Whatsikat Headline News

(Update) Vietnam storm death toll rises to 91

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:47:02 -0800

HANOI, Vietnam - The death toll from Tropical Storm Mirinae rose to 91 in Vietnam on Wednesday as authorities stepped up rescue and relief operations in the country's central region.

"Pols out to sabotage 2010 automated elections"

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:35:06 -0800

Some unscrupulous politicians are planning to sabotage next year"s automated elections, a senator bared on Wednesday.

Deficit cap may be breached as govt spends for Ondoy, Pepeng damages

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:31:19 -0800

The Philippines is likely to breach its spending limits for this year since it needs to allot more funds for farms, roads, and other infrastructure damaged by two typhoons.

Going, going, gone? Two Philippine lizards near extinction

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:10:54 -0800

They are choice food and rare pets in the Philippines, and could soon become dead reptiles crawling - the equivalents of Sean Penn in the 1995 film, "Dead Man Walking," waiting for the end, not by lethal injection, but through direct extinction.

Class and Ondoy: The Inquirer’s Ideological Distortions

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:02:13 -0700

ONDOY By seeking to convince its readers that the effects of Ondoy were “felt equally by rich and poor” and that it was a “great equalizer,” the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the most influential newspaper in the Philippines, was attempting to bolster the view that the Filipino class system had nothing to do with the disaster, and that the lives of all Filipinos are shaped by the same forces of nature, even by fate or by God.

Ex-Bayan Muna congressman to run for Davao council seat

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:04:56 -0700

POLITICS Former Bayan Muna representative and human rights defender, Joel Virador, announced plans Saturday to enter local politics by seeking a council seat for the first district this city come 2010 local elections.

Migrante partylist ’smells a rat’ in exclusion by Comelec

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:15 -0700

POLITICS "We challenge the Comelec to explain to us and to the many OFWs who have been clamoring for MSP to run why, at this time that we are stronger now to run for a seat, COMELEC is denying us this legitimate right!" said Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante Partylist.

Typhoons ‘have not dampened the great spirit and resilience of Filipinos’

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:50:10 -0700

ONDOY AND PEPENG "Today, WFP is here to support the government's efforts to help the people of the Philippines overcome this calamity. I have no doubt that together, we can." -- World Food Program director Josette Sheeran

Fr. Shay Cullen | Death squads and democracy

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:21:27 -0700

BIO | MORE POSTS
Why would Philippine judges hamper a human rights investigation into a killing field where many human remains are found in Davao, victims allegedly of the infamous death squad?

Philippines urged to access Asean rice reserve

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:13:14 -0700

AGRICULTURE Farmers and civil society groups called on Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to calibrate and carefully strategize rice importation so as not to sacrifice support for the farmers devastated by typhoons ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng’.

Pakistan: Countering Militancy in FATA

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:02:41 -0700

Islamabad/Brussels, 21 October 2009: The military operation in South Waziristan is unlikely to succeed in curbing the spread of religious militancy in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), unless the Pakistan government implements political reforms in that part of the country. Pakistan: Countering Militancy in FATA*, the latest policy report from the International Crisis Group, examines [...]

Greenpeace and Iloilo residents expose illegal coal plant structure as “stupid”

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:54:54 -0700

Iloilo City, 21 October 2009- Greenpeace activists and Iloilo residents are urging the local government to pull the plug on a plan to operate a coal-fired power plant in this city. The group calls the illegal, premature back-filling of the proposed site, despite the obvious environmental impacts it will create and strong public opposition to [...]

President Joseph Estrada redux?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:01:09 -0700

‘Northern Samar is becoming a killing field’

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:57:39 -0700

Kapitalista

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:18:45 -0700

sa mga sentido nila
nagmula ang delubyo ng panahon
sila ang nasa likod ng lasong-usok
mula sa mga pabrikang itinindig
magkamal lamang ng salapi
at hindi na alintana
ang daing ng libong isip at bisig at kaluluwa
na siyang ugat at buhay ng kanyang uhaw na pagkatao

sa kanila nagmumula ang burak ng ilog
na ’sing -itim ng kanilang budhi
walang kaluluwa ang sa kanila’y namamahay
pagkat sa ugat nila’y nananalaytay
ang kasakiman at ‘di maubus-ubos na ligaya
ang gutom ay burado sa kanilang talasalitaan
at ang hirap ay sumpang kanilang tinatawanan

nariyan sila
nagkakalat sa t. v., nag-iingay sa radyo, kumakaway sa lansangan
at ang mga ngiti nila’y nagtataglay ng manhid na damdamin
isang mapagkunwaring salamin ng nabubulok nilang pagkatao
at sila’y naroroon
sa ibabaw ng trayanggulo
na pinagsusumikapang baliktarin
ng mga nauuhaw, at nagugutom
at ng mga nagngangalit na kamao

sa mga sentido nila
nagmula ang delubyo ng panahon…

na sama-sama nating uusigin, buburahin
sa pagtiim ng kamao at ngipin
at isang kalabit ng gatilyo

Prelude to 2010

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:14:11 -0700

Before they can be weighed,
they have been found wanting.
So wanting, in fact, that there cannot be
a single ounce of doubt
that the scales will not move
when they are weighed.

Nasaan ang Bahaghari?

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:41:20 -0700

Ang mga larawan sa pahayagan at Internet ay nagtatanong: Nasaan na nga ba ang bahaghari?

Ah, ang bahaghari’y nakasulat sa Cha-Cha, Mining Act of 1995 at JPEPA – baga’y na sa sikmura’y magpapayapa.

Ehem, ngunit bakit kalikasan ay laging nagbabanta’t pisngi niya’y binabaha? Hindi kaya ang bahaghari’y sumama na sa propetang binusog ng punglo at natabunan na ng lupa?

Ah, ang bahaghari’y mapapakinig sa SONA at sa talumpati ng mga nakabarong na makikisig – siyang katotohanang dapat paniwalaan ng taong sa demokrasya’y nananalig.

Ehem, ngunit bakit bayan ngayo’y sa putik tumatampisaw at sa gitna ng basurang rumaragasa paghingi ng tulong ang isinisigaw?

Ah, dahil ang Diyos ni Noah sa Salita ay hindi naging tapat, kaya’t kulay ng bahaghari ay nakupas – tadhana itong dapat unawain, hindi na sakop ng batas.

Ehem, Diyos kaya’y maaaring hindi maging tapat? Hindi ba katapatang maitatawag ang ginhawang dulot ng pagkakapit bisig at bayanihan ng sambayanan pati kababayan sa ibayong dagat?

Aha! Kulay ng bahaghari kaya’y maaaring kumupas kung sambayanang Pilipino ay mananatiling mulat at kailanma’y hindi na papayag na paniwalaang muli ang kasinungalingang walang kakupas-kupas?

Ang mga larawan sa pahayagan at internet ngayon ay muling nagtatanong: Nararamdaman mo na ba ang Bahaghari?

01 Oktubre 2009
Al Satwa, Dubai, UAE
www.amostarana.blogspot.com

————————————————–
*Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA)
*State of the Nation Address (SONA)

Si Ondoy at ang Pilosopiya ng Kantitatibo/Kalitatibong Pagbabago

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:41:24 -0700

Pinadaloy ni Ondoy, isang araw, ang hilakbot at hinayang.
Parang Spoliarium ni Luna
gumimbal sa madlang nakakita ang mga larawan:

Mga patak ng luha — sumanib sa agos
at humalik sa mga pasimano’t bubungan;
anupa’t ang buong pamayanan
naging kuwadrang lumulutang.

Nakitang magkaakbay, inaanod sa nagsa-dagat na lansangan
ang mga pigtas na tsinelas,
supot ng nilimos na kanin,
banig na karton,
Ferragamo sandals;
bag na Prada at Louie Vuitton

Nilunok ng ilog, magkayakap na gumulong
pasinghap-singhap na lumubog
ang makikintab na Toyota Corolla at nanlilimahid na kariton

Kasama ng mga nasa trono ng kapangyarihan,
sinisisi nila ang Angat Dam, ang Ambuklao, ang Maasim at Pantabangan
Walang maririnig kundi piksi at palatak ng panghihinayang.
Maririndi ang mga dam sa dagundong ng mga sumbat at tungayaw.

Nguni’t kung makapagsasalita lamang, sasabihin nila:

“Itinuro namin sa inyo ngayon ang pilosopiya ng kalikasan:
Kakalusin, isang araw, ang kasakiman at kahirapan.
Sa pagsapit, sabay-sabay, daluyong na mag-aalsa
ang mga pinahihirapan at pinagsasamantalahan.
Wawasakin nila ang lahat ng harang. Hindi ito mapipigilan.
Magaganap, sa isang iglap, ang isinisigaw nilang
kalayaan at pagkakapantay-pantay.”

Kung kailan at paano? Iminumungkahi ito
ng natutunaw na yelo sa loob ng baso.

In Memoriam: Muelmar Magallanes

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:30:51 -0700

In death,
you are born again and will live forever.
Monument or no monument,
you are assured of a place
in the pantheon of heroes.
You need not wait for the verdict of history.
The several souls you saved –
out of sight of the cameras –
are the witnesses and judges
who are, even now, etching your deeds
in the mud-drenched annals of our country
and on the faces of limelight heroes.

Ang mga Tunay na Nakaaalam ng Tungkol kay ‘Ondoy’ at sa Pinsalang Kanyang Idinulot (Ngunit Hindi Aaming Alam Nila Ito)

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:30:00 -0700

“Ondoy”,
supling ka raw ng mga pinsala
sa mga hanggan at pagitan ng mga panahon.
Kaninong mga bunganga kung gayon
ang nagbuga at nagsabog ng kamandag sa kalangitan?
Tanungin natin ang mga tsimneya
ng mga pabrikang buong yabang na nakatindig
sa lupa ng bansang hindi kanila.
Sinasabi nilang ang mataas na baha’y inianak
ng dami ng tubig na iyong ibinuhos.
Ngunit sino ang nagtarak ng dambuhalang mga gusali
sa dapat sana’y daraanan ng tubig?
Kaninong de-kuryenteng mga lagari
ang kumalbo sa kagubatan?
Tanungin natin ang mga lukbutang ang tanging ninanais
ay mapuno ng salapi.