Remembering 9/11

The majestic World Tade Center towers over Manhattan...

Flight 175 hits the tower...

President George Bush condemns the terrorist attack infront of other world leaders

Osama Bin Laden gives statement on the attack

People run for their lives as the world trade center crumbled

The debris of what once was majestic...

A woman holds a picture of the world trade center as people gathered to remember the terror that shook 9/11

Blogging is Journalism.

Blogging is journalism. I would have said otherwise and I would not have agreed had I not heard Professor Rolando “Rolly” Fernandez, Philippine Daily Inquirer Northern Luzon’s Bureau Chief, discuss the issue. He considered blogging as journalism and he also posted a question that has been a source of debate in our class: “Who and what is a journalist anyway?”

We had a class discussion on blogs as an emerging form of journalism. Well, I thought otherwise. There were some points raised that in able for a blog to be considered as journalism, the writer who owns it should at least belong to a news organization [just like he has to be part of one for him to be considered as a journalist]. The topics or the content of the said blog should also be “journalistic” in nature in a such way that it has to have social relevance. Same sentiments that I had. I also thought that there really should be a thin line that separates the writers or the bloggers from the real journalists.

But after the talk, I could not help but consider it as one. After all, Sir Rolly said that it can also be a source of information for journalists. Yes, perhaps it is indeed journalism. Its advent did not only pave the way for online discussions but also, it made tasks easier for journalists and other people who wish to convey their ideas and opinions regarding matters of public interest. Bloggers can just go online and talk about issues that people need to know. He also gave an example about a journalist who posted her work in the internet and got more feedback online, than feedbacks on her column printed in a newspaper. Somehow, it also gave way for interaction between a journalist and his readers to clarify some issues of the article written. However, blogging should also be concerned with legal issues as pointed out by our speaker [Sir Rolly]. It should not be all about writing whatever one wants. And yes, I could not have agreed more. A blogger should always be responsible for the things he writes because he will never know how it would affect his readers.

Kara David's "Buto't Balat"

I thought it would just be another boring weekend for me, waiting for the clock to move its hands for another hour or so. But then, I remembered that I-witness, a documentary program of GMA 7 would be showcasing some of its documentaries in school. Being a documentary addict, plus the bonus of meeting some of GMA’s famous journalists, I, together with my friends, decided to go and watch.

First to be shown was Kara David’s “Buto’t Balat”, a documentary on severe malnutrition in the Philippines. Perhaps almost everyone on the audience was affected by the things and the facts presented in the documentary. There was a case of a girl who was bed ridden because of malnutrition and when asked of the reason why she became that way, her mother said they only eat once or twice a day. The family could not provide enough food for themselves, which resulted to the girl and her other two siblings’ death. Also featured was a family of nine which would eat three times a day but with improper food intake. The weight of the oldest child, 14, would only pass for the weight of a two-year-old. And when data were shown, the Philippines ranked 2nd in cases of severe malnourishment.

I have only watched two of the four documentaries yet I knew that it was enough. I was greatly affected with what I have seen that I couldn’t help but wonder what the world’s richest tycoons are doing with their wealth when millions of people are dying of hunger. It is indeed ironic how the “rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer”. Buto’t Balat also showed what the Philippine government has somehow been denying by building more super highways and infrastructures: poverty. This documentary stood up to its duty of showing the reality behind the entire façade of the government’s claims of serving the people. In a world where the price of perfumes cost almost a month’s salary, there are also people who could not even afford a day’s meal.

Links to sites that contain information on malnutrition:

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53280&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa"malnutrition2

UP it is...

“If you work for a man in heaven’s name, work for him, speak well of him and stand by the institution that he represents…”

- Elbert Hubbard

Perhaps, Secretary of Justice Raul Gonzalez was thinking of this line in defense of Arroyo’s administration when he dropped the words, “That school that builds destabilizers every year…” pertaining to the University of the Philippines and its students. Yes, it is just but right to defend the institution [government] that he works for but not to the extent of questioning the kind of students that UP breeds and even the culture that every UPan grows up into. Why question the culture when it should not even be in question. Yes, there may be men and women running naked. So what? It is an expression of what they believe in and it is what makes UP different from the others, even from your [Gonzalez's] school. UPans are unconventional, accept that fact.

I once told myself that it is undeniably an irony how the government subsidizes its budget for UP and yet, the same students that it supports are the same people who go against it. The cliché “biting the hands that feed you” can simply be applied to the situation. But being thankful of the budget given by the state should not be equated with being silent of the mistakes and offenses it commits. Perhaps, that was what our dear Secretary forgot.

Being an Iskolar ng Bayan entails a lot of responsibility. It is not all about the prestige [like what other people think] that goes with the name but also, the duty to give something back to the people. And that includes checking the excesses of the government, even if, as Gonzalez put it, “the state is the one paying” for our schooling and so, “why try to bring it down”. Yes, there should be some gratitude that is why UPans rally and shout in the streets to let the people know that there is something wrong.

As a UPan, I firmly believe that I owe my gratitude to the people and not to the government. In the first place, if Gonzalez can assure that the Philippines is indeed in good governance then, perhaps, everyone would just sit back and relax just like “well-behaved” individuals. But then, he seems to be blinded only by the good things that “his” government does. He refuses to see beyond.

Poverty. Corruption. Political Killings. The things that every UPan loathes of.

Secretary Gonzalez, unlike you, UPans are not blind of the felony of the government; they are not deaf to hear the muffled cries of those who died for their beliefs and they are not mute to scream what they believe in. They are bright and good, you yourself, said so.

"http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=17434"Gonzalez on UP

Her Excellency's State of the Nation Address (Part1)

It was the most awaited speech in the country every year. The two giant networks and almost every television station covered the event. Even before the clock strikes at 12nn, correspondents from different stations were already at the Batasang Pambansa to wait for the highest officer of the country. Finally, on the 24th of July, at past 4pm, her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gave her State of the Nation Address (SONA).

She opened her speech by first congratulating the new Senate Leader Manuel Villar and acknowledging Minority Leader Jose De Venecia. Then, she updated the nation on the government’s effort of being able to send over 200 OFWs home. After which, she added that this time, she was not there to talk about politics. Or that’s what the people thought. The president’s one hour and one minute SONA mainly addressed the administration’s plan for the four super regions: Northern Luzon, Metro Luzon Urban Beltway, Central Luzon and Mindanao. She recognized each super region’s potential in boosting the economic condition of the country. Apart from this, she gave proposals on developing infrastructures to connect and to improve transportation on certain places in the said regions. She even challenged, Tony Boy Locsin, who once said that such plans were not possible. Her SONA was as specific as reducing the cost of electricity, extracting Gethropa for an alternative fuel, and “stamping out terrorism and lawless violence”.

Everything the president presented was impressive and her plans were very detailed. The videos and the PowerPoint Presentation added in giving the people a clearer view on what she wanted to convey. Critics said that it was the most high-tech SONA she had given.
But as expected, in the duration of her speech, she never failed to acknowledge the presence of those who supported her administration: from the AFP, the congressmen, to the former president Fidel V. Ramos. And the company Bb. Pilipinas Universe and Pinoy athletes like Manny Pacquiao, seemed to give GMA that “I am a successful president” aura. And again, as expected, applauses and cheers followed every end of her statement.

Her Excellency's State of the Nation Address (Part2)

Promises, promises and more promises. In her SONA, she appeared like the typical politician [and not a public servant] that she really is. Fine, her plans were good and admittedly, she has made some accomplishments. However, she seemed to have failed to mention the source of the budget of her proposed projects. Yes, the country has the money, or so the administration claims. But since, it was not clearly explained, it posted the question if Filipinos of today and the next generation, will still continue to pay the debts that the country acquired and will still acquire from other countries.

If it was a State of the Nation Address, why did she ever forget to mention the real state of the nation? There are unemployment, corruption and poverty in the country. She said that she condemns political killings, but up to now, only a few are solved or perhaps, they were unsolved at all. The clamor of the people in Commonwealth Avenue proved the discontentment in her administration. Also, in between her address, she accidentally pushed her political stand on the Constitutional Change. While it is true that there is no such thing as a perfect president, one could at least do so by being a good example. But how can people trust in one whose legitimacy of winning the election is still being questioned?

I once heard from one of my instructors that the Philippines is changing not the form and system of its government but only people who all have the same purpose and motives to be in the government. Therefore, the cycle of having a rotten political system continues. And so, if the president wasn’t politicking, then I no longer know what to call her SONA.

A "Taste" of Bandila

It was my first time to watch Bandila last Friday night. Thanks to Florita and its effect to our TV reception, I was only able to watch the show once.

Bandila is a news program aired from Monday to Friday after ABS-CBN’s “Primetime Bida”. Three veteran news anchors host the said program: Ces Drilon, Korina Sanchez and Henry Omaga-Diaz. The title and the usage of the colors of the Philippine Flag seem to imply that it is all about news stories all over the nation. However, true to every news program’s aim of delivering news stories even outside the country, Bandila somehow managed to deliver bits of news stories from other parts of the world, even with a limited airtime.

At first, I thought that it was patterned from TV Patrol World where there is the usual “three-anchor-stuff” facilitating the flow of the program. But then, Bandila is quite different in terms of the way the anchors present the news. Aside from the anchors giving an overview of a news story, there are instances that they throw short “ad libs” on what they think about a certain story. This is quite good for the program since the interaction of the anchors gave the program a less formal mood. This also gave Bandila another style of delivering news stories; straight news reporting and a little of commentary.

More so, giving the anchors and the room set-up a full shot from time to time somehow made Bandila less intimidating as compared to other news programs where medium shots are given to the anchors showing only their upper body. Also, the show gave more visuals in terms of coverage, which was helpful in catching its viewers’ attention.

Unlike TV Patrol World, the treatment of news stories in Bandila is somehow better in terms of length and in-depth reporting. The stories are longer thus, presenting more sides and opinions of people involved. And at this time where every news story is equated with bad events, Bandila somehow made a difference upon its coverage of a doctor who chose to be in a rural area to help the people, regardless of who they are, NPA or Military.

And being a viewer of Bandila for the first-time, I can only say much of what I have observed. (“,)

Justice! (P.S. only for those who can afford it)

When you’re a student, you’ll make the most out of every minute to rest and get your mood out of academic stuffs… Well, perhaps that was what I have learned. Sometimes, my schedule in school gets so ”toxic” that I make it a point to have my leisure every time I have the chance. That’s why during Sunday, one can just see me at my “idlest” moment in front of the television. I guess that’s the least I could do for myself. I spend three hours straight, from 9pm-12am, watching CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) Marathon in AXN. Every week’s episode of CSI, CSI New York and CSI Miami is replayed during Sunday and I know that I just couldn’t miss one.

CSI is actually one of my favorite TV shows. It is all about solving crimes and capturing criminals the best way possible. It does not matter whoever the victims or the crimials are. What the show seems to promote is for justice to be given to those who deserve it. It may be shallow but I am impressed with the way people from that TV show solves and unravel crimes. Though I know that everything was scripted and made for the public’s entertainment, I still couldn’t help to admire the characters. The way they do things may be so ideal to the point of being unrealistic, but they manage to pull the strings somehow. They have all the modern instruments and the best people to accomplish even the most impossible job.

And I couldn’t help but compare the show on how the justice system here in the Philippines works. Here, the arrest of a culprit will take some time for the authorities to do. And most of the time, if it’s a victim’s lucky day, the accused may even be someone so powerful that he has “immunity” from the law. The filing of a case is such a tedious process for crime-victims, especially for those who don’t have the means, that the case would only be a trash. Ain’t it funny how authorities brag about being able to solve this and that percentage of crimes yet Filipinos see and experience the injustices and the endless killings in the country? Ain’t it so good to know the number of laws created to supposedly protect the people yet one can’t help but feel that these laws are only for those in the upper ranks of society? Ain’t it so impressive to see how a large sum of budget is given to the armed forces yet only few are protected?

This is a point of view of a niece whose Uncle was killed almost a year ago and yet, justice was not served. F**k the system…

Imbestigador's Theatrical Hysterics

I was merely staring at my computer’s blank screen and didn’t know what to write about. Not until my housemate switched the television on and I saw Mike Enriquez’s face in Imbestigador. It is not actually the whole being or the personality of Mike Enriquez that I don’t like. Perhaps it is the sarcasm in his not-so-modulated voice that irritates me the most. It really is nothing personal. This is just an opinion of a person who watches his show. More so, I don’t appreciate the excesses that his show commits: violation of the Journalists’ Code of Ethics with regards to the use of hidden camera, entrapment of a suspect with the camera on and the way it meddles with personal affairs.

It saddens me how quality Journalism seemed to have deteriorated in the passage of years. The past decades have paved the way for a “bloodier” media. It looks as if Imbestigador tends to train its audience to crave and look for blood in every news story. While it is true that conflict is an important element of a news story, Imbestigador perpetrating it is another issue. The show sensationalizes even the smallest matter there is on a case. More so, there seem to be a conflict of interest because it doesn’t know where to draw the line between its role as a program and its portrayal as an authority or a “Sumbungan ng Bayan”. I always hear people saying, “A suspect is innocent until proven guilty”. But due to the established power of the program to its viewers, everything, from a suspect’s entrapment to his trial is like theatrical hysterics. Everyone wants to watch and observe every movement of those involved. Like what we have discussed in one of my subjects, sometimes, news-oriented TV shows tend to push “trial by publicity”… And that’s exactly what Mike Enriquez’s program is doing.

Am I Married?!

Last Monday was just like any ordinary day for me. Being the lazy couch potato that I really am, I would have opted to stay at home had I not remembered that I had to post the required blog entry. Realizing that I had nothing else to do after posting my entry, I decided to go to a dress shop and had my pants repaired. Well, there was really nothing-extraordinary going on between the dressmaker and me. She did the SOP of measuring the pants, and me of course. Nothing really…not until she asked me if I was already married because of the measurement of my hips. I would have gotten insulted by her remarks had I not heard what she said after… She said that, “malay ko ba…ang dami na kasing mga batang babaeng maagang nagbubuntis ngayon” [How should I know? There are a lot of girls who get married at a young age these days].

I was still thinking about what the lady said when I got home. Not on what she said about me but what she said regarding the generation of today. It was then that I’ve realized that it was not just about kids being involved in premarital sex at a young age. But it was more of the consequences… A study posted in the Internet indicated that in the Philippines, “in 2000, an estimated 78,900 women were hospitalized for postabortion care, 473,400 women had abortions and the abortion rate was 27 per 1,000 women aged 15–44 per year” (1). In times like this, one wouldn’t really know who or what to blame. Perhaps, it’s the issue of sex being taboo in the country that perpetuates the act more.

Admit it or not, there were times when a girl is silenced and scolded by her parents because she mentioned or asked something about the word sex. It’s as if cursing all the saints who ever existed! I am not some promiscuous being who talks about sex as if I’m a sex education professor! But neither am I a prude. I guess all I’m saying is that for the generation of today to be educated by their parents. There may be sex education classes but it would also help if it would be something that even parents would openly discuss. Openly, meaning, parents explaining when their kids ask. It’s not a plague that should be avoided. After all, kids will not always remain at their age. I firmly believe that the more society avoids talking about it, the more prevalent it becomes. Perhaps because one would have to learn it on one’s own, which most likely would result to pregnancy due to lack of knowledge. Time is changing and I guess the best way to adapt is to be properly informed.

(1) http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3114005.html