(in)ang baya(ra)n

tindi ka na ng bugtong sa akin
hindi mawari kung telenobela o pornograpiya
tumataghoy ka, humahalinghing
hinihikbi ang hapis, nginingiti ang pagkalugod
nasasaktan ka, nasasarapan din
mga kamao mong bumubuka upang mamalimos
kulubot ng pulubi, alindog ng pokpok aral ng titig ko ang 'yong mukha
ang kunot ng pagtatanong na ukit sa 'yong noo
naghahanap pa rin ng pagtatapos
gagapang bago luluhod, uupo upang magpahinga,
titindig na kaya at nang marinig
ang mga metodo ng pagtitiis bago ang pagpalag

DEAR ISKO,

Huwag magalit kay VP Leni kundi kay Banayo. Pinaglalaruan ka niya.

1. Bughaw ang kulay mo pero sabi mo basurero ka at kumain dati ng pagpag. Earthy color ang dapat. Brown o orange. Hindi akma ang kulay ng langit o dagat. Ang mataas na pangarap ay maaaring ikalulunod. 2. Pinagsasalita ka sa Ingles kahit klarong hirap na hirap ka. Halatang hindi para titingalaing Inglesero ka kundi pagtawanan dahil mas malansa ka kaysa bilasang isda. Alam na alam 'yan ng mga Tagalog o Manileño. Taga-Tondo ka pero ayaw mo sa Filipino. Nasaan ang pagpapakatotoo?

ETHNOPHILOSOPHY: THE FILIPINO MIND

Before philosophical anthropology, I used to deny the existence of ethnophilosophy—indigenous logic, cultural illogic, philosophical systems, thought patterns, thinking processes, community models, social paradigms that are distinctly Filipino. My reason then was that all normal humans share the same brain anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, etc. so they all have the same mental capabilities—thinking, understanding, knowing, correcting, etc. I excluded the influences of society and culture on minds.

SEMANA SANTA SA MANSIYONG MAKULIMLIM

Hindi nagtipid sa kuryente. Sadyang kinamuhian ng mga mata ang liwanag. Kahit ang munting sinag na lumusot sa bintanang hindi tuluyang nasara ay nagdulot ng pagkurap. Pati ang dilaw ng araw sa siwang sa ilalim ng pinto ay nang-asar sa kanya. Nang hindi na natiis ang pang-iirita ng maliwanag na hapon, pumasok siya sa kuwarto. Iniwan sa salas ang asawang nanood ng pabasa sa telebisyon, ang nakagawian na niya tuwing Semana Santa, at ang mga anak sa beranda na abala sa kanilang mga selpon at kalmado habang nagpapahangin.

UNDERSTANDING CLARITA CARLOS AND HER KIND

You know Ranhilio Aquino, Ferdinand Topacio, Malou Tequia, Larry Gadon, of course, Clarita Carlos, and the lesser angry brownies. They are all intellectual annihilists, cynics, nihilists, iconoclasts, and anarchists. Let me dissect them. I used to be like them—the effect of idolizing the most obnoxious of all contrarian intellectuals in the US: Camille Paglia. I also idolized Jean Baudrillard—the only French postmodernist who could easily erase realities, belie truths, and dismiss facts. I was angry like Carlos.

RESPONDING TO MARCOS-DUTERTE'S RED PROPAGANDA

I believe the AFP is creating an atmosphere for the red scare to spread. When it does, DDS and BBM can use that to ruin Robredo's chance at winning. It should be debunked this early to prevent its potency in late April and early May. I also believe the AFP is protecting the NTF-ELCAC corruption cartel. They want that agency to continue to exist so their "road constructions" will remain their gold mine. The officers and gentlemen want status quo--the military corruption cartels in Duterte's administration.

WERE THERE GHOST VOTERS, VOTES, AND PRECINCTS IN THE 2019 MIDTERM ELECTION?

This thread doesn't aim to accuse but to ask, and the questions are based on suspicious numbers. I'll use both quantitative and qualitative data--the patterns in voters' registration and voting behavior. Lately, I've been asking myself how Marcos can cheat in 2022 to justify his survey lead that hasn't been visible on the ground.

Even in Isabela and General Santos City, which aren't Robredo's vote banks, her crowds indicated massive support that has contradicted her low numbers.

USING A PRESS CONFERENCE AS A CAMPAIGN TOOL

The COMELEC has scheduled three presidential debates. That means VP Leni won't be campaigning for three days. That will be a good time for Sen. Kiko to visit Mindanao, Southern Leyte, and Central Visayas, the center of Ro-Sa voters. Preparing for a presidential debate happens the night and hours before the event. VP Leni won't be available to see people. Three days will be reserved just for debates. No travels, caravans or rallies. An opportunity to campaign comes right after the debate--a press conference.

BAKIT PUMATOK ANG BAGONG SLOGAN NI VP LENI?

Dahil ang Twitter account ko ay tumatalakay ng kultura at ang wika ay kultural kaya tatalakayin ko kung bakit pumatok sa panlasa ng mga Pilipino ang "Gobyernong tapat, angat buhay lahat." Para din ipakita ang kagandahan ng wika natin. Noong iminungkahi ko ang "Tapat na gobyerno, aangat ang Pilipino", hindi ko siya malalimang pinag-aralan kahit aral ko ang prosodiya sa Ingles dahil nakatuon ako sa mensahe. Ang prosodiya (prosody) pala ay mga ayos (pattern) ng mga ritmo o tunog na ginagamit sa panulaan (poetry).

MISOGYNY AND FEUDALISM

In misogynistic and feudalistic societies and cultures that celebrate machismo and value authority, the people's consciousness also reeks of misogynistic and feudalistic signs, symbols, and signifiers, which are used to label anyone from cradle to grave. Pink or blue tags in hospitals are used to gender babies. Boys are privileged as they are wanted. Grieving families prefer red anthuriums or white lilies over pink roses for their dead male relatives. The death of women are easily accepted since they are not male breadwinners.

TALLANO GOLD

Bata pa lang si Makoy ay maninikwat na at kulokoy kaya ganyan ang naging palayaw niya—ang pinaghalong katarataduhan at pagpapalusot. Palakupit sa nakabiting saya ng inang pati mga sentimo ay binilang. Lagi naman siyang pinanigan ng amang ang katuwiran ay piso lang. Pinalaki siya sa pagkamasinop ngunit kakaiba ang resulta: gasta nang gasta at sinamahan pa ng kayabangang parang anak ng hari at kasamaang animo'y ninong ang demonyo. May talas naman talaga ang utak kaya bilib na bilib ang ama at kasingtayog ng niyog ang pangarap sa kanya ng ina.

SA ILALIM NG MULINO

Kahit hindi manunulat, nagdedepres-depresan si Ferdie. Naglalakad siya sa haba ng dalampasigan. Dinidiin ang paa sa bawat paghakbang upang mag-ukit ng linya ng mga bakas. Gusto yatang magpakarga gaya sa nabasa niya sa lumang tulang "Mga Yapak sa Buhangin." Wala siyang alam tungkol sa eksistensiyalismo dahil nga hindi nakapagtapos ng kolehiyo at tinulugan lang ang klase sa Pilosopiya ngunit ang titig niya sa mundo ay parang may utak siyang arukin ito. Sinusundan ng mga mata ang ulap. Tila nagpapakilala sa pabalik-balik na mga alon.

BATAC MAN

Noong lumabas na ang resulta ng eleksiyon at natalo siya, animo'y hinugutan ng kaluluwa at pinalitan ng lumbay ang kaloob-looban ng kanyang katawan. Biglang nawalan ng gana sa anumang bagay. Kahit sa pagbibilang ng perang lagay sa kanya o kaparte sa iwan ng aming ama. Upang mabuhay ang naghingalong sigla, nagmungkahi akong maghain siya ng protesta. May milyones sa mga baul ng aming ina na puwede niyang ipadulas sa mga huwes o sa mga taong magbibilang ng mga boto. Nagkaisa ang buong pamilya ko. Binigyan namin siya ng pag-asa para ngumiti muli.

GROUPPINK: ECHOES AND CHAMBERS

The 2022 Presidential Election is fast approaching, yet most Kakampinks are still comfortable in their giant echo chamber, enjoying nauseating echoes and fortifying their exclusive minichambers. This thread will explore grouppink--pink groupthink. Exclusive power and political xenophobia have always been the core of Dilawan politics. They were observable during Cory's and Noynoy's terms--too many K's: kaibigan, kaklase, kakilala, kapamilya, kasosyo, kakampi, kasama, etc. They weren't really open to outsiders and unknowns.

BBM, COCAINE ADDICTION, AND FILIPINO LOGIC

In anthropology we also study how humans think—ethnic philosophy, nativist logic, local thinking, tribal thought, etc. How we use our Minds, after all, is shaped by our society and culture. Yes, Filipinos have their own way of thinking. Perhaps you have experienced this scenario: you want your visitor to leave, so you tell him it'll be raining soon or you're going somewhere or anything other than being direct—"You should leave now". Filipino minds are used to indirect thinking--pahapyaw, pasaring, or parinig.

ADDICT BEHAVIOR AS A PARADIGM FOR GOVERNANCE

In this thread, I'll focus on Duterte's public policy that mirrors the typical behavior of a drug addict. By public policy, I mean the set of actions adopted by the government—laws, plans, goals, programs, rules, projects, funds, etc. If you ask the family of a drug addict about the latter's contribution to his household, you'll get depression, chaos, anxiety, destruction, fear, insecurity, hopelessness, conflict, pain, and what have you. What Duterte has done to Filipinos is what an addict does to his family.

COWARDICE AND BRAVERY FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE

The interplay between karuwagan (cowardice) and katapangan (bravery) is the recurring narrative in the life of a Filipino from the time he is born until his last breath on a flat surface. Cowardice is always castigated and humiliated. Pregnancy is an existential battle among Filipino parents, and the womb of a woman is viewed as an unpredictable place--almost like a boxing ring. Strong fetuses cling to life, their survival, while the weak ones let go of themselves, miscarriage. Those fetuses are labeled early.

HOW GROUPISM IS DESTROYING PHILIPPINE SOCIETY

Bayanihan, akbayan, pakikitungo, and pakikipagkapwa are groupist, and they promote social positivism. Filipinos organize into a collective to promote cohesion, fairly distribute scarce resources, take care of each other, and survive. Groupism is defined as "the tendency to conform to the general thinking and behavior of a group", the opposite of "the pursuit of individual rather than common or collective interests"—individualism, which is often associated with ambition, greed, inequality, and yes, capitalism.

THE REACTIONARY READING COMPREHENSION OF FILIPINOS

English isn't the only reason behind the poor reading comprehension of Filipinos. Even when a text uses Filipino, their lingua franca, their reading comprehension is still poor. Their reactionary reading is one of the culprits. By reactionary, I mean two things: overreaction to anything without calm examination and hostile reaction to something that isn't comfortably familiar. We see this reactionary reading and comprehension in politics, in cultural discourse, and even in mundane chats on social media.

SEMIYOTIKA, ANG UTAK NG PINOY, AT MGA ROSAS

Hindi lang semiotics ang gagamitin ko sa pag-aanalisa sa bagong TV ad ni Robredo. Makakatulong din ang structuralism na maghihimay sa mga binary opposite para maiintindihan kung bakit patok at epektibo ang ad.

Halatang propesyunal ang mga gumawa ng ad. Siguro may manunulat pang sumali. Puwede ring may bihasa sa social psychology. Mahahalata ang husay at galing sa makikita. 'Yong pinag-isipan, pinag-usapan, at pinagdebatehan pa siguro. Walang "puwede na 'yan". Hindi rin nag-Hail Mary.

"TRANSSEXUAL" AND "TRANSGENDER"

I come from the corner of theorizing and practicing gender identity, and these young woke LGBT activists think I don't know shit about SOGIE and transgenderism. They criticize my use of "transsexual" as clinical and outdated as if it is mindless. To me, using "transsexual" is my protest against the unwitting drowning of transsexuals to the point of erasure in LGBT. Perhaps those woke activists don't know that because they focus on seminar pamphlets and social idealism, not on the truths and realities of gender identities.