Jay M. Pascual

Breaking a promise leaves a bad taste in the mouth. But there is something about a promise that makes us want to break it. I bet everyone has broken a promise at least once in their lives. Three days ago I made a promise to write at least 100 words a day on this blog. Yesterday, I broke that promise. And it left a very unsavory feeling inside me. I remember a Danish proverb about eggs and promises. It says that both are easy to break. Hannah Arendt once said that making promises is a uniquely human act. It allows us to order our future. Unfortunately, humans are supposedly predisposed to break a promise. Take it from the great author and humanist Mark Twain. Somewhere in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he contemplated about this uniquely human flaw: that when someone promised not to do a thing, it is actually the surest way for that someone to do that thing. Well, enough of promises. I guess we just have to stop making them and start doing what we ought to do. (This post was f...

There are times when the urge to write may feel like an itch on the groin that demands scratching. It must be scratched – whenever, wherever. The urge must be satisfied. Sometimes, the act of writing may seem primal; a kind of aphrodisiac that brings satisfaction to the senses. And after everything in the mind has been said and written, the writer will lay spent, exhausted even. But the exhaustion would be tantalizing. It approximates the consumation of an orgasmic event. Well, these may seem too exaggerated. Thoughts that are products only of a naughty imagination. But they are real. The feelings can be felt. The urge quenched. But not quite, because after a while, a new arousal will emerge. It will demand attention. And it must be satisfied… (This was first posted at  http://blogging100.wordpress.com/ , a blog I intend to abandon.)

Surviving the revolution. This is foremost in everyone's mind when talking about the issue of digital revolution. Like every revolution, the digital upheaval ushers in tremendous impact on society. Socio-politico and cultural changes have emerged and affected every fabric of the global community. Old practices and ideas have been discarded and new norms, some constructive and some are not, are being adapted at a mind-boggling rapid pace. The mantra of today is information high-technology. Either you jump in or you fizzle out.

Kapag lumalabas sa balita ang sinasabing Chinese incursions sa Scarborough Shoal o sa Spratlys Islands, nakamamangha rin ang naglalabasang mga komentaryo sa mga pahayagan, radyo, TV, at lalo na sa mga social media websites kagaya ng Facebook.

UPDATE:  George T. Calaor's first book of poetry, Uyayi ng Himagsik, is now available in several formats and ebook shops.  Here are your options: 1. Print Edition at Lulu (Perfect Bound Paperback, B/W): BUY THE BOOK HERE 2. Uyayi ng Himagsik at Smashwords 3. Uyayi ng Himagsik at Barnes and Noble 4. Uyayi ng Himagsik at Sony Reader Store My friend, George, recently published his first book of poetry, Uyayi ng Himagsik .  It was a compilation of his most militant poems about the "struggle of the Filipino masses for freedom and democracy." Clearly, it was a revolutionary book.  I will write a comprehensive review on Uyayi ng Himagsik and will publish it here. (See the first chapter review, Paghehele ng Isang Makata: Pagsusuri sa Uyayi ng Himagsik )

Forced Haircut in Schools is Corporal Punishment (Why This Policy Is Unjust and Violates Basic Child Rights) Valencia City, BUKIDNON.  The Department of Education (DepEd) has a long-standing policy that governs good grooming. This includes prescribing a so-called proper haircut for male pupils in both private and public schools.  According to Undersecretary Yolanda Quijano, “the prescribed haircut for boys is at least one inch above the ear and three inches above the collar line.” Schools under the supervision of DepEd are required to follow such standard. Unfortunately, this “haircut policy” has no clear implementing guidelines.  As a general practice, school principals and administrators have the authority to define their own sets of rules on how to implement the policy, including the enforcement of disciplinary actions on erring pupils.

Umaangil ang biyulin at tumatangis ang mga kuwerdas ng gitara.  Kinakalabit ng mga ritmo ng tugtuging ito ang mga nahihimbing na alaala. Una kong narinig ang komposisyong ito mahigit isang dekada na ang nakalipas.  Ipinalabas noon sa telebisyon ang pelikulang Il Postino.  Ala-una ng madaling araw iyon at natapos ko ang palabas nang hindi man lamang ako dinapuan ng antok. Ang saliw ng musika ng Il Postino ay tila ba yumayakag sa akin na umidlip subalit ang kurot ng mga himno nito ay tumatagos sa puso, tila manipis na pisil ng malamyang kuko na nagdudulot nang hindi maipaliwanag na mga damdamin.  Ang mumunting sakit na idinulot ng musika, bagaman nasa larangan lamang ng imahinasyon, ay mistulang mga patak ng dayap na unti-unting dumadaloy sa isang malalim na sugat.  Kaya naman nanatili akong gising tulad ng prinsipeng lumaban sa mistikal na awit ng ibong adarna. Matapos ang higit isang dekada, ganoon pa rin ang hampas sa gunita ng mga saliw ng musikang...

Nainis ako sa panonood ng ikatlong araw ng paglilitis ng impeachment court hindi dahil sa angas ni Cuevas o sa pagkamali-mali ng prosekusyon.  Nainis ako dahil sa isang maikling komento ni Senador Jinggoy Estrada.  Dangan naman kasi, magpi-Filipino lang, hihingi pa ng paumanhin.  Ani Estrada, “humihingi po ako nang paumanhin, dahil magsasalita ako sa sarili nating wika...” Bakit? Nakakahiya bang magsalita ng Filipino kaya dapat humingi ng paumanhin? Mababawasan ba ang bigat ng iyong opinyon kung Filipino ang wikang gamit? Magmumukha ka bang tanga kung nagpi-Filipino ka? Bakit kailangan mong mag-sorry, nakaiintindi naman kami ng Filipino.  Pinoy naman ang mga kausap mo, kaya wala kang dapat ipagpaumanhin.  Sa katunayan, dapat kang magmalaki Ginoong Estrada dahil ginagamit mo ang sariling wika.

Testing ScribeFire, again...  Feature - ScribeFire: Fire up your blogging About ScribeFire ScribeFire is an extension for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser, Google Chrome Web browser, Opera Web Browser, and Apple Safari Web browser that allows you to easily post to all of your blogs.  

Mga Itim na Tagapagbando Kayraming kasakit ng buhay, marubdob... hindi ko batid! Mga hampas na animo’y ngitngit ng langit; kung haharapin, ay tila ragasa ng lahat ng pagdurusang bumubukal sa kaibuturan ng diwa... hindi ko batid! Sila’y katiting lamang, subalit... Binubuksan nito ang maitim na trensera nang mababangis na hulagway at pinakamatitikas na gulugod. Marahil, sila ang mga bisiro ng mga barbaro o itim na tagapagbando ni Kamatayan. Sila ang matatarik na talon sa kaluluwa ng mga kristo, na sumamba sa nilapastangang Kapalaran. Iyang mga hampas na tigmak ng dugo ay hagupit ng nagbabagang tinapay na nalulusaw sa pugon. At ang sangkatauhan... Kalunos-lunos... kaawa-awa! Ibinaling niya ang paningin, mistulang tumutugon sa isang tapik sa balikat; itinitig ang nauulol na mata, at ang buod ng kaniyang buhay ay sumilay, animo’y lawa ng kasalanan, sa kaniyang gunita. Kayraming kasakit ng buhay, marubdob... hindi ko batid! Salin ni Jay Pascual July 21, 2011 The ...

Kuyom na Kaluluwa Nawala na sa atin ang dapithapon Walang nakapansin sa pagniniig ng ating mga palad Habang nilulukob ng gabi ang sanlibutan. Tanaw ko mula sa bintana Ang lagablab ng takipsilim sa matatayog na kabundukan. Ang kapirasong araw Ay mistulang baryang pumapaso sa aking kamay. Naalala kita habang nagkukuyom ang kaluluwa Sa gitna ng aking lumbay na tanging ikaw ang nakababatid. Nasaan ka na nga pala? Sino-sino pa ang naroroon? Ano ang inuusal? Kung bakit rumagasa ang laksang pag-ibig sa akin Sa panahon ng kalungkutan habang dama ko ang iyong paglayo. Nahulog na ang aklat na palagiang ipinipinid sa dapithapon At tulad ng hintakot na aso, ang bughaw na balabal ay bumalumbon sa aking mga paa. Palagi, palagi kang naglalaho sa gitna ng gabi Tungo sa dapithapong bumabaklas ng bantayog. Salin ni Jay Pascual  July 2011 Clenched Soul   We have lost even this twilight. No one saw us this evening hand in hand while the blue night dropped on t...

It's not about knowing you when we were there, wandering, in gardens of youthful freedom. What matters is that I've known you, as you are. It's not about seeing you transformed in full splendor palpably radiant and  blinding mortal  eyes. What matters is that I’ve seen you, as you are. It’s not about hearing you, angelic rhythm of imagined voices  wallowing in bitter-sweet laughter. What matters is that I’ve heard you, as you are. It is not about touching you in the deepest  recesses of your uncharted nakedness, utterly lost  in the celebration  of your beauty and passion. What matters most is that I’ve touched you, as you are. It is not about feeling your stormy thoughts and calm contemplations though these are far constellations reached only by stellar signals. What matters most is that I’ve felt you, as you are. ‘Tis not about loving you, sweet rose-p...

Dangan at usong-usong pag-usapan ngayon ang tungkol sa bus sa Maynila, minabuti kong halukayin ang aking baul. Naalaala ko kasi, mayroon akong isang tula dati tungkol sa bus.  Nang ako'y nagta-trabaho noon sa Maynila, madalas akong sumakay sa mga bus sa Edsa. Ayaw ko sa MRT, siksikan. Minsan ay mamalasin ka pang makadikit ang isang may malakas-lakas na power. Kaya bus na lang ako. Subalit hindi aircon na bus ang aking sinasakyan noon, gaya ng bus na nakita ng buong mundo na nagkalasog-lasog dahil sa pangmamaso ng MPD SWAT. Ordinary ang paborito kong sakyan dahil mura ang pasahe. Hindi lang mura, pwede ka pang magmeryenda habang bumibiyahe dahil halos lahat ng street vendor ay nakaaakyat sa mga ordinary na bus. Subalit para lamang sa may malalakas na sikmura ang ordinary na bus. Kapag sumakay ka sa ordinary, mamumulbos ka ng usok at alikabok; libre iyon. Kapag nakauwi ka na galing sa biyahe ay limahid ka na. Okay lang sa akin iyon dahil mura nang di hamak ang pamasahe sa ordinary...

Maraming nagsasabi na ang isyu sa Hacienda Luisita ang magiging pinakamalaking pagsubok sa sinseridad ng bagong luklok na Pangulong Benigno Aquino III.  Anila, ang magiging tugon ni P-Noy sa isyu ang magpapatunay ng katapatan niya sa kaniyang mga binitiwang pangako noong panahong ng eleksiyon tungkol sa pagsasakatuparan ng hustisyang panlipunan sa Pilipinas. Totoo nga ba na ang isyu ng Hacienda Luisita ang magiging pagsubok sa panguluhan ni Noynoy Aquino?  Marapat ba na asahan ng mga magsasaka na maisantabi ni Pangulong Aquino ang kaniyang pang-pamilyang interes at paboran ang matagal nang hiling ng mga manggagawang bukid sa Hacienda?

Photos from Makabayan Coalition

Alas-dos na ng madaling araw. Hindi ako makatulog. Dangan naman kasi ay kainitan ng isang bayle sa di kalayuan. Imbes na iduyan ako ng antok ay kinakabog ako ng mga masisigla’t mahaharot na musikang disco. Ano ba itong bayle? Para sa mga hindi pamilyar, ang bayle ay isang pasayaw. Ito ang disco sa komunidad.  Halos hindi na ito uso sa malalaking lungsod.  Subalit sa mga baryo, ito’y tampok na tampok pa rin.

I get rich each month, around several K's, when my freelance pay day arrives. Unfortunately, I also get negative balance sheet after paying my bills. Month after month, my poverty level increases as the cost of living normally overtakes what I earn. Not so for the Filipino-Chinese billionaires and a lone meztizo.  It seems these tycoons are immune to the economic crisis.  According to Forbes Asia, the net worth of the 40 richest Filipinos soared by 39% in 2010.  This translates to around $22.8 billion. (see: Newsbreak ) In contrast, the poverty incidence in the Philippines spiked by 1.5%. This was the estimate of IMF. It means some 1.4 million Pinoys will be joining the merry ranks of the poor and the dirt poor.  Talk about the rich getting richer while the poor gets, well, really dirt poor. This news item really unmade my day: " Ex-partylist Representative May Head CHR ". Ettangina naman oo, these Akbayan stalwarts were the first to echo the military line that activists ...

Lately, the Philippine political milieu has been deluged by discussions about the so-called “wangwangs”.  For those who are not familiar with the term, wangwang is a local slang which denotes a siren.  It is the ever conspicuous sound that one would hear when a police car or an ambulance pass by carrying a victim of a shooting incident or running after the perp, in the case of the former.  So, going back to my first impression; one of the first political acts of Benigno Aquino III, the newly installed President of the Philippines, is to ban the use of wangwangs -- even for his presidential convoy. 

Sentro para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA) 20-C Maaralin St., Bgy. Central, Diliman, Quezon City Telefax 434-6957 March 16, 2010 MEDIA RELEASE Reference: ATTY. JOBERT ILARDE PAHILGA, Executive Trustee 0928-7021549 Noynoy is either confused or lying; Aquinos have no right to sell Hacienda Luisita The statement of presidential candidate Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino that they would have earned billions of pesos if they had sold Hacienda Luisita belies his claim that he has only less than 1% share in it. This only shows that Aquino has not been upright all along on the Luisita issue according to Atty. Jobert Ilarde Pahilga, the Executive Trustee of Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA) and lawyer of the farm workers of the hacienda. As owners of the land, the Aquinos would have been paid by the government for its value but they opted to place the same under the Stock Distribution Option. This only shows that they have no intention to let go of their cont...