In Tagalog para mas may feelings!

First time ito. First time ito na magsususlat ako sa blog ko na may Filipino words. Bakit nga ba hindi ko ito ginawa noon pa? At bakit nga ba ngayon nagta-Tagalog ako?

Kasi ang blog post na ito ay para sa mga Pilipinong kagaya ko. Grabe, ang tindi pa rin kasi ng hangover ko sa pelikulang pinanood ko nung nakaraang Sabado pa--Heneral Luna.

Image from Heneral Luna FB page

Aaminin ko, bago ko mapanood ang pelikulang 'to wala akong masyadong alam sa buhay ni Antonio Luna. May bloopers pa nga ako the first time I heard about this film! Ang tanong ko pa, "Ah, sya ba yung sa Battle of Tirad Pass?" Mali!!! Si Gregorio Del Pilar pala yun, haist! (Pero at least alam ko kung bakit parating naka-upo si Apolinario Mabini hehe.)

Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page. Sorry naman benta lang sakin mga meme na 'to haha! Paolo Avelino as Gregorio del Pilar.

Nakakahiya, kahit noon pa man favorite subject ko ang History (Ito ata yung subject na enjoy ako mag-aral at excited mag-exam. Mag-memorize na ko for this kesa sa sumagot ako ng problem solving at kung anu-ano pang equations!), hindi naging popular si Heneral Luna sa'kin. Kaya bago ko panoorin ung pelikula, I made a personal research about Antonio Luna, the Philippine-American War and some tidbits about our politics during that time.

Uso na yang "Bigyan niyo ko ng tatlong araw" line na yan haha! Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Tingin ko, hindi ako magsasawang sabihin 'to... Ang ganda ng Heneral Luna!!! Though may disclaimer ako na hindi po ako isang film critic or movie enthusiast. Maganda sya hindi dahil entertaining lang sya (sa mga pinanood kong heroes/history-based movies, ito ung ang dami kong tawa! I believe the minds behind this movie took that creative liberty para mas um-appeal sya sa masa at lalo na sa kabataan), maganda cinematography, panalong lines, magandang casting, etc. Pero mas naging makabuluhan sya dahil pinakita nya yung several negative cultures of us Filipinos na kailangan nang bigyan pansin dahil mula noon hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin nababago. Bakit? Anyare ba? Isa itong vicious cycle, para tayong nasa chubibo na pa-ikot ikot lang. Para syang curse na napasa-pasa mula sa forefathers of our government hanggang ngayon.

TV na nga lang hindi pa magka-isa? Hehe. Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Kanya-kanya na 'to
I remember back when I was still in grade school in our Hekasi class. Our teacher asked the class, after we had a run down of all our presidents from Aguinaldo down to Ramos (the Philippine president during that time) and yung mga naging plataporma nila. Ang tanong was something like, "Tingnan nyo ang mga presidents ng bansa natin... Mula sa kanila bakit sa tingin nyo hindi pa rin umuunlad ang bansa natin?" And I remember walang nakasabi ng saktong sagot sa class namin nun. The answer that our teacher was expecting is, iba-iba kasi ung mga plataporma ng bawat presidente. Ung wala bang continuity? Parang sa bawat pangulo na iluluklok babalik sa stage 1 ung bansa kasi parating iba nanaman yung plano mula sa nauna. Parang lahat sila may gustong simulan, may gustong patunayan at gusto yung credit sa kanila lang at sa administrasyon nila. Pero when something goes wrong, no one wants to take responsibility. Blame game it is.

Na-connect talaga yung traffic sa Manila sa movie eh no? Haha! Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Dagdag mo pa ung naglalagay ng mga tao sa katungkulan hindi dahil sa galing at husay nila, pero dahil kaibigan sila ni ganito or konektado sila kay ganire. Kung nabubuhay pa si Mabini ngayon, baka lalo pa sya malumpo. Here's one of his writings about his dismay on Aguinaldo's leadership. He eventually left his post as the Prime Minister before Gen. Luna's death. Read on. Sounds familiar 'di ba?

Image credit to the owner :) Hindi man sya makatayo, Mabini have brains.

Wala kayo sa lolo ko!
Divide and conquer. Eto ung strategy na ginawa ng mga Spaniards para sakupin nila ang Pilipinas noon through Regionalism. Very evident ito sa movie... Iisang bansa naman pero may kompetisyon pa rin. Iisang gobyerno naman pero hindi magka-isa. Pinakita sa movie ang patigasan ng ulo nila Gen. Mascardo at Gen. Luna. Dahil Ilokano si Luna at hindi Caviteño, ayaw niyang sundin ang heneral kahit mas mataas pa ang ranggo nya. Nakakalungkot pero matindi pa rin ang Regionalism sa'tin. Isama mo na rin ang crab mentality that was also shown in the movie. Totoo yung sinabi sa Bible sa Mark 3:25, "And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand."

Bigyan ng kabaong! Hehe :) Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page

Don't English me, I panic!

The train scene! Ang lakas ng tawa ko rito sa sinehan haha! Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Benta tong scene na 'to sa movie haha! Si Luna na marunong mag-Tagalog, mag-Spanish at mag-French pero hindi marunong mag-English! Napamura tuloy ang heneral... "Nagi-Ingles ako sa sarili kong bayan! P******!" (Op! Op! Maganda ung movie ok, pero wag nyo lang gayahin ang pagmumura guys :) Speak blessing tayo :)) Ang mga Pilipino very particular sa English grammar. Minsan (o di kaya kadalasan) pag may makitang grammatically incorrect kala mo naman ang mangmang na nung nagkamali. Pero kung titingnan mali-mali naman ang Filipino grammar nila, and it seems like nobody cares! (Case point: may tamang paggamit ng "din" at "rin". Sobrang common mistake 'to.) Nagtataka ako at bahagyang nalulungkot dahil may mga Pilipinong ayaw mag-Tagalog dahil mahirap daw. English na lang daw. Naalala ko ung isang batang naka-usap ko minsan. Ang galing nya mag-English, very fluent. Sinabi nya, "Teacher, I don't like speaking in Tagalog. It's so hard. Let's just speak in English." Then I told her, "You can speak in Tagalog. Pilipino ka eh! It's in you, it runs in your blood." :) Ayun, she agreed naman. :)

Kailangan in English? Oh my goodness!  Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Pano nga naman tayo uunlad kung mismong wika natin neglected? Yung Konstitusyon natin written in English, yung masa hirap silang intindihin ung batas ng bayan nila. Sabagay, tingin ko hindi naman bago yung hirap kang aralin ang sarili mong wika. I remember one time when I was in Korea, may naka-usap akong student dun. Parang ang tanong ko sa kanya, "What is your least favorite subject?" At ang sagot nya, Korean Language. Mahirap daw eh. Hmmm. So hindi pala yun naiiba sa'tin hehe. Mahirap nga naman talaga mag-Tagalog, mas mahaba kasi ung words at minsan ang hirap din bigkasin at basahin. Kahit ako ngayon hindi sigurado kung grammatically correct ang pagta-Tagalog ko rito. But it doesn't mean mahirap na eh hindi mo na mamahalin. :)

Ang sakit kung bagsak ka sa Filipino subject... Oh my goodness! Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Who's your mama now?
Si Mother Luna at Mother Aguinaldo. I also noticed yung mga pagkaka-iba nila sa pelikula. Si Mother Aguinaldo, sa buong pelikula andun lang sya sa kwarto nya at mukhang yayamanin ang lola mo. Sa bandang dulo ng palabas, nung tinadtad na ng bala at saksak si Luna, tinanong pa nya mula sa kwarto kung gagalaw pa ba yung bangkay. Hmm, harsh... Sa kabilang banda si Mother Luna. Mukhang yayamanin din sya pero fierce! For me she was portrayed there as someone who is a strong woman pero gentle pa rin (Ikaw ba naman na dalawa sa anak mo naging bayani) Andun pa rin ang pangaral nya sa bunso nya. Andun yung naglalakad sila sa bakuran nila. Hindi sya fully sold out sa desisyon ng anak nya to be in that war pero andun pa rin ang suporta at gabay nya. Ikaw, paano ka magiging isang ina o ama sa susunod na henerasyon? :)

Antonio Luna was also a Thomasian just like Jose Rizal. Go USTe! :) Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page. 

Si Isabel, ang love interest ni Luna sa pelikula ay isa ring fictional character. Sabi na. Sa na-research ko kasi si Ysidra Cojuangco ang love interest ni Antonio Luna nun (na ancestor ni Pnoy). Ang character pala ni Isabel dun ay parang combination ng mga love interests ni Luna. Parang sa lahat ng babae nya, mas pinili nya ang krus nya--ang giyera. Ang ta-tragic talaga ng mga love story ng mga bayani natin hay...

Yaya Dub, Pastillas Girl... Ensaymada Girl! Hoho!  Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Ung pagkakahawig ng Spoliarium sa ending, ang galing nun! Juan Luna's Spoliarium painting shows fallen gladiators being dragged and stripped off of their armors and even their social status. They were warriors, pero yung death nila is something not honorable. They died just for the entertainment of the Romans. Hindi ako sure kung bakit ginaya ung last scene wherein Luna's and Paco's bodies were dragged na mala-Spoliarium. Siguro it can be something na, kung hindi tayo umunlad sa pagiging Pilipino natin, ung death nila could be just a waste or something not honorable, gaya nung mga gladiators na nasa painting.

Si Joven, ang batang manunulat sa pelikula ay isang fictional character. Sa tingin ko sya yung representation ng kabataang Pilipino sa movie. May eksena nga run when he was caught in the middle of the battle tapos tinamaan yung right hand nya. I was like, "Oh no hindi na sya makakapagsulat..." Ang pag-aaway away nating matatanda at hindi pagkaka-isa, apektado ang kinabukasan ng kabataan.

Ok yung idea na may fictional character sa movie na 'to to whom, I think, majority of the viewers can relate with.  Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Yung watawat ng Pilipinas na nasa backdrop ni Luna whenever Joven is interviewing him, habang tumatagal lalong pumapangit. At dun na nga sa ending, nasunog na. Aww ang saklap... :( Hindi na nga rin nabigyan ng hustisya ang pagkamatay ni Luna.

Bakit? Bakit kapwa Pilipino pa? :( Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page.

Nawa'y mas dumami pa ang ganitong klaseng pelikula. Yung may social relevance and speaks about our History. Ngayon kasi panay about infidelity at rom-com na lang ang palabas. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching rom-com movies. Lalo na kung Toni Gonzaga yan o Sarah G. at kinikilig din ako ng sobra sa AlDub loveteam haha! Pero sana wag naman panay ganun na lang ang movies at mga palabas natin di ba?

I seriously thought Alden's breakthrough in his career would be yung role nya as Rizal sa primetime series na Ilustrado. Pinapanood ko pa naman yun pero natapos agad, hindi bumenta. :(  Image from Heneral Luna Meme FB page. 

Yes, the Filipino can!
I've always believed na kaya naman nating mga Pilipinong gumawa ng mga dekalidad na pelikula. Yun nga lang yung award-winning movies natin sa ibang bansa hindi lang sumisikat dito dahil hindi patok sa mainstream. Thank God that Fernando Ortigas agreed to produce this film! The script was originally written in English and was even banked for 17 years! Labing-pitong taon na ang nakakaraan mula nung sinulat ang script ng movie na 'to pero can relate pa rin tayo sa mga negative cultures natin na pinakita sa pelikula.

Ayokong maging reklamador dito. I don't want to be part of those people na panay reklamo sa bansa pero wala namang magandang tinutulong o solusyon na pinre-presenta. Ipagdasal natin ang bayan natin. Yung hindi lang panay reklamo at curses ang lumalabas sa mga bibig natin. Maging mabuting mamamayan, kahit sa maliit na paraan (please, ang munting basura ibulsa muna! Ung simpleng hindi pagkakalat at pagsunod sa traffic rules). And let's guide our next generation. Kaya rin siguro nauulit ang maling nagawa ng mga ninuno natin dahil hindi natin alam ang mga ito. "Forgive and Forget", tama yan. Pero sa History, forgive but never forget. Dahil kung nakalimot tayo, History will just repeat itself.

I pray na mag-improve ang school curriculum natin. Sana wala nang lalala pa run sa case ni Mabini na hindi na alam ng ibang kabataan bakit naka-upo lang sya sa buong pelikula. Aabangan ko ang Gregorio del Pilar movie! :)  Image from Heneral Luna FB page.

Crazy Weekends!

These past weekends were kinda crazy... Crazy in a good sense. :) God made me realize about some things and answered some of my prayers. ;) Let me start with a couple of weekends ago (and I'd make sure that I will make this short BUT helpful hehe ;P)

Worship is a lot like love
It was Friday and I was in the church with the small group that I'm leading. We we're attending the Friday youth service and the message was about Worship. Ptr. Joe Bonifacio was the preacher then. I like it when he uses examples from his past experiences to his preaching, making it easier for us (the listeners) to grasp and comprehend the message. (God-given strength! ^^) One of those examples is when he and Rica (now his wife, who is a celebrity here in the Philippines) was still in a bf-gf stage (I apologize.. I don't know any wiser word to use in this haha! ;P). He once gave her an orchid for a gift thinking that this would please her. The next time he went to her house, he saw the orchid--and it looked like it hasn't been taken care of. He then asked her why and she told her that she's not keen on receiving flowers as a gift (or something like that).

Worship is like that. It's not about what you give to God but it's about what He wants. It's like you wanted to please Him with your worship and you want Him to give a rose. You gave Him the flower, but what He wants is a food-trip with you in Batangas. So do you think He is pleased, then? Or worst do you think that He accepted it? God seeks for true worshipers. He is high-class and doesn't want "second rates". So what does He look in a worshiper? A worshiper that worships Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24) ;) It's not about the place, the style, or your opinion. It's about who you worship, your heart, based on God's truth. :)

A "Gen Ad" mentality
Come follow Saturday... It was April 21 and Israel Houghton with New Breed & Planetshakers was in Manila for a worship concert! I wasn't able to reserve a ticket for myself because I'm in a tight budget. :) The night before the concert a friend texted me and told me that she still got a gen ad ticket for the event. She asked me if I'm willing to buy it for P250. Honestly I have nothing to pay for it even just for a gen ad ticket but I didn't close the possibility that maybe God will do something--that someone will bless me so I can buy that ticket, haha! :D Before leaving our house for volunteers' orientation in our church, I charged my digicam in faith that I will be able to watch the concert even though I still don't have the ticket. :)

To make the story shorter. No one blessed me with P250 for me to buy the gen ad ticket BUUUTT!!! Someone blessed me with a complimentary ticket... and it was for a Patron seat! Weee! :D Me with some friends were in the 2nd row from the stage! Some of my friends even saw my face flash on the giant screen because the camera man was just a few steps away from me! Haha! :D

That's the camera man that I've mentioned. ;P

 I was just asking for a Gen Ad ticket (the cheapest), but God gave me a Patron seat ticket (the most expensive). Sometimes we just believe for God to give us a "gen ad" ticket for something and not seeing the fact that God can give us a "patron" ticket for what we are asking! ;) So, do you have a "gen ad" mentality? ;P

It starts with the leader
Just this weekend I was able to attend our Kids Church core leaders team building. Again, someone blessed me so I can attend this vital team building! Weee, thank You Lord! :D This is one of my faith goals this year, wooh! ;)) We are "leveling up" in Kids Church that's why our leaders should be equipped. God put a high premium to the kids that's why in serving them, out of our love for God and for His people, we should serve them with excellence.

I've learned a lot about leadership. A leader should have a Christ-like character, discover his/her skills, then develop them for him/her to be competent and excellent and... love his/her team to maintain chemistry in the spirit of unity and being one in Christ. :)

A glimpse of my notes :)

It's an honor to be a leader because it means that God entrusted you with bigger things. But then it is also crucial, and maybe at some point dangerous. Being a leader could make you more busy, and could lead you in neglecting your relationship with God. The more you climb the leadership ladder, the more you should be close to your Ultimate Leader-- God. :)

Guarding your heart
Here goes that phrase again! Haha! :D During our team building, there were a lot of "revelations" among the single women (and I'm one of them ;P). We were giddy about those and we talked about them until in the wee hours of the morning. (Yeah, it's a girl thing! ;P) Then I realized, it's really hard to guard your heart (and your mind) specially when you're a woman. It's really relying on God's grace in this! ;))

Carrying the Cross
Still on Saturday was the graduation of my sis from her missions training at Asian Center for Missions (ACM). So from team building, I went here with my family to attend (thank God for the strength! ;P). I had mixed emotions here. I was happy because my sis is now nearer in living the life that God have for her, and that is to be a goer in the missions field for long term. I was also sad because it means she will be away from home. Then I was reminded of this: when we give our lives to Jesus, our lives are no longer for us to live for ourselves but for Him. It's paying the price and carrying the cross. It's not about what you want or what your family wants... It's now all about God.

That's me with my sis and mama :)

♫ Where You go, I go / Where You stay, I stay / Whom You love, I'll love / I will follow... ♫

I don't know the title of this song but it hit the right chords in my heart about carrying the cross and following Jesus. It's actually about--Worship. True worship ends in obedience. Now my sis is gearing up and raising partners for her long-term missions. Please pray with me that God will enable her to raise faithful partners that will support her through prayers and finances. :) Thanks!

Passing the baton
And since my sister is now preparing for her missions calling, most probably she will not be able to maintain her online store that she started few years ago. So she passed it on to me hehe! ;) I believe that this is one of the avenues that God can use to support her missions financially. ;))

Whew! There are more reasons now to love weekends! ;)

P.S. Papa is now home from abroad! Yeah yeys! :D and I got a new mobile phone (thank you papa! ;P)

  

Christmas Aftermath

After all the parties that I attended, all the food that I ate and all the gifts I received... This realization struck me the most in this year's Christmas.

The day before Christmas Eve we were listening to DZAS (a Christian radio station here in the Philippines) and they had a special programming in which they are raising funds for the victims of typhoon Sendong (Washi) that hit the northern part of Mindanao days before Christmas. The reports and scenes from the typhoon-hit cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Dumaguete are really heart breaking. Many families lost their homes, properties and even lives of their loved ones--from babies to grandparents. There was a flash flood in the deep of the night that is believed an effect of illegal logging in the said areas.

Many were asking, "Where is Christmas in this?" or "How can they celebrate Christmas?" Sadly, many people believe that to have a Merry Christmas, you have to have a sumptuous meal, gifts to give and gifts to receive, be at the parties and go shopping. I'm not against these but may these things not hinder us to know the REAL meaning of Christmas.

Image from newlifeccc.org.au

Amidst the disaster that hit the Philippines this season, I was really reminded of the real picture or meaning of Christmas.

While listening to the radio, I got so overwhelmed by what I'm hearing that I started to cry. Not mainly because I pity those people who was hit by the tragedy but I can say it can add to that. But really, the reason is I can see the love of God manifested.

It's concrete. It's tangible.

Reporters say that people are giving in-kind donations to their offices, riding on jeepneys or tricycles. On television, many people are taking their part in helping people. Many are praying, many are giving their pledges, many are volunteering.

I know this "Christmas-inspired" post is kinda late but I believe that the love of God is never outdated and never seasonal.

It's classic, it's timeless and it's priceless.

Image from media.photobucket.com

I saw the real meaning of this season during this time of disaster in Mindanao. People are helping the helpless, leaving their comfort zones to volunteer, sharing what they have to people who can't pay them back, praying to people that they don't know and giving love and showing compassion.

It was like humanity before Christ was born; we were helpless, we were destroyed, we were hopeless... and thank God He gave His Son! Now as the song says, "the weary world rejoices"! Jesus left His comfort zone for us, He is generous to us who can't really pay Him back, He prayed and even died for people who doesn't know Him and gave love to us who are so undeserving. When I realized that this is what's happening to evacuation centers, I can't help but be overwhelmed and say that, "That is Christmas!"

Be part of this love movement and give! 

You can give through...
World Vision

Image from World Vision Philippines

Operation Blessings

Image from Operation Blessings Philippines

FEBC (702 DZAS)

Image from FEBC

With this, a verse came to my mind. I think this was the first ever Bible verse that I memorized! :)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16 (NIV)

  

Emergency!!! Typhoon Sendong (Washi)

Image from World Vision Philippines

Hi guys! I know I still don't have many readers here but I know some of you are from other parts of the world. Typhoon Sendong (Washi) hit the Southern part of the Philippines and the most devastated cities are Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. Sadly, from what I read, many children were greatly affected by this. Many houses were destroyed along with their livelihood. Many lives were also taken and a lot of people are still missing.

I have relatives from Cagayan de Oro (my father grew up there) and I am just thankful that they are safe. In the spirit of Christmas let's have the heart to give to those who are in need and hurting -- like the victims of typhoon Sendong. Sending in your donations through World Vision-Philippines is as easy as saying "I love chocolates and marshmallows". Just click here and follow the steps. :)

As you send in your donations, send also your prayers to God. We do the hard work, God will do the "heart" work (healing and restoration for the hurting). Thank you very much and God bless you!

So you don't want to be hungry?

Image from www.chocolateguru.net

I'm a fan of eating. I always eat everytime I feel like doing so. Whenever I leave our house I always make it to point to have with me some food. Sadly, this is a privilege for me that sometimes I overlook.

Every 7 seconds, 1 child dies because of hunger... So every minute, roughly 8 children die because they have nothing to eat. You may now chomping a bar of chocolate or digging a pack of chips while millions of kids out there are struggling and dying because of hunger. Statistics say that millions are suffering in starvation just here in the Philippines.

It's really a herculean task to fight against hunger, but this does not mean that we will not take any actions for it to stop.

Last year, I had a privilege to volunteer for the first 12-hour Famine of World Vision Philippines. It was really a memorable event for me because it's the first time that I abstained from food for such cause. ;)

The 12-hour Famine is a youth movement against hunger wherein young people gather to raise funds to help hungry children and their families. They will not eat any solid food for 12 straight hours to experience hunger first hand. On the same day, we also had fun games and activities and featured talented acts. World Vision celebrities supporters were also present in the event. (Honestly, I think this is the only event so far that I took part wherein I saw a lot of celebrities. ;P) These are some of the highlights from the last year's Famine event. (Photos are from World Vision's 12 Hour Famine Facebook)

Ms. Lea Salonga! (I was star struck when she passed in front of me at the backstage! ;P)

Ruffa Gutierrez and her lovely daughters! ;)

Host DJ/Ptr. Jordan Escusa and beauty queen Ms. Miriam Quiambao :)

Dingdong Dantes

Tippy dos Santos, Nikki Gil and Sam Concepcion! (They are really gifted with those voices!)

This year, the Famine event is back again! But unfortunately this time I will not be there (sad.. :( ). But I'm still going to promote this event because I believe some of you can come! Registration is until today, November 18, 2011 and the event will be tomorrow, 8am-8pm at the Ynarez Sports Arena, Pasig.

For more information about the registration and FAQ, please visit the 12-hour Famine's official site:

We are not alone in this! The Famine movement is all over the globe! There are 40-hour Famine Australia and New Zealand, 30-hour Famine Canada, US, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Thailand and Taiwan and 24-hour Famine United Kingdom!

Being young is great. So add more greatness to it by participating in something relevant and by being part of something bigger than your life. You know, we are not here to live just for ourselves. In Deuteronomy 15:11 God says,

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

And this verse drives me to help the poor in Matthew 25:40

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Let's say no to hunger!