The 5th Right of Man.

We Filipinos teach you Ecology

The 3 Rights of Man are what Yankees gave the world 233 years ago upon the US Declaration of Independence from Britain on 4 July 1776: ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.’ The 3rd Right of Man, that explains the hot pursuit that has been The American Dream. And that explains the burnout of Wall Street.

The 4th Right of Man is what the UN, United Nations  gave the world 61 years ago upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948: ‘Health.’ I appreciate that UN gift, but I must point out that I qualify; I take ‘health’ to mean not simply ‘the control of dis-ease’ but more so ‘the management of wellness.’ Instead of the defeat of dis-ease, I’d rather see the advance of health of humans.

The 5th Right of Man we Filipinos gifted the world 22 years ago upon the ratification of the new Philippine Constitution on 2 February 1987. Sec 16, Art II of our Constitution states: ‘The State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful Ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of Nature’ (my caps). A Gift of Right. The Gift Outright (with apologies to my favorite Yankee poet Robert Frost). More than the retreat of polluters, I’d prefer to see the advance of health of the environment.

But in ‘a balanced and healthful Ecology’ – isn’t ‘Ecology’ in there Wrong Word Used? I checked and WordNet 2.1 of Princeton University says ecology is the environment as it relates to living organisms (wordnetweb.princeton.edu). Ecology, as in this sentence: ‘The hot pursuit of happiness in and around the city changed the ecology of Manila Bay.’

Why, you ask, what kind of dark waters does Manila Bay have today? You don’t want to know!

But you have to know, so I will tell you gently, by way of a story that has to do with that great orb in the sky:

The Stupendous Sunsets

Once upon a time, there was an island called Alinam and its great body of water called Yab Alinam, facing west, and it was pristine, all 1,800 km² of it, all along its 48 km of length and 190 km of coastline, the pride of the people called Snalinam. Among the treasures of that island were the stupendous sunsets that the people loved to sit for and watch and point out to all who came to visit from faraway lands. Then the civilized people called Sdrainaps came and stayed for 450 years watching for themselves the stupendous sunsets, and the pure waters stayed pretty much the same. Pure, meaning, free from foreign elements. Finally, the Snalinam got bored watching the civilized Sdrainaps watching their stupendous sunsets, and the Snalinam battled the Sdrainaps to drive them away from the shores of Yab Alinam forever. Thus was born The Legend of the Revolution of Alinam.

It so happened that when the Snalinam were about to declare revolutionary victory, when they were not paying much attention to history or legends, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the people of the island, the civilized people called Seeknay pulled the rug under the feet of the Snalinam, and there was blood shed. The civilized Seeknay apologized, and stayed 50 years watching for themselves the stupendous sunsets, and yes, Yab Alinam stayed pure, if a little stained.

Then the Snalinam got bored watching the civilized Seeknay watching their stupendous sunsets, drove them away, and gained their independence and took over the water rights and the watching of sunsets of Yab Alinam. And what did the uncivilized Snalinam do to those pure waters? Tired of watching the stupendous sunsets, with their thoughts on life, liberty and the hot pursuit of happiness, in half a century the uncivilized Snalinam had thrown all kinds of waste into the pristine waters of Yab Alinam and transformed the liquid from pure to impure, from sparkling to dark, and the foreign elements came from the million bodies of the Snalinam themselves.

Yuck!

And that is where, today, my cleanup story really begins. You see, these are mirror-images: ALINAM MANILA, YAB ALINAM MANILA BAY, SNALINAM MANILANS.

Actually, our true story begins away from Manila, in Imus, Cavite with a lawsuit; it was a test case, and so I shall refer to it as the Imus Litmus, calling for the cleaning up of the incredibly, horribly polluted Manila Bay.

On 29 January 1999, Atty Antonio Asuncion Oposa Jr, in behalf of Concerned Residents of Manila, represented by a group of his own law students at UP, University of the Philippines, led by Divina V Ilas, filed the Imus Litmus case before the RTC, Regional Trial Court at Imus, where he was resident, a class suit against government agencies for failing to clean up after the polluters. He had looked at Manila Bay and seen for himself how horrible it was even expressed in technical language: ‘domestic wastes and effluents from factories flow into the Bay’ (TJ Burgonio, 19 December 2008, newsinfo.inquirer.net). At that time, Manila was dumping everyday 5,000,000 gallons of raw sewage into Manila Bay, not including the 2,000 tons of garbage thrown in (from the Imus Litmus case e-file, thelawofnature.org). Manila Bay was everybody’s waste water.

On 12 September 2002, 3 years after the Imus Litmus was filed, the Imus Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and ordered various government agencies to do what they were required by law to do: clean up Manila Bay. The OSG, Office of the Solicitor General, filed a Petition for Review by the Supreme Court, which referred it to the CA, Court of Appeals.

On 28 September 2005, the CA upheld the decision by the Imus Court and ordered the government agencies concerned to come up with a consolidated and coordinated action plan to rehabilitate Manila Bay.

In March 2006, the OSG filed a Motion for Reconsideration with the CA, which denied it. The OSG then filed a Petition for Review with the Supreme Court.

On 12 August 2008, en banc and presided over by Chief Justice Reynato Puno, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments from the OSG and the lawyers of the petitioners: Antonio Oposa, Sigfrid Fortun, Carl Castillo, Linda Jimeno, Rico Agcaoili, Rolly Vinluan. The arguments of the petitioners were unassailable; the arguments of the defendants were pathetic. I know; I was there, as a good friend, the father of Atty Oposa, Dr Antonio C Oposa, had invited me.

That day was very revealing to me not in matters of law or logic – I had been an avid reader of Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason books when I was in high school – but in the manner by which Atty Oposa ‘argued’ for the petitioners. He began by saying, ‘Let me tell you a story.’ So he told us, showed us by a pdf presentation the:

Story of a group of Islands (of incredible wealth)
Story of what its People have done to its wealth
Story of what we are trying to do
Issues per Court Advisory
Solutions.

Never mind the details! Perry Mason was never that smart pleading for any of his clients. (You can access the entire presentation, and more, if you click here: thelawofnature.org.) The point is that in Antonio Asuncion Oposa Jr, you can find a critical thinker who is a creative thinker first, a kindred spirit.

I am tempted to say he takes after his father, Dr Oposa, who is a maverick himself when it comes to medical theory & practice, and his philosophy in life. I first met Dr Oposa in a book, and I agreed with one of his main contentions, which is in the title of his book itself: Give the Flowers ... Now! subtitled Memoirs of Antonio C Oposa (2005, 200 pages + photo inserts). ‘I’d rather have one blossom now / Than a truckload when I am dead’ – Christina Rossetti. Through that book, I came to admire Dr Oposa’s love of country, which I have found profusely in his son. Patriotism is not media mileage of avid prattle; it is media coverage of actual practice. In 1959-1960, Dr Oposa had become the first and only Filipino Chief Resident in General Vascular and Thoracic Surgery at the Medical Center of UCSF, University of California San Francisco while on surgery training. After that, Dr Leon Goldman, Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at UCSF, offered him an Assistant Professorship at UCSF if he decided to come back to San Francisco. He did not.

Like father, like son. In 1998, Atty Oposa stopped his private practice of law and started his public practice, pro bono. That is how he came to file the Imus Litmus class action.

On 18 December 2008, the Supreme Court, with the decision authored by Justice Presbitero J Velasco Jr, upheld the ruling of the Regional Trial Court as well as that of the Court of Appeals in favor of the Imus Litmus petitioners. In their decision, the Supreme Court in effect reminded the world of the 5th Right of Man, saying (sc.judiciary.gov.ph):

The right to a balanced and healthful ecology need not even be written in the Constitution for it is assumed, like other civil and political rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, to exist from the inception of mankind and it is an issue of transcendental importance with intergenerational implications.

The Supreme Court ordered specific government agencies ‘to undertake a coordinated cleanup, restoration and preservation of the Bay’ (Burgonio as cited). The 10 government agencies tasked by the Supreme Court to clean up, restore and preserve the water quality of Manila Bay are: Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, and the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Education, Health, Agriculture, Public Works and Highways, Budget and Management, and Interior and Local Government (William B Depasupil, manilatimes.net).

Surprisingly, the Supreme Court said the #1 polluters of Manila Bay and the major river systems leading to its waters are the many squatter shanties and other illegal structures that do not have septic tanks (Depasupil as cited). The waters are their septic tanks. When will the people learn to respect Mother Nature?

Now then, considering that the squatters and owners of illegal structures are known with the barest provocation to instantly transform themselves into parliamentarians of the street when they feel that their human rights are being trampled upon by government agents, there is a small people problem there. And yet, human rights must give way to social rights when push comes to shove. ‘What is democracy?’ Atty Oposa asked rhetorically during the joint meeting of the Rotary Club of Forbes and Rotary Club of Manila on 26 March 2009 at the Manila Polo Club where he was the guest speaker. ‘Democracy is not the good of the majority. It is the greatest good for the greatest number – and we must add to that – for the longest time.’ He meant intergenerational equity.

The term intergenerational equity is defined by Business Dictionary thus: Resources and assets (such as quality and diversity of the environment) which do not ‘belong’ to any generation but are to be administered and preserved in trust for all future generations (businessdictionary.com). This must take after one of the major dogmas being preached by the charismatic Christians, Protestants and Catholics alike: We are not Owners but merely Stewards of the Earth. Now then, depending on how we behave towards each other, we are all truly rich – or we are all truly poor. Science learning from Religion, I must say.

In that historic Rotary meeting, part of the program was a wise and witty satire they called ‘Penitential Rites,’ using the rites of the Roman Catholic mass (covering the Readings). Excuse me while I laugh – no, you can’t enjoy it if you’re not Catholic, sorry – and reproduce here what I can reconstruct of the proceedings according to my 4-day old notes and 69-year-old memory; thus:

1st Reading (from PD 1152, Sec 20)

It shall be the responsibility of the polluter to contain, remove and clean up water pollution incidents at his own expense. In case of his failure to do so, the government agencies concerned shall undertake containment, removal and clean-up operations and expenses incurred in said operations shall be charged against the persons and/or entities responsible for such pollution.

The Word of Ferdinand Marcos.
Response: Ngayon alam ko na. (Now I know.)

2nd Reading (from the 18 December 2008 Supreme Court decision)

So it was that in Oposa vs Factoran Jr, the Court stated that the right to a balanced and healthful ecology need not even be written in the Constitution for it is assumed, like other civil and political rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, to exist from the inception of mankind and it is an issue of transcendental importance with intergenerational implications.

The Word of the Supreme Court.
Response: ‘Thanks be to the Supreme Court.’

3rd Reading (on the original Imus Litmus case):

Respondents ... counter that the statutory command is clear and that petitioners’ duty to comply with and act according to the clear mandate of the law does not require the exercise of discretion. According to respondents, petitioners, the MMDA in particular, are without discretion, for example, to choose which bodies of water they are to clean up, or which discharge or spill they are to contain. By the same token, respondents maintain that petitioners are bereft of discretion on whether or not to alleviate the problem of solid and liquid waste disposal; in other words, it is the MMDA’s ministerial duty to attend to such services.

We agree with respondents.

The Word of the Supreme Court.
Response: Mabuhay ang Supreme Court! (Long live the Supreme Court!)

The Main Reading

The Main Reading is taken from somewhere in the fifth year of the reign of Queen Gloria:

Let us sin no more against the environment – and against our fellow men. Amen.

The 1st Reading was taken from PD 1152, the Philippine Environmental Code, which was signed by President Ferdinand E Marcos on 6 June 1977, acknowledging that ‘the broad spectrum of environment has become a matter of vital concern to the government’ (lawphil.net). Atty Oposa had discovered it in the books, and so this law became the main basis for the filing of the Imus Litmus case.

I understand that the Penitential Rites was the idea of Manila Rotarian Santiago Dumlao, who was in charge of Recognition Time. Congratulations, Sir! Manila Rotarian Alex Yap was the Guru dispensing wisdom. At one point in the rites, the audience was informed that the waters of Manila Bay had been found to have 1,000,000 MPN (most probable number) of coliform bacteria per mL of water, where the maximum MPN allowable for contact recreation is 200 MPN/mL (positivenewsmedia.net), which means that the current Manila Bay MPN is 5,000 times higher than the acceptable level. Yuck! Then the Guru sprinkled water on those at the presidential table.

The Imus Litmus had called for a Mandamus on the government agencies concerned; the Supreme Court did better than that: it granted a ‘Continuing Mandamus’ for the first time in its history (Rita Linda V Jimeno, 22 December 2008, manilastandardtoday.com). ‘A Mandamus is a writ issued by courts to compel a party in a case to do or perform a specific act in respect to another person’s legal rights or entitlement’ (Jimeno as cited). That is as if the Supreme Court told those government agencies: ‘Put your act together and clean up, or there will be hell to pay!’

The Imus Litmus has now become the Imus Mandamus, graduating from uncertainty to certainty, from trial to truth. The law has become a thinking tool for government agencies that are in the first place supposed to prevent the pollution of Manila Bay and the rivers and streams contributing to it.

In fact, the Philippines had been looking at the example of the Supreme Court of India that had issued a Continuing Mandamus, ‘which involves the passing of regular directions and the monitoring of their implementation by executive agencies,’ according to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India KG Balakrishnan (2008, sal.org.sg). This is designed to clean up the extremely polluted sacred Ganges River. The Indian Supreme Court had paved the way for PILs, public interest litigations against polluters. Recently, that Court ordered the closing of factories violating environmental laws, including hundreds of tanneries around Delhi and Tamil Nadu (Qamar Rahman, 1996, ehponline.org). The voice of the Supreme Court is the voice of extreme power.

With our Supreme Court ruling, Atty Oposa said the government agencies now are able ‘to exercise the needed political will to clean up the Bay’ (TJ Burgonio, 19 December 2008, newsinfo.inquirer.net). The voice of the Supreme Court is the voice of good, if of maximum tolerance as well as compulsion.

But we citizens still have to be vigilant, says Jimeno (cited). Making Manila Bay swimmable again is too important to be left to the law enforcement agencies, I say. ‘Failure is not an option,’ Atty Oposa said in his Rotary speech. And he repeated it: ‘Failure is not an option.’

Not only vigilant, we must be non-polluters ourselves. Indifference is not an option either. That reminds me of what the Supreme Court said of the case for Manila Bay (thelawofnature.org):

At the core of the case is the Manila Bay, a place with a proud historic past, once brimming with marine life and, for so many decades in the past, a spot for different contact recreation activities, but not a dirty and slowly dying expanse mainly because of the abject official indifference of people and institutions that could have otherwise made a difference.

Indifference No, Difference Yes. Each one of us can make a difference, should make a difference. That was the essence of the oath that Atty Oposa made us all recite at the end of his presentation (with minor editing):

Ten, fifty, a hundred years from now,
And many generations hereafter,
Let it be said that during our watch ...
with intelligence & insight,
with privilege and position,
with the wealth of wisdom,
And with the freedom and power of the Human Will,
Let it be said that in our time,
And during our watch ...
We did our share.
And maybe, just maybe ...
We will make a little difference.

That reminds me of the case of Laguna Lake, the largest body of freshwater in the Philippines, which has been dying since the late 1970s. I know because in 1981 I worked as assistant editor for ICLARM, International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (now WorldFish), and a study by ICLARM scientists had come to that conclusion. And yes, the ICLARM scientists had discovered that the biggest sources of the pollution of Laguna Lake were the residences and their duck houses that ringed that body of water. The Supreme Court ruling on the Manila Bay case will make a big difference in the future of the Lake, because you cannot clean up Manila Bay without cleaning up the Lake, which is the biggest body of water that feeds the Bay.

Whenever I look at Laguna Lake from the bus, I am saddened to see all those hundreds of hectares of illegal fish pens that litter the waters. It is shocking to note that the illegal fish pens comprise 90% of the total fish pens in the Lake, according to Secretary Lito Atienza of the DENR, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Ira Karen Ipanay, 29 March 29, 2009, yehey.com). The Lake has a total of 12,000 ha or 60% of the area covered with fish pens. ‘Allowable fish pens should not really be more than 10%,’ Atienza said. Imagine all that pollution from fish feeds thrown into the water not consumed by the fish. Atienza is doing his job. The Supreme Court decision had designated DENR as the lead agency in the cleaning up of Manila Bay. Polluters of Laguna Lake, here we come!

During the Penitential Rites at the Manila Polo Club, the Guru (Rotarian Alex Yap) sprinkled water on those at the Presidential Table – with the declaration that the water came from Manila Bay. The laughter that followed masked the concern of the Rotarians present. Noting that, the guest speaker told them about what simple things they could do to help stop the pollution of Manila Bay. Segregate your trash, he said. If you do that, then you can give those old newspapers to your household help and they can make a little more money from the sale. (I can tell you the Hilarios have been segregating for the last 15 years at least.)

There’s more we can do. In 1975 or thereabouts, working for FORI, Forest Research Institute as its Chief Information Officer, I came to learn about the 3 Rs of waste management, which we, most especially the literate, seem to have forgotten or just simply chosen to ignore: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. That slogan was very prominently displayed in posters at the nearby building of FORPRIDECOM, Forest Products Research and Industries Development Commission, which I frequently visited, because my wife was working there. Love is blind, but lovers can read, can’t they?

Actually, Atty Oposa told the Rotarians, what we lack has nothing to do with knowledge or skill; what we lack is political will. Precisely that is why he has been using legal will to supplant the lack of human will. Today we have no excuses. Where there is no will, now there is a will. He is using the law as thinking tool. He is using the law as a powerful critical device to make people think creatively about the law, environment and development. They don’t make people think creatively like they used to. Shame on us! He is a lawyer; why does it take a critical thinker to remind each one of us to be a creative thinker?

He calls the Supreme Court decision not only a landmark in jurisprudence but also ‘revolutionary’ because it has created a ‘new dimension on the environmental accountability of public officials’ (Burgonio as cited). ‘This 10-year saga started as a dream to see the Bay clean again,’ he said. ‘Now, I will see the fulfillment of that dream’ (quoted by Alcuin Papa, 3-6 January 2009, asianjournal.com).

In a manner of speaking he is the one who has pointed out to us that the emperor has no clothes; that is to say, of Manila Bay as having the most beautiful sunset in the world we wax poetic, while we make its waters septic. He is peripatetic, so now he leaves us while we may be thinking antiseptic; he is off to the Visayan Seas fighting for its CPR, conservation, protection and restoration. CPR, he calls it. It really is a matter of life and death for the marine species. And if the marine species go, can the human species be far behind?

He has a School of the SEAs (Sea and Earth Advocates) in Bantayan Island in Cebu, Central Philippines, where he teaches the youth ‘(to) understand the natural wealth of our beautiful country, and (to) begin to care’ (thelawofnature.org). He has a point there – the youth are easier to teach.

That leaves the adults and the seniors like me – I’m 69. I don’t think we can attend a school where we are taught the ABCs of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Sure, we Filipinos are teaching the world the lesson of the 5th Right of Man, but if we can’t teach ourselves the 3 Rs, we’ll never ever learn.

Honesty is best practiced.

To easify honesty, each of us needs practice!

13 months ago, White Knight Jun Lozada started his rambunctious crusade all over the Philippines campaigning for more people in lower places to compel more people in higher places to be more honest. He didn’t get far. Because honesty is a lonely road with a trap? Because he was assuming that dishonesty resided with pomp and pageantry only. Did the CBCP, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, share the view of Lozada? Well, you limit your own view.

5 months ago the BCBP, Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen & Professionals, and the DepEd, Department of Education, started a joint campaign for more honesty in all places all over the country. In the project, the DepEd was represented by the Secretary of Education Jesli Lapus; the BCBP was represented by its President Lorenzo Veloso and Chair Roberto Atendido. Along the way, they picked up the support of the CBCP. They can’t give up on honesty.

Time for comparison: The Jun Lozada crusade was off-center, while the BCBP-DepEd-CBCP project was right on target. In public or private, in all media, if the adults aren’t listening, seniors included, education starts with the youth anyway – in the classroom.

Austere and sincere are two words to describe the BCBP-DepEd-CBCP campaign, made visible with the launching in October 2008 of The 1st Philippine ‘Be Honest’ Oratorical Contest among junior and senior year high school students. As stated in DepEd Memorandum 336, dated 18 July 2008, the two objectives of the oratorical contest were (deped.gov.ph):

a) inspire and encourage the youth to live the virtue of honesty in their daily life, and
b) heighten public awareness on the immediate need to dismantle and denounce corruption and dishonesty in Philippine society.

Not so fast! On one hand, Objective a) is desirable, doable, measurable; on the other hand, Objective b) is too radical even to this Senior Non-Conformist. I don’t know about any ‘immediate need to dismantle and denounce corruption and dishonesty in Philippine society’ – too much, too soon. No one can change the world overnight. Jesus Christ! But I am certain the practice of honesty is for everyone and for everyday. Let us practice what we preach, and let God take care of the rest of those we cannot teach.

The theme of the speech contest was ‘How to Live the Virtue of Honesty as a Filipino Youth and Student.’ In fact, the BCBP adds a 3rd objective to the national Be Honest project (bcbp-oratorical.org):
c) evangelize the entire Filipino nation through the Christian call to a life of honesty and truth. Jesus Christ said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’ (John 14: 6).

That’s more like it!

The National Finals were held end of last month, Saturday, 28 February, at the Mini Theatre of the University of Makati along JP Rizal Extension in West Rembo, Makati City. The very austere, Xeroxed, black & white single-sheet, letter-size, 3-fold invitation-program listed these as sponsors of the competition: PCSO, National Power Corp, Banco De Oro, Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster sa Pilipinas, Metrobank Foundation, Security Bank, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. With such formidable advocates, the Be Honest Campaign must be doing something good.

Friends Jerry & Linda Quibilan invited me to the finals. Young and pretty Lara Maigue sang an intermission number; she is a soprano. Her no-less-good-looking brother Franco Maigue played a classical piece on his guitar. Sorry, I didn’t catch the titles of their pieces; they were good at what they did, but the pieces were a little too classical for this senior fan of Charlotte Church and George Harrison. Boy Alina and Beth Ginete co-emceed the program; I liked their tandem, their style.

I was glad to be there, a witness to history being made, but I couldn’t concentrate. The theatre wasn’t cold enough to be comfortable – too many warm bodies at one time in too few square meters of horizontal space; it was past two in the afternoon. And the room wasn’t quiet enough, and the acoustics left much to be desired. I asked but there was no list of contestants to be distributed to media. While I took notes, the emcees were announcing the names too fast for me to be certain I jotted them all down right, so I stand corrected when I report that:

Ady Mike Cuenco won 1st Prize. He is from the Sacred Heart School of Cebu City. His coach is Ms Nancy Toledo.

Jessica Mariel Clemente won 2nd Prize. She is from Miriam College of Quezon City. Her coach is Ms Serrano.

Jairus Cris La Vega won 3rd Prize. He is from the Zarraga National High School in Iloilo Province. His coach is Ms Evelyn Noriega.

The criteria for judging the winners were as follows (Rodrigo S Victoria, pia.gov.ph):
40% concept (organization, mechanics and originality)
30% delivery (platform behavior, gestures and mastery)
30% voice (pronunciation, diction, voice projection and voice quality). The rewards offered were substantial:
P100,000, 1st prize
P50,000, 2nd prize
P30,000, 3rd prize.

(The candidate I had in mind to win 1st prize didn’t win at all. It was only later that I learned she happened to be from the Dagupan City National High School in Pangasinan: Evelyn Aurelio, coached by Ms Lisa Casuga. What a pleasant feeling it would have been if she won! Well, it looks like this teacher from Asingan, Pangasinan, I am a poor judge of oratory.)

It was open to 3rd and 4th year high school students from public and private schools where a BCBP chapter operated and would then sponsor the contestant. The oratorical piece was to be ‘conceptualized from the perspective of the Filipino youth’ and to cover the following:

1. What is honesty to me?
2. How do I perceive the culture of dishonesty in our society?
3. How will it affect our future if not addressed properly?
4. How can I live the virtue of honesty as a Filipino youth and as a student?
5. What can I do to address this vacuum in honesty (ie, advocacy)?
6. A call to honesty addressed to all Filipino youth and citizens.

According to Victoria (cited), the mechanics of the contest called for the BCBP slogan

BE HONEST
Even if others are not
Even if others will not
Even if others cannot.

to be mentioned at least once during the delivery and that ‘the oratorical piece should have no political undertones, no finger-pointing, and no malicious color’ whatsoever.

That would be just right, because if dishonesty is rampant in our society as many claim, then if you insist on finger-pointing people anyway, when will you stop? (Now you know why Jun Lozada can’t stop.)

What brought the Brotherhood, the Educators (not to mention the Preachers) together in a project such as this?

It comes with the Vision of the BCBP, which is briefly this: ‘Full life in Christ for all,’ and which its website says is derived from John 10: 10 (bcbp.info). The exact verse is this: ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly’ (NRSV). To bring about the Vision, the Mission is ‘to bring Christ and His values to the marketplace.’ The Core Values of the Brotherhood are: Love for God, Love for Community, Love for Country, and Commitment to the Lord’s Work. Good work.

The BCBP has 51 full chapters and 62 outreaches nationwide and 2 outreaches in California, USA. I understand the BCBP launched its Be Honest Campaign 4 years ago yet. In the 2007 Philippine elections, the Brotherhood campaigned for clean and honest elections through prayer rallies, posting of streamers in polling places and distribution of Be Honest leaflets. Beautiful.

The BCBP is celebrating its 29th anniversary 17-19 April 2009 in Baguio City. I hope they will invite all 11 finalists to speak before them. I hope it will attract more media attention this time. About the actual National Finals, not even sponsor Inquirer wrote about it – what’s the matter: honesty doesn’t have enough value as news?

In the meantime, the campaign for honesty continues, whether the Inquirer reports of it or not. Truth to tell, the practice of honesty is not for the faint of heart. If you were a student and forget your homework until the early morning of the day of submission, will you not copy text almost verbatim from some obscure source in the Internet and pass it to your teacher as your own? If you were a taxi driver and a passenger left behind $1,000 by mistake, would you report it? If you were someone in position and had control over a proposed $100 M project, would you refuse a $1 M bribe to accept it, no questions asked?

In the song by American Billy Joel, the singer finds that honesty ‘always seems to be so hard to give.’ That is because ‘everyone is so untrue.’ Everyone. ‘Honesty is hardly ever heard.’ Here, there, everywhere, including the United States of America.

Honesty
by Billy Joel

If you search for tenderness
It isn't hard to find.
You can have the love you need to live.
But if you look for truthfulness
You might just as well be blind.
It always seems to be so hard to give.

Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
Mostly what I need from you.

I can always find someone
To say they sympathize.
If I wear my heart out on my sleeve.
But I don't want some pretty face
To tell me pretty lies.
All I want is someone to believe.

Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
Mostly what I need from you.

I can find a lover.
I can find a friend.
I can have security until the bitter end.
Anyone can comfort me
With promises again.
I know, I know.

When I'm deep inside of me
Don't be too concerned.
I won't ask for nuthin' while I'm gone.
But when I want sincerity
Tell me where else can I turn?
You're the one I depend upon!

Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
Mostly what I need from you.

The poet-singer is not simply talking about his lover; he is simply talking about you, the other person.

‘When I’m deep inside of me / Don’t be too concerned. / I won’t ask for nuthin’ while I’m gone.’ I interpret that to mean that even if I’m selfish, I’m not necessarily dishonest. You can be selfish too with me, but not dishonest.

What strikes me most is the line that is repeated that says that honesty is ‘mostly what I need from you.’ You. I take it that honesty begins with the individual, you and me. No finger-pointing necessary – otherwise, 3 fingers point to you and me.

‘Do not pretend to be a White Knight,’ Secretary of Education Jesli Lapus said at the National Finals where he was the guest speaker. The Philippines has not been wanting in many a White Knight in Shining Armor, and they know who they are; we know who they are. White Knight or not, ‘We will have to look in the mirror to see what’s wrong.’ Speak for yourself, Jun!

‘Honesty must be taught in the MBA,’ Jesli Lapus also said in the same occasion. I know Lapus is also a graduate of AIM, Asian Institute of Management, with an MBA, Master of Business Administration. He must have been referring to the scandalously dishonest Legacy Scholarship Pension Plan of financial wizard Celso De Los Angeles, an MBA graduate of AIM. Legacy is now under Senate investigation in aid of legislation. Since the Inquirer reported on Legacy (Philip Tubeza, 10 March, newsinfo.inquirer.net) but not on the oratorical contest on honesty, I take it that dishonesty is news, honesty is not.

In the meantime, the BCBP website (cited earlier) explains that its vision is to be realized more specifically by (with my editing):
* Creating an atmosphere where love, compassion and justice prevail in the marketplace
* Overcoming situations of injustice, inequality and abuse
* Providing a more equitable distribution of profits and benefits to labor
* Being fair and honest to the consumer.

That’s theory. Each one of us can all learn from all that, whether we are in the higher places, in the middle places, or in the lower places.

The BCBP mission is specified as a combined, threefold effort to bring about the fulfilment of the vision (also with my editing):
* Conversion to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
* Commitment to values espoused by Him, and
* Commissioning as disciples and advocating the Good News in the marketplace.

That’s practice. Honesty is in the details. Honesty is a habit; you acquire a habit only with practice. Practice makes perfect? Practice makes easy. Honesty becomes easy when it becomes a habit. When it comes to honesty, each one of us needs practice. You cannot pass the practice to somebody else!

My Fellow Filipinos!

FrancisM as a National Artist

As I see it, in one word, Francism is FrancisM’s everlasting legacy to his fellow Filipinos. A Francism is a word, a thought, description, an exhortation, a song, rap music, video movie, clothing design, phone call, move to reconcile, that speak not simply of love of country – already, there are many patriots, such as we have – but more so, love of fellowmen – sadly, the patriots we have hate each other.

FrancisM and Francisms burst into the Philippine musical scene with a landmark rap musical piece, ‘Mga Kababayan Ko,’ in his smash debut 1990 album Yo! (gmanews.tv) that also spawned the ballad hit ‘Cold Summer Nights’ (Gerry Plaza, 06 March, newsinfo.inquirer.net). Under OctoArts, Yo! ‘marked the birth of nationalistic rap’ in the Philippines (filipinomusica.com). ‘Mga Kababayan Ko’ is Francism in all senses that FrancisM wanted to convey to his countrymen. To appreciate it in full, I have reproduced the Tagalog original along with my own English translation that is appearing for the first time (below).

Francisms are in fact simple truths, or simple instructions, nothing fancy:

* Be proud of your color, you are a Filipino!
* Think that you have the power / To reach what you desire.

* We should get up and go / so we don’t stay poor and low.
* Do your work well.
* You can if you want.
* If you can, he can.
* All together, we can!

* What we have is fine / Think of that all the time.
* A good life will come if you stand firm / In pain and fatigue amid problems.
* Don’t drown.
* Go up, don’t go down.
* Envy you should avoid.
* Don’t covet what others have. / Instead, be glad about / What your brother has achieved.
* We should all work hand-in-hand.

* Let us respect our mother / She is the light of the home.
* Let us honor our father / And follow his wisdom.
* To the siblings: Love one another.
* It’s only right to talk together / About a misunderstanding.

* Don’t run away from a weakness.
* Marriage is a must.
* Don’t pretend to be clean.
* Reconcile enemies. / Stand between, don’t patronize.

* We are all brothers and sisters.
* Let us rectify every error we make.
* Let us pray to God, our Creator.
* Let us be saints and not satans.

Note on my translation: Since Pinoy rap can’t be transformed without much loss in the translation, I have translated freely, even as I tried to rhyme. As the original has no measure, my translation doesn’t have either. ‘My Countrymen’ is a literal translation of ‘Mga Kababayan Ko’ while my own ‘My Fellow Filipinos’ emphasizes both the fellowship and being Filipinos.

Mga Kababayan Ko FrancisM, 1990	My Fellow Filipinos 2009, Frank A Hilario
Chorus Mga kababayan ko Dapat lang malaman n’yo Bilib ako sa kulay ko Ako ay Pilipino! Kung may itim or may puti Mayron naman kayumanggi. Isipin mo na kaya mong Abutin ang ‘yung minimithi.	Chorus My fellow Filipinos You all should know I’m proud of my color I am a Filipino! If there is Black or White There is the Brown race. Think that you have the power To reach what you desire.
Dapat magsumikap Para tayo’y di maghirap. Ang trabaho mo pagbutihin mo. Dahil pag gusto mo ay kaya mo Kung kaya mo ay kaya n’ya At kaya nating dalawa!	We should get up and go So we don’t stay poor and low. Do your work well. You can if you want If you can, he can All together we can!
Magaling ang atin Yan ang laging iisipin. Pag-asenso mararating Kung handa kang tiisin Ang hirap at pagod sa problema. ‘Wag kang malunod Umaahon ka, wag lumubog Pagka’t ginhawa naman ang susunod. Iwasan mo ang inggit Ang sa iba’y ibig mong makamit Dapat nga ikaw matuwa Sa napala ng iyong kapatid. Ibig kung ipabatid Na lahat tayo’y kabig-bisig.	What we have is fine Think of that all the time. A good life will come If you stand firm In pain & fatigue amid problems. Don’t drown Go up, don’t go down A life of comfort will come. Envy you should avoid Don’t covet what others have Instead, be glad about What your brother has achieved. I want you to understand We should all work hand-in-hand.
Repeat Chorus	Repeat Chorus
Respetuhin natin ang ating ina Ilaw siya ng tahanan Bigyang galang ang ama At ang payo ang susundan. At sa magkakapatid Kailangan ay magmahalan Dapat lang ay pag-usapan Ang hindi nauunawaan.	Let us respect our mother She is the light of the home Let us honor our father And follow his wisdom. And to the siblings Love one another It’s only right to talk together About a misunderstanding.
Wag takasan ang pagkukulang Kasalan ay panagutan. Magmalinis ay iwasan Nakakainis, marumi naman. Ang magkaaway ipagbati Gumitna ka at ‘wag kumampi	Don’t run away from weakness Marriage is a must. Don’t pretend to be clean You irritate, you’re unclean. Reconcile any enemies Stand between, don’t patronize.
Lahat tayo’y magkakapatid Anong mang mali ay ituwid. Magdasal sa Diyos Maykapal Maging banal at ‘wag hangal. Itong tula ay alay ko Sa inyo at sa buong mundo.	All brothers & sisters we are Let us rectify our error. Let us pray to God our Creator Let us be saints and not satans. I dedicate this verse To you and the whole universe.
Repeat Chorus	Repeat Chorus

So you see, Francisms are simple truths spoken in verses and rhymes delivered in style, in a singsong manner, with a lively beat backed by regular, rhythmic sounds from a disc jockey. Francisms are hip-hop, aka rap music, which since 1990 have been coming from the mouth and mind of FrancisM. Until last Friday, as he is no more. Kiko, The Man from Manila, Master Rapper, the Mouth, King of Pinoy Rap, Urban Patriot, a Free Mind, names he liked to call himself, is gone.

07 March. ‘The Eraserheads salute Francis M at reunion concert’ (Bong Godinez, pep.ph). It was at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. The holding of that concert itself was a tribute, as the Eraserheads had broken up 7 years ago and FrancisM had persisted that they get back together again. The group dedicated the whole concert in his memory. FrancisM was supposed to be their guest and do ‘SuperProxy,’ one of their songs. The concert was produced by MTV Philippines. FrancisM was MTV Asia’s first Filipino VJ, video jockey, along with Regine Tolentino and Donita Rose (Wikipedia).

10 March. It’s not easy not to cry reading more and more about the young, popular Filipino artist felled by acute myelogenous leukemia Friday, 06 March at The Medical City, a private hospital along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City near Manila. He was 44, born 04 October 1964. I’ve been trying to, since I heard the news a few minutes after Vic Sotto announced it on noontime TV show Eat Bulaga! at GMA 7, where FrancisM had been co-host for 10 years, freelance. No, I was neither friend nor acquaintance, but the more I read the more I see that the death of Francis Michael Durango Magalona at 44 was not only unexpected but was also a loss with a national impact many times over.

He started as a break dancer, going on to become an actor (early 80s, Viva Films’ ‘Bagets 2’), radio disc jockey (late 80s), VJ for MTV Asia, video producer, video music director, rapper, singer, composer, photographer, designer, TV co-host (Plaza as cited). He was ‘the first Filipino rapper to successfully cross over to the mainstream music scene’ (Tess Bedico & Jester Manalastas, journal.com.ph), meaning that he not only succeeded with his rap music but also with his pop music – he inspired them with his patriotism, he entertained them with his songs. He was also a painter (Boy Villasanta, quoting Joey De Leon, ‘Friends remember Francis M,’ abs-cbnnews.com). He could play the harmonica; he could also produce melodies with the megaphone or microphone (filipinomusica.com). He was also a blogger; visit his ‘a Free Mind’ (francismagalona.multiply.com).

Yo! was his 1st album, released in 1990. Rap is FrancisM was his 2nd, released in 1992 – this is considered ‘one of the greatest Pinoy Rap albums’ around; with ‘Mga Praning’ (Paranoids), ‘Halalan’ (Elections), and ‘Tayo’y Mga Pinoy’ (We Are Pinoys), the album became the standard by which other raps were compared (filipinomusica.com). 1993, his 3rd album, Meron Akong Ano! (Something I Have!) 1995, his 4th, Freeman. 1996, Happy Battle. 1998, The Oddventures Of Mr Cool. 1999, Interscholastic. 2001, Freeman 2. 2002, The Best Of FrancisM. 2007, F Word. He collaborated with other music makers like Joey Ayala, Heber Bartolome, Ryan Cayabyab, Mike Hanopol, Andrew E, Michael V, Denmark and Eraserheads. He played with Pikaso, Gloc 9, Stick Figgas and Parokya ni Edgar.

Songs by FrancisM (filipinomusica.com): ‘A Pen And Ink,’ ‘Bahala Na’ (Let God), ‘Funky Monkey,’ ‘Girl Be Mine,’ Kabataan Para Sa Kinabukasan’ (Youth For Tomorrow), ‘Kaleidoscope World,’ ‘Pektus,’ (Effects), ‘Pikon’ (Onion-Skinned), ‘Puso Ng Siga’ (Heart Of A Toughie), ‘3 Stars And A Sun.’

His contributions were recognized abroad and featured in international publications such as All Music Guide To Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide To Rap And Hip-Hop by Backbeat Books in 2003 and the magazine The Source in 2004. He was chosen by Fremantle Media, owner of American Idol, to be one of the judges of Philippine Idol, along with Ryan Cayabyab and Pilita Corales (filipinomusica.com).

FrancisM, as he liked to call himself (not Francis M as almost everyone refers to him, missing his subtlety), had his own video production company, Filipino Pictures Inc, and record company, Red Egg Records, and the clothing line FMCC, FrancisM Clothing Co, which carries the ‘3 Stars and a Sun’ line of stores (Patricia, ‘Francis Magalona:  Filipino Rap Star,’ celebrity.rightpundits.com). He was the designer for FMCC. He made music videos for several bands and solo artists. His Sponge Cola’s ‘KLSP’ won Best Rock Video at the 2006 MYX Video Awards (Wikipedia).

He received many awards, among them: ‘Pioneer Hall of Fame Award’ at the 1st Annual Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards (2005), ‘Generations Award’ at the MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards ‘in recognition of his career that has spanned decades and broken boundaries, and for his music which continues to inspire generations of artists and music fans both here and abroad’ (quoted by Ma Rosanna Mina, abs-cbnnews.com). He was the honoree of the 1st Fil-Am Visionary Awards (Legend in Music) by the NuVision Worldwide Media.

He was one of 9 children of movie stars Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran (Durango), both idolized by the moviegoers; I did too, along with Rogelio dela Rosa and Carmen Rosales. They were popular, but not legends, or not in the stature of FrancisM, who made himself a legend in his own time.

PEP describes ‘Mga Kababayan Ko’ as ‘anthemic’ and states that it ‘clearly illustrated Kiko’s unique style of incorporating various music genres to make it sound Filipino’ (Philippine Entertainment Portal, cited in ‘Eat Bulaga! to pay tribute to Francis M Saturday,’ gmanews.tv):

The band explosion of the '90s failed to deter Kiko's growth as an artist. Recognizing fully well the need to reinvent himself and his art, Francis embraced rock music and incorporated it into his own style, producing songs such as ‘Bahay Yugyugan’  (House of Rock), ‘Meron Akong Ano,’ ‘Girl Be Mine,’ and the psychedelic ear candy, ‘Kaleidoscope World.’

He became a band man and directed bands and artists, including Sponge Cola, Join Da Club, Gloc 9, Shamrock, Picaso and Death Threat (PEP as cited).

Senator Bong Revilla Jr hailed FrancisM as ‘Pinoy Pride’ (quoted by Mark D Merueñas, 06 March, gmanews.tv). ‘The country has lost a modern-day artist, a nationalist in his own creative way. FrancisM used music and fashion to promote love of country among Filipino youth,’ the Senator said.

Bayan Secretary-General Renato M Reyes Jr said of FrancisM (‘Bayan leader pays tribute to Francis M,’ abs-cbnnews.com):

Kiko was a pioneer, a trailblazer for all the Pinoy rappers today. He started out when folks in the Philippines had not even heard of hip-hop. He was a giant in his field, yet never forgot to look after the ‘little people,’ the aspiring artists he took under his wing, or the young rappers he inspired. The Master Rapper lived up to the words of the late Lino Brocka, that the artist is also a citizen.

‘The young rappers he inspired’ – I did see and hear Michael V say on TV the day FrancisM died, ‘A big part of Michael V is FrancisM.’ And FrancisM said of him, ‘Michael V, he’s my best friend’ (quoted by Alula Love M Dela Cruz, 2007, igma.tv).

FrancisM left behind his wife Pia Maria Arroyo and his 8 children: Unna, Nicolo (adopted by FrancisM, from Pia's previous marriage), Maxene, Francis Jr, Saab, Elmo, Arkin and Clara.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said 09 March, that FrancisM was set to receive a posthumous Presidential Medal of Merit, saying ‘the medal recognizes the nationalism and love of country that is there in all his performances’ (quoted by abs-cbnnews.com). Some of the hit songs mentioned were ‘Mga Kababayan Ko,’ ‘Man from Manila,’ ‘Ito Ang Gusto Ko’ (This Is What I Want), ‘Three Stars and a Sun,’ and ‘Kaleidoscope World.’

When I’m writing, I don’t want to read the blogs of others, because I don’t want to be influenced by their opinions, but I’ll make an exception with Prime and his post ‘Thank you for the music’ (dleftclick.wordpress.com). His is a rich source of material, not to mention inspirational (never mind the grammar), and I quote (with my editing):

FrancisM once wrote on his blog that, ‘I guess if we just loved our country so much we would be willing to die for it. I would. But a dead me is a useless me. I am more useful alive …’ I beg to disagree though. I believe that any dead person who lived a life relevant to society serves as an inspiration for everyone to be just like him. And the Master Rapper is one of those.

And he is one of those who never succumbed to the artificial war of hiphop and metal. I know a lot of the teenagers of that time know what I’m talking about. (From within), the Man from Manila dared to unite the music of the two factions. He set up the Psychedelic Posse for the hip-hop kids and the Kannabiz Band ... for the children of metal. His wife Pia’s Evil Step-Sisters, then, added the soul flavor to his music.

It was with his daring and no non-sense attitude that FrancisM gained the respect of Filipino musicians from Masta Plann to The Dawn, from APO ... to Joey de Leon. No wonder that, time and again, he was being invited by a lot of artists to be a guest on their albums and shows. The Eraserheads’ song Super Proxy was one of the most famous of these.

Prime tells us that when the Eraserheads broke up in 2002, FrancisM refused to take sides and continued to collaborate with each of the members individually. After Ely Buendia had a heart attack in 2007, Francis M called for the Eraserheads to come together once more. He believed that the Eraserheads was ‘the most significant OPM band of Pinoy Rock.’

19 years ago, he rapped: ‘All brothers & sisters we are / Let us rectify our error.’ FrancisM. I say he was the most significant one-man band of Pinoy Rap.

He cared. With Ely Buendia, he started the Heartist Foundation, to help Filipino artists with health issues and commercial concerns (Ma Rosanna Mina, abs-cbnnews.com). For the purpose, he had been recording with Buendia and other artists for ‘The Sickos Project.’

FrancisM was ‘the artist that everyone loved,’ says Scared of Revolving Doors (atejada.wordpress.com). If for nothing else, you can’t help but love someone who had struggled with substance abuse; after attending Narcotics Anonymous, he had quit smoking and drinking. He had been sober since 2001 (ANN, manilatimes.net).

He was ‘a passionate father’ (‘Father knows best,’ Alula Love M Dela Cruz, 2008, igma.tv). ‘I maintain a friendship and mutual respect for my children,’ he said, including his adopted Unna and Nicolo. They had maintained close ties with each other, always in touch either through the cell phone or the computer (chat). ‘The closest thing God would be to man would be a parent to his children. Because that is what God has for us – unconditional love.’

Unconditional love? Our usual and immediate response to that is, ‘On one condition ...’ Variations of a theme:

‘I can forgive, but I cannot forget.’
‘I will forgive, but I also will demand justice.’
‘There are 3 dimensions of reconciliation: truth, justice, forgiveness.’
‘How can you love the unlovable?!’

Unconditional love is impossible for many of us, especially those who cry for truth and justice. We equate the life and lyrics of Francis Michael Durango Magalona with a cry for change in high places, but not unconditional love. FrancisM would have been extremely disappointed.

I believe FrancisM deserves a Philippine National Artist Award more than anyone today. Unlike many a nationalist noisy in mouth or in media, FrancisM lived his lines; he acted his art; he worked out what he wrote about. He loved his country; he loved his countrymen; he loved his family – none more than any other. He paid his dues. While the righteous would advocate a running battle, he would counsel reconciliation. While many Filipino politicians are worth their worth in fool’s gold, FrancisM was worth his weight in solid gold.

FrancisM’s body was cremated at dawn today, Wednesday, 11 March in Manila. ‘Papa, I love you,’ said Maxene, his celebrity daughter. ‘I thank you for everything. I thank you for taking care of me and my brothers and sisters, taking care of my mom’ (abs-cbnnews.com).

Senator Loren Legarda says ‘Francis M will live on thru his music’ (07 March, senate.gov.ph). I say FrancisM will live on through his example.

 Photo from FrancisM's blog, francismagalona.multiply.com