CRY OF JUAN DELA CRUZ

I found this article from Astig Pinoy in Iraq blog site... and I found it very interesting. Since ako rin ang editor dun on some of the posted items, as per request ni Astig Jhim hehehehe! kinuha ko na rin with permission of course....we might not have been fully aware of the time this artcle is telling, pero baka ipinanganak na tayo sa mga panahong ito... ako ay Martial Law baby e...

It is really touching and I wish the old times would come back to bless us all Filipino.. maybe too impossible already.

After reading... my comment? KAYA PA NATIN!

Here it goes! (un-edited)

Cry of Juan Dela Cruz

This Letter is forwarded to me by my friend also an OFW in Iraq and thought of sharing it with you I find it amazing so simple life back then.
My Fellow Filipinos,When I was small, the Philippine peso was P7 to the US$. The president was Diosdado Macapagal. Life was simple. Life was easy. My father was a farmer. My mother kept a small sari-sari store where our neighbours bought sang-perang asin (1cent salt), sang-perang bagoong (1cent shrimp sauce), sang-perang suka (1cent vinegar), sang-perang toyo (1cent dried small fish) at pahinging isang butil na bawang (with free one clove garlic). Our backyard had kamatis (tomatoes), kalabasa, talong, ampalaya, upo, batao, (these are local vegetables) and okra. Our farm had chickens, pigs, dog, and cat. And of course, we lived on the farm. During rainy season, my father caught frogs at night which my mother made into stuffed frog, or just plain fried. During the day, he caught hito (catfish) and dalag from his rice paddies, which he would usually inihaw.During dry season, we relied on the chickens, vegetables, bangus, tuyo, and tinapa (all local fish). Every now and then, there was pork and beef from the town market. Life was so peaceful, so quiet, no electricity, no TV. Just the radio for Tia Dely, Roman Rapido, Tawag ng Tanghalan and Tang-tarang-tang.And who can forget Leila Benitez on Darigold Jamboree? On weekends, I played with my neighbours (who were all my cousins). Tumbang-preso, taguan, piko, luksong lubid, patintero (all local games), at iba pa. I don't know about you, but I miss those days.These days, we face the TV, Internet, e-mail, newspaper, magazine, grocery catalogue, or drive around. The peso is a staggering and incredible P47 to the US$. Most people can't have fun anymore. Life has become a battle. We live to work. Work to live. Life is not easy. I was in Saudi Arabia in 1983. It was lonely, difficult, & scary. It didn't matter if you were a man or a woman. You were a target for rape. The salary was cheap & the vacation far between. If the boss didn't want you to go on holiday, you didn't. They had your passport. Oh, and the agency charged you almost 4 months of your salary (which, if you had to borrow on a "20% per month arrangement" meant your first year's pay was all gone before you even earned it).The Philippines used to be one of the most important countries in Asia. Before & during my college days, many students from other Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and China went to the Philippines to get their diplomas. Until 1972, like President Macapagal, President Marcos was one of the most admired presidents of the world. The Peso had kept its value of P7 to the $dollar until I finished college.Today, the Philippines is famous as the "housemaid" capital of the world. It ranks very high as the "cheapest labour" capital of the world, too. We have maids in Hong Kong , labourers in Saudi Arabia , dancers in Japan, migrants and TNTs in Australia and the US, and all sorts of other "tricky" jobs in other parts of the globe. Quo Vadis, Pinoy? Is that a wonder or a worry? Are you proud to be a Filipino, or does it even matter anymore? When you see the Filipino flag and hear the Pambansang Awit, do you feel a sense of pride or a sense of defeat & uncertainty? If only things could change for the better....... Hang on for this is a job for Superman. Or whom do you call? Ghostbusters. Joke. Right?This is one of our problems.We say "I love the Philippines .. I am proud to be a Filipino." Words is not enough and never will be..I want to help the maids in Hong Kong .. I want to help the labourers in Saudi Arabia .. I want to help the dancers in Japan .. I want to help the TNTs in America and Australia ...I want to save the people of the Philippines .. But I cannot do it alone. I need your help and everyone else's.If you say you love the Philippines , prove it. And if you don't agree with me, say something anyway. Let's exchange ideas on how to achieve the above. You are bound to have ideas that never even entered my mind or you might hear something that you never thought of before. Indifference, especially among Filipinos and the situation in the Philippines, is a crime by itself.Juan Delacruz :(
How true and it hurts..

Quotes by our two Famous Madam President
The Filipino, crises and all, is truly worth living and dying for."-

Gloria Arroyo

“My biggest disappointment was, of course, the coup attempts, ... The economy was proceeding very well, but in 1989 we had the most serious coup attempt and ... many of the investors who were set to come here had to tell me that they chose to go to other countries because of the uncertainty brought about by (the coup attempt.) If that had not happened, I'm sure our economy would just be booming today ...”

Pres. Corazon Aquino

Posted by Astig Pinoy

ANG ALAMAT NG ASONG MATAPAT

By: Rio Fabellore

"Dedicated to my Best Friend Thyler"

(photo: My Oldest Dog, Tatang Thyler, he just had a fried pittbull staffordshire for his dinner)

Sa isang malayong lugar sa malapit sa hangganan ng kabukiran at kagubatan nakatira ang binantang taga-bantay ng Hangganan. Siya si Taji ang nagbabantay ng mga pag-aari sa kabukiran laban sa mga hayup na umaatake at kumakain ng halaman at mga inaalagaang hayup dito.

Si Taji, bamagama't taga-bantay, siya ay makatuwiran at pala-kaibigan sa lahat ng kaniyang nakikilala. Bukod sa tagubilin ng kaniyang panginoon, ang kaniyang pakiramdam din ang batayan ng kaniyang desisyon pagdating sa kaniyang tungkulin.

"Magandang hapon, Taji,. Maaari po bang tumawid papuntang bukid?" tanong ng mabangis na Ulupong.

"Dinaramdam ko, kaibigan, ngunit mahigpit ang bilin sa akin na di kayo maaraing magawi sa bukid. " paliwanag naman ni Taji.

"Akala ko ba'y kaibigan kita? Ano naman ang masama kung gagawi ako sa bukid?" tanong muli ng ulupong.

" Ang ginagawa ko'y para sa kabutihan mo rin, kaibigan. Ayokong mapahamak ka sa gitna ng bukid. Dahil bukod sa akin, nariyan ang anak ng may-ari na handang paslangin ka sa oras na makita ka. Kaya ikaw man ay binabantayan ko para na rin sa iyo." Wika ni Taji.

Galit na umalis ang ulupong at bumalik sa gubat.

Ilang oras ang nakalipas, ang masungit na anak naman ng may-ari ng bukirin ang lumapit sa bantay ng Hangganan.

"Alipin, ako ay tutungo sa kagubatan upang mangaso. Paraanin mo ako?" utos ni Bagdad.

"Ikinalulungkot ko, ngunit mahigpit ang utos ng aking pakiramdam na h'wag kang padaanin. Lubhang mapanganib sa gubat at galit ang mga hayup sa mga pumapaslang sa kanilang uri," paliwanag ni Taji

"Pagsisihan mo ang pag suway sa aking nais, alipin. Isusumbong kita sa aking ama." At saka umuwi ang galit ang si Bagdad.

Dumating at nagsi-alis ang lahat na nagtangkang pumasok sa bukid man o sa kagubatan. Ang unggoy, mangingisda, babo-ramo, agila, manlililok, mangangahoy, at iba pang nilalang, lahat sila ay nabigong kunin ang pahintulot ni Taji.

Lahat sila ay bigo na tawirin ang hangganan. Ang paliwanag ni Taji ay may kaniya-kaniyang hangganan ang bawat nilalang upang maiwasan ang di pagkakaunawaan at ang tukso na sirain ang pag-aari ng bawat isa.

Tanging ang mga bilin na sinambit ni Taji ang kanilang baon pabalik sa kanilang lugar, bukid man o gubat.

" Ang ginagawa ko ay para sa iyo rin naman, ang kaligtasan ninyo ang tunay kong binabantayan" ang madalas banggitin ni Taji sa mga mananawid.

Isang araw dumating sa kubol ni Taji ang panginoon ng bukirin. Wala si taji dahil nilalakad niya ang kahabaan ng Hangganan. Nakita ng panginoon ang sipag at kusang loob ni Taji sa kaniyang tungkulin. Maayos ang lahat at walang bahid ng anumang dapat ikabahala.

Ilang sandali pa ay dumating na si Taji.

"Magandang araw po panginoon. Sa aking, pagbabantay sa araw-araw Hanggang sa sandaling ito ay wala pong pag labag sa inyong tagubilin.Sana po ay nasiyahan kayo, " ani ni Taji.

" Lubos ang aking kasiyahan, Taji, At maging ang aking paboritong anak ay iningatan mo sa kabila ng kagaspangan ng kaniyang ugali. Labis mong tinanggihan ang iyong mga kaibigan sa gubat na makatawid dahil sa aking tagubilin. Sa kabila nito ay nanatiling kaibigan ka sa kanila," papuri ng panginoon.

"Nalalaman ko rin ang iyong layunin at matalinong katuwiran sa iyong bawat pagtanggi sa kanila, maaring magkaroon ka ng lihim na kaaway," wika pa niya.

"Ang paglilingkod at pagtupad sa inyong kautusan ang aking kasiyahan at dahilan ng pagkakalalang sa akin, panginoon. Tanging ang pagbabantay ng Hangganan aking mithiin at manatiling nasa ilalim ng iyong kasiyahan." Wika ni Taji.

"Ngunit paano ang sarili mong buhay? Hindi maaaring habang-buhay ay naririto ka sa amin at tumutupad ng aking tagubilin, palagay ko ay kayang gawin ito ng ibang nilalang sa bukid" ani ng Panginoon.

"Inilaan ko na ang aking buhay sa inyo at sa pagbabantay ng Hangganan upang maging ligtas lahat na nilalang. Anuman ang nais ninyong maging direksyon ng aking buhay ay tatanggapin ko, huwag lamang pong ilayo sa aking tungkulin na batayan ko kayo at ang Hangganan," hiling ni Taji.


" Kung ganun, maliit ang iyong kahilingan kung ihahambing sa laki ng iyong nagawa at nailaan. Pagbibigyan kita, anuman ang mangyari at anuman ang iyong kakulangan ay mapupunuan sa susunod mong buhay, " bitiw na pangako ng panginoon kay Taji.


Lumipas pa ang ilang kabilugan ng buwan, naroon pa rin sa Taji. Ngunit lahat ay tila naghihitay ng pagkakataon upang labagin ang batas ng hangganan. Nakita ng mabangis na Ulupong si Taji na natutulog at nagpapahinga mula sa maghapong pagbabantay.

"Ikaw lang ang tanging sagabal sa aming daraanan patungong Hangganan, dapat sa iyo ay mawala na sa aming landas," wika ni Ulupong sa kaniyang sarili.

"Sa bangis ng aking kamandag, ang tulad mong patulog-tulog ay tuluyan nang di magigising he he he he he he…" ani pa ni Ulupong.

Agad niyang sinalakay at tinuklaw ang natutulog na binata. Ngunit si Taji ay nagising sa sakit na dulot ng kagat ni Ulupong kung kaya't nagtatakbo sya papasok sa bukid. Subalit lubhang madilim ang gabi kaya di niya makita ang daan patungo sa bahay ng panginoon. Sa pagdidilim ng kaniyang paningin ay nagawi siya sa kinaroroonan ng palalong (mayabang) anak ng panginoon na kasalukuyang lasing sa alak.

" Tulungan mo ako, Bagdad, kinagat ako ni Ulupong," sumamo ni Taji.

" Aba! Ako ba'y pinagbigyan mo ng ako ay nais mangaso..ito ang para sa iyo," sabay unday ng pamalo sa binata na siyang tuluyang ikinamatay nito.

Sa labis na katusuhan, kinuha ni Bagdad ang kaniyang gamit sa pangangaso at tinungo ang landas sa gubat. Ngunit, tulad ng iniiwasan ni Taji, nagsalubong ang mangangaso at ang Ulupong. Nasawi ni Ulupong ang anak ng panginoon.

"Kailanma'y di nagkamali sa adhikain ang binata, nasawi si Bagdad dahil sa pagsuway sa batas ng kaligtasan na siyang pinatutupad ni Taji sa Hangganan," pahayag ng panginoon.

" At tulad ng aking pangako, ibinabalik ko ang binata sa kaniyang katungkulan na may taglay na kapunuan sa kaniyang kahinaan. Mula ngayun, ang kaniyang sigaw ay hudyat ng pagbabawal at pagbibigay babala," wika ng panginoon.

Iyon lamang at umalis na ang panginoon.

Nang magbukang-liwayway, isang bagong nilalang ang sumulpot sa Hangganan. Ito ay may kaaniya-aniyayang balahibo at maliksing pangangatawan. Higit na mabilis, matalas ang pakiramdam at pang-amoy, at lalong higit ang kaniyang kakayahang makakita sa dilim.

Natuwa ng higit ang panginoon sa pagbabalik ng tagabantay ng Hangganan, at sa tuwing maririnig niya ang kahol nito alam niyang tumutupad ulit ito sa kaniyang tungkulin si Taji, ang matapat na taga-bantay.

WAKAS.



PAGHAHALINTULAD:

Taji
alagang asong matapat (askal man o asong bahay) gaya ni Thyler, actually aso ko rin si Taji at si Baghdad (Bagdad)

Panginoon
amo ng aso, kahit alaga sya ng buong pamilya..iisa ang tinuturing nyang amo.

Hangganan
property boundery (loob at labas ng bahay o bakuran)

Mga hayup at iba pang karakter
mga di welcome sa bahay ng master

ANNOUNCEMENT:

PLEASE LOVE and RESPECT THE FEELINGS of ALL DOGS!

"Paliguan nyo ang aso nyo kasi hindi niya abot ang sabon at tabo, ayaw rin nilang mabaho sila e."

A CHALLENGE TO THE FILIPINO BRIGHTESTS

In the old days strong young men usually flexed muscles in order to be able to lift a one whole piece of Nipa hut or the traditional Filipino home, from one place to a quite distant new location. May it be far or near, the journey was never easy especially some walking paths were terrains that were never been flat for easy traveling. The Nipa Hut was carried on the shoulders of mostly able-bodied young men from within the neighborhood and other places as invited volunteers. Nipa Hut-is a traditional Filipino home made of bamboos as its main structural, flooring members, wall runner and roof rafters tied together by strands of bamboo skins to achieve structural strength. Its main roof is usually made of bunch of pre-arranged cogon leaves or woven coconut leaves.

The effort is what we Filipinos called the Bayanihan. This is uniquely Filipino. This tradition is still in practice in our countryside, where huge transportation is not so practicable option to lift a house or the very natures of circumstances are so poor to do it other than lifting the house by shoulders. Usually, Bayanihan starts from developing a keen planning, where to lift, what path to take and how many men are needed for the job, however the latter is not usually limited to few or to the numbers needed. As long as there more volunteers, more are so welcome to share the loads. The efforts await no monetary rewards but just cold fresh water from clean spring.

NOW THIS IS A CHALLENGE to the young, able-bodied and brightest Filipinos, both professional and skilled ones. Let the spirit of this Bayanihan be elevated on a higher level of mission, a bigger challenge and more difficult terrains to traverse.

We have numerous different associations and societies of professionals like engineers, economists, computer scientists, public accountants, lawyers, and doctors of medicines and many more, to include the skilled group of fabricators, welders, machine operators, electricians, mechanics and other trade practitioners. Most of them are scattering around the world making their employers more dominant in their respective field of businesses, while likewise their employers give them comfort in life because of their indispensable contributions through high salary rates and other benefits.

Khalliwalli (Arabic for “do not care”) the militant leaders and street activists. We sometimes need to abandon their old style of expressing grievances. More often than not, street protests ended in vain and painful laryngitis at the end of the day. All the time the ordinary people are the once affected by their acts like Tigil-pasada and traffic congestion due to mass rally on streets. Militants have more loud shouts (than result) to effect changes and always trying to push the most immovable entity in the world, the government, to the hell on their feet and address our economic problem. We need to replace this style professionally. We should not shout and wait and shout again, but we rather convene, brainstorm and work for it, and maybe we can shout at later portion.

Through the years, the Filipino masses are lambasted by undeniable corruptions in the government, mismanagement, grids, poverty and political theatrical play to fool the ordinary Pinoys. Prices increase overnight but with unclear reasons behind. Oil and Currency exchange are the easy escape-goats by the manipulators and by the government, but to approach the problem with solutions is always out of their hands. Monster giant companies usually pick one (between oil and peso rate) after the other as reasons for increases, or sometimes pick them both. In my personal view, it is high time to challenge everyone (politicians not counted). Our first project to be lifted, not a Nipa Hut, but a power plant. Let the Filipinos be free from paying expensive electric bills.

Let the engineers convene to develop new power plants that do not rely solely with petroleum, or much less depend on it. It may take time but let it a mission for the generation. Technology is just around the corner, Engr. Dingle has proved it. Honda cars had proved it too. All the engineers need to do is to gather around unselfishly and contribute what they have got. Launch a contest maybe through our top universities. This is a challenge; let us carry it in our shoulder.

Last time, I saw a Pinoy engineer on television who applied a US –initiated type of engine in his passenger jeepney using used-cooking oil instead of diesel fuel. More than a half of daily expenses were saved. He is somewhere in Pasong Tamo, Makati I guess, I forgot the name. As a short brain back-track, our very own coconut oil is also used as cooking not to mention the vegetables (Halleeer! We are vegetation country kaya) Diesel emits pollution, cooking oil does not. While Saudi Arabia has abundant of natural oil, the kingdom has no vegetations and coconut trees in their deserts. Imagine a big power plant spreading the smell of “pinirito” instead of lethal carbon monoxide.

Also let the other professionals and skilled ones to convene for this patriotic agenda and contribute using their profession. (Convene not for bowling and basketball. Television exposures and name-screen flashing are also not included, unless of course one has political ambition). This is a challenge; let us carry it in our shoulder.

Needless to say, “Necessity leads to invention”. But more than enough has been invented and its only development and application are the next thing needed. Now and more than ever our necessities are too high and too big to face against. Admit it or not, in our solitary time, we are thinking of sure-shot alternatives to somehow cope up with current difficulties. How to use our cars without spending too much, how to eat enough without spending too much and how to get things we need without spending too much. Even going too church now in order to file a complaint before God about what happening is becoming too expensive too.

I know our agriculturists, nutritionists and other food scientists are so busy inside UPLB in addressing food problems. Last time they announce the development of submarine rice that can live inundated for two weeks. I wish they could develop a fast growing “kamote” that can be harvested in a month so we can just plant it inside our home-made garden, maybe inside empty tin cans. Sweet potato is better alternative to high priced rice, I guess. It is better than instant noodles as your toppings for ice cold rice and healthier too.

One example of usual innovation available to us, last time our company here in Dammam, KSA, developed a German-designed Barge Water Desalination for the royal personalities. This maybe common but Filipinos do not have it, the fact that we can do it too. The vessel travels on sea and converting sea-water to mineral water. It was quite expensive in its final commercial price of course due to too much profit our company has added, it maybe cheaper though. The unit is quite big fixed to the front of the barge to get all this water to be converted to fine potable water, but the idea is not always depend on moving barge.

I am thinking, if few million pesos from each congressman’s pork barrel will be used to this project to create desalination for constituents; people will be free from paying too much water bills or maybe for maintenance and operations contribution only. We will gonna spend once for a long time benefit, after all we are surrounded by sea. This is a challenge; let us carry it in our shoulder


This is just a challenge, take it or leave it.