UP is not Reality TV
Pero parang PDA lang ito kung magtanggal ng estudyante...UP closed to brightest of poor
On the third day of classes in the hundredth year of the University of the Philippines (UP), a freshman from Cotabato province, a Chemistry major at UP in Diliman, Quezon City, had to drop out. Together with his father, the brokenhearted young man went to see each of his instructors to have his subjects invalidated. While his Math 17 instructor was deleting his name from the class list, I could see the poverty, desperation, anger and sense of resignation in their faces. It was not the disappointment of winning the lottery and being denied the prize later. The young man is a member of a minority group in Mindanao. Without any connections and in the absence of any socialized admission policy, he qualified as a freshman in the College of Science of UP Diliman, a distinction he earned through intelligence, pure hard work and perseverance amid poverty. But in a few days, father and son are going back to Mindanao for good. The father explained they could not afford the “socialized” tuition at P600 per unit for students in Bracket C, families whose annual incomes range from P135,001 to P500,000 per annum. The father and son expected to be in Bracket D, families with annual incomes ranging from P80,001 to P135,000. Students in bracket D pay P300 per unit. UP president Emerlinda Roman seems to be disconnected from reality, or she must be fooling herself by insisting that the new Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) is fair and proper for an “iskolar ng bayan” [scholar of the nation]. Her family should try living on P6,666.75 a month (which when multiplied by 12—the number of months in a year—equals P80,001, the lower bound of Bracket D incomes). UP, no longer conscious of its role in society, chooses to ignore the long-term impact of offering greater genuine educational opportunities to the brightest among the poor, who are getting poorer amid the reported economic gains of the country. Socialized admission and tuition fee schemes do not lower academic standards. I’ve had countless students from public schools and far-flung provinces. They come to UP not as well prepared as their counterparts from the best schools in Metro Manila. But many later outshine the sometimes overconfident Manila-raised kids. After the new STFAP took effect last year, UP is no longer an option for the brightest among the poor. I agree with the cab driver whose daughter qualified for UP Diliman, as narrated in Youngblood (Inquirer, 3/24/08) by Mariel Kierulf Asiddao, a UP Mass Communication student. The cab driver insisted it was ESTIFAK and not STFAP. NOLI N. REYES, professor, Institute of Mathematics, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City
from: Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:46:00 06/20/2008
Ref: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20080620-143711/UP-closed-to-brightest-of-poor
 PAGBABAGO PAGHAHANAP PAGKAKATAONJune 28 (SAT) – 3PM/8PM July 2 (W) – 8PM July 3 (TH) – 3PM George Kabristante' s Ang Kuwento ng Menginga ng New York City na Kamukha ng Bee-Stung Lips ni Julia Roberts Directed by George de Jesus III Featuring Ricci Chan, Chrome Cosio, Jeff Henson Dee and Gem Padilla Denise fulfills the almost impossible condition given him by Victor, his sole object of obsession. He undergoes a sex change operation hoping that Victor's promise of love will finally be requited. To Denise's utter dismay, the condition turns out to be a half-forgotten joke. This melodramatic (and literal) reversal of fortune becomes black hilarity in the hands of George Kabristante. More like his reprise and variation on a theme that he started in last year's Labfest, My Padir is an OCW. Dennis Teodosio's Gumamela Directed by Roobak Valle Featuring Ed Murillo, Riki Benedicto and Russel Legaspi "Gumamela" is more than just about hibiscus rosa sinensis or its botanical characteristics and pharmacological effects. It tells the bitter-sweet- campy story of man who contemplates what's there in 40 missed calls, in 40 minutes of waiting, and in 40 years of loneliness, love, and life, between serious bouts of suicide attempts and the desire to eat a sumptuous slice of chocolate cake. Rogelio Braga's Ang Bayot, Ang Meranao,at ang Habal Habal saisang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del NorteDirected by Nick OlankaFeaturing the UP Repertory CompanyAn unusual rendezvous of two beautiful and sharp-tongue outspoken creatures living at the margins of our society. Take a peak on their engagement as they courageously travel— devoid of any inhibitions, political correctness, and social graces—that rough and `older than history' roads of discrimination, hypocrisy, bigotry, social divides, corruption and unspoken violence to arrive in a decent friendship. Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte is a bitter yet funky peppered with a Radio Active Sago Project kick-ass take on the cruelties of our society that condones discrimination which is definitely not so cool.
 FREE ADMISSION for "Ang Mga Mananahi'" - it'll be for ONE NIGHT ONLY June 29, 2008 at the Amado V. Hernandez Conference Room, CCP. Rogelio Braga's Ang Mga MananahiDirected by Angeli BayaniFeaturing the UP Repertory CompanySet in an ‘unnamed’ place somewhere in the South on the heydays of the government’s war against the Bangsa Moro freedom fighters. A story of how four Muslim women perform the act of bravery on their bare hands and compassionate souls. “Walang kapayapaan kasi walang kalayaan…” Ang Mga Mananahi is a celebration on the triumphs of human spirit against the adversity of a cruel and ruthless power and a homage to those beautiful thoughts that keep ordinary people together to stand for freedom and lasting peace.
Ang makulay, magarbo at MAPAGPANGGAP na UP freshmen welcome assembly. *bow*Ang mga freebies, ang UP Pep Squad, ang UP Concert Chorus, ang UP Street Dance, ang Kontra-Gapi, ang erkon na UP Theater, ang banda mula sa College of Music, ang mga lobo, confetti at cympre pa, ang UP REP. Naaalala n’yo pa ba guys, yung freshmen welcome assembly? Ansaya noh? Kala mo party lang. Bongga. “Mabuhay ka, bagong iskolar ng bayan,” Oha, oha, oha. Hanep, feeling mo cool ka kasi pumasa ka sa UP. Tinatak sa utak mo na magaling ka, na malupit na skul toh. Pero nung tumapak ka na at lumubog sa tunay na sistema, bulok pala talaga. Grabe guys, halatang desperado na yung admin na ilayo sa freshmen ang kahit anong forces na maglalantad sa tunay na sistema, sa kabulukan ng tofi, sa mga isyus na magpapamuka ng tunay na UP. Grabe, grabe, the last two years, nakakapagtakang nagpapa-audition sila bilang university performing groups naman talaga ang nagpeperform sa freshie assembly. But no, grabe lang yung halatang sini-screen lang kasi nila yung script ng UP Rep. Enriquez: We are holding this audition because we also want to give others a chance. (eh teka ma’am, asan yung others? Parang kami lang nandito?) Enriquez: Please don’t use the word “gahaman,” alisin n’yo ‘tong toilet humor, alisin n’yo tong…palitan n’yo tong…wag n’yo gamitin ‘tong..blah. (sabi pa n’ya, hindi lahat ng tradition dapat isustain. May mga tradisyon na dapat ding alisin. So, ma’am kasama ba kami sa sinasabi mong tradisyon?) Akala namin pa-audition and screening of script lang. But no, dishir, WALA NA TALAGA SA LINE-UP NG PERFORMERS ANG UP REP! Guys, kabahan, ika nga ni ate melai, nagbabago na ang UP right in front of our eyes! Ang sabi pa nila, musical daw kasi ang tema nila ngayon. At ininvite nila yung gusto lang nila magperform. At kumpleto na ang line-up. At wala dun ang UP Rep. At wala nang audition at all (teka, akala ko ba u want to give others a chance, di’ba, sabi n’yo, last year? Tska last last year?)
With that said, I der-por conclude na threatened lang talaga ang admin. Freshmen Welcome assembly, wala ang UP Rep?! Sino ba sa’ten dito ang hindi nakakakilala kay Isko at kay Iska? Grabe, grabe. Pordat eh magpeperform ang Rep sa labas ng theatre, sa kahit saan pa yan. At patuloy na mabubuhay ang…. Tuition Fighters a-a-aha! Tuition Fighters a-a-o-yeh! The F is por FIGHTERS! En-da I is por MATA! The G is por GAHAMAN nangunguha ng pera (or por GOLD nangunguha ng GOLD! Ayaw nila ng gahaman eh, hahahaha) The H is por HELLO! En-da T is por TUTULAN Da E is por EULA put some beauty in yor layp (balaj, bagong-bago ah) Da R is por RIGHTS en-da S is por STUDENTS! Tuition Fighters a-a-aha! Tuition Fighters a-a-o-yeh!
post from a UP Rep member
http://gadiantonrobber.multiply.com/journal/item/33/Ang_makulay_magarbo_at_MAPAGPANGGAP_na_UP_freshmen_welcome_assembly._bow
MANILA, Philippines - Militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) blasted Malacañang Saturday for denying workers their due by announcing no wage hike will be given to workers before May 1.
KMU spokesman Prestoline Suyat dismissed as a "show" President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's order to the regional wage boards to report for work even on May 1, a holiday.
"This is already expected. Actually, President Gloria Arroyo is just staging a show in asking the regional wage boards to increase wages because she cannot dismiss anymore the crisis she has brought to the people," Suyat said in a statement.
"The people have more reason to flock the streets this coming May 1, or Labor Day. It is payoff time for the regime who has continuously kept the nation in despair and scarcity," he added.
Suyat said KMU expects some 100,000 people to conduct programs and demonstrations in various parts of the country on May 1.
But he also called on all congressmen "who still have their conscience" to do something to legislate the P125-wage hike immediately.
"They should address the urgent and legitimate demands of their constituents," he said.
Suyat scored Mrs Arroyo's instruction for all regional wage boards to set meetings on May 1.
He said the move was also another flimsy attempt to evade workers' demand for a P125 across-the-board wage hike, which he said is the "only substantial increase that could temporarily alleviate the dire condition of the workers and the people."
"Wage boards are only instruments to give meager, insignificant adjustment to workers. The NCR wage board, for example, only gave a P12 increase on the average yearly, many of which are just cost of living allowances," he said.
On the other hand, Suyat challenged economists and businessmen siding with government who spread "lies" that wage increase will cause inflation and is bad for the economy.
"Cost of goods is already rising even if workers do not receive wage increases. For this year, for example, the price of rice increased by 44%, fish 14.3%, pork by 23%, chicken and vegetables by 20%, fruits by 25%, and frying oil by 56% since April 2007 according to the Department of Trade and Industry itself," he said.
Citing studies by militant think tank IBON Foundation, Suyat said wages have only increased by 18.6% since Arroyo assumed office (2001-2006), compared to the 37.9% increase in prices of basic goods.
Because of this, an average family lost P20,400 in real terms of wages, and P1,300 – P21,400 for the poorest families.
While workers' purchasing power continues to lag behind cost of goods, incomes of big companies in the Philippines have considerably risen, he added.
"Income of top 1000 corporations in the country has risen by 327 percent. While manufacturing companies only spend 6.8 percent in labor cost. It is only for this reason that they can easily give P125 wage adjustments and deduct these from their enormous profits instead of increasing the prices of their products," he said. - GMANews.TV
Dearest UP Rep members and Alumni,
Michael Angelo "Sir Mike" Lopez (late 70s batch) is currently suffering from an illness that has left him only 2 years to live, and has incapacitated him to work and earn a living to feed his family.
I would like to ask for help from you, in behalf of Sir Mike and his family. I have sent him cell phone loads a couple of times to help him contact more Repists. But of course, this is of no value to feed his family.
Kindly send him anything that you can give – cell phone load, GCash, "relief goods", cash, anything that will help.
Two years is just a short time and Sir Mike is currently in desperate need. He has been reaching out to us and we hope we can act on this NOW.
You can text him at 0906-354-05- 98 (his cell phone cannot receive calls) or call him at his daughter Kelly's number at 0916-714-12- 59. Please call him first before sending anything, just to make sure.
You can send goods to him on this address:
Ms. Gina Tongol
#120 SAN ISIDRO SAN SIMON PAMPANGA
Gina Tongol is his wife. Or you can send the 'relief goods' to our office (Amrei 97-B and Tekla 96-C are my officemates) :
VitalStrats Creative Solutions
Unit 201 Puno Bldg.
#47 Kalayaan Ave., QC
(domino's pizza bldg, between Matino and V luna)
Please send as much as you can until around May 9. Then let's try to visit him to bring the goods to his Pampanga home on May 10 or 11. Kung may gustong mag-volunteer ng sasakyan or mag-volunteer to come to Pampanga, we would greatly appreciate it. Kindly coordinate with us or reply to this email.
PLEASE SEND HIM ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN GIVE NOW. TULUNGAN NATIN SI SIR MIKE. Alam kong mahirap para sa kanya na magtext sa atin na "palimusan" siya ng tulong, but I guess, sobrang nahihirapan na din siya na wala siyang maipakain sa pamilya nya.
Let's help Sir Mike. Sa mga batches na inabutan ko, alam kong part ng angas natin, nakuha natin kay Sir Mike. Ngayon, nawala na ang angas niya dahil sa sitwasyon. Kung nakaka receive din kayo ng messages from him, madudurog din ang puso nyo. Please, let's help.
We are hoping for your responses and other suggestions on how to help. We need to act on this now.
Please forward this to Repists who know Sir Mike Lopez.
Maraming salamat po!
Roma Regala
Batch 00-A
Chairperson: Z Zafe 06A
Research: Sarah Elago O6A
Membership: Romin Diaz 07A
Finance: Lady Diaz 06B
Externals: Rona Canayan 06A
Production: Gelene Tobias 05A
For the 53 JOURNALISTS murdered For the 58 ACTIVISTS abducted
For the 168 FARMERS left landless
For the 2,461 HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS neglected
For the 100,000 VOTES cheated
For the SIX BILLION PESOS stolen FOR THE LITTLE HOPE EXTINGUISHED For the bottomless APATHY
For the eternal DISILLUSIONMENT
For the absolute SHAME Caused on the future heirs of the Country For what is JUST
For what is RIGHT
For what is DEMOCRATIC FOR WHAT WE DESERVE. Because the Arroyo Administration must be RESPONSIBLE for all these, WE MUST PROTEST.
Regardless of where you're studying
WEAR THE GREEN RIBBON
at your Graduation.
THE GREEN RIBBON PROJECT
FOR CHANGE.
That it was examination week in schools throughout the country did not deter youth and students from leading a March 14 rally at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila. It was the last major demonstration against the Arroyo regime before the nation’s Christian faithful take a break for the Holy Week. It was also the third big anti-Arroyo rally in a month since former Philippine Forest Corporation president Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada came out with his exposés on the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal between the Philippine government and China’s ZTE Corporation – for which he served as a technical consultant. The NBN project is a $329-million contract to connect government agencies throughout the Philippines through the Internet. Lozada revealed in Senate investigations that the NBN deal was overpriced by $130 million, and that it was “standard practice for government contracts” to be overpriced by 20 percent. He also disclosed that presidential spouse Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo was involved in back channel negotiations on the NBN deal. He confirmed the involvement of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos in the contract, as well as his attempt to bribe Romulo Neri – who was director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) during negotiations on the project – thus corroborating earlier allegations by businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, son of ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia, and Neri himself. The younger De Venecia heads Amsterdam Holdings, Inc., which is one of the losing bidders in the NBN contract. Lozada’s exposés came about a week after the elder De Venecia was ousted from the House speakership. The elder De Venecia is reported to have earned the ire of Malacañang for failing to stop his son from speaking out on the NBN deal. Lozada’s revelations, together with previous attempts to silence him like his abduction allegedly by elements from the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) with the assistance of airport security men upon his arrival from Hong Kong early last month, provoked public outrage and revived calls for Arroyo to resign from office. United Opposition (UNO) spokesperson Adel Tamano, who is also the president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), appealed to the crowd for unity. “The Arroyo administration is using the ‘divide and conquer’ tactic against us,” Tamano said. “The activists are pitted against the non-activists, EDSA I and EDSA II are pitted against EDSA III. This is not right. We have a common purpose, and that is to search for the truth.” Lozada did not show up at the March 14 rally in Manila, as he was on a speaking tour in Iloilo. But the younger De Venecia was there, echoing Joze Rizal’s description of the youth as the “hope of (the nation)” and urging them to continue fighting for truth. He also urged the Arroyo couple to “back off” from corruption and from lying to the Filipino people – alluding to a supposed order to him by presidential spouse Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo to “back off” from the biddings on the NBN deal. A highlight of the program was a skit performed by the University of the Philippines (UP) Repertory Company. Set in 2030, the skit depicted a girl’s travel back to the time of the Arroyo administration when, as one of the characters would say, “corruption and political killings were rife.” The main character was on a mission to get President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’ s mole, and her quest took her through several corruption scams involving the Arroyo administration – including the construction of the President Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, which was overpriced by P1 billion and was one of the first corruption issues against the President. (hahaha! love it, inspired by Bayani itong skrit na ito!! bwahahaha) Another highlight of the program was a performance by rapper Peter Park Her, whose song demanded that those involved in corruption be lined up at Rizal Park and shot – in reference to the execution of Rizal, now the country’s national hero, in what was known as Bagumbayan in 1896. Mary Grace Poe, daughter of the late actor Fernando Poe, Jr. who was Arroyo’s closest rival in the 2004 presidential elections, also spoke at the rally, urging the youth to think not only of their own futures but also the future of the nation. Poe lost by 1.1 million votes to Arroyo in 2004 in an election marred by fraud, which repeatedly manifested itself in tampered election documents and discrepant poll figures. The issue of fraud in the 2004 elections was revived in 2005, when presidential spokesperson Ignacio Bunye brought out into the open copies of the so-called “Hello Garci” tapes. These are a series of wiretapped and recorded conversations in which a woman with a voice similar to Arroyo’s is heard instructing an election official – widely believed to be then Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano – to rig the polls. The woman specifically instructs “Garci” to ensure a victory of “more than 1M” for her. Before the youth-led program at the Liwasang Bonifacio, activists belonging to Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-National Capital Region (Bayan-NCR) staged a “Kalbaryo ng Maralita” (Calvary of the Poor), a street-theater presentation depicting the sufferings of the Filipino masses using Christianity- based imagery. At around 2 p.m. Bayan and the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) marched to the Liwasang Bonifacio for an interfaith activity officiated by Abp. Oscar Cruz and Bp. Teodoro Bacani, both of the Catholic Church; and several Protestant pastors. After the interfaith activity, which included the release of doves and green balloons, there were several speeches by student leaders from different schools. Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. and Reps. Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna (People First) and Liza Maza of the Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) were in the rally, but did not speak on stage. Former Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) Commissioner Zosimo Paredes, who ran in the 2007 senatorial elections but lost, was also spotted in the rally. The rally had a festive atmosphere, with performances by UP-based ethnic ensemble Kontra-Gapi and rock bands The Jerks, Republika de Lata, and Datu’s Tribe among others. Rally organizers – mostly belonging to the Youth Act Now – estimated the crowd size at its peak at 10,000. Police estimates yielded a figure of 6,000. Aside from the “usual suspects” UP and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), schools like the University of Asia and the Pacific, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas (UST), PLM, and the Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA) were well-represented in the rally. Bulatlat
Top Stories - TOP STORIES Youth lead Manila protest as politicians take back seat March 15, 2008 Updated 01:31:09 (Mla time) Abigail Kwok Thea Alberto Allison Lopez Alcuin Papa Tina Santos INQUIRER.net Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 5) Politicians took a back seat as thousands of students and left-wing activists led in pressing their call for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo' s resignation Friday in the third mass protest in a month over corruption allegations implicating her and her husband. Several Roman Catholic bishops and dozens of priests and nuns critical of Arroyo joined the rally at the Liwasang Bonifacio in central Manila. Some released doves and green balloons to signify peace and the search for truth. Rally organizers estimated the protesters reached a peak of 10,000 but police placed the number at 6,000, much smaller than the tens of thousands who rallied in Makati City two weeks ago in the biggest protest since the opposition-dominate d Senate opened hearings into the Internet broadband scandal last year. Former vice president Teofisto Guingona, Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo, and Gabriela Representative Liza Maza joined the protest, but were not allowed to go up the stage. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim briefly spoke on stage but later told reporters his presence was only to ensure peace and order and not to join calls for Arroyo to step down. The protesters peacefully dispersed after about four hours of impassioned speeches, songs and chants of “Oust Gloria!” Among the more notable events on the program was a time-travel skit on the alleged scams of the Arroyo administration had the crowd in stitches. The fast-paced role-play performed by the University of the Philippines Repertory, which had a lone narrator doing all the voices and two actresses exaggerating their moves, was about a curious girl from the future who traveled magically to the past, witnessing one scam after another in her quest to find Arroyo's "mole." The crowd laughed heartily when the girl realized that she did not need "magic shoes" to get to the end of the Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, which was "so short for its overprice." Renato Reyes, secretary general of leftwing alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance, Bayan) said mass actions would continue even during the Lenten week, as long as Arroyo refused to resign. "The fight is definitely far from over," said Reyes. "There will be a resurrection of sorts in protest movements right after the Lenten break. People will not forget easily the sins of this administration.” The Senate has been investigating allegations that Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and former elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr. benefited from huge kickbacks in the aborted US$330 million deal with China's ZTE Corp. to set up a nationwide broadband network. Malacañang has dismissed the charges as hearsay and opposition "grandstanding. " The First Gentleman and Abalos -- who resigned last year after he was implicated -- have both denied any wrongdoing. ZTE has said it did not bribe anyone. Arroyo canceled the contract in September because of the controversy. Jose "Joey" De Venecia III, the first to blow the whistle on the alleged bribes and overpricing in the broadband deal, urged the public never to give up in their search for truth behind the scandal. Reyes said the issues of "corruption, human rights abuses and abuse of power" remain, "so the protests will continue." Scores of marchers from urban poor communities carried bamboo crosses with placards saying "Stop the Suffering" as they chanted "Oust Gloria!" Local artists, including rapper Peter Park Her, whose song tackles allegations of corruption in the Arroyo government, performed before the crowd. Rock bands like Datu's Tribe, Republika de Lata and rapper Gloc9 were also among the performers. Pinoy punk group Music Front fronted by Arnold Morales (formerly of the Urban Bandits) played two Pinoy punk classics from the '80s, "Nagpapapansin" and "No Future sa Pader." The Jerks also performed two of its popular songs--"Sayaw sa Bubog" and "Rage," which echoed Dylan Thomas' raging "against the dying of the light." UP's Kontra Gapi also made its presence felt. "Panahon na para magalit tayong lahat [It's time to be angry]!" vocalist Chikoy Pura told the audience. Later Pura told the Philippine Daily Inquirer: "We are here not just to perform. At least, we are four more warm bodies. This is the best way to contribute to the movement. We all have a part to play." Earlier in the day, an interfaith mass officiated by Catholic Bishop Teodoro Bacani, Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz, and Protestant pastors from the National Council of Churches was held. Students from University of the Philippines, Dela Salle University, Ateneo De Manila, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippine School of Business Administration, University of Sto. Tomas, University of Asia and the Pacific, among others were present in the rally. Youth Act Now also hit Arroyo for her "unity walk" with students, saying the real voice of the youth belonged to those present in the protest actions. "Even if we have examinations, we are here to search for the truth," said Alvin Peters, the group’s spokesman. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines head Angel Lagdameo could not make it due to health reasons, said Cruz. "He was really looking forward to coming over," said Archbishop Cruz. "He's in the hospital receiving intense medication for a pulmonary ailment. He was very sorry that he could not come. I said he need not go since there were other opportunities to do so. He's sending us his blessing." Cruz, a staunch critic of Arroyo, called anew for the President to resign. "This is just to show the administration that it has begun and it also has not ended," said Cruz, adding that protests were not futile. Bacani repeated a call by the CBCP for Arroyo to "remove all obstructions to the discovery of the truth" behind the broadband deal. He said Arroyo hasn't yet directed her officials to speak out "no matter who gets hurt, no matter who is involved." "We are waiting for that," Bacani said. Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo welcomed the rally as an "exercise of the democratic freedom we all enjoy" but urged the protesters to be responsible "and express themselves in a civilized manner and not resort to name calling." With The Associated Press
 I am the boy who never finished high school, because I got called a fag everyday. I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian. I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman. I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights. We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time. I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room. I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me. I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear. I am the (wo)man who fears that I will never be able to be myself, to be free of this secret because I won’t risk losing my family and friends.
We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men. I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me. I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman. I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman. I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male. I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men. I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that. I am the woman who died when the EMTs stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual. I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didnt have to always deal with society hating me.
I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don’t believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind. I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love. I am the person ashamed to tell my own friends I'm a lesbian, because they constantly make fun of them. I am the boy tied to a fence, beaten to a bloody pulp and left to die because two straight men wanted to “teach me a lesson” —IF YOU BELIEVE THAT HOMOPHOBIA IS WRONG … REPOST THIS ON YOUR BLOG
Inihahandog ng the UP Repertory Company ang isang tula dulang pinamagatang Sfx: Queen of the night Adelaida: Nagbabagang Labi Ito ang makabagong panahon Panahon ng agham Sfx: Takatakatak At ang dulot nitong polusyon Sfx: Usok usok Panahon ng pagmamahalan Sfx: Tenentententen At Pagmamahalan pa rin Sfx: Tenentententen At sa gitna nang lahat ng ito Ay ang ating bida E: Hello! My name is Maria Adelaida Lee from Quezon City. Mula ng makilala ka…, Tama, siya nga si Maria Adelaida Langtao Adelaida for short. Pinalaking mahinhin ng kanyang ina! Doon sa bukid kung saan sila nakatira Sfx: Sa bukid walang papel! Ngunit ngayong sa Maynila na At isa ng ganap na kolehiyala Mga friends niya ay Kikay talaga Sfx: Kikay At sa lahat ng gimikan, umaarangkada Sa Libis Sfx: Party Music Sa Malate Sfx: Party Music Sa Cubao Sfx: Party Music Yan ang buhay ni Adelaida Sa umaga, aral, aral, aral Sa gabi, gimik, gimik, gimik. Pero ito pa. Ang gimik nitong si Adelaida Ay may halong init at saya Sfx: Hihihi Lalo na’t malamig ang gabi At may lumapit sa kanya Basta gwapo, kahit na bata Sfx: Party A: May Gatas ka pa sa Labi M: Gagatasan kita sa Labia A: Ganon Holding hands Tayo Sfx: uh, uh, uh! Let’s go pa rin siya Kahit sa matabang binata Sfx: tententententen (Ginebra) A: Eh pulutan, meron ka? M: Bilog ang mundo A: Ganon, Holding hands tayo Sfx: Uh, uh, uh Pero pag medyo may edad na Virgin mary ang mode niya Sfx: Huwag diyan, may kiliti ako diyan A: Ganon, holding hands tayo Sfx: uh, uh, uh At ng minsan, habang sumasayaw siya May lalaking lumapit at nagpakilala M: Hi miss, gusto mo ng mane? A: Ayoko, salamat, tinitigyawat ako sa mane Sfx: Hahahahahaha M: Ako sa itlog Sfx: Hahahahahaha M: Anong pangalan mo? A: My name is Maria Adelaida Lee from Quezon City. Mula ng makilala ka…, M: Ako naman si Henry I, Villacota Sfx: Forever in my Heart At tulad ng inaasahan Sa kama nauwi ang dalawa Sfx: Lucky me At dahil puro kabastusan na ang nagaganap Eksena’y i-fast forward na! Sfx: Um shigishigi (shadier) Dalawang buwang walang dalaw itong si Adelaida Dahil dito, nag-umpisa na siyang mag-alala At ng ipaalam niya ito sa nanay niya M: You’re a disgrace to these pamili A: Dinint you tell me to follow my Heart? Am leaving Sfx: Through the rain Nang magpatingin sa doctor Si Adelaida Lumabas sa resulta na buntis siya Ngunit ng tanungin kung sino ang ama A: Marami po sila Sagot ni Adelaida M: Naku iha, delikado ‘yan. High risk ang ganyang mga pakikipagtalik lalu na’t hindi kayo nag-iingat. Baka magkasakit ka. A: hah? (Vilma mode) Anong karapatan mong sabihing may AIDS ako, Diyos ka ba? O, dulsura cortez yun, aminin mo! M: Oo nga. Halika, check natin ang dugo mo. A: Okay Matapos lumabas ang resulta. Sfx: Tada Si Adelaida, HIV positive nga Sfx: Ay Kaya’t dib-dib niya’y nag-umpisang mangamba Sfx: pitik pitik bulag Nang mangamba Sfx: Jug-jug, jug-jug juga A: Dak? Mamatay na ba ako? Alam ko naman na pag namatay ako, sa libingan ako mapupunta, kasi sabi sa kanta. And when I die, I keep on libingan. Pero Dak, ano bang sakit ko? AIDS o HIV M: Virus ang HIV na pumapatay sa mga CD4 cells mo na lumalaban sa mga infection sa katawan. Na pag bumaba ang bilang ay magkakasakit ka na tinatawag na AIDS. At dahil mahina ang immune system mo. Maaari ka ring magkaroon ng mabibigat na skait tulad ng TB, Pneumonis at beke. So ngayon, HIV positive ka pa lang. Magkaiba ang HIV at AIDS Ito ang naalala n gating bida At habang itong si Adelaida ay napapaisip Ang kanyang doctor, may tanong pang isiningit M: Teka Paano mo ba nakuha ‘yan? Unprotected sex, o oral sex? Hindi naman siguro pinanganak kang may ganyan. O baka naman adik ka at nakabahagi ka ng karayom? A: Holding hands lang ho? M: Pero Hindi naman nakukuha sa holding hands ang HIV. A: Basta, pero Dak, anonalang ang gagawin ko M: Kailangan pa bang i-memorize yan Sfx: Kailangan pa bang i-memorize yan… M: Alam mo mabuti kung may makausap kang psychologist A: Hindi ako baliw, didn’t you tell me to follow my heart, I’m leaving. Sfx: through the rain Mga kaibigan naman ni Adelaida Ang kanyang pinuntahan Na wala pang kaalam alam Sa kanyang kinahinatnan A: Hi Friendships How is you? Sfx: Shake-a-Shake M: Hi Adelaida, how are you na A: Guysh, you shee, I have thish kinda problem, i had this check up, and the doctor said, im pregnant M: Uy, good news yun, uy, ninang na tayo. Mare, mare. Sfx: Shake-a-Shake A: Ang saya diba. Atsaka i am HIV positive. (pabulong) M: Ano? ALam mo okay lang, handa naman kaming tumulong sa’yo! &nbs |
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