PARADOXICAL

🇵🇭 Food & Beverage Innovations

• Jollibee – A global success story. It has expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America, competing with giants like McDonald’s while keeping a distinctly Filipino identity.

• Craft food products like artisanal chocolates from Auro Chocolate, which have won international awards.

• The rise of local coffee culture, especially beans from Benguet and Mindanao.

👉 Why it matters: These industries highlight Filipino taste, entrepreneurship, and ability to compete internationally.

🎮 Game Development & Animation

• The Philippines has a strong presence in global game development and animation outsourcing.

• Companies like Secret 6 have contributed to major international titles.

• Filipino artists and animators work on projects for Marvel, Disney, and AAA video games.

👉 Why it matters: Filipino talent is globally recognized for creativity and technical skill.

👗 Fashion & Design

• Filipino designers like Rajo Laurel and Michael Cinco have dressed international celebrities.

• Indigenous textiles (like piña and abaca) are gaining renewed attention.

👉 Why it matters: Blends tradition with modern global appeal.

🛠️ Furniture & Handicrafts

• The Philippines is known for high-quality furniture and craftsmanship using materials like rattan and bamboo.

• Cebu, in particular, is a global hub for furniture exports.

👉 Why it matters: Showcases Filipino artistry and sustainable design.

🚢 Shipbuilding & Maritime Workforce

• The country has been one of the world’s largest suppliers of seafarers.

• It also hosts major shipbuilding operations (e.g., in Subic and Cebu).

👉 Why it matters: Filipinos are trusted worldwide in maritime industries.

💻 BPO & IT Services

• The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is one of the Philippines’ biggest economic drivers.

• Companies like Concentrix Philippines employ hundreds of thousands of Filipinos.

👉 Why it matters: Demonstrates strong English proficiency, service culture, and adaptability.

🎬 Film & Creative Arts

• Filipino filmmakers like Brillante Mendoza have won awards at Cannes.

• Indie cinema and digital content creation are growing rapidly.

👉 Why it matters: Filipino storytelling is gaining international recognition.

⚡ Emerging Tech & Startups

• A growing startup ecosystem with fintech, e-commerce, and logistics companies.

• Examples include GCash, which has transformed digital payments locally.

👉 Why it matters: Shows the country is moving toward innovation-driven growth.

The Honest Take

The Philippines does have industries to be proud of—but many are still:

• Underfunded

• Dependent on foreign markets

• Not fully industrialized (compared to neighbors like South Korea or Japan)

That said, the strength of the Philippines lies in:

• Creativity

• Human talent

• Cultural identity

• Adaptability

✅ Bottom line:
Yes—Filipinos can be proud. The country may not yet be a manufacturing powerhouse, but it excels in people-driven industries, creative sectors, and niche global successes.

posted by Resty Odon  # 2:08 AM 0 Comments

Who is the 'Katutubo'?

Did you know that our ancestors have their own unique way of writing, and no, it is not called alibata, which is derived from Arabic, but baybayin? And that baybayin has different variations? It is called kulitan in Kapampangan, kurit-an in Ilocano, and kuritan in Pangasinan. The Mangyans have what they call surat Mangyan, which survives to this day in their ambahan -- poetry written on bamboo wood.

Did you know that the Negroid groups named Ati, Ayta, Aeta, Agta, Ata, etc. don't necessarily understand one another? This means their native tongue are distinct languages, not mere dialects (variations within a language). Among the Aetas in Porac, for example, there are even two distinct groups with distinct languages, the Ayta Mag-antsi and the Ayta Mag-indi. The two, I figure, will be unable to understand each other using their own respective languages.

Did you know that a simple thin strip of bamboo wood can be made into a jaw harp called kubing? The sound it produces makes for quite interesting music.

To fellow Pangasinenses: I bet you also didn't know that Pangasinan has an indigenous or precolonial guitar-like stringed instrument? It is called kutibeng. I don't think I have seen one before.

Who would have guessed that a native Ilocano hat, called kattukong, is not only made out of a hollowed-out tabungaw (upo), it also doubles as a secret compartment for money bills?

These may come off as trivia to most of us, modern-day Filipinos, but I think these are all essential knowledge, yet I am not sure if these are adequately covered in basic education. 

Good thing there are organizations from the private sector such as Katutubo Exchange Philippines (KXPH) which help make up for what is lacking by spreading the word face to face at the community level. 

Founded by Dr. Edwin Antonio in 2013, KXPH's work came to town lately by accident after a mutual friend, teacher Tessie Reyes, informed me that Antonio was in town for summer vacation and would like to visit our municipal museum. 

I conveyed the request to higher-ups and it was immediately granted, but since I have heard about Antonio's work online, I broached the idea of him giving us a taste of what he offers. 

To cut the story short, he ended up giving a seminar-workshop on indigenous Filipiniana -- for free, and upon short notice too, without any preparations. Fortunately, things fell into place mostly.

Initially a physical therapist by profession, then an educator, Antonio got exposed early on in cultural matters and, let us say, found his calling in this discipline until he ended up fully immersed in it for decades. He has also become an officer of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, serving in various capacities. Currently the head of the National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities, Antonio is essentially a roving cultural ambassador, bridging cultures across disparate geographies. Thanks to his work, he has been all over the country and across the oceans of the world, touching base with various indigenous communities wherever they live in situ. 

***

"What is a 'katutubo'?" Antonio begins his talk. It is a question that is a challenge to answer, I must admit. What exactly, indeed, is "a native"? If I had a few strands of Chinese or Spanish DNA like many Filipinos do, would I qualify as one?

We have to admit that mainstream Filipinos treat the 'katutubo' with disdain or condescension, viewing them as backward and not worthy of much thought--notwithstanding that we Filipinos who are not foreign-born naturalized citizens are essentially 'katutubos' belonging to any of the 180 ethnolinguistic groups in the country.

So the answer is clear: Yes, you and I are 'katutubos.' As a Pangasinense, I definitely am one.

From there, he underlines the value of knowing the indigenous by quoting Carlos P. Romulo about the need to take pride in our own culture.

Antonio--a wide-eyed, tallish guy with the dignified mien or stance of a datu but with a mysteriously calming presence--then launches a discussion of the various facets of native culture and begins with food.

Soon, he is making unexpected connections between the inward swirl of the balikutsa with Paoay Church's buttress decoration, and the inward movement of the hand in the kumintang dance move--relating all of these to the Ilocanos' propensity to be humble or at least their non-showy ways. (The inabel fabric is consistent with this study of character, I can't help but notice, particularly in the understated designs and choice of pastel shades and greyscale hues.)

The next time we seminar-workshop participants know, we are attempting to write our names in baybayin, trying to taste the seaweed called pokpoklo, playing the Ifugao physical game called hin'nukting, and trying on the different ethnic wears, weaves, and ornaments, we have never considered wearing before, all gifted to him by the weavers themselves, we are informed. 

As a minor cultural worker myself, I can't believe I am seeing with my own eyes, touching, and examining the work of Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan awardee herself, Magdalena Gamayo of Ilocos, and another fellow awardee, Teofilo Garcia of Abra.

In a huff of discussions, we get acquainted with the t'nalak weave of the T'bolis, the pis syabit of the Tausugs, the hablon of the Ilongos, the ikats of the Ifugaos and Gaddangs, the inauls of the Maguindanaos, and so on. These are stuff I only get to read about or encounter only in travelogues and Filipiniana shops, with no idea as to the whys and wherefores except that they are a thing of beauty and how the creation process behind each must be amazing in its intricacy.

The native fabrics, he reveals, are indeed more than wearable items. They tell the beliefs and stories of the community, they are indicative of one's stature in society, etc. For example, how a Tausug lady holds her wraparound indicates her state in life, whether she's single or married or the second or third wife of someone.

I end up wearing an almost complete attire of the T'boli man. I find it regal in look, so I ask if it's for royalty. Surprisingly, Antonio says it's for commoners. Wow.

Every now and then, he mentions in passing other equally interesting things beside: the binukots of the Panay Bukidnon who are especially groomed as the tribe's epic chanters (I am not sure if I used the word 'tribe' correctly), the mat weavers among the Sama-Badjau, etc. You can't help but appreciate the amount of work and passion dedicated to each craft, the sheer creativity, the wisdom behind the making of each...

This seminar reminds me once again that the indigenous is the core and thus essential part of being Filipino, and this is what makes Filipino culture incredibly rich. It will certainly take several lifetimes for one to really get to know each Philippine ethnolinguistic group up close--because each ethnic group has a lot of unique things, things not found in the other groups. No wonder artist Kidlat Tahimik routinely refers to the katutubo as "indo-genius."

It is also a learning experience for the facilitator, as he keeps on humbly asking questions on things he admits to be unfamiliar to him--the mark of an intelligent truly inquisitive researcher. He finds out, for instance, that Bayambang town has a version of a balikutsa-like candy called ginuyor. And that the town was reportedly founded by an Aeta named Agalet. And so on.

***

On a personal note, I have attended so many seminars of various nature and purpose--especially undocumented (no certificate) ones in the private sector, on top of the innumerable seminars, trainings, workshops, and orientation activities conducted by the LGU. But this is my first time to attend one of this sort. It is thus a great learning moment for me--that is, outside of my rare personal encounters with assorted Cordillerans in the north as a student in Baguio and the Aytas of Porac and Floridablanca, Pampanga once upon a time as a travel magazine writer, that is.

The novelty factor is so high I just have to be the one to cover it in person--while struggling with a bad case of cough.

In a world where homogenization of cultures has gone rampant due to globalization, where there is mass extinction of languages, the death of lone culture bearers with no descendant practitioners in sight... in a world where there is marginalization of communities outside the dominant narrative and a lengthening list of endangered cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible... seminars like this are a necessity as part of celebrations such as National Food Month, National Literature Month, International Museum Day, etc. 

And yet there seems only a precious few who are pitching in to do the great amount of work needed. Good thing there's at least someone who does it with such level of knowledge and expertise, delivered in a respectful, non-assuming, and non-intimidating attitude.

(Photos by Ace Gloria; low-res CP shots mine)

posted by Resty Odon  # 7:05 PM 0 Comments

 Profligate Giver

posted by Resty Odon  # 7:41 PM 0 Comments

 North Korea’s recent surge in missile launches during the US-Israel-Iran conflict serves several strategic purposes, allowing Pyongyang to advance its military capabilities while the world’s attention and U.S. resources are focused on the Middle East. 

Al Jazeera +1

• Exploiting Distraction & Testing Readiness: Pyongyang utilizes the heightened global focus on the Middle East to conduct tests with reduced international scrutiny. These launches, including a reported salvo of roughly 10 missiles in March, allow them to test their capability to overwhelm missile defenses and increase military readiness.
• Solidifying Nuclear Legitimacy: Kim Jong Un has used the war between the U.S. and Iran to justify North Korea's own weapons programs. In a speech to the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim described the conflict as proof that retaining nuclear weapons is crucial for regime survival, labeling the nuclear status of the North as "irreversible".
• Lessons on Regional Security & Proliferation: Analysts suggest North Korea is watching the conflict to learn lessons on how to defend its own road-mobile missiles and protect its leadership. Furthermore, North Korea is a major supplier of missile technology to Iran, and these launches demonstrate their continued technological advancement, with Iranian missiles often relying on North Korean systems.
• Protesting U.S.-South Korea Military Exercises: Launches often coincide with joint US-South Korea military exercises, which Pyongyang considers rehearsals for invasion, signalling anger at its neighbors and allies. 
  Al Jazeera +4

In essence, North Korea is taking advantage of a fragmented global landscape to accelerate its Five-Year Military Expansion Plan, strengthening its arsenal while challenging international sanctions. 

UN News +3

posted by Resty Odon  # 10:29 PM 0 Comments

make me more hopeful by writing an essay on how to get around our (Philippines) dependence on the strait of hormuz by being like india: sourcing fuel and perhaps all other essentials (fertilizer, pesticide, petrochemicals, basic industry needs) from other/alternative sources

 It’s tempting to think of the Strait of Hormuz as a distant geopolitical concern—something that matters to tankers and superpowers, but not to everyday life in the Philippines. But in reality, a large portion of the fuel, fertilizers, and petrochemicals that sustain modern economies passes through that narrow corridor. When tensions rise there, the ripple effects reach Filipino households through higher prices, supply uncertainty, and economic anxiety.

And yet, there is reason for optimism—not naïve hope, but grounded possibility. If we look at how India has navigated global supply disruptions, we can see a path forward for the Philippines that is less about dependence and more about strategic flexibility.

The Lesson from India: Flexibility Over Loyalty

India does not rely on a single source of energy or raw materials. When traditional suppliers became constrained or politically complicated, it diversified—buying discounted oil from Russia, maintaining ties with Saudi Arabia, and expanding imports from the United States and others. This was not ideological; it was pragmatic.

The key lesson is this: resilience comes not from self-sufficiency alone, but from having many options.

For the Philippines, this means building a procurement strategy that is deliberately diversified—fuel from multiple regions, fertilizers from different producers, and industrial inputs sourced through a wide network of trade relationships. The goal is not to eliminate risk, but to ensure that no single chokepoint—like Hormuz—can paralyze the economy.

Rethinking Energy: Beyond Middle Eastern Oil

A hopeful future begins with energy diversification.

The Philippines can expand fuel sourcing from outside the Gulf—West Africa, Southeast Asia, even the Americas. Countries like Malaysia and Indonesia are geographically closer and politically stable partners for certain petroleum products. Meanwhile, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Australia or the U.S. offer alternatives that bypass Hormuz entirely.

But the deeper transformation lies in reducing the need for imported fossil fuels altogether.

The Philippines is rich in renewable energy potential—solar, wind, hydro, and especially geothermal. Unlike imported oil, these are not vulnerable to global chokepoints. Investing aggressively in renewables is not just about climate goals; it is a national security strategy.

Every megawatt generated locally is one less barrel that must pass through a contested strait.

Securing Fertilizer and Food Inputs

Fertilizer is often overlooked in discussions of energy security, yet it is just as critical. Much of the world’s fertilizer production depends on natural gas—again tying it indirectly to global energy routes like Hormuz.

India addressed this by maintaining a mix of domestic production, long-term import contracts, and subsidies that stabilize supply. The Philippines can adopt a similar model:

• Diversify fertilizer imports from countries like China and Vietnam

• Invest in local production using alternative feedstocks

• Promote organic and biofertilizers to reduce dependence on imported chemicals

This is not about abandoning modern agriculture, but about widening the toolkit so that farmers are not hostage to global supply shocks.

Building a Resilient Industrial Base

Petrochemicals and basic industrial inputs—plastics, resins, chemicals—are the invisible backbone of modern life. Like fuel, many of these rely on global supply chains that pass through vulnerable routes.

Here again, the Indian example is instructive. It has invested heavily in domestic refining and petrochemical capacity, allowing it to import crude oil from diverse sources and process it locally.

For the Philippines, this suggests a long-term strategy:

• Strengthen local refining and storage capacity

• Develop industrial zones that can process imported raw materials into finished goods

• Encourage regional supply chains within Southeast Asia

By doing more processing at home, the country gains flexibility. It can switch suppliers without disrupting entire industries.

Strategic Reserves: Buying Time, Not Panic

One of the simplest yet most powerful tools is the creation of strategic reserves—stockpiles of fuel, fertilizers, and key industrial inputs.

India maintains such reserves to cushion against short-term disruptions. The Philippines can do the same, ensuring that temporary shocks do not immediately translate into crises.

Reserves do not eliminate dependence, but they buy time—and time is often the difference between panic and orderly adjustment.

The Deeper Shift: From Vulnerability to Agency

Ultimately, the question is not whether the Philippines can completely avoid the Strait of Hormuz. In a globalized world, total independence is neither realistic nor necessary.

The real question is whether the country can act with agency rather than anxiety.

India’s example shows that even a developing nation can navigate a complex, shifting global landscape by being pragmatic, diversified, and forward-looking. The Philippines, with its strategic location, young population, and growing economy, has the same potential.

A Hopeful Outlook

Hope does not come from denying risks; it comes from recognizing choices.

The Philippines is not doomed to be at the mercy of distant straits and foreign tensions. By diversifying suppliers, investing in renewables, strengthening local industry, and building strategic reserves, it can transform vulnerability into resilience.

In the end, the goal is not to escape the world’s interconnected systems, but to engage with them on better terms—confident that no single disruption can derail the nation’s progress.

And that is a future worth working toward.

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:26 PM 0 Comments

 Cubans are currently navigating a severe food crisis marked by extreme shortages, rampant inflation, and daily power outages, forcing them to rely on ingenuity, informal networks, and sometimes skipping meals. With state rations (the libreta) no longer sufficient, many, particularly the elderly, are experiencing hunger. 

EL PAÍS English +4

• Cooking by Electricity Schedule: Because of prolonged power blackouts (often up to 18 hours), many cook whenever the electricity comes on—even at 2 a.m.—to cook, clean, and charge devices.
• Return to Firewood: In areas without electricity, families are resorting to using charcoal or firewood to cook, leading to increased deforestation.
• "Tribes" or Shared Cooking: Neighbors and family members (often called a "tribe") share cooking spaces that may have more stable power, pooling resources to prepare meals. 
  Cato Institute +4

• Relying on the Libreta & Rationing: While the state still provides a monthly ration—including rice, beans, sugar, coffee, and oil—it only covers about half of a person's nutritional needs and is often delayed.
• High Prices at Informal Markets: Goods unavailable through rations are sold at private, state-sanctioned, or black-market "agro-markets," but prices are extremely high compared to average state salaries.
• Food Scarcity and Substitution: Protein is scarce, leading to a diet mostly of rice and beans. People are "reinventing" dishes using whatever is available, such as using ground pork or substituting eggs for other meats.
• "Luchando" (The Struggle): Cubans frequently have to "luchar" (struggle/fight) to find food in the streets daily, relying on local networks to get food.
• Skipping Meals: A growing number of people, including many children, are skipping meals—often eating only once a day—due to lack of money or food. 
  EL PAÍS English +4

• Remittances and Informal Economy: Families are heavily reliant on money sent from relatives abroad to buy food on the black market.
• Sharing and Bartering: Neighbors, friends, and family share whatever they have left, sharing food in impoverished neighborhoods.
• Resale and Trade: Items "acquired" from workplaces are sometimes sold or traded to secure food.
• Emigration: A significant number of people have left the country to seek a better life, providing an escape from the food crisis. 
  The New York Times +2

posted by Resty Odon  # 4:51 PM 0 Comments

100 Ways to a Mini-Reset

Listen to a homily online

Have a spiritual retreat (online or offline)

Pray

Pray the rosary

Submit to psychospiritual counseling and therapy

Draw

Journal. Write down your thoughts

Create art

Create sculpture out of trash

Watch a show you love

Massage

Massage with magnesium oil

Aromatherapy: lavender, apple, lemon, orange

Collect keychains and enjoy and admire your collection

Origami time

Hammock time

Early morning sun

Staring at trees all around me

Puttering around my garden

Replanting, saving dying plants

Cleaning old and grimy things and making them look brand new

Dusting off and tidying up neglected corners and things

Noting the unique beauty of each person

Go to mass

From the Internet:

Natural Dopamine;

Being bored, Chasing goals, Reading books, Turning off phone, Showering cold, Home cleaning, Lifting weights, Eating protein

Natural Oxytocin;

Cuddling pets, Hugging people, Saying thank you, Deep conversations, Listening carefully, Making eye contact, Saying I love you, Helping others

Natural Serotonin;

Eating fruits, Morning sun, Forest bathing, Breathing slowly, Headphone-free walks, Drinking herbal tea, Sleeping deeply, Taking naps

Natural Endorphins;

Car singing, Warm baths, Nature hiking, Daily stretching, Running fast, Kitchen dancing, Lifting weights, Hot saunas

posted by Resty Odon  # 2:49 AM 0 Comments

 My newsfeed continued to be assailed with posts upon posts about Trump, Netanyahu, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and names of Iranians I found hard to read and retain.  

***

I would wake up wondering if this or that food or item would still have the same price or would still be accessible at all in the coming days or months.

***

The urge to panic-buy was real, but people, it seemed to me, couldn't afford to do it. All they could do was hope for the best while preparing for the worst.

***

People continue to post their meals while dining out. I wonder if that would be their last good meal. As we in Pangasinan say, Puera antocaman. 

***

A ceiling in NAIA collapsed. >> Appalling! Imagine the great impression it had on tourists.

***

The pope led this year's Via Crucis in Rome by carrying the cross. >>> If a current pope does that himself, you know we are in times of great trouble. Hope his gesture of abasement will sort of avert the great punishment that seems to await mankind because of the war.

***

Statues dressed as Koreans guarded a moving statue of the crucified Christ. >>> I don't know whether to laugh or get angry.

***

Performative was a word I encountered often. I means: sense 2: done or expressed insincerely or inauthentically, typically with the intention of impressing others or improving one's own image:

1. "is their outrage real or just performative?"

posted by Resty Odon  # 1:32 PM 0 Comments

The Pitogo Leaf Thieves

Last Palm Sunday, something hilarious and disturbing happened.

Supposing the video is neither a prank nor AI-generated, a CCTV footage in one village residence showed three women stealing choice leaves of pitogo (an endemic cycad, it turns out), apparently to use them for, or maybe sell as, palaspas for Palm Sunday mass, completely missing the irony of their illicit act.

Jesus Christ, the God-became-man, was about to offer his life for them, so they could be saved. Out of eternal gratitude, they are supposed to follow his teachings and live a life of virtue. Upon the arrival of our Lord borne of a donkey, they are supposed to spread out blankets on his path in honor of him and wave fronds of honestly earned palm leaves as part of the welcoming committee. And yet they completely missed the point.

It made me try hard to figure out why. Why steal preferred palm leaves for Palm Sunday knowing stealing is a sin? Maybe, I thought, they saw the leaves as high-end species that would command a higher price in the palaspas market? Or maybe they held this belief that only the leaves of pitogo would have healing powers or offer enough protection from lightning, as many believe?

Why did I end up like justifying theft?

I realize that many of us Catholic Filipinos tend to overdo Catholicism and be more popish than the pope most especially during Lent.

In my case, I grew up believing that all the practices practiced in our town for generations were regulation Catholic teaching, only to learn later on in my adult life that they are not.

I had always thought that offering atangs or alay on the altar, performing certain healing rituals, and performing an assortment of self-imposed suffering were practices stamped with nihil obstat and imprimatur.

As an adult devotee, I had to do a double-take and sift and sort through a myriad of beliefs and practices and figure out which ones were 'legit' and which ones are not--or to be frank about it, 'heathen' ones.

I had to learn the hard way that, yes, of course, submitting one's forehead to receive a cross sign made of black ash from a priest on Ash Wednesay was 'licit' and expected, together with fasting from a meal on that day. But what most people don't know is that these are not even obligatory, just like so many devotions like Visita Iglesia, Way of the Cross, and the washing of the feet ceremony.

All that waving of palm leaves was likewise orthodox, although I've seen coconut palm leaves replaced with other leaves outside the Palmaceae family such as guava leaves. The use of non-palm leaves reminds me of indigenous healing rituals for someone who was 'abaltikan' or 'nabati,' and a traditional non-Christian cleansing ritual during or after funerals.

Not eating meat on Fridays was to be expected (with seniors and the sick being exempt). Abstinence of all kinds is most welcome.

But it is especially on Good Fridays that things would turn for the worse, with many traditional observances getting really out of hand.

Among the beliefs and practices that would turn out to be not Catholic at all are:

- Dahil patay daw ang Diyos kapag Biyernes Santo, kapag nasugat ka, matagal itong gagaling. (Once you are wounded on Good Friday, it would take so long for the wound to heal because God is dead on Friday.)

- Bawal maligo, dahil 'di pa nabuhay ang bangkay ni Hesus. Kailangang maghintay sa 'Pasko ng Pagkabuhay.' (You can't take a bath because Jesus' corpse has not resurrected yet. Wait for Easter.)

- Bawal lumabas. (You can't go out, or something bad might happen to you.)

- Bawal gumawa ng mabibigat na trabaho. (You can't do heavy workload.)

- Huwag kumain ng karne ng Huwebes Santo at Sabado de Gloria. (Don't eat meat even on Maundy Thursday and Black Saturday.)

- And the most bizarre of all is this because it is like acquiring an amulet: Sa hatinggabi ng Biyernes Santo, ang sinumang lalabas sa dilim upang abangan ang pagpatak ng isang likido mula sa puso ng saging ay magkakaroon ng kapangyarihan. (On the midnight of Good Friday, anyone who goes out into the darkness to wait for a drop of liquid to fall from the flower of a banana tree will gain superpower—like having special or supernatural abilities.)

- There's even self-flagellation, which they say contradicts the concept of the grace of God's mercy. (This, however, is reportedly practiced to a lesser extent by certain groups like Opus Dei members.)

Aside from the expected fasting from meat on Fridays or from a full meal on Good Friday itself, only this practice is deemed acceptable for obvious reasons:

- Bawal mag-ingay. (Observe silence, or at least avoid making noise in deference to the solemnity of the occasion.) But here, it must be pointed out that we are not celebrating God's death (death is never something to be celebrated unless you rise up again to eternity) but honoring and commemorating Jesus' passion and earthly death on the cross.

Other beliefs, though not part of official teaching, are acceptable or at least innocuous because they affirm the faith and are an act of faith and act of love by nature.

- Ilagay sa pintuan o bintana ang nabendisyunang palaspas bilang proteksyon sa kidlat. (Place the blessed palm fronds on the door or window as protection against lightning.)

- Sa alas dose ng tanghali Biyernes Santo, gumawa ng 'larak' o langis ng niyog para gamiting panghaplos ng mga mayroong sakit sa katawan dahil ito ay pinaniniwalaang nakagagamot. (At 12:00 noon of Good Friday, make oil out of coconut to produce healing oil.)

- Kapag Sabado de Gloria, magtanim ng kahit anong buto ng gulay o punla ng puno, dahil siguradong ito ay lalago ng husto. (On Black Saturday, plant any kind of vegetable seed or tree seedling, because it is sure to grow well and thrive.)

This one may be construed as our version of an Easter egg hunt:

- Kinaumagahan ng Pista ng Pagkabuhay, ikaw ay tumalon ng pinakamataas mong kayang talunin, upang ikaw ay maging matangkad. (On the morning of Easter Sunday, jump as high as you possibly can, so that you will grow taller.)

- Other acceptable practices include the Senakulo, Siete Palabras, and pasyon, but a quick research on the history of the pasyon reveals versions that were anathema to or inconsistent with teachings, culminating in the creation of the Pasyon Pilapil, a corrected version by Fr. Mariano Pilapil that became the most widespread version.

As for those that are not part of Catholic tradition? Not surprisingly, they all "come from indigenous mourning practices for the dead," according to historian Kriby Araullo.

Anyway, what I am pointing out is that we, Filipinos, are no different from the pharisaical and overly legalistic Jews of old, to some extent. Despite our mass conversion to Christianity, we haven't weaned ourselves off from our animistic roots. The result is cultural layering and halo-halo (eclecticisim), and so we end up looking like we are overdoing things in our observance of Christianity, apparently in our desire to bribe God with good deeds and deeper spiritual fervor that He might regard us better.

...To the point that we violate God's teachings and deem it justifiable, believing that resorting to our precolonial ways would ultimately do us good.

In our willingness to resort to hedging or bargaining through unnecessary add-ons and outright superstition and idolatry to please God through our own merits and efforts, we're not much different from the pitogo leaf thieves last Palm Sunday.

O mi Jesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra.

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:08 AM 0 Comments

Wanted: Urgent Re-prioritization for the Real 'Great Reset'

Actor Benjamin Alves said something so aptly worded, so true, and so sad: "Filipinos are being priced out of their own country."

If an artista who can easily earn millions -- and who ostensibly don't belong to any of those leftist ideology-driven 'militant' groups -- can feel the pinch, imagine what this means for those who receive ordinary salaries in terms of their nutrition, health, housing, retirement, overall quality of life...

What have we done to our country and our people? We have made it become more and more difficult to live in every aspect of life. As reports have documented in detail over the years, we have made it very difficult to eat well, get educated, find a job, marry, have kids, get sick, get old, and even die. And not because Filipinos are dumb and lazy.

In our towns and villages, basic things are utterly missing: proper roads with proper sidewalks; decent drainage system; proper basketball court; spacious park with a decent playground for kids to play safely and sports complex for athletes to train; basic agricultural facilities; greenhouses, nurseries, and seed banks to sustain local food production; affordable, efficient, and convenient transport system that put in mind the welfare of lowly commuters and not just car-owners; adequate number of sorely needed healthcare and helping specialists such as allergologists, EENTs, psychologists, psychiatrists, OB-Gyne, counselors/therapists per capita; companies and manufacturing firms that are part of entire industries that could provide opportunities for a host of professions and workers...

Something should be done right away to right things before things boil over.

I don't know how, but something needs to be done right away with the pricing of basic commodities and most especially the steep pricing of utility providers which eat up most of household budgets. Bring back the purchasing power of the peso.

***

Over the long term, it looks like what we need to be, as a nation, is one that is capable of producing its own fuel and energy source (be it oil and gas or alternatives), food, medicine, and other essential needs -- all at affordable prices. And while at it, let's not forget self-defense.

This requires diverse alternative energy sources, efficient and modern agriculture, local production of pharmaceuticals, and an assortment of manufacturing industries, preferably those supporting these basic needs: oil extraction and refineries, alterative power generators, farm inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, feeds), machines, raw materials processing facilities, and factories of medical and food products.

I may sound dreaming, but the alternative scenarios are all nightmarish and dystopic.

We should pivot to the strategy of learning how to stand on our own two feet, for a change. We should be the ones making the great reset, not some mysterious cabal of globalists who don't have our best interests on their agenda.

posted by Resty Odon  # 10:15 PM 0 Comments