Cory Aquino Dead at 76, one of the last true Filipino

In true Filipino style, our beloved tita Cory passed away while the fifth sorrowful mystery was being recited at her bedside, on the glorious Saturday of the first day of the month her husband was assasinated. She died at 3:18 am this morning as confirmed by his only son, Noynoy. I was trying to find sense among all the condolences from prominent people on the three different channels on tv. But it was not until GMA 7 run clips of her much applauded speech at the US Congress where she said "I now I come back to you as a president of a free nation." that I remembered her importance. Then at the end a clip from Jessica Soho's interview, "Nagpapasalamat ako sa Diyos na ginawa nya akong Filipino katulad ninyo." It was at that time that I cried.


No other death of a prominent Filipino since Ninoy's death broke my heart. I guess no other will after her. To Cory Aquino, maraming salamat po.

New National Artists Philippines

It was a shoutout on facebook that heralded the news of the seven new national artist. Manuel Conde for cinema. Carlo J Caparas for comics. Cecille Alvarez for theater. Pitoy Moreno for fashion. Alcuaz for visual arts. Manosa for Architecture. And one for literature somebody I haven't read but hopefully deserves to be a national artist.

I don't know what the criteria is for being chosen as one. Before this I have high regards for the national artists like Eddie Romero, Nick Joaquin, Orosa and Lumbrera. But proclaiming seven at one time, seems to have degraded the award to a mere citation and nothing else sort of being a sense of pride for Filipinos. Of the seven, it's actually not Carlo J Caparas which irked me. it was Cecille Alvarez's award which shocked me. I hope that the criteria includes the pprolificness of the awardees works. I have yet to see an original work of Alvarez that truly deserves the citation.

Forgotten Manila

I was searching the LUXE sets of asian city guides and to my consternation and subsequent disappointment, Manila was singed out. Imagine having guides for Cambodia and even Laos while the ever loyal and noble city of Manila does not merit to have one. Understandably, when all the historic places in the city are left to fend for themselves the city does not have a soul now.
It is a city where officials are given lee way to desecrate the Manila Bay the most beautiful in the entire world for the name of corruption. Where old monuments go down for tacky bronze figures of men forgotten by history while the national hero remains forgotten in his languid post at km 0. Where hotels that line the bay are on their twilight years hopelessly praying for refurbishment. The grand Manila Hotel have lost its grandeur to musty carpets and old furnishings. Manila is desperately forgotten. And like our country, we have just succeeded in making our country so insignificant that nobody really bothers about our insignificance even ourselves. I just opened itunes and they have a vietnam store while the Philippines has none. So what more proof do I need.

Paseo del Mar Zamboanga

I don't want to pass judgement on the opening of the new park near Fort Pilar. Molded after the Manila Baywalk with lights that I believe cost half a million each and paved walks, its opening has been long overdue. It was opened to the public a week ago with very little funfare maybe because the weather did not permit such. a thunderstorm raged during the opening night with text messages of bomb threats and traffic around the city. The next day still saw the mayor visiting the promanade with a band playing before a fifteen minute fireworks show.

Now for the nitty gritty of things. The area is still bare. The restaurants offer mostly the usual fare donuts, grilled chicken and barbeque. the crowd are the usual suspects. I presume its the same ones coming from the Boulevard. Now that Cawacawa is under renovation of monstrous proportion, they see the paseo as an alternative. A week after the opening, friday night, not too much came to visit. There were nothing to do there anyway. Nothing unusual to see. Maybe they can put up free cultural shows there. Or a tiangge. Or a concert. I don't know what will work best, but I hope the opportunity to make Zamboanga proud of something won't go to waste.