Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on “Angulo”

 

Filipino Classic Films : Ina ka ng anak mo

ina ka ng anak mo, directed by Lino Brocka, he paired her with the great Lolita Rodriguez and they played mother and daughter who shared the same man Raoul Aragonn. Nora is unforgettable in that scene where she discovers that her own mother is having an affair with her own husband and she cries: “Hayup! hayup!”

ORA PRO NOBIS (FIGHT FOR US) 1989

Lately, I have been searching for classic Filipino films that unfortunately were shown way back when I was still in diapers. I like to go back in time via these films and see a time when Philippine cinema still had depth. I’ll post some here that I can find. For my very first post on this subject, I chose “Ora Pro Nobis” by Lino Brocka. This film was not commercially shown here in The Philippines because of then President Corazon Aquino. Enjoy

WHAT’S A FILIPINO?

   Over the recent weeks this has been a hot button topic here in The Philippines. What’s a Filipino? What makes one Filipino and what makes one not?

   It is certainly not about skin color

Otherwise these two below are not Filipinos. No one though would question that the two below are indeed Filipinos. The Philippines have been hybridised by so many cultures and races for us to even define what a Filipino should look like.

 

Is it a question of ancestry and/or geneology?

I don’t think so. Literally millions of Filipino-Chinese won’t be Filipino if this is true. People like Teresita Ang-See have done more for The Philippines than most Filipinos have. I also don’t think that being born with one  foreign parent lessens your being Filipino.

Is it a  question of being able to speak your native tongue fluently?

Definitely not….don’t some parents strive to make their kids “english-speaking” to a point where these kids end up not being able to speak the local language and making English their language of choice.

For me being a Filipino is in your heart. It is loving The Philippines and showing genuine concern for it and being proud that you are. It has nothing to do on how you look, the way you talk or where you are from.

IMELDA MARCOS AND VERONICA PEDROSA

This is the most enthralling Imelda Marcos interview that I have ever seen. To my knowledge this is the first time that Mrs. Marcos has been interviewed by a journalist that had been a victim of martial law. Kudos to Veronica Pedrosa.

20 REASONS WHY I LOVE THE PHILIPPINES…..A FOREIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE

Bente Dos ( A Woman with 22 Children)

This should be shown to our lawmakers who are opposed to the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill

IT IS REALLY MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES

The long wait is over for the new Philippine tourism slogan. It’s now here, I think it’s ok. Concise and direct to the point without promising/misleading would be tourists of what the Philippines can offer. Nice colors and note that the Phillipines in the logo is made of Banig (Woven mat made from indigenous fibers).

It is definitely a world of difference from the much loathed “Pilipinas Kay Ganda”. Though I still like the “Wow Philippines” more.

Still kudos to Secretary Mon Jimenez (Tourism) for coming up with a slogan that is for the large part accepted by most Filipinos. It even went trending on twitter. 

I am just annoyed by some people (sadly they are Filipinos too) that for some reason can’t help but criticise the slogan….yeah I know to each his own. but it is just my personal policy that I wont post anything derogatory about my country online (well at least not in english).

P.S.

If You can’t say anything good about your own country just keep quiet.

UNDUE HASTE…..UNDUE DELAY

Over the past weeks we have been witness to how fast our Congressmen can pass a measure when they really want to do so. Take for example the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona that just took one day to pass. Others say this was done to tune of their pork barrels…anyways it does not matter anymore. What is done is done.

It just pains me that such expediency can’t be afforded to other bills which are more important like the Reproductive Health Bill, which has been in congress for a total of 16 years now. Now isn’t this bill more important than ousting an allegedly biased Chief Justice? Isnt giving the poorest of our countrymen access to information and/or modern contraceptives for them to plan their families more important?

They say that the impeachment case against Chief Justice Corona was backed by the majority of our countrymen but isn’t the reproductive health bill also enjoy the same support from the majority of Filipinos? So why was the impeachment case passed in just one day and the reproductive health bill has been lingering in congress for 16 years?

Anyways it is better late than never…..

                                     PASS THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL NOW

DEAR ANTI RH BILL SENATOR, THE RH BILL IS NOT FOR YOU

Dear Anti-RH bill Senator,

   Over the course of this whole RH Bill debate you have been guilty of making baseless statements,  sometimes these statements make me think if you live in a different reality than I live in. Your sheer arrogance is also staggering. You also always inject religion in the debates, are you not aware that not all Filipinos are catholics? That not all catholics are against the RH bill? or that some religions in the Philippines do openly support the RH Bill. You are a lawmaker for all Filipinos….not just catholic Filipinos.

     In a recent statement you have even claimed that the UNPF and the DOH are in cahoots to promote the RH Bill. You even belittled the  projections that the world’s population may hit 10 billion people in a few years. You even went as far as demanding for the death certificates of the 11 women that die everyday in the Philippines due to childbirth complications (This for me is just the height of your stupidity).

    Please sir, don’t compare yourself  to the millions of Filipinos who are living in poverty. Yes it is true that you have been able to give a decent life to your children. Again the RH bill is not for you.  It is for the millions of Filipinos (specially women) who are not even aware of the existence of modern family planning  methods, it is for the millions of Filipinos who don’t have access to modern family planning methods because they would rather buy food for their family than buy condoms,pills.etc.

     So who is this Anti Rh Bill senator I am talking about? Need I still give a clue……….. Well all I can say is I like him better on noontime tv.