pap pa ra pap pa... poverty.

Today's entry is going to be a little serious but it's something that I feel I must write about. It's an issue that has affected me since childhood and I hope that by writing about it, I will be able to let go of certain hung-ups that has controlled a part me.

I can definitely say that I grew up from a poor family. This is despite my family's well-off background. My Nanay and Tatay decided to become full-time NGO Workers way back when they were in college. As a result my parents did not have the usual salary. What they have is an allowance, good enough for their operational expenses.

Let me clear the air first. I am not bitter and I do not blame my parents for their decisions. It is true, I did experience hell due to poverty (which is the main reason why I am writing this entry in the first place). However, if I was given a chance, a choice to change this part of my life (financial set-up), I will not think twice and say: "Na-ah, not a chance!" Haha! :D

These are my encounters. This is poverty for me.

I've never lived in a house that is our own. We pay rent and over the years we kept on moving from one house to the next. This for me is the worst part of being poor. I used to live in a squatters area in Lapaz and every time there's heavy rain, it would flood. Flood in that neighborhood is hell. Imagine, black water with floating poop inside your living room. Fights almost every night and politics within the Barangay is a major pain. There was once a time wherein we couldn't buy water (nawasa) because the holder of the key locked the bloody gate. He said he wasn't earning enough money. No one stood up to him because he was a Barangay official. [sigh] Poverty for me means not being able to build a home because poverty will eventually find a way to mess things up.

When I was little there was a time when funds were so low even meals were budgeted. It was so low I had to eat rice with salt and nothing more. Yes, the typical movie-drama-ish scenes that you see in poverty porn, I've actually lived it. It went on for about a week. Then there was a time when boxes of 555 sardines were donated to the organization. Again, funds were low so we were not able to buy food other than rice. So, for about a month we ate sardines from breakfast to dinner. Nanay was so sick of sardines that even until now she avoids it. Haha! :D I on the other hand developed love towards it and consider it one of my many favorites.

Have you ever missed school because you do not have any money for jeepney fares? I have. I was happy of course, I was a kid and like any other kid, missing school is a treat. Hehehe... :) The next day when the teacher asks why was I absent, I would whip up some lie, like a fever. When you're young it's a little hard to put up a brave face while admitting poverty in front of your teacher and school mates. Most of us, including me, were once embarrassed. Mainly because society has this twisted notion that poor people deserves their situation, because they do not work hard enough to uplift their social strata.

Have you ever walked home after school because you were not able to stop yourself from buying snacks during recess? Because you were too hungry and the only money you have left is your jeepney fare home? I have and it's actually quite fun as long as it's not raining. I used to walk home with friends. We would cross an old bridge made from an old railway and we would be laughing all the way.

I have many more memories that shows poverty but this entry is already long and most of you might find it as a bore. Anyway, as you can see for every hell that I went through, I always gain a positive experience in return.

For me and for many others, poverty is the lack of option. The lack of choice to do/have certain things that would have made a certain situation a little bit happier. A Christmas tree during Christmas, a cake during a birthday, new school shoes for an elementary school student, a Chuckie drink for recess, a summer vacation and many more.

However, poverty helps us learn. Helps us see things that the rich has failed and will always fail to see. Poverty enlightens us, therefore making us better.

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konek konek

Warning: If you haven't seen National Geographic's Live Curious commercial, you will not appreciate this entry. :)

If you are, you feel. If you feel, you hurt. If you hurt, you know pain.

If you know pain, you know discrimination. If you know discrimination, you know oppression.

If you know oppression, you know poverty. If you know poverty, you know hunger.

If you know hunger, you will start to question society.

If you question, you learn about activism. If you learn, you see the need to fight.

If you start fighting, you will understand the people's struggle.

If you understand, you become a revolutionary. And if you become, so shall others.

If others become, the enemy will know fear. If the enemy is afraid, they will strike us hard.

If they strike, WE ARE READY.

Living Curious is not enough.

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God is a revolutionary.

Yes dear reader, I will talk about God and a theory I just came up with. Hehehe... :) Now, I have no intention to step on people's toes, this is merely a theory and, mind you, a possible one. So please read with an open mind. :)

Remember when religious people used to say that life is a challenge, that God is testing our faith, that God is checking out which people are worthy to be accepted to his kingdom/paradise. Let's say that they're right, life is indeed God's test. However, they failed to see the instructions. [I was trying to sound clever by making a metaphor, I guess I failed. :( ]

Anyway, imagine that Religion is actually part of the test and that the correct answer is to not follow it. Yep, you got it. What if God wants us to defy Religion, to be a better person and stand up against it. God is all-knowing, he knew Religion would commit a lot of screw-ups and he was hoping we'll read between the lines and realize our mistake (to follow Religion).

If God is real he wouldn't be an anti-feminist. God will not tolerate discrimination against women. He would want equal rights because he knows this is the right thing to do. Religion has a different point of view. All throughout history we know of the exploits of the church and we know how they treated women. Even now, discrimination of women is still present.

When I was in high school, I told my Christian Living teacher that the Catholic Church is not open to change. She said I was wrong so, I challenged her. I asked her what would be the church's reaction if I suggested that it is high time for the world to have a woman priest/priestess/babaylan. She said it is not possible because only men have the right to serve God as a priest. The reason? Because man is created in God's image despite the fact that God has no gender or sexuality. We are not given the same right because we have vaginas instead of penises.

If God is real he wouldn't be anti-gay. He would recognize the right of all people to love and be loved. He would know that everyone should be given a chance to build a family with whomever they choose. If God is real, he would believe that love is love no matter the sexual preference.

We all know that most Religion is against homosexuality. They believe that it is immoral. It is against God's will because it is not natural. Hell, that bloody argument is as stupid as it is wrong. Several years back the church declared that the Earth is flat and the center of the universe - was this natural? They burned scientists alive - was this natural? They burned and hanged "witches" - was this natural? Now that you think of it, is there anything about the church that's natural? And who has the right to declare what’s natural and what’s not? The church?

If God is real he wouldn't be anti-science. He would recognize the legitimacy of the existence of dinosaurs because it was his creation. [Duh!] Did it ever occur to you that he made such amazing creatures as proof of his awesomeness? Hehehe.. :D

If God is real, he would have made sure that Science would progress because it will help people see the beauty and vastness of the world, the universe, and of life down to the smallest detail. You don't believe me? Buy a microscope and see for yourself. :)

Religion on the other hand has repeatedly brushed Science aside all throughout our history. If burning scientists alive is not enough proof then let us add censorship of practically everything scientific, judgmental statements against scientific findings, and outright attacks to the scientific community.

If God is real he would not let his name be used to colonize and enslave a country for 333 years. He would not go against the people’s struggle for freedom. If God is here he will join ranks with the oppressed and fight for true democracy. He will clench his fist, raised it up high and demand for greater state subsidy. If God is real he is a revolutionary.

He will not stand idly by and preach bullshit like: blessed are the poor, it’s okay to be poor, it is God’s will, or it is okay to suffer for you will someday be rewarded in heaven. If God is real he does not want his people to suffer, he does not want his people to die of hunger and he does not want his people chained.

Religion does not represent God for it does not represent the people.

Let us pray…

God if you are real, help your people see the truth,

Give them courage, give them strength.

God if you are real, help them understand,

For war is fast approaching.

God if you are real, hear my prayer through battle cries and bullets.

For I shall fight alongside your people.

God if you are real, help us paint the horizons red.

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Going yellow green.

It's funny, today, yellow is the "it" color. Ever since Cory died the Philippines has been struck with Cory fever or Edsa fever or whatchamacallit. Everyone is saying that yellow is the new color for courage, change, hope, even activism. [insert rolling eyes here]

It's funny because when it comes to left-leaning groups or left-leaning individuals, yellow has always been a "bad" color. Yes, I think bad is the most apt term that I can use, even though I sound like a first grader. For example, yellow journalism or yellow NGOs. Again yes, I only know two examples. If you've got suggestions, feel free to drop them in my comment box. :)

Everybody knows what those two mean but in case you don't, here's a brief but very accurate explanation:

Yellow journalism- It's like journalism only it's not. It's fake journalism.

Yellow NGOs- They're like NGOs only they're not. They're fake NGOs.

- I couldn't find a link so here's another one: organizations that uses funds for their projects in an unprofessional and unethical manner or organizations that uses projects as a front to earn more money.

Anyway, we are not going to talk about journalism or organizations. Hell no! We are going to talk about- yes, celebrities. :))

Remember Earth Hour? I was a fan of that activity, me and my whole family turned everything off in the house for the whole hour. There was such a big fuss over it, streamers were everywhere, advertisements in radios, televisions, the internet. As I've said being an activist is in, that time it was cool to be an environmental activist. Suddenly, everybody cared and everybody wanted to make a change, to pitch in and save mother earth. Everybody - especially the celebrities. Oh yeah, they held a concert/program/vigil or whatever you want to call it.

I like the fact that people are more involved in issues concerning the society and the environment. I'm happy that bit by bit people are starting to care more about recycling than the latest fashion, that they care more about renewable energy than Justin Beiber (no offense), but who are we kidding?

Celebrities have big houses with several air-conditioners, they own several cars, they use major amounts of hair spray, colognes and other chemical products for their beauty regimen and they travel a lot. In short, their carbon footprint is huuuuuuuuuuge! Singing in a concert during Earth Hour is not going to change that.

Even Meralco has the nerve to say that they're pro-mother nature. Hey Meralco douchebags! You really want to help and save Mother Earth? Then go renewable! Postpone your all-around-Europe trip and use the money for research. Say no to your daughter when she says she wants to buy a new Hummer (which by the way is a guzzler) and fund organizations or individuals so that they can launch projects that will make our community cleaner.

As for the government, don't go all yellow with us. DO SOMETHING! Like closing down factories that are killing our streams and rivers. Build a proper dump site. Protect our forests, our mangroves, our seas! Should we make a step by step list?

So yes Kim Chiu, you really want to help mother nature? Then stop being a celebrity otherwise, you're not really going green, you're just going YELLOW green.

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