What can one do to help enrich, contribute, and improve the Philippines and the Filipino culture?

By Holly Benedicto

Bisaya. Has travelled all over the Philippines, some Asian countries and the United States. Scientific background. Has worked extensively with Americans.

Don’t leave it and migrate to other countries. You can work abroad but don’t get a foreign citizenship. Brain drain is a HUGE problem here.

Buy Philippine-made products/support local. Market them on social media and in any international event.

Exercise your right to vote. When you allow the under-educated/uneducated masses whose votes were bought by a pack of groceries to vote but you as a well-educated and disenfranchised individual refuse to vote, you doom the country.

Speak up about cultural issues and problems. The reason why so many issues persist is because many choose to silent in the interest of “pakikisama”. Filipinos are conflict avoidant and pacifist. Have some self-respect. Fight for the future you want and deserve.

Our blindness and our faith

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THAT gospel character Bartimaeus, the blind man, gives us a

precious lesson with respect to a certain blindness that we all have.

Like him, we have to acknowledge our blindness and humbly beg Christ

for a cure by repeating Bartimaeus’ words, “Master, I want to see” (ut

videam). (Mk 10,51)

          Though we may enjoy good vision at the moment, we have to

realize that to be able to see things properly and completely, we

simply do not rely on our eyes nor any of our senses.

          Our eyes and senses can only capture a little part of the

whole reality that governs us. They can only perceive what are called

the sensible realities, still light-years away from the intelligible,

not to mention the spiritual and supernatural aspects of reality.

          Still what they get and gather are very useful and in fact

are indispensable, since the data they give are like the raw materials

that will be processed by our more powerful faculties of intelligence

and will. In this sense we can already consider ourselves as suffering

from some kind of blindness.

          We need to be more aware that nowadays there is a strong

tendency to base our knowledge of things mainly on the material and

sensible realities alone. That’s why we have these disturbing

phenomena of materialism and commercialism comprising our mainstream

world of knowledge and understanding.

          We have to correct this tendency because that simply is not

the whole of reality. Our senses can only have a limited view of

things. And what is worse, that limited condition is aggravated by the

effects and consequences of our sins that not only limit but also

distort reality.

          We should imitate Bartimaeus in that when he realized it was

Christ passing by, he immediately screamed, “Son of David, have pity

on me!” We have to acknowledge that we are blind and that we are in

great need of help that can only come from God who is our Creator,

Father and Provider for everything that we need.

          Being the Creator, God is the one who has designed

everything in the world. He is the one who knows its ins and outs,

what is real and not real, good and bad, etc. It is from him and with

his light that we can see things clearly and completely.

          We should not simply depend on our senses, nor on our

intelligence and will and the other faculties we have, like our

memory, imagination and other talents, no matter how excellent they

are. At best, they are meant to be mere instruments.

          We have to acknowledge our blindness, ask Christ for a cure

with a lot of faith, so that we can actually see and know things as

they really are. We need to humble ourselves so that our pursuit for

knowledge will always be inspired and accompanied by the desire for a

growth of faith, for an insistent faith like that of the blind man in

the gospel, so that that knowledge will lead us to have greater

charity.

          We should be wary of our usual problem which we should

resolve by always deepening our humility. If we notice that the growth

of our knowledge of things does not lead us to a greater love for God

and for others, then it is bogus knowledge no matter how scientific

that knowledge may appear to be.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

PSEi breaches 7,300 in steady climb

by James A. Loyola, Manila Bulletin

The PSEi continued to rally and has breached 7,300 level, as stocks were buoyed by positive developments locally and in the US.

The main index gained 14.64 points or 0.20 percent to close at 7,311.72 although sectoral indices were evenly mixed with the Mining and Oil and Holding Firms counters posting strong performances.

Volume improved further to 1.06 billion shares worth P10.15 billion as gainers beat losers 105 to 85 with 55 unchanged.

“Philippine shares closed slightly higher tracking the performance of the US market as investors parsed the Fed’s latest Beige Book reading,” said Regina Capital Development Corporation Managing Director Luis Limlingan.

According to the report the US economy is growing at a modest to moderate pace, but remains under pressure from inflation and labor shortages.

“‘Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly shook off the China blues for a steady trading session,” he added.

Philstocks Financial Senior Supervisor for Research Japhet Tantiangco said “The local market climbed further as the improvements in our country’s COVID-19 situation continued to provide support to sentiment.”

He noted that, “Investors also cheered the Department of Energy’s proposal to temporarily suspend the fuel excise taxes which if pursued, is seen to mitigate the inflationary pressures in the country.”

Tantiangco said “Foreign investors also helped in Thursday’s gains with net inflows for the day amounting to P304.53 million.”

The Music of my Life IV

In the years that followed, the music of my life became more and more the music of the Philippines. Maybe it was because of the first radio shows I presented. The music archive was full of Filipino music, but it was rarely broad-casted. I thought that was a shame.

I asked myself: What makes Filipino music unique? My radio colleagues gave me an answer: such is the case of Philippine music which until today is regarded as a unique blending of two great musical traditions – the East and the West. ... The majority of Philippine Music revolves around cultural influences from the West, due primarily to the Spanish and American rule for over three centuries.

I learned from musicologist and professor of the University of the Philippines, College of Music, that after studying abroad, modern methods of composition were employed by Eliseo Pajaro and Lucresia Kasilag. Both were strongly influenced by American neoclassicism. Jose Maceda is considered the first legitimate Filipino avant-garde composer. He was the first Filipino composer to succeed in liberating Philippine musical expression from the colonial European mould of symphonies, sonatas, and concertos. Among the younger generation of composers, the first to respond to the challenges of new music were Francisco Feliciano and Ramon Santos. A still younger set of composers, all students of Ramon P. Santos includes Josefino Toledo, Ruben Federizon, Verne de la Pena, Arlene Chongson, and Jonas Baes. Since the 1950’s to the present, the trend of serious musical compositions in the Philippines has been towards a synthesis of traditional concepts of  structure, of time, of space, of melody, of performance medium with the new and experimental techniques.

Then, I met Ryan Cayabyab (born Raymundo Cipriano Pujante Cayabyab; May 4, 1954), also known as Mr. C - a Filipino musician, composer and conductor. His compositional style makes much use of syncopation, extended chords, and chromatic harmony. He was the Executive and Artistic Director for several years for the defunct San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts. He was named as National Artist of the Philippines for Music in 2018. His musical output consists of several masses, award winning film and television scores, short symphonic works, ten full-length Filipino musicals, a major opera, full length ballets, solo and instrumental works, orchestrations of Filipino folk, popular and love songs. I was fascinated by his stage performances.

[Ryan Cayabyab]

During her Europe tour, Imelda Papin crossed my way. Imelda Arcilla Papin (born January 26, 1956) -  a Filipino singer and one of the bigger names in the Philippine music industry. Dubbed the "Sentimental Songstress", Imelda Papin is responsible for songs such as "Bakit (Kung Liligaya Ka Sa Piling Ng Iba)" and "Isang Linggong Pag-ibig".

[Imelda Papin]

[Rico Puno]

In 2018, legend Rico Puno died. I experienced him, the foul-mouthed macho guapito and total entertainer, as he was described in 2005 during his performances in the Apo View Hotel in Davao City. "Grabe". The "Godfather of  Pinoy Soul passed away too early.

My encounters with Filipino music of all kinds were so colorful with the colors of a rainbow. During some of my stays in Manila, the Madrigal Singers performed the Philippine and German National Anthem. Goosebumps ... .

During their first performance in Berlin, I got tears in my eyes ... 

Filipino pop music, otherwise known as Original Pilipino Music or OPM, refers broadly to the pop music that first emerged in the Philippines in the early ’70s and has since come to dominate radio airplay and karaoke playlists in the Filipino market and beyond. But my radio shows brought me back to the classics by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Bach, Händel and more and more. 

(To be continued)

How culturally different is The Philippines from the rest of Southeast Asia today?

Bisaya

Barok and Takya Blog | Bisaya Podcast

Although the Philippines are primarily influenced by mainstream Asian culture, Filipinos proudly identify as unique from continental Asia's oppressive history. From not allowing Christian influences to enter until Spanish colonization to winning a bloody war against American colonization, Filipinos learned from their own mistakes and have an innate understanding of self-determination--something that often eludes other Southeast Asian countries. And with more than 100 distinct languages and almost 7000 local dialects, we're not limited to one set of cultural values any more than we are one language.

This is what most appeals to me about living here--the ability to experience national pride without feeling like I'm sacrificing my individuality or having my lifestyle decisions dictated by an oppressively narrow society."

Cruising in these tricky times

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          IN the Gospel, there is a part where Christ laments about

people seemingly knowing a lot of things and yet failing to read the

signs of the times and, thus, failing to make proper judgments and

unprepared to meet our Creator. (cfr. Lk 12,54-59) “You know how to

interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know

how to interpret the present time?” he asked.

          With this lamentation, Christ is actually asking us to learn

how to properly read the signs of the times or how things are going in

general, so that we can become men and women of good judgment and

direct ourselves to our proper end, which is none other than to be

with God in heaven for all eternity, as he wants us to be.

          Obviously, to be able to properly read the signs of the

times is no easy task, especially these days. Given the multiplying

forces and influences that go into our current culture, reading the

signs of the times has become a formidable task that approaches the

level of a nightmare.

          And precisely because of our complex, intricate and puzzling

world, this task has become more necessary. We need to stay away from

the grip of ignorance, confusion, error, the ingredients of perdition.

          Still, not everything is lost and beyond hope. The amount of

information, given our ever-developing technologies, is not only

massive and profound but is also much easier to access now.

          Besides, we are never lacking of people with great

potentials to effectively undertake this delicate task. We just need

to discover them and seek their help.

          What we need at present is the discipline to have an abiding

concern to read the signs of the times. This is no simple thing, since

it’s not just a matter of attitude, habits and skills, though they

figure prominently in this task.

          Yes, we need to learn how to collect data, compare notes,

dialogue with different parties, consult experts, study, reflect, make

conclusions and plan, etc., but all these are not enough.

          Rather, this discipline in the end depends on our living

contact and relationship with what we consider as our God, what we

regard as our ultimate source of light and understanding.

          Only then can we truly become men and women of sound

judgment. There is obviously a theoretical and practical side to this

affair. For one, we need to study the moral principles and the

doctrine of our faith as thoroughly as possible. We should aim at

nothing less than becoming masters and experts in this field, since

these principles and doctrine are indispensable. We should not have

second thoughts on this.

          We have to realize that this study should be an ongoing and

continuing concern, ever deepening and refining our understanding of

these principles and doctrine, such that we can distinguish the

nuances and fine points, and that they become part of our mentality.

          Together with study and meditation, we need to grow in the

virtues and to avail of the sacraments that keep us in the state of

grace. We should not be theoretical and intentional only. We have to

incarnate and express outwardly the things that we have learned in our

ongoing formation.

          Let’s realize that we can only see, judge and know persons,

events and things properly when we have a vibrant interior or

spiritual life, a vital link not only with theories and principles,

but with God himself.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Access to education in Brgy. Singapore now a reality

Barely after 30 days, Barangay Singapore’s call for a learning institution is finally answered.

On October 12, 2021, the provincial government of Davao de Oro officially turned over the One (1) unit, two (2) classroom buildings for the residents of the special barangay, making adequate access to education available for the community.

Putting up a school situated in higher ground was made possible through the coordination of PLGU-DdO with the Department of Education, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, LGU-Mabini, provincial employees and other stakeholders who relentlessly partake in the bayanihan build.

The community’s geographical location does not impede the “Bayanihan Spirit’, wherein hinterlands province-wide were given access to education for inclusive growth. Without settling for the bare minimum, PLGU-DdO continues to provide access for other necessities of its people such as water systems, farm-to-market roads, community electrification and livelihoods.

 

“Pag-abot sa kalsada, ikaduha ang kuryente, aduna nay dakong kausaban dinhi sa among komunidad. Ang among mga katawhan madasig na ug magbalay na dinhi sa Singapore kay duna namay mga dagkong kausaban. Dako usab namong kalipay ug pasalamat sa gobyerno kay gipatukuran nami diri ug eskwelahan, diin dili na maglisod ang mga bata ug baba para lang maka eskwela.” said Brgy. Captain Mauricio Paican.

Special Barangay Singapore was once inhabited by communists’ group, prohibiting progress to flourish in the remote community for years, and now that insurgency province-wide have declined in great figures, residents in the community starts to benefit government interventions.

 

"Ang atuang pamaagi sa pagwala sa insurhensiya, dili pinaagi sa gyera, kundili pamaagi sa paghatag ug kaayuhan sa katawhan nga maoy mag protektar sa ilahang komunidad. Singapore is a very good example, kini usa ka komunidad nga nag-hugpong o nagtinabangay para sa kaugmaon sa kabataan nato dinhi.” said Governor Uy.

Furthermore, the provincial government plans to construct an access road from Mabugnao, Maragusan to Anitapan, Mabini which will open opportunities for tourism, direct delivery of produce from local farmers to markets, and will also ignite future developments for the benefit of the residents.

 (Jasteen Abella, Information Division, Davao de Oro)

WORDS

Words can hurt. Words are powerful. They can make or break a person. Whispering words of wisdom can empower, encourage, uplift and help move someone forward. Choose kind words to heal one's spirit.

 Face it again: your words can hurt someone more than you intended too and therefore it is important that you take a moment to think before you speak, no matter your mood. Words are expensive; once they are said they cannot be taken back. Choose your words wisely or else it can become costly to you. Don't wonder. There is a reason, I repeat my words here.

 There comes a point where it all becomes too much. When we get too tired to fight anymore. So we give up. That's when the real work begins....!

 True words may be bitter. But no matter what words say. Actions always reveal the truth.

 Your words must match your actions in this world. What you put out is what you'll receive. Only you know if your words match you, the real you. Not what any version you want the world to see, but the acts you do when no one is watching you. That's living an authentic life.

Words won't always work. So always express your feelings more in action than words. Words fade. Memories linger.

  Our words are very powerful, always make sure that you use the right words, which encourages people instead of discouraging. 

Well, sometimes words are really not enough. You can believe all the right things, yet still be dead wrong. 

Where there is life, there is motion. Some antelopes, as well as the cheetah, can spring faster than speeding cars. Bighorn sheep, charging one another headfirst, collide with such force that the sound echoes like a gunshot through mountain ranges. Migrating birds battle winds for 1,000 Miles, nonstop, before dropping back to earth.

Sometimes, we keep relics of life: a fragile,perfect seashell, an exoctiv butterfly mounted on a pin. But these are mere memories: life has gone from them, and with it motion.

Someone around us has left us and the world.  We are shocked. We can't find the right words.

Some close to us have an incurable disease. We can't find the right words.

Someone with us tells us, he or she is happily married. We can't find the right words.

Someone got an amazing job abroad, we really can't find the right words.

Well, is there something wrong with us?

Authors of the bible often look to nature for analogies to express spiritual truth. The book of James, controversial because of its emphasis on "good work", is perhaps best understood through the analogy of motion, in the spiritual realm also, where there's life there will be a motion. 

Movement does not cause life, but it does invariably follow life. It's a sure sign that life is present. . Similarly, genuine faith in Christ should always result in actions that demonstrate the faith.

Straight to the point: be humble.

The forcefulness of love

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          IT’S true! Where there is love, there is also some kind of

forcefulness, an abiding state of being driven despite the variations

of our bodily and other earthly conditions. Where there is love, we

can only echo what Christ himself said: “I have come to set the earth

on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk 12,49)

          Where there is love, we would be clear about what the real

and ultimate purpose of our life is, we would have a good sense of

direction even if we are presented with many alternative options, we

would not mind the many difficulties and challenges we can encounter

as we go along. In fact, we would find great meaning in them.

          This is the ideal condition for all of us. Even if we are

endowed only with the most phlegmatic and melancholic temperaments,

something must be burning inside our heart that cannot help but burst

into a flame, a flame of love, of self-giving, of serving without

expecting any return, without counting the cost. If it is not yet

there, then let’s enkindle it.

          The secret is always that vital identification with Christ.

Of course, this condition, this requirement is quite tough to meet,

but if we would just try and try again as often as necessary,

certainly the ideal effect would just come about. On the part of

Christ, we cannot doubt that he is all there for us, all there for the

taking.

          What can always help is that we avoid getting imprisoned in

our own world and allow ourselves to simply be at the mercy of the

state of our physical, emotional and mental condition. With our

spiritual faculties of intelligence and will, plus of course God’s

grace that will always be made abundantly available, we can transcend

beyond these constraining elements.

          So we just have to use everything within our power to attain

that ideal state of being always on the go, dynamic, eager to serve

and to do things for everyone. We may have our limitations, and we can

commit mistakes, yet we cannot deny that everything is already given

for us to be how we should be in our earthly life. And that is to be

like Christ, whose only desire is to love all of us.

          We actually cannot avoid using some forcefulness. Even with

our own selves, we have to use it, because if not then we would be

totally dominated by our laziness, softness, fears, doubts. Right at

the start of the day, when we have to get up, we have to use force,

and that little daily task can require heroic efforts, both mental and

physical.

          It´s true that as we age, our physical strength can wane,

but not the power of the mind nor of the will. In these latter two

faculties, which are our spiritual powers, there´s no such thing as

aging, unless we entirely submit them to the law of our physical life.

Especially with the grace of God, they can go on gaining strength,

scope and depth.

          So in theory, because of our spiritual nature, we can go on

living and loving. This is the natural basis for our immortality, that

capacity to continue living even after our death. But since we are a

unity of body and soul, of something material and spiritual, we always

experience a certain tension within ourselves which we try to bear by

using some forcefulness.

          But when we have true love, we can handle that predicament

well. Love has its inherent forcefulness.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

ALONE?

Studies show the ability to tolerate alone time has been linked to increased happiness, better life satisfaction, and improved stress management. People who enjoy alone time experience less depression.

Short-term tips to get you started to avoid comparing yourself to others are easy to be said: 

Take a step back from social media. …
Take a phone break. …
Carve out time to let your mind wander. …
Take yourself on a date. …
Get physical. …
Spend time with nature. …
Lean into the perks of being alone.

I can be a reluctant socializer. I’m sometimes secretly pleased when social plans are called off. I get restless a few hours into a hangout. Maybe, I’ll not be invited any more. Or not so often… . I even once went on a free 10-day silent meditation retreat – not for the meditation, but for the silence.

So I can relate to author Anneli Rufus, who recounted in Party of One: The Loners’ Manifesto: “When parents on TV shows punished their kids by ordering them to go to their rooms, I was confused. I loved my room. Being there behind a locked door was a treat. To me a punishment was being ordered to play Yahtzee with my cousin Louis.”
Several years ago in one of my write-ups, I wrote about loneliness or in other words splendid isolation.

Asocial tendencies like these are often far from ideal. Abundant research shows the harms of social isolation, considered a serious public health problem in countries that have rapidly ageing populations (though talk of a ‘loneliness epidemic’ may be overblown). In the UK, the Royal College of General Practitioners says that loneliness has the same risk level for premature death as diabetes. Strong social connections are important for cognitive functioning, motor function and a smoothly running immune system.

This is especially clear from cases of extreme social isolation. Examples of people kept in captivity, children kept isolated in abusive orphanages, and prisoners kept in solitary confinement all show how prolonged solitude can lead to hallucinations and other forms of mental instability.

But these are severe and involuntary cases of loneliness. For those of us who just prefer plenty of alone time, emerging research suggests some good news: there are upsides to being reclusive – for both our work lives and our emotional well-being.
Social anxiety is the single most common psychological problem according to innumerable survey results worldwide. The magnificent, gorgeous and excellent isolation, resulting from being nervous when meeting people is really the opposite. The state of being isolated reminds me of being in a hospital with an infectious disease.

Does the project of giving a speech or going to a social gathering give you the willies?
Relax, there are always ways and solutions to help you but teaching you “never to be nervous again”. 

I have always been the most silent pupil in elementary and high school. I was ashamed even to talk to or with my teachers. Several terrible school records have been the result. But, I wanted to become a journalist. I am still one.

During college times and while writing my first articles, I learned from my first boss, a daily news publisher, to avoid being nervous while meeting people. I was always prepared. Preparation for any communicating situation is a must. I have been invited to many parties and gatherings. I always asked for the guest list. I scanned all the newspapers and browsed the net. 

One key benefit is improved creativity. Gregory Feist, who focuses on the psychology of creativity at California’s San Jose State University, has defined creativity as thinking or activity with two key elements: originality and usefulness. He has found that personality traits commonly associated with creativity are openness (receptiveness to new thoughts and experiences), self-efficacy (confidence), and autonomy (independence) – which may include “a lack of concern for social norms” and “a preference for being alone”. In fact, Feist’s research on both artists and scientists shows that one of the most prominent features of creative folks is their lesser interest in socializing.

One reason for this is that such people are likely to spend sustained time alone working on their craft. Plus, Feist says, many artists “are trying to make sense of their internal world and a lot of internal personal experiences that they’re trying to give expression to and meaning to through their art.” Solitude allows for the reflection and observation necessary for that creative process.

A recent vindication of these ideas came from University at Buffalo psychologist Julie Bowker, who researches social withdrawal. Social withdrawal usually is categorized into three types: shyness caused by fear or anxiety; avoidance, from a dislike of socializing; and insociability, from a preference for solitude.

There is gender and cultural variation, of course. For instance, some research suggests that unsociable children in China have more interpersonal and academic problems than unsociable kids in the West. Bowker says that these differences are narrowing as the world becomes more globalized.

Still, it turns out that solitude is important for more than creativity. Since ancient times, meanwhile, people have been aware of a link between isolation and mental focus. After all, cultures with traditions of religious hermits believe that solitude is important for enlightenment.

Recent research has given us a better understanding of why. One benefit of unsociability is the brain’s state of active mental rest, which goes hand-in-hand with the stillness of being alone. When another person is present, your brain can’t help but pay some attention. This can be a positive distraction. But it’s still a distraction.
Daydreaming in the absence of such distractions activates the brain’s default-mode network. Among other functions, this network helps to consolidate memory and understand others’ emotions. Giving free rein to a wandering mind not only helps with focus in the long term but strengthens your sense of both yourself and others. Paradoxically, therefore, periods of solitude actually help when it comes time to socialize once more. And the occasional absence of focus ultimately helps concentration in the long run.

I learned, if your personality tends toward insociability, you shouldn’t feel the need to change. Of course, that comes with caveats. But as long as you have regular social contact, you are choosing solitude rather than being forced into it, you have at least a few good friends and your solitude is good for your well-being or productivity, there’s no point agonizing over how to fit a square personality into a round hole.

So feel free to de-clutter your social calendar. It’s psychologist-approved.

+++

Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or wwww.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com .