Pilantik ng Tadhana

Photo credit: lurve-inme

By: yhetz03


Kay yabang kong pumorma at kung umasta'y parang Donyang hilaw na kakapatong lamang sa ipot ng kalabaw. Ganun ako dati, isang nakakasukang bulaklak na pinaglihi sa lagim ng hinagpis at panlulumong wari'y sa isang iglap isang di mapantayang suklam na naguumapaw.

Sabi ko kay Ruben, hinding hindi ako papatol sa isang lalaking katulad ko lang na hampas lupa at kung iyon din lamang ang mapapangasawa ko'y mas gugustuhin ko nang malantang uhaw sa dilig habambuhay. Mahirap at napakasalimuot ang mabuhay sa iisang kahig at tuka lamang at yun ang nag udyok sa aking murang isipan at aking pinangarap ang marangyang buhay. Maghahanap ako ng mayaman na magaahon sa akin sa hilahil, karukhaan na magbibigay ng magandang buhay at tatawagin akong Donya Eliza.

At kaya ko naman nabanggit kay Ruben ang mga salitang yaon ay dahil batid ko ang kanyang mithiin at damang dama ko sa tamis ng kanyang mga salita ang mensahe na nais n'yang iparating. Nangungusap ang kanyang mga mata at tila sining ang bawat galaw na kahit isang musmos ay alam na sya'y nanliligaw.

Ruben, mas mainam siguro na maging friends na lang tayo, sagot ko bilang tugon sa panunuyo ni Ruben.

Kung mamarapatin lang sana ay ayaw kong masaktan si Ruben dahil bukod sa maginoong tao, sya'y isang matalik kong kaibigan. Kung kaya't kabisado na namin ang isa't isa ay sa kadahilanang mula pagkabata'y kami na ni Ruben ang magkasama. Kinalakihan kong sya na ang nakilala kong kababata at duon nagmula ang masidhing damdaming nagpalapit sa amin sa isa't isa.

Ang pagkakilala namin ay mula't ulo hanggang paa. Simula pagkabata'y siya na ang aking kalaro. Ang maligo sa batis na kapwa kaming walang damit, ang pumunta sa tumana para mamitas ng kamatis, ang maglaro ng bahay bahayan na sya ang tatay at ako ang nanay, ang manghuli ng tutubi sa bakanting lagwerta ni Mang Inteng,  ang maghabulan sa dalampasigan t'wing hapon, ang mangupit ng luya sa munting tindahan ni Aling Maria, ang magluto ng dahon ng malunggay sa tinapyas na lata ng sardinas at marami pang iba.

Naaalala ko pa nga nung grade 1 kami, hindi pwedeng pupunta si Ruben nang paaralan na hindi ako kasama. Palibhasa'y lumaki kami sa nayon kung saan napapaligiran ang aming bahay (mga limampung metro lang ang pagitan) ng mga nagluluntiang palayan at iba pang mga pananim.
Nagtitinda ng nilagang saging ang nanay ni Ruben at ang Tatay niya naman ay pangingisda at pagaararo ng mga bukirin ang ginagawa. Mag-isang anak si Ruben kung kaya't ang buong atensyon ng mga magulang ay nasa kanya at lahat na lang halos ng kayang gawin ay ginagawa para sa kanya. Sa kabila nito, naging mabuting anak si Ruben sa kanila at ni hindi ko kinakitaan ng pagkasuwail kahit kailan.

Ako ang panganay sa tatlo at ang dalawa kong kapatid na lalaki ay pinaampon ng aking inay sa aking tiyohing hndi nagkaanak nuong pumanaw ang aking ama. Tatlong taon lamang ako nuong namatay si itay at simula nuon, pinasan na ng aking inay ang tungkulin ng isang magulang upang suportahan at mabigyan ako ng magandang bukas.
Bakas na bakas sa bawat ngiti ni inay ang tindi ng hirap at hindi ko maiwasan ang mapaluha nang nagiisa sa tuwing naaalala ko iyon. Duon nagsimula ang adhikain kong makahanap ng lalaking makaangat sa amin sa kahirapan pagdating ng araw.

Nang magdalaga at magbinata na kami ni Ruben saka lang nya sinabi na kaya raw pala sya malapit sa akin ay dahil mahal niya ako.

"Hindi pwede Ruben, pag pinagsama natin ang mga puso natin, magiging miserable lang ang buhay natin pati na rin ng kinabukasan ng mga anak natin. Ayaw kong danasin nila ang hirap ng buhay na dinaranas natin", ito ang sabi ko sa kanya.

Mabait at mapagmahal na tao si Ruben. Kung tutuusin kung kabaitan lang at tunay na pagmamahal ang hahanapin mo sa isang lalaki, nasa kanya na lahat. Pero hindi iyon ang hinahanap ko, praktikal akong tao at ayaw kong danasin ng mga magiging anak ko ang buhay na tinamasa ko sa piling ng aking mga magulang. Mahal ko ang aking ina at hindi ako nagsisisi na mahirap kami at lalong hindi ko sinisisi ang aking inay.

Nuong umalis ako sa amin para magtrabaho sa Maynila, napaluha ng husto si Ruben. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang kanyang kalungkutan at ibinilin nya sa akin na kung mabibigo ako sa hinahanap ko sa Maynila, nandirito lang siya para ako'y tanggapin, mamahalin at pakakasalan. Ipinangako ko naman sa kanya na hindi ako uuwi sa amin nang bigo. Na hindi mangyayari ang sinabi nyang sa kanya ako babalik. Buo na ang aking pasya, lalaking mayaman ang gusto kong mapapangasawa at hindi ang isang Ruben lang.


Sa unang mga araw, linggo, at buwan ko sa Maynila, sinasagot ko pa ang mga tawag at texts ni Ruben. Damang dama ko pa din ang tamis at pagmamahal sa kanyang mga text messages subalit sa pagdaan ng mga buwan at taon, pinilit ko na syang iwasan at kinalimutan. Naka adjust na ako dito sa Maynila, marami na akong mga kaibigan at ang daming mga lalaking pagpipilian.

Totoo ang inisip kong makapamili ka ng mga lalaking mapera, sila ang may kotse at mayayaman na nasisilaw din sa ganda ng isang babae. Yun ang naging edge ko dito sa Maynila. Naiinlove ang mga lalaki sa ganda ng babae at masuwerte akong mayroon akong taglay nito. Puhunan pala iyon. Sa taas kong 5'4" at maalindog na katawang binalotan ng mala porselanang kutis banyaga, hinarap ko ang napakaraming manliligaw and I have the freedom to choose kung sino sa kanila ang pinakamayaman. May pinagaralan naman ako at kahit papano, tapos ako ng Business Administration course kung kaya't hindi mahirap sa akin ang magkaroon ng trabaho dito. Syempre pipili na rin lang ako ng mapapangasawa eh di titiyakin ko nang pinakamalaki at pinakamatabang isdang pwede kong mabingwit.

Maliban sa trabaho, wala na akong ibang inatupag kundi ang makipag date at magkilatis sa kanila. Date dito date duon, kilatis dito kilatis duon hanggang sa makilala ko si Reynan. Sa lahat ng nanliligaw sa akin, siya ang pinakamayaman at pinakamaimpluwensya sa lahat. Hindi siya kaguwapohan pero nakakatili ang matipuno nyang katawan. Nakakapantasya ang mga mayayamang bisig at matitigas na kalamnan. Hatid sundo niya ako papuntang trabaho at syempre mamahaling sasakyan ang service namin with matching bodyguards pa. Sa madaling sabi, pinili ko si Reynan at naging magkasintahan kami.

Masaya at buong buo ang aking tuwa sa mga sandaling iyon. Nalasap ko ang buhay na parang kailan lang ay sa panaginip ko lang nakikita. Ibinahay nya ako sa mamahaling condo at natupad ang pangarap kong maging Donya Eliza. Magarang mga damit, mamahaling sasakyan, masasarap na pagkain, hi-tech na mga gadget at gamit at kung anu anu pang binibili ni Reynan para sa akin na labis ko namang kinalulugdan.

Hindi maipinta ang tuwang aking nadarama sa mga sandali ng aming pagsasama. Isang karangyaang sumilaw sa akin at nagpalimot sa lahat ng kumikinang kong alaala. Na sa bawat pintig ng sandali ay isang malagintong kaganapan nang hindi matawarang aliw at tuwa. Isang di maipintang ligayang aking sinasamsam habang ako'y nakahiga sa rurok ng materyal na pagmamahal at ligaya.

Lingid sa aking kaalaman, naging board topnotcher si Ruben sa kurso niyang Arkitektura at isang malaking kompanya sa US ang gustong kumuha sa kanya bilang Architectural Consultant. Nairaos na niya ang kanyang mga magulang sa kahirapan at nakapagpundar na sya ng mga lupain at ari-arian duon sa aming lalawigan ng Antique. Matagumpay na arkitekto si Ruben at maraming banyagang kliyente ang kumukuha ng kanyang serbisyo. Kinalimutan na din nya ang pangako niya sa akin na hihintayin nya ang aking pagbabalik para ako'y pakasalan simula nuong nalaman niya sa nanay ko na mayroon na akong ka live-in dito sa Maynila. Kay bilis ng panahon, mag lilimang taon na pala akong hindi umuuwi sa amin. Pamilyadong tao na din si Ruben at masaya na siya sa pinili niyang propesyun.

Sa hindi inaasahang mga sandali, isang malaking suliranin ang gumimbal sa aking buhay. Isang pusikit na landas ang dumungaw at yumurak sa aking pagkatao. Nawindang sa iisang iglap ang lahat ng aking mga pangarap. Isang pagkakamaling sa umpisa pa lamang ay batid ko nang mali subalit pinilit kong pangatawanan kapalit ng karangyaan.

Napagpasyahan kong umuwi sa Antique. Limang taon na ang nagdaan at marami na ang nagbago sa lugar namin. Dalawang palapag na ang eskwelahan na dati'y gawa lang sa tablang niyog at nipang bubong.  Wala na ang bakanteng lote ni Mang Inteng na pinanghuhulihan namin ng tutubi ni Ruben nuong araw. Napapalibutan na ng malawak na palaisdaan ang buong nayon. Mayroon na ding nakatayong pabrika ng canned products malapit sa baybayin at isang eleganting mansion sa may bandang kinatitirikan ng aming tahanan. Sementado na ang irrigasyon sa palayan at mayroon na ding kalsada papasok duon sa aming bahay. Namangha ako sa laki ng pinagbago at laking gulat ko nuong sinabi ng traysikel drayber na sinakyan ko na lahat iyan ay pagaari ni Ruben. Isang mayamang Amerikano ang nakipagsosyo sa kaniya upang magtayo ng negosyo sa aming lugar kung kaya't kitang kita ang asenso nito.

Halos hindi ako makapaniwala sa aking nakikita. Tila sampal sa aking mukha ang hiyang aking nadarama at hindi magkamayaw ang aking puso sa mga panghihinayang nais kong sambitin. Alam ng lahat sa amin na marangya ang aking buhay sa Maynila subalit malaking kahihiyan ang hindi ko man lang naitawid ang buhay ni inay katulad ng ginawa ni Ruben. Nakakapanglumo isipin na sa kabila ng tinatamasa kong ligaya naghihirap pa rin siya. Nakalimutan kong may naiwan pala akong ina na umaasang maitaguyod at maitawid ko siya sa isang matuwid na landas at payak ngunit masayang buhay.

Pagkababa ko nang traysikel, nakita ko kaagad si Marife sa bakuran ng malaking mansion kalong-kalong ang isang sanggol. Kaklase namin ni Ruben nuong elementarya si Marife at siya pala ang kaniyang nakatuluyan. Lalong nanlambot ang aking katawan sa aking nasaksihan. Inggit at may halong pagsisi ang aking nadama. Napakaswerte naman ni Marife.

Nadatnan ko si nanay na nanunuod ng TV sa munting bahay na naipundar ko at laking tuwa niya nuong nakita niya ako. Nagyakapan kami at kapwa napaluha. Alam na ni inay ang lahat lahat sa akin pero sa kabila nito handa niya akong tanggapin at handa siyang mamuhay ulit kami na magkasama at masaya. Madami siyang kwentong sinabi sa akin habang kami naghahapunan. Lahat ng pangyayaring naganap sa lugar namin, pati na din ang tagumpay na narating ni Ruben. Napapikit na lang ako nang banggitin ni inay na, bago daw nag asawa si Ruben tinanong pa nito kung may pag asa pa ba siya sa akin subalit sinabi ni inay na nag asawa na ako. Duon ko napagtanto kung gaanu ako kamahal ni Ruben. Hindi pala nabibili ng pera ang totoong ligaya. Tiyak ko na tinatamasa ngayon ni Marife ang ligayang iyon. 

Kinaumagahan, bumisita sa bahay si Ruben. Binati niya ako at kinumusta. Nangibabaw pa rin ang pride ko. Nagawa ko pang magyabang sa kaniya. Sabi ko maganda ang buhay ko sa Maynila. May-ari ng malaking kumpanya ang napangasawa ko. Bakas pa rin sa mukha ni Ruben ang tamis ng pagkakaibigan namin. Damang dama ko pa din ang kabiguan sa kanyang mga mata at sa bawat kislap nito ay nanduon ang alab ng pagmamahal na sanay inalay niya sa akin.

Pagkatapos namin magusap, kinamayan pa ako ni Ruben at sinabing "masaya ako para sa iyo Eliza. Sadya lang siguro na hindi talaga tayo para sa isa't isa". May halong lungkot na sinabi ni Ruben ang mga katagang ito.

Pagkatalikod niya saka naglaglagan ang mala kristal na mga butil ng aking luha. Hindi ko mapigilan ang umiyak ng umiyak. Paano ko aaminin sa kanya na buntis ako at ayaw pangatawanan ng ka live-in ko ang dinadala kong sanggol? Paanu ko sasabihin sa kaniya na ginamit lang ni Reynan ang aking katawan at dangal? Paanu ko ipagtapat sa kaniya na kaya ako umuwi ay dahil nalaman ng asawa ni Reynan na may kabit siya kaya ako natanggal sa trabaho? Hindi ko na maibabalik ang lahat. Ako'y nagpaalipin sa tamis ng materyal na bagay. Napakasakit ang pilantik ng tadhana at ngayon ako ay naluklok sa bangin ng pagdurusa samantalang si Ruben ay alam kong masaya sa piling ng babaeng karapat-dapat na pinili nya. At hindi ako iyon.

The Gnashing Hypocrisy

By: Rex Omalde

Earlier today as I browsed yahoo for some relevant articles around the world, I came up with one of the articles that caught my interest. The article is about the animal rights group requesting to free  "lolong" a whopping 1075 kilogram and 6.4 meter long salt water crocodile captured in the province of Agusaln del Sur early this month , to its natural habitat.

Photo credit: globalvoicesonline.org

According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Asia-Pacific, "(The government) should do the compassionate thing and order this crocodile to be returned to his natural habitat, as taking him away to be locked up in an animal prison is just plain wrong," she wrote to AFP.

Upon reading the news, I could not help myself to weigh in what should be and what should not be in terms of animal hostility issues which these individual animal rights groups are concerned with.

Many instances related to this issue in the past always puzzled my mind. Let me clarify it right here that it is not my intention to counter people who love animals and believe that they should not be hurt or encouraged to kill each other. I myself is an animal lover too. Being raised in rural life where my parents used to breed carabaos, cattle, chickens, dogs, cats, pigs and pigeons among others, I imbibed that trait to love, own and breed these animals too. Not only I am an animal lover but also an environmentalist as well due to my continuing passion in planting trees, and my feeling of disgust once our environment is being maltreated by our fellows and some of our greedy brothers whose focus of interest is in the thickness of their pockets only.

Many years ago, a British animal rights group castigated the Igorots of the Philippines for slaughtering dogs as part of their cultural cuisine saying this was cruelty to animals.

Last June of this year, the second leg of the World Slasher Cup dubbed as the Olympics of cockfighting opened at the historic Araneta Coliseum. It is undoubtedly the biggest gathering of game-fowl breeders from all over the world including big names from America where cockfighting has been declared illegal. This event has been going on for over three decades and is enjoying unequaled popularity that draws thousands to the Big Dome for a week-long festival of cockfights.

It is so popular that West-based animal rights groups, using a local stooges, attempted to disrupt the World Slasher a few years ago by staging a rally in front of the Big Dome saying cockfighting is cruelty to animals.

In as much as I'd like to laud these groups for their effort to protect animal life from cruelty, I found it very elementary that they overexercised their duties and I cant help to ask myself what are their limitations. When I say limitations I mean how do they define "cruelty" as not to fall in the category of animal hostility where they said is wrong? With due respect, I would like to know the floor and the ceiling before any of these animal rights group accused anyone of us of having induced cruelty to the animals.

To protect animals, saving them from any harm,  planning for their future and conservation is nothing but the most due process we humans should employ but we should also realized that in the world where we live in, there is a hierarchy among God's creations with human beings on top.
I believe that God created humans with ultimate wisdom to overlook for other species and by the law of nature they are subordinates to us which means humans can utilize them to whatever purpose they are capable of doing.  So I understand that carabaos are bred to work in the farm , dogs to guard our houses, chickens to give us eggs, and so on. And since these animals are edible, humans also breed them for food including the dogs, pigs and any edible animals that could give us excellent meat. Some of them are ornamental and some are for entertainment. Yes, being on top of the hierarchy we humans use them to satisfy ourselves just like snakes eat chicks and frogs in the wilderness.

Now going back to the topic, how can we say cockfighting is animal cruelty if it is the nature of rosters to fight each other? Does it falls to be an animal cruelty just because humans let them fight in a bloody and fatal manner for their entertainment? At first glance maybe yes, but don't we know that before cockers let them fight they would breed them and roosters will be pampered for at least two years, given the best food, medicine and the best care and brought to the pit to be fought. If he wins, his line will be preserved by mating him to a flock of hens. He will be there with his harem for the next 8 to 10 years or until he dies. Is that cruelty? What about millions of poor broiler chickens beheaded and butchered without given the right to defend themselves and sold to the market for meat at the very raw age of 45 days which some of these animal rights group members also bought and ate? Are cockers cruel to game fowls and the butchers are uncruel to the broilers? Come on, this hypocrisy number 1 is teeth-gnashing!

photo credit: trekearth.com

Secondly, why castigate the ifugao people for having dog meat as food when early Filipinos and other Asian people used to eat them thousands of years ago? Let's not get carried away by the western culture where they don't eat dogs because they bred them for pet and not for meat and the endearment of animals as pet prohibit them from doing so. That's their culture and let's respect them but it's unfair to make it as basis in regulating our own practice. If you don't want to eat dog because you think it's messy then be it. Nobody will force you to eat what you don't want to but don't stop others who want to eat them because our ancestors breed dogs for meat many years ago. Is killing a dog for meat means animal cruelty? What about killing hogs and cattle for meat? Igorots and some Filipinos slaughter dogs for meat because it is part of our culture and to say by doing so is cruelty to them is totally baseless. This hypocrisy number 2 is rank way over animal cruelty anyway.

Thirdly, the giant reptile was caught due to the fear of Agusan residents of their life. It was reported that fiew years ago, a girl pupil went missing after it was thought to be attacked by the crocodile while on her way to the school. This mid year, it was reported that a fisherman was missing up to this date in the same place and is widely suspected that he was attacked by the crocodile. The entrapment operation was planned by local government when the residents reported that they saw the giant reptile killing a water buffalu that caused panic among them. The giant crocodile was captured a week ago in Bunawan town through the combined efforts of the local government and a team from the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center under the DENR. The reptile is now in a 800 square meter pen secured with 1.2 meter high concrete walls topped with welded wire in the town of Bunawan and it was closely monitored by experts being ill and not eating due probably to stress according to Ronnie Sumiller, a Wildlife official who led the hunting operation of lolong.
Animal rights activists immediately urged Philippine authorities and call for the release of the crocodile stating that natural conditions can never be replicated in zoos or animal shelters, resulting in physical and mental stress for captive animals.

"It's clear that the promoters of this park are thinking only of their bank balance, without so much as an after thought for the animal's well-being'" remarked by Ashley Fruno, senior campaigner for PETA Asia-Pacific

 While I appreciate PETA's concern in as much as I respect their views about the issue, they lacked specific reasoning as to why they wanted the beast to be freed and citing that promoters of the park are thinking only of their bank balance without thought for the animal's well being is absolutely wrong.The crocodile was caught because of the fears of about 1300 residents who rely primarily in fishing as source of their living being attacked and that what prompted the local government to trap the reptile and not because of financial interests which the animal rights group claimed. Is it the government's fault if they turn the "residents threat" into a commercial one by making "lolong" a tourism attraction in the province?

The group also said that the government should do the compassionate thing and order this crocodile to be returned to his natural habitat, as taking him away to be locked up in an animal prison is just plain wrong. 

I said why? What should be the right way? To free the reptile again and caused panic to some residents? To free the reptile in an isolate place where there are  no inhabitants?
We all know that animals are balance in nature and I will not question that but I also believe that animals who pose threats shall be suppressed and controlled. Beside, when we put them in an animal pens, it doesn't mean they will be neglected and starve to death. They will be feed and given care by park's custodian accordingly. Of course they are not as free compared to when they are in their natural habitat but that is the most friendly approach for them not to pose danger. Is that animal cruelty? No, that's what we call controlling for further threats.

There's a reason why criminals are put to jail. Humans are animals too and everytime you pose a threat to the community, you should be controlled. Is that animal cruelty? If yes then why don't call to free the criminals in prisons? Do the animal rights group do that? Of course not, because this hypocrisy number three is as nauseating as their so called animal cruelty.

There is conflict in our world simply because some people believe that everybody should see things their way and mainly because they want to impose their views of righteousness on others. This bigotry is what causes troubles. I say let's suggest to our beloved members of animal rights group to act accordingly and let us put an end to this teeth-gnashing hypocrisy!

Father & Son Beyond Compare

When I read about the phrase "matinee idol of the 60's", I was so curious and immediately browsed google for any information what is it all about and google directed me to the top 10 list of wikipilipinas
and here I found the complete list from one to ten. Here is the listing of wikipilipinas' top 10 matinee idol of the 60's:

1. Fernando Poe, Jr.
2. Tirso Cruz III
3. Eddie Gutierrez
4. Vic Vargas
5. Joseph Estrada
6. Romeo Vasquez
7. Ricky Belmonte
8. Pepito Rodriguez
9. Edgar Mortiz
10. Dante Rivero

Among these 10 matinee idols, Eddie Gutierrez immediately caught my attention simply because he is the father of our current young super star Richard Gutierrez. I was so curious that I can not help myself googling his pictures to determine how he looks like during his days and I came up with few photos of him which I posted below. Upon seeing his pictures, I cannot stop thinking how to compare him with his son Richard in terms of sexy looks and appeal but in as much as I wanted to do so, I was stuck and end up posting their photos here for the readers to see the difference and compare their similarities. Of course don't count the look anymore because they both shared the equally handsome quality and they both possessed the crush ng bayan looks. Anyway it's up for you readers to determine who's who because we all believe that beauty is in the eyes of the beholders. As for me, I can say they are on the same league only that they don't share the same era. Eddie Gutierrez had his own era and Richard's era is at hand. Please take a look at pictures below.

 

Eddie Gutierez in the 60's

 

Richard Gutierrez