Best offer of the month

I don’t know where to start, I have been detached from blogworld for quite sometime. Saan ba ako mag-uumpisa?

My half month vacation in Manila was not bad but not a better one either. We all knew what happened nang maghasik ng lagim si Ondoy. I arrived the day before the “delubyo” started. Our place is not affected by the flooding, we are one of those lucky na hindi inabot but most of my relatives, our ancestral house, mom-in-law, sisters and friends dear to us stayed in Marikina, so to speak they were not spared from Ondoy’s wrath. At isa sa mga lugar na nakaranas ng matinding hagupit. Everything has been washed out, as in nothing was left. Back to zero talaga. My days were very busy after that two long days of waiting, yun lang kasi ang time na pwede nang magmaneho sa kalsada. I did my best to help in my own little way, sharing foods and clothing. Hindi man kalakihan pero yung empathy and being with them is malaking bagay na. My heart bleeds when I personally saw the aftermath, grabee…as in sobrang nakakaiyak. When my SIL narrated what she and her 3 children had been through when they were staying at the roof of their two-storey house; my eyes could not stop tears from welling, kinikilabutan nga ako. I could not imagine if I and my kids would be on the same situation. Anyhow, I still thanked God that our families and friends are all safe, I think that is more important….walang nasaktan, walang namatay. Ang mga materyal na bagay ay mabibili pa natin pero hindi ang buhay.

Here are some pictures to share which my daughter took along the road, not a pleasant one to look at but a devastating effect of the calamity. Hindi ko lang maiwasang mag isip…what others did to our mother earth? Sabi niya siguro “oh ayan, ibalik ko sa inyo lahat ng itinatapon niyo sobra sobra pa” di nga ba? Wake up call.

God please, have mercy.

“Warning: This is a long post but I hope you’ll take time to read it. I am reposting this email from “politicaljaywalker”…through this I could offer my little help for her and her family. I was really concerned what’s going on with our kababayan’s mind and heart and the cruelty of some people.  Please let me know if there’s an error on inserted links.”

-Nona- 

Content of the email.

Justice for Tara Bosch Santelices

If we look at how evil prevail in the realm of politics maybe it is true that Filipinos has been numbed to apathy out of desperation and hopelessness. While it may be true to some degree in terms of apathy towards politics, the Filipinos in general are a compassionate caring people. Unfortunately there are revolting incidents that makes one doubt if indeed we as a people have been consumed by the numbing display of apathy to the point of losing our compassion and humanity. Has it been this bad that when we see a victim of violence because said victim was a stranger it does not affect us anymore that we just go about our daily lives ignoring the fatal consequence of our revolting inaction? I am sure if we see our sister, daughter, mother or even a distant acquaintance when we see that she is being assaulted while some may not necessarily ward of the attacker most if not all will heroically risk their lives to save a damsel in distress. There is no doubt that we will definitely do our best even move mountains to rush her into a hospital especially if it was a matter of life or death emergency.

This is not the case in Tara Bosch Santelices incident, a promising creative young woman about to reach her prime and potential on the eve of her 23rd birthday now fighting for her life in a coma in the ICU of Medical City Hospital in Pasig City attached to a respirator machine. A victim of armed robbery shot in the left forehead shattering her skull and dreams of a promising life of creativity as a musical artist lead guitarist of Saffron Speedway and budding Indie film director.

Tara Bosch Santelices went to Assumption Antipolo Batch 2003 and Ateneo de Manila University’s graduate Class of 2007, AB Political Science. The incident is just so agonizingly revolting that it makes one wonder if indeed people have been consumed by morbid coldness akin to modern day savagery of the asphalt jungle seen only in fiction movies yet so surreal and agonizingly happening in real life. Here is a quote from the account of Chito Irigo on the incident:

Tara Santelices, 23 years old graduate of the Ateneo de Manila was shot in a robbery-hold up incident inside a passenger jeep along Felix Ave. Cainta, Rizal. She was on her way home past midnight (August 6, 2008, about 12:30 AM) with a friend coming from a night out on the eve of her 23rd birthday. Somewhere along a dark stretch of Felix Ave. near Karangalan Village, a man posing as a passenger, pulled a gun and announced a hold-up. The man grabbed Tara’s bag. Instinctively, Tara held on to her bag and in the ensuing struggle, the man shot Tara and hit her on the left side of her forehead. After getting the bag of the others, the man jumped off the passenger jeep. Tara’s companion, who has never been in that situation asked for help from the other passengers, and told the driver to bring them to the nearest hospital, as blood was already spurting out of Tara’s head. But instead of driving speedily to the nearest medical facility, the driver drove as if it was one of his regular trips, even stopping three times to unload a passenger. Of the five or six other passengers, only one bothered to help Tara’s friend carry her. The rest just went about their business as if nothing serious happened. In fact some of the passengers even opted to stop the vehicle for them to get off, wasting precious time for medical attention. The driver eventually took them to a small clinic. But even as Tara’s companion was talking to a medical personnel in that small clinic, the driver drove-off leaving them to look for a taxi to bring Tara to a better equipped hospital. Tara was given the appropriate medical attention only about four hours later. The police went to the hospital to talk to the witness (Tara’s friend) only a day later.

One must be as cold as an unfeeling zombie, an animal monster actually without shame or remorse that has no regard for the sanctity of human life. So irrational and perverted beyond description to see that there are people in this planet so low and revolting to act like these in dire emergency situation. Why in heavens name did the jeepney driver acted irrationally, has the Cainta Police even bothered to look for the driver for questioning and gather information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the cold blooded criminal? Why did the passengers opt to get off their destinations knowing that every second of delay lessens her chances of survival? Or are they so moronic that these passengers would rather be in the comfort of their homes with no remorse whatsoever of the consequence of their stupidity? Criminals will be criminals and you expect them to commit heinous crimes thus you want them apprehended and not wreck havoc on society but “law abiding citizens” acting in this numbing apathy is definitely unacceptable, they are worse than the criminals a shame to all mankind. This horrific incident really tests our mettle on seeing the innate goodness of man as blogger Kalamnan pointed out:

Faced with these terrible consequences, I find myself questioning the optimistic counsel R left me with. Should the life of a person be taken just so you can feed yourself? Your family? Your whims? What good is there in taking - be it be money or a bag or a laptop… Or the wife of your neighbor… Or a life?

How does that help you? How does that make your existence better? How does that make your reality and your reasons right? I do not want to relinquish my belief that people are innately good. We are all created in His image, guided by His hand and heart.

But please… Please… As if this incident is not contemptible enough this GMA News Report came up with this callous title “Robber shoots lady who refused to give up laptop” in looks like a crude attempt at sensationalism that has the effect of unwittingly blaming the victim.

 A shallow attempt and yet did not even dig deeper on the circumstance after the crime. Was it because this kind of cold numbing apathy is so common that it is not newsworthy enough?

We can let Tara Bosch Santelices and other victims of crime suffer yet another numbing apathy and let her and her family suffer in pain alone or we can do the act now by calling the attention of our lawmakers to enact laws so that tragic event like these do not occur again. We can also call on the law enforcement agencies to step up their investigation and there is a petition that we can sign here.

If you may want to contribute to a fund for Tara’s recovery, here are the details: Anne Marie F. Santelices, Banco de Oro, SA 2140-062201. For direct cash donations, please proceed to the ICU Waiting Room of the Medical City (Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City). Please look for Joee Mejias or Lila Santelices.

Lastly, please let everyone you know about the plight of Tara Bosch Santelices, by emailing this or writing a blog about it or any other way to raise awareness on the issue of public safety in public transportation, she needs all the support she can get at this point and sometimes miracle do happen when good people wish and pray for her speedy recovery. For inquiries, please contact Joee Mejias (09228154987) for calls and Jac Ledonio (09167243071) or Myka Francisco (09163695148) for text messages.

 Ang ganda ng umaga, ang aliwalas ng pakiramdam ko. Naisipan kong maglakad lakad sa bakuran. Wala pa ring ipinagbago ang kinalakhan kong lugar, this is the same place I used to lived during my childhood days! Malawak na bakuran, maraming punong kahoy…may guyabano, papaya, bayabas, ang mga nakahilerang puno ng malunggay sa tabi ng bakod…ang punong santol na may duyan sa ilalim at nakatapat sa balkonahe namin at ang mga alagang manok ni Tatay. Simula nang magretire siya sa pagsusundalo, pag aalaga  ng mga sasabunging manok ang naging libangan niya.

Nagkalat ang mga tuyong dahon sa paligid, tila matagal nang hindi nagwawalis si manong Caloy. Sa bandang kaliwa ng bakuran, ang lumang sinehan na may kung ilang dekada nang nakatayo doon, at may 26 na taon nang hindi nagpapalabas ng pelikula dahil sa kalumaan.

Napabuntunghininga ako sa galak nang matanaw ko ang aming punong mangga. Nakasayad pa rin ang ibang sanga nito sa bubong ng bahay namin. Mayroon kaming daan sa loob ng bahay paakyat sa bubong. Naalaala ko noong bata pa ako, madalas kaming magpalipas ng oras doon kasama ang kapatid ko at ilang kaibigan, may dala dala kaming kutsilyo, pinggan at asin…namimitas kami ng manggang hilaw at doon na rin namin kinakain habang pinagmamasdan at hinuhulaan ang iba’t ibang hugis ng ulap.

Natanaw ko si tatay na nakatayo sa ilalim niyon, suot ang paborito niyang asul na shorts at kamisa-tsino. Tingin ko’y bumata si ‘tay, palibhasa’y dating sundalo kaya matikas pa rin ang pangangatawan ngunit bakas pa rin ang pagod na niyang mukha. Nakangiti siya sa akin, tinanong niya ako “saan ka pupunta“? sagot ko’y “dito lang po namamasyal lang“. Sabi niya na tila naglalambing sa musmos “kiss mo muna ako“! Natawa ako, ganoon kasi siya sa amin kapag may inuungot at hinihingi kami sa kanya. Humalik ako sa pisngi niya, naramdaman ko ang mainit niyang hininga na tumama sa pisngi ko…at bigla akong nagising!

Nanatili akong nakahiga, tumutulo na pala ang luha ko…namimiss ko na si tatay, ang aking taga-ponytail ng buhok, ang loyal fans ko at taga palakpak sa tuwing magrerecite ako ng poem. Ipinagtitimpla ako ng gatas sa tuwing inaabot ako ng madaling araw sa paggawa ng mga plates sa architecture noong ako’y nasa college…matiyagang nag-aabang sa kanto kapag inaabot ako ng gabi mula sa eskwelahan. sa tuwing magbabakasyon kami ng pilipinas nakahanda na ang mga kakataying native na manok para sa paborito kong adobo-ala-tatay na siya mismo ang magluluto, at una pang natataranta kapag nagkakasakit ang mga anak ko. Ang tatay na hinintay lang ang pagdating ko saka siya umalis.

Ipinaalala lang siguro niya sa akin, ngayong araw ang kanyang ika-siyam na taon. Rest and peace po ‘tay, mahal na mahal ko kayo. 

“I miss home….”

 nona