so-called shariah being implemented under Presidential Decree No. 1086 was only limited in its application to Muslim personal laws (civil law) such as family relations, inheritance and succession.

Is there a Way to Meet Half-Way?

Maybe there is, maybe none. It all depends on the two sides whether they agree to a solution. Maybe the first option is to meet half-way or examine the primary agenda in the negotiation if it is possible to make some adjustments to meet half-way. By this, we mean that both parties are willing to drop some to gain some. For example, the primary reason why negotiation between the GRP and the MILF was made possible was because the GRP offered not to use the Philippine constitution as the benchmark for the negotiation which the MILF reciprocated by dropping the issue of independence as one of the subjects for negotiation.

The primary issue has been whether or not the GRP would allow some extra-constitutional means to address the issues surrounding the negotiation. Whether this is settled or not, there is still a way out so that negotiations don’t get stuck to where it has bunged. For example, determining the extent of the territorial boundary of the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) should not be a problem because it was already clear that only presently-Muslim-dominated villages would be absorbed into the BJE. If we are to assume that no Bangsamoro is opposed to the MILF-sponsored idea of creating the BJE, then a plebiscite or referendum becomes moot and academic.

Second, if we take recent pronouncements from the GRP and the MILF, there seems to be some reasons to be optimistic for the talks to resume. Muhammad Ameen, chairperson of the MILF Central Committee Secretariat, stressed the need to correct false impression or accusation that the MILF does not want the government to undertake constitutional processes to implement any peace deal with the MILF. He said “the government can undertake all constitutional processes it wants, provided [it does] not derogate what the Parties have jointly ‘crafted, agreed and signed’ in the negotiations. He stressed further that what the MILF cannot agree to is that it takes part in those constitutional processes, citing six reasons for it:

1. All negotiations to resolve sovereignty-based conflicts all over the world such as those in Kosovo , Ireland , Bougainville, Aceh , Sudan , Western Sahara , and many others are extra-constitutional in character. The one with the MILF is not an exception;

2. The MILF is a revolutionary organization, or in plain words, a rebel, which necessarily does not recognize the Philippine Constitution; otherwise, to do so would be tantamount to agreeing to become and [be] considered “criminals”;

3. The Philippine Constitution represents the interests of the majority, who are Christians, short-changing or undermining that of the Moros and other indigenous tribes. The Constitution always favors the greatest majority, because they were the framers, interpreters, and implementers;

4. To allow itself to be bound by constitutional process, aside from the foregoing reasons, the MILF virtually allows itself at the tyranny of the Philippine Government in [the] matter of interpretation and implementation of any peace deal;

5. The MILF will not and will never repeat the blunders committed by the MNLF and Chairman Nur Misuari of negotiating within the framework of the Philippine Constitution. After more than ten years since the signing of the GRP-MNLF Final Agreement in 1996, the MNLF and Nur Misuari are back to square one as far as the genuine resolution of the Moro Problem is concerned. Instead of giving genuine self-governance to the Bangsamoro People, they are being integrated into the national body politic, reminiscent of the government approach in the 50s and 60s; and

Today, there are enough models of resolving sovereignty-based conflicts which the government and the MILF can study and possibly adopt any of the appropriate model to the satisfaction of the Parties and other stake-holders. The international community must play an active role in this undertaking.

Third, the issue of whether or not the MILF gained some semblance of ‘status of belligerency’ keeps coming back. The mere fact that the GRP had initiated a formal negotiation between the Philippine state and the MILF is an affirmation of this reality. Negotiation of this breadth and specter necessitates that there must be at least two parties of equal footing facing each other on the negotiating table. While recognizing a status of belligerency for the MILF, the Philippine government can maintain that the issues or problems are internal in nature and sovereign in character. When the MILF agreed to drop the issue of independence, the territorial integrity of the country was already assured.
Fourth, the GRP, in initiating the formal negotiation, has already set aside the Philippine constitution as benchmark for the negotiation which the MILF reciprocated by dropping independence as one of the subjects of the talks. The ball is clearly in the hands of the GRP panel. The moment it goes back to re-assume its original position, negotiation can proceed anytime.

Fifth, apparently what is lacking in this case is a strong political will on the part of government and principled negotiation from both sides. What is obvious is a case of lackadaisical attitude on the part of government and maybe occasional enthusiasm that only shows every-time there is an impasse. On the part of the MILF, some extra effort to stretch its patience will help. For example, while the GRP panel’s copy of the draft MOA on ancestral domain was adulterated by a proposal to subject it to ‘constitutional process’, the MILF panel could have tried to do some bargaining efforts as in ‘hit and miss’ kind of thing. Having tried would have mattered more than not having tried at all.

Lastly, it might help to reconstitute the membership of the GRP panel. Secretary Eduardo Ermita was not able to bring the GRP-MNLF negotiation to a conclusion. It was Ambassador Manuel Yan who had successfully brought the negotiation to a close. This time, some quarters are beginning to doubt Secretary Rodolfo Garcia’s ability to steer the GRP-MILF talks to its conclusive phase.

What made the difference, if any, among these people? Well, all of them were former military men, except that Manuel Yan was a military-man-turned-diplomat. Diplomats have greater advantage in the art of negotiating than military men who had not experienced the art of diplomacy. If we are to take this notion, then Ambassador Roy Cimatu makes a good replacement for Secretary Rodolfo Garcia. Also, instead of Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, somebody else, a prominent lawyer who would, in a way, represent the ARMM, shall be allowed to replace him. The MILF might, also, consider reconstituting its panel of negotiators. While it may be argued that the negotiators are not the problem, bringing in some fresh minds into the negotiation may help as some of the old buddies may have already been experiencing negotiation fatigue.

Presently, the government Peace Panel is composed of Secretary Rodolfo Garcia (ret. Gen.), Prof. Rudy Rodil, Atty. Leah Armamento, Atty. Sedfrey Candelaria, Sylvia Paraguya, Secretary Nasser Pangandaman and Ryan Mark Sullivan.

On the MILF side are Mohagher Iqbal, Atty. Lanang Ali, Atty. Michael Mastura, Atty. Musib Buat, Maulana Alonto, and Abdulla Camlian, head of the MILF Technical Committee. Also with the group are Mike Pasigan, Amor Pendaliday, and Mohajirin Ali.
For principled negotiation and determined negotiators, any conceivable means is worth trying and all possible options are worth considering, if only to make it proceed. The talks, for whatever level it has reached, has already achieved so much that nobody could imagine such gains would go to naught because nobody tried enough to salvage it from vanishing into, probably, oblivion.

High Hopes for Year of the Rat

2008-01-01T20:01:00.000+08:00

Maugan Buat Mosaid, Ph.D.

Again, the New Year tradition of predictions and fortune-telling comes to the fore as people expect some changes for the better in their lives and career. Some express them in the form of new year resolutions which are mostly stern promises of leaving bad habits behind with the outgoing year . Others want to be guided by the more conventional art of knowing the things and events that are yet to come, i.e. through feng shui, astrology, tarot cards, etc. (I would still refer to these media of predicting the future as more of an ‘art’ than scientific as there is yet no means for an empirical inquiry to prove them through and through). Still others, the more pious ones, resort to prayers as it is still the best means to shape up the future the way it should be through Divine intercession.

Equally fascinating and worth mentioning are the thoughts posted by two unassuming intellectuals who hid their identities under the following: Toyskie: “More interesting than predictions for 2008 is the list of predictions for 2007 that came true and another list for those that did not. I wonder which list is longer. Perhaps another little research on feng shui’s batting average is called for at this time.” And Maxim: “Feng shui, astrology, tarot cards, etc. have become interesting media for predictions, though I consider them as more of an art than scientific. As an art it has drawn many enthusiasts and adherents for the intrinsic means by which it is undertaken and for the value attached to it. For its unique system, procedures and technique, the art of prediction or fortune-telling has even develop its own culture that not too many have mastered. Interestingly, it is appreciated more for its ‘hits’ than its ‘misses’. So, regardless of which list is longer, the art will continue to grow in popularity and may even generate more downstream opportunities.”

On the national scene, the following are some of the scenarios foretold by the ‘experts’ in the aspect of predicting/fortune-telling:

On the economy:

1. The economy will be stable; good businesses are food, travel agency, electronics, construction and real estate;
2. The year 2008 will be good for those born in the year of the rat, tiger, dragon and snake;
3. It is good to set out under the sun as it gives so much positive energy for the year 2008;

On politics:

1. There will be a coup for the Senate leadership;
2. Threats for GMA continue but will finish her term until 2010;
3. Women leaders shall be perceived to be powerful and strong;
4. Erap shall continue to be popular among the masses;
5. Noli de Castro will just do some balancing acts to continue to play second fiddle to GMA;
6. Trillanes will continue to be restless and remain a problem of the Arroyo administration;

Sex scandal:

1. One Senator will be involved in a sex scandal;
2. Homosexual relationships will be problematic;

Accidents:

1. Accidents due to landslides will be more this year; some few accidents in water and air transportations will also happen;
2. Traffic accidents due to hotheads will be more in 2008 than past years;

On sports:

1. The year 2008 may not be too good for Manny Pacquiao in terms of his boxing career;
2. Other Filipino boxers, including new ones, will continue to have good boxing career for 2008.

However, on the other side of the euphora for brighter things to come, is the fact that not one of the corrupt, oppressors, and violators of human rights (and minority rights) has come to the fore to say their piece for the new year , which means, that the oppressed has nothing much to expect about in the year 2008. These people, whose fate rests in the hands of the few rich and powerful, are not in a position to try to shape up the future or improve their lot.

There is no need to mention a lot of them but the more prominent ones are: 1) the case of the Sumilao farmers in Bukidnon, who marched to Manila from mid-October 2007 and arrived in early December, or more or less two months of hiking to dramatize their claim to a portion of the 400-hectare farm estate formerly owned by the prominent Quisumbing family but sold to the more powerful San Miguel Corporation; and 2) the case of the Bangsamoro people who are claiming a small portion of Mindanao (once dominated by them) under an established right for ancestral domain which they can call ‘homeland’. Their other wish is that this ‘homeland’ shall be govern by an indigenous system called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) under an established right to self-determination and self-actualization.

The Bangsamoro people have more than dramatize their cause in terms of lives lost and properties damaged when they decided to claim these rights through armed struggle. Now they are anchoring hopes on peaceful means, i.e. the on-going negotiations between the GRP and the MILF but nothing seems to be certain yet as of now.

What is certain is that the GRP-MILF Talk has bumped into another impasse as the GRP panel allegedly reneged in its commitment in the peace process by inserting the phrase: “in accordance with constitutional processes” in its copy of the draft Memorandum of Agreement. This was vehemently opposed by the MILF panel. And when the GRP panel failed to cleanse its copy of the MOA, the MILF panel decided that it is no longer feasible to face the other party in the negotiating table. This was supposed to be the 15th exploratory talks had it pushed through in Kuala Lumpur last December 15-17, 2007.

Thus said, the oppressed Bangsamoro people cannot wish for something better in the New Year or probably in the entire duration of 2008. But the ball is still in the hands of the GRP panel. If it has the political will to return to the unadulterated original draft of the MOA, the MILF panel is more than willing to go back to the negotiating table.

For our part, the lowly Bangsamoro masses, we can only wish that people high up in government, who ‘call the shots’, shall be Divinely inspired to see the wisdom of continuing on with the peace talks. If and when they see the ‘light’, there is still chance for a happy new year, so to speak.

Any agreement between the two parties will not directly bring food to the lowly Bangsamoro’s dining table, but, seeing the talks proceeding through unhampered is enough reason to be happy for the new year because that would mean that peace is still certain even if it does not come too soon.

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Comments
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Maxim, thru email: 01/01/2008; 8:48pm

I do not know when will the GRP stops 'babying' the MILF. Now that the talks has bumped into another impasse Secretary Ermita is istill upbeat at offering a federal state or transforming the present ARMM to a federal state. Did he forget that the same offer was made by the government to the MILF in 2005 and was rejected?

Knowing the propensity of the GRP Panel at using the constitution as convenient shield when confronted with 'unconstitutional' proposals from the MILF, there is more reason to reject a federal state which is non-existent in the constitution.

When will Malacanang begin to appreciate that the Bangsamoro dream is claim for a 'homeland' based on an established right to ancestral domain, and claim for self-rule based on an established right to self-determination?

The offer, it seems, is just another one of a sinister plan to insist on something that the MILF will certainly reject, to make it appear that it is the MILF that is hard to please, albeit, goverment's offer to settle peace.

We reiterate that the clamor of the Bangsamoro is not difficult to understand, rather, it is the goverment's discernible circus acts that is complicating the peace process.

The ARMM: at the Crossroads in the Peace Process

2007-12-28T20:03:00.000+08:00

Maugan Buat Mosaid, Ph.D.

Has anyone pondered on why there was no official representation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as an organic entity in Philippine geo-political structure and the most affected, in the negotiations for peace between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Bangsamoro fronts? Was it assumed to have been taken cared of by the members of the GRP panel? Or, is this necessary at all?

As a juridical entity, having distinct personality and life of its own, the ARMM must assume position in the negotiations for peace, and therefore, it deserves a seat in the GRP Peace Panel. The ARMM is being run by more than 10,000 strong personnel and their well-being must be considered in the ‘talks’ through their legitimate representative. Such well-being cannot just be resigned to fate or be decided upon with impunity by any of the parties.

The invitation for ARMM Regional Gov. Datu Zaldy Puti U. Ampatuan to participate in the review of the 1996 GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in November 2007 underscored the importance of ARMM’s visible role in the peace process. This role for ARMM should have been engaged at the start of negotiations. The ARMM (and SPDA) was made part of the concessions for the MNLF yet it was not given the chance to speak up for itself. The Lumads, too, have been clamoring for substantial participation in the peace process.

Whatever the ARMM does produces ripples that affect the peace process. On the part of the Bangsamoro, they will always look at the ARMM as an important instrumentality of the government. When it shows only dismal performance, it becomes a good example of blame for the half-cooked autonomy that it has been. Likewise, the ARMM’s participation (or non-participation) in the peace process will be seen as a measure of how the GRP affords its regard (or disregard) of this autonomous government. Simply stated, the ARMM, for whatever it is (or has been) is the peace process being rendered in practicum in the Bangsamoro homeland, and therefore, its success or failure has so much bearing on the peace process.

It was awful to note how both parties seem to downplay the importance of ARMM’s participation in the peace process. The present leadership of the ARMM cannot be faulted for getting such trivial treatment. In his first and second SORA (state of the region address) Regional Governor Datu Zaldy U. Ampatuan expressed goodwill to support the peace process between the GRP and the Moro fronts – something too important to remain as lip-service.

What could be the reason for such superficial treatment?

On the side of the MILF, it may be due to the fact that it did not recognize the ARMM’s existence from the very beginning. It has never demanded for an autonomy like the ARMM nor was it a party to its creation. The irony is that it is difficult to distinguish the MILF’s constituents from ARMM’s constituents that it serves or has been serving for the past 17 years.

On the side of the GRP, it may be due to the fact that the President of the Philippines exercises authority and supervision over the ARMM, and therefore, there is reason to take for granted ARMM’s participation in the negotiation, or if ever necessary, this can be articulated by the members of the GRP panel. That, of course, is hypothetical. Be that as it may, it is not always right to assume that a mother can always speak up for her daughter even if she knows her too well.

The prospect of signing a GRP-MILF agreement on ancestral domain looms and the ARMM, over and above other Muslim-dominated villages that may be included in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), is part and parcel of the coming agreement. As to how the Muslim-dominated villages (outside ARMM) and the present ARMM would be merged, given the present organic act (RA 9054) and the 1996 Peace Accord, is not yet clear. What is clear is that the ARMM is in the pipeline for a possible concession to another party, the MILF. And (again) it has to concede in silence.

How would this be reconciled with the 1996 Final Peace Agreement? While it is always possible to pass another organic act to amend RA 9054 it is not prudent to pass a law amending the 1996 Final Peace Agreement at a time when the MNLF (the first concessionaire of the ARMM) is clamoring for more substantial implementation of the 1996 Accord. The other point is that the ‘Agreement’ was a product of bilateral efforts between two parties while a law can be a solitary act of Congress, and therefore, a law amending a bilateral agreement is ridiculous and absurd.

But why was the first concessionaire of the ARMM seems to be booted out of its supposed political turf when, as agreed, the passing of an organic act expanding the area of coverage of the ARMM would take care of Phase 2 of the Agreement?

The reality is that RA 9054 has to operate, inclusive of whatever shortcomings it has, as the MNLF would admit later. The qualification for Regional Governorship and Vice Governorship of the ARMM is very basic: among others, one does not have to be an organic member of the MNLF to be eligible to run for these positions. Was this overlooked if the spirit and intent of expanding the ARMM was to give way for the MNLF, as a concessionaire, to exercise and express some semblance of political right over the ARMM? Maybe not, but because the MNLF’s participation in the crafting of RA 9054 was only limited to a certain extent, then Congress, where the tyranny of numbers sometimes prevail, did not have much time to peep deeper into that ‘hole’. If the ARMM, that time under the stewardship of MNLF Chairman and Gov. Misuari, did more than enough to lobby for critical concerns that will have to be incorporated into the law, RA 9054 may be a little bit different or slightly better from the point of view of the MNLF.

The MNLF could not be caught up in the process with its pants down because there was enough time to lobby and Nur Misuari’s joining the government was a priceless break for Pres. Ramos at that time. In other words, there was good opportunity for the MNLF to do what would have been done to shape up RA 9054 the way it should be. In fact, the scheduled elections for the ARMM at the end of the term of Regional Governor Misuari in 2001 have been postponed twice to make sure that the amendatory law comes out in the incumbency of Chairman Misuari. Until the holding of the plebiscite for RA 9054 in August of 2001, the MNLF was silent on the law or nothing much was said against it.

Then the election for the ARMM came in November 2001 and the erstwhile Foreign Relations Minister of the MNLF, Dr. Farouk Hussin, was elected Regional Governor. When the Hussin administration was lurking in power under RA 9054, it was only all praises for the law. Matter of fact, his preface in the reproduced copy of RA 9054 was an all-out expression of gratitude and high expectations for what the law can do for the constituents of ARMM. But upon exit of the Hussin administration (in the later part of 2005), the MNLF began to sound off disgusts and came out with the opinion that RA 9054 did, in fact, violated the 1996 peace accord. RA 9054, the MNLF retorted, was not the answer to Phase 2 of the Agreement.

What about the on-going peace process with the MILF? The MILF hopes to be different in some respects. With so much to learn from the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement, it is in a better position to sign a ‘superior’ agreement. Mr. Mohagher Iqbal, Chair of the MILF Peace Panel, stressed the following points: “If the MILF enters into a peace agreement with the Philippine government, there will be three major points where we differ [from the MNLF]:”

“Difference in approach: Under the MNLF peace agreement, Misuari gave so much emphasis to foreign participation, i.e. the involvement of the OIC. In our case, though we welcome the OIC and other Muslim states, we can pursue peace talks on our own because we emphasize internal factors.”

“Different political approach, especially on the question of territory. MNLF asked for 14 provinces and 10 cities. [The] MILF does not give so much emphasis on autonomy. It seeks to establish an independent Islamic Government in areas where Muslims are predominant.”

“On plans to develop and uplift the living conditions of the Muslims: [In the case of the MNLF] projects for the development of Muslims, Highlanders and Christians were conceptualized only after the signing of the [final peace] agreement. Under the MILF, we are already involving them with some livelihood and development projects in order to uplift their living conditions even before we have entered into an agreement with the GRP. This is because we give more importance to self-reliance, to internal factors rather than external ones, especially aid.”

The MILF has a more conservative approach in the peace negotiation than the MNLF. While the GRP’s integrative approach was accepted by the MNLF, the same strategy may not work with the MILF. The MILF position that it negotiates within the framework of self-determination and historical realities seems non-negotiable. Though it welcomes the participation of the OIC and some Muslim States, the MILF is cautious at being persuaded to soften its stand on fundamental issues.

On the other hand, the GRP Peace Panel has been consistent in its stand: First, it cannot negotiate outside the framework of the Philippine Constitution, for if it does, it ceases to be a legitimate representative of the Philippine government. Second, any realignment of geo-political territorial boundaries shall have to be sanctioned by Congress and pass a plebiscite. We know that these are distasteful to the MILF.

We have seen how occasional impasse in the negotiation occurs and this happens when two parties have seemingly irreconcilable frameworks for the negotiation. Despite all these, it was interesting to note that the peace process has been progressing through. Though painstakingly slow, it is enough that both parties talk and do not cease at finding creative ways and adept means to resolve the issues. This time, the agility of both parties shall be put to test again as both camps turn their backs against each other at the resumption of talks in Malaysia in December 2007 due to the GRP Panel’s insertion of the phrase ‘in accordance with constitutional processes’ in the draft Memorandum of Agreement. The GRP Panel believes that the proposed Bangsamoro juridical entity [or homeland] be subjected to a plebiscite which the MILF panel vehemently opposed. Thus, the talks bumped into another impasse! For how long will the talks stay in this situation? Nobody can tell.

Maybe there are a few people who must have sighed in relief and considered this a ‘break’ rather than an impasse. If ever, this can only come from people organic to the ARMM who would rather see and feel some sense of comfort at such a situation than see ARMM’s fate being decided upon with such impunity.

But for all we know, this lull maybe a blessing-in-disguise as this could be an opportunity to contemplate on whether or not to allow ARMM’s more concrete participation in the peace process. The ARMM already missed a good point in the crafting of RA 9054. It must not miss another good point this time around.

As it is, the ARMM is completely expressionless under situations of an ‘agreement’ and ‘disagreement’. It hangs in suspended animation anticipating the next scenarios that unfold before its very eyes and wish that the ‘new occupants of the house’ shall be kind to its lowly ‘residents’.

Before two contending powerful forces where there is no way out, one can only resign its outcome to fate. A law in Physics states: “When an irresistible force meets an immovable object, something has to give up”. When such a situation comes (and we pray it won’t), we hope it is not the ARMM that will have to give up all the modest treatment and respect that it deserves from both parties.

Comments

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Dear Max:

Salam my brother! No doubt you are still a good writer and keeping abreast of the situation. I thank you for sharing me your thoughts on fundamental major issues affecting Mindanao especially the on-going Peace Negotiations which is a must for us stakeholders in Mindanao. However please allow me to make my personal comments on the matter.

First: I think the ARMM in the past has always been considered the by-product of the negotiation, the MNLF always claiming to be the representative of the Bangsamoro people, and now the MILF, forgetting to the point of being oblivious to the fact that they are just wanting to represent us and we are their real principal, therefore, their authority is revocable by the principal if and when necessary;

Second: The crafting of R.A. 9054. Actually the procedure for lawmaking has been properly observed. Congress has to pass it as the implementing instrument for the 1996 FPA between the GRP and the MNLF. Said law is a much better law than RA 6734, the original Organic Act, because Congress sought to improve some of the weak points in the old law, and further it incorporated many provisions of the FPA, and consultations were done even down to the Provincial level, and lawyers who were representing the MNLF were around in several occasions. Maybe they were not able to get all that they wanted, but honestly it is a beautiful and powerful law if powers are properly exercised. Maybe we should ask ourselves: was it a question of the grant of power or the exercise of that power?

Third: Secretary Dureza has always considered ARMM as a major part of the implementing mechanism in the continuing implementation of the 1996 FPA, hence the ARMM Officials were invited to the Jeddah conference last Nov. 10 to 12, 2007. However, ARMM should take it upon itself to strive harder in the delivery of basic social services, so it will merit the attention that it so deserve, because you cannot demand respect, it should be earned.

I think we have covered a lot this time. Keep in touch. Thanks and Salam.

Atty. Nabil A. Tan
Undersecretary, OPAPP

Reply
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Sir:

Alaykomis Salam..

Thanks for the deep thoughts you accorded my article. I do not rebut the 3 points you expounded; they are very well said, and you were in a more vantage position than me when those events unfolded. True, the ARMM was a by-product of all these peace processes (from the RCC to the MNLF to the MILF), but I just feel that the ARMM, being a juridical entity that has now come of age, should be accorded some sense of responsibility to take action when its very existence is touched. The ‘heads’ of the house come and go but there are permanent ‘residents’ inside.

I agree that it (the ARMM) may have indeed lack assertiveness but I feel some sense of guilt if I continue to stay on the sideline and be just one among the passive majority who would rather confine themselves to their own 'comfort zones'. You are closer to the powers-that-be, and again, you are in a more vantage position to articulate things for 'others' when we feel that they cannot or lack the agility to do so.

You would recall when you asked me to write a speech that you had to deliver for a group of Rotarians (or Masons?) in Manila (in 2003). I mentioned, among others, that one of the inherent weaknesses in the GRP-MILF peace overtures was the absence of a third party (country) monitoring team. My Brother, somebody in the group must have listened so intently and found a way to bring our message across to the core of the decision-makers, and ergo, there is the IMT. And it is doing well.

Good luck Sir!

Brother MAX

Questions on the GRP-MNLF Accord of 1996

2007-12-24T20:48:00.000+08:00

Maugan Buat Mosaid, Ph.D.

Eleven years after its signing, the GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement of 1996 generated more questions than answers. Whatever happened to it now? Did it fail or was it designed to fail? Is it still in the process of implementation or has it reached a dead-end?

In the beginning many Bangsamoro pinned so much hope in the agreement as something that would improve their lives or at least the start of better things to come. No less than the OIC expressed so much optimism when it said: “The 1996 peace agreement is the just, comprehensive and lasting fulfillment of the Filipino Muslims’ quest for effective autonomy and meaningful self-determination under the Philippine Constitution.”

But after all these years, the Philippine government and the MNLF are consistently making two different versions of the status of implementation of the agreement. On one hand, the government says the provisions of the agreement have been substantially implemented in “letter and spirit”. On the other hand, the MNLF claims that the substantial provisions of the agreement had not been implemented which was the reason why the MNLF had insisted that the implementation be reviewed with the participation of the Organization of Islamic Conference. In November 2007 the review did take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and per newspaper account, the outcome was the same: there were two different versions of the status of implementation of the agreement claimed by the two sides.

All along, the status of implementation of the GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement bred some questions like the following:

Who is telling the truth?

Several studies and commentaries had been made to this effect to understand the real status of implementation of the agreement as well as its impact on the lives of people who were supposed to benefit out of such undertaking. Examples of these studies were those of the OIC, Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID), and Institute of Autonomous Governance (IAG).

These studies, though not categorical, all pointed to the failure in the implementation of the agreement in its “letter and spirit”. Some of the specific important provisions which were allegedly unimplemented are: non-implementation of the Regional Security Forces, meager financial resources allotted to the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (as if it was designed to fail), non-pursuance of the proposed mini-marshal plan for Muslim Mindanao, superficial accommodation of qualified Muslims in the cabinet or cabinet-ranked positions, dis-enfranchisement of the MNLF in the expanded ARMM (RA 9054). Where indeed lies the problem?

Is it the Failure of the GRP to Implement Important Provisions of the Agreement?

The government claims that after the signing of RA 9054 and the subsequent plebiscite, it has started its commitment to the agreement and after 10 years the implementation is as good as completed. In many instances that the GRP had to make its report of accomplishment, there was no mention of how to pursue the remaining unimplemented provisions of the agreement.

Or is it the Inability of the MNLF to Implement Effective Administration and Governance?

The government claims that the administration of the ARMM by the MNLF was characterized by absenteeism, neglect and some allegation of corruption and that Nur Misuari had been passive and did not exercise adequate responsibility to govern well. The government claimed further that the peace agreement was supposed “to build institutions for peace rather than personalities and so despite Nur Misuari the implementation must go on.” It is this perception that divided the MNLF and the eventual incarceration of its Chairman, Nur Misuari.

The MNLF would counter that it is the lack of power and non-implementation of important provisions of the agreement that renders it inutile.

Is it Inadequacy of Resources or Mismanagement of Resources?

The government says that from 1996 to 2000 the total amount of funds released for various programs and projects in the ARMM and the SPCPD has reached P67.7 billion. Though this might have been true the MNLF claimed that the greater bulk of these funds were regular national government assistance that had been earmarked for the ARMM even without the Agreement. There were only meager funds generated by the Peace Agreement if the tasks of re-integration, rebuilding and reconstruction were to be considered.

Is it the built-in weaknesses/defects in the Agreement itself?

That the agreement does not have built-in power to effect good governance and social change may not be good reasons why such concerns were not substantially pursued. After all, the peace pact does not implement itself but by adequate policy support, timely provision of resources, effective delivery mechanism, and above all, sincerity in the commitment that the peace agreement succeeds.

Is it Misinterpretation of the Agreement?

How was the mineral resources understood by the GRP and the MNLF? What about the so-called “Mini-Marshall Plan”, provisional government and security? Any differences in the interpretation of the agreement, if ever, shall be resolved in the light of the Philippine Constitution and existing laws (par 153, FPA) or shall be resolved by the tripartite committee and that any unilateral act is deemed illegal.

So, where did it go wrong? Is it partly or all of the above?

These are various schools of thought, perceptions, speculations in the light of what many sectors consider failure of the GRP-MNLF agreement to deliver what was expected of it in the beginning.

The MNLF-GRP peace accord is a very important document in more ways than one.
First, it is an agreement duly facilitated and witnessed by the international communities which is morally binding for both the MNLF and the government to enforce. There has never been an agreement of that stature in our immediate past history. It was considered by the OIC as a just, comprehensive and lasting fulfillment of the Filipino Muslims’ quest for effective autonomy and meaningful self-determination under the Philippine constitution.

Second, the same agreement could have been a source for peace in Mindanao. With all the splendor, fame and special attention given to it by the Ramos administration and the international donor institutions it was such a powerful document that could have made a difference in terms of drawing the MNLF combatants into the mainstream social and political milieu.

Third, it has become an acid test to the sincerity and political will of the government in waging peace in Mindanao. Apparently, it fell short of this expectation. Is the government interested only in signing agreements and not in peace?

Fourth, it is also a barometer whether an agreement becomes successful when it is confined to the ambit of the constitution, especially in a one nation state where the fate of the minority is at the mercy of the majority.

And fifth, it could have become a good term of reference for the next best thing to do, i.e. to negotiate with the MILF.

The MNLF, at least many of its members, strongly believes that had the agreement been fully implemented in its entirety, it could have spelled the difference in the lives of the Bangsamoro or at least that is what they thought. And that is not impossible.

The agreement may not be the end all solution to the centuries-old problems in the Bangsamoro homeland, but given adequate resources, power, determination and capacity, it can indeed make a difference and it may not have caused the internal conflict in the MNLF, the incarceration of its chairperson and the problems it all created.

A Food for thought

Studies show that the most critical years immediately after signing an agreement or end of conflict is the first 1-5 years. Many countries experienced recurrence of violence within this time when things are not properly handled. Debate within the rebel front happens but it is a part of re-integration and reconstruction.

This should not be fueled by government to divide the group. It happened in the MNLF case and there was strong suspicion that National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales had a hand in the division of the MNLF. During this time, the so-called 15-man Council was formed with the expectation that it will regenerate the diminishing integrity of its Chair Nur Misuari.

If the division was deliberately influenced by some personalities in government, it achieved its purpose in terms of sowing confusion within the MNLF ranks and discrediting its key leaders.

If the government had been sincere it could have taken extra step to refer the issues to the OIC to prevent what had happened. Had the tripartite committee met earlier, it could have been a different story.

Is there a way out?

The long overdue way is to talk; the tripartite meeting could have been convened much earlier. Unfortunately, it took years before the government realized the urgency of this move or only after the damage had been done. One thing is clear: the government has been only occasionally enthusiastic in the implementation of the agreement while all throughout it has been passive.

“There is no more use crying over spilled milk”, as the saying goes, but what happened to the MNLF-GRP agreement has already become a lesson learned. As wise people say, “it is unforgivable stupidity to get bitten by a snake twice in the same hole”.

Implications of the GRP-MNLF Peace Talks

The MILF, in their peace talks with the government, has become extra cautious in striking a deal with the latter. In their view, this government has not learned the art of implementing agreements as shown by the GRP-MNLF agreement of 1996. The sincerity and political will of this government is at stake. This, in a way slowed down and made the process more difficult for the MILF and the GRP.

On the other hand, a successful implementation could have produced a positive impact on the GRP-MILF talks, on the lives of the people and on the over-all peace and security of the region. Successful implementation could have also won the sympathy of foreign countries like the OIC and the international development institutions to help provide necessary development assistance in various forms.

But, as of now, the government and the MNLF did not err in their prediction that “failure of implementation could lead to a continuing armed conflict which in the long run will debilitate the strength and resources of the nation”.

Some Ramifications of the GRP-MILF Peace Process

2007-12-20T17:03:00.000+08:00

Maugan Buat Mosaid, Ph.D.

The GRP-MILF Peace Agreement, when it comes, should be something different. First, the GRP is not expected to renegotiate what was already ‘settled’ with the MNLF. Second, there is much to learn from the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement from inherent flaws in the document itself to weak implementing mechanisms.

The GRP missed the point that a satisfactory rating in the implementation of the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement would be a good incentive for the next best thing to do - to negotiate with the MILF. Or, in fairness, this may have been at the back of the minds of people involved in the implementation of the agreement, but only the government was less sincere or less capable, or both, to fully implement all the provisions and requirements of the final peace agreement to a satisfactory level.

What was supposed to come out as a good term of reference for a GRP-MILF negotiation to follow through came out later as good examples to stay away from. But there is no use crying over spilled milk. At this point, it will suffice that the MILF may take cognizance of the following:

1) To be lured into signing an unfunded agreement

The MNLF had to practically mendicate for much needed funds while there was no congressional appropriation to implement the provisions of the Final Peace Agreement. Initially the President’s Social Fund, though meager, had to take care of everything to ‘start the ball rolling.’

It was untenable to think why the funding requirement could be overlooked when Congress has authority to pass ‘continuing appropriation’ that stays on until it is expended.

2) To have an ‘agreement’ that is marred by open-ended provisions

The GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement was marred by open-ended provisions which were all subjugated to the supremacy of the Philippine Constitution and the numbers game in Congress. Commenting on Sen. Miriam Santiago’s proposal to file a complaint against Trillanes’ fiasco at the Manila Peninsula, Sen. ‘Chiz’ Escudero said, “now they don’t have the numbers on their side; something that they had used effectively against us when I was with the lower house.” You can see how the truism of logic can be thwarted, sometimes, by the game of numbers in Congress.

The American Indians got better deals from the US government under some settlements negotiated and granted outside the dominions of Congress and the Federal Constitution. The American Indian Movement (AIM) became very prominent in the late 1950s until early 1960s due to repressive policies begun under the Eisenhower administration.

Apparently, the GRP is not ready to explore extra-Constitutional means and out-of-Congress settlements to address the so-called ‘Mindanao problem’. Instead, the GRP negotiators have effectively used the Constitution and Congress as defense mechanisms whenever it is confronted with ‘controversial’ counter-proposals from the MILF. This can be gleaned from the words of Sec. Silvestre Afable, former Chair of the GRP Panel; “What the MILF wants is not possible to negotiate under the present terms of reference of the GRP peace panel”.

3) The GRP uses ‘sweet and sour’ tactics in the negotiation

The GRP panel is in charge of the ‘sweet’ strategies while the AFP takes charge of the ‘sour’ tactics. Before 2004 and until the assumption of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), batch 2 last year, it has become a pattern that armed confrontations on the ground would always occur a few days before or after the scheduled talks.

The MILF should not show impatience when negotiation is stalled by some critical disagreements or by simple dilly-dallying of the GRP as if it wants an ‘agreement’ more than the government. This is not basketball where the team who is more aggressive to have it is more likely to win the game.

4) Fast-tracking the agreement

The next thing that the GRP impresses upon the MILF is to fast-track the ‘agreement’ because time is of the essence. This was what the GRP did to the MNLF when the negotiation was on the verge of collapsing. The fast-tracking was so fast that the MNLF was mesmerized into agreeing with an ‘agreement’ that was drafted overnight by some Malacaňang boys.

On the resumption of the talks in 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was very optimistic that a final agreement would be signed “soon”. The “soon” overshot two years without significant strides to look upon. As of May this year, three of the four issues on ancestral domain had been resolved. Only the question on territory remained but that proved to be the toughest to hurdle. While both Parties had agreed to the definition on ‘contiguity’ they had not settled on the number of Muslim-dominated villages that would finally comprise the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. The GRP panel would consider more than 600 while the MILF insisted on more than a thousand. This number is over and above the present area of the ARMM.

The issue on territory may have been hurdled if the Philippine government heeded the appeal of the Malaysian talks facilitator Othman Abdul Razak to have a stronger political will to come up with an offer that would satisfy the MILF. Apparently the GRP was not moved by the suggestion as it is not in a hurry to close the deal with the MILF.

What would be there to hurry on, on the part of government, except as an offensive gambit to do a repeat of the strategy used on the MNLF?

5) What about a legislated ‘Bangsamoro Homeland’?

Yes, it might help toying with the idea of a legislated ‘Bangsamoro Homeland’ before signing a final peace agreement to see how sincere and how far the GRP would go.

This is not a political bribe. Following the GRP panel’s consistent stand, any geo-political realignment of territorial boundaries shall have to be sanctioned by Congress.

If Israel can grant a ‘Palestinian Homeland’ amidst a deeply rooted conflict characterized by so much hate and killings, the Philippines, where Muslims and Christians are in talking terms and peaceful co-habitation, is in a better position to do so. Surely, it is not necessary to wait for a similar situation before the same settlement can be made possible.

And when the GRP does the same, there is no missing a good point the second time around – to finally put to rest the ‘Moro uprisings’ in Mindanao which the Spaniards and Americans were not able to contain when they once held political power and control over the Philippine Islands.
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(Cotabato City; December 2007; Email: maxim61156@yahoo.com)

Notes on the Foreign-Assisted Projects in the ARMM

2007-12-20T16:44:00.000+08:00

By: Maugan B. Mosaid, Ph.D.

December 2004, University of Southern Mindanao

INTRODUCTION

Since the ARMM became operational in 1990, the common perception is that it has yet to make strides in terms of showing concrete proof of its existence especially in the aspects of alleviating poverty and improving the living conditions of people in the rural areas. At most, people say, it has only served as a good employment agency for thousands of people working in the bureaucracy as a consequence of several new regional offices devolved and organized.
The questions more often asked were: What was new with ARMM in terms of governance and delivery of basic services? Did ARMM, as a new geo-political subdivision of Philippine bureaucracy, improved upon them? Can we say now, after more than a decade, that the areas under ARMM are better than they were before? Of course, under any given set-up, with or without ARMM, there are always issues and problems that tend to persist. But for the doable ones, the ARMM is expected to show that they are better done with this new geo-political set-up. Otherwise, it will give credibility to the opinion that the areas under ARMM are better reverted to the administrative region where they once belong. This is also to quell the view that the ARMM did not make any difference after more than a decade of existence. In fairness, only a second close look at how governance and delivery of basic services are faring with respect to human, institutional and livelihood development could provide a more credible opinion on the performance of the ARMM.
The process of the national government’s devolution to the ARMM is far from over. In fact, almost every new administration would clamor for more government instrumentalities to be devolved to the ARMM. However, the essence of devolution is more often questioned or set aside. Sec. Boncodin of the DBM cautioned that ARMM does not have to copy everything that is there in the national government set-up. Is it more for the sake of acquiring more offices and employ more people? The former ARMM Executive Secretary, Atty. Nabil Tan, had this to say: “If devolution would facilitate and enhance the agency’s performance of its mandated functions, then we ask for it; but if it is otherwise, or would only inconvenience the concerned clientele, then there is no reason asking for it.” This is no less a classic guideline to rationalize the process of devolution to the ARMM.
Given the reality that more than 80% of the ARMM’s annual budget goes to personal services, or salary of its employees, there is good reason to look at opportunities available in the hands of foreign development institutions. This goes without saying that foreign assistance shall have to stay for good. But for how long, this is quite difficult to tell. Given five (5) of the twenty (20) poorest provinces in the Philippines, the ARMM has a lot of catching up efforts to do. With national assistance coming in trickles, the bulk of the funds outside the ARMM’s budget needed to push rural or country-side development, shall have to come from official development assistance.
This paper does not attempt to present a detailed evaluation on the performance of the ARMM. This is an academic paper constrained by time to be able to do such an in-depth study. Also, as designed, it does not reflect the developmental efforts of the different ARMM Regional Agencies in order to give pure focus and emphasis on the FAPs (foreign-assisted projects) efforts, though, one way or another, these agencies are involved in the FAPs activities. Most of the reference materials used in this discussion paper comes from the Regional Planning and Development Office, Official Development Assistance Unit of the Office of the Regional Governor, operational framework and performance reports submitted by the Foreign-Assisted Projects, and the JICA study on the ARMM. Based on these, the synthesis and analysis were made anchored on some given rural development concepts as defined by the World Bank and ACDA.

THE FAP’s IN THE ARMM: Nature and Scope of Assistance

As of December 2003, there were 46 foreign-assisted projects (FAPs) documented in the ARMM. Thirty four (34) of these are still on-going, 10 have been completed and 2 are still in the pipeline. Those that are still in the pipeline are already covered by project implementation agreements.
Generally, these foreign-assisted projects can be classified according to the type of assistance or sectoral focus that they address, viz: a) Capability Building and Governance, b) Health, c) Economic and Livelihood Enhancement d) Support Infrastructure, e) Gender and Development, f) Peace Initiatives, g) Relief and Rehabilitation, and h) Environmental Concerns.

Hereunder is the classification of these FAPs:

Capability Building and Governance

Title Funding Institution/Implementer

1. Local Gov’t. Support Program CIDA / Project Office on-going
2. Mindanao Basic Urban Services Project ADB / DILG on-going
3. Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services AusAID / DSWD-ARMM completed
4. ECCD Mainstreaming and Institutionalization WB / DSWD-ARMM completed

B) Health

Title Funding Institution/Implementer

5. Enhancement and Rapid Improvement of Community Health USAID / DOH on-going
6. Matching Grant program USAID / DOH on-going
7. Well Family Midwife / Technical Assistance to NGOs USAID / DOH on-going
8. Integrated Family Planning and Maternal Health Program USAID / DOH on-going
9. Fifth Country Program of Assistance UNFPA / DOH on-going
10. GTZ (Provision of Vaccines) Gov’t. of Germany/DOH on-going
11. Malaria Control Program (Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) JICA / DOH on-going
12. Participatory Compre. Health Admin. Promotion (PCHAP) JICA / DOH Yearly training to Japan
13. Follow-up Support Grant (PCHAP-related) JICA / DOH on-going
14. In-Country Training Program (PCHAP-related) JICA / DOH on-going
15. Women’s Health and Safe Motherhood Project ADB/EU/WB/AusAID/DOH on-going
16. Fifth Country Program for Children UNICEF / DOH on-going
17. Family Planning and HIV/AIDS Prevention KFW / DOH on-going
18. Hospital Development in Tawi-Tawi Austrian Gov’t./DOH on-going
19. Hospital Rehabilitation and Improvement in Maguindanao Japanese Embassy/DOH on-going
20. Polio Eradication WHO / DOH on-going

C) Economic and Livelihood Enhancement

Title Funding Institution/Implementer Status

21. Training for Rural Economic Empowerment ILO / RCBW completed
22. Training for Rural Economic Empowerment ILO-USDOL / TESDA on-going
23. Agri-Fishery Based Livelihood and Economic Enterprise LGSP-CIDA / DTI-ARMM on-going

D) Support Infrastructure

Title Funding Institution/Implementer Status

24. Agrarian Reform Support Program ADB/EU / DAR-ARMM on-going
25. ARMM Social Fund Project IBRD/OPEC / Project Office on-going
26. Mindanao Roads Improvement Project, Phase 1 Saudi Fund for Devt/DPWH pipeline
27. Mindanao 2nd Roads Improvement Project KFAED / DPWH on-going
28. Mindanao 6th Road Project (Bridge Component) ADB / DPWH on-going
29. President’s Bridge Project (SALAM Bridge, Phase 1&2) UK/Austrian Gov’t./ DILG on-going
30. Core Shelter Assistance UNDP / DSWD-ARMM pipeline
31. Upgrading of Hospitals in Sulu and Basilan Phil-Canada Devt. Fund on-going
32. Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project ADB / DOH on-going

E) Gender and Development

Title Funding Institution/Implementer Status

33. Muslim Mindanao Women Development Program The Asia Foundation/RCBW on-going
34. Gender and Development Mainstreaming in the ARMM ILO / RCBW completed

F) Peace Initiatives

Title Funding Institution/Implementer Status

35. Bangsamoro Women Peace Conference UNMDP3 / RCBW completed
36. Children’s Congress for Peace and Development UNICEF / DSWD-ARMM completed
37. PDC’s Strengthening and Partnership Building UNMDP3 on-going
38. PDC’s Multi-Donor Program Phase III UNFPA / DOH on-going

G) Relief and Rehabilitation

Title Funding Institution/Implementer Status

39. Relief Operations and Rehabilitation of IDPs MSF/ACH / DOH completed
40. Community Organizing Among IDPs CFSI / DOH completed
41. Water and Sanitation Project in PDCs OXFAM/MOVIMONDO/DOH on-going
H) Environmental Concern

Title Funding Institution/Implementer Status

42. Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Conservation WB / MRDP on-going
43. Kabulnan Watershed Rehabilitation Subproject JBIC / DENR on-going
44. Kabingaan Mangrove Rehabilitation Subproject JBIC / DENR on-going
45. Small Water Impounding System Subproject JBIC / DENR completed
46. Construction of Concrete Dryer in Kabingaan JBIC / DENR completed

ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE

The Health sector gets the bulk of official development assistance in the ARMM. By category or sectoral focus, 16 projects, or 35% of the FAPs, were concentrated on health services. The second highest concentration of the FAPs is on Support Infrastructure, followed by Environmental Concerns, Capability Building and Governance and Peace Initiatives. It is lamentable to note that Economic and Livelihood Enhancement and Gender Equity Development seem to be getting the lowest priority. If this is to be taken at face value, then the Official Development Assistance in the ARMM is missing the point in terms of addressing rural development. Economic and Livelihood Enhancement and Gender Empowerment, which are two of the most significant factors for rural development, are getting the least share of the pie.
The ODA expenditure by category or sectoral focus was not included because only very few FAPs were submitting complete financial reports. In the absence of complete expenditure reports it would be difficult to make comparisons, and for that matter, may be unfair.
To-date, the biggest single Foreign-Assisted Project in the ARMM in terms of scope and activities, is the Local Government Support Program funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. So far, it is also the most comprehensive project in terms of capability-building and enhancement of governance. It is being implemented region-wide and covers all the 99 municipalities of the ARMM. It has three (3) primary components as follows: 1) Support to Institutional Strengthening and Governance 2) Capacity Development for LGUs, and 3) Enhancing the Enabling Environment for Peace. It also integrates into its projects and activities the following cross-cutting themes: a) poverty reduction b) gender equality, and c) environmental sustainability.
The LGSP, however, is not a direct intervention for poverty reduction or rural development. It is anchored on the concept of “teaching the LGUs how to fish, not to give them fish”. It teaches the LGUs the “how” of doing things so that they improve on governance and service delivery. However, the LGUs differ in learning speeds and support resources. These two factors are important especially if it is expected that they have to implement what they have to learn.
The Agrarian Reform Communities Project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, is the next biggest foreign-assisted project in terms of funding. It aims to strengthen the Agrarian Reform Communities by training and providing them production support services such as farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, communal irrigation, level II potable water system, and production inputs. Most of the projects implemented are farm-to-market roads followed by potable water systems and communal irrigation. As of December 2003, the DAR-ADB-ARCP reported having completed 31 projects in various areas in the ARMM amounting to Two Hundred Eighty Million Pesos (P280,000,000.00).
However, the LGUs find their respective equity to be quite a financial burden considering that most municipalities in the ARMM are still 6th and 5th class. Those who are able to provide the required equity complain of the painstakingly slow fund releases from the ADB or DAR. Two Area Project Managers in the ARMM resigned apparently due to complicated problems in the project. The National Project Manager also resigned late last year (2004).
In terms of funding commitment, the ARMM Social Fund Project (ASFP) is the biggest project now on-going in the ARMM. It has a total funding commitment of $33.6M from the World Bank for 5 years. The said loan closes on June 30, 2008.
The ASFP was so designed to sustain and provide momentum to the efforts initiated by the Multi-Donor Institutions at the time of the SPCPD. In fact, it has assumed some projects that were identified under SPCPD. It finances regional, as well as, high impact community projects. The major project components are the Community Development Assistance (CDA). The CDA addresses community-initiated projects mostly in the nature of road rehabilitation, school building rehabilitation, warehouse with solar dryer, timber ports and water systems. The Quick Response Program (QRP) is an added subcomponent of the CDA to address the needs of IDPs in conflict-affected areas. Another project component is the Strategic Regional Infrastructure (SRI) designed to address regional impact projects such as construction of training centers, rehabilitation of District Hospitals and Ports. And the third primary component is the Institutional Strengthening and Governance (ISG) designed to strengthen the ARMM and LGUs in terms of enhancing their capacities in planning, financial management and project implementation. The ISG also supports strategic policy studies on the ARMM.
Most of the ASFP projects, however, are still on the pipeline. The projects are hampered by the elaborate project organizational structure and the complicated approval process. To this effect, the project’s governing board created a special body to go around and look at the possibility of streamlining some functions especially the project approval process.
The other foreign-assisted projects are not as big as the first three mentioned above considering that they are focused only on few municipalities or specialized assistance on specific sectors like health, environment, relief and rehabilitation, peace forums, trainings and seminars. If ever, they only produce sector specific impact and the kind of interventions are mostly palliative. Their impact on the holistic concern of rural development is hardly felt and the outcome of their respective interventions has not yet produced the critical mass enough to influence people’s lives and attitudes.

FITTING THE FAPs WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF ARMM:
(Or the Other Way Around?)

Since the start of ARMM’s operation more than a decade ago, the ARMM faces the same stumbling blocks and drawbacks in its pursuit of peace and development (LGSP Paper, March 2004). Over this period, the ARMM’s operation did not accrue to what was envisioned when it was conceived (ibid.)
The same pathetic view characterized the region today. Poverty incidence has been pervasive and even worsened with 68.8 percent of its population living below the poverty threshold. All five provinces of the ARMM belong to the so-called “Club of 20” or the twenty poorest provinces in the country based on the Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI is the latest measure of development advocated by the UNDP, apart from the Gross National Product (GNP) and the per capita income. The HDI considers the level of people’s access to basic services rather than their share of the national wealth which, in most cases, is hypothetical.
The JICA undertook a “Comprehensive Basic Study of the ARMM”, the draft final report of which was presented in November 2003. The study assessed the existing conditions, problems and needs of the sectors on health and medical care, education, water supply, infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries and governance.
The findings, in terms of issues and concerns per sector, are as follows:

Governance Sector

1. The changing priorities of leaders disrupt the sustainability of plan implementation;
2. The Regional Executive Agenda (REA) is not widely disseminated;
3. There is a need for legislative agenda to support the REA;
4. The REA is barely implemented according to plan;

Infrastructure Sector

1. Slow development of road networks that connect missing vital links;
2. Substandard equipment support;
3. Accelerated deterioration due to inadequate drainage;
4. Insufficient funds required to maintain existing infrastructures;
5. Unclear delineation of responsibilities between and among the national, regional and LGU-based agencies with respect to jurisdictional responsibility over certain infrastructures.

Education Sector

1. Low participation rate as well as survival rate;
2. Insufficient provisions in most schools;
3. Partially implemented the 2002 curriculum due to weak leadership in the education sector;
4. Peace and order situation and socio-cultural feuds.

Agriculture and Fishery Sector

1. Low productivity;
2. Rapid deterioration of remaining productive areas;
3. Lack of financing institutions willing to support this sector.

Health Sector

1. The ARMM has the highest maternal and infant mortality rate;
2. The rural folks in the ARMM has very poor health practices;
3. Inadequacy of health facilities
4. There is a need for comprehensive management information system to adequately monitor health problems.

Given the two-pronged modern approach to rural development, i.e. increasing productivity and empowering the rural people, the focus or concentration of the FAPs in the ARMM, and the issues and concerns in the ARMM identified under the JICA study, we shall now be in a position to make a rough analysis on how the FAPs are responding to these issues and concerns. Let me, however, proceed by saying that if the FAPs do not hit the bull’s eye mark in terms of the issues and concerns identified, we are not in a position to say that they are doing the irrelevant things. Whatever they do certainly produces indelible marks along the development path that they have chosen. The other point is, most if not all FAPs, have their own sectoral bias, or at least, they operate according to their given mandate and operational framework.
What would be unique is when they are at liberty to design the intervention package for ARMM, given the outstanding issues and concerns, and yet choose to hit them from behind. In this case, it is not fitting the FAPs with the development requirements of ARMM, but the other way around, and the ARMM just have to accept them because by all means it is an important offer and anything else have to adjust, or is there a choice? Indeed, with more than 80 percent of ARMM’s annual budget going to personal services, the presence of the FAPs is a necessity.

SYNTHESIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Given the region’s agri-fishery-based economy, and for that matter the country as a whole, the only way to increase productivity is to modernize farming and fishing. Then, the government must provide an efficient conduit system between production and consumption centers to improve farm-gate prices of agriculture and fishery products. The shorter the time element involved between production and consumption centers, the better for farm-gate prices.
Such projects as water impounding, communal irrigation, protection of the coral reefs, trees and mountains, rivers, lakes and municipal waters should get the highest priority because they are pre-conditions to achieving higher productivity in the rural areas. Productivity shall reach such level as to exceed local consumption so that the excess produce can be exported. This is where the government plays a vital role. The added net wealth, in real terms, to any country is its export earnings. Goods and money that circulate within may only be good for the local-based economies but not for the country as a whole.
Side by side with the above recommended priority projects, is improving the rate of technology transfer especially in the agriculture sector. The snail-paced rate of technology transfer is hampering productivity. One would easily recognize the awful disparity between technology users, as in corporate plantation farming, and traditional farming as in the remote countryside. And more awful is the fact that we are not short of technologies available in agricultural and academic research centers waiting to be applied and dispersed.
The human development side is somehow addressed by the more prominent involvement of the FAPs in the health sector, but still more are yet to be done because the problem in the health sector is so big that small projects may only be good at scratching the surface. Unfortunately, human development in the area of literacy is wanting in many respects. The much-publicized irregularities in the handling of education funds, is creating low morale in the education sector. The JICA study pointed out to weak leadership in the education sector and poor facilities, the probable consequences of which are the low participation and survival rate at the primary level of education. Of course, the main culprit is still abject poverty, that is why, a direct confrontation of this problem is very much called for.
The ARMM Social Fund Project (ASFP) is in the best position to address enhancement of productivity in the rural areas. With its Community Development Assistance and Strategic Regional Infrastructure components, it can easily consider the support infrastructure necessary to boost agricultural and fishery productivity along the line of sustainable development. The ASFP, in fact, should work very closely with DA and DAR to effectively respond to the needs of the agriculture sector and the agrarian reform beneficiaries in terms of building and improving farm structures.
In the area of governance, and how it is positively influencing the lives of people, only the municipality of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao is outstanding. This once troubled town took a sharp corner and suddenly improved on productivity. Now, economic activity is very visible in the area. But we have seen in Datu Paglas how the “leadership factor” played as an important catalyst in the improvement of governance and change in the mind-set of people. Probably, if the young Datu Ibrahim “Toto” Paglas did not turn visionary, and set the example to his people, the municipality of Datu Paglas may not be what it is today. The LGSP has been very effective as a “coach” but the attitude of the players is another thing. That is why, despite best efforts, the LGSP cannot do as much in the other areas of the ARMM. Now, under a modified name (LGSPA), it is targeting all the municipalities of the ARMM. With more reasons, it has to produce concrete outcomes and its increased budget is in order, but managing the entire scope of its activities is another thing.
In fairness, the FAPs are doing fairly well in their chosen field of interventions for the ARMM but there are inherent development issues and challenges in this new geo-political subdivision that persist. The choice of the FAPs on how to address them cannot be questioned. Their activities and project undertakings are backed by carefully planned courses of actions, though more of the top-down approach rather than bottom-up, and to a certain extent, endorsed by selective consultations.
Very often, we hear people questioning the process of project packaging and the modalities of interventions. Ideally, project interventions should be demand-driven. In most cases, projects are demand-push because they were believed to be the right kind of intervention given certain situations and development issues. While demand-driven may not be necessarily need-driven, the point is that people should have the opportunity to express what they want and the project planners argue with them, and then agree with each other. This process may not be simple, but it is the only way by which people would feel some sense of ownership and some sense of importance. We knew from experience that this is critical in the success of every project.
If the FAPs shall have to inch closer to the business of rural development, they shall have to take the two-pronged approach of increasing productivity and empowering people in the rural areas. This is called the hardware and software components of rural development. The hardware component of rural development shall be addressed through massive construction of farm-to-market roads, communal irrigation, post-harvest facilities and farm mechanization while the software component shall be addressed through extensive health care programs, proactive efforts to increase participation and survival rates in the elementary and secondary level of education, functional literacy program for adults and vocational training for the out-of-school youth.
Despite the presence of 46 foreign-assisted projects in the ARMM, people down there are still waiting for their trickle-down effect. While project actors would argue that “we are definitely going towards that direction”, the “common tao” is growing wary. Ultimately, the FAPs shall have to help ARMM prove itself that it is still the better alternative to peace and development in the region. And because the ARMM needs the FAPs, they deserve all the support that they can get from the ARMM regional government.
We have seen quite a number of multi-donor’s forum with the intention of coming together and complement each other’s efforts. Instead of complementation overlapping and duplication still exist. For example, LGSP, for more than 10 years now, has been into capacity enhancement on governance and improving service delivery systems. When ASFP came about, one of its primary components is the Institutional Strengthening and Governance. Still, JICA is phasing in with its project “ARMM Governance Support Project”. There is no problem with addressing one and the same issue. Others may argue that they have their way of doing it and they concentrate on certain level of governance. But perching too many needles on the same hole may not be proper all the time.
The Regional Development Investment Plan (RDIP) is a good shopping list for the foreign development institutions which are willing to support development efforts in the ARMM, as well as the Regional Executive Agenda (REA) guided by recent comprehensive studies on the ARMM. These are field-validated studies that should be put to good use more than merely looking at them as active statistics. In fact, the RDIP and the REA should be reviewed in the light of these comprehensive studies on the ARMM to realign priorities and reorient directions.
On the side of the foreign donor institutions, it is always good to view things at the macro perspective level, identify some gaps and explore ways of synchronization, complementation of efforts and convergence at some point. On the side of the ARMM regional government, it has to be ready with its equity in terms of providing strong leadership, improving service delivery mechanism, and moving towards closer bonding with the LGUs.

My Diary: To and From Japan (January 16-27, 2004)

2007-12-20T10:58:00.000+08:00

MAUGAN B. MOSAID, Ph.D.

Introduction

Japan was known in ancient times as NIPPON, meaning the “Source of the Sun”. This explains the red disc on the Japanese Flag which represents the rising sun.

For many centuries Emperors have been the heads of states in Japan. Until the 1900s, Japanese Emperors claimed to be divine, believing they were descended from the gods. The amount of power held by the Emperor varied greatly from one era to another. Today, the Emperor’s role and duties are ceremonial only. The government of the nation is carried out by a democratic parliament called the “Diet”.

Modern Japan is world-famous for its powerful business corporations and advance electronic technology. However, Japan is still a land where ancient customs and traditions are held in the highest respect. In the workplace, the Japanese are noted for maintaining a high level of ethical standards and professionalism.

Following is an account of my diary in Japan:

Jan. 16, 2004

We reported to JICA, Makati City for a briefing/orientation. Mr. Osamu, Vice President of JICA, Philippine Office, briefed us about existing JICA projects in the Philippines and other parts of Asia. Ms. Grace Reyes showed us some video clippings of selected places that we have to visit in Japan. We were told that, this time, it is coldest in Japan because it is the peak of the winter season.

We were given a shot of anti-flu vaccine because Japan is a flu-free country. The vaccine costs more than a thousand pesos but everything was pre-paid by JICA.

I think we over-reacted by bringing with us several thick winter overcoats which we were forced to leave behind, on our way back home, to reduce the weight of our baggage because a kilo of excess baggage would cost us ¥1,600 (P800).

Jan. 17-18

I bought all the required provisions such as: thermal clothing, winter gloves, lip bum, overcoats and ties, etc. I had my calling cards printed and bought some gift items.

Jan. 19

I made sure that I was at the NAIA 3 hours before boarding time. Minutes before boarding, I called up my wife Jasmin, my daughter Johannie and sent text messages to the three boys (Datu, Jim and Chip). Bai jokingly warned me to avoid a Japayokie (I think mothers should train their daughters to do the jealousy bits for them because this is quite more effective).

We boarded the plane (Japan Airlines) at 3:15 p.m. I really like the Japanese foods and wine served on board. I have particular fondness for “saisake” (rice wine). We arrived at Narita Airport in Tokyo at 7:45 p.m. or exactly 4 hours and 30 minutes flying time. We had to adjust our timepieces one hour earlier because the time difference between Tokyo and Manila is 1 hour.

We were met by a JICA Staff at the airport; after a short briefing and checking of travel papers, we took the bus to the Tokyo City Air Terminal (TCAT) which is more than 100 kms. away. At TCAT, we were met by another JICA Staff.

Boarding 3 limousine vehicles, we proceeded to our hotel - KEIO Plaza Hotel. (I jokingly told Nash that the name of the hotel tells us what people do inside).

Jan. 20

Ms. Ayako Nakano, our guide and interpreter for the whole duration of the study tour, fetched us at 9:00 a.m. and brought us to JICA Headquarters, the Tokyo International Center (TIC). We were told that about 7,000 people attend JICA-sponsored activities every year.

Ms. Nakasato gave us short briefings, checked our papers and told us to fill up some personal data forms.

A Japanese doctor checked our blood pressure and body temperatures. The lady doctor was surprised to find me the coldest participant at 35.6oC. She advised me to drift in warm water for 3-5 minutes upon my return to the hotel.

We were given medical cards that we can use in any hospital in Japan.

A JICA staff briefed us about the City of Tokyo. He told us, among others, about the following: the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, which is 300M high, is the tallest building in Japan; the Shinjuku (where our hotel is located) is the busiest commercial district in Tokyo; Akihabara is the home of cheap electronic gadgets and appliances; Asakusa is the biggest flea market; the Imperial Palace is not open to the public, not even to Japanese people; Emperor Hirohito is sickly, that is why the government declared a no smoking zone within 1 km. around the palace as a matter of respect and reverence for the sick Emperor.

Mr. Matsunaga, Executive Director of JICA met us at 12:30 p.m. and briefed us on what to expect for the next several days until the 27th of January. He emphasized, among others, that the primary objective of the study tour is to finalize the JICA Governance Support for ARMM and to learn from governance experience in Japan.

Jan. 21

Ms. Nakano fetched us from KEIO Plaza Hotel at 9:30 a.m.;

Mr. Matsuoka, Vice Pres. of JICA, sponsored our lunch; he was an upbeat executive with so much to tell about Japan-Philippine cooperation experience.

We met Dr. Alex Brillantes of U.P. He is in Japan as visiting Professor of Kobe University;

We had a tele-conference between JICA-Tokyo and JICA-Manila from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.;

At past 6 p.m., Ms. Kobayashi of the Kokusai Service Agency briefed us on the things that we have to do regarding our return flight to Manila.

At 8:00 in the evening we went shopping around Shinjuku commercial district in Tokyo; I bought a digital camera, wrist watch for my wife, FM Card Radio for my daughter, novelty items for my 3 boys, and some gifts for friends and relatives at home; then, Nash and I went to a restaurant to partake our favorite Japanese food, Japanese green noodles, a soup (I forgot the name) and green tea.

January 22

Ms. Nakano fetched us from Keio Hotel at 9:30 a.m.;

Atty. Salmani, head of our delegation, gave an opening remarks;

Prof. Katayama of Kobe University and Prof. Temario Rivera of the International Christian University presented the general outline of politics, economy and governance in Mindanao, Philippines;

Dr. Amy Malbun, member of our delegation, presented some of the programs on education in the ARMM.

Ms. Mashako Ishii gave response/remarks to the presentation of Dr. Amy Malbun; she recommended for peace education as a means of confidence-building for the tri-people of Mindanao (Muslims, Christians, Lumads); she also recommended for active inter-phase between the Madaris and the public school system in the ARMM.

Dr. Lampa Pandi, member of our delegation, presented the health programs in the ARMM; Mr. Takahiro Nakashima from the Asia Health Institute, an NGO based in Japan, made remarks and recommendations on the presentation.

Jan. 23

Ms. Nakano fetched us from Keio Hotel at 9:30 a.m.;

But before our departure, Nash and I had a picture-taking outside; we did not stay long outside the hotel because it was too cold; the temperature was 4ºC outside.

At the Tokyo International Center, Ms. Tanaka, Evaluator of the Cebu SEED Project, presented the project’s activities and accomplishments.

In the afternoon at around 2:00 p.m., we went to the Asakusa (flea market) to buy more gift items; a prominent Japanese Temple is located nearby;

I bought a Japanese kimono, shoulder bags, several handkerchiefs, neckties, towels and rice cookies.

We checked out from Keio Plaza Hotel at 7:00 a.m.; while waiting for a ride, I enjoyed the snow falling like loose cotton balls, walked outside and took pictures.

We took the bus to the Tokyo Station at 8:50 a.m.;

We took the train to Kyoto at 10:06 a.m. and arrived at the Kyoto Station at 12:40 p.m. On board the train was a wonderful experience; the ride was smooth, fast and silent;
Along the way, we saw urban and rural Japan; except for high-rise congested structures that characterize urban Japan, there was not much difference with the rural areas in terms of cleanliness and orderliness; rural Japan is characterized by rampant small villages orderly arranged depicting Japanese discipline all throughout; one can readily tell modern farming practices by the sight of farm machineries, farm structures and on-site farm factories.

At 1:40 p.m., we went on guided tour to visit 3 famous temples in Kyoto; Kyoto was the former capital of Japan; it is the third largest city next to Tokyo and Yokohama; now, it is famous for its historical sites and tourist attractions; we visited the Hai Gian Temple, a Budhhist Temple, and a Taoist Temple; In all these places, the Japanese Garden is a stand-out attraction.

At about 6 p.m., we took the bus to Osaka, arrived at 7 p.m. and proceeded to check-in at Hotel Granvia; it was in Osaka that the famous World Expo was held in 1975.

After dinner, Nash and I went to a coffee shop and spent about 1 hour sharing some experiences and observations; we moved on to watch a live band performance at the Osaka sub-way station.
Jan. 25

We checked out from Granvia Hotel at 8:45 a.m. and took the bus to the famous Osaka Castle;

We had picture-taking around and inside the castle, but we had to respect areas where picture-taking was not allowed; It was a very beautiful castle; I bought a postcard and booklet about the castle; while inside the castle premises, it was incidental that the national Japanese Marathon for Women passed by; the winner will compete in the world Olympics games;

In the afternoon, we went to the Osaka Aquarium; it was a wonderful experience seeing samples of the undersea treasures and creatures of the world;

After we had lunch, we took our famous ride at the TENPOZAN, the biggest ferris wheel in the world; it has a diameter of 112 m. and carries 60 cabs.

At 3:30 p.m. we went to Kobe University to pay courtesy visits to Dean Katayama and Dr. Alex Brillantes; we came to know 3 Filipina students (Gina, Marie and Leah) taking up doctorate degrees; all of them are members of the UP faculty; we went back to Hyogo at past 5 p.m.

We checked in at the JICA International Cooperation Center at Hyogo; we met two Filipino compatriots, Mr. Mariano Rivera Jr. of DOH, Manila and Mr. Asterio Gallardo Jr. of the Philippine Ports Authority based in Davao City; they were also attending a JICA-sponsored training.

Jan. 26

At 8:45 a.m., we checked out of JICA-Hyogo; Nash and I had some picture-taking outside while waiting for the bus; I was really enjoying the cool sunny morning and the beautiful sceneries around.

We took the bus to Kakogawa Plaza and arrived at past 11 a.m.; we were met by Mr. Narao Okada, Executive Director General of the Higashi-Harima District Administration Office; we were presented with the concepts and approaches used in the establishment and operation of the district administration office; then, the strategies and approaches used in the establishment of the Inamino Tameiki Project (water impounding project) was discussed to us showcasing government-community partnership in project implementation, management and operation;

We left at about 3 p.m. and went back to Osaka; we checked in at Rihga Royal Hotel, and had dinner outside; as usual my favorite hang-out, with Nash, is the subway station where we can
have coffee and watch a live band performance before retiring to our hotel.

Jan. 27

For the first time we woke up earlier than usual; at 6:30 a.m. most of us were already at the hotel lobby, except that we had to wait for Asec, Kader, as usual. We left the hotel by taxi to New Honkyu Hotel where we had to take a limousine bus to the Kansai International Airport. It was almost 1-hour ride to the Airport which is located more than 3 kms. from the seashore; it was an amazing structure in the middle of the sea;

After alighting from the limousine bus, we took our individual carts, as everyone of us was dangling with baggage; at the entrance we were accommodated by courteous and beautiful airport staff;

It was still more than 2 hours before boarding time, and so, I spent the time going around the airport, mostly at the duty free shop, trying to consume every yen that I have; went to a coffee shop where I met a Chinese lady by the name of Chien Li Huang; she was going back to Guangzou province after a 2-week packaged tour in Japan; then Nash took a picture of me with two beautiful Thai flight stewardesses;

Before boarding, we had to take a mini-cable car to the passenger tube; we boarded the plane (Thai Airways) at 10 a.m. Again, I enjoyed a sumptuous Japanese food on board, but this time, I did not drink saisake. I took Ballantines (recommended by Nash) and it was a superb wine with its smooth mellow taste. I think I had drank enough and so I had a good sleep on board the plane; when I woke up it was 30 minutes before landing time, and so, I took advantage of the few minutes left to buy some t-shirts and perfume (on board the plane) to dispose off a few dollars.

We landed at NAIA at about 2 p.m.; the Japan experience was a wonderful one; something that I would cherish so much; I would not forget the kind and courteous Japanese people that we met; thanks to JICA, our benefactor; I learned a lot of good things from Japan and its people; I think the study tour was worth every cent spent. Thanks to JICA, the Japanese government and the good Japanese people.

An Ethnographic Study of GROs in Cotabato City

2007-12-19T14:35:00.000+08:00

Maugan B. Mosaid, Ph.D.

Introduction

Ethnography is the process of describing and analyzing certain aspects of culture in a given setting. For anthropologists, the framework of logical studies is the concept of knowing culture beyond its scope and visual meanings. Anthropologists would look at every individual as a member of a given culture with certain acceptable practices and symbolic interactions. They consider ethnography as successful when it teaches how to behave appropriately in an established cultural setting as in a family within the black community (Stack, 1974 and Abuso, 1986), in the school principal’s office (Walcott, 1973), or in a kindergarten class (Florio, 1978).
In the Philippines, the GRO, with the very deceiving meaning of “Guest Relations Officer”, is equated to prostitution or the performance of sexual acts solely for the purpose of material gain. The GRO is a modified approach in vending women for sex. Before 1970s, prostitutes used to ply their trade on the street and they came to be popularly known as “pick-up girls”. A customer in a vehicle would just drop by and pick up the girl of his choice. In the 1980s, prostitution was elevated to a more subtle level when young girls were recruited by bar owners to serve as GROs. In the beginning, the idea was purely to make the girls serve and entertain male customers in the form of conversation or simply keeping company. Some GROs admit that when a customer is kind enough to give the so-called “ladies drink” and extra tips, he is allowed to touch her delicate parts or allowed to kiss her.
Persons prostitute themselves when they grant sexual favors to others in exchange for money, gifts, or other payment and in so doing use their bodies as commodities. In legal terms, the word prostitute refers only to those who engage overtly in such sexual-economic transactions, usually for a specified sum of money. Prostitutes may be of either sex, but throughout history the majority has been women, reflecting both the traditional socio-economic dependence of women and the tendency to exploit female sexuality (Microsoft Encyclopedia, 2000). Although prostitution has often been characterized as the “world’s oldest profession,” the concept of women as property, which prevailed in most cultures until the end of the 19th century, meant that the profits of the profession most often accrued to the men who controlled it. Men have traditionally been characterized as procurers and customers.
Prostitution in various forms has existed from earliest times. It is dependent on the economic, social, and sexual values of a society. It has been secular or under the guise of religion. In some societies prostitution was believed to ensure the preservation of the family. Women have usually entered prostitution through coercion or under economic stress.
In the Middle Ages the Christian church, which valued chastity, attempted to convert or rehabilitate individual prostitutes but refrained from campaigning against the institution itself. In so doing the church followed the teaching of St. Augustine, who held that the elimination of prostitution would breed even worse forms of immorality and perversion, because men would continue to seek sexual contact outside marriage. By the late Middle Ages, prostitution had reached a high point in Western history. Licensed brothels flourished throughout Europe, yielding enormous revenues to government officials and corrupt churchmen. In Asia, where women were held in low esteem and no religious deterrent existed, prostitution was accepted as natural.
These harsh strictures did not, however, eradicate prostitution and sexually transmitted disease. Gradually it became obvious that these ills were increasing, especially in the large, crowded cities that accompanied the industrialization of the West in the 18th and 19th centuries. Beginning with Prussia in 1700, most continental European governments shifted their tactics from suppression of prostitution and sexually transmitted disease to control through a system of compulsory registration, licensed brothels, and medical inspection of prostitutes. Britain, although it did not license brothels, passed Contagious Disease Prevention acts in the 1860s providing for medical inspection of prostitutes in certain naval and military districts. In Britain and the United States prostitution flourished openly in urban red-light districts. City officials, viewing prostitutes as a “necessary evil,” allowed prostitutes to ply their trade as long as they refrained from annoying any “respectable” person who happened into the area. A lucrative white-slave trade developed, in which women and girls were shipped across international borders for immoral purposes.
Researchers have recently attempted to separate moral issues from the reality of prostitution. The rationale for its continued illegal status in the U.S. rests on three assumptions: prostitution is linked to organized crime; prostitution is responsible for much ancillary crime; and prostitution is the cause of an increase in sexually transmitted disease. These assumptions are now in question.
Furthermore, strong arguments have been made in support of legalizing prostitution. Decriminalization would free the courts and police from handling victimless crime, allowing these forces more time to deal with serious and violent crimes. The constitutional question of violation of equal protection has also been raised, since the law penalizes prostitutes but not their customers.

The Research Design

Incidentally in Cotabato City, GROs do not proliferate in as much number as those found in more urbanized cities like Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos and Zamboanga. This is primarily due to the fact that Cotabato City is predominated by the Muslim culture where prostitution is taboo (haram or forbidden). In addition, the Christian Church here is strongly against it from the point of view of morality. However, despite this, there are a few legal bars and videoke houses that employ GROs. As of this study, there are three (3) such ‘night establishments’ that operate in the City.
We employed the principle of attachment and detachment, though as male researchers, our attachments are quite limited because we cannot really impersonate or assume the character of a GRO. To supplement that inadequacy, we conducted personal interviews with the GROs and focused-group discussions. Col. Taradji, as chief of the PNP here, can easily summon the GROs to a meeting with us. Mr. Compania owns one of the three pubhouses that operate in the City. I (Mr. Mosaid, the main writer of this report), designed the interview and focused-group discussion. All 3 of us acted as independent observers and shared our views on certain observations especially the significance and symbolism of the cultural practices obtaining in these night establishments. We also considered symbolic interactions and use of semantics to enrich the findings of our study.

The Normal Encounter

We went around the 3 bars and made observations for one week. The presence of Col. Taradji, who is almost known to everyone, made the girls and the manager quite conscious of what they are doing. The effect of Mr. Compania’s presence, as owner of one of the bars, also had the same kind of effect on the GROs and the manager. And so we agreed that on one evening I should go out alone and make my own observation. I (Mr. Mosaid) was the least familiar figure among the three of us. We just sit down for few minutes, and as “privileged customers”, we are given priority in terms of choosing our table-mate from the girls. We call this the normal encounter, where a GRO will sit with us in a table, give us company, share conversations or talk about a lot of things.
The normal encounter usually begins with asking the girl’s name which could proceed to holding their hands and so on and so forth. We know that their names are fictitious because they always protect their identity as much as possible. But to other customers, who had become their regular customers and close acquaintances, the girls give a lot of true details about themselves. In some cases, some of the regular customers become the “boyfriends” of some of the GROs.
What a GRO Normally Does
In our frequent meetings and conversations with the GROs, we tried to analyze what they normally do from the time that they wake up to the time that they sleep. Carla (19) narrates thus: “I usually go home at around 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning after my work at the bar. Upon reaching home, tired and exhausted, I can only manage to wash my face to remove my make up and lie flat in bed to catch sleep. But this happens only when no customer would take me out. If a customer takes me out, I usually go home at 6 o’clock in the morning. I would be lucky if the customer would invite me to breakfast or give me extra tips.”
A customer prefers to take out the GRO after closing time. This is to save on the so-called “bar fine.” A bar fine is charged to the minimum after closing time. If a customer takes out a GRO before closing time, the bar fine would be charged the minimum plus the productive time that the GRO makes at the bar until closing time. Thus, the earlier a GRO is taken out, the higher is the bar fine.
Joanne (23) also narrates her usual routine: “I wake up at lunch time because Mommy (the girls’ matriarch) would wake me up for lunch. Then, I go back to sleep again. I should gain a lot of sleep during the day because we are almost sleepless every night especially when we are taken out by a customer. Then I wake up at 5 p.m. and get ready to report to work at 6 in the evening. This is the time I hurry up to wash my clothes, take a bath, brush up myself, and put on a make-up. I should look fresh, smell sweet and look beautiful so I can compete for the attention of customers. If no customer would invite you to his table, there will be no tips.” A tip is an extra amount given by the customer which becomes the personal money of the GRO.
Maricel (19) also narrates her normal work at the bar, and she says: “While waiting for customers, who usually come after 8 p.m., we sing our favorite pieces at the videoke. Some times, the other girls would rehearse their dance on the floor making use of the music that we play and sing. When the first customer arrives, we stop the music and attend to his need. There are more customers who start arriving after 9 p.m. and stay on until midnight.”
One time, I asked Lovely (21) what a customer usually does to her when she is “tabled”. “First, he touches my hands while talking to me. His hands will start moving on to more delicate parts of my body which I usually parry when he does not give me lady’s drink.” A lady’s drink would cost 6 times or more of the original price of the item. The GRO gets her share for the night from the lady’s drink. To have more lady’s drink for the night, the GRO should master some skills in enticing customers to give them more lady’s drink. Other customers would rather give tips than lady’s drink (which is more costly) so that they gain freedom in moving their hands around the girl’s body. Asked how much freedom she would allow a customer who satisfied her with tips and lady’s drink, Lovely answered; “I allow her to touch my boobs, ass, ‘pussy’ and kiss my cheek. When he is good-looking, we can go for kissing on the lips.”

The Other Side of the Girls’ Story

I asked the girls whether they would give the same privilege to every customer regardless of their “looks”. And they were unanimous in saying, “yes, for as long as they pay the right price; we are looking for money, they are after the enjoyment; so, each should get what he/she deserves.” This, to me, is a very wise answer. As I was talking to the girls, I never treated them as GROs or prostitutes. I always look at them as human beings with certain physical, emotional and psychological needs. I gained the cooperation and sympathy of the girls because I treated them with respect and understanding. I did this, on purpose, to make sure that they would not hold important information that I need.
Once, I asked Carla about her most unforgettable experience in her “profession.” She said: “When I was taken out by a sadist, chauvinist customer. He was very nice to me in the beginning and would give me anything I want. As soon as we were starting to undress, he gave me a strong spanking and hit me all over my body while uttering insults. After what he had done, he knelt down before me and begged for forgiveness, asking that he will give me anything I want if I agree to have sex with him. I was really surprised and confused but I was completely helpless. With his masculine built, what else can I do better than cry.” “Did you have this blottered with the police?” I asked. “No, I did not care to do that,” answered Carla. Here is a situation where something violative of a person’s right is never cared about. What to other cultural societies, especially in the U.S. and Europe, is completely unacceptable and may even be a serious crime, here it is not considered at all in the same point of view by a GRO.
Lovely also narrated her unforgettable experience. “I had a boyfriend, who, I think, loves me very much and I also love him. Jimmy (not his real name) would ask me often if I really love him. You see Kuya, a GRO like me is perceived to be insensitive and therefore cannot have a real feeling for love. Because we go out with any customer who would take us out for sex, we had become accustomed to making love without real feelings for it. I told Jimmy that is a different story, it was purely business. Business and love are two different things. Anyway, Jimmy and I were so much in love that one day he wanted us to settle for marriage, and so, he told his parents about it. His parents would approve of Jimmy’s getting married but they wanted to see and know his girlfriend. But you know Kuya, when they learned that I am a GRO, they disapproved our plan to marry each other. I was really hurt especially that Jimmy chose to obey his parents.” One would clearly see how a GRO is being ostracized by society, usually referred to as “kalapating mababa ang lipad,” or simply cheap girl.
I asked the girls if they would consider other kind of job if given the chance. They were unanimous in saying “yes!” “And why are you not getting out of here?” “We are not sure where to go or we will not eat. Besides our parents and siblings are dependent on us for support, and we don’t know where we could earn more than here,” most of the girls answered this way.
One time, Joanne felt very depressed about her situation. She wanted to get out of her kind of job but could not do it. This was aggravated by a quarrel with another GRO. “Alam mo ang ginawa ko Kuya, naglaslas ako” (You know what I did? I tried to cut my arm veins). The girls express their frustration and depressions in many ways, others in overt ways and some are simply covert. But the meaning and symbolism are the same – if given the chance or a better opportunity, they would opt for other kind of job.
Finally, I asked the girls what circumstances brought them to this kind of profession. Maricel recalled: “I am the sixth in a family of seven. My parents died (Mother first, then Father) when I was very young that I can hardly remember how they look like. My two elder sisters are both working abroad now, but all my brothers were indifferent to me. They would often tell me that I was inutile because I was the only one with no income. Not being able to withstand this kind of situation, I stowed away. That was more than two years ago. They never know that I am here in this kind of job.”
Lovely (19) also shared her experience: “My Mother and Father separated when I was not even conscious about the world. I have never seen my mother, I only saw my father by his picture. I grew up with my Lola, whom I thought was my real mother until I was 15 years old. When my Lola told me that she was not my real mother, I felt very depressed. I learned that my father and mother are now having separate families of their own. One day, I just found myself that I was prepared to leave to go somewhere with the hope that I will meet either of them. With my second year high school education, there is no good job waiting for me. And so I landed in this kind of job.”

Findings and Conclusion

As stated earlier, an ethnography is considered successful when it has found out that certain cultural practices or patterns are developed and accepted in a given culture, no matter how big or small the scope of that culture is. At the pub-houses, we learned about the following:
1. When a GRO prepares to report to work, the things that she should not forget to put on are: make-up, perfume and panty-liners. The make-up improves their facial look amidst the blinking lights; the perfume makes them smell fresh and sweet; and, the panty-liners improve the shape of the “pussy”;
2. In the pub-houses, the GROs were not served drinks when there is no customer. They should develop the skill to entice customers to give them “lady’s drink” and extra tips;
3. In the new-found family of the GROs, they cannot disobey their ‘mommy’ (matriarch or handler);
4. The GROs had learned to reverse night and day. They sleep during the day to prepare to work at night;
5. GRO is not a preferred job but they get hooked to it by force of circumstances.
6. Through experience, the GROs learned to deal with rude customers;
7. When you try to understand the GROs, they begin to divulge some true details of their lives; they show that they are also ‘feeling’ and ‘thinking’ individuals;
8. By the experiences that they divulge, the GROs seem to be willing victims for the sake of earning money;
9. The GROs manifest different types of depressive tensions; some in overt ways while others are simply covert;
10. The GRO can be an affectionate lover despite the perception that she is insensitive and unreal when it comes to love.
11. Majority of the GROs pointed out to unstable family situation and extreme poverty as the main reasons that led them to their kind of “profession”.