I've been terribly busy in the past few months and was not able to update my blog as promised. In fact, I'm just relying on RSS feed on my phone and Google reader for daily updates.
Today, I was disappointed to check the details of the RSS feed from Inquirer.net about the racist portrayal of an actor in a sitcom at BBC. Details of the news is posted here: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20081006-164875/BBC-apology-demanded-for-racist-show and part of the sitcom can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL9KrTGx28E .
After seeing the video, I can’t help myself to protest and thought that it might be helpful if I’ll post this in my site and let everyone know how insensitive the show was. Also, I think this is my share to help the public convince BBC make a public apology about their mistake in airing such act.
Though I know that this news should not be placed in this blog, this is the only place where I can share this information and maybe get some help.
Racist Show @ BBC
Uso pa ba ang Harana?
Harana is often associated with “Kundiman.” Kundiman is considered as an art song due to its musical structure that may contain poetry in the lyrics, blending verse and music in equal parts. Most kundiman songs are also categorized as love songs.
Unfortunately, urbanization and new technologies caused this tradition to disappear. Young men today would propose his intentions via SMS or chat. Also, it’s impossible for you to go with your friends in the cities for a Harana due to the fact that the city environment is too noisy making it impossible for your maiden to hear your voice. (Just imagine if your girl is living on the 20th floor on a condo unit in Makati)
Anyway, below is a sample of a kundiman song used to be sung in a harana.
Bituing Marikit
By Nicanor Abelardo
Bituing marikit sa gabi ng buhay
Tubbataha - The New 7 Wonders of Nature
July 7, 2007, Following the declaration is the search for the New Seven Wonders of Nature. In this search, Tubbataha Reef in
Currently, Tubbataha is considered as one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. In this reef, you can see at least 85 percent of the hard coral reefs in the
However, conservation of the site has been a major challenge for the 
bataha Reef National Marine Park (TRNMP). Catching or collecting anything is strictly prohibited.
The nomination of Tubbataha in the search will increase awareness of the people visiting the park. Further, conservation for this gift will be an international concern.
As of posting time, our “candidate” is on the 34th place. And as a Filipino, we must be proud of this gift and help by casting our vote. Voting is up until December 31, 2008. You can vote online by visiting this site: http://www.new7wonders.com/classic/en/n7w/register/
Family Ties
Close family ties is a unique nature in the typical Filipino family. This is common since most Filipino families are following the extended family structure. In this setup, the children are living with their parent even after their marriage. This may continue until they have their own children. In the provinces, you can see three families living in the same house together with their parents.
If the new family is already capable of having their own house, its normal that they will buy a lot and build their home on the same compound or village with their parents or relatives. As such, they are not really isolated from their family or clan.
This practice can be seen in all rural areas in the
With this setup, members of the clan retain their values and closeness. Siblings, nieces, and other relatives consider each as part of their family and circle of friends. A strong rapport is established among the members of the family which makes every Filipino family special and ideal.
Some say that living in such setup is also disadvantageous since it encourages dependence among family members. Still, it’s a debatable topic since family members opt to adopt such setup.
This setup has been adopted for centuries, even before the Spaniards came. Living in an extended family can mold the values of young Filipinos, by allowing them to see how their parents and other relatives live their life.
Po and Opo
Before the week ends, of course, I need to post a new article for this blog. Since I already posted the “pagmamano” thing last time, this post will also focus on the family values of the common Pinoy.
It’s a distinct tradition of every Filipino family is their respect with the elders. As mentioned in my previous post, pagmamano is a form how Filipinos show their respect to the elders.
Aside from pagmamano, you can hear them saying “po” and “opo.” These are the words that Filipinos use to show their respect when talking to elders and/or to someone that they respect. They usually punctuate or end a usual sentence in a conversation. Also, “opo” is sometimes equivalent to “yes” when answering questions from a respected person or from an elder.
The use of “po” and “opo” is common in the Philippine Capital and in the Southern tagalong region. Due to the geographical setup of the Philippines, the use of po and opo is rarely seen in other provinces, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao. Still, it has been a trademark in showing respect in the Philippines.
Here are some basic Filipino words that uses po and opo with its English translation:
Kumusta po kayo? – How are you?
Magandang gabi po! – Good evening!
Opo, tapos na ako sa aking takdang aralin. – Yes, I’m done with my homework.
Maupo po kayo. – Please have a seat.
The Feast of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno de Quiapo
(Image courtesy of Sunstar.com.ph) The feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo,
The image was brought to
This devotion of millions of Filipinos to the Black Nazarene shows the influence of their religion, specifically of the Roman Catholic Church, to their life. Devotees or the image believes that their wish will be granted if they will make a vow (“panata”) to the image. So even believes that if you are lucky to hold or just touch the rope holding the carriage of the image during procession, your wish will be granted and/or your illnesses will be cured. Because of these beliefs, they considered the image to be miraculous, causing more and more people to check the image. The Catholic Church did not deny nor confirm these “miraculous” events.
Because of the overwhelming number of devotees attending the procession annually, and the desire of every one to touch the image, the supposedly peaceful and solemn procession has been also a scene of tragedy for some. This year, as of writing, 2 fatalities have been recorded and more than 40 devotees have been injured due to a stampede.
Still, this major event is a must seen for every Filipino. You can see how festive a Pinoy can be and how people from all walks of life gathered together to rejoice (and not to evict a president) for the Lord.
If you missed the January 9 festival, you can also see the image on procession on Good Friday.
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