PARADOXICAL

Notes to Self: The Oddities of March

Last week, one of my staff asked, "Sir, nagpanic buying ba kayo?"

I said, "Nagpanic lang. Yun lang ang kinaya ko."

We all laughed. I was just joking, but it was also quite true.

Opening my Facebook account these days is enough to trigger palpitations.

These are traumatic times. Maybe not for you, normal ones, but for me, they are. Though we try to get on with our lives like nothing is happening -- we can't do anything about things beyond our control anyway, the fact is that we live in a highly interconnected world. A nation coughs, we all catch cold.

Nations are too interdependent for any kind of war, I realize, such that the intentional choking of a strait in the Middle East (actually Western edge of Asia) we've never heard of before could send gasoline prices to levels heretofore unheard of. And, of course, we all know what that means: automatic increase in the prices of all commodities.

The sight of EDSA suddenly getting clear of motorists is a telling sign of the times: a phenomenon that occurs with regularity only on Good Fridays.

It's just like the covid-19 pandemic (plandemic?) all over again, with all those unprecedented apocalyptic scenarios. ...Together with all the acronyms we hated with our guts but couldn't help but use out of convenience, from ECQ to PUM to LSI.

In our LGU, our first response was to monitor all the prices of gasoline stations and groceries, call for an emergency meeting, strictly implement a 4-day work week, and reiterate the need to conserve energy in all offices.

Imagine the usual domino effect of a disrupted supply chain due to the overly steep price hike: widespread complaints about where to source food for the day, the baby's formula milk, maintenance meds; business closures; food shortages; refugees; OFWs going home en masse to unemployment, if they manage to get repatriated at all. Our only weapons right now are faith in God's providence and miracles -- and governments and NGOs working on practical solutions.

Meanwhile, while the war is ongoing, people keep to their routine of going to the mall to window-shop and buy, lounge in cafes, go to the beach, attend lavish parties, and post everything on social media, carefully avoiding doomscrolling. I hope they are going to mass and praying to God more often and more intensely as well.

As for me, aside from, of course, pleading to God to spare us all, all I can do is turn to a mix of wishful thinking, hallucination, and regret: "Wishing we had been on 100% solar/alternative energy 10 years ago. And a self-sustaining agricultural industry too. Imagine not being affected by that Strait of Hormuz."

(I remember how people back in the '90s kept on saying that the world was "running on empty" in its oil and gas supply, so what have we done all along?)

Filipinos being Filipinos, a lot of folk resorted to humor. Edu Manzano said "he was not in the habit of posting photos of expensive places he's been to, except today." Then he showed a selfie of himself in a gas station.

Another post that made the rounds is a photo of a gasoline in a sachet, just like the 'tingi-tingi' version of cooking oil or shampoo for sale.

Meanwhile, the old expression 'beware the Ides of March' comes to my mind. But this time, it's more like the Oddities of March.

***

Over on Facebook, while the US-Israel--Iran war was ongoing, here's what I managed to gather despite myself and my super-busy work sked:

A University of Zurich study found out that "birdwatching reshapes the brain in a similar way to learning a language or instrument." >> Guess I'm on the right track.

***

"The Archdiocese of Manila has opened a 'spiritual liberation' center amid reports of an escalation in cases of spiritual distress that necessitate exorcism." >> The devil must be on double time.

***

"Quezon City Representative Jesus Manuel 'Bong' Suntay faced widespread criticism from lawmakers, public officials and celebrities over his controversial remark about what he deems to be his natural male reaction upon seeing actress Anne Curtis. The backlash erupted after Suntay, during a House Committee on Justice session on impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, recounted his apparent desire: 'Alam niyo minsan, minsan nasa Shangri-La ako, nakita ko si Anne Curtis, ang ganda-ganda pala niya. You know, may desire sa loob ko na, nag-init talaga, na-imagine ko na lang kung ano’ng pwedeng mangyari pero siyempre hanggang imagination na lang ‘yon. Pero ‘di naman siguro ako pwedeng kasuhan kung ano ang na-imagine ko eh,' said Suntay.

Suntay's excessive honesty didn't sit well with a lot of quarters, reading it as something like this, when Suntay was merely oversharing his typical male mental process: 'So basically Suntay is saying women are to be blamed if men get sexually aroused by them because it is 100% normal for men to get sexually aroused at the mere sight of women, more so if the woman is attractive like Ann Curtis and if she wears revealing clothes.'

The view was correctly called misogynist (woman-hating), as it shifted the blame for a man's impure thoughts solely on women -- emphasis on solely.

The intense debate was worth following, I thought, especially since emotions ran high on both sides.

In fact, a very much offended Ann Curtis posted a response on social media, with so many people running to her defense.

Then there was a lot of animus generated later on by this famed (?) DDS blogger named Sass Rogando Sasot (a trans, it turns out) vs Ann Curtis's sister, Jasmine Curtis. What an unbelievably low discourse I got sucked into -- for a while!

But on second thought, they were actually discussing important issues, thus the strong and wide public reaction.

Then someone reminded us that there is zero rape incidence in Bontoc despite the traditional attire of women there--or lack thereof, the better to cover the upper torso. It made me re-study Bontoc society to find out why, while reviewing my lessons in theology of the body and the concept of crime vs sin vs temptation.

***

Another intense bardagulan (an exchange filled with personal insults and ad hominems meant to generate laughs) appeared several times on my feed, so I couldn't help but look: an allegedly "notorious DDS" named Tio Moreno vs a sassy guy named Gino Hinolan. It's painful and kinda icky to read through, especially since the debate involved someone allegedly soiling himself in a spa (I learned a new Tagalog technical term on the side!), someone having a low salary so he has no right to bash others, as opposed to the other one's shoes alone costing much higher to purchase. Unbelievable.

***

"At a company party in China, the grand prize wasn’t cash or gadgets--it was something many people want even more: time. One lucky employee won 365 days of fully paid leave, making it one of the most unusual (and enviable) workplace rewards. Instead of handing out material gifts, the company raffled off vacation days. In a work culture often known for long hours, a full year off might just be the ultimate prize." >> Ha-ha!

***

According to another fascinating study, "singing for just one hour can increase your body’s production of secretory immunoglobulin A, or SIgA, by up to 240 percent. SIgA is your immune system’s first line of defense. It coats the lining of your mouth, throat, lungs, and digestive system, blocking viruses and bacteria before they invade deeper." >> Time to practice my version of "Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka" and "Araw Gabi," two of the most popular local ballads lately.

***

Four, and then soon, seven, then eight, actors were named as victims of leaked private videos. They were called "the big 4" and so on. Soon, the actors issued official statements one after another. >> Leaked s*x videos used to be rare and were major scandals, but now they are becoming alarmingly frequent. It is thus recommended to documentary hobbyists that the deed be done in utter darkness and preferably in the remotest places on earth, away from drones, hidden cams, Facebook, YouTube, and ChatGPT.

***

Utterly depressing crime news >> "A man shot two people dead, including a young promising actor-model named Rjhay Gonzales, a UPLB grad, and injuring four others, at a basketball court in Azure Urban Resort Residences, a Marcelo Green, Parañaque City condominium complex."

Crime of passion: "Another man named Datu Gulf aka Fattah Esmai Faisal suddenly shot his alleged lover, another man named Jayson Zoleta, in the head seemingly for no reason -- and at the latter's store too." >> It's odd that the perpetrator was called "a suspect" and his name left unmentioned despite the video being prima facie evidence.

***

Late observation: Wacky dancing during wedding entrance rites has become popular lately, but I'm sure I am not the only one turned off because it ruins the solemnity of the ceremony.

***

Positive development, as it finally gives importance to lowly and long-suffering pedestrians. > "It is the final days for 'Mt. Kamuning,' the much-derided footbridge in Quezon City that has become some sort of an icon of flawed urban structures. President Marcos inspected this week the newly completed P87.3-million Kamuning Footbridge and Busway Station that will replace the 7-year-old structure built in 2018 during the Duterte administration, which gained infamy and notoriety for being unsafe and extremely inconvenient to use."

***

Veteran journalist Carlos Conde advocates for "dedutertefication." Says he: "We need to look honestly at the culture of impunity that made Duterte not just possible but popular. We need to stop treating his supporters’ feelings as more important than his victims’ lives."

***

Study: "A baby’s brain treats a mother’s absence as a life-threatening emergency, triggering a massive 300% cortisol spike in seconds. When an infant cannot locate their mother, their brain doesn't just feel lonely; it perceives an immediate threat to its very existence." >> (Note the deliberate antecedent-pronoun disagreement.) I remember a dear nephew who suffered through something like it.

***

Eww, yuck, but someone's got to do it: "Inside a quiet laboratory at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, entomologist Cristian Lucanas studies an insect most people would rather crush than examine. The 31-year-old researcher has built an unusual reputation around the creature, earning the nickname 'Ipis Lord,' after the Filipino word for cockroach. Lucanas is the Philippines’ only scientist known to specialize in cockroach taxonomy and has discovered 15 species so far. His fascination with the insect is unusual in a country where cockroaches are more often associated with filth than science."

***

Unbothered by war: After that 'Opalite' dance craze, there is a new dance craze in town, powered by an old Tagalog disco song I've never heard before: "Hawak Mo ang Beat." Ma-try nga yan. Parang maganda.

Meanwhile, Cup of Joe's big hit remains popular.

***

Incredible news: A Lebanese saint I barely know about reportedly appeared to someone in the Philippines: St. Charbel Makhlouf.

***

Again incredible, as alleged, there is a massive conversion to Christianity going on in Iran. How true!? Since there are two versions of the war, it's quite a challenge which version to believe, as propaganda materials and outright lies are a major weapon in any war.

***

New music artist Gigi de Lana collapsed while performing on stage -- for the second time. Same thing happened with the comedian Boobay, who reportedly has a condition in which he suffers a temporary stroke or something, while De Lana reportedly has some eating disorder and a heart issue.

***

I spotted a new idiomatic expression being used several times by several people: "low-hanging fruit." It is an informal noun which means "the most easily achieved of a set of tasks, measures, goals, etc." Example: "When cutting costs, many companies start with the low-hanging fruit: their ad budgets."

***

Midnight of March 13, the weather got too cold all of a sudden, like it's like winter in the middle of summer. What kind of weird is this? Even the weather is bipolar -- utterly confused. I don't mind the free air-conditioning, though, but I need to buy jogging pants.


***

Unbelievable: John Sherwin Felix was accused of libel for merely pointing out the glaring factual mistakes in a DTI-funded culinary book! As they say, this legal move has a chilling effect on freedom of expression, particularly the freedom to criticize a creative work.

***

Great! > "A recent laboratory study suggests that tamarind, a fruit widely consumed in Asia and Africa, may help the body eliminate microplastics."

***

Amazing! >> "In an extraordinary feat of nature, a young bar-tailed godwit shattered the world record for the longest non-stop flight by a bird in late 2022. At just five months old, this incredible traveler departed from Alaska and flew continuously across the vast Pacific Ocean for 11 days and one hour. Navigating through varying weather and bypassing countless islands, the bird covered a staggering 13,560 kilometers (8,435 miles) before safely touching down in Tasmania, Australia. This journey was verified by a tiny 5-gram satellite tag, proving the bird never once landed to eat, drink, or rest during its entire transoceanic marathon. To survive this 2026-verified miracle of endurance, the godwit underwent extreme biological changes. It doubled its body weight in fat before leaving and actually absorbed its own internal organs—like its stomach and liver—to reduce weight and provide energy. Meanwhile, its heart and flight muscles expanded to handle the immense physical load. By utilizing a specialized form of sleep where only half the brain rests at a time, the godwit remained conscious enough to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field. This flight represents the absolute limit of vertebrate physiology and serves as a powerful reminder of the hidden wonders still being discovered in our natural world."

***

Hilarious! > "Breaking news out of Sweden: the CEO of IKEA has apparently been elected Prime Minister. The good news is the government should be up and running soon. The bad news is it will arrive in six separate boxes, half the screws will be missing, and the instructions will just be a smiling cartoon man pointing at a hex key. Officials say the new Prime Minister plans to assemble his cabinet personally by the end of the weekend, assuming he can find piece B17 and figure out why there are three bolts left over. Sources inside parliament report that step one involves laying all the ministers on the floor and making sure none of them are upside down before tightening anything. Political analysts expect the process to take several hours, at least one existential crisis, and a moment where everyone realizes they attached the entire finance minister backwards. But on the bright side, if something goes wrong the whole government can simply be disassembled, returned to the box, and rebuilt in a slightly different configuration next Saturday."

***

A photo of a dilapidated old house trended, but I am afraid to click on whatever link was provided.

***

Actor Timothée Chalamet, Hollywood's current 'it' guy, said something dismissive about opera and ballet. Naturally people from these two sectors were offended. How could someone from the performance arts field not appreciate or be so dismissive about ballet and opera? That's like throwing under the bus such culturati stuff as Luciano Pavarotti, "Nessun Dorma," La Divina Maria Callas, "La Traviata," et cetera.

***

"SB-19 is first Filipino act to perform at Lollapalooza." >>> Congrats! I hope the other equally talented young Filipino musicians make it just as big, too.

***

"Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history at the 98th Academy Awards by becoming the first woman of Filipino descent to win an Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work on the film 'Sinners.'" >>> I wonder if people still watch the Oscars in the age of online video streaming services? I haven't been watching ever since I realized that the world of cinema is a lot bigger than Hollywood. Watching a lot of films from around the world has taught me that excellence is not confined to America.

***

"Spain's King Felipe VI acknowledged abuses in his country's colonial past, a rare admission by the Spanish crown which has never issued a formal apology to former colonies for abuses such as forced labor, land expropriation, and violence." >>> A breakthrough, finally! We are still suffering from landlessness among peasants, though, which we all know bore fruit in the communist underground movement -- an age-old problem that should have been solved decades ago.

***

"A lawmaker from Zambales apologized for filing a proposed measure seeking to rename President Ramon Magsaysay State University to Zambales State University, saying the move was a 'lapse of judgment' and that the bill would be withdrawn. >>> The gall of some people to erase the memory of important people and erase history. But we do it with regularity. I won't mind erasing the memory of oppressors, though. But since an apology was issued and the glaring mistake admitted, forgiveness is in order. But we must be vigilant these things won't happen with clockwork regularity.

***

"Cuba's national electric grid collapsed, leaving around 10 million people without power amid a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already ailing generation system." >>> We've experienced a bit of this during the Ramos administration, that is why Pres. Ramos found ways to solve the problem of inadequate power source. But what is happening in Cuba is on a different level. We can only pray that they and all the other people trapped in war-torn countries -- who believe in freedom, democracy, secular rule, and basic human rights, that is -- find a way to survive. I have zero sympathy for those who hold violent, deadly, and 'othering' beliefs.

***

"The venom of the Gila monster contains a powerful molecule known as exendin-4 that can mimic a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels in the human body. By studying this venom, researchers were able to develop semaglutide-based medications, including Ozempic, used to treat type 2 diabetes." >>> Even animals and plants we consider 'ugly' and 'scary' hide pharmaceuticals inside of them that we'll need someday.

***

What's with this now trending place to 'AFAMs' and foreign (mostly white) tourists: Malinao Skateboard in Siargao Island?

***

"A Russian gas station offered free fuel to anyone in a bikini. They expected women. They got an army of men in two-pieces and high heels. ... If you write the rules loosely, people will follow them literally." >>> Naughty. Next time, write the mechanics more clearly.

***

Impressive and commendable. >>> "The house in Germany where José Rizal wrote *Noli Me Tangere* was purchased by Congressman Leandro to preserve it and convert it into a museum."

***

"Asia just made 4-day workweeks and work-from-home mandatory." >>> Haha, we've been doing compressed workweeks in our local government for maybe a year now, after discovering it can save millions, and we've tried WFH arrangement during the pandemic.

***

I'm kicking myself in the shin why I haven't thought of this concept when I have a list of disgusting food! It would have been a major tourist attraction in our town or elsewhere there are food items considered disgusting by most people like our buro varieties, binuburan, and inlubi. >>> "There is a Disgusting Food Museum in Malmö, Sweden, featuring 80 of the world's most pungent and unusual foods designed to challenge visitors' perceptions of disgust. It features a tasting bar and has hosted temporary exhibits in other cities."

***

Reading war-related news today, I get re-acquainted with journalese I first learned in my Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan class under Mrs. Rosario: embargo, detente, escalation, balance of power...

***

On a personal note, I found a new de-stressor in these awful times: listening to really old music, something from the era of grandmas and grandpas, the things I used to scoff at as a kid: the live performances of Shirley Bassey at the peak of her career, I have found, are unmatched to this day; the gentle harmonies of songs like "Greenfields" by pre-boy bands like The Brothers Four are so relaxing; and so on.

***

We lost another gifted writer. Respected, because excellent and fearless (and prolific), writer, book author, and editor Joel Pablo Salud suddenly died of heart attack at age 63.

(To be updated)

posted by Resty Odon  # 9:49 PM 0 Comments

"Do not be afraid for I am with you." "I love you."

posted by Resty Odon  # 12:11 AM 0 Comments

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posted by Resty Odon  # 4:08 PM 0 Comments

"What You Laugh at Reveals Your Character"

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in life is to never poke fun at the personal weaknesses, misfortune, and private foibles of people, most especially the sick, the weak, the disabled, the elderly, the silently suffering -- with few exceptions depending on the context.

As an insensitive youth many years ago, I had been guilty of all of the above in my wish to be funny.

I learned my lesson the hard way.

As a college student and boarder in Baguio, I tried to poke fun at one of the house help to make him feel at ease with me. Apparently, I rubbed him the wrong way because instead of laughing, he got offended when I was only trying to make a joke at his expense.

Again in college, I was at the beach with my classmates when a male classmate saw a very old man in his white undies about to take a dip in the water and said, "Ha-ha, kulubot na!" (Ha-ha, he's wrinkly!). I found the remark hilarious because true, what with all his old man bits sagging, until I felt guilty at laughing along with the rest -- perhaps realizing at the back of my mind that we were all staring "at the future version of ourselves," as someone put it.

Sometimes, my frank nature, which I must have inherited from my Pangasinense father and grandmother, get the better of me whenever I make cutting remarks that have the capacity to offend deeply, and needlessly, not just one person but an entire family.

I figure not everyone has the same sense of humor as I. And we never know what chord we'd strike with the 'right' most hurting word, no matter what our intentions are.

At yet another instance, because I strongly disliked this old politician who struck me as lazy and dumb who waddled into rooms like a penguin, I wrote something about his weak knees as a pun on his famed weaknesses, but the next morning I found my own knees aching for no reason even when I had perfectly healthy knees. So I took the "instant karma" as a strong sign of disapproval from the universe even if I technically didn't believe in the Hindu concept.

Add to this the Bible study talks on "Speech and Wrongdoing" that I've attended that advise everyone to have nothing but good words and not to say a word if you have nothing good to say, with Biblical passages as supporting material. With seminars like that, naturally you end up with one thoroughly guilt-ridden conscience even if you happen to love humor, comic strips, comedy bars, and sitcoms. Yet I have proven that comedy is possible without being mean for meanness' sake.

Since then, TV shows that strongly used political incorrectness as among the tricks up their sleeve in order to elicit laughs did not appeal to me because they made me feel guilty. For this reason, slapstick comedy may be funny on some level, but guilt-inducing at the same time.

I remember writing a lengthy essay, once upon a time, to rebut a young man after noticing a relentless pattern of behavior in his writing on a major newspaper where he was a columnist. He routinely laughed at, lambasted, and lampooned people just because they were older than he was. I didn't know then that there was a term for such a red flag: ageist, ageism.

This is not about extreme 'wokeness,' or a tendency to get easily and overly offended at the slightest commentary even when valid and called for, even if warranted. This is a matter of basic courtesy and a conscious choice to be kind and to do good.

My instinct now says it's wrong to laugh at PWDs, the elderly, frailty, the mentally ill, depressed people wallowing in their un-nameable sorrow, the alone and lonely... Laughing at their status or perceived misfortune is somehow a kind of judgment. What if they were not "being punished" or "paying for their misdeeds" just as we have wrongly judged? What if they are on a journey to becoming saints or some other mysterious reasons?

For another instance, just as we shouldn't be dismissive of the powers of youth, we shouldn't be dismissive of old age either. I can easily name a dozen people who have achieved much, like transform entire towns, even in their advanced age.

As they say, laughing at the weak and others' weaknesses reveals who we are.

There are a few exceptions to this, I would warrant:

First is when you make fun of yourself.

I guess poking fun at one's foibles is also equally acceptable, even expected, among intimates -- between and among family members and close friends -- but within the confines of a safe private space, not in the public square. It is a form of acceptance of an inescapable reality: one's humanity.

Jabs among intimates are considered okay if the people involved know the person well and issued within a limited space involving a minimum number of people. This is a sign of comfortable familiarity with each other. Each one knows the person well enough to know whether the person can take the hit without going berserk or not.

Being self-deprecating means you do not take yourself too seriously. After all, you are just as fallible as the next guy. Taking a jab at one's age means being comfortable with yourself, being at home in your own skin, warts and all. That does not mean devaluing your state of life or your contribution.

Nevertheless, even in this context, I'd rather not delve into negative humor for fear of "breaking a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick." I'd rather dwell on uplifting people for their positive traits, even if it is easily mistaken for bootlicking, patronizing, or some such intent.

What is out-and-out bad and should be discouraged is self-deprecation for its own sake. Abasing oneself should come from a place of strength, out of the necessity of knowing your place in the whole scheme of things. Self-deprecation out of low self-esteem is a kind of debasement. It is not heathy -- it is a defeatist attitude -- and should not be encouraged.

Second is if poking fun at personal weaknesses and foibles is part of a work of fiction or art that drives at an important truth or higher purpose, like when you are dealing with public 'sins' or social follies which are of great public concern. In this context, I would probably excuse the humor of Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Dave Barry, Evelyn Waugh, Kurt Vonnegut, David Sedaris, Erma Bombeck, Helen Fielding, Maureen Dowd, P.J. O'Rourke, and at home, Jessica Zafra, Simeon Dumdum, et al. After all, even God mocked the devil. (My favorite is Garrison Keillor (of "Lake Wobegon Days," etc.), of whom I am suddenly reminded that I had found a signed used book of his at a Booksale shop one time, but I couldn't find my copy right now.)

I still vividly remember how a fatwa was issued by an Islamist cleric against Salman Rushdie after the British-American-Indian writer published the novel "The Satanic Verses," and how a newspaper cartoon in Denmark poking fun at Muhammad ended up being a global subject of the same decree to kill in cold blood.

I would hate a world wherein what is funny and what is not would have to be legislated. If we can't easily tell the difference, what does that say about us?

In Pangasinan, the traditional culture is unforgiving when it comes to this. With Pangasinenses being a happy, lighthearted people, there is a tradition of giving certain folk "pangaran" -- pejorative aliases or alternate names born of one's own weakness or shame in a way that sticks with the person for life. For example: an amputee would likely be called "Ariel ya Pukol" (Ariel, the amputee) or a cripple "Juan ya Sikwel" (si Juan na pilantod). Someone who was obviously mentally ill and who must have stolen a chicken once upon a time was once christened "XXX Matakew na Manok" (XXX the chicken thief), to everyone's entertainment.

Pangasinenses are not just frank, they are also mapangaran and mababalaw (mapanglait and pintasero), as can be gleaned from their choice words to criticize, which is myriad. It is, therefore, a saintly challenge for the onion-skinned to not get hurt and to be kind in this brash, straight-talking culture. Congratulations to you if you survive here with your self-confidence intact.

The prevailing mood here is, if you are the subject of one's joke, you have to make an equally hilarious riposte. Or else, you have to take it on the chin and wait for unkind people's comeuppance or for God to be the one to avenge you.

I am worried for people who are careless with their mouth. That's because I've been there. Because from experience, words are not just words, and the people you once dismissed with a laugh always have the last laugh -- guaranteed.

(AI-generated content: 0%)

posted by Resty Odon  # 2:02 PM 0 Comments

 " God is not renovating your old self. He crucified it..and you're now new in Christ. "

" Only God can turn a mess into a message.

A test into a testimony.

A trial into a triumph.

A victim into a victory. "

" Things have a way of working out. Never underestimate the power of prayer, faith, and love. " Amen🙏🙏🙏

posted by Resty Odon  # 10:00 PM 0 Comments

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Notes to Self: The Oddities of March

Last week, one of my staff asked, "Sir, nagpanic buying ba kayo?"

I said, "Nagpanic lang. Yun lang ang kinaya ko."

We all laughed. I was just joking, but it was also quite true.

Opening my Facebook account these days is enough to trigger palpitations.

These are traumatic times. Maybe not for you, normal ones, but for me, they are. Though we try to get on with our lives like nothing is happening -- we can't do anything about things beyond our control anyway, the fact is that we live in a highly interconnected world. A nation coughs, we all catch cold.

Nations are too interdependent for any kind of war, I realize, such that the intentional choking of a strait in the Middle East (actually Western edge of Asia) we've never heard of before could send gasoline prices to levels heretofore unheard of. And, of course, we all know what that means: automatic increase in the prices of all commodities.

The sight of EDSA suddenly getting clear of motorists is a telling sign of the times: a phenomenon that occurs with regularity only on Good Fridays.

It's just like the covid-19 pandemic (plandemic?) all over again, with all those unprecedented apocalyptic scenarios. ...Together with all the acronyms we hated with our guts but couldn't help but use out of convenience, from ECQ to PUM to LIS.

In our LGU, our first response was to monitor all the prices of gasoline stations and groceries, call for an emergency meeting, strictly implement a 4-day work week, and reiterate the need to conserve energy in all offices.

Imagine the usual domino effect of a disrupted supply chain due to the overly steep price hike: widespread complaints about where to source food for the day, the baby's formula milk, maintenance meds; business closures; food shortages; refugees; OFWs going home en masse to unemployment, if they manage to get repatriated at all. Our only weapons right now are faith in God's providence and miracles -- and governments and NGOs working on practical solutions.

Meanwhile, while the war is ongoing, people keep to their routine of going to the mall to window-shop and buy, lounge in cafes, go to the beach, attend lavish parties, and post everything on social media, carefully avoiding doomscrolling. I hope they are going to mass and praying to God more often and more intensely as well.

As for me, aside from, of course, pleading to God to spare us all, all I can do is turn to a mix of wishful thinking, hallucination, and regret: "Wishing we had been on 100% solar/alternative energy 10 years ago. And a self-sustaining agricultural industry too. Imagine not being affected by that Strait of Hormutz."

(I remember how people back in the '90s kept on saying that the world's oil and gas supply was "going on empty," so what have we been doing all along?)

Filipinos being Filipinos, a lot of folk resorted to humor. Edu Manzano said "he was not in the habit of posting photos of expensive places he's been to, except today." Then he showed a selfie of himself in a gas station.

Another post that made the rounds is a photo of a gasoline in a sachet, just like the 'tingi-tingi' version of cooking oil or shampoo for sale.

Meanwhile, the old expression 'beware the Ides of March' comes to my mind. But this time, it's more like the Oddities of March.

***

Over at Facebook, while the US-Israel--Iran war was ongoing, here's what I managed to gather despite myself and my super-busy work sked:

A University of Zurich study found out that "birdwatching reshapes the brain in a similar way to learning a language or instrument." >> Guess I'm on the right track.

***

"The Archdiocese of Manila has opened a 'spiritual liberation' center amid reports of an escalation in cases of spiritual distress that necessitate exorcism." >> The devil must be on double time.

***

"Quezon City Representative Jesus Manuel 'Bong' Suntay faced widespread criticism from lawmakers, public officials and celebrities over his controversial remark about what he deems to be his natural male reaction upon seeing actress Anne Curtis. The backlash erupted after Suntay, during a House Committee on Justice session on impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, recounted his apparent desire: 'Alam niyo minsan, minsan nasa Shangri-La ako, nakita ko si Anne Curtis, ang ganda-ganda pala niya. You know, may desire sa loob ko na, nag-init talaga, na-imagine ko na lang kung ano’ng pwedeng mangyari pero siyempre hanggang imagination na lang ‘yon. Pero ‘di naman siguro ako pwedeng kasuhan kung ano ang na-imagine ko eh,' said Suntay.

Suntay's excessive honesty didn't sit well with a lot of quarters, reading it as something like this, when Suntay was merely oversharing his typical male mental process: 'So basically Suntay is saying women are to be blamed if men get sexually aroused by them because it is 100% normal for men to get sexually aroused at the mere sight of women, more so if the woman is attractive like Ann Curtis and if she wears revealing clothes.'

The view was correctly called misogynist (woman-hating), as it shifted the blame for a man's fertile thought solely on women -- emphasis on solely.

The intense debate was worth following, I thought, especially since emotions ran high on both sides.

In fact, a very much offended Ann Curtis posted a response on social media, with so many people running to her defense.

Then there was a lot of animus generated later on by this famed (?) DDS blogger named Sass Rogando Sasot (a trans, it turns out) vs Ann Curtis's sister, Jasmine Curtis. What an unbelievably low discourse I got sucked into -- for a while!

But on second thought, they were actually discussing important issues, thus the strong and wide public reaction.

Then someone reminded us that there is zero rape incidence in Bontoc despite the traditional attire of women there or lack thereof to cover the upper torso. It made me re-study Bontoc society to find out why, while reviewing my lessons in theology of the body and the concept of sin vs temptation.

***

Another intense bardagulan (an exchange filled with personal insults and ad hominems meant to generate laughs) appeared several times on my feed, so I couldn't help but look: an allegedly "notorious DDS" named Tio Moreno vs a sassy guy named Gino Hinolan. It's painful and kinda icky to read through, especially since the debate involved someone allegedly soiling himself in a spa (I learned a new Tagalog technical term on the side!), someone having a low salary so he has no right to bash others, as opposed to the other one's price tag of his shoes alone. Unbelievable.

***

"At a company party in China, the grand prize wasn’t cash or gadgets--it was something many people want even more: time. One lucky employee won 365 days of fully paid leave, making it one of the most unusual (and enviable) workplace rewards. Instead of handing out material gifts, the company raffled off vacation days. In a work culture often known for long hours, a full year off might just be the ultimate prize." >> Ha-ha!

***

According to another fascinating study, "singing for just one hour can increase your body’s production of secretory immunoglobulin A, or SIgA, by up to 240 percent. SIgA is your immune system’s first line of defense. It coats the lining of your mouth, throat, lungs, and digestive system, blocking viruses and bacteria before they invade deeper." >> Time to practice my version of "Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka" and "Araw Gabi," two of the most popular local ballads lately.

***

Four, and then soon, seven, then eight, actors were named as victims of leaked private videos. They were called "the big 4" and so on. Soon, the actors issued official statements one after another. >> Leaked s*x videos used to be rare and were major scandals, but now they are becoming alarmingly frequent. It is thus recommended to documentary hobbyists that the deed be done in utter darkness and preferably in the remotest places on earth, away from drones, hidden cams, Facebook, YouTube, and ChatGPT.

***

Utterly depressing crime news >> "A man shot two people dead, including a young promising actor-model named Rjhay Gonzales, and injuring four others, at a basketball court in Azure Urban Resort Residences, a Marcelo Green, Parañaque City condominium complex."

Crime of passion: "Another man named Datu Gulf aka Fattah Esmai Faisal suddenly shot his alleged lover, another man named Jayson Zoleta, in the head seemingly for no reason -- and at the latter's store too." >> It's odd that the perpetrator was called "a suspect" and his name left unmentioned despite the video being prima facie evidence.

***

Late observation: Wacky dancing during wedding entrance rites has become popular lately, but I'm sure I am not the only one turned off because it ruins the solemnity of the ceremony.

***

Positive development, as it finally gives importance to lowly and long-suffering pedestrians. > "It is the final days for 'Mt. Kamuning,' the much-derided footbridge in Quezon City that has become some sort of an icon of flawed urban structures. President Marcos inspected this week the newly completed P87.3-million Kamuning Footbridge and Busway Station that will replace the 7-year-old structure built in 2018 during the Duterte administration, which gained infamy and notoriety for being unsafe and extremely inconvenient to use."

***

Veteran journalist Carlos Conde advocates for "dedutertefication." Says he: "We need to look honestly at the culture of impunity that made Duterte not just possible but popular. We need to stop treating his supporters’ feelings as more important than his victims’ lives."

***

Study: "A baby’s brain treats a mother’s absence as a life-threatening emergency, triggering a massive 300% cortisol spike in seconds. When an infant cannot locate their mother, their brain doesn't just feel lonely; it perceives an immediate threat to its very existence." >> (Note the deliberate subject-verb disagreement.) I remember a dear nephew who suffered through something like it.

***

Eww, yuck, but someone's got to do it: "Inside a quiet laboratory at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, entomologist Cristian Lucanas studies an insect most people would rather crush than examine. The 31-year-old researcher has built an unusual reputation around the creature, earning the nickname 'Ipis Lord,' after the Filipino word for cockroach. Lucanas is the Philippines’ only scientist known to specialize in cockroach taxonomy and has discovered 15 species so far. His fascination with the insect is unusual in a country where cockroaches are more often associated with filth than science."

***

Unbothered by war: After that 'Opalite' dance craze, there is a new dance craze in town, powered by an old Tagalog disco song I've never heard before: "Hawak Mo ang Beat." Ma-try nga yan. Parang maganda.

Meanwhile, Cup of Joe's big hit remains popular.

***

Incredible news: A Lebanese saint I barely know about reportedly appeared to someone in the Philippines.

***

Again incredible, as alleged, there is a massive conversion to Christianity going on in Iran. How true!? Since there are two versions of the war, it's quite a challenge which version to believe, as propaganda materials and outright lies are a major weapon in any war.

***

New music artist Gigi de Lana collapsed while performing on stage -- for the second time. Same thing happened with the comedian Boobay, who reportedly has a condition in which he suffers a temporary stroke or something, while De Lana reportedly has some eating disorder and a heart issue.

***

I spotted a new idiomatic expression being used several times by several people: "low-hanging fruit." It is an informal noun which means "the most easily achieved of a set of tasks, measures, goals, etc." Example: "When cutting costs, many companies start with the low-hanging fruit: their ad budgets."

***

Midnight of March 13, the weather got too cold all of a sudden, like it's like winter in the middle of summer. What kind of weird is this? Even the weather is bipolar -- utterly confused. I don't mind the free air-conditioning, though, but I need to buy jogging pants.


***

Unbelievable: John Sherwin Felix was accused of libel for merely pointing out the glaring factual mistakes in a DTI-funded culinary book! As they say, this legal move has a chilling effect on freedom of expression, particularly the freedom to criticize a creative work.

***

Great! > "A recent laboratory study suggests that tamarind, a fruit widely consumed in Asia and Africa, may help the body eliminate microplastics."

***

Amazing! >> "In an extraordinary feat of nature, a young bar-tailed godwit shattered the world record for the longest non-stop flight by a bird in late 2022. At just five months old, this incredible traveler departed from Alaska and flew continuously across the vast Pacific Ocean for 11 days and one hour. Navigating through varying weather and bypassing countless islands, the bird covered a staggering 13,560 kilometers (8,435 miles) before safely touching down in Tasmania, Australia. This journey was verified by a tiny 5-gram satellite tag, proving the bird never once landed to eat, drink, or rest during its entire transoceanic marathon. To survive this 2026-verified miracle of endurance, the godwit underwent extreme biological changes. It doubled its body weight in fat before leaving and actually absorbed its own internal organs—like its stomach and liver—to reduce weight and provide energy. Meanwhile, its heart and flight muscles expanded to handle the immense physical load. By utilizing a specialized form of sleep where only half the brain rests at a time, the godwit remained conscious enough to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field. This flight represents the absolute limit of vertebrate physiology and serves as a powerful reminder of the hidden wonders still being discovered in our natural world."

***

Hilarious! > "Breaking news out of Sweden: the CEO of IKEA has apparently been elected Prime Minister. The good news is the government should be up and running soon. The bad news is it will arrive in six separate boxes, half the screws will be missing, and the instructions will just be a smiling cartoon man pointing at a hex key. Officials say the new Prime Minister plans to assemble his cabinet personally by the end of the weekend, assuming he can find piece B17 and figure out why there are three bolts left over. Sources inside parliament report that step one involves laying all the ministers on the floor and making sure none of them are upside down before tightening anything. Political analysts expect the process to take several hours, at least one existential crisis, and a moment where everyone realizes they attached the entire finance minister backwards. But on the bright side, if something goes wrong the whole government can simply be disassembled, returned to the box, and rebuilt in a slightly different configuration next Saturday."

***

A photo of a dilapidated old house trended, but I am afraid to click on whatever link was provided.

***

(To be updated)

posted by Resty Odon  # 10:56 PM 0 Comments

Post before Delete
(Photo dump, personal documentation, gratitude corner, debriefing post, etc. for February 2026)

These bare-minimum photos don't do justice to how I spent the month of February 2026: Rush the day's news. Rush update of weekly Monday video script. Research and write on new topics for trivia time. Produce and carefully edit the monthly newsletter. Watch new election-era trolls spouting inaccuracies. Help guide staff in answering PM-ed complaints with potentially incomplete side of the story. Manage blood pressure and sugar intake as a result. Help rush speeches and messages. Deal with OJTs. Collab with DSWD on a video contest called "Juana Malakas." Brainstorm and argue endlessly over this new but challenging tire recycling contest that made us into instant architects, engineers, and interior designers. Find people with interesting life journeys to feature. Remind people about proper pronunciation (honorable, beloved, etc. etc.) and correct grammar. Accommodate assorted requests from various departments, especially regarding this upcoming Women's Month celebration. Attend meetings and seminars if I can. (I can't, mostly.) Accommodate a student researcher who asked good questions about buro. Rush publication of a major ad. Answer queries from media about a very sad drowning incident. Manage trauma using the little psychological first aid I know (EMDR, butterfly hug, vagus nerve exercises, holding my breath to avoid hyperventilation). Manage stress levels through other assorted means: pray, listen to Fr. Jason's homilies, list down things to be grateful for, take care of plants, nap and sleep, sunbathe, listen to music, eat nutritious food but try new flavors (observing portion control), have massage using magnesium oil, inhale lavender scent, take an unhurried bath, have quiet time alone intentionally doing nothing, and do other little trivial things I enjoy and that bring back calm by restoring the right levels of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphin, and whatyoumacallit (it can't be tryptophan or melatonin but either will do).

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:22 PM 0 Comments

 (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘐 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘌𝘋𝘚𝘈 in 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 form 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘗𝘖𝘝 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳—maybe 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘢's 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵.)

posted by Resty Odon  # 3:40 AM 0 Comments

Former President Duterte earned global infamy, praise at home

Story by Agence France Presse 

MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte earned global infamy for the deadly drug crackdown that led to his arrest over crimes against humanity charges, despite his huge popularity at home.

A profane-lipped populist and self-professed killer, Duterte’s anti-crime campaign resulted in the deaths of thousands of alleged dealers and addicts. Rights groups say many of those killed were poor men, often without any proof they were linked to drugs.

Yet while drawing condemnation abroad, tens of millions of Filipinos backed his swift brand of justice — even as he joked about rape in his rambling speeches, locked up his critics and failed to root out entrenched corruption.

Trust on Duterte dented by pandemic

That trust was dented by the coronavirus pandemic, which plunged the country into its worst economic crisis in decades, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions jobless with a slow-paced vaccine rollout.

Duterte’s woes deepened in 2021, when the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) sought an investigation into crimes against humanity during his crackdown between 2013 and 2018.

He served out his six-year term, leaving office in 2022.

Arrested before his 80th birthday

On March 11, 2025, just weeks before his 80th birthday, Duterte was arrested and flown to the Netherlands, seat of the ICC, where he has been in detention since.

Duterte, who turns 81 next month, has repeatedly said there was no official campaign to kill addicts and dealers.

But his speeches included calls for violence, and he did tell police to use lethal force if their lives were in danger.

‘Kill them’

“If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself, as getting their parents to do it would be too painful,” Duterte said hours after being sworn in as president in June 2016.

Months later, he would liken the deadly crackdown to the Nazis’ mass murder of Jews, while vastly underestimating the number of people killed in the Holocaust.

“Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I’d be happy to slaughter them.”

His unfiltered comments are part of his self-styled image as a maverick, which found traction in a nation where corruption, red tape and institutional dysfunction impact people’s lives at every level.

Major figure in politics

While unable to run for president again and despite his detention, Duterte remains a major figure in politics.

He was elected to his old job as mayor of his southern stronghold of Davao in midterm elections held in May last year, though jail stopped him serving.

A one-time ally of the Marcos family, the dynasties have grown apart. Duterte and his vice president daughter, Sara Duterte, are engaged in a feud with current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

‘I simply love Xi’

Rodrigo Duterte, a former lawyer and prosecutor, was born into a political family. His father served as a cabinet secretary before the nation plunged into a Marcos dictatorship in 1972.

During his long tenure as Davao mayor, Duterte was accused of links to vigilante death squads that rights groups say killed more than 1,000 people — accusations he has both accepted and denied, and which form part of the ICC charges.

His presidency was also marked by a swing away from the nation’s former colonial master, the United States, in favour of China.

“I simply love Xi Jinping,” Duterte said of the Chinese president in 2018.

“He understands my problem and is willing to help, so I would say ‘thank you, China’.”

As part of that rapprochement, he set aside rivalry with Beijing over the resource-rich South China Sea, opting to court Chinese business instead.

He claimed this friendship helped secure millions of doses of a Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine, but supplies still fell far short.

Billions of dollars of promised trade and investment also failed to materialize.

Duterte now faces his second court date on Monday, when judges will decide whether the prosecution’s allegations are strong enough to proceed to trial.

posted by Resty Odon  # 11:38 AM 0 Comments