by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
With the intent of selecting players that could best represent the Northern Tabuk District this coming City Meet, St. Theresita’s School-Tabuk, Tabuk Institute and Tabuk National High School linked arms and resources to hold what they termed as Triangular Meet 2009 – with the theme “A Sound Mind and a Sound Body.”
A search for Mr. and Ms NTD 2009 commenced the three-day activity, with Xyla Bayudang and Kurdell Johansen Paroy grabbing the top honors, aside from besting their fellow contestants in other special awards. Mr. Paroy was adjudged Best in Ethnic Attire, Best in Sportswear and Best in Talent, while Ms. Bayudang was named as the Best in Ethnic Attire.
Earl Madalang of Tabuk Institute landed as 1st runner-up while John Gavino of STS settled for 2nd runner-up. Vissia Fara Calizar of STS grabbed the 1st runner-up for the female category, aside from being adjudged as Best in Sportswear and Best in Talent. Jolly Maruz Martinez – an active chief girl scout with a noteworthy project in Casigayan – placed as 2nd runner-up for the girls.
As enunciated by show host Grace Mabate-Assayco during one of her eloquent spiels as she handled the pageant, “the beauty contest will serve as a teaser for more intense competitions to be fought and won for the whole duration of the sports event” – sort of a starter for students to be inspired so that they would eventually gear up their competitive muscles and plunge into the real meat of the athletic event: the drive for gold, so to speak, in all events.
The contestants themselves are athletes in various events – which was why they easily displayed sportsmanship up to the last minute when they finally left the stage. It was a refreshing sight – to see students clasping hands even if some ranking scheme has already made a distinction among them.
In the world of sports, ranking does matter. That is imperative. One has to reach the top spot and hopefully retain occupancy for some time – to be acknowledged as Number One. But still, beneath all the buzz fastened on being Number One, athletes are athletes: they play for the mere love of the game.
I hope such display of sportsmanlike character shall be exhibited all through out the activity.
*****
I commend the host of the show, Grace Mabate-Assayco, one of the new additions into the teaching corps of TNHS. Even with some forgivable lapses which can only be summed up as minor errors in the field of hosting, she managed to single-handedly run the show from the podium.
Standing in front for several hours, with only a copy of the program to serve as guide, is taxing – physically and mentally, since you know you have to maintain both a composure (which is physically manifested) and a quick-thinking ability to jump from one segment to another. The stress builds up, yet MCs know that they are not allowed to frown for even a fraction of a second. So, in the matter of Ms. Assayco fumbling some of her lines – these are, again, forgivable slips.
Overall, I give the MC two thumbs up (and I learned that she’s not even an English major, but from the Info Technology department). Welcome to the world of hosting, Grace (Ma’am Lorraine, Sir Bani and Mr. Guiyab now have a company for the rotation of hosting tasks). I hope to see more of her in other occasions – not only in TNHS, but in other community functions as well.
*****
Eyeing the chairs reserved for faculty members of the three participating schools, I saw one glaring non-appearance: those of other teachers from Tabuk Institute. Well, Mr. Joseph Belinan was around, even serving as one of the tabulators, along with the charming Jasmin Sumail, but his fellows are practically non-existent.
During student competitions, I have always valued the presence of advisers, coaches, other teachers, and if possible, school heads and administrators. No need discussing further the effect of their presence which can magically lift up the morale and confidence of the students. We can have a lengthy discourse about the incalculable push that such presence brings.
Their absence, however, can only give the students these four words: They do not care.
*****
Perhaps they were not allowed to leave the school premises. In which case, haan dan nga basol piman.
*****
In this column’s own little way, let us shed spotlight on those who did their part for the show. Along with the teachers we have earlier mentioned, may we also commend Josephina Ba-i who chaired the event, with support from Ruby Belgica, Vivian Domingo, Jasmin Sumail, Joseph Belinan and Don-Don Malana (of STS).
TNHS easily beats the attendance of teachers from all three schools, of course. Still, on hand to boost the morale of STS students were Melanie Pan-oy, Nancy Madarang, and Gemma Carbonel – who stayed the whole time with the STS contestants at the backstage. There. Kasdiay ti kailangan dagiti ubbing tayo.
*****
Mrs. Martina Bayudang, mother of Xyla, was a nervous wreck backstage. But that is understandable for a mother. I find it both amusing and impressive, actually. It is not always that one’s child can go onstage and shout out the surname that he or she is carrying in behalf of his or her parents. So when parents go overzealously enthusiastic during such competitions, it’s perfectly understandable.
*****
I guess a closing evaluation is in order.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
One cannot be in an Organization and refuse to be a Team Player
by Marciano Paroy Jr.
That’s a complete statement there – minus the period.
This observation has recently been bugging me – and I remember a student of mine whom I once advised to convene her fellows within a group that they were planning to put up at KASC. There was a directive from the Director of Students Services and Admission (DSSA) – Dr. Adoracion Taguba – that newly organized groups must submit their constitution and by-laws prior to their being accredited by her office (in the past, organizations were simply formed, with the list of members submitted to her office). A good directive, considering that some organizations and clubs are non-performing.
So I instructed the student to call for a meeting and set as one of the agenda the formulation of the group’s CBL – the composition of those who shall hammer out the provisions to be contained within the CBL, the subsequent presentation to the whole body, the eventual ratification, and the holding of election of officers.
Much to my surprise, the student – after just a day – came to see me and dropped the CBL on my table, with a self-satisfied air. I asked how her group could have made such an output in record time. She said, again with that smugness that reminded me of both Didi and Dexter (of the TV show “Dexter’s Laboratory”), “I did it alone.”
I nearly fell off my chair. A convolution of emotions almost knocked me out: crestfallen, perplexed, disappointed, amused, slightly angered, and some other feelings I could not put a name to. I then pulled the student aside and gave her a lecture on proper behavior and decorum that must be observed if one is to be a part of an organization.
Power-playing. That is what my student applied. She took it upon herself to single-handedly formulate the CBL without recognizing the fact that there are other thinkers within their proposed organization. Even assuming that she was the most intellectually gifted among her peers, it was still wrong for her to presuppose that what she had in mind will be approved anyway by the larger group. Even if the output would, in due course, be given the necessary votes by her fellows, it is completely unethical to put others in the sideline and work alone – then later show them the finished product.
Let us assume that the finished product is perfect in itself. There is nothing wrong with it, right? It cuts time that would otherwise be spent on a lot of jabs and freewheeling discussion. But these are incidents that can be avoided. That is why we have the terms discussion, argument, debate, and dialogue – all designed to summon the best thoughts out of the mental recesses of other people involved. If such opportunity of sitting down as a group is disregarded, then the rule of consensus is ignored – and remember that consensus is a highly priced commodity in an organization.
The student’s action, furthermore, speaks a lot about her. First, she exposed her authoritative stance and her lack of belief on her peers. Second, she already gave a preview of what she might be capable of doing once she will be given the reigns to lead her group.
Nevertheless, the proposed CBL was presented to the prospective members of the organization. During the meeting, there was an immediate backlash. All hell broke loose. From my corner in the room, I sat engrossed at the ability of students to verbally and noisily express themselves – an automatic phenomenon that is displayed by students whenever they perceive that their rights are sidestepped. And believe me, we have so many incidents of this sort at KASC.
The student who had the nerve to railroad the entire procedure to her advantage found herself at the receiving end of a hostile verbal assault. Her intent was questioned, her personality was thrashed, and her product was claimed to be filled with holes – though I saw not a single hole. This went on for the rest of the hour, until it became evident to me that we were driving nowhere – all because one person thought she had the best interest of the organization at heart and single-handedly come up with an output that would totally be credited back to her. All because of her thirst for prestige – but appreciation or approval from other people is not earned that way.
Wrong move.
End of story? The organization was never formed.
That’s a complete statement there – minus the period.
This observation has recently been bugging me – and I remember a student of mine whom I once advised to convene her fellows within a group that they were planning to put up at KASC. There was a directive from the Director of Students Services and Admission (DSSA) – Dr. Adoracion Taguba – that newly organized groups must submit their constitution and by-laws prior to their being accredited by her office (in the past, organizations were simply formed, with the list of members submitted to her office). A good directive, considering that some organizations and clubs are non-performing.
So I instructed the student to call for a meeting and set as one of the agenda the formulation of the group’s CBL – the composition of those who shall hammer out the provisions to be contained within the CBL, the subsequent presentation to the whole body, the eventual ratification, and the holding of election of officers.
Much to my surprise, the student – after just a day – came to see me and dropped the CBL on my table, with a self-satisfied air. I asked how her group could have made such an output in record time. She said, again with that smugness that reminded me of both Didi and Dexter (of the TV show “Dexter’s Laboratory”), “I did it alone.”
I nearly fell off my chair. A convolution of emotions almost knocked me out: crestfallen, perplexed, disappointed, amused, slightly angered, and some other feelings I could not put a name to. I then pulled the student aside and gave her a lecture on proper behavior and decorum that must be observed if one is to be a part of an organization.
Power-playing. That is what my student applied. She took it upon herself to single-handedly formulate the CBL without recognizing the fact that there are other thinkers within their proposed organization. Even assuming that she was the most intellectually gifted among her peers, it was still wrong for her to presuppose that what she had in mind will be approved anyway by the larger group. Even if the output would, in due course, be given the necessary votes by her fellows, it is completely unethical to put others in the sideline and work alone – then later show them the finished product.
Let us assume that the finished product is perfect in itself. There is nothing wrong with it, right? It cuts time that would otherwise be spent on a lot of jabs and freewheeling discussion. But these are incidents that can be avoided. That is why we have the terms discussion, argument, debate, and dialogue – all designed to summon the best thoughts out of the mental recesses of other people involved. If such opportunity of sitting down as a group is disregarded, then the rule of consensus is ignored – and remember that consensus is a highly priced commodity in an organization.
The student’s action, furthermore, speaks a lot about her. First, she exposed her authoritative stance and her lack of belief on her peers. Second, she already gave a preview of what she might be capable of doing once she will be given the reigns to lead her group.
Nevertheless, the proposed CBL was presented to the prospective members of the organization. During the meeting, there was an immediate backlash. All hell broke loose. From my corner in the room, I sat engrossed at the ability of students to verbally and noisily express themselves – an automatic phenomenon that is displayed by students whenever they perceive that their rights are sidestepped. And believe me, we have so many incidents of this sort at KASC.
The student who had the nerve to railroad the entire procedure to her advantage found herself at the receiving end of a hostile verbal assault. Her intent was questioned, her personality was thrashed, and her product was claimed to be filled with holes – though I saw not a single hole. This went on for the rest of the hour, until it became evident to me that we were driving nowhere – all because one person thought she had the best interest of the organization at heart and single-handedly come up with an output that would totally be credited back to her. All because of her thirst for prestige – but appreciation or approval from other people is not earned that way.
Wrong move.
End of story? The organization was never formed.
After the Mayor’s State of the City Address, how shall we Address him Next?
by Marciano Paroy Jr.
Going over the pronouncements of Mayor Lammawin during his State of the City Address at the Pastoral Center, I clap my hands and give Mayor Lammawin the two-tumbsup sign.
We do give credit where it is due. Not only because it is the fair thing to do – but more so because it would somehow express how impressed we are with his commitment to attain tangible change within the time parameter he has avowed to attain such. Also, placing his leadership achievement under the spotlight would inspire those who have set their eyes to scale the same ladder he has successfully ascended.
Normally, we would like to assume that his successor would stay within safe grounds and be guided with what is already in place by the time he or she takes over the reigns. Or take the more drastic move and put his or her own planning-execution wheels into motion – probably taking a different direction, or at least prioritizing a different area.
There is nothing bad with such prospects, especially so if the common good is being served, which is our yardstick in assessing the efficiency and competence of those who occupy executive posts in governance.
This early, I am talking about 2010 and what might happen after the elections next year because of the Mayor’s SOCA. He has summarized what has been attained by the city government under his watch – and so naturally, we look forward and ask the crucial question: what happens after he steps down from the apex of Tabuk politics and move on to whatever he might be contemplating at present?
We do need to ask that question. As a genuine Tabukeño, I – like everyone else in the community – have a stake in the future of this place. The natural course of thoughts for us would be to say that we like the course of things as they are now – but we have to realize that there would really be a different occupant at the Mayor’s chair next year, and so asking the question “What happens next?” is a cause of concern for all of us.
*****
Thumbing through our local history, Mayor Lammawin’s rise in Tabuk politics is almost like “a given” – one of those phenomena we refer to as “it’s meant to be.” Having shown his charisma, first as a councilor, then winning more and more believers and supporters when he sat as Vice Mayor – he has, so to speak, charted a political career that can only be described as “nowhere to go but up.”
By the time he was sitting at the Mayor’s Office, he has already a well-entrenched place in the hearts of Tabukeños. Though his original companions at the Council have moved on to other areas, and though the composition of that same council changed a number of times by the time he was wielding executory powers, he has held on – a trooper, if we are to liken him to a performer.
Back to the question – “what happens next?” Or shall we reword it more blatantly?
“Who shall sit next?”
Going over the pronouncements of Mayor Lammawin during his State of the City Address at the Pastoral Center, I clap my hands and give Mayor Lammawin the two-tumbsup sign.
We do give credit where it is due. Not only because it is the fair thing to do – but more so because it would somehow express how impressed we are with his commitment to attain tangible change within the time parameter he has avowed to attain such. Also, placing his leadership achievement under the spotlight would inspire those who have set their eyes to scale the same ladder he has successfully ascended.
Normally, we would like to assume that his successor would stay within safe grounds and be guided with what is already in place by the time he or she takes over the reigns. Or take the more drastic move and put his or her own planning-execution wheels into motion – probably taking a different direction, or at least prioritizing a different area.
There is nothing bad with such prospects, especially so if the common good is being served, which is our yardstick in assessing the efficiency and competence of those who occupy executive posts in governance.
This early, I am talking about 2010 and what might happen after the elections next year because of the Mayor’s SOCA. He has summarized what has been attained by the city government under his watch – and so naturally, we look forward and ask the crucial question: what happens after he steps down from the apex of Tabuk politics and move on to whatever he might be contemplating at present?
We do need to ask that question. As a genuine Tabukeño, I – like everyone else in the community – have a stake in the future of this place. The natural course of thoughts for us would be to say that we like the course of things as they are now – but we have to realize that there would really be a different occupant at the Mayor’s chair next year, and so asking the question “What happens next?” is a cause of concern for all of us.
*****
Thumbing through our local history, Mayor Lammawin’s rise in Tabuk politics is almost like “a given” – one of those phenomena we refer to as “it’s meant to be.” Having shown his charisma, first as a councilor, then winning more and more believers and supporters when he sat as Vice Mayor – he has, so to speak, charted a political career that can only be described as “nowhere to go but up.”
By the time he was sitting at the Mayor’s Office, he has already a well-entrenched place in the hearts of Tabukeños. Though his original companions at the Council have moved on to other areas, and though the composition of that same council changed a number of times by the time he was wielding executory powers, he has held on – a trooper, if we are to liken him to a performer.
Back to the question – “what happens next?” Or shall we reword it more blatantly?
“Who shall sit next?”
A film that grabs and strangles your Emotions
by Marciano Paroy Jr.
Recently, I got hold of a DVD copy of the modern classic “Schindler’s List” – that masterpiece directed by Stephen Spielberg which hit theaters in 1993, and ran away with most of the awards in almost all major award-giving bodies in film the following year, especially the Academy Awards or Oscars in the USA.
When I watched it inside the movie theater back in 1993, while a college student in UE, I remember feeling that it was a painful film to watch – and I found out when I watched it all over again that the film has not lost its ability to disturb a viewer. The film grabs you by the throat so that any feeling of being aghast is contained – and you hold on to that feeling up to the very last scene.
Indeed, sitting through the long feature film is an agonizing experience. One has to be ready for the influx of mixed emotions, chief of which – if one values human life – is one’s loathing of anyone who takes it upon himself to degrade other human beings, to relegate them to lower forms of creations, to snuff out their lives with just a trivial pull at the trigger.
“Schindler’s List,” though most would consider it as Spielberg’s almost vengeful take on the Nazi’s experimentation with what they call “The Final Solution” regarding “the Jew problem,” is also a plain recounting of what the surviving Jews went through during World War II. In plain black and white – thus giving the viewer the sense of honesty and purity of intent on the part of the film-makers – “Schindler’s List never lets us forget that something as horrible as mass extermination of a nation can really be possible, and that a well-carried-out plan can attain its objectives, even in such large-scale terms. Then through it all, one never lets go of the question “How can such a thing happen?” and so the movie never lets us forget the horrors inflicted upon the Jewish people.
Sitting through the film anew, I felt glad that I never lost the ability to care, to value human life, to love humanity – and, conversely, to detest those who play God. So I cried my heart out. Again.
*****
“Schindler’s List” is not your normal choice of a weekend movie to insert through your DVD player slot. First, as I have noted earlier, it was shot in black and white (with only that interesting fleeting scene of a Jewish girl trying to escape – wearing a red coat). Second, it is very long. Third, if your chief intent in watching a film is to laugh, then “Schindler’s List” is not at all for you.
Recently, I got hold of a DVD copy of the modern classic “Schindler’s List” – that masterpiece directed by Stephen Spielberg which hit theaters in 1993, and ran away with most of the awards in almost all major award-giving bodies in film the following year, especially the Academy Awards or Oscars in the USA.
When I watched it inside the movie theater back in 1993, while a college student in UE, I remember feeling that it was a painful film to watch – and I found out when I watched it all over again that the film has not lost its ability to disturb a viewer. The film grabs you by the throat so that any feeling of being aghast is contained – and you hold on to that feeling up to the very last scene.
Indeed, sitting through the long feature film is an agonizing experience. One has to be ready for the influx of mixed emotions, chief of which – if one values human life – is one’s loathing of anyone who takes it upon himself to degrade other human beings, to relegate them to lower forms of creations, to snuff out their lives with just a trivial pull at the trigger.
“Schindler’s List,” though most would consider it as Spielberg’s almost vengeful take on the Nazi’s experimentation with what they call “The Final Solution” regarding “the Jew problem,” is also a plain recounting of what the surviving Jews went through during World War II. In plain black and white – thus giving the viewer the sense of honesty and purity of intent on the part of the film-makers – “Schindler’s List never lets us forget that something as horrible as mass extermination of a nation can really be possible, and that a well-carried-out plan can attain its objectives, even in such large-scale terms. Then through it all, one never lets go of the question “How can such a thing happen?” and so the movie never lets us forget the horrors inflicted upon the Jewish people.
Sitting through the film anew, I felt glad that I never lost the ability to care, to value human life, to love humanity – and, conversely, to detest those who play God. So I cried my heart out. Again.
*****
“Schindler’s List” is not your normal choice of a weekend movie to insert through your DVD player slot. First, as I have noted earlier, it was shot in black and white (with only that interesting fleeting scene of a Jewish girl trying to escape – wearing a red coat). Second, it is very long. Third, if your chief intent in watching a film is to laugh, then “Schindler’s List” is not at all for you.
Edison Macusi: a new addition to the Guru writing family
by Marciano Paroy Jr.
Starting this issue, we are pleased to splash across the op-ed pages the outputs of Edison Macusi, carrier of that surname which, to people who knew, has always been identified with the Communication Arts (his father, Sir Desiderio Macusi – prior to his current post at the judiciary – was a former instructor at KASC where he handled courses on creative writing and speech). This younger progeny has been schooled in Biology at UPLB – where, as his website says, he found his spiritual calling. He has been a Christ disciple ever since and even went further by publishing books that continue to earn acclaim in the realm of evangelism.
His website takethelandministries.org shouts out that after graduation, he held jobs as instructor and then as a research assistant at several government offices. He recently received his Master’s degree on International Studies in Aquatic Tropical Ecology (ISATEC) from the University of Bremen in Germany. Quite impressive, huh!
I lifted the following from his website: “He believes in the full restoration of the five-fold ministries of the church, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the apostolic mandate to make all nations disciples of Christ. His main goal in life is to plant, establish and equip local churches so that they would be salt and light in their towns and cities amidst conflict and distress. He wrote Freedom from Religious Bondage, Unmasking Evolution, Restorer's of the breach and The surpassing Peace of God that seek to restore the focus of the church to its rightful place, Jesus, the Bishop and Apostle of our faith.”
All of these at a very young age.
There is hope… Indeed, there is hope.
Starting this issue, we are pleased to splash across the op-ed pages the outputs of Edison Macusi, carrier of that surname which, to people who knew, has always been identified with the Communication Arts (his father, Sir Desiderio Macusi – prior to his current post at the judiciary – was a former instructor at KASC where he handled courses on creative writing and speech). This younger progeny has been schooled in Biology at UPLB – where, as his website says, he found his spiritual calling. He has been a Christ disciple ever since and even went further by publishing books that continue to earn acclaim in the realm of evangelism.
His website takethelandministries.org shouts out that after graduation, he held jobs as instructor and then as a research assistant at several government offices. He recently received his Master’s degree on International Studies in Aquatic Tropical Ecology (ISATEC) from the University of Bremen in Germany. Quite impressive, huh!
I lifted the following from his website: “He believes in the full restoration of the five-fold ministries of the church, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the apostolic mandate to make all nations disciples of Christ. His main goal in life is to plant, establish and equip local churches so that they would be salt and light in their towns and cities amidst conflict and distress. He wrote Freedom from Religious Bondage, Unmasking Evolution, Restorer's of the breach and The surpassing Peace of God that seek to restore the focus of the church to its rightful place, Jesus, the Bishop and Apostle of our faith.”
All of these at a very young age.
There is hope… Indeed, there is hope.
After the storm comes… Justification
by Marciano A. Paroy Jr.
Some friends and readers were rather surprised by my feature on Capt. Dante Langkit last week. (Example: Sir Peter Balocnit of PIA said “Maysa page ti inted mo kin Capt. Dante ah…”) No need repeating their exact questions they voiced out, but they all border on my throwing support to a political aspirant. That was not the intent of the article, though. It simply presented the current situation that Capt. Langkit is subjected to – while drawing background material from foregoing circumstances.
The plight he is presently going through is a genuine source of concern – especially so that he is a constituent of this province. I’m even surprised to know that, when I asked around, many people are somewhat left in the dark as to Capt. Langkit’s case. I myself had to fill-in the vague areas in my knowledge about the case when, following his brief visit to Kalinga last May, he called for local media practitioners and bared the possible direction that he might take regarding next year’s election.
Take note of the speculative “possible direction” which means nothing is really final yet, even considering that he has clearly pronounced his intention of serving the people of this province. We all just have to lie in wait for that definitive “final decision.”
But before then, his story is one subject that is worth exploring – and I believe the feature on him last issue was presented bare of slants that tipped towards his side. We can write lengthily about a certain person or issue and yet still manage to distance ourselves from the possibility of being tagged. As a writer, I fiercely stand by that ability earned and continuously honed by us in the writing profession. Conversely, we can take a certain person and draw spotlight to him and make him appear as though he were, say, a Godsend. That is being done. Always. Which is why we have speech writers, PR people, media personnel (from both private and government-owned media outfits) discreetly working for political leaders – and I have nothing against that practice, so long as a line is clearly drawn between what is journalistically acceptable and what can be blatantly labeled as being under the clutch of the person cast under the spotlight.
Now, the issue story of Capt. Dante Langkit is one genuine topic that needs to be brought to the consciousness of our reading public – especially so that he is setting his eyes on 2010. That desire alone should merit his being given a certain media mileage to lighten up the gray areas: who is he? What has he done? What is he doing? What does he have in mind?... and many other questions.
The human angle of the story is that Capt. Dante Langkit is languishing in detention. He is a prisoner, as plain as that. It is that situation that immediately evokes sympathetic emotions – whether or not we totally identify with the principles that he and his group live by. Considering the impressive career that he has somehow built for his personal portfolio, we see a young potential whose leadership aspirations were nipped in the bud. Not allowed to shine, not given the opportunity to prove his mettle. So we can only stand by the sidelines and say “Sayang.”
And yet again, we are not here to judge the correctness or incongruity of his actions. We all do not have the ethical vein to accomplish that. What motivations drove him to take the direction he took, what intent backed his decisions, what inspiration fired him up – these are matters we can only gaze at, but cannot lay a hand on.
The moment he called and asked whether I had time for a conversation, it has never slipped my mind that the person I was talking to is someone who is confined within the walls of his detention unit. Restricted. Not free. I then decided to write last week’s feature about him – but even that piece took a long time to be completed, since one has to be detached as much as possible. I believe I did just that.
Whatever final decision the young army officer would take this November, I wish him all the best. And he may rest assured that, should he push through with his vision, this paper will also devote space for him – side by side with other political contenders. They’re all newsworthy. An enlightened voting populace is a wise populace. And the more options we have, the more we’ll be able to exercise the right to choose – and the busier we shall all be at the news industry.
Some friends and readers were rather surprised by my feature on Capt. Dante Langkit last week. (Example: Sir Peter Balocnit of PIA said “Maysa page ti inted mo kin Capt. Dante ah…”) No need repeating their exact questions they voiced out, but they all border on my throwing support to a political aspirant. That was not the intent of the article, though. It simply presented the current situation that Capt. Langkit is subjected to – while drawing background material from foregoing circumstances.
The plight he is presently going through is a genuine source of concern – especially so that he is a constituent of this province. I’m even surprised to know that, when I asked around, many people are somewhat left in the dark as to Capt. Langkit’s case. I myself had to fill-in the vague areas in my knowledge about the case when, following his brief visit to Kalinga last May, he called for local media practitioners and bared the possible direction that he might take regarding next year’s election.
Take note of the speculative “possible direction” which means nothing is really final yet, even considering that he has clearly pronounced his intention of serving the people of this province. We all just have to lie in wait for that definitive “final decision.”
But before then, his story is one subject that is worth exploring – and I believe the feature on him last issue was presented bare of slants that tipped towards his side. We can write lengthily about a certain person or issue and yet still manage to distance ourselves from the possibility of being tagged. As a writer, I fiercely stand by that ability earned and continuously honed by us in the writing profession. Conversely, we can take a certain person and draw spotlight to him and make him appear as though he were, say, a Godsend. That is being done. Always. Which is why we have speech writers, PR people, media personnel (from both private and government-owned media outfits) discreetly working for political leaders – and I have nothing against that practice, so long as a line is clearly drawn between what is journalistically acceptable and what can be blatantly labeled as being under the clutch of the person cast under the spotlight.
Now, the issue story of Capt. Dante Langkit is one genuine topic that needs to be brought to the consciousness of our reading public – especially so that he is setting his eyes on 2010. That desire alone should merit his being given a certain media mileage to lighten up the gray areas: who is he? What has he done? What is he doing? What does he have in mind?... and many other questions.
The human angle of the story is that Capt. Dante Langkit is languishing in detention. He is a prisoner, as plain as that. It is that situation that immediately evokes sympathetic emotions – whether or not we totally identify with the principles that he and his group live by. Considering the impressive career that he has somehow built for his personal portfolio, we see a young potential whose leadership aspirations were nipped in the bud. Not allowed to shine, not given the opportunity to prove his mettle. So we can only stand by the sidelines and say “Sayang.”
And yet again, we are not here to judge the correctness or incongruity of his actions. We all do not have the ethical vein to accomplish that. What motivations drove him to take the direction he took, what intent backed his decisions, what inspiration fired him up – these are matters we can only gaze at, but cannot lay a hand on.
The moment he called and asked whether I had time for a conversation, it has never slipped my mind that the person I was talking to is someone who is confined within the walls of his detention unit. Restricted. Not free. I then decided to write last week’s feature about him – but even that piece took a long time to be completed, since one has to be detached as much as possible. I believe I did just that.
Whatever final decision the young army officer would take this November, I wish him all the best. And he may rest assured that, should he push through with his vision, this paper will also devote space for him – side by side with other political contenders. They’re all newsworthy. An enlightened voting populace is a wise populace. And the more options we have, the more we’ll be able to exercise the right to choose – and the busier we shall all be at the news industry.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A Quartet of disparities: Imelda, Cory, Miriam and Gloria
A Quartet of disparities: Imelda, Cory, Miriam and Gloria
by Marciano A. Paroy Jr.
In my list, there are only four women in Philippine politics who, upon their dramatic entry, were able to collectively fascinate us and held our attention wrapped by the newsworthiness of all their actions – for so long, that we almost feel like we have known them forever: Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, Mirriam Defensor-Santiago and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Just saying their names aloud conjures images of refinement, bearing, elegance, wisdom, panache, style, and all those grand adjectives (and they are among the few whose maiden names we always like to put right there in the middle).
The four women had all been media darlings during their peak – with the exception of PGMA who, much to the consternation of a sizeable percentage in the society, still clings to that peak, in a manner of speaking.
Among the four, former First Lady Imelda wins hands down for having mastered the skill in sweetly controlling the media to her advantage during her days. She succeeded in getting the media to paint the image she had always wanted to project. If Princess Diana’s hold over the press could be attributed to her perceived coyness and reserved demeanor, Imelda took the opposite direction and beaconed for each camera bulb to flash before her face. If Princess Diana would look away or simply look down and stare at her oversized toes as cameras heat up the atmosphere around her, Mrs. Marcos would confront the situation and stare straight into the camera lens.
And smile, with confidence, knowing that she would look great in photographs taken from whatever angle, and under whatever lighting.
She was a great beauty. I give her that. In fact, she remains to be the most glamorous and most enthralling female occupant that ever slept at the Malacañang Palace.
*****
But if Imelda was the stunning cover of the magazine or the look-at-me oversized front page photo on a tabloid, then former President Cory Aquino would be its editorial – the core, the meat, all mind, heart and soul.
Breezing-in with no experience in politics and public administration, Tita Cory endeared herself to media practitioners, both here and abroad. She landed the Time Cover of its January 5, 1987 issue when it named her as the Woman of the Year (for1986) – her fourth cover actually; she landed the cover thrice the previous year. You could not get any higher than that in proving that you have bagged the approval of the news and public affairs industry – in its print medium, that is. She made quite an impression on the American press that Katherine Graham, publisher of the venerable Washington Post – upon listening to President Aquino eloquently address her American audience at the White House – wondered whether an American could have written her speech.
The perennial media sin of Cory, however, was her being honest, ready to bare how she felt, holding nothing back – traits that seasoned media-savvy politicians have perfected through the years. She would say one thing, and mean it – and the press would rush to their keyboards with not the slightest shade of doubt.
And so when President Aquino announced, during her last SONA in 1991, that she would soon be Citizen Cory the following year – everyone believed her.
*****
Try this: Say the name Miriam and think of one-word descriptions that accurately befit her. One, two, three – go!
“Miriam.”
A lull follows. There is a long pause. The sheet becomes blank. For what are you supposed to say? Come up with the wrong choice of words and you may find yourself at the receiving end of her heavily worded (and accented) invectives. But that is the Miriam trademark which we have all bowed down to at first, then became an irreverent source of amusement, and later embraced as an innate part of the whole package that is overweighed with pure wisdom, nothing else.
That is how she has always been presented by the Philippine media. But certainly, she must have a soft spot somewhere that she fails to guard at times, too – and when tragic moments in fact occurred in her life, the press did not go to great lengths to portray a woman in grief. It is simply just not her at all. To even hint at weakness is incongruent to the long-held impression that we have of the lady senator.
*****
Earlier, I have said that all four women had been media darlings during their peak. PGMA is in power now but she is not exactly a media darling these days. But there was a time when she was somehow well-loved by the news industry. Coming from affluent backgrounds, with a former Philippine President for a father, her rise in the world of politics was a given. But even so, she did prove her worth as a valuable addition to the male-dominated Senate.
Not really a great beauty, but what she lacked in physique, she more than made up in the brains department – and coupled it with a media-friendly stance. This was all in the early days of her career. Eventually, she outsmarted and prevailed over many people who easily overshadowed her physically.
There is division in the Philippine media with regards to the simple PGMA question: is she good or is she bad? But while we cannot deny that she has pronouncements and decisions that isolate and earn the ire of media practitioners, she does have, conversely, many winning points too.
*****
As a run-through, Imelda is the woman who was tagged as “the other President” in the shadows; Cory was the woman who did become President; Miriam is the woman who almost became President; and PGMA is the woman who – err, in the words of Susan Roces – “stole the Presidency.”
Former First Lady Imelda had a falling-out with the media when she was labeled as a thief; President Cory – aside from that trivial “hiding under” issue – was only badly appraised for her bad hairdo and weak interest in fashion (she did improve later); Senator Miriam has not yet done anything major that would totally antagonize media practitioners, but she does make press people scratch their heads – like when she said “I lied. Hahahaha!” (in fact, it pushed press people to get her talking all the more, wishing she might lapse into one such moment again); as for PGMA, she has yet to be judged after her stint at the Palace.
There goes the Great Four – and, indeed, they are great women. At the very moment when Imelda became First Lady to President Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippine government has since been imprinted with the touch of a woman.
This active role in governance won’t end with Pangulong Gloria, that’s for sure. Without doubt, they are all qualified – academic preparations, leadership and management experience, a ready reserve of support, etc. Name a criterion, a lady politician will most likely meet it.
Just listing down the names of these women on-the-rise would, again, conjure images of refinement, bearing, elegance, wisdom, panache, style, and all those grand adjectives.
Ugh! Give me Aling Dionisia anytime.
by Marciano A. Paroy Jr.
In my list, there are only four women in Philippine politics who, upon their dramatic entry, were able to collectively fascinate us and held our attention wrapped by the newsworthiness of all their actions – for so long, that we almost feel like we have known them forever: Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, Mirriam Defensor-Santiago and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Just saying their names aloud conjures images of refinement, bearing, elegance, wisdom, panache, style, and all those grand adjectives (and they are among the few whose maiden names we always like to put right there in the middle).
The four women had all been media darlings during their peak – with the exception of PGMA who, much to the consternation of a sizeable percentage in the society, still clings to that peak, in a manner of speaking.
Among the four, former First Lady Imelda wins hands down for having mastered the skill in sweetly controlling the media to her advantage during her days. She succeeded in getting the media to paint the image she had always wanted to project. If Princess Diana’s hold over the press could be attributed to her perceived coyness and reserved demeanor, Imelda took the opposite direction and beaconed for each camera bulb to flash before her face. If Princess Diana would look away or simply look down and stare at her oversized toes as cameras heat up the atmosphere around her, Mrs. Marcos would confront the situation and stare straight into the camera lens.
And smile, with confidence, knowing that she would look great in photographs taken from whatever angle, and under whatever lighting.
She was a great beauty. I give her that. In fact, she remains to be the most glamorous and most enthralling female occupant that ever slept at the Malacañang Palace.
*****
But if Imelda was the stunning cover of the magazine or the look-at-me oversized front page photo on a tabloid, then former President Cory Aquino would be its editorial – the core, the meat, all mind, heart and soul.
Breezing-in with no experience in politics and public administration, Tita Cory endeared herself to media practitioners, both here and abroad. She landed the Time Cover of its January 5, 1987 issue when it named her as the Woman of the Year (for1986) – her fourth cover actually; she landed the cover thrice the previous year. You could not get any higher than that in proving that you have bagged the approval of the news and public affairs industry – in its print medium, that is. She made quite an impression on the American press that Katherine Graham, publisher of the venerable Washington Post – upon listening to President Aquino eloquently address her American audience at the White House – wondered whether an American could have written her speech.
The perennial media sin of Cory, however, was her being honest, ready to bare how she felt, holding nothing back – traits that seasoned media-savvy politicians have perfected through the years. She would say one thing, and mean it – and the press would rush to their keyboards with not the slightest shade of doubt.
And so when President Aquino announced, during her last SONA in 1991, that she would soon be Citizen Cory the following year – everyone believed her.
*****
Try this: Say the name Miriam and think of one-word descriptions that accurately befit her. One, two, three – go!
“Miriam.”
A lull follows. There is a long pause. The sheet becomes blank. For what are you supposed to say? Come up with the wrong choice of words and you may find yourself at the receiving end of her heavily worded (and accented) invectives. But that is the Miriam trademark which we have all bowed down to at first, then became an irreverent source of amusement, and later embraced as an innate part of the whole package that is overweighed with pure wisdom, nothing else.
That is how she has always been presented by the Philippine media. But certainly, she must have a soft spot somewhere that she fails to guard at times, too – and when tragic moments in fact occurred in her life, the press did not go to great lengths to portray a woman in grief. It is simply just not her at all. To even hint at weakness is incongruent to the long-held impression that we have of the lady senator.
*****
Earlier, I have said that all four women had been media darlings during their peak. PGMA is in power now but she is not exactly a media darling these days. But there was a time when she was somehow well-loved by the news industry. Coming from affluent backgrounds, with a former Philippine President for a father, her rise in the world of politics was a given. But even so, she did prove her worth as a valuable addition to the male-dominated Senate.
Not really a great beauty, but what she lacked in physique, she more than made up in the brains department – and coupled it with a media-friendly stance. This was all in the early days of her career. Eventually, she outsmarted and prevailed over many people who easily overshadowed her physically.
There is division in the Philippine media with regards to the simple PGMA question: is she good or is she bad? But while we cannot deny that she has pronouncements and decisions that isolate and earn the ire of media practitioners, she does have, conversely, many winning points too.
*****
As a run-through, Imelda is the woman who was tagged as “the other President” in the shadows; Cory was the woman who did become President; Miriam is the woman who almost became President; and PGMA is the woman who – err, in the words of Susan Roces – “stole the Presidency.”
Former First Lady Imelda had a falling-out with the media when she was labeled as a thief; President Cory – aside from that trivial “hiding under” issue – was only badly appraised for her bad hairdo and weak interest in fashion (she did improve later); Senator Miriam has not yet done anything major that would totally antagonize media practitioners, but she does make press people scratch their heads – like when she said “I lied. Hahahaha!” (in fact, it pushed press people to get her talking all the more, wishing she might lapse into one such moment again); as for PGMA, she has yet to be judged after her stint at the Palace.
There goes the Great Four – and, indeed, they are great women. At the very moment when Imelda became First Lady to President Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippine government has since been imprinted with the touch of a woman.
This active role in governance won’t end with Pangulong Gloria, that’s for sure. Without doubt, they are all qualified – academic preparations, leadership and management experience, a ready reserve of support, etc. Name a criterion, a lady politician will most likely meet it.
Just listing down the names of these women on-the-rise would, again, conjure images of refinement, bearing, elegance, wisdom, panache, style, and all those grand adjectives.
Ugh! Give me Aling Dionisia anytime.
Capt Dante Langkit: his Future in Politics and his Continuing Dilemma
by Marciano A. Paroy Jr.
Affirming the Magdalo Para sa Pagbabago’s call for genuine reforms in the government – which were all manifested in a series of foiled attempts to demand for President Arroyo’s stepping down from power – Capt. Dante Langkit sustains and intensifies the drumroll for attention to the cause and, more specifically, to his now-widely publicized intent to represent the Kalinga people in Congress.
Not an easy feat to accomplish, considering that he is still being detained at Camp Crame, along with fellow officers implicated in the alleged February 2006 coup plot against the country’s Chief Executive. This constraint had already prevented him from seeking the congressional seat of Kalinga way back in 2007 – as he refused to turn state witness in exchange for his freedom, which would have enabled him to campaign for the post he was eyeing then.
His refusal to seize the above-mentioned offer cost him the opportunity to launch his candidacy in Kalinga. As it can now be recalled, it was his brother Engr. Danzel Langkit, Pinukpuk’s Municipal Administrator, who soldiered on with the aspiration, in effect reflecting a similar vision of “helping our provincemates” – as he told Victor Reyes of Malaya in February 2007, when names of probable Kalinga congressional aspirants were already doing the rounds back here.
In retrospect, the candidacy secured for Engr. Danzel Langkit around 13% of the total votes cast in Kalinga in May 2007, which positioned him in 4th place, after – in descending order – winning Congressman Manuel Agyao (cornering 29% of the votes), close rival James Bejarin (27%), Atty. Macario Duguiang (23%), while former Vice-Governor Joseph Delson landed in 5th place (8%).
“Not bad for a political novice,” Dr. Edgar Naganag, an analyst from the Political Science and Public Administration departments of the Kalinga-Apayao State College, noted. “It caused a considerable dent, thus reducing votes that would have been amassed by the other candidates. Had Engr. Langkit’s candidacy been non-existent, there could have possibly been a different turn of events.”
It is that performance of the Langkit name at the polls in 2007 which seems to serve as the present springboard from which the Langkit brothers and their supporters hope to pick up. This time however, it is Captain Langkit who considers throwing his hat into the political ring, as originally intended.
Same Face, Same Post
“This early, I am re-establishing my wish to be of service to the Kalinga people,” Captain Langkit said in a phone interview with Guru Press. “It is my belief that I can do much more for the lives of my provincemates through a leadership role that could equip me with influence to advance for meaningful change in Kalinga.”
To clearly signify his intent, the army officer sought and obtained permission to come home to Kalinga last May and ascertain his name in the roster of voting residents of Taga, Pinukpuk. Then before being escorted back to the big city, he had a brief talk with members of the local media on the last day of his three-day leave.
It was then that he announced to members of the local media his goal of winning a seat in the Congress – either as the elected representative of the lone district of this province, or as an occupant of a congressional seat by way of the party list system, if Samahang Magdalo merits accreditation as a genuine party list organization.
This poses quite a problem. First, assuming that Samahang Magdalo will finally be accredited as a party list organization, it still has to win the prescribed percentage of the electorate in order for it to win a seat (or even seats) in the Congress. Second, Captain Langkit has to really triumph over other nominees within SM who are being considered to stand and speak for the group. And yet still, before both of these can be achieved, Samahang Magdalo has to be firmly lodged in the consciousness of the voting public.
Here enters the rigorous awareness-creation activities of the group, currently scattered in the different regions. To clearly draw the lines, Samahang Magdalo is a distinct organization under the controlling sphere of the more popularly known, though ill-famed, Magdalo.
Samahang Magdalo as an offshoot of Magdalo
It is now common knowledge that the original Magdalo has been conceived by a group of officers and men of the AFP as a movement calling for sweeping reforms in government. However, that description delimits their membership only to AFP people who may think alike.
Perhaps recognizing that an expanded membership base which embraces civilians would create a higher degree of sympathy towards their cause, Magdalo came up with Samahang Magdalo, welcoming interested members from all walks of life. With former Marine Captain Gary Alejano as its national president, SM has been unrelenting in recruiting members. In the Cordillera, for instance, Coordinator-at-Large Robert Ocampo has been conducting membership expansion activities round-the-clock – as brandished in the official SM website. Also, in addition to this traditional hard-sell which is carried out via face-to-face enticement of would-be members, SM has been recruiting members online.
Much like an exclusive family corporation which has gone public, SM is capturing the attention of the people. Part of its appeal seems to stem from the fact that never before has there been a similar organization in which civilians can rub elbows with members of the armed forces with a deviating stand on government issues. The actual membership tally, however, remains undisclosed, and it is inaccurate to use as a gauge the steady number of visitors to the official SM website, which is interestingly matched up by a number of un-official sites and blogs – no doubt created and maintained by friends and sympathizers, all designed to recruit members.
These developments point to the apparent direction which the group seems to be taking: crafting the organization as a political arm.
To this, Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado told Malaya (in its April 27, 2009 issue) that the formation of a political party by the Magdalo leaders is a welcome idea. “This is a democratic country. Everybody can exercise his political rights.”
Samahang Magdalo in Kalinga
Asked how the recruitment is doing in Kalinga, Engr. Danzel Langkit says “We are still at the stage of creating awareness about the group and part of our plan is to step up the campaign so that we can attract people from as many diverse backgrounds as possible.”
Obviously, this poses financial difficulty for the existing members of the group in Kalinga, if they are to launch and sustain a province-wide recruitment scheme. But Engr. Langkit is quick to interject that “We may have limited resources at present but we do what we can. Our sincerity in reaching out to the people and infusing into them the pro-God, pro-country and pro-people Magdalo principle will eventually win them over to our side.”
Captain Langkit further admits that “Changing the mindset of people does not take place overnight, that’s why we aim to start building people’s confidence about our principles – from below. As an illustration, in Kalinga, people have this notion that one cannot run for a political office without tons of money. We need to correct that. Aiming for a public office needs only to be backed, first and foremost, by a genuine yearning to serve the common good.”
Capt. Dante Langkit: his Turn
The 2007 election year brought Engr. Danzel Langkit to the awareness of the Kalinga voting public – more importantly the residents of Tabuk who were intrigued by the sudden entry of this young Municipal Administrator from Pinukpuk, thus adding another notch to their uncertainty. Voters responded fairly well, although – whether or not the Langkit camp would admit it – their campaign efforts paled in comparison to the highly organized and efficiently managed efforts of the opponents, especially those of the Agyao and Bejarin camps.
Nelda Bulawit, a volunteer for Engr. Danzel in 2007, recollects “I think we did well, given the limited resources that we had then. I especially like the thought that we were volunteers rallying behind a person that we believed in.”
It is this support that Captain Dante hopes to build up on, sort of picking up where his twin brother left off. But what does he have to offer?
“I have always believed in people’s capacity to see through the façade of so-called leaders,” Capatain Langkit emphasizes. “I know that, at the end of the day, our commitment to the general welfare will outweigh the posturing of some politicians. It is this commitment of mine which I wish the people of Kalinga to see – and I hope they would give me the opportunity to put it into action. That is why I am looking at the 2010 elections.”
All things considered, the major drawback, naturally, is his current status as a detained prisoner – a situation which must be resolved the soonest time possible if he is indeed bent on fielding his name into the congressional race.
The Captain Speaks…
The interview with Capt. Dante Langkit produced a wealth of material that gave background and substance to the article written above – which became even thicker with the extensive bulk of available data from various sources. There are a number of responses made by Capt. Langkit that were not spliced into the feature – and we print them below word-for-word:
Marciano Paroy Jr: Your participation in the 2010 elections as a candidate have started doing the rounds here in Kalinga, fueled by your supporters – led by your brother. So… is it final?
Dante Dasayon Langkit: Yes, my mind’s seriously made up about my plan to run. Kalinga has lagged behind other provinces, yet we keep making the same decisions over and over. We need to introduce a fresh alternative for the people of the province. I sincerely and humbly believe that I can be that alternative.
MPJ: Considering your age, and coming from a province where major decisions made by the younger ones are brought to community leaders for what we may call in the Cordillera as a blessing… have you or your group made such a move?
DDL: This is a serious endeavor. As such, we did take the consensus of the elders. Also, this early, we are conducting sectoral consultations prior to the filing of my candidacy this November. I recognize the importance of obtaining the nod from a considerable fraction of the voting populace, as well as other people of authority and influence. Fortunately, the responses we have been receiving are favorable. The only issue being raised which causes a little setback is the availability of ample financial backing to sustain all the campaign and election needs. I do not have millions – but that matter is already being worked out by some benefactors and donors already.
MPJ: But these supporters, benefactors and donors can not also carry out all the actual campaign activities. So this time, what are the chances that u will be able to come home and do the campaign yourself?
DDL: Justice is still elusive – hence the difficulty in assuming that we shall be free by the campaign period, though we continue to hope for the best. Nonetheless, many volunteers are increasingly coming in – with Danzel seeking them out. Much as I want to be physically around during that period and meet our dear kakailian, volunteerism will offset my absence.
MPJ: That goes without saying that you shall still be in detention during that time…
DDL: There is a possibility that we may still be in detention during the campaign, and we are preparing for that. The volunteers have contingency plans to address that situation. As I always say, we are hoping for the best. But as to being in detention after election? No, our case is political, so after the Arroyo administration, we shall be out of jail. Definitely.
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