Pabasa, Palaspas, Prusisyon, Pagkabuhay at Pagkain.

After mass last night, we proceeded to another church to do a Visita Iglesia. We chose a church where there was a parking lot.

It is a huge church named Sta. Clara de Monte Falcon at the corner of Mercedes and Raymundo Streets. It is also an Ossuary; underneath the Church Proper, I saw small locker-type tombs.

The Church altar was huge, and the Blessed Sacrament was kept in a garden-like setting where candles sat among flowers. It was beautiful. There were several other churches nearby, but there were no parking areas.

As kids, we went on occasional Visita Iglesia. Usually, it commenced at eight in the evening, and we went as far as the San Miguel Church near the Malacanang Palace. We did this whenever our father was home early on Maundy Thursday. Otherwise, after the church procession, we just amused ourselves at home by talking underneath our breath because Mother never liked noise during the last week of Semana Senta.

On Maundy Thursday, the Aglipayan Church had the streets of Mandaluyong all to itself for the procession. At six and a frail kid, I was already honed at handling a lighted candle, and walking along with my siblings at the foot of St. Veronica's carosa was a childhood high.

On Good Friday, our family got split into two. My father, a Roman Catholic would join the procession of the Romanos, dressed in a black Barong Tagalog, while my mother and us and an aunt trailed the Aglipayan procession. Years later, we children, converted to Roman Catholicism, but because the two churches are practically one and the same in terms of rites and beliefs, I still identify with both churches.

I remember being in Vigan, Ilocos Norte one Lenten Season of my younger adult life, and being awed by the grandeur of its Good Friday procession. Twice, we were in Baliuag, Bulacan for its famed Good Friday procession, and while at the Fatima Shrine in Portugal where a procession also took place, I marveled how we, the faithfuls, have kept this tradition going and very much alive in our hearts.

Apart from the colorful Lenten rites such as Pabasa ng Pasyon (reading of the Passion of Christ), Palaspas (Palm Sunday), Prusisyon, (Procession), and Pagkabuhay Na Muli (Resurrection), the part that I look forward to as a child was the Pagkain (Food).

On Good Friday, my mother or aunt always prepared a special daing na bangus with patola. Then, on Eater Sunday, which we usually celebrated in Nueva Ecija, my grandmother had for us a grand fiesta feast complete with lechon de leche.

If we were in Manila on Easter Sunday, me and my elder sister would tag along with our Aunt for the Salubong, which took place very early Sunday morning, a rite which commemorated the moment when Jesus met his Mother, after His Resurrection.

Yesterday, my younger sister commented on her facebook account how she misses our Mother during this Lenten Season, how she kept us grounded on the practise of reading/singing the passion of Christ. I commented that maybe our family can initiate a family passion-book reading which later on, we could pass to the second and third generation children.

" Yes, let's do it," she replied.

After all the pain in Lent, and all the pomp of Easter, we could all look forward to the pleasure of having discovered again the true meaning of our Christian Faith.

RH. gRRRRR.

SOON!

CONDOM - THE NEW LOLLIPOP YOUR PEDIATRICIAN WILL GIVE TO YOUR BABY GIRL OR BABY BOY.

I don't understand why our lawmakers and the sitting President are so bent on passing and enacting the RH Bill. Their main reason for wanting it: to control population explosion in the Philippines.

As of July 2010, the Philippine population stood at 99,900, 177. It is the 12th most populated nation in the world.

Top 15 Most Populated Countries in the World according to the CIA World Fact Book:

As of 2010, the Philippines was the 12th most populous country in the world, among nations such as:

1. China: 1,330,044,605
2. India: 1,147,995,898
3. United States: 303,824,646
4. Indonesia: 237,512,355
5. Brazil: 191,908,598
6. Pakistan: 167,762,040
7. Bangladesh: 153,546,901
8. Russia: 140,702,094
9. Nigeria: 138,283,240
10. Japan: 127,288,419
11. Mexico: 109,955,400
12. Philippines: 92,681,453
13. Vietnam: 86,116,559
14. Germany: 82,369,548
15. Egypt: 81,713,517

Yesterday, we attended a half-day Lenten Retreat and one of the priest- speakers talked about the RH Bill and the Catholic Church's stand against it.

Three months ago, we attended the turn over of a Health Centre which had been donated by my sister and brother in law to a local barangay in Nueva Ecija. On that occasion, my bro in law spoke of his stand against the RH Bill, and being a long time OB-GYN practitioner in the U.S., he related the information on how contraceptives gave people false security, and how these products failed, and caused unwanted pregnancies (leading to more abortions) and sexually transmitted diseases.

I heard this same information yesterday. Plus all the other ugly aspects of the RH Bill.

Of course, the priest was given to exaggerated delivery. But he was right on in enumerating the ugly and evil features of this Bill.

Yes, I've seen impoverished people who have six or eight kids; I've also seen couples without any kids who wanted to have some but could not, because for so long, they had used contraceptives (and had resorted to abortion a number of times), and now that they badly want to have children, they could not get pregnant because the women's reproductive system had already been damaged.

With the passage of the RH Bill, everyone becomes a "coddler" of teen sex, because sex education (how to use a condom, when to have sex and not get pregnant, etc) will be taught starting at Grade V to 12 year- olds, at all public and private schools, and money spent here will come out from the taxpayers pockets.

- In Canada and in the U.S., where sex permissiveness rules and where sex education is taught from kindergarten, teen pregnancies are still a "growing" problem, especially among the poor black Americans. Unwanted pregnancies equal ABORTION.

With the passage of the RH Bill, most everyone becomes a complicit "health care" giver because every employer will be mandated to support employees for their after-abortion bills.

With the passage of the RH Bill, most Filipinos will be contributing cash to buy condoms, IUDs, pamphlets, and other contraceptives for distribution to the so-called "poor" but in reality to everyone, because public agencies (health centres, public schools, barangay halls, etc) will hand these out, and you know very well how during election times, "freebies" get handed down to as many people as possible.

Even if it's against your moral values to have anything to do with artificial birth control, you cannot do anything but give to these programs VIA YOUR TAXES.

RH Bill wants to help the poor control their babies' count; that's what the supporters say, because having to many kids is the the root cause of their poverty. But who are actually the "poor" they talk about?

The illegal settlers or squatters, whom the local politicians coddle and refer to as the poor?

These groups are not poor. They are tricycle and jeepney drivers, they are laundrywomen and iron pressers, they are newspaper boys, and warehouse help, they work at construction sites and piers, they are nannies and maids. In short, they are wage earners.

But they choose to live illegally because they could get away with it. And they always get support from local politicians and some cause-oriented groups. They choose to buy things - owning color TV sets and texting at cell phones - instead of food.

If you give these folks free condoms and IUDs and the men get drunk at night - they'd completely forget about the nurse's instructions, and simply go about satisfying sex in their drunken stupor.

Who else should be given contraceptives or told of safe sex? Poor and rich kids. Then, the high school-er would simply ditch the rubber because it's not as much fun as wearing none.

What about spending the condom- money for better education? Free high school, free college tuition, free textbooks, meal allowance to poor deserving Pinoys. Or subsidized college loans? Good education could really bring people out of poverty.

What about sound economic, political and judicial reforms? Jailing the corrupt should be the number one priority of the PNoy administration. Ipakita namang may balls kayo diyan.

In Canada and the U.S., there's no bill as near as the RH Bill. Over there, you decide on whether to buy or not a condom or an IUD with your own money. It's your conscience, it's your life. And abortion clinics get bombed by fanatics.

Of the 15 most populous countries in the world, five are Muslim nations, namely Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Egypt. Three, namely, Brazil, Philippines and Mexico, are predominantly Catholic, and two, U.S and Germany are predominantly Christian, while India is partly Hindu and Muslim, and China and Vietnam, both communist countries, do not encourage any organized religion. Japan is Shinto-ist and Russia is still torn between atheism and orthodoxy.

Why am I citing religious backgrounds here? I theorize that Muslim countries, which allow more than one wife for a man, would over run the Christian nations in terms of population growth.

The first world countries, for one, have already zero population growth rate. Most of Europe - Italy, the UK and the Scandinavian countries, Canada, New Zealand and Australia are relying more and more on immigrants to power their labour force and human body counts as consumers of products and services to maintain their survival as economic nations.

The U.S. does not have this problem yet. As of 2006, it has a hefty population close to 300 million, according to the FactMonster.com

According to the U.S.Census Bureau, "Based on the middle-series projections, the Nation's population is projected to increase to 392 million by 2050 -- more than a 50 percent increase from the 1990 population size."

Another part of the report says that "almost one-third of the current population growth is caused by net immigration. By 2000, the Nation's population is projected to be 8 million larger than it would have been if there were no net immigration after July 1, 1992. By 2050, this difference would increase to 82 million. In fact, about 86 percent of the population growth during the year 2050 may be due to the effects of post-1992 net immigration. "

If what Fr. Mario said about a 1975 study that the U.S. wants 13 countries, including the Philippines to curb its human growth, is true, and I believe it so, I also presume that the U.S., because it cannot curtail the growth of the Muslim world, is now exerting more pressure on its allies that could easily be dictated upon, to STOP new births, because the American people would have COMPETITION for the world's number one and dwindling resource: OIL.

If Vietnam, the Philippines, and other growing countries continue growing, there'd be greater demand for petroleum. These small fries can be twitted, influenced and peddled with aid with strings attached, such as a population control program.

But those populous Muslim nations and other Middle Eastern countries, the U.S. cannot touch. Even their own government cannot dictate upon their Muslim brethren to curb their family growth; an extended family is part of their belief.

With the passage of the RH Bill, politicians who are supposed to strategize and come up with socio-economic and political programs, will be off the hook. They will say they have got the solution for the country's number one ill (poverty) - don't curb your enthusiasm, including theirs. FREE CONDOMS TO GIVE.

RESIST THE RH BILL!

Sushi.

I want my sushi, and I want it now,
Dip or no dip
Dip it in my mouth,
Swirl it between my chopsticks
Grab it in my hands,
Chomp down with miso
Savour the pearly roe.

Sushi, sashimi
Tempura, teriyaki
Udon, calamari
Iwashi y kani
Ebi, ika, kaki
Shitake and moyashi
A bowl of sake to equal my wasabe.

The Japan tsunami got us down on our knees,
The nuclear reactors chilled our senses new,
The returning OFWs lessened the nation's crew,
The Philippine remittances dipped
Way way below.

My grandpa was branded pro-Jap
In last WW II,
When all he did was befriend a Nip
Years before the conflict whipped,
He was tortured, left for dead
Yet he regained his spirit and pride,
He lobbied for a school in our place
Now he lay in a simple man's grave.

I once had a classmate
He was half Jap and half Pinoy,
He was second in class
He was short in height,
He towered with humour
He glanced at pretty girls,
He hailed from Okinawa
Now he lives in Guam.

I used to drive a Volks, an Escort
And an Isuzu,
I bought a Voyager
And now wheel a Montero,
I pine for a Rover and also a Pathfinder,
In between my sushis
I dream,
That's all I'd been.

Sisig.

Nagsaing na ako,
Isinalang din ang kapehan,
Ang mesa ay pinunasan,
Sinilip ang asong bantay sa harapan,
Maya maya'y wawalis walisan ang tisadong hardin,
At kakalikutin ang mga sira sa bahay.

Mainit pagkagising,
Bago matulog din,
Sa tanghaling tapat,
Sa harap ng kalan,
Sa gilid ng bahay,
Sa likod sa may batalan,
Sa harap na nakaharap sa araw,
Sunog pati ang may anan.

Kay sarap ng pusit na aking niluluto
Lalo't pumupuslit ang tintang maitim,
Sa puting kanin isama
Tila gawa ng artista,
Kung may mainit na pinakbet pa
Lahat ay pampagana.

Mainit daw ang pag ibig
Lalo na't bagong kasal,
Kapag naghaharutan,
Sa mga bakasyunan,
Pag wala nang takot na mga anak ay madagdagan,
Oy, ano ba ang kulay ng suot mong hikaw?
- Eh di pagsapit din ng ating kabulagan.

Mga bata'y naghahabulan,
Mga menor de edad ay nagtatawanan,
Mga dalaga't binata'y nagsusulyapan,
Mga mag asawa'y nag uulayaw,
Sa tag-araw at tag ulan,
Ng mga taong magdadaan.

Pag ibig ang tamis o anghang ng buhay,
Makata man o pamilyar,
Ito ang ingrediyenteng asam.
Taga luto, taga laba, taga tipa ng makinilya,
Taga igib ng tubig,
Listaha'y walang katapusan.

Tayong bawa't isa
May init na iniimpit,
Init ng ulo, init kaya ng panlulumo,
Init ng tagumpay,
Init ng tawanan,
Init ng katawan,
Init ng tag araw.

Ang dapat ipagpalaya
Ay ang init ng kasalanan,
Dahil ang hantungan niyan
Ay mas matinding kainitan,
Duon daw sa impierno
Makasalanan ay sisilaban,
Parang sisig sa kawali
Ikaw ay sizzling one.

Homecoming.

When I was new in the U.S, I never quite understood the frenzy about homecomings. In a small town in Ohio where I lived in 1985, there were just a few hotels and so during these homecoming days, a lot of returning alumni and alumnae couldn't find accommodation. Later on, inns and hotels would rise around the University area.

"Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back former residents and alumni of an institution. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America. It usually includes activities for students and alumni, such as sports and culture events and a parade through the streets of the city or town."

Here in the Philippines, it is commonly referred to as "class or school reunion."

I'd never attended a class or school reunion; elementary, high school nor a college reunion. Once, after a year of graduation from high school, I went to an afternoon gathering where boys and girls of our graduating class talked about the new life in the university. The next time my high school class had a reunion, I was on a weekend discussion group for my MBA marketing presentation.

In the U.S and Canada, homecomings are big events. There'd be homecoming queens and kings, there'd be memorable dances and parades. These are usually held in September or October, after the long summer break.

I remember watching over HBO this movie about a high school class homecoming, which starred Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow. Titled "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion," it was about the looming tenth high school reunion of two dim witted high school pals, Romy and Michelle. Romy works in a car rental while Michelle is unemployed. With the reunion fast approaching, the two friends realized that their lives are not impressive enough to cow the popular crowd that tormented them in their teen years. So Romy borrows a Jaguar, and the duo concocts a story about how they became top corporate executives by creating Post-It Notes. Once they are at the reunion, however, Romy and Michelle's scheme unravels.

This movie parodies the sometimes cruel and demanding task of attending a homecoming; one is expected to either show off or shut up. In any sort of reunion , class or clan, each member is somehow unwittingly told to have a story to tell: a life story, or an episode of it.

What happened after grade twelve, grade ten or after that four-year baccalaureate course? Position in the office, salary level, family status? Kids? Kids' status?

Now, we understand why social networking sites such as facebook and tweeter have become so much addicting. There is always a need to find out what has happened to our former friends, colleagues, relationships.

Our high school holds a yearly homecoming every December. In it, all graduating classes are invited to attend, but this is not in the epic proportion of a U.S or a Canadian homecomings. Mostly, it is a dance event. Then, individual classes hold their own reunions, locally or sometimes abroad.

It's graduation month this April, and years from now, the Class of 2011 will be attending homecomings and reunions.

There'd be success stories and sob stories.

So real, surreal.

I never thought I'd say it: life is like a movie, a soap. Take this:

When you're retired, you experience bouts of boredom. This after you've gone on a trip, or finished a project, and done with your daily routine. You want new things all the time - you want to see more places, try other stuff. The usual becomes tiring.

So, I was bored one time and was flipping through channels when I saw this local show titled "Face to Face," over at TV5. I almost puked at the similarities it had with the U.S. TV show Jerry Springer; the guests or enemies have issues they want to settle or broadcast in public, and almost always end up hitting or screaming at each other.

I'd never watched a Jerry Springer episode in completion; I'd seen bits and pieces via flipping channels, which I do a lot. But I'd read and heard plenty about it.

In both shows, the issues that the guests present are of "cinematic" proportions - complex personal relationships. With "Face to Face," the plots even become airborne into another TV5 show, a drama.

But think about it: every one's life can be a plot in a movie. It can be a meaningless movie, it can be a box office hit. The locally-produced films are flimsier and unrealistic. Don't we oftentimes hear people say , "para namang pelikula," referring to a situation's unrealism.

ABOVE, RIGHT, Screen shot of one of episodes of Tv 5 - Face to Face

The hostage drama that took place at the Quirino Grandstand last August 2010 was cinematic - the story of a disgruntled, dismissed Manila cop who later killed several Hongkong tourists, after the media, the cops and government bureaus all bungled up their jobs.

Other movie hopefuls are the Hubert Webb life story, the Heidi Mendoza's, Jason Ivler's and his Mom's, Mrs. Ligot's, Angie Reyes', Jan Jan Suan's.

But your life and my life could be subjects of a love story, or of a thriller, too.

Do these sound familiar in your life: Ingrate or undisciplined children, gossipy neighbours, pain-in-the-ass household help, toxic relatives, abusive bosses, nosy office co-workers, wacky day schedules, angry or stoic partners, humongous traffic, incompetent cops and government, worthless TV and radio shows, ever-increasing costs at the pump, top-of-the-head utility bills, thieves at all levels of public and private services - from taxi and pedicab drivers, street vendors, traffic aides, licensing agencies, store clerks to top government and corporate honchos, and community issues of drugs, crimes, and sex.

Or livid existence, no kids to drive you crazy, unresponsive partner, over bearing in-laws, perfect spouse, perfect kids, sermonizing kins, too much money-you-don't-know-where-to-invest-it, no money to spend, sex-driven or no-sex-drive relationships, social networking addiction, computer games addiction, sexual harassment, on-line romances, imagined relationships.

The plot could go on and on. But if you leave it to a good scriptwriter and a director, every one's life can be cinema material.

And then, there are some films about nothing. Which are some people's lives.

ABOVE RIGHT, Jason Ivler, accused of murdering young Ebarle, seen with mom, Carlene Aguilar, sister of singer Freddie Aguilar.

Oy Soy.

I have constant craving for "taho." While in Baguio last week, at the Grotto, I simply had to taste that "taho," from the street vendor. He was selling strawberry-flavoured "taho," but I opted for the regular one. Why should I ruin the taste of "taho?" If I wanted strawberry, I would eat it sans soy.

In Canada, I whet my appetite for "taho," by going to big Chinese groceries. They sell "taho" as dessert, in plastic containers, but without the sugary syrup. So at home, I would heat maple syrup and pour it over my "taho." Of course, this Toronto version of "taho," is no match to the Manila "taho."

My eldest sister is just like me. Whenever in Manila, she'd drop her umbrella or bag if she saw a "taho" vendor on the street.

After mass on Fridays at the Quiapo Church, I would buy "taho" before making the rounds of Villalobos and Echague streets to purchase fresh vegetables and fruits.

Why don't I have any qualms buying "taho" from street vendors? Because what my aunt told me years ago stuck in my mind. She said that soy would not gel or harden up if it were dirty. I don't know if what she said had any scientific basis, but eating "taho" from street vendors over the years had not given me any stomach problems.

The lowly "taho" has now become franchise food at leading malls in Manila. At Megamall, you can see a cart of "Taho Boy." A regular cup sells for twenty pesos; the street-type "taho" sells for ten pesos.

While I was growing up, "taho" was part of my day. Those days, if you'd like "taho," you'd have to bring your own mug or cup, and "sago" or those tapioca beads were not part of the usual fare.

What I'd want to have is "taho" without the regular sugar; I wish they'd make syrup out of Splenda, or sugar substitute. I don't know if it would alter the taste, but as a person with high blood sugar, I'm willing to compromise.

This is true when I eat pancakes in the U.S. or Canada; I have the option of sugar-free syrup. Pancake House in Manila does not serve sugar-free syrup, yet.

Where have all the flowers gone?

We trekked to Baguio last Tuesday to have some R & R and wanted to beat the rest of vacationers going there this Summer.















Plus a sister was going, so we decided to join her group.

Previously, I searched on-line for a hotel and decided to try either the La Brea Inn which is located at the heart of Session Road or Hotel 45, at its Upper Session location, a stone's throw away from SM Baguio. The clerk at Hotel 45 said there was no need for a reservation.

I decided not to drive. Gas is so expensive and the thought of Manila- long driving got me tired just thinking about it. My sister whose husband was attending a Judges' conference in Baguio took a DeLuxe, non-stop bus trip, so I booked tickets for a Victory Liner day travel, too.

Leaving two dogs at home while their human counterparts were gone became the next issue, since the domestic help had gone on a permanent vacation. So, the eve before departure, I lined up several containers with food not prone to rotting and enough water to last them three days, and popped up a cozy night light for the spoiled younger guard dog, Shadee.

While we were at a Sison (Pangasinan) Pit Stop, sis texted us and queried if we had a hotel already; it seemed someone didn't take his place at the appointed vacation home. Would we want to take his place?




So, upon disembarkation at the Victory Liner station, we hailed a cab which promptly brought us to our temporary digs in the City of Pines. Later, we learned that Manny Pacquiao was also in Baguio doing his training for the fight with Mosley in May.

It was so refreshing to have Baguio CIty cabbies take fares without any grumbling; this, after the recent experience with Kuala Lumpur "teksi" drivers, and also of distant memories of several skirmishes with our own Manila taxi drivers.

Our house was a spacious bungalow with four rooms, each with its own bath. The hallway was wide and windows were everywhere. There were two dining areas and a living room with massive mahogany and upholstered furniture and a Platinum karaoke machine.

Aside from Karaoke singing, we also took respite from walking and eating by playing mahjong. I was an easy target because I hadn't played the game for some twenty years. After this event, I plan to sharpen my knives before I sit again in front of the mahjong tiles.

We went to the usual places: Burnham Park which was walking distance from our digs, the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, the Cathedral, Mines View Park, Camp John Hay, the Baguio Wet Market and the Good Shepherd Convent for their famous "ube." No, we didn't go to the "Ukay Ukay."

I almost cried upon seeing Burnham Park; it was a total disaster. When we went jogging one early morning, we saw huge portions of it covered with blue tarpaulin. Apparently, these were stalls for "tiangge-style" merchandise.

The flowers? They seemed withered and dusted. And at six in the morning, there were litters of varying kind everywhere.

I didn't want to inhale the air; I remember previous visits to Baguio - it was much cooler then, and the air was fresher.











Mines View Park was another big "tiangge." Before you could reach the view deck, you had to pass through stalls upon stalls of sellers. Gone was the "Mines View" of my younger years, when you can immediately view the scene from atop as you alight your car.












Camp John Hay is well developed. The "Manor Hotel" shares elegance with the pine trees, and the food at the restaurants were pleasing to the taste.

And it was a delight to have walked the busy Session Road again, especially on a cool late March evening.

But the big surprise was the University of Cordilleras; it is a big, busy campus.


BELOW , cat seen at the Grotto tiangge; looks like s/he's itching for a scratch.