PARADOXICAL

Notes to Self for June 2026

(The Tender Mercies of June)

While steeling myself amidst personal loss, I couldn't escape noticing the following events and incidents. They were practically waving their hands, catching my attention even through my blurry vision.

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Fire destroyed sacred a Buddhist hall in Japan that housed 1,200-year 'eternal flame.' >>> Eternal fires no more after it was swallowed by fire itself.

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A nine-story resort hotel building under construction in Angeles City, Pampanga collapsed, trapping at least 21 people, mostly workers, and leaving at least one Malaysian tourist from a nearby lodge dead.

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A super El Niño was reportedly in the offing. Our part of the world has to brace for it. >>> I wonder how large the impending destruction would be. I wonder if building desalination plants is feasible at this point, to help provide water for the homes and the farms.

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"A wedding in Sultan Kudarat turned into a gender reveal," as someone put it, after the supposed bride was discovered to be a gay man.

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American singing legend Peabo Bryson died. Bryson’s most popular songs include iconic duets like “A Whole New World,” “Beauty and the Beast,” "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love," and "If Ever You’re in My Arms Again," as well as solo hits such as "Love Always Finds a Way." The way Peabo Bryson interpreted lyrics with his clear, loud, rich tenor was nonpareil.

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Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was arrested over flood control corruption charges.

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Cong. Kiko Barzaga was expelled from Congress.

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Veteran mediaman Emil Jurado died.

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DPWH contractor Curlee Discaya was arrested for malversation.

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Scary times: Intensity 7.8 quake struck General Santos City and environs in Mindanao. A tsunami warning was issued.

Other strong quakes in other countries occurred after this quake.

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Pageant enthusiast/model Brandon Espiritu's pronouncement on the success of Filipinos in pageants hinging on halfies like himself didn't sit well with a lot of quarters.

But Filipinos have no one to blame as enablers but themselves, some perceptive folk riposted, and they are right.

From the spirited to irate reactions, however, I felt very uncomfortable with the term "full-blooded Filipino." I find it laughable considering a typical Filipino has several layers of ancestry, namely, Malay, Aeta/indigenous, Chinese, Spanish, Arab, Indian, American, even Mexican, Japanese or any random nationality you could name. For instance, Jose Rizal ("Filipino #1") is a good example.

Defining who is Filipino based on his or her ancestry is thus highly problematic. What about naturalized citizens, dual citizens, mestizos/mestizas and children of cross-marriages, Chinese immigrants and their children, halfies but with Filipino citizenship? If by "pure Filipino blood" you mean Aetas, Igorots, lumads, and other ethnic groups spared from any cross-breeding, that would be problematic as well, especially if these groups don't even have a concept of being Filipino.

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The death of two Ateneo basketball players--Davaoeño Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili, a Nigerian--in a supposed training or team-building activity in a faraway Aurora beach put university officials in hot water. >>> I remember with sadness an old friend of mine who drowned off a beach in Palawan due to an undertow (rip current?) in an area known to locals as dangerous but without any signages. To Rolan Castro: may you rest in peace.

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Hilarity and oddity! >>> A group of men were enjoying a cheerful drinking session at the garage of a coffin-making shop where they worked in Santo Tomas, Pampanga, when the parked vehicle in front of them suddenly came to life and started moving on its own.

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This concept of "slow dopamine" is interesting! I want it. >>> "Cata Salazar-de Jesus reflects on the power of “slow dopamine” — the deep, lasting sense of fulfillment from patient, meaningful activities like writing, gardening, and nature walks — arguing that these quiet habits can be a buffer against modern stress. Drawing from her husband’s remarkable stroke recovery, she makes the case that slower, restorative pursuits may be more than calming hobbies — they may be life-saving."

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Oddly funny >>> "Bryan Johnson, a tech entrepreneur who sold his company to eBay for $800 million, now spends around $2 million a year trying to stop himself from aging. His project, called Blueprint, involves waking before 5 a.m., taking roughly 100 supplements daily, eating all meals before 11 a.m., and going to bed at 8:30 p.m. every night. A team of doctors monitors his health around the clock. He claims his body now ages less than one year for every year that passes, and that his organs test younger than his actual age. He currently ranks first in something called the Rejuvenation Olympics, a global leaderboard for people trying to slow their biological clock."

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"Residents of Barangay Kitayo in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, and the Municipality of Glan in Sarangani Province were left stunned after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake apparently caused the sea to recede and expose a vast stretch of land that had previously been underwater. >>> Unbelievable! The seabed was raised by 2 meters reportedly and the area that suddenly dried up was up to 200 meters away from the former shoreline--how true? The phenomenon is reportedly called coastal uplift.

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TYVM, God! >>> "U.S. and Iranian representatives announced that they have reached a preliminary peace framework aimed at ending the conflict between the two countries, lifting the U.S. blockade on Iran, and restoring access to the Strait of Hormuz. If implemented, the agreement could help reduce energy costs as oil exports resume through the strategically important shipping route."

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"A group of indigenous Taiwanese called Tao left Orchid Is., Taiwan, to paddle to the nearest island in Batanes, Philippines on a hand-built wooden canoe across the Bashi Channel, reviving a maritime route dormant for hundreds of years and re-establishing a lost cultural connection." >>> Amazingly billed as "the first return voyage after 300 years" of separation. The rowing boat used is called tatala. Interestingly, a native Ivatan rowing boat is called tataya. Taos and Ivatans, it turns out, belong to one tribe.

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"National Artist and filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik said he is giving up the country’s highest cultural honor and returning his medallion to protest changes in the college curriculum that he warned could further weaken the humanities and social sciences."

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Viral video: "A video clip that circulated on social media showed a thin-bodied young male cyclist punching a fellow biker in the face twice in the Mall of Asia area. But the young male cyclist who was attacked did not retaliate, earning praise from many netizens for his calm response and for not engaging in violence. The incident has drawn widespread criticism online, with many calling out the aggressive behavior and saying that misunderstandings should be resolved through proper communication rather than physical confrontation. Online users are still trying to determine the full context behind what triggered the altercation."

>>> Apparently, a lot of people have not heard of the Biblical passage, "'Vengeance is mine!', says the Lord." Come to think of it, a lot of us survivors of the many harsh realities of life not just because we are forgivers but also because we have decided not to resort to violent retaliation; because we rely on being avenged by the Lord. From experience, "vengeance from the Lord" is far more unimaginably awful.

I wonder how to bring this wonderful message to these idiots whose fixation or primal instinct is to hurt others (or worse, the innocent) out of unresolved anger issues.

That said, this is not to say the one being attacked in the video was lily-white either. We don't have the big picture...yet.
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"Maleta" and "malita" became trending words--apparently due to the now long-running flood control bribery/corruption story. "Maleta," of course, refers to suitcases that allegedly became a convenient means of conveyance of stolen public funds to the tune of hundreds of millions of pesos.

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A video went viral wondering whether fruits like orange should have more creative names, such as Sharmaine, Melanie, Vanessa, and whatnot, instead of just being named for their color.

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Big, big deal for Catholics and Marian devotees because of the miraculous, scientifically unexplained nature of this image! >>> Pilgrim image/tilma of the Our Lady of Guadalupe will tour the Philippines.

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Vegetable dumping became a thing. >>> Dumping, not dumpling.

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What's happening in the Senate? As usual, there are two versions of the story, depending on the party speaking. But based on the posts I've read so far, most people are pissed off with the Cayetano side.

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A luxury resort made of thatched hats was destroyed fast in a dramatic fire in the Dominican Republic, forcing the evacuation of almost 1,700 tourists.

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The children of Nora Aunor squabbled in public over the estate of the national artist.

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What the heck!?! >>> "Just hours after millions of people filled the streets of New York City celebrating the (victory of the) Knicks, gunfire erupted in broad daylight near Times Square, sending crowds fleeing."

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"At a Tacloban City school, two minor boys shot dead three students, the incident reviving calls to amend the law to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility." Authorities are looking into bullying as the root cause of this rampage. One culprit is the son of a soldier, so he must have had an access to his father's gun. >>> This is an incident that I thought only happens in the US of A! May it never become the new normal here.

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(To be completed by month's end)

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:01 PM