Kay Leni Tayo: The Bacolod Caravan That Started It All #LabanLeniKiko2022

About two weeks after Leni Robredo announced her candidacy, her supporters in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental organized a motor caravan around the City of Smiles.

On October 23, 2021, a motor caravan of about 500 vehicles cars assembled along the national highway at the boundary between Talisay City, Negros Occidental, and Bacolod City. 

Decked, decorated and festooned with pink and fuchsia ribbons and balloons, and covered with Leni Robredo tarpaulins, these private cars, vans and jeepney-type vehicles left the assembly area and paraded around the streets of Bacolod City. The excitement of the caravan and its participants were contagious that day that not even an Alert Level 4 status could suppress. And as it was a Saturday, traffic around the city wasn't that bad.

Not to be left behind, the Victorias Leni-Kiko Volunteers also joined the caravan along with #Kakampinks from other towns and cities in Negros Occidental. Victorias is 34 kilometers north of Bacolod. We were there as early as 9:30AM, excited to raise awareness to Leni Robredo's campaign of good governance and genuine public service. 

I should have written about our #LabanLeni2022 activities here in my hometown as soon as we were able to hold them but having focused on the campaign and the activities, I wasn't able to produce the blogs.

But writing them only now is really perfect timing because, this time, I am now able to see how the effort one individual or group of individuals has contributed to a tornado-like force that created and continue to create this unstoppable momentum that, each time we come together, inspires more to join.

It turned out that what happened that day showed us, to borrow the words of H. G. Wells, "the shape of things to come".

Yes, since then, everything has snowballed. Slowly, the movement to support Leni Robredo, Kiko Pangilinan and their senatoriables grew one supporter at a time. From a handful of volunteers in our city, it has grown to, not just hundreds, but thousands with many more quietly supporting in the sidelines.

That morning, as the motorcade cruised through the streets of Bacolod, I saw crowds on the sidewalks waving with some pedestrians stopping to watch us pass as we shared our renewed hope that, finally, there is someone who will lead us to a future of #AngatBuhayLahat .

As I sat there at the front seat of the car of a fellow supporter Nonalyn, I realized that the route the caravan was not just path to create awareness and momentum, but was a path that would lead us out of this gloom of injustice, corruption and incompetence.

It has been five months since the caravan, and look how huge the movement is now, not only in Victorias (I'll write more of our activities soon), but in the whole #Philippines .

Ipanalo na 10 to! 😍

#LabanLeni #LabanLeniKiko2022 #LeniAngatSaLahat

#SiLeniAngSagot #AngatBuhayLahat #SiKikoAngManokko

#Ipanalona10to #LeniKiko2022

Kay Leni Tayo: Six Years Ago, Leni Na Ako!😀

Six years ago, on one spring day in Seoul, Korea, I went to the Philippine Embassy to cast my vote for Mar Roxas as president, and Leni Robredo for vice-president. 

For overseas absentee voters, we had a month to cast our votes before the May 9, 2016 elections. This was allowed under the law so that registered Filipino voters in South Korea (or in any other foreign country they were in) could travel and visit the Philippine embassy in that country to vote.

(I took this photo of the Philippine Embassy 

in Seoul, South Korea in April 2016 on the 

day I voted for the 2016 elections)

And since the Philippine Embassy in Seoul was just a few minutes by cab from my workplace in the Yongsan District of Seoul, I took a quick break from work and hurried to the Philippine Embassy. I could have done this on a Sunday when the Embassy was open for voting but there was always a long line.

After the 2016 elections, when the candidate I did not vote for took over the presidency, a lot of savory things happened in the Philippines.  Some things were humiliating to us Filipinos living outside the Philippines and some things were humiliating to us living in Korea (like when he kissed a married woman in Korea).

Yes, six years ago, Leni na ako. 

Six years hence, lalong Leni pa ako! 😍

#LabanLeni

#LabanLeniKiko2022

#LeniAngatSaLahat

#SiLeniAngSagot

#AngatBuhayLahat

#SiKikoAngManokKo

#IpanaloNa10to

#LeniKiko2022

My Mother's Baul: Where We Now Keep The Things We Value

In the old times, clothes and valuables are kept in a baul. Baúl is a Spanish word that means chest or a trunk. Baul is now part of the Filipino vocabulary, and it is now used in Hiligaynon as well.

I found my mom's baul stowed away in her old room, gathering dust and old memories. I thought there was only one, until I realized there was another.😱 I decided to empty them (they were full of crocheted tablecloths from the 1950-60s), clean them, and use them for the fight of a generation.

We have, as a family, supported the candidacy of Vice-President Leni Robredo for the presidency in the May 2022 elections here in the Philippines, along with Senator Kiko Pangilinan as her vice-president. 💖

All these weeks, with the help of friends and donors who quietly lend their support for the Leni-Kiko supporters and volunteers in our hometown, I have been receiving and keeping these tarpaulins, pink ribbons, and other paraphernalia that we use for the campaign. And they're scattered around several spots in the house. Now, I have, not only one, but two baul to store them. 😍

Just like those crocheted table cloths that my mom said were valuable to her as those were created by the hands of the women who raised her, we value our belief that Vice-President Leni Robredo and her TROPA team will bring genuine good governance and public service we all deserve.🙏

Those precious tablecloths that have been kept in the baul for decades now cover our table. Replacing them inside those two baul are the things we value: our support for and belief in Leni Robredo and Team TROPA.😊

(My mom's two baul stuffed with 

Leni campaign materials)

"However It Was, Thank You, 2021!"

Well, it has been a tough year!

Year 2021 started and has ended with natural calamities.

On January 1, 2021, flash floods brought damage to property and livelihood right in our corner of the Negros island in the Philippines (read blog here), and on December 16, Typhoon Odette swept the southern Philippines destroying billions of crops, property and livelihood. 

Even with the destruction and desperation, the latter part of 2021 brought back back hope to the hopeless and light to this dark tunnel in the history of the country because of the upcoming national elections in May 2022.

As one of the millions clamoring for change, I am hoping that the presidential candidate we all believe in will bring just that - change. Change in the government and a change in the attitude of the Filipinos to demand a government that will serve them with honesty and genuine public service. A leader that will work to end corruption in government.

In 2022, especially during the early months, I hope that more Filipinos will awaken to the truth, and choose a leader that we need.🙏

Quarantined Korean Drama Life: My Mom Discovers "Stairway To Heaven"

A year ago, at the height of the enhanced community quarantine, my mom discovered the Korean drama, My Golden Life on Philippine television (read blog here). Lucky for her, KBS, the Korean broadcaster that produced the drama, has a Youtube account which contains all the episodes with English subtitles. She was able to binge-watch all the 52 episodes!😱

("Stairway to Heaven" poster 

featuring the cast of the drama)

This year, she's watching another Korean drama, Stairway to Heaven, an old drama that aired in 2003. My mom is 18 years late. 😜

How did she discover Stairway to Heaven when it's not even shown on the local channels? It's on a digital channel included in GMA Affordabox! She was able to win one by just watching the One Western Visayas newscast every afternoon!😂

On GMA Affordabox's Channel 3 - Heart of Asia, several Korean dramas dubbed in Pilipino are being shown, most of which must have been watched by Korean drama fans in the Philippines, including my friends whom I call the Seoul drama queens (read blog here). 

These 'Seoul drama queens' visited Korea every year before the pandemic to discover the Korean culture and explore the locations where their favorite Korean dramas were filmed. My mom would surely benefit from their knowledge of Korean dramas, from plots to the difficult names of actors and actresses, and of course, the film locations.

But for now, I'll let my mom enjoy the dubbed episodes of Stairway to Heaven over Channel 3 of the GMA Affordabox. Then, maybe later I'll ask for her reactions and write about it for Korea.net, like the piece I did about her on My Golden Life (read here).

So, thanks to One Western Visayas and GMA Affordabox for the thrill and amusement my mom gets every time there's a 'kilig' moment between Cholo (the character of Kwon Sang-woo) and Jodi (the character of Choi Ji-woo, who has a statue at Nami Island with Bae Yong-joon, read blog here). 

These days when we have to avoid going to crowded places even when we're vaccinated, entertaining ourselves with what's on TV can be one way to avoid stress, or even depression. 

And watching Korean dramas dubbed in Pilipino and aired over Channel 3 of GMA Affordabox can be a source of such fun and entertainment. 😊

(My mom in front of the Lotte World Tower

 in Seoul, Korea. I told her the Lotte World 

Adventure where the some scenes were 

filmed was just across the street.😊)

"Teaching Dokdo to the World" (Participation Prize at the 2021 Understanding Korea Essay Competition)

Ever since I first read an online article about Dokdo, my fascination about it grew. That's why when someone invited me to an organized trip to Ulleungdo and Dokdo many years ago, I immediately signed up. It was an autumn day that I would never forget as a Filipino living in Seoul.

Fascinating Dokdo

Joining other foreign travelers from the sea port of Donghae in the Gangwon Province to Ulleungdo, we navigated about 147 kilometers over two hours through calm waters and occasional high waves. But from Ulleungdo, our ferry ride to Dokdo was even rougher as big waves lifted our ferry up and down for the next hour and a half covering about 87 kilometers, which made us all wonder if this was a kind of huge welcome for us to the famous island.

On that final leg of our journey to Dokdo, I was seated next to my friends Johan from Austria and Brenda from Canada. We talked about Korea and exchanged stories about we knew about Dokdo, a perfect discussion about the island that we were about to visit, including our realization that we were about to count ourselves as fortunate to have ever been to Dokdo.

For me, the high waves and the ferry boat's riding up and down those huge waves did not bother me at all as I have been riding passenger ferries as well as small boats all my life in the Philippines that happen to have more than seven thousand islands. This was a fun journey across the seas for me.

Beautiful Dokdo

Minutes before we docked, I could see Dokdo's silhouette through the misty window of the ferry boat.  And when the doors opened after we arrived, a draft of fresh sea air blew in giving me and my fellow passengers, who were all queuing by the exit, an experience of the nature surrounding Dokdo even before we set foot outside.

I remembered the emotions that my friends and I felt. Seeing the huge, tall rocks that comprise Dokdo, I initially felt incredulous, forcing myself to believe that I was now on the island that I only saw on photographs online. All the hours of tiring bus and ferry rides from Seoul to Donghae, then Donghae to Ulleungdo, and then finally to Dokdo seemed to have evaporated with the mist that covered the ferryboat's windows.

The silhouettes of the rocks that were right in front of me were like a vision from a beautiful dream. I breathed in the fresh sea air and had to remind that I was finally here in person - right on the island of Dokdo, an island so full of history and controversy that people forget how beautiful it really was.

Dokdo is comprised of about 89 islets, but the two main rocks, Dongdo and Seodo, could be seen as pointing to the heavens and colored green and brown. Green for the plants and shrubbery that covered its sides, and brown for the steep, sharp cliffs that seemed to have been molded by the carving tools of the gods. The whole area of Dokdo is more than 187 thousand square meters.

The sight was breathtaking. It was like from postcard. That day, Dokdo welcomed me with its beauty and magnificence.

Teaching Dokdo to the World

In order to strengthen its claim over Dokdo, Korea in general, and the Academy of Korean Studies in particular, should also feature in its textbooks, brochures and informative materials the following:

(1) The first names of the civilians living on the island as well as their way of life on Dokdo.

(2) The exact address of Dokdo - with special mention that it is part of North Gyeongsang Province

(3) The beauty of Dokdo and its surrounding rich seas.

Writing about the civilians who live on Dokdo and their way of life will give everyone a better understanding of the islets as well as an idea that since ordinary Korean people live there and occupy the place, South Korea has the sovereignty and full possession of Dokdo.

The readers around the world should know where these civilian residents in Dokdo came from. Who are they and why did they decide to live there? What do they do for a living? What food do they cook and eat in Dokdo? Do they have a garden? Do they have pet dogs? What are the names of their pets and their breed? What are their daily routines? How do they adjust to the weather and the changes in seasons? If they get sick, what do they do? Do they get mail from the Korean post office?

Other than the civilians, the world should also know about the Korean policemen who are assigned there as well as their experience of being posted on the island. What keeps these young policemen busy? What entertainment do they have? Do they have local television channels for Korean dramas and movies?

Also, by including the description of Dokdo as being part of the Ulleung County and the North Gyeongsang Province in the reading materials, this gives the readers and students a firm picture that it is part of Korea, even though it is far from the mainland.

And showcasing the flora and fauna of the islets, and the rich fishing grounds around them will give people an idea that the Dokdo islets are not just isolated rocks in the middle of the East Sea, but a place that is alive and inhabited by the Korean people, animals, and plants.

This information should be included in local and international textbooks, and on online portals and Korean websites written in different languages for international understanding and information.

This way, the controversy that follows Dokdo will be overshadowed by the personal stories of its residents, its natural beauty, and by its biological diversity and existence.

Dokdo in the 21st century

Since its earliest mention in historical records and maps about three centuries ago, Dokdo has seen historical and natural events that shaped human history.

And even though my visit to Dokdo was more than a decade ago, I still count myself today as one of the many fortunate foreigners who have set foot on the island and discovered its real story and natural beauty firsthand.

I still dream that I may be able to visit Dokdo again someday. And with these steps that I recommend to the Academy of Korean Studies, I hope that Dokdo will finally be able to shake off all the controversy that has accompanied it all this time.

I hope that the global recognition and respect will happen now in the 21st century. 😎

(My fellow travelers to Dokdo taking photos 

of the island during our departure)

* * * * *

I submitted this piece for the 2021 Understanding Korea Essay Writing Competition organized by the Academy of Korean Studies. It won a prize. 😍

Here's the link to the list of winners. 😃

Travelblog Philippines: The Chapel of The Angry Christ in Victorias City, Negros Occidental

It's real name is the Saint Joseph, The Worker Chapel. 

But because of its very unique altar, it is popularly called by tour guides, tourists, and travel magazines as The Chapel of The Angry Christ.

(The chapel's entrance faces east.)

(The chapel is airy as the sides can be opened with huge doors and the cross-breezes can blow through.)

Yes, that's what I thought as a young grade-schooler at the Saint Mary Mazarello School that was located 200 meters from this chapel. My earliest memory of the chapel was when our teacher would drag the whole class to go with her to pray Via Crucis, or the Stations of the Cross. This must have been in March of those years when the Lenten season started while there were still classes.

As our teacher was reciting her prayers while we hopped from one station to another, my eyes, on the other hand, wandered around the chapel and were mesmerized by the 'angry man' painting on the altar.

(An angry Jesus at the Last Judgement)

(The whole ceiling over the altar is full of artwork as well. When the celebrant priest looks up, he could see faces of damned soul in Purgatory. All the sides of those walls have been painted. Just like Michelangelo as he painted the Sistine Chapel, Alfonso Ossorio must have used scaffoldings but made of bamboos. 

Today's equivalent of the all-seeing eye is probablythe city-wide CCTV system.😀)

Although He was 'angry' and intimidating, as a kid, I was not at all scared because of the colors. As you can see in the photos, the painter used a lot of reds, oranges and yellows which to me made the painting less scary.

This painting is a masterpiece of Alfonso Ossorio, the son of the owners of Victorias Milling Company (VMC), then Asia's biggest sugar central. Located inside the VMC compound in Victorias City in Negros Occidental, Philippines, this chapel has, over the decades, became more and more popular to tourists mainly because of the painting.

(The Last Supper mosaic; above it is "The Descent of the Holy Spirit on Mary and the Apostles". 

Take note of the apostles's shirts. Very Uniqlo.😃)

While the painting was done by Alfonso Ossorio, the whole chapel was designed by a Czech architect, Antonin Raymond. The mosaic art on the walls of the church was by Belgian artist, Adelaide de Bethune. The Station of the Cross and wooden statues inside the chapel were made by local artist, Benjamin Valenciano, who Filipinized Mary and Joseph by giving them dark skin color and dressed them in local attires. Another local artist, Arcadio Anore made the brass plates at the pulpit and baptistry following the designs of de Buthene.

(I would love to climb up the belfry one day.)

As a kid, I never got to really appreciate the amazing artistry inside and outside this chapel. It's only now that I am appreciating the artistry, talent, and hard work that all went to create this masterpiece of a place of worship.

Even at the back of the chapel where mosaics of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Mary of the Apostles and The Last Supper were created, one can see that the figures were made from brown pieces, although what caught my attention were the long-sleeved shirts of the apostles. With their plain silhouettes and simple colors, they reminded of the Uniqlo shirts. 😂

(How do I get to the belfry?😃)

(A sundial stands next to the Chapel. It's a carabao where a worker holding a long sugarcane stands. The sugarcane is the marker, while the carabao and the worker represent the sugarcane industry.)

The chapel construction was started in the late 1940s and was purposely oriented towards the east so that the sun could bathe the altar with light through a glass ceiling. Alfonso Ossorio (August 2, 1916 - December 5, 1990) on was a friend of Jackson Pollack.

                                           

(The marker of the sundial bearing the names of Fr. Demetrio Carmona and the Don Bosco students who designed, welded and created it.)

(The carabao sundial of Victorias)

Currently, entrance into the VMC compound is restricted. 

I hope someday I'd be able to visit again and be mesmerized by the artistry of the Angry Christ, although I would also like to climb the belfry and experience seeing the view of the compound from up there. 😀