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5.14pm/26.08.11/rod

To compliment efforts to ensure our continuing contribution and passionate commitment to prevent, reverse or to maintain it at its alarming condition (read: hidden and growing) the spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic, Bisdak Pride Inc. (BPI) sponsored the 7.00pm and 9.30pm Cebu premiere of “Zombadings 1: Patayin sa shokot si Remington” last 25 August 2011 at SM City Cebu Cinema 2.

The film was produced, written and directed by an-all writers media group Origin8 Media Inc. BPI, a non-stock non-profit  gender equality advocates since 2005, organized the premiere to ensure that the activity will help boosts the film’s rating in time for its national regular screening last 31 August.  

This is part of our commitment to support locally produced and exceptional films that tackles the standard issues of the day. Zombadings is one film that stirs debate. It lurks into our consciousness and mobilizes our thoughts, allowing us to understand the film as it presents issues worthy of our support. No film, with all its vigor and creativity that breaks ice – save Zombadings – can present such ease and comfort.

All proceeds of the film will go to our HIV/AIDS prevention campaign dubbed as “Pink Mobile Discussion Group” a one-year internally-funded project which will be implemented to various communities, schools, and workplaces.

The advance screening coincided with the one-week conference on HIV/AIDS response organized by the Local Government Academy (LGA). The one-week conference, was attended by local government officials from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Health (DOH) nationwide and Men-Having-Sex-With-Men and Transgender (MSM/TG) communities in the Visayas.

I am thankful that some delegates attended the advanced screening. Thanks to Anastacio Marasigan and Renier Bona of TLF Share Collective Inc., Philip Castro of UNDP Philippines AIDS response, Glenn Cruz of the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), Jerson See and some Cebu Plus Inc. members and volunteers, Dr. Ilya Abellanosa-Tac-an of the Cebu City Multi-Sectoral AIDS Council (CCMSAC) and some staff, Ronnie Sab-a adviser of Self-Motivated Gays of Barangay Luz (SEMGAB) together with some members, members of Gay Empowerment of Minglanilla (GEM), the dashing Magdalena Robinson of COLORS together with some glittering members, among others.

To Cebu’s academic community, our advocacy partners, thank you for watching and appreciating the film.

To the following sponsors whose passion and commitment to help the advocacy of BPI, were also there giving their support and moving us an inch closer to sainthood. Thank you!

To Dreamline Productions Inc., Cebu’s premiere production outfit for the tarpaulin, discounted tickets, for the photos and videos, thank you. We cannot reminisce our beautiful smiles and moving acts without you guys. Esteemed thanks to their president Mikio Makino Jr for all the support.

For plugging daily the screening of Zombadings, many thanks to ASLE Resto Bar, owned by Charina and Tony White for giving our staff and volunteers the dinner reception they rightfully deserved. To the bands performing at ASLE’s thank you for plugging Zombadings screenings everyday for a week. Such simple gestures really help a lot.  

Giving us a taste of Cebu’s glorious Spanish delicacy heritage, countless thanks to IPAR’s Spanish Restaurant. IPAR’s delighted not only our empty stomachs but also our press conference due to its delicately and well decorated restaurant. The press conference was attended by Cebu’s active bloggers and mainstream media, they give us and the film a more fitting and appropriate space.

To my dearest friend, Ferliza Contratesta, the host of SUGBO PAGPANGINLABOT, a daily radio-magazine program aired live from 7:00pm-8:00pm on Bantay Radyo DYDD 1260 KHz for giving away free tickets to its loyal listeners, please accept my boundless joy.  

To Casa Escario for the free lunch to the cast, thank you.

To Cebu Fair Trade Shop for selling tickets, many thanks.

To the Law Students Leauge of Cebu, most especially to Jaime Tumulak, thank you for all the support.

Finally, to the Cebu City Legislative Council especially to Hon. Raul D. Alcoseba and Hon. Alvin Dizon whose support for BPIs endeavors is exceptional. We hope to sustain our collaboration in the years to come. (to be continued)

Death of an Angel

Pain cannot suffice our sorrow over the death of Ellah Joy Pique, a six-year-old elementary pupil of Calajoan Elementary School in Calajoan, Minglanilla, Cebu. Abducted on her way home by a pedophile Caucasian male together with a Filipina counterpart, Ellah Joy was deceived and joined the death ride she never wished to happen to her.

Innocent as she was, the culprits succeeded. Her decomposed body was found 40 kms. away from their home a day after she was last seen. Naked and wrapped inside white blankets with three big rocks and tied with a cable, the innocent child was found below a cliff with brushes and contusions in her head and both arms.

One can only imagine a defenseless little girl being robbed off her right to breathe under the hands of individuals without mercy. The autopsy report added tremendous pain. It showed that the innocent little girl was struck in the head and had bruises on her shoulders, indicating a struggle. And a lacerated wound in the head causing her death.

A lot has been said over the death of Ellah Joy. The entire community is grieving. Our indescribable hatred to the culprits reached beyond we can imagine. Our pain diminishes us all. How can we assure ourselves that Ellah Joy will be the last? How can we assure that the community we are living will experience the kind of safety children like Ellah Joy need?

We asked. As if answers will comfort us. And hoping it will never happen again. But can comfort replace the death of an angel?

And then, a lot of Ellah Joy’s are dying each day too.

While her death is truly unimaginable and throwing the culprits into a cliff may not be sufficient to give justice to her untimely demise, why can’t we grieve also to those like her, innocent and young, literally dying in the midst of an un-mindful society? We ignore them, minding our own business. And grieve only when their death is reported and we begin to howl.

We are a society filled with children who are prone to inhumane conditions. In school, children attending classes with empty stomach suddenly collapsed before the flag ceremony. Child labor, as a product of an unjust social structure is rampant. Instead of going to school, children begin to work to help feed the family and their right to experience the beautiful life of childhood is taken away from them. Others are involved in a more disturbing and deeply saddening situation – sex work.

Those are material basis for culprits who abducted Ellah Joy is taking advantage of. Such is a grim reminder of our society filled with hypocrisy where children are easy targets.

Widespread poverty, corrupt justice system and ineffective bureaucracy are reason enough why demons like them used the Philippines and in particular the rural areas as their base to exploit the young and innocent. As long as our children will continue to live this way, more children are vulnerable to be the next Ellah Joy and bleed the headlines.

And our hearts will continue to melt in pain, grieving and dying each day in the midst of an environment that aided the death of Ellah Joy.

1.1.11

Today, I remember the other life.

A few minutes before 12:00 midnight, as we welcome the first day of the first year of the second decade of the millennium, our dogs and all the animals that strived to co-exist with human beings painfully wondered how brutal we can be to them. Our actions directed as if we are solely the lone lodger of a decaying world. Our celebrations as we welcome the New Year with a bang are self-destructive that we haven’t foreseen it’s after effects. Perhaps, the most that we destroyed are the animals we claim to be our best friends whose ultra-sensitive senses we utterly destroyed. For how long should we realize that human beings are not the only sentient beings?

Today is a good day to renew one’s commitment for life after destroying or altering the life of animals.

As I promised last year, and I still do now, I should take good care of my decaying health. Though exposed to some of the physical exercises like swimming and walking on a regular basis, I still cannot deviate myself from unwanted and highly destructive practices which might lead to disastrous consequences, eating is one. However conscious and cautious, the denial of one’s rights started without understanding and access to the right to information. I should not deny myself the right to know, I promised.

Like what I am doing now, I am drinking decaffeinated coffee without sugar. I wanted to limit my sugar intake. Maybe, a day without sugar will do or, a day without salt too. Today, I ignored the meat and only ate fruits and bread. Perhaps that’s enough for a soul that wanted to limit itself to what is available? Not difficult to digest, everyday we see people begging just so a cent that we gave will fill the empty stomach they have. But begging is not good. Why should people beg when others are extravagant and lazy? And why should people beg when natural resources are for all. Truly, we should abhor unequal distribution of wealth.

For how often should we remember the things that should not happen at all. Given the full stomach of select few everyday, millions are wallowing and starving in their misery. Perhaps enough to concede and put a limit to ourselves. But conceding is not enough, never will be. It allows the millions more in their misery to be deprived of their right to life. Defeating misery will do.

For sure, going organic before it’s too late will help fighting misery? Making it a lifestyle now will not only improved one’s health and fitness. Not the commercialized organic, but the organic in our backyards and neighboring sari-sari stores. It also encourages maximizing limited area for backyard gardening. It means you are going green. Going organic is also hitting two birds (or several thereof) with a single stone. It protects our only planet; it discourages massive exploitation of our limited natural resources.

It mobilizes people to be contented with what they have as opposed to consumerist practices we are exposed to.

Today, I remember all these. And hope to remember them again in the next year or two to come.

Web log

“Utilize the blog while it is free,” said an editor of a local newspaper a few years back.

I learned to blog almost half a decade ago. First as a depository of my old and not-so-good articles published in some student publications, Voice of Talamban (VOT) and Today’s Carolinian (TC), during my university days on the early and late 1990s.

(I served as editor of VOT, official student publication of the University of San Carlos (USC) College of Engineering and TC, official publication of USC students.)

Now dead, both campus papers demised were also the time of the popularity of web log and online journalism.

Writing for campus paper then was the only visible and effective means for aspiring writers and critical thinkers to propagate their influences, prior to the advent of web log. It could have been different if blog was visible during those days.

Second, as the public figure of several progressive organizations (i.e., Anakbayan) during the late 1990s until the middle of the decade of the first decade of the current century, I wrote the progressive stand of the organization and submitted it to local newspapers for publishing.

So, I needed an online space to ensure a wider audience as well as a depository of published opinion pieces. Hence, the birth of binignitogchopsuey.

Until I realized web log is beyond depository of old and assorted ideas.

Though not often, I write some of my most important commentaries here. Since my exposure and social practice derived from the fact as a political and social activist, most of the articles here are a complete expression of the dialectical relations of economic, political and cultural analysis to issues as complex as societal change and as “shallow” as vacation and traveling.

I am writing this because, lately, I was able to take a look and awed by the elements of blogger.com which I found interactive and provided self-fulfillment.

For example, I found “Stats” as an important tool of my web log to monitor my audience, posts and traffic sources.

Surprised, my audience are scattered in ten countries. Still counting, topping the list is the Philippines with 658 audiences, following the colonial connection the US ranks second with 137. Counting countries instead of individual audience, my blog is present in European countries with Germany - 43, Turkey - 31, Russia - 18, and France and Italy with 15 each.

Latin America is represented by Colombia and Mexico, 20 and 13 audiences respectively. Surprisingly, the presence of China ranks last with 9 audiences. I wonder where my South East Asian readers are.

Most read posts are also included. Page views by Browsers and Operating Systems used provided a detailed statistics.

Like any “lazy” writer, I rarely re-write. I just write in a way that comes naturally, perhaps a glaring limitation of my blog. Not to mention some grammatical, sentence structure and language problems.

Beyond syntax, blogging is serious – dead serious. A blogger should use it to propagate not just the whims and caprices of individuals, but also our collective desires for a truly free and democratic society (and cyberspace) – while it is still “free.”

Coming out

Few days before the entire Christianity will reflect on Jesus Christ passion and resurrection, Ricky Martin, a native of deeply Catholic Mexico, confirmed the long time rumor that he is gay. The world did not lose a nanosecond of standstill. It was a confirmation of a decade-old gossip that he is, in fact, a proud homosexual.

Ah, rumor. Such is a lousy business.

Carefully crafted with full of honesty, he divulged in his website: "Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment. These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed ... I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."

I don’t know if the acceptance is part of a series of press releases for his memoirs to be published soon to gain popular followers and earned tremendous profit in the process. Whatever the objective of his “coming-out”, it was a testament of bravery and honesty. To move on and be happy, one should sincerely and honestly accept the pain of believing in oneself. Not necessarily to the extent of letting other people salivate on it. Giving in to their pressures, is giving in to their wishes and gender discrimination deepens. It adds salt to the already wounded heart and soul.

Saying that her questioning may have ended his career, Barbara Walters interviewed Ricky Martin almost a decade ago and regretted trying to force (or coerced?) Martin to open up about his sexuality. A month ago, she said: "In 2000, I pushed Ricky Martin very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was," she told The Toronto Star. "A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now, I feel it was an inappropriate question."

And, perhaps in a sighed of disbelief, Walters tells him, "You know, you could stop these rumors. You could say, as many artists have, 'Yes I am gay,' or you could say, 'No I'm not,' or you could leave it, as you are, ambiguous. I don't want to put you on the spot, but it's in your power to do it."

Adel Tamano, a Filipino Muslim and candidate for senator was asked by my favorite anchorwoman about his sexuality. Live on television, my favorite anchorwoman cross-examined the poor Adel like a guilty suspect of a crime he never dreamed of committing, and politely he answered about the gender inquest. The anchorwoman should heed Barbara Walters regretting what she did to Martin.

I doubt if the anchorwoman will do the same thing to Noynoy, a candidate for president, given the fact that Adel is happily married while Noynoy is still a bachelor in his waning years. I haven’t heard anyone suspect Noynoy’s gender orientation just because he doesn’t look like one? It adds discrimination by means of one’s appearance. You don’t appear like one, you are not gay. You appear like one, even if you are not, you are a poor boy.

Typical of being honest, Ricky Martin or Adel Tamano could have asked those who interviewed them if they really are heterosexuals. But they did not. Such is a gift of human kindness and respect towards other people anchored on the basis that we are all one and the same. Equal.

In fact, if they are not cross-examined in public interviews, they are being portrayed as hapless human beings capable of entertaining the crowd in movies and television. What a poor way of self-preservation!

I know for a fact that even discreet individuals are proud of who they are. Who aren’t? Let’s take it from them and let us leave it that way. That is the kind of existence they wish to enjoy and that is the kind of respect they deserved. As long as they did not cross the thin red-line of human-to-human exploitation in all its forms then by all means embrace them like a new born child, incapable of inflicting wounds against anyone.

But the respect that should be showered (accorded is quite masculine, I might as well use the word ‘showered’) to them should be observed. For no one, not even one-self, can force himself/herself to believe that he/she is not, well, a heterosexual or a homosexual.

But the world that we are in is deeply feudal and macho that anything outside of it is exploited.

Gender and sexuality marginalization, discrimination and isolation in whatever form will continue as long as the fundamental and basic unit of its existence will prevail in our day to day life. In order for us to confront gender and sexual discrimination objectively, it is correct to fight gender discrimination on the basis of deeply rooted economic liberation hand in hand with other oppressed and exploited sectors and classes. For it will not only liberate an individual from the clutches of economic slavery, it will provide an all round cultural and political advancement and acceptance. Without that, no homosexual can claim to be happy in this world, save perhaps the likes of Ricky Martin.

Western academics call it heteronormativity or the superiority of heterosexuals against any other gender. It actually stigmatizes other forms of gender and sexuality as deviants and consequently confirms that self-expression is dangerous as long as it does not conform to the so-called ‘norm’. Thus it is utterly dangerous like ideological, political, race, religion, physical or even age discrimination.

But a heterosexual man or woman cannot claim to be superior on the basis of his gender or sexual orientation alone. Political and economic power moved the heterosexual man or woman to be supremely powerful and dangerous over all other heterosexuals and homosexuals.

On the other hand, I do not find it appropriate for one to divulge his gender orientation whether in public or privately not because there are heteronormative out there but because it vibrates indiscriminately to the already subjective society. For doing so is accepting the pressures of a biased society to give in to their wishes, pin down someone and isolate him/her in the process.

Is it really acceptance that we want while forcing someone to admit?

The current socio-economic and cultural set-up prohibits someone to divulge his/her gender orientation. For coming out, the brave ones are further discriminated. Such is the case even within the gay community or now aptly called the sexual minorities. You are only ‘in’ if you are discreet or scandalously straight acting. With that, I give honor to the effeminate, the transvestites, the transgenders and the newly formed group called baklita for they are the tsunamis in the eye of the storm.

Before you look at someone, or before that someone look at to him/herself as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, labyboy, queer, nilatch, paminta, bayot, baklita or whatever term coined in the process of gender isolation and discrimination, we must look at them, and they must look at themselves as human beings first and foremost. For no major consideration can guarantee gender isolation by looking at someone as your own image and likeness. The good Lord has a word for it: He created us in His own image and likeness. Others who studied God’s gospel consciously overlook a simple message.

We are all equal on the basis of our existence we can’t go any deeper than that.

Needless to say, economic, political and social considerations matters deeply on gender and sexuality question. For a poor homosexual is totally different from a rich one. Take it from Ricky Martin’s words, “I am a fortunate homosexual.” His economic and social status defines it and takes cue and shape from it. His stature in the world stage as gay musician will never be diminished because he has wealth to defend it and has status to prolong it – and influence us.

And such wealth and status will prohibit others to minutely alter his new found moment.

Earth hour?

It seems we are enjoying the one-hour Earth Hour?

Yesterday, around 7:30 in the evening, I was about to finish my 1000 meters freestyle or roughly ten laps of the 50 meters Olympic size swimming pool at the Cebu City Sports Complex when the Earth Hour participants eagerly awaited to switch off their electricity.

Meant to raise awareness on energy conservation, according to Wikipedia, Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF, also known as World Wildlife Fund and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change.

Earth Hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights.

With the success of the Sydney’s lead, many other cities around the world, including the Philippines adopted the event in 2008. Earth Hour 2010 took place on March 27, 2010 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm, at the participant's respective local time.

Such activity is incredibly innovative, every year since 2007, participating countries offered an hour of their precious time for mother earth. But then, switching off is not enough. We should be reminded that the electricity that we are using, mostly coming from the destructive effects of coal-fired power plants, major cause of ozone layer depletion.

In Cebu alone, we have three.

While the Philippines have a lot of indigenous, clean and green energy resources, it remains untapped due to pressures and politics from multinational corporations (MNCs). We remain reliant on carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting coal fueled power plants as a source of electricity.

However cheap the electricity generated by this carbon dioxide emitted power plants, it makes our life cheap and the earth hour cheaper if awareness alone on raising energy conservation is the goal. Condemnation for the use of destructive power plants, like coal, and advocating for the use of earth friendly renewable and indigenous energy sources, like hydro, solar, wind, should be in the agenda.

Geothermal and natural gas are heavily taxed by the government while coal-fired power plants like Kepco-SPC (Salcon Power Corporation) coal fired plants in the City of Naga, Cebu are being encourage by the energy department and the province of Cebu.

Unfortunately it reflects our governments policy on the use of renewable and energy sources, despite the abundance of natural gas and geothermal the Philippines remains committed to contribute to the ozone layer depletion.

In Naga alone, where I used to serve as consultant to both the rank-and-file and supervisory employees union, most of them are electrical engineers at the prime of their life, are not comfortable with coal fired power plants, experiencing first hand its destructive effects in the nearby communities and themselves.

In time of massive panic due to the erratic weather disturbance, energy conservation is laudable and necessary. Switching off our electricity usage for an hour coupled with our green and clean energy advocacy should be in placed. And in our everyday life, for example, we should limit our energy usage.

In the meantime, let us enjoy the Earth Hour, while transnational and multi-national companies around the world are signing agreements after agreements with host countries for the energy development using coal-fired power plants just so we can switch off the electricity that we are using – for an hour!

So that by the last Saturday of March 2011, we can switch off our electricity usage again and enjoy the privilege of being ‘in’ even just for an hour.

Child prostitution

October 20, 2009

10:00am

Lately, I was asked by a friend, a graduating nursing student, to help him in his research about the knowledge, attitude and practices among commercially sexually-exploited children on sexually transmitted infections and proposed possible teaching interventions. Like any research involving reproductive health, I readily offered my limited resources and services.

For what use are the limited resources and time if not shared? Only government officials won’t do that, with the exceptions to really some dedicated public servants. I can only count nine among them, all found in the House of Representatives.

With all honesty, I was disturbed that a non government organization in Cebu called FORGE Inc. documented at least more than a thousand children involved in prostitution and counting; because it is really far-fetch from my mind as to the extent of children involved in the flesh trade. I have several close friends involved in the trade (hetero females and males and homos et. al), and never in our constant collaboration did we mention children involved in it. I wonder why.

What is truly disgustful is the fact that rarely government officials talked or even discussed issues on child prostitution. A lip service will do, you hear nothing. Clearly, since this children cannot vote, we cannot hear from them deliver social services.

Ah, but they cannot even provide basic social services for those who can.

Rizal’s lessons are now forgotten saying the youth (let’s include the children) is the hope of our country. If a significant portion of our children are involved in prostitution, is their hope left? Others are sniffing rugby or are part of a web of gang involved in anti-social activities.

Typical of bureaucratic governance in our island-nation, we only hear our policy-makers throwing stones at each other’s glass houses. And the oppressed and exploited people are left scrambling for broken glasses, literally. Exponentially, others are left moving heavens ward looking for genuine social change, which is inevitable.

It is a challenge for all. If a nursing student can find a great knowledge and commitment in conducting research to children involved in prostitution, it is really a great leap forward and offers hope, however dim. I also wish other developmental worker and institutions, the corporate social responsibility of business entities, should also invest in keeping our children away from the flesh trade and giving them the kind of direction they rightfully deserve. For in every child’s tarnished future, is ours too.

With all man-made and natural catastrophes coming our way, the fuss about the need for a reproductive health bill is gaining strength despite the opposition of the Roman Catholic Church and its lackeys. The urgency of the bill that should be passed is gaining momentum and the Church’s stand remains isolated than ever. Like I said before, the world is not flat. And in order to deepen one’s faith, one should question it, before saying ‘amen’. And so, the reproductive health bill is equally important to the children involved in the flesh trade.

Even if these are just band-aid solutions to a deep-rooted, class and historical problem, but it can help for our tactical relief and satisfaction.

For the reasons they involved in the flesh trade is mind-boggling poverty. All of the respondents undeniably said so.

Most of their parents are not working or if working as a tricycle/trisikad driver, with no regular income to support the entire family. It is either their mother or father has just been laid-off from work or they were displaced in the countryside and end up scavenging in the cities.

Hence, they involved themselves in prostitution – the only way they can help buy their daily food for the entire family – said to be the oldest profession. Whoever said that should bear in mind that the long standing solution to a problem like prostitution is actually our continuing (well, in fact protracted) fight for economic equality and social justice.

How do we provide solution to this problem vis-à-vis child prostitution?

Genuine agrarian reform should be implemented and let the parents of this children return to the countryside to till the land and improved their lot without fear of land-grabbing and militarization.

A government supportive of and exist based on the peasantry’s cry for land is a government that can stand despite the onslaught of imperialist globalization policies. Hand-in-hand, providing security of tenure and just benefits to our workforce and establish a truly Filipino industry that exists solely and for the purpose of providing the needs of the state and its people will deter their children (our children) to involved themselves in the flesh trade.

Historically, past and present regimes backed by powerful countries, ignored genuine agrarian reform and providing job security and rightful benefits to workers. Historically too, the oppressed and exploited people including their children are dissatisfied with their current conditions that they find refuge in educating themselves so they will provide radical solutions to their age-old woes.

The problem on child-prostitution included.