1.7.11

Tayo Ma'y Mamatay

Malayang Salin
ni Rogelio L. Ordonez


Tayo Ma'y Mamatay
(Claude McKay)

tayo ma'y mamatay
huwag parang mga baboy lamang
tinutugis, ikinukulong sa sabsaban
sa paligid, hayok na tinatahulan
ng mga asong nakabantay
hinahamak, marawal na kalagayan.
tayo ma'y mamatay
o, mamatay tayong may dangal
upang mahalagang dugo natin
sa pagpatak di masayang
maging ating mga kalaban
mapipilitang tayo'y parangalan
kahit mga bangkay
na tayong nakatimbuwang!
o, mga kasama
harapin natin ang mga katunggali
marami man sila't talo tayo sa bilang
sa laksa-laksa nilang suntok
isang pamatay-dagok
lamang ang ating kailangan
ano na ang naghihintay
na libingan?
bilang lalaking magigiting
harapin natin
mga berdugo't mang-aalipin
kahit wala nang maurungan
o naghihingalo man
ipamukha natin ang paglaban
tayo ma'y mamatay
o, mamatay tayong may dangal!

Tag-Init, 1983

Tula

Tag-Init, 1983 

Sa ibabaw ng burol
Mapapagmasdan ang kabilang ibayo
Ang matatayog na bundok
Ng Cordillera at kapatagan
Sa pagitang nahahati
Ng malawak na ilog Cagayan,
Isang lambak na berde
Sa panahon ng taniman
At malawak na kulay balat
Pagkatapos ng anihan
Kung may pinangarap na tirahan
Ay yaong itaas ng burol
Sa gilid ng kabundukan
Abot tanaw ang kabilang ilog
Ng Baggao-Amulong
Nakaharap sa kapatagan
Kita ang malawak na kalsada
Ngunit dito pala magaganap
Ang malalaking labanan,
Babasagin ng mga putok
Ang katahimikan.
Mamayani ang ugong
Ng isang dosenang helicopter,
Mga higanteng tutubing
Magbababa ng mga tropang
Sanadatahan para sindakin
Ang masa tungo sa pagsuko
At kawalang pag-asa:
Ngunit mabibigo sila,
Kung gaano sila biglang dumating
Ganoong  kabilis din sila umatras
Ng salubungin ng umaatikabong putok,
dala ang kanilang mga sugatan
at patay...
Isang araw sa pabungad ng tag-araw,
Tunay bigo ang atake ng Oplan Tag-araw
Ng Task Force  Alpha:
Mabilis man nilang nasakop
Ang Alcala-Baggao complex
Wala na ang mga gerilya ng bayan
Ligtas na silang nakatakas
At ikinubli ng mga mamamayan.
Naagaw man nila
ang burol na iyon,
Lupa lamang na pansamatala
Ang kanilang nasakop,
Hindi hindi ang isip at puso ng sambayanan
Na patuloy na pinagaalab
At lundo’t duyan
Ng rebolusyon

J. Luna
Hunyo 26, 2011

Aling Indang, Balo ng Beterano

Aling Indang, Balo ng Beterano

Hukot na hukot,
kuba na ang likod
Patuloy naglalakad
Si Aling Indang nanghihingi ng limos
Sa lahat ng ahensyang nagpapamudmod
“food distribution” kuno
dagdag pantawid gutom sa mga matatanda
at imigranteng inalisan ng welfare
ng gobyerno para daw makapagsarili
at huwag umasa sa pamudmod;
araw araw na ginawa ng diyos
sumasakay si Aling Indang
ng bus paparoon parito
para pumila
at hatakin
sa maliit na maletang de gulong
ang naipong pagkain
para huwag magastos
ang kakarampot na dolyar
na rasyon mula sa gobyernong tingin
sa kanila ay busabos.

Kawawang Aling Indang
Dumating sa Amerika
Kasama ang asawang beterano
Nakipaglaban para sa equity
Wala naming napala dahil patay
Na ang asawa
di sila binigyan
Balong naiwan,
Naiwan ang mga medalyang
Nasa ibabaw ng tokador,
Hindi naman makain
O mapaipagbili
Kaya araw-araw
Pumipila si Aling Indang
Para mag-ipon ng delata
At nakasupot na pagkain,
Ang iba ay expired na
at kayang itinatapon
pabigat pa sa hatak hatak na maleta.


Sabagay mas mabuti si Aling Indang
Kaysa sa mayayabang na Pilipino
Ayaw na ayaw pumila at humingi
Dala ang yabang minana sa mga Kastila
Mas mabuti pa raw magutom kaysa pumila tulad
Ng mga Eme o latino
Na umaasa sa gobyerno
Mga mataas ang ihi ngunit pango ang ilong.

Araw-araw nasasalubong ko
Si Aling Indang sa kanto
Bago ako pumasok
At sa paguwi sa bahay
Kailan kaya siya titigil
Sa pagpila tulad ng maraming
Nalalabing beterano
at matatandang Pilipino
Sa  Amerika?

Ewan ko,
alam kung kapag tumigil
Siya sa pagpila
mawawala na siya sa mundo
Tulad ng mga beteranong tumigil
Lang sa pagrarali at paglalakad,
maging sa pagpila sa pagkain
ng pantay na ang kanilang mga paa

ApG

Hunyo 24, 2011

Kalahating Pisngi ng Langit

Tula

Kalahating Pisngi ng Langit

Mula sa malalim na lambak
Natatakpan ng lilim ang mataas na burol
Sinisilayan ng pulang silahis ng araw
Ngunit tinakpan ang kalahati ng langit
Nagsisilbing pisngi ng langit
Tipid ang ngiti sa umagang dumaratal
Nangitim sa dami ng tropang pasistang
Umukopa sa taas nito
Mistulang higanteng kumot na itim
Sa kalbong tuktok na wala
Man lang puno sa kaitaasan.
Akala nila sila ang panalo
Dahil nasa itaas sila at buong yabang
Na nagpaputok para ibando
Na sila ang nasa itaas.
Ngunit ang yabang nila ay napalis
Dahil gumapang na pala
nang maingat at unti-unti
Paakyat ang mga mandirigma ng bayan
Lihim na kumilos
sa likod ng  mga kubling puno
Hanggang malantad malapit sa tuktok
Saka sumugod sa likod ng malalakas na putok
Napalis ang ngiti sa kapirasong langit
Lalo nang kumapal ang malalakas na putok,
Ang hindi inaakala ng kaaway
Ay hindi susugod ang mga nasa ibaba
Sino bang baliw ang susugod
Sa kaaway na nakaposisyon sa itaas?
Kabaliwan”
Mukha nga.
Ngunit ang imposible ay naging possible
Dahil sumugod sila ng palihim
Sa likod ng mga puno, matataas na damo
At mga maliliit na punong kahoy
Kaya bago magtahanghalian
Umaatikabo na ang labanan,
Kayat habang sumusugod ang isang pulutong
Rumerepeke ang mga masinggan, M79
At mga automatic para coveran ang pagsalakay
ngunit gumanti ng putok ang mga mortar,
umalalay ang mga kanyon mula sa malayong
kampo ng kaaway malapit sa bayan
sa kabila ng Ilog Pinacanauan;
bumanat ang mga M60 masingan,
umalan ang mga bala ng armalite
ngunit patuloy na sumugod ang mga gerilya ng bayan:
At ang impossible ay naging possible,
Napatakbo ng isang kompanyang gerilya
Ang halos laking batalyon
Sa mataas na burol ng Debuluan—
At mula noon
ito at naging alamat ng bayan,
Nang makuha ng mga gerilya
At itinaas ang bandilang pula,
Sa kalahating pisngi ng langit—
Ang burol ng Debuluan
Noong tag-init ng 1989,
Sa saliw ng umaatikabong putok
Laban sa mga pasistang kaaway!

J. Luna
Hunyo 25, 2011

The Philippine News and Its Role in the Struggle for Filipino American Veterans for Recognition and Equity

Article

The Philippine News and Its Role in the Struggle for Filipino American Veterans for Recognition and Equity

The Philippine News as the “Premier Filipino Newspaper in North America” have  been faithfully consistent in advocating for the Filipino American World War II Veterans and their widows and survivors since the struggle for recognition and equity started in 1993.

Actually the struggle for equity started in 1984 when a group of veterans started to grumble and point out that the more 250,000 veterans were stripped of their rights and benefits due to the passage of the Rescission Act 0f 1946. This was taken away for public and for almost 50 years were never discussed or mentioned in public in the Philippines but found an ally in the pages of the Philippine News.

When the veterans were allowed by law in 1991 to emigrate to the United States by the virtue of an immigration law passed by President George Bush Sr. more than 30,000 Filipinos became American citizens. But this situation created more problems for the Filipino-American community.

Old veterans expecting military pensions were denied of such. Instead they were given measly SSI and lived on dole out. What is revolting they fell victims to unscluporous Filipinos who prey on their senility, old age,little education and being monolingual. They were scammed them left and right.

It was the Philippine News who came to their defense and dutifully reported on their pitiful plight. And when the veterans and their advocates finally acted and led the first political demonstration in Los Angeles in 1993 in front of the Federal building in Wilshire, the Philippines News covered it with blazing headlines.

The Alyansa ng Komunidad formed the December 7th Movement (D7M) in 1993 and it became the proginetor of the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV). From then on until 2008, when the ARRA Law was passed the Philippine News always played the role of the bearer of the good and the bad news for the veterans and the whole Filipino American community.

From time to time, mainstream American media covers the veterans cause but not as faithfully and as accommodating and sympathetic as the Philippine News. The Philippine New patriotism really  valued the sacrifices of the men and women who fought in American uniform, under the American and Filipino flags as can be seen in all its publications through the years.

As avid readers of Philippine News we follow the Filipino American veterans struggle and the struggle of the community in its pages and voraciously devour all the articles about it.

The Philippine News published articles, researches, letters and stand of veterans, veterans organizations, alliances built for the veterans struggle and has been accomodating and unrelenting partisan for the Filipino American community interests and the veterans cause. It helped the JFAV direct its struggle

For the Philippine News, the only nationwide newspaper from 1967 in the United States continues on the tradition of an overseas Filipino newspapers as the La Solidaridad in Europe handled by Dr Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Graciano Lopes Jaena in 1888 from Madrid, Spain.

The Filipino American community numbers 5.5 million and until today it has not achieved its great potential and like China in the 20th century is still the “sleeping giant” of the Asian American community. But as always, the Filipino American veterans issue is the only issue that united everybody in the fragemented Filipino American community.

While the erstwhile community leadership has abandoned the veterans and their survivors when the lump sum was approved, the Philippine News graciously carry the cudgels for the veterans and helped JFAV reinvigorate the issue especially when insult was added to the injury by  the DVA denying 27,000 veterans.

We are happy that DFA Secretary Albert Del Rosario asked the DVA when he met with Shinseki to reconsider its denials of 27,000 veterans, While he was the Ambassador in the US from 2002-2005 until he was removed by PGMA, Del Rosario was a staunch supporter of the veterans cause. It is a big boost for our struggle.

When our former allies abandoned us  and the veterans cause and looked for other struggles and greener pastures, the Philippine News like Ruth of the bible remained faithful to the community and veterans cause.

This is the character and the stuff your newspaper is made of. A real community newspaper for Filipino Americans!

************

Nang umulan ng malakas sa Tag-Araw

Tula

Nang umulan ng malakas  sa Tag-Araw

Biglang umulan
nang ikaw ay umalis
Matapos mong sabihing
hindi mo ako mahal;
Waring pinalis ng ulan
ang araw
itinago ng makapal na ulap
na biglang dumating
ng walang pakundangan;
Sa iyong plinanong paglisan
Iniwan mo ako sa gitna ng ulan
Ayaw ko na sanang sumilong
Ngunit maraming gawaing
Dapat gampanan.
Iniwan mong sugatan
Ang puso’t damdamin
Ngunit walang sugat
Na hindi nagagamot
ng panahon
Kahit maghilom at ito man
At maging balantukan,
Hindi kasingsakit ng tama
Ng punglong naglagos sa laman,
Pagkabigo’y hagdan
Tungo sa pagbabago

Sa pag-iisa maraming
Gawaing magampanan
At ang bagong pag-ibig.
Marami pang pag-ibig
Ay sisibol kahit tapos na
Ang tag-araw.

Apg
06/25/2011

On the Question of the Spratlys

On the Question of the Spratlys

All nations who are all interested parties to the Spratlys based their claims on history. China which is the oldest says Nansha, as it calls it- says its in South China seas.

The Philippines says the Kalayaan Group and the Mischief Reef belongs to it having the islands annexed in 1971 through a presidential decree issued by Marcos at the same time they put up a military outpost in the area.

But for the Alliance, the Philippines has the strongest legal claim for the two areas being situated within 200 nautical miles under the United Nation Convention on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS). But legal niceties are for the long term and will last for decades or even centuries.

Although the Alliance believes that the Philippines has a legal claim to the islands nearest or within its border, we compare it to the historic Philippine claim to the Sabah islands. It was even included into the map of the Philippines but was never integrated to the republic and is now a part of Malaysia

It is imperative to discuss the consequences and its historical antecedent to discuss the issues without emotions and study it through concrete analysis. This to discuss possible stand on the issues.

Spratlys History

It maybe too be naïve to believe that the Philippines will win ownership of the islands by simply invoking the UNCLOS. All national interests are won by depending it by force and the sacrifices of the parties concern.

In the first place, it was a Filipino merchant mariner named Admiral Tomas Cloma who planted the Philippine flag in the 45 island/reef chains in the late 60" and from then on the Philippine government to the chiding of the United States who garrisoned the area.

Admiral Tomas Cloma was a Filipino nationalist, the father of the Philippine merchant marine fleet. He was the founder of the merchant marine academy in the Philippines. He planted the Filipino flag in the biggest island which now a Philippine garrison near the island of Palawan. Yet is was Marcos who grabbed the credit for his imperialist masters and claimed the islands for the republic.

Especially the area is know to have the largest oil or natural deposits of mineral and being coveted by six nations in Asia and the most powerful imperialist superpower in the world who has the largest naval fleet outside of its  borders and mainland.

We must accept the reality that the Philippines cannot afford the mighty China in a shooting war. The Philippine Navy has only seven old World War II vintage ships and has no air force to fight any invading nations in that area.

Maybe during the early 1950’s and 60’s, the Philippines has one of the strongest navy and air force. But today we have sunk as Asia’s old man who cannot even defend its immigrants against our neighbors like Indonesia and Malaysia who deports our people at their own whims and will.

We must look at how China has fortified, send a strong naval contingent and has bullied the Philippines, Vietnam and other nations around it. And look how puny and feeble are the Philippine armed forces attempt to defend the area. At most what they can do is to rename the South China Seas as "West Philiippine Sea" as if we can defend the area by renaming it.

Remember the lessons of history

The Alliance-Philippines believe that it will good for the country not to engage the services or the United States or take its assurance that it will defend its own interests by abiding to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the basis of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

We must also fell prey to the jingoism of old anti communist and  anti China people in the United States who are planning anti-Chinese rallies in major cities, They are just provoking more tensions between our people. These “ summer patriots and sunshine soldiers” will be the first to run if there will be tensions between China and the Philippines because they are safe in the United States.

We must remember our history. The United States occupied the Philippines just to abandon it to the Japanese in World War II. They let the Japanese occupy the Philippines for almost three years from 1941-1945 at a gargantuan cost to our lives and properties.

Even at the height of the Philippine claim to Sabah in the tension filled years of 1960-68, the United States let the British jets to refuel in Clark Air Base in route to Malaysia which they supported against the Philippine claim in 1968. The Filipino people will never forget such insult to pass and will always remember how America forsake its supposed ally to side with its British cousins.

Now they are talk of leasing military equipments such as ships and planes to the Philippines at the tune of $ 450 million for AFP modernization. Even the assurance of US officials led by State Secretary Clinton cannot be counted on. It is as vague as any American promise to the moon and the stars.

But the so called AFP modernization has been going on for time immemorial and yet the AFP is not modern or advance in technology even in the terms of arms and equipments. IT will go the graft lords of the government and the pabaon and pasalubongs of AFP generals.

How can we expect to defend and even safeguard our territory much more of our sovereignty and pride?

*******