John Salud Mina and John Davis, one of my favorite gay couples!
Two beach walkers by the wading pond in Harris Beach. Taken at sunset. July 2010.
“ Right action demands that we find a deeper and truer source of energy and guidance than relevance, power and spectacle can provide." - Parker J. Palmer Sometime in the 1930s to the 1950s, the visionary thinking of two Sams, have provided for the public enjoyment of 363 miles of breathtaking coastline along Highway 101 in Oregon. It starts from the border of California on the north and ends in the border of Washington on the south. It is a rugged coastline of spectacular views, attracting bikers and motorcycle riders and vacationers all the way from Vancouver, British Columbia making their way down to San Francisco and for the more adventurous, all the way south to the Mexican border. We were coming from Los Angeles to Seattle, the other way around. In admiring the rugged coastline, we thought of the right actions of two Sams, who envisioned and planned for the People’s Coast. Sam Boardman negotiated for lands to be bought, as Oregon State Parks’ first superintendent and the markers in Sam Boardman State Park credits him as Oregon’s Father of State Parks. The second Sam, Sam Dicken, was a professor of geography in University of Oregon who persuaded the state officials to create the Oregon Coastal trail from border to border. He was worried that the rugged Oregon coastline might be lost to public access. He is credited as the father of the Oregon Coast Trail. No cars make it directly to the beaches, instead, cars are parked in paved areas and the beaches are accessed by foot. Harris Beach was accessed minutes by foot, while another, Lone Secret Beach took more. Harris Beach attracts more visitors and is more interesting because of its coves, the wading pond, including waveboarders (they use the receding waves of the ocean and the compact sand to ride their boards). We first met an Oregonian transplant, formerly from Chicago, in Harris Beach. Lisa works in a dental office. After work, she takes photos of the Oregon coastline and now has a collection of 1,000 images. She offered us the front of her car to lean on, with an Indian wool rug thrown on top, while we waited for the sunset. It felt cozy! With our map, she highlighted spectacular photography viewpoints: Natural Bridges Cove, Cape Sebastian, Cape Foulweather and more. These were all gratuitous by the way, unsolicited! With Lisa’s help, we got to our first spot. We came upon the Natural Bridges Cove, a natural bridge that connects the two coves. The water looked calm and the serene. In the afternoon, the sight is breathtaking, and even more enchanting in the morning. Here, we met another Oregonian, Bill, who lives near Harris Beach. He loves Oregon and would not consider living elsewhere. “ There is so much beauty here that I am willing to put up with some cold. It is not too bad, it gets 50 to 70F, but for my wife, it gets too cold for her. “ We planned to walk the entire coastal trail to reach the Natural Bridges Cove’s beach area. It would be at least two  downhill and another treacherous climb uphill -- only to find a fallen tree morphed into a log! It became both a crisis and a reward point for us. Do we climb over or crawl under? We watched a thin, young man climb over the log adeptly. What choice should we make? If we do not proceed, we succumb to our fears of height, and stay caged inside this familiar fearful zone with no action. The trail was but 24 inches wide, enough for us to stay safe, but the other side of it is the cliff. We decided to face our fears, kneel down, step a bit on the roots of a fern, not much to keep us from going down into the cliff. With our legs shaking, we practically crawled our way to the other side. We met a teenager who coached us, as we crawled under the fallen log, and when we were done, he offered to take us to the lookout point. No need, but thank you very much for helping us! We wanted to do it by ourselves. We went back to the trail the next morning. This time, equipped with feeling and a memory of a challenge conquered, we bent such that our body could fit the space under the fallen log without crawling and soiling our clothes. Perhaps when fears are let go, bodies become pliant and flexible. Once we got to the other side, we smiled, a big one that came from within. We walked most of the trail with no one watching us to make a spectacle of ourselves. We walked uphill and downhill, more assured and on our own! We felt an inner joy to rid ourselves of baggage: no longer fearing the heights, no longer afraid of the cliff, and now, with a sense of ease that we trust ourselves to take on the challenges that life gives us. Our next challenge: to walk down to reach the natural bridges and do the ‘treacherous climb uphill’ to get back, and our third visit to the Natural Bridges Cove would be a charm!  But, in these two visits, we saw the fruits of right actions of the Oregon’s state government: of providing their coastline for generations to enjoy, supported by the right actions of Oregonians to put people first on their people’s coast! We feel blessed by these random acts of kindness from Oregonians, for they represent the best of America we love! For us, we scored one on life! |
Female and Male Stone Gods on the left, perched on the seastacks, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This was taken on Lone Ranch Beach, accessible from Highway 101, in Southcoast Oregon.
Cal Strobel's original art piece, using brown paper bag as his canvas.
“ If we lack confidence that life is trustworthy, that a life of live encounters will take us toward wholeness, then we will forever feel the need to manipulate, and goal setting will be one of our major strategies. But once we begin to see that life is a live encounter whether we like it or not—once we begin to understand that we can’t get out of it, we must get into it – then this concern for results will take its proper place in our active lives. “ Parker Palmer
When we started our quest for spirituality, it was at a period of grief and a series of mentors passing away one after the other. We started to question what life would be like during retirement. Would it feel like watching oneself deteriorate, going down in energy and simply decaying? Even the words we used daily became darker and ominous. We had to examine that there must be other ways to live one’s winter seasons in life to maximize our enjoyment of life but also to reach our maximum human potentials.
We started looking around for models. One model is to live an active life as entertainment reporters, just like the couple Ruben and Janet Nepales, though not quite retired, travel to film sites in Europe, Mexico, Asia and all over America to interview the rich, the beautiful, the famous on both sides of the globe. To the outsider, their lives seem a whirlwind tour each time: fast paced and on a treadmill speed. But their photos show smiles, gourmet food, and non-stop creative writing. Being with them is such a joy for the non-stop talk stories and laughing at jokes that we share. They have become known in the community as the “ naughty couple “ who make facebook a source of laughter. What we love about their work is their reporting on the depth and of course, the content of lives of Hollywood personalities: Jackie Chan’s offer to raise Jaden Smith for three months to learn about life to teach him the culture of another country, like China or Miss Oprah’s spirituality and wisdom, or our favorite, Meryl Streep’s literacy in literature.
Giselle Tongi-Walters, Janet's sister, Janet Nepales, Elgin Zulueta, Elgin's escort, Charina Carrera, and Ruben Nepales.
Another model of active life are the Strobels in Sonoma County, who exposed us to a new way of looking at the world, to use all our senses, to share what we see and to go beyond the use of intellect or the mind. Cal Strobel shared important life lessons he discerned from his own spiritual journey: share what we see truthfully, and to see the truth in relationships and allow the Universal Source’s “ third eye “ to guide us. We watched them as they kept a small carbon footprint, recycling a lot of kitchen scraps to the nearby composting station, and their love of outdoors: Leny with walking and Cal with bicycling and gardening. It was quite satisfying to eat the fresh produce they harvested: raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and mustard greens, oregano, basil, thyme and more. A dense fruit tree full of young fuji apples greeted us as we came into their front door with over seven foot high rose bushes. A female buddha and a bright orange scarf set the warm tone and a heart-filled welcome! Leny still teaches at Sonoma State University, where she founded the Center for Babaylan Studies and held their first conference attended by 350 folks. When we are with her, our talks are four dimensional in perspectives: academics, art, spirituality and indigenous spirit of Babaylans. We found our new spiritual home with the Strobels, since the passing of our good friend, Helen Toribio who used to be our a source of spiritual renewal for us.
What we chose to do in retirement is to allow the Universal Source to guide us, without too much reliance on controlling every moment and every activity with our intellect. We had relied on our mind for the first five decades that we believe that the next fall and winter seasons of our lives should be guided first by our spirit and then our heart. When we have new adventures, immersed in exploring new places, we say two prayers: one to call the Gods of the place to grant us permission to be there and to call on our ancestors to pre-select the folks we meet (we learned these prayers from our friend, Ted Benito, who got mentored by Uncle Roy Morales). By doing these two prayers, we are guided that the folks we meet are hand-picked for us by the Universe. Another prayer we learned from our spiritual coach, Loida Lewis, is to expect personal abundance. Ever since we have all these prayers and a positive, expecting attitude of abundance, things in life became much easier. Perhaps also, because we got into life more!
We were awed by these sea stacks but mostly could not believe that we are actually seeing Stone Gods, one that looked like it had a hat, and another with long hair, sitting together. In the past, we would have asked to rest our tired bodies and merely waited inside the car while our companions had fun wading, walking and taking photos. We made a decision to keep moving no matter what. We ventured with our tired feet and opted to relax them by walking on the beachsand. We felt an immediate relaxing, cooling, and calming effect.
In exploring, we witnessed a wedding and a couple sitting on their beach chairs, reading their pocketbooks, while next to a tide pool where sea gulls would land. We only could count twenty folks in a stretch of a mile and a half. Had there not been a wedding, it would have only been five. It made for a non-competitive space in parking but also an unconstrained use of the beach with an immediate destressing effect.
Here we could see also see the wild azaleas growing next to the black volcanic rocks, and we could also appreciate the rugged coastlines. Perhaps it is here, while seeing the stone gods of the place, where we feel closest to the Higher Universe, and while here, we have the human capacity to desire less suffering in the world and to see a better America at peace, where public good is a common aspiration of all and not war!
Labels: Center for Babaylan Studies, Leny and Cal Strobel, Oregon Coastline, Ruben and Janet Nepales, Ted Benito, Uncle Roy Morales
“I was with God all day. He was with me when I woke up at 530 am to greet the sun. He was with me when a generous, disabled man had a wrench and fixed the car’s flat tire, on our way to catch the ferry. He was with us when we missed our 10am ferry, only to find out a 1045 am special, only for that day. He was with us when we met the priests in Catalina Island, getting there after a mishap. He was with me when I got lost in a postcard shop, and located my companions not much later in a restaurant by the sea, when the cell phones did not work. He was with us when we took a chance to drive with an ailing tire yet, got home safely. God was with me and all four priests, all day and night. ” Fr. Camilo Pacanza.
When I heard this story from Fr. Camilo, I enjoyed it so much, I retold the story over and over. I then realized that my faith in God is equally strong. I expect abundance now that my dreams will come true, if I work hard to fulfill my dreams, a step at a time.
But, I had not expected God to make things right: down to the flat tire, down to the special ferry ride to Catalina Island, down to even the ailing car tire which sustained Fr. Camilo and his companion priests. He related it with such gusto, that I could still imagine how he greeted the sun, how the sun’s rays touched his face, but also warmed up his heart to say Mass, then, to drive an hour away in traffic, to navigate over the St. Tomas Bridge (which by the way, is also the same bridge where folks get lost, as the tale goes). Yet, Fr. Camilo and Fr. Rodel and two other priests found their way to see Catalina Island, and Fr. Camilo’s dream came true.
How does one acquire such a deep faith that anything from God is for the asking? I had stopped asking God, a friend, C, once told me. For everything I asked, He gave me. Instead, she is grateful for each breath and each day. She is a successful woman, and sometimes, she gives away portions of business profits, as gifts to the community.
Not J. J is a loving mother of a teenager, who recently lost her fiancée. She works hard at two jobs, her hospital career job and a business she created to share her skills. She shared her prayer, one Sunday Mass: to have a God-loving man as her life’s companion. After mass, she drove home. At a stoplight, she glanced to her right, and the driver of another car smiled. She smiled back. Off to another stop. The same driver followed her and smiled a second time. He then rolled down the windows, “ Are you J who went to this church sometime ago? “
She was surprised. How can he know this about her past? “ You were wearing this ribbon-accented dress ”, he said. “He paid attention to my dress? He is that much into me? God, you are answering my prayers, now? That was just minutes ago. she reflected. “ Indeed! For J and her newly ‘bumped into friend’ are ‘slowly’ dating, building up to a long-term relationship! To her friends, she said “ Be careful what you pray for, for they will just manifest! “
Yes, “ Ask and it is given! “
I shared my own prayers with J: to find a smart, intelligent, loving, community-oriented spouse 33 years ago. I told J that God gave me that spouse and he is all those. But, since I did not ask God to give me a man who will not try my patience, and God knows I have no patience, He gave me a spouse who pushes my buttons, for my patience or my anger or my frustration to be revealed each time.
I do have a real choice though, it is for God’s grace to be revealed in me or not.
Here is what happens. When I choose to be unforgiving, when I choose to react to my husband’s naughtiness, I lose literally all of God’s grace for almost two weeks: no parking spaces in any buildings I drive to, cranky folks to exchange pleasantries with, appointments cancelled, inability to write, even a power struggle with more nasty and dishonest folks, pipes breaking, literally all at once.
If I choose patience and love to be, I receive more grace: available parking spaces, errands done smoothly, strangers to connect to and to share stories with, an inspired writing day, blessings manifest and invitations from friends to be with them. It feels like a glorious, spring day, perfect for high tea and scones!
When I chose to give love and compassion, I get more of the same. It takes work to be all that, all the time: to be loving, to be affectionate and to harvest the goodness in folks, rather than their weak points!
But, in turn, God’s sacred space is what I consciously operate from, and away from an unconscious, reactive, difficult life which creates tensions and frustrations! My husband jokingly says that God has a sense of humor, that he was given to me for my God’s purpose, to create more patience in me! We laugh, we hug and we simply just be!
It is time to let God in, as if a fresh wind, as if a fresh ray of the sun to warm one’s cheeks, as if a Good Samaritan who changes Fr. Rodel’s car tire, as if a human GPS ( global positioning system ) to point the way for others. Yes, we are all connectors, but we must choose His love to manifest in our daily actions!
Ask and it is given! Thank you, Fr. Camilo and Fr. Rodel, and May God bless Immaculate Heart of Mary Church with more blessings, and with renovated structures, to last seven generations to come, in time and on time for its Jubilee!
When President Noynoy Aquino spoke of a truth commission, and that there will be no reconciliation without justice, it sets his administration apart from others. “To those who talk about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no reconciliation without justice. When we allow crimes to go unpunished, we give consent to their occurring over and over again. Secretary de Lima, you have your marching orders. Begin the process of providing true and complete justice for all,” he said in his inaugural speech. Remember that South Africa’s apartheid became an opportunity for Nelson Mandela to usher South Africa out of the darkness of apartheid -- where blacks, like Steve Biko, were sacrificed like animals, chained to the back of a Land Rover, naked, and driven from Pretoria to a prison with medical facilities, some 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) away to their ultimate death -- into a more democratic nation for blacks and whites. “I remember when cabinet minister Jimmy Kruger heartlessly declared that the death in detention of Steve Biko 'left him cold'. It is not too surprising that, having been involved in a policy as evil and dehumanizing as apartheid, he had lost his sensitivity, his empathy for others’ suffering, he eventually had lost a share of his own humanity,“ Bishop Tutu described. I wonder if those accused of murdering 57 folks in Mindanao last November 2009, carry the same ‘feeling cold’ as Jimmy Kruger heartlessly declared. I wonder if they silently feel that they have lost their civility, relying on their primal instincts to survive and tighten their grip on power. I even wonder how those who carried the salvaging acts of Ferdinand Marcos, including the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. are faring with their souls and conscience. Tony Meloto referred to this as “ kulturang hayop, hindi makatao, lalo na sa mahirap! Dahil ang trato natin sa mahirap ay wala silang kakayahan, ang turing natin sa kanila ay para silang hayop, napapagbuhatan ng kamay, inaabuso at ginagamit parang hayop. “ But, that is now in the past . As Governor LRay Villafuerte shared, “Camarines Sur illustrates how progressive thinking can triumph over poverty. Camarines Sur shows how opportunity can be found. Turn a local community into a global success story. 39th poorest leaped to 10th richest province.” Camarines Sur leaped to being a richer province, when it collected Php 5.2 million more in revenues. With these increased revenues, and the threat to do public auctions on real properties not paying taxes, it more than tripled its original tax income, which may even quadruple, as they collect on tax arrears. President Noynoy Aquino’s campaign slogan was not simply empty rhetoric: “ Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap. “ It holds true for Camarines Sur, Davao and Cebu. When public officials serve the people, the revenues are there for the public to benefit from. Over 15 million Filipinos voted for Aquino. They are hoping for a nationwide renaissance for the Philippines, a coming back to the soul of a nation, whose innate values are “ pakikipagkapwa – tao “ and “ pakikisama. “ These values make it a hospitable country to its citizens, and do not make its own population vote with their feet, as President Noynoy Aquino said. Voting with their feet means leaving their country of birth, to provide for their families, even if it means living a life of loneliness, sacrifice and discrimination. Sometimes, it takes an overseas worker 40 years to work in a foreign country. Some are unfortunate to return home in a box, to be buried in the provinces that they left. In one media interview during the campaign, President Noynoy Aquino said that judicial reform is necesary for the Philippines where resolution happens in only 12% of the cases filed -- compared to 85% for the United States and 95% for Japan. Justice eludes the citizen when investigations do not start until four years after the complaint is filed, and trial in court takes another six years. Justice delayed for a decade essentially is justice denied, particularly for those who have no resources to wait for the judicial rulings to be completed. This is why it must no longer be a culture of impunity. This is why the Philippines must nurture a culture of transparency and accountability. Not unlike what Henri Nouwen describes as: “ Christ is Risen means that guilt, loneliness, hunger, poverty, war, and devastation no longer have the last word. Death and all its symptoms in our individual and communal lives are not the final reality anymore. Depression, resentment, revenge, and hatred are all forms of surrender to the power of death and signs of our inability to see that, in and through Christ, death has lost its final power. Death is a gateway to a new life. “ We can be a more living nation, a nation that is vibrant, not just for the rich, but also for the middle-class and the poor. Not just for Christians, but also for the Bagong Lumad, the Muslims and the Igorots. As P-Noy promised, “My father offered his life so our democracy could live. My mother devoted her life to nurturing that democracy. I will dedicate my life to making our democracy reach its fullest potential: that of ensuring equality for all. My family has sacrificed much and I am willing to do this again if necessary.” Mr. President, my high schoolmates recently floated a message of support in social media, enlisting us to support your administration, as you lead our country of birth in a path of righteousness, truth and justice, and reclaim our dignity as a nation, in the pantheons of democratic nations, proud of what it will do to root out poverty, corruption and injustices! I pledge and take the oath of supporting you and our country towards positive social change and justice! May God Bless the Philippines, a country I love, as much as America!
12:08 PM
An Open Letter to His Excellency, President NoyNoy Aquino: on His Inauguration June 30, 2010!
Posted by
Prosy Delacruz
“ Since the world began, the sun has been rising and setting with regularity, a certainty we can depend on. Yet no one on this Earth knows how many more days will come. All we really need to know, however, is that each day can be a new opportunity. What we do with it is up to each of us. “ Joseph M. Marshall III Addressing two people’s forums sponsored by US Pinoys for Noy-Mar, I had to tread with caution because I did not want to offend the community, which include close friends who support orange and green candidates. It was sacred and important for me to continue my good relations with them, even after elections are over. I spoke more about the progressive capacities of Filipinos, how we were an example to the world in EDSA I, how we showed we are a genteel people who opted for ballots, not bullets to change the nation. This is why I believe that the radical left and radical right will stay in the fringes. I really did not know much about you then, Mr. President. Only that you are centered on your faith and that you are spiritually-conscious. In the midst of chaos, you went into retreat to seek clarity. After the methodical process you went through on your own, you gained clarity of your own convictions and an appreciation for your own history. You were the heir to democracy -- the reason for which your parents lived and sacrificed their lives. It became clear that you are tasked to continue what they could not accomplish during their lifetimes. Your father spoke against a muzzled infrastructure that was kept chained to power, and your mother had to work her best to withstand the chaos of seven military coups which aimed to derail our newly found democracy. Her detractors were simply determined, but so was your mother in serving the Filipino people -- the very reason why her husband sacrificed his life. During the campaign period, your message was garbled. I could not force myself to be enthused about your candidacy. With the advent of Maria Montelibano who knew how to communicate consistently and positively, that changed. By the time the campaigning intensified, we got word here in the US about your psychiatric report. My circle of friends, who were enthusiastic supporters, started to have second thoughts as to whether they should continue advocating for you. When ABS-CBN began their slew of presidential debates, it became clear that you were the candidate who should win. Your answers to their questions proved that you were willing to put your own self-interest and ambitions aside, for what you wanted to achieve for our Inang Bayan. Your campaign became a preview of your governance. Even your classmates blogged about you when you were still in Ateneo. The campaign had a consistent slogan, “ Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap!" We could debate that, but when credible research studies showed that billions were being siphoned off the treasury and unavailable for public works, for public schools, for health centers, it made sense. It was not until you had a one-on-one exclusive with Ces Drilon during your proclamation on June 9, 2010 by Congress and the Senate that I became certain that the Philippines will have a renaissance under your leadership. I noticed how Ces Drilon became more respectful and deferential to you, as the interview progressed. During the campaign, you started elaborating on your views in the third person, making yourself less important than the majority. The last time was when Erap coined the slogan, ‘Erap for Mahirap’, but we know his plunderous record belied that slogan. Now,your relationship with the nation will unfold and you will be drawn into many conflicts and factions. I thought I'd share some suggestions that might help you through the course of your leadership: * Use conflict to create greater understanding, and to educate folks around the table as to what we do not need – this is not a debate, but a civil discourse, a debate of perspectives.
* Resolve the struggles of factions for control. If this is happening, as folks are jockeying for positions, it is likely because there is a vacuum of leadership at the top of the agency. Let these factions know you are in charge, but will not step in to do what they need to resolve the factions.
* Do not allow the media to define you. President Obama clearly defines his administration and who he is, and it still does not stop the hostile media from misconstruing his agenda, his purpose and what he has done. Thank God, we have Facebook, Twitter, and various electronic media so the citizenry can actually parse which ones are true or not.
* Keep a direct line to the people, by way of Facebook or an official contact page in your presidential website and going directly to the provinces. Dedicated citizens will give you advice, feedback and send in many ideas. Notice that folks texted and called in 200,000 complaints about the elections. We got those resolved as a nation, and moved on.
* Overcome the fears and defenses that block folks from relating cohesively with one another, for e.g the warring factions in Mindanao – can you provide arbitration, mediation with skilled facilitators and see if their brewing hatred and unresolved issues can be worked on? We do not need ‘mountains of bones’ as one poet wrote about the Ampatuan massacre, but more symphonies of peace-making throughout the nation.
* Release the creativity of the Filipino people, one sector at a time. When you get a sector to own a piece of your Administration’s agenda, then, they become co-owners of your vision, and co-partners in making the country evolve. We must grow as a nation, believing in our endowed strengths and creativity as a people. We must believe that Filipinos are worth dying for and worth living for. We need to collaborate and cooperate to succeed!
* Deepen the passion, the aliveness, the commitment of the Filipino people. When we are alive, we are more involved in projects for nation-building and have a deeper commitment from registering a series of wins. Yes, wins! We cannot afford to be one of the 20 corrupt nations of the world. If Camarines Sur was decaying as one of the languishing provinces to become one of the more advanced provinces by taking care of the poor, we have the innate capacity for a renaissance of all citizens to no longer live as refugees within their own birth nation. 8 to 10 million Filipinos around the world are making a living to help their families in the Philippines, remitting $ 17 billion a year. It shows that we are resilient, able to adapt, and have the willingness to help. We do not only live for ourselves, but for others. We want a nation that we can all be proud of. We want to be your co-partners in the creation of abundance, not just for the elites, not just for the celebrities, but for all citizens! Let us make our citizens connected to one another -- equal owners to till the lands, protect the forests, navigate the seas and create progress for our country -- equals in the eyes of God! Congratulations and may you have the best, progressive six years of tenure!
“ I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."- Article 2, Section I of the US Constitution “ I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as President of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate myself to the service of the Nation. So help me God." - Article 7, Section 5 of the Philippine Constitution When I read the two oaths of office, I realized that a higher standard of oath is taken by the Philippine President than the American President. The American President promises allegiance to the Constitution and to faithfully carry out the duties of the office. Aside from being the Commander–in–chief, the president also provides leadership to both Congress and the Senate on what legislative reforms must be done. During the term of office of the current President Barack Obama, he has signed numerous legislations.The ones that stood out include helping the families save their homes, helping the small businesses regenerate jobs, no cost of living allowances increases for Congress for 2011, credit card technical corrections and even cash for clunkers to stimulate the economy and the stimulus funds that were provided to community banks, large banks, and to cities and states for infrastructural projects, including energy research projects and health care insurance for 31 million Americans. These were all accomplished in a span of about a year and a half of his term. The Philippine Presidential oath goes much further. It carries an oath to do justice to every man, and to consecrate one's self to the service of the Nation. While it carries the same duties of allegiance to the Philippine Constitution as the American President does to the US Constitution, including faithfully carrying out the duties of the presidential office, the ethical standards are much higher and inscribed in the oath, in two parts: to do justice to every man and a consecrated service to the Nation. What does Justice to every man mean in the context of the Philippine Republic? What are some of the injustices in the Philippines? For one, not all families can say they have a place they call home. Some are tenant farmers in big rice and coconut farms, that are covered by the land reform act. To do justice to these tenant farmers means that land reform must be implemented and land distributed to the tenant farmers, as well as supportive services provided to help them pursue farming as a source of livelihood independently. Another source of injustice and inequality is the access to benefits in education. For the rich folks in the Philippines, they have Ateneo, De La Salle, even the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas. But, in order to go to these schools, one must pay hefty tuition fees that working families rarely can afford. A film academy in Cebu recently advertised a one year diploma program at $14,290 while local residents pay $7,730. If minimum wage for a construction worker in the Philippines starts at Php350 or $8 a day, then, this film academy is seriously out of reach for his children, and this school is only for the rich families of the Philippines or the middle-class families in America. To do justice to all families with children who are of school–going age, public schools must be accessible to these children, all the way up to a college education. It means that the president must seriously look at educational resources and make it possible for impoverished children to be educated as well as the children of the rich, if he is to do justice to every man. Those two major agendas alone: land reform and good education, when addressed, will already make a difference in the quality of life of most families in the Philippines. Another source of insecurity is the wanton killings of journalists and the kidnappings of church leaders and journalists. On Nov. 23, 2009, 57 people were cold-bloodedly killed in broad daylight in Mindanao --34 of which were journalists. If the President is to do justice to every man, then, he has to ensure that these murderers are brought to justice and soon! What does it mean to have to consecrate oneself to serve the nation?Consecration, in the Catholic sense of the word, is the use of bread and wine during Eucharist, which when blessed through the Holy Sacrament, becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and partaken by churchgoers so that they may become the holy servant of God.Bishop Desmond Tutu describes it as “ All the people you thought were just mere flesh – and –blood humans, with all their physical flaws, will be revealed to you as filled with divine light. We are meant to be god-like; that’s why we were created in the image of God. When someone is wonderfully generous or compassionate, we do sometimes stand in awe of that person, and that gives us a glimpse of the glory that is God. And if we had the eyes to see, we would look at one another and see the beauty of God, and we would treat each other with appropriate reverence and awe." Applying that standard of transfiguration, of seeing folks with compassion, then, President Noynoy Aquino can no longer feel attacked by those acting out their own pain and suffering and he can begin to see “ the light of God shining in them." Of course, if he just did that, nothing would happen in terms of human needs and suffering. So, I would expect him, after taking his oath, to be a hands-on President, to feel the needs of his people, to hear their pain and suffering and to serve the nation with their needs in mind. The ethical standard is high, to do justice to every man, such that no one is oppressed, nor hungry, nor seeking refuge from violence. It means that the president, along with the people of the Philippines must work together for freedom to be truly actualized for each citizen, as a rightful partner of God here on Earth. It is a tough oath to follow! But with the support of Global Pinoys around the world who want to see a Renaissance in our birth country: “We were exiles in our land – we, Filipinos who are at home only in freedom, when Marcos destroyed the republic fourteen years ago, through courage and unity, through the power of the people, we are home again." (Pres. Cory Aquino, 1986). Let the new Philippines be born and be a righteous country amongst the pantheon of nations, worthy of the world's respect, because as a nation, the Philippine Government and its leaders act with respect to every citizen within its shores!!
“ Cooking [or designing a dress] is like the fruit of a great love: a strong and slightly egotistical love on the part of the men, altruistic and sensitive on the part of the women. Be it one or the other, it is always present, demanding its share of gratitude and recognition. Isn’t this natural? For therein lies a basic principle. Cooking [Designing] cannot, without risk, be stripped of its intentions, of its rites, of its symbols. It must create happiness at any price. There can be no happiness without love, that goes without saying, whatever the form of the latter. …Believe me, there is no cuisine [wedding] without love. “ - Raymond Oliver, a French Chef, 1969. I realize I picked a quote on cooking but substituted it with designing a dress. This particular quote of Raymond Oliver speaks of what Carlyn Nuyda Calloway is about. She is a five-star creator of art, a person who puts others before herself, a designer who consistently recreates herself and actively imagines on behalf of her clients. With Carlyn’s wedding dress creation, the bride becomes the center of the universe. On her wedding day, she feels so rich with designed, spoken love -- love in the details of the gown, love in the details of the bridal veil, love in the details of the zipper, the buttons, the hook and eye, even in the pressing and ensuring that the dress does not get soiled or wrinkled in the process. Carlyn has designed for many Hollywood stars. With photos and remarks of appreciation shared on Facebook, they express a depth and a feeling of love for Carlyn, perhaps mirroring the depth of love and sacrifice that Carlyn puts into the dresses she designs for them. It is a level of artistry that is so second-nature to her. I accompanied two brides for a first meeting with Carlyn. One bride wanted a specific dress to accentuate her body, one that is Art Deco in theme and one that Carlyn described as “ architecturally precise.“ The bride-to-be has drawn, in grade school, a specific bridal dress she wants to be married in. She gave her specifications to Carlyn. Generous and magnanimous, Carlyn designed 9 sketches for her. The bride shared the bottom choices, first with me, perhaps to see if I agreed with her choices or not. Luckily, I declined the bottom choices. Then, she showed me Carlyn’s top two designs. Like the bride, I gave it my enthusiastic endorsements. Lucky that I mirrored her choices! Weeks later, the bride found another design -- a design that mirrored her dream bridal dress. She took it to Carlyn. Inspired by this photo, Carlyn drew the bride her 10th design. The feeling was mutual, an instant click, a recognition of a piece of art so divine, so precise, so becoming, that the bride embraced the sketch with a big smile! Yes, this is the dress! And you should have seen her inner radiance come through! I was lucky to accompany a second bride, hoping to cover both their weddings for a more extended story. The second bride came with her mother. Carlyn, ever so professional, was ready. She had prepared the ‘provenance’ of her dress. She described where piña came from -- an ages-old weaving that is experiencing a revival. In its heyday, it was in most Greek weddings. “The wearer of this garment, this royal fabric, where each strand is knotted one by one, using pineapple fibers that speak to the weaver’s kindness and generosity”, said Carlyn. “It is callado, it is full of passion, love and romance, and if in red, it carries with it good fortune and joy. It is like having a Balenciaga. Hindi palpak -- it is not even an Imelda Marcos type of terno, but it is haute couture, scalloped up and down to create a Vera Wang look, drawing the eyes down. But also for the callado and for the embroidery, a muted beadwork, sort of dress mystery to pop. Then, if one looks at the silk tulle underneath, it poofs it. It is a bit asymmetrical, where it is cathedral length, slowly red, disseminating red, and then it picks up the french lace from underneath. Then, we have a bunch of crystals, spreading unpredictably, parang “sinabog,”Carlyn adds. The second bride smiles, “ I like it, gusto ko siya. “ You know when Carlyn designed it. Both brides said “ gusto ko siya!” The rest calls for all to recognize the genius in this haute couture designer. Recently, she ran out of space and moved to an enchanting place, a few doors down. When I walked into it, I felt transported to a boutique in Paris, France! But, it is on 13940 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks 91423. Haute Couture is a process, but with Carlyn, it is a process of joy and a process filled with love! Her dresses were recently featured in Balitang America, as part of Lyna Larcia-Calvario’s KASAL NY Events and Photography, a two minute bleep of fame. But for brides, it is Carlyn’s focused attention which makes them feel like royalty that will last them a lifetime!
Cardinal Roger Mahony with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“ You choose to exercise leadership with passion because a set of issues moves you, issues that perhaps have influenced you for a long time. These issues might have roots that were planted before you were born, in your family or in your culture; they may reflect questions that live within you and for which you’ve decided to devote a piece of your life, perhaps even the totality of your lifetime. Keeping a sacred heart is about maintaining innocence, curiosity, and compassion as you pursue what is meaningful to you. ” Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky, 2002
Labels:
Arizona's SB 1070,
Cardinal Roger Mahony,
Congressional Candidate Karen Bass,
Congressman John Lewis,
Dr. Martin Luther King,
Sister Simone Campbell,
Terry Goddard,
U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor
As Catholics, most of our formative years were steeped in guidance by priests and nuns. I would think that this spiritual guidance has solidified a ‘ social conscience ‘ within us all in order to stand up to our faith and be our brother’s keeper.
The Catholic nuns made it possible for conservatives to see the value of health care reform during the crucial hours of the bill's passage in the House of Congress and later on, with the Senate. Therefore, is it possible to challenge Catholic priests and bishops to champion immigration reform?
As socially-responsible leaders in our communities, could our Catholic priests push us forward into a life of truth, justice and freedom --just like how Catholic nuns did it for health care reform?
59,000 nuns from 60 Catholic orders defied their bishops and priests, and issued what they called ‘the real pro-life stance.’Washington Post quoted Sister Simone Campbell, a spokeswoman for the group, as saying "We as sisters focus on the needs of people…when people are suffering, we respond.“
Health care reform bill was passed on March 21, 2010. I remember it as the first day of spring, and recalled Congressman John Lewis’ message in a companion book to the Road to Freedom Exhibit: “ Central to our philosophic concept of Beloved Community was an affirmation of faith in humanity – the willingness to believe that man has the moral capacity to care for his fellow man. …Our protests were love in action. We were attempting to redeem not only our attackers, but also the very soul of America. “
If we view those protesters calling for a federal response to immigration reform , would that change our views on who qualifies as citizens?
For a century now, America has been embroiled in a national debate as to who are the real citizens in its shores. Immigrants from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Africa have come to this nation to search , not just for economic opportunities, but for social and spiritual opportunities as well.
In the beginning, freedom to worship was a national issue. By the 1920s, more than 2 million Jews had settled in America.
Then, the right to vote also became a topic for debate. It was resolved unjustly and classified African Americans as 3/5 of a citizen. Women were not recognized as citizens, until much later.
All these yearnings to be free got resolved within the shores of our beloved “spacious, blue skies of America. “But now, these spacious blue skies of America have been narrowed by strident minority voices, calling for the “carding“ of folks in Arizona.
Congressional candidate Karen Bass shared her observations that immigration reform is a cyclical issue, one that occurred 30 years ago. She vividly remembers what was done in South Africa, when folks had to carry their ID cards.
I recently met a friend who shared the experiences of a South African who was jailed after going to a party. Because he was in a hurry to get there, he forgot to bring his ID. Unable to produce an ID, he was jailed! His mistake has become a state’s record of unjust incarceration!
Imagine if the scales of justice were instead justly applied to companies who hold the smugglers’ monies, used as ransom for millions of undocumented workers kept in safe houses.
By some stroke of serendipity, Arizona Republic validated this to be, for on May 29, 2010, Western Union paid $94 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, alleging Western Union held monies for those in illegally constituted safe houses. It ended in Feb. 2010, without Western Union admitting guilt, but there was not enough media attention -- until the furor over Arizona’s SB 1070, requiring IDs for those ‘ reasonably suspected ‘ to be illegals, where the police stop, detain and arrest anyone in Arizona.
‘Reasonable suspicion ‘ has occupied the courts in the United States, as issues of litigation. The best definition I could find from Lexis-Nexis is from Robert Sabido: “ To have sufficient grounds for temporary detentions, the police must have a reasonable suspicion that "the person detained may be involved in criminal activity." Police must consider the "totality of the circumstances" -- all existing factors -- to determine whether reasonable suspicion exists. “
Even though this definition is reasonable, common sense suggests that a person responds emotionally, and while in the heat of a pursuit or arresting someone, a police officer is not expected to remember that he needs to look at factors objectively -- the so-called totality of circumstances. He reacts based on what he perceives, but also from his pre-formed beliefs and accumulated experiences.
When an officer is unfamiliar with cultural behaviors of ethnic groups, like Asians ,for example, who have a cultural belief that respect means not looking directly at someone’s eyes -- he can prejudge that person as guilty and therefore, must be arrested. You will seldom encounter an officer pausing to self-critique, wondering if an arrest has to be made -- as that pause, may seriously endanger his own life. It is time lost, which could have been used in going after serious criminals who are community predators.
This is why LA Police Chief Charlie Beck went on record against this law; he made it known to Newsweek that “ This is not a law that makes it easy, but harder for us to do our jobs. “ He referred to Arizona’s SB 1070 as a hindrance to public safety.
Even Cardinal Roger Mahony joined thousands of Los Angelenos in a May 1, 2010 rally in Los Angeles. Lisa Miller of Newsweek quoted his blog “ S.B. 1070 is the country’s most retrogressive, mean-spirited, and useless anti-immigrant, [with] totally flawed reasoning: that immigrants come to our country to rob, plunder, and consume public resources."
Mahony said that “The recent anti-immigrant law passed in Arizona galvanized everyone on May Day to unite all of our efforts to respect the dignity and rights of all immigrants, and to work for legislative reform which would better secure our borders, unite separated families, supply temporary workers as needed and through a just system, and to call from the shadows the millions of people here who need a path forward which would lead to a secure legal status now and citizenship in the future.”
On May 27, 2010, Newsweek's Charles Dickey’s reported through his column: “In a peer-reviewed paper appearing in the June 2010 issue of Social Science Quarterly, Wadsworth argues not only that 'cities with the largest increases in immigration between 1990 and 2000 experienced the largest decreases in homicide and robbery,'which we knew, but that after considering all the other explanations, rising immigration was partially responsible.”
If immigrants actually make a city safer and contribute in a decrease of crime rates, as supported by FBI’s crime statistics, why then criminalize those recruited to come here to America by scrupulous smugglers, or by the predatory employers of poultry farms in the South, or by agribusinesses needing workers to harvest produce, jobs that Americans prefer not to have? Why not allow them a pathway to qualify for a green card, after integration into citizenship classes, including years as productive members of US, vouched for by other Americans, just like Canada does?
Arizona Republic reported that 100,000 folks endured 94F for a five-mile march from the Steele Indian School to the state capitol on May 29, 2010. “We must stand together for justice, opportunity and peace. What we need in the United States is not scapegoating immigrants. We must stand together for justice, opportunity and peace," said U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Arizona on the Capitol grounds.
So, how about it, dear Catholic priests and bishops, would you care to champion a rational vision for immigration reform? For truly the First Americans are only the Native Americans, all of us are descendants of immigrants from all over the world, who came here to America in search of The Dream!
As Martin Luther King once said, “We are heirs to a legacy of dignity! We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience!”
It is in our hands to broaden the fabric of America to include those who are here and to make this a better nation that we can be proud of. We can no longer crowd the expansive, blue skies of America with our intolerant and hateful attitudes toward others. It is in our hands to keep the big blue skies of America free for us, who are here. It is just, humane, and it keeps our hearts sacred!
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