Iris Cecilia Gonzales

Breathe In, Breathe Out

2012-02-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

My yoga teacher taught me breathing techniques but it is my experiences the past year that taught me the importance of exhaling.

Exhaling, according to Wikipedia, is the movement of air out of the bronchial tubes, through the airways, to the external environment during breathing.

To me, it simply means, taking a second, a pause, a stop, to be able to breathe again. Since I was a small girl with pink pigtails, I've had difficulty breathing. Literally. One of my so-called heart's valves has a condition that makes my chest heavy.

Fast forward to 30 plus years later, I still find it difficult to breathe -- in crowds, in enclosed areas, in sweaty zones, in protests, in rallies, in difficult coverages, in conflict areas, in suffocating relationships.

But as I turned a year older in a paradise of an island that is host to an enigmatic hut 150 steps above sea level, the perfect home to be in as I embrace the merciless hands of time, I promised myself that I will keep on mastering the craft of exhaling.

It is my birthday wish that the pains, heartaches, nightmares and bruises of the year that was have all been washed away with the smashing waves of the deep blue sea, taken into the abyss and never to be felt again.

It is my birthday wish that I will be able to breathe smoothly even if Science says otherwise, just as I did, for the very first time in my years of existence, when I was able to swim in deep waters without a life vest and simply enjoyed the breathtaking universe beneath it.

It is my birthday wish to conquer the big world, of the giant expanse called universe, of the unknown, of wide, open spaces; of the farthest horizon.

It is my birthday wish to stop worrying about things I do not know, to stop expecting, to stop being mad and exploding at the littlest of things.

Most of all, it is my birthday wish to not be scared anymore of life and love and be able to share Damien Rice's belief that I can close my tired eyes knowing that "no one will harm me."

To be able to tread in the deep waters and not be scared anymore. I know it will happen because he is holding my hand.

In the parallel universe of my existence, dreams do come true.

I long for that exhale. I live for it. Namaste!

Northern Palawan Diaries: Leave the LV Bags Behind

2012-02-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

Sun, sea and sand. There's no better way to enjoy the elements but to leave the non-essentials behind. Travel light, fill one's backpack with just the basics. The really important things in life can't fit in a bag, as I've said before: Love and light.

SEASON 1: CORON - The remote island expedition starts here...

SEASON 2: The birthday bash

SEASON 3: You want war? I'll give you war. I'll be there in my bikini. (Apologies to Gretchen Baretto)

SEASON 4: EL NIDO

SEASON 5: MAKULAY

Before Yoko and I met, we were half a person. You know there’s an old myth about people being half and the other half being in the sky or in heaven or on the other side of the universe or a mirror image. But we are two halfs and together were a whole - John Lennon

Photos by Jes Aznar, me and kindred spirits on board.

Dear Haters

2012-01-28T18:54:00.001-08:00

Stumbled upon this through the blog of veteran journalist Raissa Robles, whose husband found it on the web. It's related to the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. There's all sorts of "ops" going on these days. Some journalists obviously belong to the Yellow Army. Some to the defense camp. Exciting times, indeed.

Scenes from Barb and Mark's Wedding

2012-01-25T06:39:00.000-08:00

January 24, 2012

Sanctuario de San Antonio, Forbes Park, Makati City

Reception at Blue Leaf, The Fort

Scenes from the 2012 Bankers' Night

2012-01-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2012, Fort San Antonio Abad, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

INSIDE THE LION'S DEN is now available at Bookay-Ukay

2012-01-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

INSIDE THE LION'S DEN by Jes Aznar and Iris Gonzales is now available at Bookay-Ukay Bookstore (Maginhawa Street, Teacher's Village, Quezon City).

Car Wash Day

2012-01-19T06:07:00.000-08:00

Call for Donations: Art Therapy for Sendong children

2012-01-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

This is from Malaya reporter Madelaine Cabrera. Hope we can all help. She is organizing an art therapy session for Sendong children on March 10, 2012.

Disasters can have a severe impact on communities, but the impact can be difficult for the most vulnerable in our society: The CHILDREN.

We can all help them cope in the aftermath of Sendong by reassuring that everything will be all right through more donations and prayers.

Let us unite on helping alleviate the pain of one of the most marginalized.

The American Art Therapy Association says, “Art therapy uses the creative process of art-making to improve and enhance physical, mental and emotional well-being. The creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight. Art therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual art (such as drawing, painting,etc.), and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy.”

Through your help, donations and pledges, we can all make this possible.

SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR THE ART THERAPY ON MARCH 10 WITH 40 KIDS:

Sketch Pads

Pencil

Eraser

Bottled Paints (Hand Painting)

Crayons

Bond Paper

Colored markers

Colored Paper

Safe scissors

Glue

Art Work Punchers

Pentel Pen

Cartolina

Modeling Clay

Story books preferably in Filipino

Coloring books

Musical instruments (Easy to carry if possible)

SUPPLIES NEED FOR GIVE AWAY AFTER THE THERAPY

Transparent envelope

Pens

Pencil

Sharpener

Crayons

Notebook

Candies and lollipops

Toothbrush

Sachet toothpaste

Mild bar soap

Sachet kiddie shampoo.

Interested parties may email madelainecabrera@yahoo.com or eyesgonzales@gmail.com

Get Out There and Enjoy It by Martha Beck

2012-01-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

When you just can't take it anymore and you feel like exploding, try this:

Mang Rudy Marcelino, 52

2012-01-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

This is a story of survival; of simply joys; of laughter; of tragedies; of overcoming one’s disability or weaknesses; of growing old; of songs belted out from the heart. But most of all, this is a story of real love and togetherness; of taking life’s punches holding hands and of having someone to share one's life with.

Mang Rudy and me

By Amy Marcelino as told to Iris Gonzales

It was in the pre-departure lounge of the Cebu airport where I met him. The year was 1985. He serenaded passengers waiting for their flights or offered to massage their sored muscles. I sold them candies and other pasalubongs to take home.

We would talk in between flights or when passenger traffic is light. He didn’t want to marry. He said women would only break his heart. The altruistic ones would only be attracted to him out of pity, he believed.

But his biases and fears disappeared with the last plane that departed on the day we left Cebu. It was the end of our work in the airport but the beginning of our life together.

We went from one province to another, from one place to another, to earn a living.

We lived in borrowed rooms, in rented shelters to survive. We arrived in Manila in 2001. We went from one house to another.

Once, we were on our way home and saw smoke coming from our community. The shanties were razed to the ground including our space. We had to find another place.

Again and again, we moved from one place to another. We found a way to survive. We went around bars and restaurants to serenade men and women.

The GROs loved his voice. They would always ask him to sing, Maging Sino Ka Man. On good nights, we made P3,000.

He got sick. We spent the holidays at the ward of the East Avenue Medical Center.

He is gone now. I’m not sure if I’m going back to our rented room. I still don’t know. Actually, I don’t know where to go.

(Photo by Jes Aznar)

Living the Story: Sendong and the Journalists of CDO and Iligan*

2012-01-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

Our story about journalists affected by tropical storm Sendong, published originally here and here, were carried today, January 9, 2012 by The Philippine Star, Interaksyon and GMAnews.tv. A shorter version was also published by The Philippine Daily Inquirer, quoting Jes's blog.

Thank you. Let's keep on telling their stories.

Again, we thank the Center for Community Journalism and Development and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines for supporting this multimedia project.

Most of all, we thank the journalists we interviewed for sharing their stories.

(Photos by Jes Aznar as published on the Philippine Star)
*Title taken from the Interaksyon post

Dateline: Northern Mindanao

2012-01-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

By Jes Aznar and Iris Gonzales

Their story started on a quiet Friday night, supposedly the end of another week at work, the start of a much-awaited weekend with loved ones, just nine days before Christmas Day. The place is northern Mindanao.

Cong Corrales

Leonardo Vicente “Cong” Corrales sat in front of a borrowed computer to write what just happened. Tropical storm Sendong ripped through the province and other parts of northern Mindanao.

As a provincial correspondent for various local and foreign media agencies, Cong had to report on the devastation. The storm had left hundreds dead, homeless and missing. The morgues were overflowing. The streets were flooded. Cadavers were floating along with heaps of trash. Crumbs of homes were all over.

But after three hours, the only words that came out were: “Cagayan de Oro City. By Cong Corrales, correspondent.”

Saturday, December 17, 2011. A few hours before, Cong and his family rushed to the roof of their wooden house to escape the flashfloods unleashed by the surging storm.

They waited for the waters to subside. In the darkness, they could hear the cries of pain. People were shouting the names of missing loved ones. The screams for help went on for hours, struggling to be heard amidst the sounds of the howling winds.

Cong’s home, the second floor of a two-story shelter, is along Burgos Street, Barangay La Consolacion, one of the hardest hit areas in the province.

The morning after the flood, Cong’s home was a portrait of mayhem. Everything was covered with the thickest mud and the stench of garbage filled the damp air.

But Cong did not have enough time to clean the trash.

He had a story to write.

“But I did not know where to start,” Corrales said.

Cong is one of at least 35 journalists from Cayagan and Iligan affected by the storm. Two Iligan-based journalists died while others lost everything.

Merlyn Manos

GMA-7 correspondent Merlyn Manos, a single mother to two children, was already asleep when the floods came.

She was in deep slumber in a worn-out white nightie, exhausted from a day’s work. She was out all day doing a feature story about the Christmas Village in the center of town.

Her son roused her from sleep. “The house is flooded!” he said in a shaking voice. Their house is a small rented space in Green Village, Hinaplanon, Iligan City.

Merlyn had no time to pack. She managed to slip on a shirt before they rushed out to the roof. They could not open the door, as the waters were already high. The only way out was through the hole for the air conditioning unit.

The winds were wild and the waves were punching hard. Merlyn felt it was the end.

“I felt then that we were going to die,” she said.

From above, they could hear the cries of mercy – loud, shrieking screams for help from mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, sons and daughters.

“We could not do anything. We were helpless up there,” she said. As Sendong battered their street, the shouts grew louder.

They went back to the house when the waters subsided. It was then that Merlyn realized she had lost everything.

“When I went to my room, I saw my laptop floating. I said to myself, ‘it’s gone. It’s gone,’” Merlyn said.

But by 12 noon, Merlyn had to file a story. Her desk had called. She had to report something. Amidst the chaos, she managed to do a phone patch — a live report via telephone — as it is known in broadcast industry parlance.

Merlyn ended up reporting her own story. At that time, she did not imagine how she would be able to work again without her laptop and camera.

Jigger Jerusalem

Jigger Jerusalem, a correspondent of The Philippine Star in Cagayan de Oro, also lost his laptop in the flood; and everything else in the rented room where he stays.

“Now, I have to start from scratch again. I have to buy new things and tools. I need a digital camera and a laptop,” said Jigger.

But Jigger can’t bring himself to write just yet. The trauma is still very fresh. At night, he can still see in his inner mind’s eye the flood of mud that gatecrashed his room. He can still hear the winds and the screams from little voices, the cries for help; the sounds of panic, desperation and pain.

“I promise I will write again when the time comes when I can again function as a working journalist,” Jigger said.

On January 4, Jigger’s by-line appeared again on the front page of the Philippine Star. He wrote a story on the opening of classes in CDO.

Bonita Ermac

She works as a correspondent for Mindanao Gold Star Daily in Iligan. When the floods came, Bonita, also a single mom, secured her son and her 80-year old mother.

“From our room, we went down to the kitchen. The waters were already high. We had to hold on to wooden bars in the ceiling. My 80-year old mother was with us. She was hospitalized after because of pneumonia.

After that, Bonita could not think of writing again just yet.

“I lost all my things,” she said.

Michael Kundimann (missing)

Leni Kundiman lost her husband, Michael and her home. Michael was a radio reporter and news anchor and the last time Leni heard his voice was at the height of Sendong’s wrath.

They held on to a rope just outside their house in Bayug Island in Iligan City but a shanty that had been washed away by the flood hit Michael. His voice trailed off and was never seen again since that night.

Bayug Island had been wiped out. What used to be a village where hundreds of families lived and survived the daily fare is now a barren lifeless land. There are no more homes, just makeshift wooden altars with candles and flowers for the dead. The laughter of children who used to roam around will never be heard again.

There’s only a deafening silence and an eerie shade of gray in Bayug Island and in the rest of Iligan and Cagayan.

But the story does not end here. Each and every journalist affected by Sendong will carry on. “Padayon,” as they say it. They will again find the words and capture the images. They will start again and again and they will keep on telling other peoples’ stories the way they used to do before howling winds and a merciless storm struck that fateful Friday night.

(This project is produced by Jes Aznar and Iris Gonzales, in cooperation with the Center for Community Journalism and Development and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. To those who wish to help the affected journalists, you may call the NUJP office at at (02) 3767330.)

My two-part special report on tax evasion and smuggling

2012-01-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

FIRST PART: Tax evaders, smugglers getting more sophisticated

By Iris C. Gonzales, The Philippine Star

Posted at 01/02/2012 7:12 AM | Updated as of 01/02/2012 2:29 PM

MANILA, Philippines - When President Aquino was elected into office, the nation wrapped itself in euphoria. Filipinos were filled with hope as Aquino promised that he would finally be that leader the country needed.

On June 15, 2010, under a gloomy weather, and as the whole nation listened in bated breath, Aquino took his oath at the Quirino Grandstand and promised that his administration would be free of corruption and would only tread the clean and right path - a governance framework he dubbed “Tuwid na Daan.”

He said the excesses of previous regimes had no room in his administration and that he would make the bold move of rectifying the bad practices.

There would be no new taxes as he stressed that he would focus on fixing the country’s tax leaks.
One year and five months into his term, the fight against tax evaders and smugglers remains an uphill battle.

Officials from both the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and from the Department of Finance’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) told The STAR that the schemes of tax evaders and smugglers have become more sophisticated and as such more difficult to fight.

RIPS executive director Romeo Tomas said the modus operandi of public officials have become more sophisticated as anti-graft agencies have also become tougher.

Topping the list of schemes used by corrupt officials is the formation of dummies.

Often these individuals set up corporations, law offices and third persons for their properties so that they do not have to declare these properties in their statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

The dummies become the owners on paper of land assets, vehicles, and other accumulated wealth instead of the individuals themselves.

Along this line, the offenders also put the names of their illegally acquired wealth in their relatives’ names.

Tomas said there are many cases wherein the assets are listed under the names of a relative’s law office so that the link to the real owners is almost impossible to prove.

Those who declare their properties in their SALNs grossly undervalue their properties, which is another common scheme.

Based on the different cases it has filed, RIPS has found out that it is common for public officials to declare only a portion of their land properties in their SALN or reduce the value of the properties.

Wire transfers and money laundering are also common schemes used by public officials to conceal their wealth. These officials usually keep their money in banks in Hong Kong or Singapore.

“Some go out of their way to transfer money to other countries such as Hong Kong or Singapore,” Tomas said, adding that this makes it more difficult for authorities to trace the money.

For luxury vehicles, the practice among public officials is to put their fleet of expensive cars under the name of their children or trusted friends who are not from government.

Tomas cited an instance wherein a child was barely 23 years old and already has a number of luxury vehicles to his name.

Methods of tax evasion

The methods of tax evasion are also more sophisticated now, said BIR Deputy Commissioner for Legal and Inspection Group Estela Sales.

In a recent interview with The STAR, Sales said the BIR is trying to fight tax evasion every step of the way through the agency’s Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program.

One common method of tax evasion is the non-issuance of receipts. This is the simplest form of evasion wherein the business owner or establishment does not issue receipts for the goods or services it has rendered.

Through non-issuance of receipts, the seller or business establishment is able to reduce the volume of declared sales as well as the tax liability.

Another common scheme is under-declaration of sales and over declaration of expenses so that the business would be able to deduct more through input value added tax (VAT).

Under BIR rules, a business establishment may deduct through input VAT the cost of its raw materials and supplies.

Under the amended VAT law of 2005, businesses can avail of tax credit on input purchases. These are the VAT paid for purchases of raw materials, supplies and capital goods. There is a cap on VAT credit for inputs up to 70 percent of output VAT.

To claim the tax credits, companies must present to the BIR invoices, which would detail their purchases.

VAT is the tax slapped on consumption and is levied on the sales of goods and services at each stage of production and distribution process.

It is collected using the invoice of the tax credit method. In computing for one’s VAT liability, a VAT-registered taxpayer can deduct input tax from output tax. Output tax is the VAT due on the taxpayer’s sale of goods and services

The more glaring form of tax evasion, Sales said is the non-filing of returns. It is also one of the easiest forms of tax evasion, she said.

Going along with this is another glaring form of evasion, which is the non-registration of the business.

There are also more sophisticated forms of tax evasion, Sales said.
One such scheme is the use of non-existent suppliers. Some businesses use smuggled raw materials for their supplies to save on costs.

Sales said that when the BIR asks for receipts or proof of payment to suppliers, these businesses would have nothing to show and would instead say they paid in cash.

“For example, one taxpayer said he paid in cash amounting to P20 million for his company’s supplies. How can you pay P20 million in cash?” Sales said.

Tax evasion is usually made in connivance with BIR insiders, ranking deputy officials said.

This is why BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said that in the agency’s fight against corruption, it is doing two approaches - external and internal.

“Internally, it is changing 107 years of bad habits,” Henares said.

When she took over on June 30, Henares made it clear to her people that she would not tolerate the “bad habits.”

She put in place a so-called performance management system wherein BIR employees know exactly what is expected of them.

“There will be a contract between BIR as an institution and individuals as employees stating what the performance indicators will be. For me, what’s important is that everyone’s contract will be related towards our goal,” she said in an interview months after she took over the agency.

The government’s main revenue agency has a staff of 12,000 people, headed by Henares and six deputy commissioners for the different groups: -- the Information Systems Group; the Legal and Inspection Group; Operations; Resource Management; Special Concerns and Tax Reforms.

The list of internal reforms is endless but one critical area of reform is the audit system a deputy commissioner of the BIR said rampant corruption happens in the audit system.

Auditing a company happens at random. Officially, a BIR examiner audits a company’s books if he or she suspects that the company may be dodging its tax obligations.

However, the finance official said the examiner could also choose to audit the company simply to harass the owner - especially if he thinks they have the capacity to pay a substantial amount of “grease money.”

Explaining the audit process, Wendell Ganhinhin, senior tax manager at the auditing firm Punongbayan & Araullo said in an article that the purpose of an audit and investigation is to uncover violations against and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

“In the process, even compliant and law abiding taxpayers have to go through an ordeal to prove their innocence if they are under suspicion,” said Ganhinhin.

With the burden of proof generally resting on the taxpayer, long hours and many resources often need to be devoted to refuting findings of discrepancies.

He also maintains that there could be inefficiencies in the audit approach and the lack of necessary tools, such as computers, databases and online references which prolong the process.

“Hence, the audit period becomes a long agonizing process, which some taxpayers describe as a dreaded nightmare that they would not wish to experience again,” he said.

It is because of this that the taxpayer sometimes chooses to ‘settle’ or enter into ‘under the table’ deals with the examiner to make “things easier for his business,” a Department of Finance official said.

BIR Deputy Commissioner for Operations Nelson Aspe said that as part of the fight against tax evasion is concerned, the
BIR also does regular rigodon or revamp of its examiners. Examiners or those who examine the books of companies are considered the front liners of the agency. They are the ones who deal with businesses.

There are different ways by which BIR examiners are co-opted so that they would turn a blind eye on the irregularities of tax evaders.

The bribes can range from P100,000 to a million, depending on the offense and the net worth of the company seeking to bend the rules, a BIR insider said.

No examiner accepted The STAR’s request for interviews. Aspe said it is difficult to prove connivance between examiners and businesses. He said there is usually no proof.

At the same time, he said there are dedicated and well-meaning examiners and BIR employees who fulfill their duties well.

Henares said it’s a long way to go in reforming the BIR but stressed that the situation is not hopeless.
Whether or not President Aquino’s Tuwid na Daan framework of governance would materialize and bear fruits remains to be seen.

To be continued

CONCLUSION: Connivance continues between smugglers, Customs staff

By Iris C. Gonzales, The Philippine Star

Posted at 01/03/2012 7:40 AM | Updated as of 01/03/2012 7:40 AM

(Continued from Monday)

MANILA, Philippines - The World Bank estimates that P200 billion is lost annually due to tax evasion and smuggling.
Smuggling is defined as the use of illegal channels of importation and exportation.

Smuggling has existed in the country for centuries, as traders attempt to bring in goods into the Philippines and skirt around existing Customs rules and regulations.

Through the years, smuggling has evolved and has become more sophisticated.

Up to this day, the problem of smuggling remains unresolved in the Bureau of Customs, the government’s second largest revenue agency.

There are different forms of smuggling, and connivance between smugglers and Customs insiders is at varying levels as well.

According to former Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez, it’s hard to pin down smugglers legally because there is always no paper trail that leads to the smugglers.

Alvarez revealed that he has tried to offer insiders protection and assurance to get information about smuggling activities -- but nobody is willing to squeal.

Insiders, Alvarez said, feared there was no assurance he would stay long enough to protect them.

True enough, Alvarez had to resign from his post in September, paving the way for the appointment of Ruffy Biazon, a known associate of President Benigno Aquino III, way back during their time at the House of Representatives.

In a recent interview with The STAR, Biazon said he plans a revamp of collectors and Customs executives so that operations could be more efficient.

This would help avoid connivance with smugglers, he said.

He also plans to file charges against smugglers, but has yet to file a cases against any big smuggler.

Records of the Department of Justice show the Run After the Smugglers (RATS) program of Customs has not been able to file even just one smuggling case worth at least P1 billion since former Deputy Commissioner Gregorio Chavez had been put on 90-day suspension since October.

One case filed in October against onion smugglers amounted to only P27.3 million, while a similar case filed in December amounted to an even smaller P3.7 million.

A case filed against traders of misdeclared Asus computer laptops was worth P96.8 million.

Chavez used to head the RATS program and under his leadership, the program filed at least 44 smuggling cases before the Justice department with total claims worth almost P60 billion.

In October, however, the Office of the President ordered the suspension of Chavez and seven of his men following an administrative complaint filed by Sanyo Seiki Steel Corp. (SSSC).

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa signed the order which placed Chavez and his men under preventive suspension for 90 days.

The suspended members were Christopher Dy Buco, Edgar Quinones, Francisco Fernandez Jr. Alfredo Adao, Jose Elmer Velarde, Thomas Patric Relucio and Jim Erick Acosta.

Sanyo Seiki, in its complaint, said that the eight RATS officials were engaged in extortion activities and abuse of authority.

The connivance between Customs insiders and smugglers is one of the issues that needs to be addressed if a Customs
commissioner wants to put an end to such activities.

Former Customs Commissioner Guillermo L. Parayno Jr., for his part, said that smuggling would remain for as long as it is profitable and that the risks perceived are manageable.

“Smuggling is a profession and a way of life for a considerable segment of our society and the number of those who would be adversely affected by programs meant to curtail it magnifies tenfold if we include the smugglers’ conspirators and supporters. These individuals will resist any diminution of their incomes or any change in their lifestyles,” Parayno said in a paper titled “The Extent of Smuggling in the Philippines.”

Parayno believes that strong political will is needed to implement laws that would drastically reduce smuggling in the country.

Insiders interviewed by The Star including customs district collectors and former customs commissioners said that pay-offs from smugglers vary, depending on the goods and the rank of the customs employee involved.

A customs police – considered a middle-level employee in the agency of roughly 5,000 employees, gets anywhere from P5,000 to P20,000 a week, insiders said.

The higher-ranking officers can get anywhere from P100,000 to at least a million pesos, insiders said.
The different methods used by smugglers are as varied as the goods that they bring in, Parayno said in his paper.

Methods of smuggling

The common methods of smuggling are concealment, under-invoicing, mis-declaration, use of fake documents, swings, transshipment, and illegal withdrawals from customs bonded warehouses.

Concealment is when legitimate products conceal the prohibited, banned or regulated commodity.

Mis-declaration happens because at the end of the day, the commissioner is not the one who examines each and every container.

Under invoicing is done in cahoots with Customs assessors and examiners. It involves the submission of false invoices. Through this scheme, the quantity or the price is highly understated.

Misclassification, another smuggling scheme, is when the commodity may be properly described but placed under a different heading with a lower rate of duty.

The use of fake documents is also a common method used in smuggling, insiders said.

With this scheme, smugglers submit tax exemption papers, authority to import and other exemption papers to circumvent the payment of proper duties.

Swing is when importers take out the goods from the port outright without the duly processed documents. The volume of goods taken out is usually minimal but entails the connivance of Customs policemen who are asked to turn a blind eye on the removal of the goods.

Transshipment is another form of smuggling used by big-time smugglers. Here, the goods are manifested as transshipments to other ports from a port in Manila.

Smuggling takes place on the way to the port of destination when the contents of the container are replaced or removed before proceeding to the transshipment port, or the entire shipment disappears altogether.

In transshipment procedures, Customs police must escort the goods from the port of discharge all the way to the port of destination.

Unfortunately, sometimes this does not happen.

The police are just given P500 to P2,000 to “go watch a movie, take the day off or to just go home,” said a Customs insider.

In many instances, even without a bribe, Customs are not willing to escort goods to a port outside Manila because of the distance and the time it would entail.

Illegal withdrawals from customs bonded warehouses or CBWs are also common method of smuggling goods.

CBWs allow exporters to import, duty-free, raw materials and other inputs for export production.

However, insiders said, it is common for smugglers to form fictitious CBWs just to avail themselves of the duty-free privileges. As such, the goods find their way into the local market at marked down prices.

Thus, the Government’s battle against tax evasion and smugglers remains uphill.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) needs to collect P940 billion this year, while the BoC has a revenue target of P320 billion.

Insiders from both agencies believe that if tax evasion and smuggling are drastically reduced, it would be easier to hit the respective collection goals set by the government for its two revenue offices.

packing, unpacking

2011-12-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

I'm in the middle of a manicured forest to greet the new year. I asked Hitler to pack my stuff for me -- two shirts, some underwear, jeans, shorts, etc. But of course, here, I realized that I had forgotten (I always do) something. Slippers! How can I forget? And my grey cardigan. How can I miss that?

But then after all the packing and unpacking, all the road trips and the travels, the roller-coaster ride and adventures, I learned in 2011 that no matter how hard I try, no matter how much I fuss and stress about it and that no matter how many hours it takes for me to pack, I will never be able to bring with me all that I need.

More importantly, I learned that the really essential things in this journey called life can't really fit in my bag. You can't pack love, as Roxanne Krystalli had said. And hugs and kisses. And the warmth of an embrace. The smile of a child. Her laughter. That doe-eyed look when she wants ice cream or junk food or just some more minutes to play with me.

You can't pack a cappuccino maker.

And pain and misery. And anger. They shouldn't fit in the bag.

And so, I will carry on. I will travel lighter. Will (try to) let go of what's not needed. Will bring only what I need -- the indescribable, enormous love that can't fit in any bag or backpack.

Crossing fingers.

Happy 2012.

And to the love of my life, here's looking forward to more travels, from muddy paths and devastated patches of earth, to paradise, to hell and back.

Holding hands.

Christmas Day in the City of the River of Gold

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Photos by Jes Aznar and text by Iris Gonzales

CAGAYAN DE ORO – We can smell the stench of death even before we actually stepped on Burgos Street, a place where two rivers converge nearby, one of thousands of devastated patches of earth here in the province.

The putrid smell of decomposing bodies; of dead Carabaos, of cats and dogs; of men, women and children, pervades the air. I am standing in the middle of a long narrow road alongside Cagayan de Oro River. If pain had a smell, this would be it.

Both sides of the road are lined with houses devastated by the typhoon that struck in the middle of the night. The roofs are gone, the windows shattered. The doors are wide-open. The street is filled with remnants of the devastation.

Everything is covered with the thickest mud, smudged with soot and garbage: the heaps of clothes, bags, television sets, electric fans, tables, chairs, bed, curtains, pillows and whatever the residents have left.

It is December 25, 2011 but here in the City of the River of Gold, where a tropical storm struck in the middle of the night while a father sang Christmas carols to his little girls, there’s nothing to celebrate.

There are no gifts to open, no jingling bells, no festivities, no laughter, just crumbs of homes to salvage.

Sendong, which came in the dead of night on December 16, left as swiftly as it came, killing more than 1,500 men, women and children and leaving many more homeless.

In makeshift evacuation centers, survivors swarm like mad dogs whenever relief goods arrive.

Novelyn Gales, 24 years old, lost everything to the killer floods. She is among the hundreds of evacuees seeking shelter here at Barangay Makansandig Evacuation Center.

Her three-year old baby is sleeping on a slab of plywood in a cramped space, filled with donations and shared with another family.

“We lost everything but we’re still lucky to be alive,” said Novelyn, managing a faint smile. When the floods came, she and her husband held on to a tree, the baby held tightly by both of them.

There was no time to pack anything else.

As I write this, the death toll has climbed to 1,500 according to the Office of Civil Defense: 891 dead in Cagayan de Oro and additional 451 in Iligan City.

Across the cramped evacuation center is the village where Novelyn used to live. Now, where tattered homes used to stand and little children used to roam around and play, there is nothing left but a clear view of the horizon, a devastated patch of land and a golden mosque with a crescent moon not too far away.

There is an eerie silence. By the side of the desolate village, a river of mud flows endlessly. Bloated cadavers were seen floating here the morning after the flood, Novelyn said. Her dreams, like those of other survivors, were washed away, too.

300 plus days of coffee

2011-12-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

In a little corner of the shack I live in is a magic of a machine that helps me get on my feet, start my day, bury last night's nightmares and start anew. It's a cappuccino maker, the only piece of household appliance I demanded to have with me in the aftermath of my so-called divorce years ago (I didn't win. I bought a new machine).

I'd say I must have survived this year with coffee. And love.

There's all kinds of coffee to give me the much-needed fix. My favorite of course is arabica or mountain coffee. My little girl, some moons ago, went on a trip to Sabah and brought me white coffee from the island. It kept me counting sheep the whole night. Then there's the usual robusta that the ever reliable Hitler buys for me once in a while.

No two cups of coffee are ever the same. Each one is unique, similar as it may seem. The amount of milk and muscovado has to be just right but can never be exact, just the same. There are bad coffee days when the milk just didn't froth. And I often made a fuss about that. It happens when the milk is taken out of the fridge too soon that it gets warm by the time I pour it into the stainless frothing pitcher. The milk has to be cold, straight from the ref and dry steam is needed instead of wet steam, which adds unnecessary water, to make the perfect microfoam.

I'm guided by instinct and faith in making the perfect coffee. Yes, faith even in making coffee. (I've come a long way. Years ago, I didn't even have the guts to operate a machine that is not even half as sophisticated as those in Starbucks. I repel technology and many other things I'm too lazy to try to understand).

And believe me, I try to do the perfect cup everyday.

When Jes makes our coffee, he adds more sugar than I usually do. That's often in the afternoon because he usually does not wake up earlier than I do in the morning. But yeah, that's how he does it. Never fails. Our coffee is sweeter when it's his turn with the cappuccino maker. But that's how it really is. He is the sweeter half of soundslikechinese. I surrender to that fact. And he puts more milk than I do. But again that's how he is. He always strives to make it less bitter, coffee and me.

Like coffee, each day of this year that is about to come to an end has been different. Topsy-turvy. Life-changing. Chaotic at times. Some days left me counting sheep at night, like the Sabah coffee. Other days just didn't feel right, like a wrong froth or no froth at all. Too dark. Too bitter. Most days of course were just perfect, as right as the perfect brew. Like the recent road trip to Hacienda Luisita. Or in Tawi-tawi. In Lake Sebu. In Cebu. Or that phenomenally unprecedented and still unmatched trip to Java, Indonesia.

The perfect moments are endless. The projects we dreamt of and achieved this year happened because we did it holding hands, better than Bonnie and Clyde or Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I know much more than I would ever admit to myself that I would not have done it without him. But together, we can move mountains, our way, our system, as chaotic as it is, like an efficient motley crew. If we were venture capitalists, our tag-line would be: "Jes and Iris: We Deliver."

There were many dark times, like the time I had to drive my little girl to the hospital because of high-grade fever or when Jes suffered in pain in an emergency room. (I can still see in my mind's eye how much he struggled). As for him, I'm sure he only remembers that cute little nurse in pink who stood by his bed the whole time.

The imperfections are there, too and when I look back on those times, I surrender with awe and amazement at how we survived.

The year isn't over. There will be a thousand more kisses and hugs and trips before the year comes to a close.

As I write this, we're thinking of traveling south to help victims of Sendong. Our problems are nothing compared to their loss. And we feel helpless not doing anything.

But as most of the days had been, we barely have enough breads to make it down south. Yet, hopefully and as always -- without fail -- we will wing it, holding hands.

Just like the coffee that we always share, perfectly brewed or not.

WANTED: Jovito Palparan Jr., the Butcher

2011-12-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

INSIDE THE LION'S DEN is now available at Popular Bookstore, Tomas Morato, Quezon City

2011-12-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

Our book "Inside the Lion's Den" is now available at Popular Bookstore in Tomas Morato and also the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines office in Scout Castor. Get your copy now :)

Hot-off-the-press-night for INSIDE THE LION'S DEN

2011-12-16T18:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, December 16, 2011, Inside the Lion's Den finally got off the press. From the printing press, we went straight to Oarhouse Pub to share some drinks and blue cheese with friends. Thanks everyone for the unwavering support!

Copies will be available in bookstores starting next week. For orders or reservations, you can email us at eyesgonzales@gmail.com or jesaznar@gmail.com

(Photos by Jes Aznar, Iris Gonzales, Raymond Panaligan, Jordan Santos)

from the Introduction, INSIDE THE LION'S DEN

2011-12-15T01:03:00.000-08:00

This is from the Introduction of our very first book, Inside the Lion's Den. The book, about the country's trade gates and their keepers, will be available in major bookstores starting next week.

Our Book is Finally Out!

2011-12-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

After roughly twenty flights around the country, countless verbal confrontation with Customs guards, dozens of sleep-deprived nights, gulping on bottles of single malt scotch and beer and cups of coffee, and near misses of WWIII, our project is finally complete.

There are hundreds of people to thank for making this endeavor possible but most of all, I thank my co-author Jes Aznar for giving me the courage to do this and the strength that brought out the words.

From jesaznar.com:

Our book, about Philippine trade gates and their keepers and the problem of corruption and rampant smuggling, is finally out! It will be available in major bookstores starting next week.

Inside the Lion’s Den is a photographic reportage by Jes Aznar, accompanied by essays written by Iris Gonzales, on fragments of daily life inside the country’s trade gates, port areas and the men and women who work here.

It is a documentary journey of a photographer and a writer inside a bureaucracy often unknown to and deplored by the outside world – the Bureau of Customs, its collection districts around the country, far-flung sub-ports and the men and women who comprise it.

It is a story of many stories of survival, self-preservation, and dreams coming true.

The collection of images captured the different aspects of life in both the Bureau of Customs and in the many ports around the country.

The essays provide information on the history of the bureau and the collection districts that are defined by their geographical positions and the economies in their respective areas. The articles also tackle the problem of rampant smuggling and the culture of corruption inside.

It is a journalistic endeavor driven by a desire to chronicle something important in a society struggling to exist meaningfully and define itself, and the need to share it.

The book is edited by Sonny Yabao with text editing by Michael Marasigan. It is published by Europa.

"With unprecedented access granted by its very own Commissioner and if only from a pure photo-documentary standpoint, the images break positive new ground in the direction of public interest and what can hopefully be more honestly transparent and real views of a public agency’s actual role in the country’s life and function. – Ben Razon, from the Foreword to the Photographs.

on the road

2011-12-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

That our blog is titled On the Road to Puka is no coincidence. Jes and I spend most of our life on the road, so much so that in our very first book, our ever reliable sedan, is inevitably mentioned. The past months, we practically lived on the road. Our car has become our office: there's a printer in the trunk, a little black dress, pairs of slippers, jacket, CDs, food, etc.

The back seat easily transforms into a playground when the kids are onboard and once, with only the rain as shield, the car became a dressing room.

You step inside and the mixed smell of Burger King's Mushroom Swiss and beer will greet you. I have this feeling that every time we drive toward Miracle's garage for a much-needed car wash, the boys secretly wished they were closed for the day.

I don't remember being this busy in recent years but in the years to come, I'll remember the recent months as the busiest and one of the most hectic time in our lives. We're often THAT busy that we would take turns on the driver seat; Jes would take it when it was time for me to write a story and I'd do the same when it was time for him to do some last-minute editing. He'd drive so I could eat and vice-versa.

Once, in between a meeting and a medical emergency, we -- embarrassments of all embarrassments -- had to plug our printer in the hallway of a private hospital because we did not have the luxury of time to go home or to an Internet cafe to print the presentation we needed to bring to the meeting.

It was, as Jes described it so hayskul and disgustingly jologs. I know he secretly hated me for successfully convincing him to do it there. But we're no celebrities and I'm not vying for the Miss Universe title so I felt we had nothing to lose.

When we're not in the car, we're chasing flights in airports, hailing a cab to catch a flight, boarding a vessel or rushing here or there. People who want to meet with us have to follow where we will be at a particular time. It's embarrassing, really. And stressful. And crazy. And wrinkle-inducing. And the most fertile ground for WWIII.

But strangely, we thrive, almost perfectly.

all photos by me. On the road in Java, Indonesia

Arroyo Arrested But Problems Persist

2011-11-30T23:20:00.000-08:00

My latest blog on The New Internationalist:

Former president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has been arrested on charges of election fraud, a non-bailable offense here. As I write this, she is under hospital arrest, in one of the most expensive private hospitals in the country.

The nine-year reign of Arroyo witnessed an endless list of crimes – from human rights violations, illegal arrests, political maneuvering, corruption, overpriced road projects, the list goes on. On November 18, 2011, a local court made history by issuing an arrest warrant against the former president on charges of electoral fraud.

Aware of the crime she had committed and fearing her eventual arrest and because of a lingering illness – the extent and magnitude of which is still unclear to the public – Arroyo attempted to leave the country on November 15, three days before the warrant was issued. She said she needed to seek medical treatment from hospitals in Singapore. But a hold departure order from the Department of Justice prevented her from leaving the country.

The scene at the airport could very well have been from a movie. The Arroyo camp brought the former president to the airport despite the hold departure order (they obtained a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court). The former president looked helpless and fragile in a wheelchair. Diagnosed with a cervical spine condition, Arroyo must wear a halo vest. Immigration officials barred her from leaving and the scene of authorities preventing a frail president from seeking medical help abroad was meant to draw public sympathy.

Unfortunately for the Arroyo camp, it did not.

Arroyo is the second former president of the Philippines to be arrested on criminal charges filed in court. Her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, whom she pardoned, was convicted on plunder charges. The charges are serious and if convicted, Arroyo faces life imprisonment. Witnesses have attested that she rigged the 2007 elections.

President Benigno Aquino III, Arroyo’s successor, has made it clear that his administration will make sure that the former president and her cohorts will pay for their crimes. Elected on a good governance platform, President Aquino is doing all that he can to make sure corrupt people pay the price for their wrongdoings.

I’m all for it but after more than a year in office, the administration needs to show that it can prosecute the sinners of the past and at the same time fix the economy. The people are waiting for measures that would move the country forward and not just acts to plug revenue loopholes or corruption.The latest data showed that the Philippine economy slowed down to 3.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year, remarkably slower than the 8.9 per cent recorded a year ago.

An anti-corruption mandate, after all, can only get the country so far.

(Photo taken from mugshots.com)

a letter from a child

2011-11-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

This blog post is a much needed break from this seemingly never ending word factory operation. In the middle of cream cheese pasta and warm milk at 1: 40 am.

1. Don't spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for. I'm only testing you.

2. Don't be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it, it makes me feel secure.

3. Don't let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.

4. Don't make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly "big".

5. Don't correct me in front of people if you can help it. I'll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.

6. Don't make me feel that my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.

7. Don't protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way sometimes.

8. Don't be too upset when I say "I hate you." Sometimes it isn't you I hate but your power to thwart me.

9. Don't take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.

10. Don't nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.

11. Don't forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like. That is why I am not always accurate.

12. Don't put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.

13. Don't be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.

14. Don't tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.

15. Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither.

16. Don't ever think that it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm towards you.

17. Don't forget I love experimenting. I couldn't get along without it, so please put up with it.

18. Don't forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be very difficult for you to keep pace with me, but please do try.

19. Don't forget that I don't thrive without lots of love and understanding, but I don't need to tell you, do I?

20. Please keep yourself fit and healthy. I need you.

(My Dad read this somewhere and asked me if I agree with them and I told him these are really true... -Zen Longid)

Learning from the Angler Fish

2011-11-27T06:24:00.000-08:00

The Guardian has an interesting article about the angler fish, with a lot of strong points.

Take for instance this part: For a male anglerfish, an increasing reliance on the female results in his organs becoming unnecessary, and he begins to disintegrate. Eventually he's nothing but a lump on her side functioning as the access point for egg fertilisation – an unconscious bulge where once swam an individual.

I agree with some points but of course, there isn't a one-size-fits-all formula in life. Disintegration of oneself is a choice. The key is to be aware of every step in the journey and not be blinded by the daily struggle of survival or the frenzied euphoria of a romanticized life.

The simplest things in life are often the best: hot cappuccino for two; a shared dinner of cream cheese pasta made of left-over ingredients from a recent exhibit; clean sheets; or sharing cold pancakes even during a fight.

As the Dhammapada once said, "travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone."

photo from The Guardian

Scenes from the opening of Under the Lord's Shadows photo and multimedia exhibit by Jes Aznar

2011-11-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

Kanto Artists-Run Space, The Collective, Makati

November 23, 2011

Photos by Jes Aznar, Neil Monsalud and Iris Gonzales

After the Slaughter

2011-11-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

My latest blog on The New Internationalist:

Two years ago today, under a glistening sun on a far-flung barren hill, 58 people, including 32 journalists, were massacred to death in the Philippines. The massacre is considered the worst election-related violence in recent years.

Two years on, the grief and the pain remain immeasurable. The families of the victims of decades-old clan war continue to cry out for justice. The carnage, which came to be known as the ‘Maguindanao massacre’, happened on November 23, 2009, somewhere between Ampatuan town in Maguindanao in the southern Philippines and the heart of darkness.

According to Task Force Maguindanao, the group handling the investigation, a total of 100 people are accused: nine policemen, four military personnel, 18 members of the Ampatuan clan, and 69 members of the private army of the Ampatuans, a ruling clan in the province.

It happened on a Monday, as the group was on its way to Shariff Aguak to witness the filing of election candidacy of Toto Mangudadatu, a member of a rival clan of the Ampatuans in the province. His wife Genalyn would be filing his candidacy for him, along with a convoy of supporters and members of the working press.

But on their way to the provincial capital, around 100 armed men intercepted the convoy and led them up a dirt road, some four kilometres from the highway they were on.

They were brought to an empty lot, from where they could only dream of their loved ones in the distant valley below as they stood helplessly to meet their deaths.

Two years have passed but justice for the victims of the massacre that happened in broad daylight remains elusive.

So that people will not forget, media organizations here have lined up various activities for the commemoration. There is a photo exhibit on Mindanao by Filipino photojournalist Jes Aznar. Under the Lord’s Shadow takes a deeper look into the conflict in Mindanao, the very same conflict that led to the massacre.

There is also a ‘Countdown to End Impunity’ as Filipino journalists join the International Day to End Impunity initiated by the International Freedom of Expression Exchange.

Today, media organizations, journalists and other groups will march to the presidential palace to remind the government that justice has not been served and that the massacre has not been and will never be forgotten.

TWO YEARS AND STILL NO JUSTICE: A call to bloggers, Twitter users and social media activists

2011-11-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

Below is a statement from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. I urge my fellow bloggers to heed the call:

On November 21, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, in cooperation with other media groups, is launching a Blog Action Day in connection with our commemoration of the second anniversary of the November 23, 2009 Ampatuan massacre and the first International Day to End Impunity.

As of today, only two Ampatuans have been arraigned. Only 93 of the 196 accused have been arrested. Prosecution and defense lawyers have listed 300 and 320 witnesses, respectively, which, according to Senator Joker Arroyo, a veteran human rights lawyer and courtroom litigator, may take 200 years to present.

Meanwhile, the families of the 58 victims continue to suffer from the loss of their loved ones, most of whom were family breadwinners. Some of the children continue to innocently wait in vain for their murdered parents to come home.

On this day, we would like to invite all of you to use the power of communication and the Internet to speak out for justice and against the continued impunity with which those who wish to suppress freedom of expression impose the ultimate censorship – death – and how the apathy and inaction of government has made this so.

Let this be the start of a meaningful partnership as we forge onward together to realize the full expression of our rights and freedoms as communicators and as citizens of our country.

Below are some links that provide background information on the Ampatuan massacre and current status of the 57 counts of murder filed against the 196 accused:

“End Impunity: NUJP’s countdown to the Ampatuan Massacre’s second Anniversary” on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/End-Impunity-NUJPs-Countdown-to-Ampatuan-Massacres-Second-Anniversary/199834376758733)

NUJP (@nujp) on Twitter (http://twitter.com/nujp)

NUJP on Tumblr which features artworks of children of the victims of the massacre and other media killings. These artworks express how they are coping with the death of their slain parents (http://nujp.tumblr.com/).

Let’s do our share in not forgetting the fallen victims of the Ampatuan Massacre.

References:

Rowena C. Paraan

Secretary General

0910.495.0095

Nestor Burgos

Chairperson

0917.725.6333

Documentary photographer gives deeper glimpse into Maguindanao's woes

2011-11-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

As published on InterAksyon.com

15-Nov-11, 6:39 PM |

MANILA, Philippines - A photo and multimedia exhibit on Mindanao by documentary photographer Jes Aznar opens on November 23, 2011 at Kanto Artists-Run Space in Makati as part of the activities marking the second anniversary of the Ampatuan massacre.

Under the Lord’s Shadows provides a deeper look into the source of conflict in Maguindanao, the very same conflict that led to the massacre of 58 people, 32 of them media workers, two years ago.

The exhibit is an attempt to tell and retell the story of Maguindanao, a place mired in poverty despite its abundant resources, where men, women and children are constant victims of wars and the conflicts between ruling clans desperate to stay in power.

It is part of Aznar’s long-term documentary project on Mindanao, which to him captures the decades-old problems of feudalism, greed and poverty hounding the Philippines.

“What is happening in the rest of the country is happening in the island tenfold. The ruling clans remain in power, living comfortably inside sprawling mansions, surrounded by their very own gun-wielding private armies,” he says.

Armed with just a few hundred pesos in his pocket and a camera, Aznar went to Mindanao some years ago to document this enigmatic and historical island teeming with the complexities of life and suffering, of failure and triumph, of hate and love. A place he now calls his second home.

He lived with priests, soldiers, evacuees, child warriors and different families.

He has been going back and forth to Mindanao for more than two years now.

What has emerged from his trips is a mosaic about the lives of people living under the lords’ shadows. The lords are the powers-that-be, the ruling clans who spawned wars and conflicts to remain in power.

“Mindanao can feed the whole country but the island’s geographical distance from the rest of the country made it easy for ruling clans to plunder its resources and abuse its people. The powers-that-be spawned wars to justify armaments and their slice of the trillion-a-year national budget,” Aznar says.

Aznar has been documenting human rights, land and other social issues in the country for many years now. His works have appeared on various local and international publications including Time, Newsweek, the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times.

The exhibit opens on November 23, 2011 at 4 pm up to December 7, 2011 at Kanto Artists-Run Space, The Collective, 7274 Malugay Street, San Antonio Village Makati, Philippines.

For inquiries please call +639273572724 or email marangrepublic@yahoo.com

Cuba makes cancer breakthrough -- New Internationalist

2011-11-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

My latest blog on The New Internationalist:

By Iris C. Gonzales | 0

I am seated across the dining table ready to feast on a dinner of seafood. The man across me breaks the news. He has cancer, he says nonchalantly, speaking as if the person inflicted with the Big C is someone we just happen to know.

I am at a loss for words. Although the man has been smoking heavily for some years now, I am shocked and speechless. The man is a journalist; a veteran editor in the industry, widely respected by his peers and considered a mentor of generations and generations of journalists. More importantly, he is a friend.

The bad news is that the cancer is already in its late stages. The good news is that the small island nation of Cuba has just released the first therapeutic vaccine for lung cancer.

^{Lung cancer cells. Photo by Pulmonary Pathology under a CC Licence}

According to a report by Chinese news agency Xinhua, Cuban medical authorities have released CimaVax-EGF, the result of a 25-year research project at Havana’s Center for Molecular Immunology.

The article states that CimaVax-EGF isn’t a vaccine in the preventative sense – that is, it doesn’t prevent lung cancer from taking hold in new patients.

‘It’s based on a protein related to uncontrolled cell proliferation – that is, it doesn’t prevent cancer from existing in the first place but attacks the mechanism by which it does harm,’ Xinhua said.

The vaccine, so goes the article, can turn aggressive later-stage lung cancer into a manageable chronic disease by creating antibodies. These antibodies battle it out with the proteins that cause uncontrolled cell proliferation.

The new vaccine can literally be a lifesaver, especially for those showing no signs of improvement from chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

‘The vaccine has already been tested on 1,000 patients in Cuba and is being distributed at hospitals there free of charge. That’s a big deal for a country where smoking is part of the national culture and a leading cause of death. If it proves as successful as researchers say it is, it should give those suffering from lung cancer reason to celebrate – just not with a Cohiba [cigar],’ according to the Xinhua article.

This is a major breakthrough and no doubt a source of hope for many cancer patients.

What I would like to see, though, is for giant pharmaceutical companies to leave the vaccine in the hands of Cuba and not to buy and patent it like it’s theirs – which would raise the cost of the vaccine and dash hopes for many patients.

I just wonder how Cuba can bring this out into the world, beyond its borders, without the giant pharmaceutical companies scrambling to patent or distribute it? If there is a way that Cuba can have its own distribution system so that the rest of the world can benefit from it, that would be great.

These giant pharmaceutical firms, after all, prioritize profits above healthcare.

As for my friend, he is willing to go to Cuba as he fights the cancer cells in his body. Hats off to the island nation for this breakthrough.

"Everything's Going to be Alright."

2011-11-11T06:22:00.000-08:00

Once a while, the push comes to shove and all hell breaks loose. Everything that can go wrong goes wrong and you just wish that you're swallowed into a black hole temporarily and get back to reality only when things get back to normal.

This week is just one of those times. The nanny's passport application is hitting a wall. My external drive just died. The book project, which Jes and I have been working on for months now is NOT turning out the way we want it.

But that's almost ordinary compared to the real wrongs. Let me tell you how many wrongs there are. A friend has been diagnosed with cancer, stage 4. My child is in a shared room in a private hospital. I'm running out of cash. The health insurance won't pay for the bills because I chose a doctor whom I think is good instead of an accredited one. She has rashes all over her face. Her arms are filled with needle marks.

I was in the waiting room of St. Luke's when I got the test results of her blood test. She was there lying on my lap, tired and feeling very sick as I read the numbers. Her white blood cell count plunged to 1,700 from the normal range of 5,000 to 7,000. WTF! For a second, I thought it might be Leukemia. I broke down for five minutes before I got hold of my emotions.

Cruel this thing called motherhood.

BUT...

But Jes said everything's going to be alright. And hearing those assuring words from him puts me in the safest and most comforting place in the universe in these difficult and stressful times. And here we are, back in that place found between the heart of an enigmatic young boy and a paradise of a beach called Puka.

And that's where my goose bumps* come from.

* Goose bumps are the bumps on a person’s skin at the base of body hairs which may involuntarily develop when a person is cold or experiences strong emotions such as fear, nostalgia, pleasure, awe or admiration. They are created when tiny muscles at the base of each hair, known as arrectores pilorum, contract and pull the hair erect. The reflex is started by the sympathetic nervous system,which is responsible for many fight-or-flight responses. Source: Wikipedia (This is from a post by fellow blogger Jeanine Caron. Thank you for the inspiration!).

In the words of Joan Didion

2011-11-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

It is 10 pm. I am here in a shared room at Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City waiting for the little girl to get well. It has now been four days that she has been down with a still unidentified strain. She has rashes all over her face and her arms are filled with needle marks, no thanks to the regular blood tests she needs to take every now and then.

Here I am, dead-tired and sleep-deprived but my mind is just so wide-awake thinking of what went wrong, and where in the world did she get this strain? What did I do? What did I not do?

In times like this, I am reminded of the words of writer Joan Didion: "I don't think it's possible to have children without having a sense that you've failed them. And that's what I kept edging around, in there. You are always failing them, and they are always your ... hostages."

Paano?

2011-11-06T18:05:00.001-08:00

Kapag ang anak ay nababalot ng sakit,
at ang dating sigla ay nawala,

Kapag halos hindi na siya makahinga
dahil ang baga ay puno ng plema,

Kapag wala ng gana kumain
at ang iniinom na gatas ay isinusuka,

Kapag ang mga mata ay mugto at mabigat
at ang katawan ay inaapoy ng lagnat,

Kapag sa magdamag ay hindi siya makatulog
at ang tanging daing ay 'mama, mama,'

Paano ba maging ina?

How to Avoid Burnout

2011-11-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

I found a good piece on how to avoid burnout. Nothing new but things we tend to forget when we're over the top busy. Read and enjoy! And stay cool :-)

Under the Lord's Shadows

2011-11-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Please come to the exhibit of Jes Aznar on November 23, 2011 at Kanto Gallery.

The Masculine and Feminine Psychology of Romantic Love

2011-10-31T23:16:00.000-07:00

A workshop presented by The Carl Jung Circle Center

November 26, 2011/Saturday/9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Explore the dynamics of male-female relationships through the myths of Eros & Psyche and Tristan & Iseult; understand the psychology behind masculine-feminine differences through the insights of Carl Jung plus modern analytical psychologists Robert Johnson and Gareth Hill; and, through introspective learning activities, arrive at new insights and apply them to your own relationships.

Faculty: Joji Racelis & Chato Lozano

Venue: 3 Salcedo Place, Salcedo Village, Makati City

Workshop fee: P2,800.00

Reservations on or before November 18, 2011.

Call 0917-831-7773 or e-mail jungphilippines@yahoo.com.

The Carl Jung Circle Center is an accredited CPE provider of the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP). This workshop is equivalent to 5 points.

artwork from awarenessoftheheart.com

We won!

2011-10-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Philippine Star and to my colleagues from the different newspapers who won. Thank you to EJAP for this Oscar moment! :-)

STAR named Best Business Newspaper
(bags four out of ten awards)

(The Philippine Star) Updated October 27, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine STAR dominated the 20th Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) Inc. Business Journalism Awards, bagging four out of 10 awards given in recognition of outstanding coverage of the different business beats.

EJAP, in cooperation with Globe, announced the winners on Tuesday night during the awarding ceremony held at the Metropolitan Museum, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex in Manila.

The STAR reporters who won included Lawrence Agcaoili (Banking Reporter of the Year), Iris Cecilia Gonzales (Finance Reporter of the Year) and Mary Ann Reyes (Telecoms Reporter of the Year).

The STAR was also named the “Business News Source of the Year” for grabbing the most number of awards in the various categories.

The rest of the winners were: Jennifer Ng, of BusinessMirror for the Agriculture beat; Amy Remo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer for the Energy beat; Darwin Amojelar of theManila Times for the Macroeconomy beat; Jennifer Austria of the Manila Standard Today for the SEC/PSE beat; and Ben Arnold de Vera of the Manila Times for Trade and Industry beat.

The feature article titled “5 years after, NAIA 3 up and running as legal row eases” written by Lenie Lectura of BusinessMirror won the “Best Feature Story of the Year” award.

This year’s judges include Milwida Guevara (president of Synergeia Foundation) who served as head judge, Omar Cruz (chief investment officer of Philam), Consuelo Garcia (ING country manager), Tomas Gomez IV (president of GM Bank of Luzon), Ernesto Pernia (UP economics professor and former ADB economist), Ronald Solis (president of the Philippine Bar Association and former commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission), Arthur Aguilar (president of Global Business Power Corp. and former president of the National Transmission Corp.) and Teresa Habitan (finance assistant secretary).

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. delivered the keynote address.

Punongbayan & Araullo served as the official tabulator of scores for the 20th EJAP Business Journalism Awards.

Each of the winning beat reporters received a trophy and a cash prize of P35,000. The author of the “Feature Story of the Year” received a trophy and a cash prize of P30,000. The winners for each category also received an iPAD2 from Globe. The “Best Business News Source of the Year” received a trophy.

The EJAP Business Journalism Awards, an annual activity, is aimed at promoting excellence in the business journalism industry.

(emphasis mine)

The sun rises in Tawi-tawi

2011-10-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

BONGAO-Tawi-tawi - It was drizzling when we arrived at the airport here one early morning.

Finally, we reached the southernmost tip of the Philippine archipelago. Mindanao, as always, strikes me as enigmatic.

It’s bustling too but way underdeveloped as in many places in the island. At the Chinese Pier, people go about their daily struggle of making a living.

What’s to see here, I will never fully know, much so understand but I will savor the time and the rays of the sun shining from far, far away.

All photos by me via Blackberry

Why aren’t we protecting our children?

2011-10-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

My latest blog on The New Internationalist:

From a basement in Austria to impoverished communities in Asia to convents around the world, child abuse is happening again and again.

In the wee hours of the morning or the dead of night, it goes on and on, over and over.

What can be done? When will it ever stop? Will adults ever realize that we only borrow the world from our children? That the damage brought about by just a single act of child abuse could not be undone?

That each and every act of child abuse is larger than life itself?

In the Philippines, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the government’s statistics agency, recently released the latest figures on child abuse.

The statistics are stark, disturbing, alarming, heinous and telling.

The number of cases of child sexual abuse and child labour handled by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) remained major problems in the country from 2009 to 2010, even as the total number of child abuse cases declined during the period, the state agency said.

In its report, ‘Abused Children’, NSCB said the number of cases handled by the social welfare agency declined from 2009 to 2010 but noted that cases of certain types of abuse have gone up.

Child abuse cases, as defined by the government, are those where the child is ‘abandoned, neglected, sexually abused, sexually exploited, physically abused, maltreated, victims of child labour, victims of illegal recruitment, victims of child trafficking, victims of armed conflict and emotionally abused.’

The number of child abuse cases served by the government went down to 4,749 cases last year from 6,524 cases in 2009.

But the government can’t rest on its laurels just yet.

According to the report, cases of sexual abuse are still the second most common cases handled by the social welfare department, next to neglect and abandonment. These cases accounted for 27.3 per cent in 2010 from 29.6 per cent in 2009.

Despite the Anti-Rape Law of 1997 – the country’s anti-rape legislation – the most common sexual abuse during the period is still rape, followed by incest and acts of lasciviousness.

‘Rape victims are predominantly female – 97.6 per cent in 2009 and 90.5 per cent in 2010. One wonders whether the prohibition under Republic Act 9346 in 2006 of the death penalty originally possible for convicted rape offenders under certain conditions has contributed to this social problem,’ the statistics office said in its report.

Alarming, too is the fact that under types of sexual abuse, the number of incest cases has gone up to 37.5 per cent of total abuse cases in 2010 from 32.9 per cent in 2009.

The problem calls attention to the breakdown of the family as a social institution.

Tracing the roots of the problem, the social welfare department also found out that most sexually exploited children are either victims of prostitution or cyber pornography.

The numbers increased to an alarming 52 per cent and 31.5 per cent last year, respectively from 48.5 per cent and 33.8 per cent in 2009.

Child prostitution cases went up to 66 in 2010 from only 63 in 2009, statistics also showed.

In the area of child labour, the statistics office said there were five cases of child labour in 2009 and this increased to nine cases in 2010.

Some of the victims are only five to 10 years old.

The facts and figures speak for themselves. It’s heart-wrenching, to say the least.

Changing the world, one story at a time.

2011-10-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

Zamboanga International Airport
2 pm

Yeah, beauty queens are right, as journalist and blogger Raissa Robles said. World peace remains a fervent wish for many.

It is 2 pm and I am traveling back to Manila from an assignment in Tawi-tawi. In between flights, I am trying to beat my deadline as a public finance reporter for The Philippine Star.

Today there’s just enough stories to get through the day. Sometimes, there are way too many stories for me to beat the deadline.

A lot of people think what I do is useless. I’ve cried over such impressions and argued against people because I believe otherwise.

I strongly believe that journalists – not all – are doing what they do because they believe they’re making a difference, albeit as tiny as a speck – in this universe. We’d like to believe we’re changing the world, one story at a time. That someday, in somebody’s lifetime, there will be genuine change. World peace, as the cliché goes.

As for me, I write so people will at least remember. More importantly, I write so I myself will not forget. To remember is to be aware and that is the first step in wanting to change something, to try to make a difference in a rotten world.

Who are they to say otherwise?

In any case, it’s who I am and it’s what I do. It’s my life. There will always be people who will look down on my profession, on us. We’re a bunch of corrupt, egoistic, oftentimes messianic and delusional individuals who only care about making money, they say. True. Untrue.

Someone once said journalists only espouse the ideals of capitalism, support the status quo and do not really challenge citizens to think about genuine change.

One at a time, I say to myself. It’s tough, it’s huge, it’s comforting to believe in what I do.

I’ve done many mistakes as a journalist. Huge ones. I’ve cut corners and I’ve been complacent many times. I’ve allowed bad habits to happen.

Just today, I reported that the government allowed Treasury bill rates to rise. Erroneously! On the contrary, the government rejected the bids.

But it’s all part of my life as a journalist. Mistakes happen. I will keep on writing.

I’m young and merely dreaming, a veteran journalist turned PR slash spin-doctor, once said.

That the world will always have its ways, no matter how I try to go against it or no matter how many times I write about it.

That I have to draw the line and distance myself from what I cover so I don’t go crazy.

But that’s the thing. I don’t really mind going mad.

(enroute to Mindanao. On assignment. Photo by Jes Aznar)

The Girl Effect: Giving Young Women a Chance

2011-10-11T20:02:00.001-07:00

Here is my latest blog for The New Internationalist: I invite fellow bloggers to join the Girl Effect blogging campaign.

The Girl Effect Blogging Campaign 2011 officially kicked off on 4 October. The campaign, spearheaded by blogger Tara Mohr, is really all about recognizing the potential of adolescent girls in the developing world.

I found out about the campaign through another blogger, Roxanne Krystalli, and I felt compelled to contribute to it in whatever way I can. For how can I not when I see the need for it within my own country?

There’s no limit to the list of things that could help girls recognize their full potential while at the same time preserving their dignity.

In my part of the world, the lack of access to quality education, especially in impoverished areas, makes it difficult for girls to get out of their desperate situations.

Joining this campaign brought back memories of my trip last year to a far-flung village in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The place is called South Upi, and it is so remote that there is no electricity.

I visited the village last year to blog about how the residents survived the country’s very first automated elections. I met a girl who told me that people there are considered lucky if they can buy themselves even a single piece of underwear. The sad thing is that she’s not exaggerating things. The place is as poor as one can imagine.

^{Girls at school in the Philippines. Photo by Trishhhh under a CC Licence}

‘The lives of the people here are at a standstill,’ I wrote last year for the Think About It global blogging competition. ‘The men spend the whole year toiling kernels of corn in distant farms that are not their own. They earn only once a year, which is during harvest season when they sell their produce to the markets in Cotabato, a province five hours away. This happens only if rodents have not feasted on their crops. The rest of the year they eat whatever vegetables they can harvest. The women while away their time waiting for their men to come home after spending the whole day at the farm. The children of Kuhan, who look half their age from lack of proper nutrition, spend the time playing on the dry earth. They play on wheelbarrows used by their fathers to transport crops. They play on broken benches, sticks and stones, mud and stagnant water. Their laughter reverberates in the air.’

Going back to the Girl Effect blogging campaign, I thought about my South Upi visit because the situation there is a concrete example of how the lack of access to quality education becomes a major source of girls’ inability to get out of poverty.

Girls who are unable to go to school end up prostituted or remain trapped in their situations.

They are forced to work to get their parents out of poverty or because their parents do not have jobs. It’s a cycle of poverty and hopelessness, passed on from one generation to another.

According to statistics from the Girl Effect campaign, 600 million girls live in the developing world and approximately one quarter of them are not in school.

The same statistics shows that an extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10 to 20 per cent.

Indeed, what a good quality education could do! The importance of the girl effect, really, cannot be overemphasized.

When Life Happens

2011-09-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I had those little life plans that kept me company. Those dreams were as varied as my interests. Some were as petty as walking along the Great Wall of China, seeing the South of France, owning a small farm in a province or as huge as living in a foreign country for a year or having an organization that would help save abused children around the world

I had a lot of dreams when I was younger. First, I dreamt of becoming a doctor, an aid worker and then a journalist. As a student, I represented my school in writing contests. Sometimes I earned a place, sometimes none at all but I was always urged to at least try. It was then when I molded dreams of becoming a writer, a newspaper reporter. I dreamt of working for a mainstream newspaper. I wanted to write, write and write. I wanted to write a book someday.

And then I also dreamt of being part of theater, of acting in a play. I also dreamt of painting a mural.

When I traveled to Japan as an exchange student, I fell in love with travel. I dreamt of seeing the world, of knowing other cultures of just feeling the universe around me. I dreamt of drinking wine from a café in Paris or to travel in the countryside of France and see stretches and stretches of vineyards. I dreamt of working in refugee camps, here or abroad.

I dreamt of earning an M.A. after my bachelor’s degree.

I dreamt of having a nice and simple house with a small garden. I dreamt of bringing my parents to a foreign country when they are old. I dreamt of the chance to take care of them when they are old, to ensure that they are okay.

At one point, I dreamt of a solitary life with no children or a life partner to share it with. It was a selfish, undomesticated side of me but I had that at one point when I felt I just wanted to travel and travel around the globe and see the places I read in books. I wanted to see the snows of Kilimanjaro as seen by Ernest Hemingway and I felt that the only way to do it was if I did not have the responsibility of a mother.

BUT LIFE HAPPENS.

You realize that life doesn't always work the way you planned it and along the way, there’s a lot of changes to those dreams.

Here I am, thirty-plus and still dreaming. I have reached some of these dreams and have forgotten they were once part of those little life plans. Some dreams molded in the past may no longer happen because other equally wonderful and life-changing events have happened.

Yep, life happens. The key is to recognize the things I cannot change and to just surrender, to release to the universe the fear, anxiety, resentment and anger and to just take in the magic, the wisdom and the love.

As my child and I would often sing while traveling or just hanging around in the warm little shack we live in, “Que sera, sera (Whatever will be, will be).”

(Salvador Dali, wikipedia)

The Little School with the Big Heart

2011-09-27T07:13:00.001-07:00

Thank you to my Starweek family for publishing this story.

What Gets You Excited?

2011-09-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon the blog of Roxanne Krystalli, a woman with such a gift of soulful words and photographs and the question she posed made me reflect on my own little dreams and everyday excitement; the passion, the love, the elements that put me in a trance, those little details that make my senses feast. What gets you excited? She asked in her latest blog piece, inspired by words from another amazing writer Akhila Kolisetty's post on what gets her excited. I was led from one writer to another and was driven to list my own stuff, the things that ignite me and move me to the core.

Indonesia. By Iris Cecilia Gonzales

I get excited about travel like Soulshine Traveler Meghan Johnson.
I've traveled to more than twenty countries all over the world and I am still yearning to see more. I will forever be grateful to my mom for encouraging me to grab every good chance to travel and fill my room with dolls from all over the world as she did.

Kazakhstan. By Iris Cecilia Gonzales

"That's my favorite," she would show me the doll from Sicily and would always challenge me to go get one from that famed corner of Italy. I haven't been to Sicily and I didn't get to collect dolls from my trips because there was never enough money. I'd often tell myself, souvenirs are for those who cannot remember.

For me, I only have to close my eyes to see in my inner mind's eye the places I've been to. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Kazakhstan remains the best place I've seen.

Traveling, for me is not about earning mileage or taking photos for the pretentious Facebook universe to see. It really is a journey of self-awareness, of discovery, of feeling everything that is foreign, of tasting new dishes and seeing things for the first time as Elizabeth Gilbert did in Eat, Pray, Love.

Portugal. By Diana Lungu

Portugal. By Iris Cecilia Gonzales

As noted travel writer Pico Iyer said, “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in."

I get excited about work
Yes, I get really excited about Mondays because I'll be off to work again after taking a Sunday break. I love my job and don't think I'd trade it for just any other work. Journalism is not just about complying with the daily deadlines and covering the usual stuff. And this is what others never understand no matter how much they try. Some reporters live to beat a deadline. To them, news is commodity, like derivatives traded in the market.

To me, journalism is a way of life. It's drinking with sources or having dinners with them for no particular breaking news. It's about cultivating sources for years and years and trading information with them. It's even being friends with them just so you can get to the bottom of things. It's about getting updated with showbiz news because these are stories that highly powerful and influential people never miss out on.

It's moving beyond the often one-sided stories that PRs and spindoctors dish out to understand the stories better. It's about going with the dirty ways of a beat to understand and be able to penetrate it. It's dealing with crap and getting over it.

I don't salivate over stories just so I have something to submit. What I really, really love about my profession is the ringside view that it gives me. It is the opportunity to record history in a hurry, to see things ordinary citizens will never see and the chance to make these things known to the outside world. I love talking to people especially the brilliant technocrats in government. Brilliance in a world of airheads is rare.

It's not easy and sometimes, I really get exhausted and frustrated. It's an industry of men and women with bloated egos and messianic delusions. It's a Lion's den and is never for the faint of heart but it's where I am truly at home.

I get excited about opportunities to help people
I have no God complex but I believe in maximizing opportunities to help others. I believe in channelling energies to do even the smallest acts of kindness. I believe it is better than just sitting by and watching the world crumble, than just complaining about how f)@cked up the world is or planking to protest the government 's endless follies. I am inspired by people who are genuinely good and altruistic.

Mindanao. By Jes Aznar

I get excited about words
Because I cannot express and articulate my feelings verbally, I am in love with the beauty of words. I am moved by brilliant prose especially by my favorite authors, Truman Capote and Ernest Hemingway and the musings of Anais Nin and the insights from the brilliant gypsies around the world.

www.musicforchameleons.com

I get excited about being with the people who make me happy
Needless to say, I get excited about being with the people who make me happy. You know who you are and so do you.

Cebu. By Baby Pumatong

What gets you excited?
Thank you again to fellow blogger Roxanne for giving me the idea to do this. I don't know her and she doesn't know me but I fell in love with her blog the first time I saw it. Her writing and her photographs are among the stuff that excite me. Thank you for the inspiration. Keep on writing.

From the Carl Jung Circle Center

2011-09-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

THE CARL JUNG CIRCLE CENTER presents a FRIENDS OF JUNG WORKSHOP

EXPLORING THE SELF (BASIC JUNG)

September 23, 24, 30 and October 1, 2011

The Carl Jung Circle Center is an accredited CPE provider of the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP). All seminars, workshops and other CPE activities sponsored by The Carl Jung Circle Center are eligible for CPE points for the PAP. CPE points for this workshop is equal to 20 points.

September 23, 2011/Friday
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Jung, the Psyche, and the Individuation Process. Participants get to “meet Carl Jung” through an orientation on his life and his theories on the psyche and its structure. Didactics and discussions underscore the role and importance of the unconscious process.

1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Hero’s Journey. The hero’s journey is used as a springboard to introduce participants to Jung’s view of psychological growth, which he called the process of individuation.

The Mandala. Participants are introduced to Jung’s favorite way of accessing the unconscious. In the mandala, the unconscious expresses itself in vivid images.

September 24, 2011/Saturday
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
The Archetypes: Persona and Shadow. The inner world is rich, inhabited by patterns of psychic energy which Jung called archetypes. This session introduces the Persona and the Shadow, the first archetypes encountered in the individuation process.

The Archetypes: Anima and Animus. Participants are introduced to one of Jung’s major contributions towards the understanding of the human psyche – the archetypes of Anima, the feminine in the man, and Animus, the masculine in the woman.

1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Archetype of the Feminine. Using a questionnaire based on the work of Jungian analyst Jean Shinoda Bolen, feminine archetypes expressed in life and relationships are explored, discussed and processed.

September 30, 2011/Friday
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Archetype of the Masculine. Using a questionnaire based on the work of Jean Shinoda Bolen, masculine archetypes expressed in life and relationships are explored, discussed and processed.

1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Puer. An archetype that prevails in Filipino culture is introduced, followed by an interesting discussion of the work of Marie Louise von Franz on the Puer.

October 1, 2011/Saturday
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Trickster, Mask Work, and Integration. One gets an understanding of an archetype that is associated with mishaps and challenges in one’s life. The rest of the day is devoted to an active imagination activity to facilitate integration of the four-day workshop.

Faculty: Dr. Dido Gustilo-Villasor, Rose Marie Yenko, Sophie Sim-Bate, Bernie Nepomuceno

Venue: Salcedo Three, Tordesillas St, Salcedo Village, Makati City

Fees: P8, 800.00 (This subsidized fee includes materials and morning snacks but no lunch.)

Payment: 50% downpayment by September 16 to Sophie Bate BDO # 006-448-004-961

Contact: Chato at 0917-8317773

(Not Your Ordinary) Grocery Day

2011-09-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Whenever I can, I plunge at the chance to see some of the little girl's many firsts. Today was one of those days. In between screaming deadlines and merciless projects hovering above my shoulders, I accepted her teacher's request to be one of the parent-drivers for the class field trip, her very first. I stole an hour from work, an hour which happened to be the crunch time for the newspaper, to drive them to Rustan's supermarket in Katipunan.

Yes, it was a simple field trip to the grocery but the kids really enjoyed it. They were such a cute bunch, all revved up with excitement. On any given day, I would skip the chance to go the grocery. I only do when there's nothing more left in the fridge except the smell of an empty fridge.

But I had a fun time today. Seeing the little girl so happy made the trip all worth the I-might-miss-the-deadline-induced stress. She was so happy to have her mom as one of the parent-drivers. It was also her very first field trip and she could not contain her enthusiasm. I was not able to eat my lunch because the time ticked like a bomb but hearing the little kids' laughter and cheers of excitement was all worth the effort.

Thank you Class 4's and 5's!

(Photos by me except the first one, taken by teacher Christy)

Life Without Television

2011-09-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

In a corner of the shack I live in, I have a small flat screen television that is rarely used. A few months ago, I decided to do my child a favor by removing television from her life, our lives. For a Filipino household, I know it's really weird to be doing this. My mother, a television junkie, has repeatedly questioned my decision and has offered to pay for my cable subscription fee.

This is actually the first time I went without television although I was never a junkie. I enjoyed shows like Nam: Tour of Duty, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing but I was never addicted. In the home of my childhood days, there was a television in every room. And when I moved out of the family home, the housemate I lived with subscribed to not one but two cable service providers when I moved in. Either he loved television that much or he just wanted to make sure there was no dead air. (LOL)

Seriously, I'm really happy to finally get television out of my child's life. And even out of my life. I strongly advice it to parents and to those yearning to get more out of life. My child and I have bonded better without the tv, which in the past became her virtual nanny. It has also spared her from developing a consumer mentality derived largely from the loads of tv commercials.

It's true what they say, television tends to shift brain activities from beta waves to alpha waves, which results in lower consciousness.

"On television we see shows, serials and movies that appeal to conscious lowering emotions such as fear, anger and desire rather than to consciousness raising emotions that would lead us to reflect and question things," according an article posted on the Personal Development Blog.

And of course, anybody who wants to have a strong case against television only needs to remember the name: Willie Revillame.

Below is an article discussing the benefits of life without television:

Some Benefits of Life Without Television

(from the wisdomandfolly blog) by Jim and Amy Spiegel

For our entire married life (11 years), Amy and I have not had television (in the sense that we don’t receive channels, though we do watch DVDs and videos). Occasionally we are asked about our reasons for making this choice, so I thought it would be a good idea to actually compile a list of some of the benefits of TV abstinence. So here is a list—by no means exhaustive—of some of the major benefits of life without TV.

1. Avoidance of commercials and the fueling of the consumer mentality — It’s all about the sponsors, as we all know. And to watch a TV show is to be bombarded with constant pitches for products one neither needs nor, properly, desires. Even the most circumspect person cannot help but be impacted by this.

2. Better stewardship of time — Amy and I spend much less time watching shows because we only view the DVDs and videos we plan ahead of time to view. We don’t end up watching shows that we didn’t want to watch (which, strange as it sounds, is a common phenomenon among viewers). Without TV, relative to my life before, I virtually have a 27-hour day, so I can get more accomplished with family time, reading, and creative projects.

3. Protection of children — Our kids are not exposed to inappropriate images, language, and lifestyle choices which even find their way into “innocent” shows (e.g. foul language, disrespectful attitudes, undermining of authority, the normalization of premarital sex and homosexuality, etc.). Of course, in our culture it is impossible to perfectly shield one’s kids from some of these influences, but without TV there is a dramatic reduction in this exposure.

4. Avoidance of narcissism, bad ethics, and poor reasoning — Whether it is sitcoms, reality TV shows, or even news programs, the me-first mentality is ubiquitous in television land. And from what I’ve seen of such shows as Friends and Survivor, the moral-decision making and logical thinking skills are rather suspect. Let’s just say that, as a Philosophy professor, I always know where to find vivid illustrations of moral vices and logical fallacies. So thank you for that much, Mr. Television.

5. Enhancement of aesthetic sense — Most television shows are just not very good from an aesthetic standpoint. A rare exception is The Simpsons, at least in previous seasons which I sometimes watch it via Netflix—so I can’t speak to how strong the show is currently. But generally speaking, constant exposure to television injures one’s aesthetic sensibility. Occasionally we hear someone recommend a show to us as “one of the best on television” (e.g. Lost, 24, Arrested Development, etc.). Invariably, when we take time to check them out, we are disappointed. To say a show is one of TV’s best is, well, damning with faint praise.

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2011-09-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

There's no point to any of this. It's all just a... a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes. So I take pleasure in the details. You know... a Quarter-Pounder with cheese, those are good, the sky about ten minutes before it starts to rain, the moment where your laughter become a cackle... and I, I sit back and I smoke my Camel Straights and I ride my own melt. - Troy Dyer, Reality Bites

Life isn't perfect but there are many perfect moments. There are so many things to be thankful for. You know when it's a perfect day. You feel it in every piece of you. You remember everything. You savor the details and the taste lingers in your mouth, like a shot of single malt whisky.

Last Monday was one of those days. I went shopping for an electric fan even if the most important person in my beat was giving a speech at the House of Representatives. I didn't mind. It's been an exhausting week before that so for a change, Jes and I just wanted a quiet and perfect time, away from all the chatter and the noise. And what a perfect day we had just bumming around.

Today is another good day. Feeling sick and tired after a frustrating coverage out of town, I slumped into the comfort of my bed. I asked the househelp to prepare soup and a hot cup of calamansi juice. I was feeling so weak but the exhaustion disappeared when my little girl gave me a massage. It's true what they say, your child will love you unconditionally.

This is the part I like best about being a single mom -- the chores, duties and responsibilities are double but so is the immense joy. She and I -- we're quite a good team. She knows just exactly when to give that hug, that warm embrace or to ask how things are.

These are the little things in my life that I would never trade for anything else. In between chasing stories, writing a book, keeping a blog for a London-based publication, traveling around the world for assignments -- his and mine -- I try to be a mom. It's not easy and I've had my outbursts and big sighs of frustration but again and again and again, I try. I try with enough love.

Such are the details that put meaning in my life. And I take pleasure in each and every detail, like enjoying a kaleidoscope of colors in a giant canvas. There are of course monster days in between the perfect ones because as Troy Dyer said, "life's a random lottery of meaningless tragedy." The key is to treasure the details; to cherish the good ones, to find delight in every sorrow; to be shaken, to learn, to take that leap of faith and to embrace life's uncertainties with enough love. As Tuesdays with Morrie said, "love always wins."

And that after all is what it means to be human.

'Like a Cage Without a Key'

2011-09-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

My latest blog on The New Internationalist:

‘That’s the thing about depression: a human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end. The fog is like a cage without a key.’ - Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation

Photo by Ernest Duffoo under a CC Licence

Writer Wurtzel, in her triumphant memoir about her own journey through depression, could not have said it any better. ‘Every person who has experienced a severe depression has his own sad, awful tale to tell, his own mess to live through. Sadly, Kurt Cobain will never get that far. Every day, I thank God that I did.’

From the 13th floor of a posh five-star hotel in Manila, the Philippine capital, my cousin jumped to her death one hot Saturday afternoon, a few years ago.

She would have been one of the country’s best lawyers. It was just less than a month since she passed the Bar Exams, among the few brilliant ones who did. She was a writer and a lover of life, a jolly and vibrant young woman. She received the best education and had a loving family. She travelled around the world and went to places others could only dream of.

Indeed, she had such a bright future ahead of her. But a bout with depression, aggravated by the ill effects of anti-depressants, failed to bring her out of the tunnel.

She got stuck until there was nowhere else to go. The day she decided to pull the plug on this thing called life, my cousin bade her loved ones goodbye. She simply could not take it anymore.

In seconds, her body crashed into the cold pavement – hard, cruel and lifeless. It simply could not be undone. It was the end.

I remember her story as the Philippines joined the world in the observance of World Suicide Prevention Day last Friday, 9 September.

I would guess that every mother and father who has lost a loved one to suicide knows that it is tied to depression. Depression is serious. It is not a disease but a condition that needs profound understanding, genuine love and compassion.

Improper medication can worsen the problem, says Frances Lim of the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, a non-government organization established in the Philippines in 2007. I interviewed Frances on the sidelines of a forum about depression and mental health as part of the observation of World Suicide Prevention Day. The Foundation was named after Natasha, Frances’ niece and a successful young woman, who in 2005 committed suicide because of depression.

Frances said it is important to raise awareness of depression and what interventions are needed so that it does not lead to suicide, and so that it may be addressed.

It has been years since Natasha’s death and the Goulbourn family has persevered in turning their tragedy into a crusade to help other families.

My cousin is buried in the middle of a grassy field in a quiet cemetery. It is a place away from all the noise, the chatter, the nuisances, the stress, the pain and the troubled world outside its walls. Sadly, it was, for her, the only way out of the fog. But her story is completely her own. As Wurtzel said, depression strikes down deep. People going through it have their own tales to tell, their battles to fight. I can only hope that they will put up a good fight and not stay there. But reality is stark and telling. I know that as I write this, someone is holding a gun to his head or popping an overdose of drugs into her mouth. It can’t be undone.

The Things I Take for Granted

2011-09-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

A recent visit to a women's correctional institute moved me to the core.

A mother I interviewed has not seen her seven children for more than 600 days now. I think of my own child and the countless times I ignored her tug, choosing instead to write, to read or to simply steal a few hours of sleep.

They have not been with their parents, families, siblings. I keep ignoring my mother's pleas for attention. They have played with fire to bring food on the table. They have dealt with drug syndicates to earn a living. They have murdered. They have robbed. They have stolen money just to bring home something for dinner to their families. I splurge on unnecessary stuff.

They would trade anything to be with their beloved, even for just a few seconds. I would waste hours fighting with the love of my life on bad days. And for that I am sincerely and profoundly sorry. (His eyes are rolling right now as he is reading this. He is sighing in frustration, I can almost hear it).

I complain a lot. I get mad at people. I whine. I can be so demanding. I can be such a brat. I go ballistic. These sentenced criminals let out their kindest smiles, even to a stranger like me. They live a difficult life, as difficult as the person that I am.

I am in awe of their resilience and strength.

Remembering Paris (and the bus ride to Italy)

2011-09-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

I received a postcard from Paris and memories of the enchanting French capital just came pouring back. I visited Paris in 2004 but I can still see in my inner mind's eye the breathtaking beauty of the place.

Everything is a feast for the senses -- from its "good food, beautiful buildings and different way of life," as my cousin wrote in her postcard. Below is the travelogue I wrote during my visit.

(BusinessWorld Weekender, 2004)

PARIS, France - It was the best ride of a lifetime, a bus trip second to none.

Most tourists take the plane or the train, but at some point one has to be different and take the road not yet taken - at least in exotic Paris wanting to see historic Rome and to experience the sweetness of life it promises.

It was not the most convenient way to travel from France to Italy, but it was the best way to see Europe.

The ride started in Paris, a city one seems never to get enough of.

There is just too much for the senses to absorb.

There are two ways to experience Paris on a weekend, through a tour bus or through the metro - the practical choice. There is no complication in the Paris underground with all the signs on the train and the stations.

An early morning trip to the Eiffel Tower, Paris's famous landmark, is a must to avoid the hordes of tourists who want to get a glimpse of the man-made marvel.

The tower, an immense iron structure built in 1887, never fails to impress those looking for magic. The view from the top is as majestic as taking the picture of the first morning of spring.

There's so much to see, for the eye to transmit to the brain - buildings, bridges, and the churches seem to metamorphose into a collage of fine architecture that extends out to the horizon.

An observatory, situated on the first level of the tower, 189 feet from the ground, provides people a venue to study what seems to be a living iron structure because of the movement of its high point.

Then there is the second level (379 feet and eight inches above ground) where one digests a view of the cityscape. On the third level (905 feet and 11 inches above ground), the air gets colder and the breeze crisper.

Day or night, Paris comes alive from this towering height. For those who want to listen to side stories, it was on this level where Gustave Eiffel welcomed Thomas Edison in his office.

Then there's the Louvre, which has lately become a point of pilgrimage for people who read and were convinced of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. Seeing the Mona Lisa and trying to decipher the supposed mysteries behind the painting has become an attraction of the Grand Louvre.

The more than 15,000 visitors who come to the museum has become a mix of art lovers and mystery fanatics.

Not far from the Louvre is the Notre Dame cathedral, a Parisian treasure that inspired Victor Hugo to pen the story of the gentle and kind Quasimodo, whose crime was to have been born deformed but whose heart proved to be a thing of rare beauty when he saved the beautiful Esmerelda.

For those with cash and a high credit limit, business blends well with culture in Paris to feast on fashion and haute couture. While one can feed vanity with designer clothes, one can also feed the soul with the finest of art, music, and literature.

At the Shakespeare and Co. bookshop, for instance, there was Pablo Neruda idly sitting with Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Truman Capote on the wooden shelves, while the bookkeeper, a guy from Dublin, played Mozart, serenading lovers of books and wisdom, only to drop the violin to press the cash register.

Then there's the food at cafes where everything was as French as the French. People come for much more than a glass of red wine.

Then it was time to board the bus to another land of magic and adventure.

It was 5 p.m. and the sky was as clear as the surrounding countryside of rolling hills, old villas and vineyards. There was no stopping sleep from opening one's mind to dream of other places, of the homeland, and of what awaits at the end of the journey.

The horizon seemed so near as the bright orange ball started to set somewhere beyond one's reach. The other pilgrims started to doze off as the bus crossed into Italy in the middle of the night.

At dawn, the weary travellers reached Bologna in Italy. The city is refreshing with its seemingly monotonous but admirable architecture. The marbled pavements make walking a welcome respite.

Piazza Maggiore, a wide pedestrian square surrounded by the city's medieval and renaissance buildings, bustles with tourists and merchants.

But there was no time to explore its secrets.

The journey must go on. One has to move forward into Florence then Milan, with its cobbled stones, age-old buildings, and churches. Yes, there are churches everywhere.

"Milan is a city like no other in Italy," a fellow bus passenger said. Milan is quintessentially Italian. People visit the church of Sta. Maria delle Grazie not necessarily as devout believers but to wonder at the beauty of the place as merchants hawk bags and leather products they claim to be "Italian" on street corners and parks. Milan is the starting point for a sojourn to Venice.

The main destination, however, is further ahead - Rome. Rome, the eternal city, is the end of a long cross-country bus trip and the beginning of a new adventure.

Seeing for the first time the eternal city was beyond what was expected. Roma, non basta una vita (Rome, a lifetime isn't enough) is more than accurate. The monuments, churches, palazzis, bridges and fountains built and designed by Michelangelo and Bernini capture the sight.

Curiosity, awe and faith follow, especially after a walk around the Vatican. The bus or train are options, but there seems to be no better alternative to walking at the seat of Roman Catholicism.

A day is not enough, maybe even a lifetime, to contemplate the beauty and mystery of a city, the smallest independent state and the seat of a religion whose faithful count hundreds of millions worldwide.

Piazza San Pietro is a masterpiece. In the middle is Bernini's square, a melting pot of pilgrims and a haven of tourists. At least 140 statues of saints sit on two semicircular colonnades, which are made up of four rows of columns.

Saint Peter's Basilica was a work of art that holds a vast collection of treasures. One can also spend the whole day under Michelangelo's dome, an architectural gem that soars 119 meters above the altar.

It was a rare moment to be in the Vatican during the Pope's birthday. Thousands of people, not everybody necessarily Christian, gathered at the Basilica, unmindful of the heat of noon. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many to see the Pope, listen to his message and even raise a rosary or two to be blessed by the Pontiff.

Like any other city where culture, religion and commerce coexist, the city center, surrounded by relics of ancient glory, is a paradise to walk around for hours.

How can one describe the fountain of Trevi, a crowd-drawer, without plagiarizing the best of writers who once might have been enamored by its history? The high-baroque fountain was built in 1732. Aside from its aesthetic value, is the belief that if one tosses a coin into the fountain, a return trip to Rome is assured - if not by faith in the ancient gods or the intercession of Christian saints, then by the accumulated mileage from foreign trips.

The Colosseum is a must-see. The structure that is supposed to seat more than 50,000 spectators to watch gladiators. Its outer walls have three levels of arches and columns.

Then there's Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the patriarchal basilicas, which was built in the fifth century. The main facade stands out in the evening because of its light effects.

Going around Rome would not be complete without a visit to Piazza de Spagna, site of the Spanish Steps. It has become a gathering place for visitors and a meeting place for Filipino domestic helpers during their free time to exchange news from back home. The structures at the piazza were built in 1725 and the Steps were named after the Spanish claim of the area, especially when it built its embassy there.

Ironically, the Steps, which are decorated with pink and red flowers in April and May, lead to a French church.

After all the walking and like any first time visitor to a foreign land, one ends up looking for a place to eat and shop. There's no lack of shopping area in Rome - stylish clothes, shoes, leather items, bags, silk, shawls, knives, religious souvenirs like rosaries, prayer booklets, paintings, and porcelain.

And one cannot leave Italy without trying the pasta and the pizza, so they say. For dessert, there is the gelato, an ice cream Filipinos in Rome are fond of.

There is so much that Rome has to offer, from food and wine to churches and fountains, the la dolce vita (the sweet life) experience in the eternal city.

It was the best ride of a lifetime. It was a trip second to none. It was a moment in life when one made a difference, going through the road not taken - be it by bus or train.

Of Pink curtains, Teddy Bears and Women Drug Dealers

2011-09-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

DAVAO - Rock-and-roll songs blare from the loudspeakers. The band plays deafening music but this is not enough to drown out the feeling of deep, profound sadness that pervades the air.

It is a sadness that tries to hide behind Pink curtains and brown teddy bears, or life size Hello Kitties and longhaired dolls that fill the different bunk beds in this prison institution for some 1,000 female inmates.

Julie is 47 years old. She has seven children but unless they visit her, there is no way she will see, hug or kiss them or simply ask how they have been. She is serving a life sentence for being caught in possession of illegal drugs.

She says she just happened to be in the same car with the friend who was responsible for the drugs. It was one cold night, nine years ago. She recalls that fateful day with ease but her voice shakes when I ask about her children.

She gazes far away in silence.

She is on her bed. I am seated across her.

Rosanna, another inmate, walks toward us to listen. Her smile fades as she hears Julie talk about her children.

Rosanna’s story is stranger than fiction. A judge sentenced her, her husband and her three sons for murder. Her husband died in jail. Like her, her three sons are still serving their respective prison terms. She insists she is innocent. Rosanna is 63 years old.

Her eyes could not conceal the pain.

Rosanna and Julie are only two of the brave and resilient women serving prison terms at the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) here at the Davao Penal Colony.

The institution is different from other prison facilities in the Philippines that I have visited. I have seen a hell-like place where inmates are cramped like sardines in a rusty can and one that smells of trash and human waste.

Nestled right in the middle of 6,000 hectares of Banana plantation, the CIW looks more like a university than a prison. One will notice the little red flowers and green plants that surround the facility more than the piercing barbed wires.

The rooms are clean and the bunk beds are neatly arranged. There are bed curtains of different colors and designs and bundles of stuff toys, dolls and trinkets on most of the beds. And today, the inmates have prepared a program to welcome some visitors from Manila.

Yet, as in other prison facilities, there is that same sadness and profound pain that lingers, that never goes away.

There is that longing for home, a desperate wish to be able to press a reverse button, to be anywhere but here.

I am in awe of their strength and resilience, of how they struggle to survive. It reverberates louder than the music playing on the background as I walk out of the prison compound.

Ten Rules for Brilliant Women

2011-09-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

I found this on the blog of Tara Mohr, an inspiring woman.

Here are ten principles for owning your brilliance and bringing it to the world:

1. Make a pact. No one else is going to build the life you want for you. No one else will even be able to completely understand it. The most amazing souls will show up to cheer you on along the way, but this is your game. Make a pact to be in it with yourself for the long haul, as your own supportive friend at every step along the way.

2. Imagine it. What does a knock-the-ball-out-of-the-park life look like for you? What is the career that seems so incredible you think it’s almost criminal to have it? What is the dream you don’t allow yourself to even consider because it seems too unrealistic, frivolous, or insane? Start envisioning it. That’s the beginning of having it.

3. Gasp. Start doing things that make you gasp and get the adrenalin flowing. Ask yourself, “What’s the gasp-level action here?” Your fears and a tough inner critic will chatter in your head. That’s normal, and just fine. When you hear that repetitive, irrational, mean inner critic, name it for what it is, and remember, it’s just a fearful liar, trying to protect you from any real or seeming risks. Go for the gasps and learn how false your inner critic’s narrative really is, and how conquerable your fears.

4. Get a thick skin. If you take risks, sometimes you’ll get a standing ovation, and sometimes, people will throw tomatoes. Can you think of any leader or innovator whom you admire who doesn’t have enthusiastic fans and harsh critics? Get used to wins and losses, praise and pans, getting a call back and being ignored. Work on letting go of needing to be liked and needing to be universally known as “a nice person.”

5. Be an arrogant idiot. Of course I know you won’t, because you never could. But please, just be a little more of an arrogant idiot. You know those guys around the office who share their opinions without thinking, who rally everyone around their big, (often unformed) ideas? Be more like them. Even if just a bit. You can afford to move a few inches in that direction.

6. Question the voice that says “I’m not ready yet.” I know, I know. Because you are so brilliant and have such high standards, you see every way that you could be more qualified. You notice every part of your idea that is not perfected yet. While you are waiting to be ready, gathering more experience, sitting on your ideas, our friends referenced in rule five are being anointed

7. Don’t wait for your Oscar. Don’t wait to be praised, anointed, or validated. Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to lead. Don’t wait for someone to invite you to share your voice. No one is going to discover you. (Well, actually, they will, but paradoxically, only after you’ve started boldly and consistently stepping into leadership, sharing your voice, and doing things that scare the hell out of you.)

8. Filter advice. Most brilliant women are humble and open to guidance. We want to gather feedback and advice. Fine, but recognize that some people won’t understand what you are up to (often because you are saying something new and ahead of your time). Some people will find you to be not their cup of tea. Some will feel threatened. Some people will want to do with your idea only what is interesting or helpful to them. So interpret feedback carefully. Test advice and evaluate the results, rather than following it wholesale.

9. Recover and restore. If you start doing the things that make you gasp, doing what you don’t quite feel ready to do, and being more of an arrogant idiot, you are going to be stretching out of our comfort zone–a lot. Regularly do things that feel safe, cozy, and restorative. Vent to friends when you need to. Acknowledge the steps you’ve taken. Watch your tank to see how much risk-taking juice you have available to you. When it’s running low, stop, recover and restore.

10. Let other women know they are brilliant. Let them know what kind of brilliance you see, and why it’s so special. Call them into greater leadership and action. Let them know that they are ready. Watch out for that subtle, probably unconscious thought, “because I had to struggle and suffer on my way up…they should have to too.” Watch out for thinking this will “take” too much time – when the truth is it always has huge, often unexpected returns.

Gypsy Girls and a quiet morning

2011-09-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

I like it quiet in the mornings. I have this very sacred space and time (an hour, a few minutes or just a few seconds) which is just before the duchess in my little kingdom wakes up and rocks my world yet again. It's my daily ME time.

It's the time I use to think and ponder how my day went and to plan how today will go. (How many stories do I write today? What errands have yet to be completed? I have to visit my mom! Should I go for a massage?).

Today, I used the time reading Gypsy Girls, an entirely new and fascinating world I found on the blogroll of Allison Hales, a fellow traveler I met in cyberspace and I am so thankful to discover such an inspiring and amazing space. The stories are real, poignant, mundane and as human as as can be.

Read their Gypsy Girls' manifesto and be inspired!

But Despite the Pain...

2011-09-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

It is 10:52 pm and I am waiting at the airport, exhausted and still in pain. I thought of how my day went and the pain that just kept stinging through the hours. I realized that today, as in some days, I failed to realize that despite the pain, I'm still lucky. I was still able to do the things that I wake up for, I live for. I did origami with my little girl, chased the news and beat the deadline. The doctor told me my condition should improve in a week's time. I'm still lucky it's not a matter of life and death.

Yes, sometimes when it's just too painful, I simply forget to take it easy.

Pain is a Four-letter Word

2011-09-08T02:16:00.000-07:00

I can't eat properly, can barely smile and hell, I can't even sleep well. Either I've had too much domestic travel lately or I just miss trotting around the globe.

Whatever it is, I'm in pain. Physical pain, that is. There's a scientific term for this disorder but I'll skip the introduction. The bottom line is it's irritating, difficult and frustrating. I went to visit the doctor today and he said, it's usually stress-related which I suspect was aggravated by too much air pressure.

Or whatever.

I have very low threshold for physical pain so more than anything right now, I really would like an anesthesia -- a strong one that would deaden the pain. I'd like something like the one I had four years ago when I gave birth to a gorgeous little rockstar and disappeared into an abyss of numbness, a Neverland, a utopia of sort.

I'll take the shot now, please.

(photo from medicalook.com)

No Fairytale: The Story of the Philippines

2011-09-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

My latest blog for The New Internationalist:

There once was a man whose charm and wit made him king.

He was gallant and brilliant and as a grand as a king could be. None of the rulers that came before him captured the hearts of the people as much as he did.

He wore a golden crown that covered his sleek hair. He stood with valour and spoke with eloquence and charmed even little girls in knee-length socks and pink pigtails.

He promised the kingdom of 80 million people that all would be good, their lives would be great and food would be aplenty.

But lo and behold, the opposite happened. The king stole everything that he could.

He emptied the coffers and pocketed the treasures. He and his queen, with their dukes and duchess, poured everything into their fortress, much more than they would ever need. The queen had 3,000 pairs of shoes, as varied as the glitter that came with each pair.

^{Photo: Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos by The Wandering Angel under a CC Licence}

For 20 years, the bright lights in their castle glistened through the vastness of the land while the rest of the people starved and suffered.

Nobody was allowed to question authority and those who did disappeared in the dead of night. Many were never seen again. Fear reigned in the hearts of many. The town criers went from one town to another in hushed whispers.

Years passed in this God-forsaken land.

Eventually, the king died. The lights went off. The extravagant queen was stripped of power and the fortress was returned to the people.

The kingdom rejoiced and hopes reverberated high in the air.

But new rulers reigned and nothing much changed.

They came, they ruled and they promised. Some succeeded for a while but the excesses of the past were too difficult to fix.

Now 25 years later, the kingdom is no better than it had been before.

Everyone promised that things would be better.

But things only went from bad to worse, especially when a red queen came into power along with her greedy fat king.

^{Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by the World Economic Forum under a CC Licence}

All hopes were dashed as the queen and king stole from the people as much as they could.
Their greed was on a par with that of the dead king.

The red queen lied and deceived so that she could stay in power.

Nine years after, the excesses of her reign are being told and re-told. She misused funds for the kingdom’s military and the police force, one town crier said. She pocketed funds for rice, coffee and schools. She took away the budgets for charity and hospitals. She spawned wars to make money from armaments. She supported warlords outside her fortress.

Her king accumulated the equivalent of million-dollar properties in other kingdoms using taxpayers’ money. He coddled smugglers so his queen could keep her throne. He sold second-hand horse-drawn carriages to the kingdom’s warriors and earned from it.

They stole and they stole until there was nothing more to plunder.

^{Where is the red queen (Gloria Arroyo)? by bingbing under a CC Licence}

The kingdom became as poor as before. Some people fled to faraway lands to find gainful opportunities. Others stayed on to fight corruption.

Whistleblowers and town-criers decided it was time to speak out.

Evil caught up with the others, who saw no other recourse but to take away their own lives.
Here now is a prince who has promised to change all of this. He was given the throne and the one chance to change what the kingdom has become.

He promised an end to corruption and greed.

The people will again wait, as patiently as before, hoping against hope that the kingdom no longer belongs to the abusive and the corrupt.

But the work of rebuilding is tedious and tough. There is nothing more to plunder in what is now a bare and barren kingdom. There is only bedlam and empty coffers and heart-wrenching hunger.

Legislative War Declared On Abusive GOCCs – Will It Succeed?

2011-09-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

My latest project for the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project:

During last September’s Senate hearings, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) officials revealed that they received 25-month bonuses apart from their salaries. One official earned PhP 4 million (USD 95,238) in 2009 alone.

The bonuses include an anniversary bonus, mid-year financial assistance, yearend financial assistance, productivity bonus, performance bonus, educational assistance, rate-rebasing bonus, privatization bonus, efficiency incentive, performance enhancement bonus, corporate Christmas package, traditional Christmas package, calamity financial assistance, scholarship allowance, and family week allowance, among others.

This is in clear violation of a memorandum order issued by the previous administration, which limits the salaries of government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) executives to twice that of Cabinet secretaries.

Because of this, President Benigno Aquino III successfully pushed the approval of the new GOCC law in June to support his war on corruption.

In an interview with the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP), Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the new GOCC law (Republic Act 10149 or the GOCC Governance Act) aims to give the government more powers to control them. “We will have more discipline and better management of GOCCs,” he said.

The Finance chief believes that it is better to monetize the assets of some GOCCs and rationalize their operations especially those that are not operating very well. GOCCs have served as milking cows of different administrations, according to Purisima.

For instance, he cited the case of the National Food Authority (NFA) which has been a huge thorn in government’s side. The Aquino administration has been trying to find ways on how to address the money-losing operations of such agencies.

Citing data from the Department of Finance, Purisima said the liabilities of NFA have risen to PhP 171 billion (USD 4 billion) as of end-May 2010 from only PhP 28 billion (USD 666 million) in 2003.

Because of the problem of the NFA, the government is also looking at expanding the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program so that it would target those who cannot afford to buy rice at prevailing market prices.

From January to June last year, total subsidies which the government provided the NFA reached to PhP 7.466 billion (USD 178 million), half of the average amount of subsidies given to state-owned firms yearly.

Now, Purisima says, the government is committed to reviewing the performance of more than 150 GOCCs and government financial institutions (GFIs) including the NFA.

Even multilateral agencies have recommended the abolition of some GOCCs to end the drain on state coffers, said Finance Undersecretary Jeremias Paul Jr. in a separate interview with PPTRP.

So far, DOF studies show that more than 150 GOCCs and GFIs were either underperforming or losing money.

The landmark GOCC law aims to give the government greater control over GOCCs and makes their operations more transparent.

Governance commission

True to the spirit of Aquino’s promise of a “daang matuwid” (straight path) or corruption-free governance, the new law also aims to put an end to the culture of patronage in government.

As such, the law puts in place a governance commission for GOCCs. The commission will have the authority to reorganize, merge, streamline, privatize or abolish state-owned agencies.

Appointees in GOCC positions would also be carefully screened to ensure that they will perform well and not waste government resources.

They will also be regularly monitored and evaluated based on their performance.

Yet as with any reform measure, the law has been questioned.

House Minority Leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman has filed a petition before the Supreme Court, questioning the legality of the measure. He said that while “scandalously huge salaries, allowances and perks of some GOCCs should not be tolerated and must be rectified, it cannot be righted by another wrong.”

In a petition filed before the Supreme Court, Lagman said the law violates the security of tenure of civil servants and that it gives “undue delegation and utter abdication of legislative powers, and supplants the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission through the creation of the Governance Commission.”

To put it simply, Lagman believes the law interferes with the mandate of the Civil Service Commission.

Lagman also asked that respondent Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr. be prevented from enforcing the law and that Budget Secretary Florencio Abad be restrained from releasing funds for the implementation of the law.

Lagman claims that the Aquino administration railroaded the approval of the law in order to create vacancies in certain GOCCs. He believes that the administration wants to accommodate election losers and put them in certain positions in some GOCCs.

Harmonizing issues

On the other hand, the new chief of the Social Security System (SSS) believes that the law is a welcome measure and would help in managing GOCCs.

“The new law will harmonize all of the issues and provide standards for compensation,” says SSS president and chief executive officer Emilio De Quiros, Jr. Former SSS president and chief executive officer Romulo Neri has been the subject of a tax evasion case filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for not paying taxes for the bonuses and hefty perks he received while he was at the helm of the state-owned pension fund.

Neri, the BIR alleged, under-declared his income including allowances and bonuses from different corporations for taxable years 2008 and 2009. According to the BIR, Neri earned a total taxable income of PhP 11.35 million (USD 270,238) in 2008 and PhP 34.2 million (USD 814,286) in 2009 in his capacity as SSS president and nominee to the Board of Directors of Philex Mining Corporation and Union Bank of the Philippines.

Computations made by the BIR show that Neri under declared his income by PhP 9.9 million (USD 235,714) or by 88.08 percent in 2008 and PhP 18.8 million (USD 447,619) or by 54.92 percent in 2009, resulting in a tax deficiency of PhP 6.3 million (USD 150,000) in 2008 and PhP 12 million (USD 285,714) in 2009. If correct, this would bring Neri's total estimated tax liability for 2008 and 2009 to PhP 18.3 million (USD 435,714).

The amount includes surcharges and interests, the figures show.

Neri was one of SSS executives who were the subject of a Senate inquiry after it became public that they received excessive bonuses and allowances including the exercise of stock options of more than PhP 127 million (USD 3 million) as board members of Philex from 2007 to 2010.

The case is still ongoing but the Department of Justice has filed probable cause to sue Neri for tax evasion.

SSS’ De Quiros said that to avoid what has happened in the past, the new administration is careful in dealing with the perks and stock options of its board members and officials.

He said the current administration abides by what is in the SSS Charter and would strongly adhere to the new GOCC law.

Whether or not the new law would prevent officials and employees from pocketing government resources still remains to be seen.

But hopes remain high among the Filipino public that President Aquino will stay true to his promise of constructing and leading a corruption-free government.

Notes from a Port

2011-08-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

Under the scorching heat of the noonday sun, by the edge of the wooden planks of a small but bustling private port here in the outskirts of a Southern Philippine province, a man named Allan sits in exhaustion.

He is wearing a khaki long-sleeved shirt to protect his already roasted skin from the heat. A thick navy blue bonnet covers his head.

The port is in chaos. A hulking black cargo vessel from Japan has just docked. It is filled with 6,000 metric tons of ammonium sulfate, a type of inorganic salt used as raw material for agricultural fertilizer.

Allan and twenty other men are taking turns unloading the mountain of white-colored salt. It will take two days to empty the vessel. There is barely time to rest. The giant cranes are working nonstop.

The men are scattered all over. Some operate the rusty ship-to-shore cranes. Others are in charge of the conveyor. The rest supervise the unloading.

As this is happening, with the sea breeze blowing in all directions, the smallest salt particles fill the air. It is luxury to be able to breathe in this condition but Allan and his fellow port workers are enduring the suffocating environment.

The vessel, after all, is only the second ship to arrive this month. When there is no ship, Allan and the rest of the gang are jobless.

They are after all contractual workers, at the beck and call of the company that hires them only when goods arrive.

“If there is no vessel, we don’t have a job,” Allan tells me, squinting his eyes as the glare of the sun becomes unbearable.

Allan says they don’t have much choice because with no educational attainment, they cannot easily find other jobs.

Port workers like Allan live with the harsh working conditions.

In this port, the dangers are clear and prevalent. One slip of the heavy towering cranes could lead to the deaths of many. A malfunction in the labyrinth of rusty metal machines can lead to a short circuit or worst, an explosion.

The air is filled with soot-like particles.

The pay isn’t good, too. They are given 160 pesos for eight hours or almost 4 dollars at the current exchange rate.

Those who have the skills and knowledge to operate the machines are given 550 pesos or roughly 12 dollars.

It’s a tough job but Allan and his fellow workers take it.

It’s the same old story in many other parts in the Philippines where laborers are exploited as desperate living conditions force them to settle for meager pay.

In economic zones all over the country, giant multinational firms are given five-year income tax holidays and the cost of labor is brought down as an incentive for them to set up shops in the country.

“You just have to get used to it,” Allan says. He wipes off some of the salt that now covers his wrinkled face and gets back to work.

Scenes from the Cultural Center of the Philippines

2011-08-23T00:30:00.000-07:00

Artists gathered at the CCP last Sunday to fight censorship.

Photo credits: By me; the last one is by Bogsie Panaligan