Belfry

This is a hubris project, I tell you.

My parish is witnessing the construction of a bell tower which will be finished most probably by early next year. 

As to why it needs a bell tower, I don't know. Perhaps, what they will set up in that tower is not a bell after all but a loud boom box, similar to those mosques, where they have speakers attached to towers to transmit their daily prayers.

But my opinion hasn't changed. This belfry project is a hubris project, just as my parish didn't need 10-foot walls when all it needed were tighter locks on its water faucets against squatters who enjoyed free water from its taps.

Hacienda Luisita

Owners should give up the land and distribute it to the workers who actually till the land.

The beneficiaries, the farmers, should pay the government its due so the entire country can be exempt from the expenses incurred for acquiring the plantation from the Cojuangcos. There should be no free lunch even for a case like this.

There. That sums up my opinion about Hacienda Luisita. As if anyone cared.

Piolo

Piolo and KC broke up.

What do I have to say to my namesake (because Paolo and Piolo are quite near actually)?

Well...here goes:

You let KC CONCEPCION go?

What kind of jerk are you? What kind of idiot would break KC Concepcion's heart?

Are you freakin' gay (Sorry, rhetorical question. Just can't resist.)?

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

Then, he would probably answer back: "Who do I think I am? I'm PIOLO PASCUAL. Duh."

Open Letter To Papa

Dear Pa,

Though you are a man of few words (as in really few words), the few words that actually get stuck in family lore are quite significant  (I may be quoting some below quite liberally):

"The best way to love your children is to love their mother"

(when confronted with Lolo Lino's rejection) "Makakuha lang lagi ko ug diploma..."

(talking to Lolo Nonoy)"Pa, ikaw ang modelo, ang modelo nga dili nako pamarisan"

Indeed, there are many others, stuck perhaps inside the repositories of my siblings' minds. My personal favorite is the last one because it not only speaks about your life as a whole but also speaks of mine, inasmuch as I try to emulate you.

You had always maintained that Lolo Nonoy was the biggest reason why you are what you are. It helped of course that you had good peers to begin with but it was Lolo Nonoy, God bless his soul, who fueled your desire to become a better husband, a better father, a better man. That was because you chose to regard him as the model that should not be followed.

As for me Pa, I'm choosing to also have you as my model, the one that I should not follow. That's because if you are a good provider, then I want to be a better provider than you. If you are a good husband and father, then I want to be better than you someday. If you are a good man, then I want to be the best. If you have chosen Lolo as the model that you should not follow, then I am choosing you to be the model that I must exceed.

It is accepted belief that each generation owes much of its progress to the generations that have gone before them. "Bernard of Chartres used to say that we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance, not by virtue of any sharpness of sight on our part, or any physical distinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size."

And it is so for both of us, Pa. For the most part of my life, you were the giant. You were my first superhero and, though you were not perfect, you were always my standard of what it means to be a man. And for everything that I am now, it is because I stood on your shoulders.  Now it is my turn and I would be owing you a great disservice if I choose to act small. You became bigger than Lolo Nonoy could ever be. Now, I'll try to do the same thing by becoming bigger than you.

I love you Pa.

Your son,

Paolo

A Book Project

Earlier this year, I set out a goal that I'll be writing a manual for those who are interested in my job (sort of a primer to ease the newbie into the scheme of things).

It turns out that I've had a change of heart, recognizing the innate futility in my endeavor. I may be able to write the manual and finish it but procedures and processes do change. What I may know about the job now might not be applicable for those who will come after me.

In any case, while I mull over even proceeding further with this project, here's an excerpt (or to be more specific, the introduction) to the book (It's loaded with cliches and idioms though but a little editorial work might wipe some of that off):

"Ako? Nakuha ko man yan in two weeks."

I remember those words like they were said yesterday. Those were the words uttered by a former colleague when I innocently asked how long it took her to master the job. Whether this was a testament to her self-proclaimed genius or her twisted way of motivating me, I'll never know. But, in my case, this statement definitely did not apply. It took me almost a year before I began confidently embracing the intricacies of my position. And even now, I still learn a thing or two every day.

To digress, I was employed before by a consultancy firm in Manila for over a year. We, new hires, were confined in the conference room for an entire week, while being given lectures on corporate culture, product presentations, and other stuff. By the end of our first week, we were more than ready to take on our jobs and all it took was one week of intense, brain-wracking, knowledge bombardment. Then after, we had weekly sessions on skills development and monthly meetings with the CEO to discuss the company's direction.

In contrast, my first week with the bank consisted of reading manuals and asking questions here and there. How much I learned depended on how generous my officer and my colleague was of their time and I was left to fill in the gaps. It wasn't an ideal situation, of course, and stressful mistakes formed a crucial part of my education.

So, if no one has greeted you yet, then I'll greet you first. Welcome to the prestigious school of hard knocks. Unlike our counterparts in OTP (Officer Training Program), we have formal trainings every once in a blue moon. The rest of our training comes from each other and irate clients. It's a hard place to be in but that's the price for working in one of the bank's up-and-coming business centers. And if you're up to it, then you wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Before we begin, let me just put in some pointers. First, this is my experience. This book is a crystallization of everything I've learned on the job. Hence, this book does not seek to replace the training manuals you will be reading. This book merely augments what the HR gurus are teaching (or not teaching) you.

Second, some points may raise an eyebrow if you were an auditor. Hence, use your common sense and sound judgment in knowing when and where to defy the rules and when to stand by them. As you grow into this job, you'll be better in spotting the difference. 

And third, after you've digested the book, please, please don't forget to challenge everything I've written down. As I've said, this is my experience. Yet processes can still be improved, tasks can be eliminated, procedures can be streamlined. In sum, I look forward to this book being a catalyst for continuous improvement and I want you to be the star of the show.

Finally, my hope is that this book will help you understand and perform the job better than I ever could. I've made the errors so you won't have to make them. As the cliche goes, let's not reinvent the wheel. 

Enjoy reading.

The Color Of White

White is a paradox. It's the color of the entire spectrum of visible light. It's the color of our visions of heaven. Yet, it's also the color of death, of decay.

Fascinating.

Para Malahi Daw

Dapat daw magsulat nakog maski isa lang ka post kada bulan nga binisaya. Para daw ni masanay nako ug para dili na baluktot akong binisaya nga pirmi nako ginahaluan ug ingles. Hmmm...

Rest In Peace, Lolo Nonoy

Lolo Nonoy passed away. He died of a heart attack. 

Am I sad? No, I guess not. As far as I'm concerned, I do not have a grandfather to begin with. Lolo Lino, my mother's dad, passed away before I was born. Lolo Nonoy and I never had a connection we could hang on to. I was his grandson by name only; I could not recall any memories of so-called "bonding time" between he and I.

For me, Lolo Nonoy was the absentee grandfather. He was the perennial man seated on the corner, staring at the world with bored eyes. It didn't help that much of what was said about him wasn't exactly in praise of his legacy. In fact, he had none to speak of, except of course of how much he has affected his children's lives, including my father's.

So what do I feel? Is this gratitude, perhaps? Gratitude that a life has ended, finally?

I owe this feeling to what one of Lola's friends said,"Maayo pa si Nonoy. Makapahulay na."

And I think that pretty much sums up what I should be feeling anyway. It's gratitude, gratitude for a long life lived. Gratitude for someone who is now resting eternally.

So Lolo Nonoy, do rest in peace. You may not have deserved it but you did earn it. Thank you.

Two Women

Two women are in the headlines. 

Elena Bautista-Horn. Spokesperson for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Fiercely loyal to the former president, a quality that has made her many enemies and admirers.

Leila De Lima. Justice Secretary. Defied the Supreme Court by defying its TRO. Showed the nation her guts by standing by her decision despite widespread condemnation among the upper echelons of government and eventually winning in the end with the arrest of GMA. 

Both strong women on either side of the fence.

Defintiely, this has the makings of a good political movie down the road. Let's see about that once this episode in our history has concluded itself.

Rethinking Religion

Thomas Moore, a renowned theologian, had this to say in his essay on Religion:

Religion is an attitude of reverence and a method of connecting to the mysteries that we find in our world and in ourselves.

He proceeds by explaining this definition, saying, "Basically, to be religious is to be capable of awe and respect, two qualities which have disappeared when secularism had begun to dominate...Religion shows us how to be reverent."

I'm sharing this because this definition is a step up from what we commonly associate religion with. In essence, the definition is not only for believers but also for non-believers, who would rather attribute everything there is to the universe instead of a personal omniscient deity (God, in short).

Such a definition also opens itself up to a more open discussion of what religion really is, that is, an approach to life through the lens of tradition and belief.

Wala lang.

Davao's Great Leap Backward

This news simply passed me by. I only knew about it recently when someone dropped this during a conversation. 

From a link:

MANILA, Philippines - Listed Aboitiz Power Corp. (APC) has obtained go signal from the Davao City government to proceed with its 300-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant.

In a statement, APC said the Davao City Council issued a resolution, endorsing the P25-billion circulating fluidized bed combustion coal-fired power project of its wholly-owned subsidiary Therma South Inc. on June 7.

Vice mayor and council presiding officer Rodrigo Duterte said the move was in line with a goal to boost power supply in the city.

"We need power for the city. We want this plant inside Davao so we will have control and jurisdiction over it," he said.


Government estimates earlier showed that unless power generation is increased in Mindanao, the region will soon face a shortage. By 2014, the shortage will be around 480 MW—enough to cut the entire power supply of the cities of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Zamboanga and Butuan.

APC assured that its coal plant would provide long-term solution to the power problem, and that the plant would be safe to operate.

APC said Therma South will utilize clean coal technology to reduce harmful emissions to the environment.

Actually, I don't have anything else to say.  I'm sad. I'm frustrated. In this time when all the first-world countries are looking at utilizing renewable energy to address their energy issues, here we are going back to conventional sources to solve our problems.

Make no mistake. I am fully aware that the energy crisis is real. Power shortages will continue to worsen as the deficit grows bigger. But a coal plant is still a coal plant. I don't have to enumerate the disadvantages of having one near Davao City. It's enough that I say that a coal plant is not a good thing to have in this city's future.

What struck me the most about this whole episode is the shortsightedness of our leaders, the sheer lack of imagination among their ranks. True, the coal plant can address the problem immediately and conveniently. But it does so at a cost that this city cannot afford later on.

It also struck me how the opportunity offered by the moment was never seized. The energy crisis could have galvanized a concerted effort among different sectors to search for alternative sources of energy. It could have been a catalyst to jump-start a more widespread transformation of Mindanao's grid. But we have settled for the easier solution, the mediocre one: "Why not simply build a coal plant instead? Besides, is there anything else that we can do?"

Just want to add something to this post:

From this link:

Councilor Pilar Braga, chair of the City Council committee on energy, transportation, and communication, said as far as she knows, Aboitiz has all the legal right to start with the plant construction.

"Wala nakoy labot ato kay nahuman naman ang among trabaho ato (I do not have any information about it because we were done with our job)," Braga said.

I shudder at what she just said (the translation is clearly off though). Pilate, is that you washing your hands?

Rethinking The Cemetery

From an ecological standpoint, cemeteries are a waste of real estate. They are wastelands, with extremely low biodiversity rates. Modern practices of burying the dead have also not made cemeteries more environmentally friendly.

Cemeteries in the Philippines, or 'memorial parks' for those who want to speak fancy,  are oftentimes formerly lush jungles bulldozed over to make way for sprawling green lawns. The loss of foliage is, in itself, disheartening. But trees, especially in the world's tropical regions, are important also in other aspects. One would tell you that they are crucial ingredients in the fight against climate change, acting as naturally occurring carbon pits and agents promoting increased evaporation, two things that generic carabao grass cannot do very well.

The way that we bury the dead is also not friendly to nature. Even in death, we do not want to give anything back. Our dead are buried in the ground, sure, but they are enclosed in concrete tombs, prohibiting any transfer of nutrients from the carcass to the soil.

The way I envision it, cemeteries need to change. Developers of cemeteries need to take into account that their projects can make a good impact on nature if they adhere to certain practices.

First, we need to accept the phrase "ashes to ashes, dust to dust". We need to stop prolonging the inevitable and simply assist nature in its task of converting organic matter from the corpse to usable material for other living things. We have to do away with cement tombs and settle for wooden caskets instead. We also must lessen the use of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, in our embalming process in favor of more eco-friendly alternatives, which do not leach toxic chemicals into the soil.

Second, we must bring back the trees to our cemeteries. This may be seen as an inconvenience to most, especially to the workers who prepare the ground for burial (since they have to deal with the roots every now and then). But cemeteries with trees equal more shade for visitors and families. Our current idea of a memorial park with green wide lawns is an inherently Western ideal which simply does not work here where the sun shines bright. Oftentimes, visitors have to endure the blazing heat of the sun while commemorating the death of their loved ones simply because the cemetery is one big grassland. With trees, this discomfort is minimized.

Trees, other than providing relief, are also very good habitats for fauna. The cemetery with trees can now serve dual purposes: first, as a repository for the dead and second, as a haven for species who would otherwise be victims of habitat loss.

Third, the cemetery can serve as a garden, or a flower patch to be exact. Now, this is a personal fantasy of mine. 

Imagine yourself walking to a loved one's final resting place. You haven't brought any flowers with you but then again you don't have to. That's because right there on top of your loved one's tomb is a flower patch. This is part of the services of the caretaker; they grow your preference of flowers on that small patch of real estate above where your loved one is lying in peace. So you get to choose your flowers, cut it, and place it on your loved one's tombstone, after which, you say your prayers.

Now, wouldn't that be wonderful?

Shooting Range

There's a first time for everything. 

We were at a shooting range in the PNP's headquarters in Nabunturan. Papa had brought us there to experience firing a live gun. He himself had some practice awhile back when he was in college. They had actual army personnel standing in as their ROTC trainers and, every once in a while, he and his fellow cadet officers would handle some serious ammunition (he mentioned firing from .50 caliber machine guns, among other things) as part of their training.

As for me, I never held nor fired a gun. Back in my PMT days, our officers had mentioned sending us to a shooting range, a promise that never materialized. The closest thing I got to the real thing was holding my Tito Alex's gun during Tita Prining's wake and that gun was even empty (presumably, it was for display only).

I'm not fascinated with guns. But I remember I was quite attentive during the entire lecture given by the resident policeman, who was also our instructor that day.  For one, I work in a bank and if, God forbid, anyone might think of pulling a heist in our branch, at least there will be one employee, apart from the security guards, who could fire a gun as well. That, and the fact that all this was quite novel to me, made me riveted to the instructor's every word.

After the customary lecture, we each took the chance to do some shooting ( I was with Papa, Ate Bating, Rayray, Bulec, and my two cousins, Susno and Awi). My instructor had commended that I had a good stance, as if I was a veteran shooter myself, but the rounds didn't exactly hit the bull's eye. My excuse was that I was near-sighted but the truth is that my hands were pasmado; they kept shaking on their own. It was probably out of excitement because I was pumped up with adrenaline even before I felt the trigger.

I fared better in the second round. And I somehow understood why other people felt such an urge to hold and fire a gun. There's this immense sense of power in that fleeting moment, when your palms cradle the handle and the gun's sights align with your eyes. It's simply addictive.

I'm figuratively replacing the gun back on the table.