Posted by Oli on Oct 11, '09 12:22 AM for everyone
The aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy ("Ketsana") saw an extraordinary demonstration of the charitable spirit of Pinoys around the world. Few hesitated to dole out donations in cash or kind, many others sacrificed time off their school or professional lives to volunteer in relief centers. The sort of exhibition that evokes genuine pride in what we can accomplish as a society. However, just as life was seemingly settling back to normal, the dire news started to trickle down from Northern Luzon. Typhoon Pepeng ("Parma"), which had frazzled Metro Manila into a state of mild panic last October 2 before veering north, had apparently left a toll more severe and comprehensive than Ondoy. Even more homes were damaged, more families forced to resettle in evacuation centers, more people were killed.
From my Metro Manila vantage point, it is clear that the groundswell of charity that built up post-Ondoy has yet to emerge to support the victims of Pepeng. Some have opined on various social media that this is proof of the Manila-centric nature of the metropolis's residents, but I think that donor fatigue is a more significant problem. Hesitate as we may to admit so publicly, many of those who have given time, money and possessions after Ondoy would instinctively not be as ready, when asked, to share a comparable load just one week later for the victims of Ondoy. I've already donated all I could spare; I've already earned enough karmic badges. For the overwhelming majority of Filipinos who do not aspire to sainthood, there are limits to the extent of self that can be shared for others, and those extant limits may have been already extended after Ondoy. That is not an endemic flaw of the Filipino as a people, but merely part and parcel of human nature.
Those facts, of course, are of cold comfort to the victims of Pepeng, who need aid and assistance more than ever. I think that to satisfy the needs of the victims of Pepeng that can be supplied by charity, more subtle and indirect means to raise funds for them should be devised.On the premise that people now may be resistant to give as much for Pepeng when directly implored, the solution may be to raise these funds without directly soliciting them from individuals. For this to work, the aid of institutions is of essence.
Take for example the Catholic Church, which on ordinary Sunday masses collects millions from parishioners around the country through the collection plate. Efforts by the Church to raise collections specifically oriented to the victims of Pepeng may be impeded by the sort of resistance I spoke of earlier. However, if the Church, without announcing it so, simply allocates one Sunday's worth of its regular mass collection plate receipts to the victims of Pepeng, the infusion of perhaps millions for Pepeng relief will be of enormous aid. I really don't see any reason why the Church cannot forego of that one Sunday's worth of collections to aid the less fortunate at the time of their direst need.
Corporations can help in similar fashion. Already, Krispy Kreme has a promo pledging all sales of original glazed donuts for Sunday, October 11, for Typhoon Ondoy relief. What if San Miguel, donates all October 15 sales of Pale Pilsen for Pepeng victims. San Miguel could, as Krispy Kreme did, announce such fact beforehand or simply just make the donation with minimum fuss. Other corporations and institutions should consider making a similar sacrifice. And the government should do its best to ease the way. For example, Senator Santiago's proposal to lift the donor's tax limits for typhoon relief? Pass it, ASAP.
At this point, when individual limits may just be taxed, it will have to be the institutions which will have to fill in the gap. Nonetheless, if you feel that you can still help out more, check out Bayanihan Online, which collates the latest updates in Typhoon Pepeng relief.
Two days after Ondoy ("Ketsana") struck us, and many many Filipinos remain worried about loved ones & friends in affected areas who have yet to surface or make contact. The radio & TV stations, the Facebook updates and the Twitter feeds are full of requests for news about this individual or that family. There are several reasons for the loss of contact. The popular cellphone service providers have had spotty reception because of flood damage to their reception. Many of the rescued individuals have lost their own cellphones and are now in evacuation centers where they are unable to make known their safety.
The NDCC is in charge of coordinating rescue & safety operations in times of disaster, and ostensibly has a supervisory role over evacuation centers. It is very conceivable for them to have a plan to collate the list of those successfully evacuated or rescued, and publish such list online for the perusal of relatives and friends unaware of their loved one's plight. It is conceivable that NDCC personnel at evacuation centers gather the names of those in the evacuation centers, type them up on laptops at the site, then forward the list to a central post which can then upload them at the NDCC website.
I'll concede this is easier said than done. Unfortunately, it appears that the NDCC had, and has no plans of doing this public service so needed by us. A friend of mine was able to contact the NDCC at 9122665, and she was told that the NDCC does not have a list of evacuees, only a list of affected areas. The call had been made in the hope that the NDCC would supply the list to private individuals who could help out by encoding and posting such list online. Without such a list, that task is impossible.
I have no idea if it is too late to still implement such a plan, but at the very least, this experience should enlighten the NDCC to establish such a system come the next disaster.
This entire experience has made it quite easy to wail and rage about the failure of government, and the absence of an NDCC list of evacuees compounds to the anger. Still, for as long as help remains needed, it remains more helpful to try make government work, instead of carping at its failings. And if the government that is within reach of fixing is that "of the sovereign people", and not necessarily that which we elected, then so be it.
Posted by Oli on Sep 27, '09 11:48 PM for everyone
It is reported that 2 more tropical depressions are feared to hit the Philippines this week. Via Facebook, I came across this Note written by Inday Espina-Varona, relaying a message from Yvette Lee. Due to the urgency of the warning, I'm reposting the Note in its entirety (with apologies) so that the proper caution and preparation can be had by as many people as possible.
Yvette Lee, a veteran diver, and the friend I rely on for weather forecasts, has never been wrong yet about which way the wind blows (or how much rain will fall). Many times, she has told me to disregard Pag-asa because various other satellites, including those used by the US military, are showing different storm tracks. On Friday, she said winds would be light but waters very heavy and to prepare for serious floods. Tonight, with some urgency, she asked me to contact Gibo, if I could. I've texted her message en toto to a defense reporter, but am posting it here anyway in the hope someone who does know Gibo or the AFP Chief or some such top gun can relay it.
They may know what Yvette knows already but she is worried due to the absence of clear-cut warnings on TV and radio news. She would post here but has no Internet access at the moment. I'm tagging as many people I know that cover Crame and Aguinaldo (or who are there, thus the soldiers). Perhaps, other media people can check with their own sources and issue warnings that people can heed. Here's her message:
IF YOU HAVE CONTACT NUMBER OF GIBO YOU BETTER LET HIM KNOW TO EXPECT RAINS AGAIN BEGINNING TOMORROW. BAKA KALA NILA WALA NA TYPHOON WALA NANG RAIN. THE WEATHER SATELLITES SHOW RAIN COMING IN FROM THE EAST FOR 2 DAYS AT LEAST.
THEY SHOULD ASK THE PEOPLE WHO WERE STANDING ON ROOFS AND WHO WENT BACK INSIDE, TO LEAVE TILL WATER GOES DOWN TO NORMAL BECAUSE THE WATER WILL RISE VERY FAST AGAIN WHEN IT STARTS RAINING...
Let's hope if the worst does come, we are utterly prepared.
UPDATE #2: More info on how you can help from The Pinoy Chuva, with specifics on the particular needs of the victims & evacuees.
UPDATE: Useful info from ABS-CBN, including updates & advisories from telcos, airlines and the like.
It has been one day since Ketsana (better known in the Philippines as "Ondoy") swept across Luzon, causing the highest amount of rainfall in recorded Philippine history. The situation in congested Metro Manila & neighboring provinces remains dire, due to the number of people, perhaps thousands, who, 24 hours hence, have remained stranded on their rooftops, at risk to exposure and hypothermia. The fact that the gravity of this storm was unexpected, and unprecedented, has further hampered speedy and efficient rescue and relief operations whether by the public or private sector. There'll be a time for a post-mortem on how the public services sector performed in this once-in-a-lifetime crisis, but for as long as there remain lives to be saved, the flagellation can wait.
The Internet, particularly social networking has been able to communicate various urgent situations and means by which people can help the victims. Sour Politics best compilation out there of the list of emergency contact numbers; as well as sites where relief goods can be delivered & volunteers can register. A Google Spreadsheet has likewise been created listing places where relief goods may be dropped off; it is constantly updated. Check them out for now, I'll post additional info if necessary.
One of course should be cautious in identifying the proper conduit for donating relief goods, especially if donating cash. The surest bet is through The Philippine Red Cross. They have offered the following bank accounts through which cash donations may be made:
Account Name: The Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross
METROBANK
Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8
Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2
Type of Acct. : SAVINGS
Swift Code: MBTC PH MM
BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS
Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 4991-0010-99
Type of Account: CURRENT
BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS
UN Branch
Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94
Type of Account: SAVINGS
Swift Code: BOPI PH MM
For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank
transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your
name, address and contact number.
Credit Card
Please fax the following info to +632.404.09.79 and +632.527.0575:
Name of card member, billing address, contact nos. (phone &
mobile), credit card no., expiration date, CCV2/ CVC2 (last three
digits at the back of the credit card), billing address, amount to be
donated.
For more details, visit www.redcross.org.ph .
Per Section 34(H) of the National Internal Revenue Code, charitable contributions made by Philippine corporations or self-employed Filipino taxpayers to the Philippine Red Cross (a government agency) are tax deductible as long as the total annual contributions do not exceed 10% (for individuals) or 5% (for corporations) of the annual net income. Self-employed individuals who avail of this deduction should not however avail of the standard 10% optional standard deduction under Section 34(L) that many taxpayers usually opt for.
Some American celebrities such as Yoko Ono and Alyssa Milano have tweeted that donations can be coursed through the American Red Cross. However, per HappySlip, the American Red Cross does not have a dedicated fund for Ketsana/Undoy victims, so any donations coursed through them will be spread out to other causes as well. You can instead donate directly through the Philippine Red Cross here (click "Others"), or by directly depositing to the bank accounts referred to earlier.
The reason why film critics should matter? By virtue of their vocation, they get to watch more films than the regular moviegoer or the amateur film buff. Good, bad or harmless films. Films emanating from different eras, different genres, different languages and heritages. For that reason, they are better equipped to place an individual movie within the appropriate context in the film universe. They may be less inclined to praise a particular film that may be popular to regular moviegoers because their critical faculties have been shaped by the many good films that they have seen, and we have never heard of. From their wider exposure, they are able to share with us insights from film traditions and cultures far richer than what can be offered by our Transformers-in-every-cinema multiplexes. Inasmuch as schoolteachers had enlightened us that there was a world out there beyond immediate sensory perception, film critics alert us of a cinema beyond that promoted by the popular media machine. And so long as humans remain responsive to the curiosity reflex that drove much of cultural and technological progress, the critic -- especially the one who introduces us to the extra step -- will matter.
I never had the privilege of meeting Alexis Tioseco, though we had shared print space on UNO and had common friends. But from reading his work, it is easy to glean why he had won the respect, loyalty and love of his friends, colleagues and students. He was passionate about the Philippines and desired a better local cinema, and to that end he was unwilling to kowtow to the film industry and its interpersonal politics. He made his views known directly, and with such bluntness one could not help but listen. The most effective writers and advocates are those who know how to go for the jugular, and he deflated many egos and platitudes with the aim of developing a more sensible and liberating atmosphere where good Philippine cinema could breed. One can try disagree with his criticisms of particular films or decry the obscurity of some of the movies he rooted for, but he exuded much integrity and knowledge of film that you could trust that his views were well worth considering.
I got my copy at Caltex-Julia Vargas, also available at 7/11 and National Bookstores, or you can call 844-2316, 844-2251, 844-2275, 0919-583-8487 for orders.
From Erwin Romulo:
A Hundred and One
The FREE PRESS celebrates its 101st anniversary in this issue. We also take this occasion to pay tribute to the late President Corazon Aquino. Cory!—the private woman who was thrust out of her domesticity to the arena of politics, the prison cells of the Marcos regime, the parliament of the streets, the leadership of the Philippines and the world stage. Manuel L. Quezon III’s “Filipino of the Century” is an inspired retelling of this now-legendary story—one that resonates even amid the flamboyance and machismo prevailing in our culture, as the late FREE PRESS editor Teodoro M. Locsin pointed out in his eloquent editorial on Mrs. Aquino. The highlight of Mrs. Aquino’s international acclaim is, of course, her triumphant 1986 address to the US Congress, which we reprint here.
A tribute to Mrs. Aquino also serves as a tribute to her martyred husband, Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., whose association with the FREE PRESS is underscored by Locsin being thrown in jail together with Aquino (and nine other critics of the Marcos regime) in 1972. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.’s interviews with Aquino are fascinating chamber pieces that hint at Marcos’s impending dictatorship. Another cellmate of Aquino and Locsin Sr. is the brilliant political analyst Napoleon G. Rama, whose article on martial law has unfortunately become more relevant in our time. With the articles by Rama and Locsin Jr., we also reprint the classic political cartoons of former FREE PRESS art director E. Z. Izon.
Former FREE PRESS executive editor Gregorio C. Brillantes wields his lyrical journalism as he takes a retrospective look at Rolando Galman, the much-overlooked casualty in Aquino’s assassination in 1983. We also look back to the body of work of the FREE PRESS and some of the writers who helped shape it. “The Ruling Money,” by the late associate editor Nick Joaquin (writing as Quijano de Manila), is an exhaustive business story as only he could write it—and a departure from his reporting on politics, history and pop culture. Kerima Polotan’s “The Woman of Fashion” is a quiet critique on the thriving bourgeois scene of the Sixties and its devotees at the time. Then there’s the other side of that milieu, lauded by Jose F. Lacaba’s now immortal “Notes on Bakya,” an inventive variation on Susan Sontag that counsels against elitism in art and culture. Finally, here too is Aquino’s soul-searching poetry, written during his eight years in prison. The themes are familiar to victims of political persecution like Lacaba, Locsin, Rama and this magazine, which was padlocked on the eve of martial law and revived in time for Cory’s historic presidential campaign.
Carlo J. Caparas was the director who showed us a bustling Ayala Avenue (complete with Rustans and Twin Towers) and superimposed the title “Singapore” underneath. (Victim No. 1: Delia Maga [Jesus, Pray for Us]). Yes, the National Artist for Visual Arts and Film introduced massacre as a film genre, raised the bar for movie titling with The Maggie de la Riva Story (God...Why Me?), and gave us Tasya Fantasya. Mock you will, as I did when I used to watch his films to satiate my urge for cheap laughs.
Nonetheless, my favorite ever scene from a Carlo J. Caparas film is a daring bravura setpiece of intense psychological complexity hitherto unseen in Philippine cinema – rivaling the exquisite sophistication of Ophuls or the tolerant humanism of Renoir. It was gifted to us through The Marita Gonzaga Rape-Slay: In God We Trust!, a deceptive “massacre movie” starring Sunshine Dizon and future Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
The setup. The film begins with the ill-fated Marita Gonzaga (Sunshine Dizon) celebrating her 18th birthday with a decadent debut, complete with gowns and waltzing, which somehow fails to faze the saintly Sunshine. After the ceremonies, Marita, her father (Tommy Abuel), mother (Maggie de la Riva) and several older brothers take respite at the sala, where the center table hosts all of the debutante's birthday presents gift-wrapped in pink and laces. After a few pleasantries, the scene evolves into something like this:
Abuel: O hija, buksan mo na yung napaka-raming regalo ko.
Sunshine: (smiling demurely) Salamat itay, pero sa wari'y ko hindi ako nararapat tanggapin ang mga regalong iyan. (turning to her several elder brothers) Oh mga kuya, sa inyo na lang ang mga regalo ko.
Mga Kuya: Uy, tenk you!!
(The kuyas charge at the table and each grabs a gift for their own. Sunshine and her parents exchange meaningful looks and exchange hearty laughter.)
Years ago, I laughed at the seeming idiocy of this scene. Yet upon mature retrospect, the genius of the visionary overwhelms. One would expect the brothers to be repulsed by the thought of appropriating the presents gifted to their sister on their eighteenth birthday. A hack director would have played the scene that way. What the auteur Caparas does is to confound our gender-driven expectations, compelling us to question our tacit acceptance of the male-female role vis-a-vis birthday gifts which conservative society had imposed on us. And there is no more vital role for an artist than to challenge our own values system.
There is another way to analyze the scene, one which even more profoundly impresses. It is possible that the brothers themselves knew that the gift boxes actually contained gender-neutral presents. After all, Caparas cannily conceals from the audience what's inside the box. How do the brothers know this? Perhaps their parents had raised the brood under the tenets of progressive liberalism, instructing their kids on the ultimate futility of gender differentiation. The friends and the family would have known this, and accordingly selected only those gifts of democratic utility regardless of gender. That is why the brothers expressed no inhibition at claiming the gifts of their sister. By this episode, Caparas venerates the democratic utopia, thereby setting up the subsequent greater tragedy that a progressive and tolerant milieu will not shelter us from the random evil inflicted by the rugby-addicted killer-rapist. It is a cautionary tale not even Hitchcock ventured to tell.
One might retort that no, the scene was just really really stupid. Then again, someone centuries ago probably also said that of Shakespeare.
With the special permission given by the Vatican, President Cory was finally face-to-face with Sister Lucia [of Fatima renown], who told her: "I have been praying for you all this time! Do you still have the rosary I sent you?"
It was the rosary Sister Lucia herself had made for her and given through Cardinal [Jaime] Sin, who had asked how she came to know about Cory, without radio or television or nespapers in the convent: Was it through the Blessed Mother? Lucia just smiled. (p. 179-180)
I myself am neutral on the matter, though many (around 3,000 so far) are not. If anything, the angle that interests me is that the active pursuit by the Vatican of sainthood for Cory may, in the next few years at least, bear extraordinary pressure on the governing establishment in the Philippines to behave, not to degrade the democratic legacy left by the former President.
I've always wondered what path Ninoy Aquino would have chosen had he been the one who succeeded Ferdinand Marcos and his authoritarian regime. He spoke admiringly of autocrats such as Kemal Ataturk, Lee Kuan Yew and Park Chung Hee. He famously pitied whoever would have to succeed Marcos. Steeped as he had been in the hard-nosed game of politics, he probably would have concluded that it would take a Marcos to clean up after Marcos. A strong president unencumbered in having to do the dirty deeds by the restraints of law or the dissents of others.
In that context, the 1986 Freedom Constitution is worth a second look. This provisional charter, intended to legitimize Corazon Aquino's assumption into power, emanated from a mandate of arms and was ratified with the consent of only one person -- Cory Aquino. It did retain many of the features of Marcos's authoritarian regime -- legislation by decree most prominently, and its pre-determined lifespan (until the ratification of the new Constitution) was dangerously indeterminate. Again, these undemocratic features arguably necessary to clean up after Marcos. Yet what is also striking is the abject commitment of Mrs. Aquino through the Freedom Constitution to adhere to the Bill of Rights -- the core of a free and democratic lifestyle -- which the charter decreed as remaining in effect. The Bill of Rights are notoriously inconvenient for strong presidencies, even those which are strong only out of necessity. The post-EDSA milieu could have easily tempted Aquino to do unto others what had been done unto her. Jailing recalcitrant opponents and rebels upon presidential command, silencing the remnants who spoke against the restoration of freedom -- these were easy temptations that could have been justified in the name of democratic rule and good government. Mrs. Aquino desisted.
What may ultimately endure as the more satisfying legacy is not Mrs. Aquino's pro-activity in assuming leadership in the anti-Marcos fight, but her acts of desistance. Having restored the basic democratic institutions, she desisted from reverting, from changing this equitable paradigm of governance even in the face of dire emergencies -- seven coup attempts, massive natural disasters, a failing economy and a crippling power crisis. She had insistent faith in the solvency of the democratic institutions embedded in the 1987 Constitution in fighting adversities that threatened the survival of the State. Mrs. Aquino likewise deserves credit for desisting from running again or even engaging in striptease hints that maybe she would if she could. In the end, the peaceful and democratic transition in 1992 remains an all-too unheralded achievement.
Mrs. Aquino deserves her share of the blame in the failed promise of her Presidency, most achingly the failure to deliver justice for the past as a component of the return of democratic rule. By 1992, it was socially unacceptable to be anything less than faintly derisive about the Aquino presidency and its failure to deliver a higher quality of life to the people. Yet in many respects, Mrs. Aquino sacrificed the short-term success of her administration to accommodate the birthing pains of our renewed democratic institutions -- a restrained presidency, a representative Congress, an independent judiciary, and a people who inalienable rights were guaranteed by the rule of law. We may still be quibbling about the same socio-economic problems that persisted under Mrs. Aquino's rule, but we do so still in an environment able to sustain active deliberation and dissent as the means of building consensus for moving forward, where the terms are not suppressed by dictation from self-regarding geniuses.
Mrs. Aquino's democratic vision was rooted in her respect for the consent of the governed over the presumed wisdom of the governing. We may remain impatient at the intricacies of building a grassroots democracy for some generations to come, but should it survive, her failures which we find all too easy to point out will ultimately be trivial.
Posted by Oli on Jun 25, '09 12:45 AM for everyone
I was 9 years old during the 1986 EDSA revolt, but my memories of those four days are still quite vivid (it helps that I was even then, such a nerd). Here's how I would have tweeted the event. To the best of my memory.
February 22
Papa left for Isabela w/ his bros/sis for a funeral. 12 hour drive. Hope they stay safe
BREAKING - ENRILE RAMOS RESIGN!!!
Ninong A. just called the house. ENRILE RAMOS RESIGN!!! They've taken over Camps Crame and Aguinaldo.
Lolo just called. ENRILE RAMOS RESIGN!!!
Nothing yet on TV. Damned MSM (Marcos State Media)!
Weird that Ramos too is part of this, the Inquirer said today that Marcos might fire Enrile. #marcos
Finally. Presscon now on Radio Veritas. #marcos
Enrile says Marcos cheated in Cagayan. #marcos
Enrile: we are prepared to die!! #marcos
Mama now panicking, has no way to contact Papa. If they can invent Twitter, why can't they invent a portable telephone?
BREAKING - Postmaster General Golez RESIGNS! #marcos
Marcos on TV, says that Enrile/Ramos part of foiled assassination plot. Liar! #marcos
RT @socvillegas Cardinal Sin says everyone to Camp Crame.
BREAKING - Jaime Cardinal Sin calls people to go to Camp Crame & Aguinaldo to protect Enrile and Ramos. #marcos
Cardinal Sin has balls. If he survives this, he'll surely be Pope someday. #marcos
Wonder whether people will actually go to Crame tonight, its late na. #marcos #philippines
Where is Cory? #marcos #philippines
February 23
Papa back home, they turned back as soon as they heard the news that Enrile and Ramos resigned.
RT @junekeithley: Goons attacked Radio Veritas transmitters last night, Veritas now on backup power. #marcos #philippines
RT @gregcendana: The situation is under control, FM urges calm. #marcos #philippines
Only Veritas is carrying the news. If Veritas goes, this may be over. #marcos #philippines
Waiting for Cory and President Reagan. Cory in Cebu they say. #marcos #philippines
Wanted to go swimming, but Manang Rose says we can't, they might need the water in case of emergency.
Why would they need swimming pool water? Stupid Manang Rose.
BREAKING - Thousands of people now guarding the gates of Camp Crame and Aguinaldo. #Philippines
HUMAN BARRICADE FTW!!! #Philippines
Good thing there are no elevated ramps near Crame/Aguinaldo where snipers could take aim. #Philippines
Show support for democracy in the Philippines add yellow overlay to your Twitter avatar with 1-click - http://helpphilippineselection.com/ #Philippines
I feel uneasy watching cartoons now on Channel 9. At a time like this? #philippines
BREAKING - Pro-Marcos tanks on their way to Crame!! | Oh no!! #philippines
RT @lolacorista: The tanks are coming! I'm going to die! Tell my little Pupung I love him dearly! #philippines
This will be a massacre. #philippines
RT @tibak72: We stopped the tanks!! #philippines
RT @flowpow69: I gave yellow roses to the soldiers in the tanks. Even kissed one of them! #philippines
Oh wow. The human barricade stopped the tanks! HUMAN BARRICADE FTW! #philippines
RT @frreuter: The tanks were blocked by people knelt in prayer. Please please pray the rosary. #philippines
RT @MamaMary: It was I who stopped the tanks. You will build a 20-foot statue of me to honor my miracle, but it will be an ugly statue. #philippines
RT @seminarista50: A miracle that Mama Mary saved the life of General Ramos, a Protestant.
Mama and Papa are leaving for Crame. I want to come along, but they won't let me.
Veritas signal is almost dead. Where will I get the news? #philippines
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUjuUyEiZtw
RT @junekeithley: Follow us at Radyo Bandido (DZRJ 780AM) #philippines
Papa & Mama back from Crame. They had to park the car at Unimart and walk the rest of the way. #philippines
Posted by Oli on Jun 15, '09 12:56 PM for everyone
No great stretch of the imagination here, just some primitive Rube Goldberg thinkering. The NAMFREL (or whatever independent group) arms its precinct watchers with 3G cellphones, trains them how to access Twitter via mobile and create Twitter accounts using standardized names based on the barangay/municipality/city/province and precinct number (e.g., 239GhillsSJMM). Immediately after their assigned precinct completes the count at the precinct level, the volunteers tweet the tallies of the top 4 presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as well as the top 15 senatorial candidates from their respective precincts. The tweets should be composed via a pre-arranged standard format. Once the tweets have been sent, NAMFREL, as well as the press and the budding Nate Silvers of the Philippines can work out for themselves a tally derived from the most accurate source (the precinct level) that is fairly transparent and can later be compared to the official tally.
I could also see how the individual campaigns can design a similar system in order to protect the votes of their candidates.
No system is perfect. The drawback would come from those localities where there is no working cell signal. Still, I'd be shocked if such areas would comprise more than 20% of the country, and an accurate count from 80% of the country may prove good enough.
This all assumes of course that there will be elections in 2010.
I was 10, and the clan had spent the night at a distinctly mediocre beach resort in Cavite -- the sort with dark grey sand. The luggage had been loaded into the cars, and the drivers were waiting for the kids to return from their last minute pees. I stared at a bamboo pole by the steps of the shack where I had slept. For no discernible reason, I reached out, touched the pole, and said to myself, For the rest of my life,I will remember having touched this pole.
Freaky thing happened on my way to age 33 -- the prophecy came true. Probably not a month has gone by in my life without that memory crashing through my idle thoughts. I can't explain what triggers the episode with the bamboo pole. It arrives at odd moments, such as while lined up at a buffet table, or looking at crude facsimiles of KISS painted on a jeepney siding. Mind you, there was absolutely nothing memorable about that sojourn to a Cavite beach. This all ensued simply because when I was 10, I was foolish enough to will my brain into assigning eternal significance to my having palm-pressed that bamboo pole. It feels like having wasted the genie's first wish on a pair of Beachwalk slippers.
What is especially irritating is the prospect that this memory will forever intrude in my brain as a significant episode of my life. The deathbed scenario is especially troubling. I fear that when upon my hour, the important memories will start flooding in (as some say they do), I will have to endure my 10-year old self touching that bamboo pole sticking out of the dark grey sands of Cavite, If that were my last thought on this Earth, I'd be quite pissed indeed.
(Note: Exchange your money for a copy of this June's issue of the revamped UNO Magazine. I've a column at UNO, Sureshot, beginning its run this month. Despite that fact, the June is a way too splendid issue.)
Posted by Oli on May 29, '09 12:40 PM for everyone
The director James Gunn recently held an online poll for the 20 worst songs ever. You can see the somewhat predictable results here. I forgot to vote, so I'll cast it here.
