September Morn in the Philippines

It is UNOFFICIAL!  Christmas has started four (4) weeks ago in the Philippines.  When you ask an "Insulares Pinoy" (Filipino born and raised in the Philippine Islands) what the 'ember' months mean,  "Christmas is near."  will likely be the reply.

Tune in to Philippine radio by the first of September and you will hear a Christmas song.  Such anticipation is not a result of the Pinoy's religious faith but by his positive/hopeful outlook in life. Pinoys want to look forward to something positive.  Christmas is a joyful event which inspires Pinoys since it is a time when family members reunite and enjoy each others company without restrictions (unlike the long holidays during Holy Week).

It is not unusual for Filipinos to plan ahead on their list of Christmas gifts' recipients.   The islands' economy is Christmas-driven.  Economic activity is full blast during the last quarter of the year.  Such is led by booming sales of native delicacies (Kakanin) and Christmas recipes such as Puto Bumbong ,purple-colored glutinous rice steamed in bamboo tubes, and Bibingka ,a rice cake cooked in preheated coals.

Aside from individuals, companies are preparing for their giveaways  and promotional items for the holiday season.  After Halloween,  retail establishments are setting up their Christmas Season offers - from Sale to Promotional schemes.  Corporate strategists are preoccupied in coming up with activities (affairs and events)  and marketing items/accessories that will be ,at the least, relevant to and ,hopefully, will create an impact or solidify the company's business relations with both clients and servers. 

Retail Drug and Personal Care Companies' Promo Items

Back to reality.  September 2016 in the Philippines will be remembered for the following: Senate investigation on the Extra Judicial Killings EJK which accompany President Rodrigo Duterte's war against illegal drugs, House of Representative's investigation on the Drug Trade inside the national penitentiary New Bilibid Prison NBP,  typhoon Ferdie' (international name Meranti) wrath over the Batanes Islands and the "Brangelina" split.

In the meantime, below is a Playlist of songs with SEPTEMBER in the titles to help ease our anticipation toward the actual Christmas season.  Enjoy!

(Note : For a couple of videos, you may need to click and play the video on YouTube page and one video may not be viewed in your country due to copyright restrictions imposed over the viewer's location.)

Philippine Election 2016: Citizenship Issue and Strategies of the Incumbent

The 2016 inauguration of the next Philippine President would imply that the Commission on Elections COMELEC has established ,at the least, an updated voters' list via biometrics registration process.  The list being clean and complete will always be relative to the observer's perspective.

As always, the election result would define policy changes or retention.  The Straight Path (Daang Matuwid) platform of the current administration maybe adopted or dumped by the next President. Looking at the roster of Presidential applicants reveals that the platform's final destiny is  even questionable with aspirants named Lucifer and Bin Laden.

For an ordinary Pinoy, the 2016 election promises to educate him and the millions of Filipino students. The question has already been raised indirectly.  Who is a natural-born Filipino citizen?

From Article IV Citizenship of the 1987 Philippine Constitution,

SECTION 2. Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship. Those who elect Philippine citizenship in accordance with paragraph (3), Section 1 hereof shall be deemed natural-born citizens.

A simple interpretation of  the above would mean that a natural-born Filipino is one who does not need to do anything to acquire Filipino citizenship. This also includes those born prior to January 17, 1973 to Filipino mothers and elected Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority.

Since I am not a lawyer and do not read the Supreme Court Reports Annotated (SCRA) volumes, I am not aware whether an adoptive case has been brought to court or not.  In my opinion, the law is not prejudiced against adopted children and ,so, such definition equally applies to adopted children.

The next question is whether a natural-born citizen is a permanent status or not.  Would a natural-born Filipino citizen be a lifetime status?  From SECTION 2 above, the definition states "from birth" rather than "at birth".  Moreover, citizenship is a dynamic status unlike ethnicity which is a permanent one.  

Citizenship can be renounced or acquired unlike one's ethnic origin.  Thus, a Filipino(a) who becomes a citizen of another country, renounces and later reacquires Philippine citizenship is not a natural-born Filipino(a) anymore.  Simply put, reacquiring Philippine citizenship would disqualify one from running and holding top national positions - President, Vice-President and Senator.

Since citizenship is not like marriage which can be annulled or voided from the start, a document which shows one has renounced the citizenship acquired in-between renouncing and re-acquiring Philippine citizenship does not reinstate the individual's natural-born status.  A concrete example is when one has renounced Philippine citizenship, acquired US citizenship, reacquired Philippine citizenship and then renounced US citizenship.  For whatever intention is such citizenship carousel, the natural-born Filipino status has been lost during the renunciation of Philippine citizenship.

The above discussion on the natural-born status is definitely an opinion of this blog writer who hopes that the Supreme Court of the Philippines will provide a definitive interpretation which is consistent with the spirit of the law. The problem, however, is that the issue is raised only at the level of the COMELEC and the Senate Electoral Tribunal SET.  Probably, we could expect a long period of appeals and counter-appeals on this matter.

The natural-born citizen issue is a critical element of the 2016 Philippine election.  It is key to the objective that the 2016 presidential election will not be a repeat of the 2010 vice-presidential outcome. There is now a clear attempt to change the front runners of the game.

Of course, the current administration and ruling party Liberal Party LP wants their candidate to win.  To increase their candidate's chances is to discredit the previous opponent and pit their bet with the most popular but neophyte candidate. As such, a new top two-contenders scenario is being hatched.

The popularity of the previous opponent has been decimated due to corruption charges.  Whether the alleged charges are true or not, the survey results proved the charges' toll.

The next aim is to raise the popularity status of the administration candidate who had been hovering in the doldrums until 2015. One way is to utilize survey results.  One survey asked the respondents to enumerate three preferred candidates for the presidency.  The survey result was seemingly interpreted that if elections were held during the survey period,, the actual vote percentages will  follow the survey rankings.

Current government officials' performance and trust-related surveys are also used to bolster the administration bet's popularity ranking.  By now, the LP bet seems to be immediately trailing the most popular candidate.  As expressed by the Senate President who belongs to the LP, the 2016 Presidential Election will be contested primarily by the neophyte candidate and the administration bet.

Aside from improving the administration bet's popularity rating, another phase is to establish that voters of the neophyte senator and the LP bet came from the same voter demographics. This might mean that in case the neophyte senator is disqualified due to some reason, logic follows that the administration bet will be the primary beneficiary.

Well, whether such strategies and courses of action are "morally" appropriate or  not, political survival is the game.  The previous century ,specifically the pre-martial law period, showed the rise of two dominant political parties - the Nacionalista Party NP and the LP.  Due to the transfer of a previous and then popular LP member to NP, the latter party weakened when the standard bearer opted to form a new party Kilusang Bagong Lipunan KBL.

After the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986, the LP has maintained its strength and proximity to the top national post.  LP was content to collaborate or even be King/Queen maker prior to 2010.  The 2010 election has made LP the most powerful party with the election of President Aquino - an achievement in spite of the existence (and eventual settlement) of several divisions inside the party (Salonga-Kalaw and Drilon-Atienza).

The 2016 election is anticipated to be like a continuing television series with unexpected twist and turns.  What would happen with the candidacy of the neophyte senator who faces disqualification cases regarding her citizenship and residency status?  Would the discredited dark horse from Makati City regain his power and repeat his come from behind victory in 2010? Would the administration bet finally capture the coveted political prize and continue the Straight Path platform?

With the closing of the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy last October 16, 2015, would an Ilonggo be the next Philippine president? There are three of them including the neophyte senator. If not an Ilonggo or the Vice-President from Makati City, would the top honcho remotely via substitution of the current PDP-Laban bet be the incumbent Mayor from Davao City?  Would the next vice-president be from Bicol, the Son of the late "New Society" President or the Senator from Taguig?

More importantly, would the 2016 election produce political newbies? Would LP be still the dominant party?  Would the election turn out to be honest and peaceful?

We just hope that the result will REALLY be for the benefit of the country and the people specially those who are considered to be the lesser Children of GOD.

Muddled Social Strategies

These quotes have long been used.   Applying them have benefits but are messy.


                                                                     **********


1.   Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Shared Only With YouOnly Me

This can be applied effectively to competitors in business and in sports.  For personal relationships, employing this strategy via monitoring the social media accounts of friends and enemies makes one a certified and pathetic masochist.  It is a heavy burden to allot time and attention to things and persons that do not make you happy.  

Normal lang kung gusto mo laging iniisip ang mga taong minamahal mo at inspirasyon mo.  Normal lang kung ayaw mo nang NEGA.  Ang dating ng kaaway ay NEGA. (Translation:  It is normal to think often of our loved ones and our inspiration.  It is normal if you avoid bad news and don't want to encourage negativism.  An enemy brings negative vibes.)

So check out your screws if you like to think often and/or be close to someone that makes you NEGAtive.    Unless your enemy reminds you of your favorite food.

2.   Divide and conquer.
Shared PrivatelyCustom

People use this to acquire and/or maintain power.   Supervisors, managers, bosses and even companies employ this tactic.  This control strategy is only effective while your subjects are not aware of your game.  This is a risky strategy since a backlash is inevitable when the pawns discover that they have been fooled or played around with.

For the loyal subjects, just always remember "United we Stand, Divided we Fall."  Good leadership is based on truth, hard work and efficiency..

3.   Good news or bad news is still publicity.
Shared PubliclyPublic

This strategy has often been used by spin doctors in politics and the entertainment industry. These experts create and magnify an event or an issue so the general public will focus their attention on the strategist's clients. Unfortunately, the magnified events and/or issues (whether fabricated or not) are usually classified as bizarre, notorious, ridiculous, shallow or unbelievable. Simply put, these are gimmicks.   

                                                                     **********

For most Pinoys however, relationships are based on trust and genuine concern rather than strategies and schemes. (Pakikisama)  Pinoys would rather be the underdog than the bully.  In the end, Pinoys believe that the underdog overcomes the bully and is victorious.   

Spotting a Pinoy - "You Must Be A Filipino?"

For some, all Asians look the same.  However, there are certain traits which are distinctly Pinoy.


Shopping

A department store sales personnel in Frankfurt, Germany was not able to restrain herself from asking "You must be a Filipino?" back in 1988.   I responded in the affirmative and she justified her observation by saying that I was buying several things and referring to my written cheat list (Kodigo). 

She added that I must be flying back to the Philippines and was buying presents (Pasalubong) for my loved ones.  When I spoke, her initial impression was that I came from the US until I started reading from my list and was purchasing the gift items.  It is very typical for Pinoys to buy presents in batches and at the last minute or just beating the deadline. 

Aside from batch purchases,  Pinoys love sales promotions (promos) and discounts.  They would not pass by a "Buy Something, Take  Something" promo or a "Buy Something, Get A Free Gift" offer.  Pinoys also love the "rewards points"  scheme where you earn points which can be redeemed later for a free item.

If possible, a Pinoy will ask for an item's "last selling price".  Elder Pinoys would even query sales personnel from established department stores whether the item's displayed selling price is the final (lowest) selling price or not.  An unsure response would prompt them to haggle for the lowest selling price.

Communication

Pinoys have complex communication skills.   What you see/hear is NOT what you always get.  Because Pinoys are 'sooooo'  polite,  they would not immediately inform you that they did not understand what you have just said.   It is not unusual for a Pinoy to ask the person beside him "what did the speaker say?"  (Ano daw yun?)  Some would even just smile and make a blank stare.  

This happens often when the foreigner speaks in an unfamiliar accent.  Pinoys are used to American accent.  Pinoys are more comfortable to reply in slang than to give a formal answer.  Filipinos speak English phrases or quotes often but for many, full conversation in English is a mental twister ("Duduguin ka.").

It is also not strange for a Filipino to make a facial expression or do a body movement when you talk to them.  Body movements include scratching of the head when there is difficulty in understanding the speaker or when the speaker requests something difficult for them to give.  Even for such request, a Pinoy may not give an outright no or rejection.

More common in Pinays (Filipino Women) is the use of their eyes and eyebrow to express doubt - stink eye or raised eyebrow ('Itaas ang kilay').  Another verbal reaction when in doubt is "Nek nek mo" or putting the finger in the neck.  

In the late 1970s,  when a Pinoy is left with no alternative, he/she replies "Magapatuka na lang ako sa ahas" (I'll just have myself be bitten by a snake).  So, exaggerated replies are not strange to be heard from a Pinoy.

Tone of the voice matters too.   The loudness, pitch, speed and manner of the reply could indicate the Pinoy's proximity or relation to the addressee.   Pinoys are a bit expressive in their verbal communication.  A simple query "What is it?"  can be delivered in an endearing ('Malambing") or irritated manner depending whether they are pleased with the addressee or not.  

One word can be a reply or a question.  An example is an elevator encounter - asking if the lift is going down  (vernacular question - "Bababa?")  or just a reply by the elevator operator ("Bababa.").

Aside from manner and intent,  the tone reflects the Pinoy's emotional state.  If you are sensitive enough, you can sense happiness or loneliness when talking to Pinoys.  You can feel the Pinoy's emotion when he/she talks.  The "Insulares Pinoys" (my term for Pinoys born and raised in the Philippine Islands) were not brought up to be cold, distant and objective.  Pinoys in the islands were raised to be warm, friendly, accommodating and polite.  Thus, a Pinoy sounds different or unusual when he is under the weather.   

Gestures  and Intimacy

Pinoys are not really touchy.  They are also not distant.  They do not mind a person being close to them provided the person does not have halitosis (bad breath) and/or unpleasant body odor (Baktol).  

When you travel in the Philippines, it is not unusual to see two females hold hands.  It is also not unusual to have one male place his arm on the shoulder of another male.  These show friendship or familiarity between individuals of same sex.    The reverse of these - two men holding hands or a woman placing her arm over the shoulder of another woman connote a different meaning.

Pinoys are still conservative as far as public display of affection (PDA) is concerned.   You would seldom witness a passionate kiss in public.  During the 1960s and 1970s,  PDAs are only done in a dark movie house with very few viewers or isolated areas in parks during twilight.

Travel

In the Philippines, the Departure area is congested.  In the past, it is not strange to see an outbound Pinoy escorted by the whole village and a jeep full of well wishers.  This shows the close-knit family or community where the traveler belongs to. 

In flight terminals abroad,  Pinoys are easy to spot especially during December.  Pinoys spending holidays in the Philippines are likely to have several hand carry and shopping bags.  Pinoys would prefer to be generous than practical during the holidays,  The Filipinos' generosity is caused by their desire to be like children at heart and to have a positive outlook in life.

Food

Noodles mark the birth celebration of Pinoys.  Asian noodles (Pancit Bihon) dish represents long life and is a "must have" dish during birthday occasion.  For kids, it is already a tradition to serve Spaghetti - Filipino Style.   In Italy, spaghetti can just be sauteed tomatoes over noodles.    For the Pinoy, it MUST be more.  Spaghetti Pinoy style is sweet and a bit sour.  It is tomato sauce based with ground pork and pieces of tender juicy "hotdogs".     These cut sausages must also be RED in color.

Nowadays,  it is not strange to see Pinoys include the cheese in the sauce.  For some, they even add chicken liver in the spaghetti sauce.

Pinoy food has gained notoriety because of "Balut".  The boiled duck egg is just a delicacy which is not even a part of the regular dishes served during Pinoy celebrations.  If you are afraid of the duck's anatomy, I suggest you ask for "Penoy".  I am not aware of an official study when Pinoys eat Balut.  From my observation, Pinoys eat the delicacy once in awhile during late afternoon till the wee hours of the morning.

For breakfast, Pinoys have garlic fried rice "Sinangag" with fried salted dried fish (tuyo, daing or damggit), fried meat (beef tapa, pork tocino or longganisa) and/or fried egg.  Pinoys also eat bread during breakfast.  Eating Pandesal with fried egg or sausages is common.  If fried egg/meat is not available,  Pinoys just dip the Pandesal in a hot cup of coffee (must try is Barako brew).

To cut short this discussion on food,  the flagship of Pinoy dishes and which I personally witness as the Centerfold er, Centerpiece of Filipino culinary and gastronomical event is the LECHON or roasted pig.  Wherever you are, if you see any of the following on the buffet table - Adobo, Afritada, Pancit Bihon, Embutido, Hilabos na Hipon, Kare-kare with bagoong, Menudo, Mechado, Caldereta, Dinuguan, Bicol Express, Pancit Bihon, BBQ, Spaghetti, Morcon, steamed rice  - and LECHON in the middle of the table, then the host must be a Filipino!

Beating Social Media Insecurities

Some people avoid participation in social media due to various reasons.  If you are prevented by your looks and status, hope this list will make you more confident to participate in the digital world.

Looks?

1.  Not Beautiful enough, Not Sexy enough?   Use a profile picture of your pet, your house, etc.  You can even take a snapshot of the back of your head.  Worse, you can use the photo of your favorite actor or actress.   We can use a lot of things and strategies to hide our imperfections.   My suggestion is to highlight our assets.

Kung maganda ang buhok mo at di naman kanais-nais ang mukha mo,  kunan mo nang litrato ang buhok mo (top, side o back view).   Kung may boobs ka at maganda ang abs mo,  gamitin mo ito sa profile photo mo. (HINDI DAPAT bastos ang pagkakuha!  Paano?  Well, that's your problem if you insist on being physical.)  Siyempre bawal ang nudity.

Wala kang physical asset? No problem.  Ayusin mo ang kuwarto mo at kunan ito.  May profile pic ka na.

Profile pics can be based on your causes and emotion.  Galit ka sa mga tsismoso at tsismosa, kunan mo nang litrato ang alulod ng bahay ninyo.  Galit ka sa mga kriminal?   Kunan mo nang litrato ang isang arinola o inodoro sa kubeta ninyo.

In social media, physical attributes should not hinder you to participate.  Lahat ng tao ay may kagandahan sa sarili niya.  As the saying goes, BEAUTY is in the EYES of the BEHOLDER.

Status?


2.  Wala kang dats o dinero?  Punta ka sa Luneta o Park at kunan mo nang litrato.
     Wala kang kamera?  Di magsulat ka ng status mo.  Sabihin mo sa caption, "Nasa Luneta ako.
     enjoying the sights!"

 Di ka makakain sa loob ng restaurant,  magprito ka ng itlog at kunan mo ito with matching pandesal.  Tapos lagyan mo ng caption,  Classic Breakfast!

Social Media is not only for the hip and financially able.  We can use it to express ourselves and our opinions, to show our creativity and uniqueness,  and ,more importantly, to connect with others.

Network?


3.  Shy ka dahil konti lang ang kakilala mo?  No problem.  Adjust your settings not to display your number of friends.  Pagtiningnan ang page mo ay lalabas lang ang "mutual" friends  kung mayroon sila sa iyo.  MAS IMPORTANTE NA ANG SOCIAL MEDIA FRIENDS MO AY TOTOO.  Kahit tatlo lang sila, basta LUV ka nila ay Winner ka.


Social Media is a digital gift to us.  We must use it WISELY and POSITIVELY.
PETIKS LANG TAYO.

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NOTE: Primary target readers of this post are Filipinos who are non-users of social media.  Language used is NOT Taglish and/or NOT Engalog rather a casual, conversational and spontaneous mix of English and Filipino.  

Translation reference: (maganda-lovely, buhok-hair, mukha-face, kunan-take a photo, litrato-photo, bastos-obscene, tsismoso/tsismosa-gossiper, alulod-drain/spout, bahay-house, arinola-chamber pot,  inodoro-toilet bowl, kubeta-toilet,  dats/dinero-money, itlog-egg,  pandesal-salt bread,  dahil-because,  konti-few, totoo-genuine/real, tatlo-three,  petiks-relax)