If the Aquinos were Lasallians

Over lunch with a college friend, who’s developing a major crush on Cory’s apo Jiggy Cruz, our conversation drifted to: If the Aquinos were Lasallians, from what DLSU college would they come from? (Mukhang mga taga-La Salle lang ang makaka-gets nito since each La Salle college has a very distinct stereotype ng mga estudyante.)

Ballsy – College of Education. Very teacher ang dating. Organized.

Pinky – College of Business and Economics or LIA-COM.  Friendly and dating pero seryoso sa pag-aaral. Puwedeng estudyante ng Business Management, Marketing, or Legal Management.

Viel – College of Computer Science.  Tahimik, studious, at very Chinese ang features. (Marami kasing Chinese sa CCS)

Noynoy – College of Engineering. Bukod sa boy siya, grim ang dating niya. Parang laging aburido sa hirap ng exams.

Kris – Hands down College of Liberal Arts.

Jiggy Cruz – College of Science. Geeky na may social life.

Miguel Abelleda – College of Business and Economics.  Anak ng negosyanteng Chinese ang dating.

Amazing!

Remember CNN’s 360 photo of the Obama inauguration?  Tita Cory’s cortege has something like that too!

CLICK HERE to experience the amazing.

President Arroyo in a coffin

This is too funny to ignore.  Though I’ve already seen this on countless blogs, I just can’t help but repost.

As seen on TV (ABS-CBN)…

Print (Manila Bulletin)…

And on the web (a Philstar.com report published in Yahoo)…

From Spot.ph

I guess the multimedia giants are all wishing GMA dead. Ha! Should I put this under Obits?

Despite the rain

So my friends Marlon, Rhods and I actually braved the rains last night and went to Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.

We arrived there at past 11 since they had to wait for me to finish with the Darna presscon.  We were thinking that last night was the best time to go since people would hopefully consider that they had to work early so they wouldn’t dare stay late in Intramuros.  Plus, since tonight’s the last lamay, more people would probably come tonight.

But no.  When we arrived by the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila area, we couldn’t find the end of the line.

Guess where we found the end of the line?

Almost at the foot of Jones Bridge!  We clocked in at 12:00 midnight.

And had a painfully slow walking tour of Intramuros, minus Carlos Celdran.

It felt heaven when our line finally reached Manila Cathedral

even when we were pissed that these three old ladies made singit! Inis!

But from there, the line moved on smoothly.

Until we reached the door and the bouncers told us that we couldn’t take any more photos.

We reached Tita Cory by 3:30 a.m.  I was able to say “Bless you” – the moment lasted for only three seconds – and then I had to leave.

Even though I’m not a “Corista” and Hacienda Luisita kept on popping in my head, I already forgave her.  I understood that she was merely a product of her class.  But I couldn’t say that she didn’t give it her all and didn’t mean well.  After all, I somewhat owe her my freedom to write as I wish, whether on this blog or wherever.

Ms. Lala of GMA's old Cory doll

I went home dead tired but fulfilled.  Thank you Tita Cory.

In case you missed it

Here’s the full The Buzz interview with host Kris Aquino at the wake of President Cory Aquino.

Kris Aquino?

An Associated Press photo of young Cory Aquino with Ninoy.  From The New York Times‘ tribute.

Magkamukha talaga sila ni Kris!

PDI turns yellow

The Philippine Daily Inquirer turns yellow for the day in  honor of President Cory Aquino.

Pasok na pasok sa banga!

A fun interview with Cory

Ten months into the Cory presidency, Time magazine did an interview with the woman formerly known only as Ninoy’s wife.  This interview revealed so much about Cory that if you hadn’t read the article then, you’d still get a bit surprised reading this today at how much Cory had matured after her husband’s death.

CLICK HERE to read Time Magazine’s interview published on January 5, 1987.

Being sold at Ebay.ph with the description: A large campaign photo of Corazon Aquino shaking the hands of rondalla musicians during the 1986 Snap Presidential Elections against strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Meanwhile, Bulatlat made an honest-to-goodness tribute to the memory of the first woman president. Brutal, but still written with respect.  Excerpts:

However, owing to her background, she fell short of implementing substantial reforms. She signed the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, but the law had to be extended for more than two decades without being completed. The mill and farm workers of the Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita had to fight for the land they have tilled for generations for two decades, paying for it with their blood before being able to gain it. She refused to renegotiate even the onerous foreign debts of the Marcos dictatorship, passing the Automatic Appropriation Law instead. And the Aquino government pursued the same economic policies that have wreaked havoc on the lives of the Filipino masses.

Cory as Time’s Woman of the Year

Whatever else happens in her rule, Aquino has already given her country a bright, and inviolate, memory. More important, she has also resuscitated its sense of identity and pride. In the Philippines those luxuries are especially precious. Almost alone among the countries of Asia, it has never been steadied by an ancient culture; its sense of itself, and its potential, was further worn away by nearly four centuries of Spanish and American colonialism. The absence of a spirit of national unity has also made democracy elusive. Even Jose Rizal, a political reformer shot by the Spanish and a national hero, called the Filipinos “a people without a soul.” Yet in February, for a few extraordinary moments, the people of the Philippines proved their bravery to the world, and to themselves.

- January 5, 1987, Time Magazine’s Woman of the Year story on President Corazon C. Aquino

They were all yellow

We hate to say it but the whole country is on deathwatch.

Even I believe that miracles do happen.  But then again, as a nation, we should also start counting on ourselves to make real democracy happen.  True, Cory Aquino is a living reminder that tyranny can be overthrown by the will of the good.  But Cory is not the only icon of democracy.  Like Ninoy, hindi rin siya nag-iisa.

Every person, dead or alive, who fought against the oppressive governments today and those that went before us, who shed his or her blood to achieve the gains we have achieved today, who walked the streets in protest, who cried against greed and corruption is also a symbol of democracy.

Democracy seems to be dying along with Cory.  But it is not because of the former president’s deteriorating health.  It is because many of us have lost interest in getting our voices heard, in walking the streets in protest, in fighting against the oppressors, the corrupt, and the greedy.  We wait for leaders to emerge, yet believe that “‘pare-pareho lang naman ‘yan.”  We wait for the bishops to speak for us, but they remain in conflict with our need for reproductive health care.  We want to rid our country of corrupt officials, but we worm our way out of traffic violations or get business permits by feeding the greed of small fries.  We’re a country of contradictions, and each one of us a work in progress.

So as many hold vigils for Cory, let’s not forget to hold vigils for our own country.  Pray, not for serenity that lets us accept things we cannot change – we’ve had that far too long – but for courage, that we may change the things we badly need to change.

And pray for wisdom, to know the difference between Hacienda Luisita and the rest of the country’s agricultural land.

Bam Aquino is now an actor

There’s a new documentary film that chronicles the last few days of assassinated senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr.  Called The Last Journey of Ninoy, the film is produced by Unitel Productions with the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Foundation and is directed by Jun Reyes, who came up with the idea upon stumbling on an old article, “Ninoy’s final journey,” written by Ninoy’s brother in law, Ken Kashiwahara.  The article became the basis for the documentary.

SOURCE

This new Ninoy docu features interviews, old clips, and reenactments with the senator’s nephew Bam Aquino playing the role of Ninoy.  It promises to reveal ”grand conspiracies,” “clandestine meetings,” “secret conversations” and “dangerous deceptions,” phrases that make this documentary very interesting and intriguing.  I would certainly watch this.  I bet you would, too.

This docu is slated to be shown in theaters on August 21, the 26th death anniversary of Ninoy.  And on August 23, it will be shown simultaneously on ABS-CBN, TFC, ANC, and on live video streaming.

Check out the trailer below.

Ang buhay nga naman

While they pray for their symbol of democracy to win the fight against colon cancer…

GMANews.tv

…madame celebrates her rather long life with a grand party!

GMANews.tv

Isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think?

Kaloka

“Thank God that after more than 23 years of relentless persecution and deprivation initiated by the Cory Aquino administration in 1986, President Gloria Arroyo’s government has now started efforts for… truth and justice to prevail. Mabuhay ang Pilipino.”

-  Former First Lady Imelda Marcos on the possible “return” of her P15-billion jewelry collection which she left in Malacañang when the Marcoses fled in 1986.

Naghihirap na raw ang lola, claim niya.  Kaya ba siya nakikita dito?