Philippines Graphic March 30-April 6, 2020 by PhilippinesGraphic

INSIDE PAGES March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020 Vol. 30 • No. 44-45

COVER

SOCIAL MEDIA

BOOK OF THE WEEK

REGULARS

Quarantine: An impression from Mar. 12 to Mar. 17 By Psyche Roxas-Mendoza

Seen on Social Networks

Bayan Ko! At kung paano ito hinabi ni Lualhati Bautista Ni Che Sarigumba

EDITOR’S CORNER Literature in the time of Coronavirus By Joel Pablo Salud

TECH

Cabangon family continues to lend support to COVID-19 frontliners

Biden virtual town hall marks new normal for campaigning By Sara Burnett and Bill Barrow, AP

WORLD

BLOGBOX

Putin approves law that could keep him in Power until 2036

Staying home By Joel Pablo Salud

FICTION

The awakenings By Samson V. Edillo POEM

Love in the time of COVID-19 Praxis By Karlo Silverio Sevilla

CROSSWORD By Rene Sebastian

SNAPSHOT

EDITOR’S CORNER

Literature in the time of coronavirus

A By Joel Pablo Salud

As for me, I personally feel that since there are stories to tell, and not too many are willing to take the cudgels for those who have suffered, especially this government, the least writers can do is tell the victims’ stories in the way we do best as writers. I think that’s our role in life--crisis or no crisis.

uschwitz. The name alone raises images of corpses by the thousands, strewn about in their less than ritualistic common grave, the odor of burnt flesh, and the screams of the tortured, starved, and those left to rot for simply being Jews. This infamous Nazi concentration camp is located near the industrial town of Oświęcim in southern Poland, where part of it was annexed by Nazi Germany during the early days of World War II. It is one of the biggest of all Nazi concentration camps and the most feared: more than 1.1 million Jews, at the very least, historians say, have been either massacred, gassed or burnt in Auschwitz’s ovens from 1940 to 1945. Some say even more. The level of suffering and degradation of the human body and spirit were of such horrendous proportions that it compelled the German philosopher, Theodor Adorno, to utter his famous words: To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric. Let’s take a minute to pause. I remember the early days of my stint in the Graphic as its managing editor. It was Dec. 2008, and our associate editor—Alma Anonas-Carpio—insisted that Inday Espina-Varona and I join Facebook. As a hapless introvert, I turned her down flat. But Alma, being intransigent about the whole social media craze, pushed and pushed until I finally gave in. Close to a year after my first online post, on Nov. 2009, the Ampatuan massacre took the country by storm. In response to the gruesome murder of roughly 58 people, more than half of whom were journalists, I made an online call for 100 poems on what was deemed the crime of the decade. I dubbed it, The Anthology of Rage. In no time, I faced an online lynching the likes of which I will never forget. The more significant of which came by way of a fairly famous poet who explained to me how “insensitive” my call for

March 30, 2020-April 06, 2020

Graphic

poetry was. His reason? Theodor Adorno’s words: “To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.” The argument was profound as it was simple: what possible justification do I have to write poetry, even call for others to do so, at a time when more than 58 people are murdered, and their families, nay, the whole country, are grieving for their loss? A crime of such alarming scale had been committed. What possible validation can the writing of poetry or any sort of literature have amid such hate, grief and bloodshed? Surely, to write poetry is barbaric. Roughly 10 years later, in the era of a lockdown due to Covid-19, I chanced upon a Facebook post by another famous writer who echoed the concerns of the first. To summarize: people are getting infected and some dying due to the rapid spread of the pathogen, and in no way should writers think of writing at a time like this. To quote his last line: “It comes across as insensitive”. I know this writer personally. We’ve met a number of times and even sat as fellow jurors in one of Manila’s more prestigious literary awards. He’s a kind man of an equally generous disposition, a staunch advocate of literature, himself a prolific author of renown, towering above most whose idea of writing literature mainly involves self-glory. His reason, by and large, is empathy. He was, I think, criticizing a recent project by a well-known literary group who called for submissions on the topic of coronavirus. I can fully understand where he was coming from. For what grander or higher purpose can the writing of literature serve when, in a time of unspeakable crisis, it is more viable to veer away from our writing corners and help out a suffering populace? In short, why delve into fiction and metaphor when the twin realities of grief and loss stare us in the face? I don’t usually respond to his posts, but I felt

strongly that I should. Not to criticize or argue, but to simply share my own thoughts about the matter. This writer is one of very few I highly respect, a stalwart in the community of letters. He, more than anyone, deserves a fair hearing and an honest response. I wrote in two separate posts: “I think to give up writing literature in a time of crisis is the one that’s insensitive, more so when there are real stories waiting on the sidelights to be told. Literature can provide enlightenment where other sources of stories have failed, either due to lying, cover-ups or self-interests. Adorno said something similar to what you’re saying, but later corrected himself by clarifying that even a tortured man has the right to scream. I think it is our empathy that urges us to continue writing, and the crisis we are facing right now should be more than enough reason to do so. But as you said, everyone is free to do as they please. “I know you’re not curtailing anyone’s right to write even during crisis. You’ve been a strong and unwavering advocate of literature. I’m not here to debate or argue. Just sharing what I also feel. I guess we’re all caught off-guard by this virus, to

say little of the lockdown. As for me, I personally feel that since there are stories to tell, and not too many are willing to take the cudgels for those who have suffered, especially this government, the least writers can do is tell the victims’ stories in the way we do best as writers. I think that’s our role in life—crisis or no crisis. Government demands that they be respected as the sole source of a narrative that is altogether flawed if not confusing. I think this is the best time for literature to shine, not for its own self-gratification or glory, but as a sympathizing voice, or better yet a clearer looking glass through which the truth can be seen and understood.” On another note, there’s a personal reason why writers ought to always write—crisis or no crisis. Author Ray Bradbury explains: “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” Writers are the storytellers of the world. If literature must mirror life, and writers must write about life, then it goes without saying that all that life has to offer—the brightness of day and our darkest nights—must reverberate in all our writings. It’s the least writers can do to condole with a suffering humanity. G

March 30, 2020-April 06, 2020

Graphic

WORLD NEWS BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

PUTIN APPROVES LAW THAT COULD KEEP HIM IN POWER UNTIL 2036

Editorial & Corporate Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors Motoring Editor Contributing Writer Group Creative Director Artists Illustrator Contributing Photographer Senior Editorial Assistant IT Administrator Chairman of the Board President VP-Finance VP-Advertising Sales

T. Anthony C. Cabangon Joel Pablo Salud Psyche Roxas-Mendoza Fil V. Elefante Alma Anonas-Carpio Tet Andolong Carla Mortel-Baricaua Eduardo A. Davad Guillermo G. Altre Jr. Marilou Dizon-Francisco Jimbo Albano Bernard Testa Susana M. Bermas Philip B. Navarro Judge Pedro T. Santiago Benjamin V. Ramos Adebelo D. Gasmin Marvin Nisperos Estigoy

Circulation Manager Rolando M. Manangan Advertising Sales Manager Dennis Cruz Guevarra dennis.cruzguevarra@yahoo.com Account Managers Charmine Rose Arquibel charquibel.philippinesgraphic@gmail.com Micah C. Crizaldo micriz.philippinesgraphic@gmail.com Queenie S. Ostulano queenie.philippinesgraphic@gmail.com Special Projects Manager Leah Caling-Bonotan leahcaling@yahoo.com

SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

PHILIPPINES GRAPHIC is published by the Philippine Graphic Publications, Inc. with editorial, advertising and business offices at 3/f Dominga Building, 2113, Chino Roces Ave. (Pasong Tamo St.) corner Dela Rosa St., Makati City. TRUNKLINES (connecting all departments) are 8814-01-34 to 37. DIRECT LINES: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER, 8844-2402; ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT, 8893-1669 (Telefax); CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT, 8814-0134 LOC. 118 (Telefax), Look for Shiela M. Ramirez, cellphone no. 0923-610-9105; EVENTS DEPARTMENT, 8814-0134 LOC. 115; EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT, 8814-0134 LOC.105 (Telefax); EMAIL: editorial.graphic@gmail.com and editorial@philippinesgraphic.com. P.O. Box 2797, MCPO, Makati City. PRINTED BY Brown Madonna Press, Inc. Km. 15 SSHighway, Sun Valley Drive, Parañaque City, Metro Manila. MEMBER: Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Philippines Graphic invites its readers to become literary contributors (fiction, poetry). Original, certified contributions must be sent to the Graphic’s editorial office or e-mailed to editorial.graphic@gmail.com (Attn: Literary Editor), and submitted in Word file, 12 points, double-spaced (disc supplied if hard copy), accompanied by the author’s name (even if published under a pseudonym), address and contact numbers. If previously published or submitted elsewhere for consideration, please indicate relevant information. The Philippines Graphic reserves all rights related to editorial selection and publication of literary pieces on its pages. All writers whose fiction stories and poetry are published in the magazine, including the winners of the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards, agree to have their works published in anthologies designed and spearheaded by the editors of the Philippines Graphic. Rights over the works remains with the author.

March 30, 2020-April 06, 2020

Graphic

when her husband Porfirio Lobo was President. The case was originally brought by the Organization of American States’ anti-corruption mission. Investigators for the nongovernmental National Anti-Corruption Council have told prosecutors that Bonilla deposited $600,000 in government funds into her personal bank account five days before Lobo ended his four-year term in January 2014. Prosecutors said she used the money to buy jewelry and pay credit cards.

A police officer grabs a poster reading "we don't need an expired president!" from a protester's hands during a single picket protest against constitutional changes near the Constitutional Court building in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, March 15, 2020. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law for constitutional changes that could keep him in power for another 16 years, a step that must still be approved in a nationwide vote. (AP PHOTO/DMITRI LOVETSKY)

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law on constitutional changes that could keep him in power for another 16 years, a step that must still be approved in a nationwide vote. Putin signed the measure on March 14, the Kremlin said, three days after it sailed through the Russian parliament with only one vote against. It must be approved by the country’s Constitutional Court and in a referendum set for April 22. Under current law, Putin would not be able to run for President again in 2024 because of term limits, but the new measure would reset his term count, allowing him to run for two more six-year terms. He has been in power since 2000. Other constitutional changes further strengthen the presidency and emphasize the priority of Russian law over international norms—a provision reflecting the Kremlin’s irritation with the European Court of Human Rights and other international bodies that have often issued verdicts against Russia. The changes also outlaw same-sex marriage and mention “a belief in God” as one of Russia’s traditional values.

HONDURAS COURT OVERTURNS 58-YEAR SENTENCE FOR EX-FIRST LADY TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Honduras’ Supreme Court has overturned a 58-year prison sentence against former First Lady Rosa Elena Bonilla and ordered a new trial for her. Court spokesman Melvin Duarte said on March 13 the sentence was overturned because of procedural and other errors during the first trial. In September, a lower court had convicted Bonilla of embezzling about $600,000 in government money between 2010 and 2014,

March 30, 2020-April 06, 2020

Graphic

SEVERAL DETAINED IN CHINA OVER QUARANTINE BUILDING COLLAPSE BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities have taken several people into custody as part of their investigation into the collapse of a coronavirus quarantine facility that killed 29 people. Officials told reporters that preliminary investigations had shown “serious problems exist in the construction, renovation and examination and approval” of the Xinjia Hotel, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The hotel in the southeastern city of Quanzhou was being used to quarantine suspected coronavirus patients when it came crashing down on March 7. Forty-two people survived the disaster Xinhua quoted Quanzhou’s Executive Deputy Mayor Hong Ziqiang as saying that “those responsible for the accident have been taken into custody,” but gave no details.

social media

TECH

Biden virtual town hall marks new normal for campaigning

Quote of the Week

“Illness strikes men when they are exposed to change.” ~ Ancient Greek historian Herodotus

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

By SARA BURNETT and BILL BARROW Associated Press

HICAGO (AP) — Joe Biden held a town hall in Illinois—or at least tried to—from 800 miles away in Delaware. Bernie Sanders is staging daily news conferences from Vermont, instead of his usual rallies around the country with thousands of supporters. The global coronavirus pandemic has sent the 2020 presidential campaign into a virtual phase. Big rallies and handshakes are out. Virtual phone banks and town halls are the new normal. Political parties and groups are canceling in-person gatherings. States holding primaries in coming weeks have urged more voters to cast ballots by mail and extended hours for early voting centers in an effort to avoid election day crowds. Louisiana’s governor said he planned to postpone his state’s Apr. 4 primary to June. The Biden campaign scrapped plans for a Chicago rally ahead of Illinois’ Tuesday primary due to warnings from public and health officials against large gatherings. Instead, the Democratic front-runner was supposed to take questions Friday in a virtual town hall via Facebook live. But it was a rocky start. The livestream started after Biden had begun speaking, cutting off his introduction, and at one point Biden— holding a cell phone in his hand — turned and walked partially off camera, so viewers could no longer see his face. The stream lasted less than five minutes before wrapping up, with the campaign apologizing for “technical difficulties.” “I’m sorry this has been such a disjointed effort here because of the connections,” Biden said after answering a question about protecting endangered species. “There’s a lot more to say but I’ve already probably said too much to you.” Sanders, Biden’s rival for the Democratic nomination, has been holding daily press briefings from his home state, where he has blasted President Donald Trump and his administration’s response to the virus. Biden did the same in an address Thursday. Speaking to reporters Friday, Sanders was subdued—the emotional opposite of the big rallies that have helped fuel his support at the polls. He drew over 10,000 people at a Chicago rally on Saturday, before officials starting warning against large events. Sanders said his team has mastered the use of internet campaigning, livestreaming almost all of its events already. COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, for most people. It can cause more severe illness,

including pneumonia, for some people, especially older adults and those with existing health problems. Most people recover from it. Those with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover, according to the World Health Organization. With the coronavirus causing a sea change in presidential campaigning, candidates and their supporters worry that the virtual events won’t have the same impact. “We do more rallies than anybody else, and (they’re) often very well attended. I love to do them,” Sanders told reporters at a hotel in his home state of Vermont. “This coronavirus has

obviously impacted our ability to communicate with people in the traditional way that we do. That’s hurting.” In Chicago, Biden volunteer Lally Doerrer was preparing to have a few other supporters over to her home Friday to watch the virtual town hall. The retiree finished an online MBA program a few years ago and said it helped familiarize her with technology like virtual classrooms and the potential for it to reach many more people than a rally. And while she believes canceling large gatherings is the right thing to do, she doesn’t think the virtual events will have the same impact as when people come together in person. “There is a common physical element that comes from being face to face, or better yet marching side by side, and that’s what is lost in this,” Doerrer said. At Biden headquarters, Friday is the last day before the campaign moves to a work-athome model for everyone, from the most senior advisers to the newest organizer. The policy extends to field offices around the country, as well — just as the campaign was looking to build out the campaign toward a potential general election matchup against President Donald Trump. Trump himself has March 30, 2020-April 06, 2020

Graphic

canceled rallies, for now. Biden advisers are reluctant to talk about what the coming weeks may look like, mostly because they don’t know. They’ve not announced a public schedule beyond Friday’s town hall and a similar event in Miami on Monday, both replacing scheduled rallies ahead of Tuesday primaries. If anything, those events are tryouts for a new style, while aides continue monitoring public health advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a staff memo, Anita Dunn, Biden’s top strategist, and Jen O’Malley Dillon, his new campaign manager, said that as of Thursday, that guidance still suggests that “small gatherings are safe,” as long as no exposed persons participate. “We will continue to hold smaller events like roundtables, house parties and press statements,” besides the virtual events. It’s not the first time this election cycle that candidates have had to get creative about reaching voters. Stuck in Washington for Trump’s impeachment trial in the weeks before the kickoff Iowa caucuses, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar held telephone town halls with Iowa voters, and Sanders held nightly online chats where he spoke to supporters via live stream, offering updates on the impeachment trial and his campaign. Klobuchar, who said over 12,000 Iowa voters participated in one of her telephone town halls, also spoke via phone to voters in New Hampshire, the second state to vote. Warren held similar calls with voters in New Hampshire and South Carolina ahead of those states’ primaries, as she campaigned elsewhere. She suggested later while campaigning in person that she’d reached thousands of voters that way, but her campaign never released figures on how many people actually dialed in. Biden has held at least one virtual fundraiser, a rather uneventful telephone gathering on Dec. 5, when he called in and essentially delivered a modified version of a stump speech that he’s since overhauled. Last week, he called in to a fundraiser being held at a private residence in northern Virginia. Donors heard in person from former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who’s endorsed Biden, and Steve Ricchetti, one of his closest and longest-serving advisers, before the former vice president called in. Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press reporter Will Weissert contributed from Washington.

COVER

Quarantine:

Scenes from countless movies about viral contagion flashed through my mind. But I shrugged them off. Those were fiction. This is reality. It was a plan to reduce the chances of people getting ill of COVID-19, which was just declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic.

An impression from Mar. 12 to Mar. 17 By Fil V. Elefante

Before the start of the community quarantine, malls instituted temperature checks as a precaution for COVID-19. Despite these, authorities decided to shut down malls all over Metro Manila. (Photo by FVE)

he evening of Thursday, Mar. 12, was a surreal moment. It was as if life was imitating art as I sat there watching President Rodrigo Duterte announce: “Community quarantine is hereby imposed on the entire of Metro Manila.” Schools are to be closed and movement of people controlled. March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

Before malls were ordered closed in Metro Manila, temperature checks and hand cleansers were used in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by FVE)

Scenes from countless movies about viral contagion flashed through my mind. But I shrugged them off. Those were fiction. This is reality: A plan to reduce the chances of people getting ill of COVID-19, which was just declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. The President’s order would take effect on midnight of Mar. 15. Everyone in Metro Manila had a lit-

tle over 48 hours to get ready. Many tried. Even before the President made his televised speech, hordes of people crowded grocery stores intent on stocking up. For the over four million other Filipinos who worked in Metro Manila but lived outside the metropolis, the next few hours became a rush to get home and back. By Friday, Mar. 13, it had dawned on people that it was for real.

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Hand cleansers were installed in elevators as a precaution against COVID-19. (Photo by FVE)

Graphic

COVER

» Quarantine: An impression from Mar. 12 to Mar. 17 Then Sunday dawned. It was midnight of Mar. 15. Things actually went smoothly. It looked like the plan for the community quarantine would actually work. But it was really the calm before the storm.

Shelves emptied during the panic buying spree were now being restocked. (Photo by FVE)

A day before the start of the metro-wide community quarantine, the panic buyers were gone from this grocery. (Photo by FVE)

Friday, Mar. 13, it had dawned on people that it was for real. The President had announced that the alert level had been raised to Code Red Level 2 in the Philippines.

Drivers filled their vehicles up with fuel a day before the start of the community quarantine in Metro Manila. (Photo by FVE)

The President had announced that the alert level had been raised to Code Red Level 2 in the Philippines, with Metro Manila about go under community quarantine. Nobody really knew how to go about obeying the pronouncement. Wait for the guidelines, government officials said. Social distancing was to be the norm from now on. But life would go on. Everyone can still go to work except that, in order to enter or leave Metro Manila, people will have to show their ID cards and pass through a temperature scanner to weed out those with fever.

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

By Saturday, Mar. 14, everything seemed to have settled down. Groceries were restocking their shelves. Drivers were filling up the tanks of their vehicles calmly. There was still the usual traffic congestion in the streets. It was, more or less, business as usual. The malls were open. Sunday dawned. Midnight of Mar. 15. Things actually went smoothly, at first. It seemed like the containment would actually work. But it was really the calm before the storm. The morning of May 16 showed how things were actually going to be. When the mil-

lions of folk tried to get back to Metro Manila, the well-laid plans of the community quarantine broke. Social distancing couldn’t be followed as people lined up to get across the quarantine line, ID cards in their hands. Everyone was to be checked, those on foot and in vehicles. The checkpoints on the roads entering Metro Manila turned into chokepoints. The initial plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19 proved unworkable because of the sheer number of people. It was time to try another tack. By Tuesday, Mar. 17, an Enhanced

The shelves for bread were being restocked in this grocery. (Photo by FVE)

Some shelves were still empty in this grocery on the Saturday before the start of the community quarantine. (Photo by FVE)

This grocery imposed a limit on how many baby food formulas shoppers could buy. (Photo by FVE)

Paper towels and toilet paper were not a priority for panic buyers in this grocery. (Photo by FVE)

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

Some shelves were still empty in this grocery on the Saturday before the start of the community quarantine. (Photo by FVE)

COVER

» Quarantine: An impression from Mar. 12 to Mar. 17

It was time to try another tack. By Tuesday, Mar. 17, an Enhanced Community Quarantine was put in place. It won’t just cover Metro Manila. It would cover the whole of Luzon.

This bowling alley was usually full on a weekend. On the Saturday before the start of the community quarantine, it lies empty. (Photo by FVE)

Police officers at a quarantine checkpoint in Metro Manila. (Photo by Bernard Testa)

Fresh vegetables were still available in this grocery. (Photo by FVE)

These full shopping carts illustrate how shoppers rushed to stock up on supplies after Pres. Rodrigo Duterte announced that a community quarantine will be imposed in Metro Manila. (Photo by Matthew Pirante-Perez) March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

A police officer mans a checkpoint at the start of the community quarantine. (Photo by Bernard Testa)

Graphic

Community Quarantine was put in place. It won’t just cover Metro Manila. It would cover the whole of Luzon. The borders of Luzon would be shut to air, land, and sea travel. By this time, 187 cases of COVID-19 infections had been recorded with 14 people dead, at the time of this writing. It was the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in Southeast Asia. Schools and almost all work in the private sector had stopped. All public transport had been shut down. No one was to be on the streets. Foreigners were given 72 hours to leave Luzon before all flights, both international and domestic, would be suspended. Those who didn’t leave by that time would be considered to have accepted their being placed under the declared quarantine.

There was a clear unintended consequence. Those working in hospitals and other medical practitioners were exempted from the quarantine restrictions. Unfortunately, public transport had shut down. Many got stranded, mostly those who did not own private vehicles. Others, who lived near, walked to their places of work. But after being on a 24hour shift, the prospect of walking home was unpalatable to most. Within the next few hours, officials were scrambling to correct this oversight. Clearly, in the next few days of this month-long Enhanced Community Quarantine, a lot of adjustments have to be made. In the Philippines, no one has ever tried placing under quarantine an island of 57 million, I think.

Clearly, in the next few days of this month-long Enhanced Community Quarantine, a lot of adjustments have to be made. In the Philippines, no one has ever tried placing under quarantine an island of 57 million, I think.

Police check identity papers before people are allowed into Metro Manila. (Photo by Bernard Testa)

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

COVER

Citystate Palanca Tower Hotel Mandaluyong City Hall

Philippine General Hospital

Vista Hotel in Recto, Manila

Citystate Tower Hotel

Cabangon family continues to lend support to COVID-19 frontliners

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno

Mandaluyong Mayor Carmelita “Menchie” A. Abalos Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto

March 30, 2020-April 06, 2020

ive days after it was first posted on Facebook, the Cabangon family of the late Ambassador, business mogul, and philanthropist Antonio L. Cabangon Chua continues to provide a safe haven for hundreds of health frontliners battling the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) in Metro Manila.

Graphic

Pasig Municipal Hall

Dahlia Hotel in Pasig

As posted by Philippines Graphic editor-in-chief Joel Pablo Salud on his Facebook timeline last March 22, the following Cabangon family-owned hotels were lent “for free for the benefit of hundreds of health frontliners for the duration of the quarantine: City State Tower Hotel in Manila (Philippine General Hospital), Dahlia Hotel (Pasig City), Bermuda Hotel (Mandaluyong City), Citystate Palanca Hotel and Vista Hotel (Manila).” The said hotels are under the ALC Group of Companies headed by D. Edgard A. Cabangon, who also heads the ALC Media Group, which includes the Philippines Graphic, BusinessMirror, Pilipino Mirror, Cook Magazine, Health and Fitness, DWIZ 882, Home Radio, and CNN Philippines. The city governments of Manila and Pasig had previously announced that frontline

workers will be provided with free temporary accommodation in hotels for the duration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine due to COVID-19. A BusinessMirror column by Sen. Sonny Angara (who has also tested positive for COVID-19) reported that many other health-care workers have fallen ill or are in quarantine, while hospitals like the Makati Medical Center, the Medical City, and both St. Luke’s Hospitals have reached their respective limits. Some health workers have been placed under quarantine because of their first-hand exposure while treating COVID-positive patients, according to a CNN Philippines report. As of today, the Department of Health (DOH) has yet to release an official tally on

March 30, 2020-April 06, 2020

Graphic

the number of health workers who died due to COVID-19. Based on various media reports, the lives of some nine doctors have been claimed by the dreaded coronavirus. They include: Dr, Sally Gatchalian, president of the Philippine Pediatrics Society; Dr. Marcelo Jauchico, Pampanga Provincial Health Officer; Dr. Israel Bactol and former president of the Philippine Heart Association Dr. Raul Jara, Philippine Heart Center; Dr. Rose Pulido, oncologist, San Juan de Dios Hospital; Dr. Gregorio Macasaet III, anesthesiologist, Manila Doctors Hospital; Dr. Henry Fernandez of the Pangasinan Medical Society; Dr. Hector Alvarez, Novaliches District Hospital; and Dr. Raquel Seva, obstetrician-gynecologist, Evangelista Specialty Hospital, San Pedro Laguna.

blogbox

Staying home By Joel Pablo Salud

Here we are, fighting a war we do not want, a fight that leaves us prisoners at the very onset of the attack all because a virus is an enemy we can neither see nor feel

welcome the change. There is little one can do but stay put while on quarantine, and perhaps remember what it was like to hear the rustle of leaves, to smell the smokeless air, even enjoy the sight of a slightly bluer sky. Things we’ve all taken for granted in more ways than we’d like to admit. March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

It’s as if I’m a child again, reveling in long-gone days when the scent of earth on my tiny hands, the laughter of children in the morning and the colors of a garden under moonlight took my breath away. It never occurred to me for these to return, yet they did. But at what price is a question we must all be ready to answer. Metro Manila has been my home since birth. I’m a creature of stone and smog, of the yapping of ringtones at odd hours, the ruckus of neighbors, once even the reek of horse dung and teary-eyed stories told over the radio. It’s a city much too blaring to be heavensent. People do not always mind their own business, not even the rights of others to have some peace. One is regularly confronted by a curious—if not drunken—gaze while awaiting a ride home, an accidental bump from behind, a screaming line or two out of nowhere, or a song rising to the drumbeat of a funeral chorus in some videoke bar across the street. The noise never ends. It’s morning shows, talk shows, noontime shows which, in many ways, show the world we are dying

to be entertained. But I have learned to somehow isolate, amid the ruckus, a sentence or two from a person’s conversation over the cellphone, a story whispered by the cashier to her workmate, even a distant voice from only Waze-knows-where, like a mother scolding a child for handling a figurine in a mall. I’ve ranted over and over against our security guards for the ruckus which keeps them awake in the middle of their graveyard shift. And then a sudden miracle. I was treated to the opera last night: a Visayan kundiman sung with the plucking of a guitar. Under lockdown, our gated community’s security guards have found a way to charm not only the neighbors but even the lowly bats that circle for prey at night. Clearly something has changed. I am not a person accustomed to slowing down, to being forced into a room against my will, to taking stock of faces and places and memories long quarantined in the past. The years I’ve spent as editor have taught me to anticipate what might become of the future in that cosmic spirit we call the deadline. The past we either leave to the dictates of context, which editors prefer, or

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

the estimation of seers. But here we are, fighting a war we do not want, a fight that leaves us prisoners at the very onset of the attack all because a virus is an enemy we can neither see nor feel. This one doesn’t even posit symptoms for the most part. God, I wish there’s more we could do than hole ourselves up in some room or house, one stacked with food, books, the amenities of lower middle-class earnings, and loving members of the family. Regardless of misgivings, I am thankful for this humble hiding place. The three million homeless in Manila, the most number for any city in the world, however, will not stand a chance--either from the virus or hunger. Worse, the cold, overbearing attitude of some soldiers. The first two days I was forced to stay indoors was a treat, or so I thought. A writing life of close to 40 years has taken its toll—insomnia, weight loss, memory gaps—all of which are the result of a terrible dearth in sleep. Hence my anticipation of better things while under strict quarantine. Last night was my first eight-hour sleep in thirty years. I have breakfast, lunch

blogbox »

Staying home and dinner brought to me by my wife on our veranda. A German frankfurter in a bun spread evenly with mustard, catsup and mayonnaise, topped with coleslaw. Japanese noodles and toast. Beef kaldereta on steaminghot rice. Fried milkfish served with a side-dish of veggies boiled in coconut milk. An endless supply of liberica coffee from my hometown. What else can a man ask for, save perhaps a pack of cigarettes? I get to kiss and hug my baby with a bit more warmth, and not the commonplace remoteness of a journalist in a hurry. Same is true with my other kids. I am more fortunate than most people, I guess. I can stay all day at my writing table by the veranda without anxiety getting between me and my writing. This morning, even while under quarantine, my fellow editors used every available digital technology to get the work done, edit the stories, I mean, minus us arguing or agreeing in a cramped grey-walled newsroom. One story gave me a headache. A poem made me smile. I had wondered about the relevance of a photo I found on the last page.

I cannot say the same for all the health workers struggling in 48- to 72-hour shifts to save a life while simultaneously risking their own. I cannot say the same for the lowly soldier manning the checkpoints, whose guns and training will not stand a chance against contagion. Neither can I say the same for field journalists who insist on covering as much area of the quarantine as permitted by the guidelines. True, no story is worth a journo’s life. But we say that to ourselves only because we need to watch each other’s backs. Left to his or her own devises, a journalist will get his or her story come tyranny or contagion. Death can wait. Last night, I prayed for my family in a manner that I had not done in years. “Forget me, dear God. Just spare my wife and children, my mother, my family and my friends,” I said. I tried to read, but couldn’t get past the third line. Movies leave a sour taste in the heart. Whenever I close my eyes, I feel the anxiety of each and every health worker everywhere in the world.

Unknown to many, prior to becoming a journalist and a writer, I had wanted to be a doctor. It tears at me like a knife. But on some quiet occasion, in the silence of the wee hours, it works like a scalpel out to tear away a lifetime of hubris. Such a procedure can never be anything but painful, I’m sure. Yet I have convinced myself long before all this that if such a pain is necessary for someone to change, then perhaps I leave myself little choice but to hang in there. Who knows, perhaps I might even survive this. Today, the President has declared a state of calamity. The number of infected has reached 187, the death toll is 14. Using the law of averages, there ought to be more than what we are being told. The Philippine General Hospital seems to have used up all its test kits. Other hospitals are down to their bare essentials. In Italy, roughly 2,000 have been pronounced dead due to the infection. One Italian newspaper, in its appeal to continue covering the news while on lockdown, has published more than a thousand obituaries— names, faces, addresses—to remember the dead in its pages. Hours ago, I chanced upon the words of C. JoyBell C., the famed science fiction author. She said, “This virus will leave us entirely newborn people. We will all be different, none of us will ever be the same again. We will have deeper roots, be made of denser soil, and our eyes will have seen things.” How I wish that were true for every single human being. For the present threat to change us, restructure our largely flawed priorities. That after the virus has exhausted its virulence,

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

mankind would rethink his right of way, start fresh on his course to a future free of the bog and the degradation of the long crumbling status quo. Perhaps this will even force humankind to make amends—with himself and the world around him. To craft decisions to the tune of us being our brother’s keeper more than our brother’s killer. But there are lessons learned and lessons lost, wasted in the bin of neglect. There are people for whom no amount of fear and pain and grief can change their course. They mistake their power for the power of Nature—stubborn, firm, unyielding. Little do they realize that something as insignificantly small as a virus could actually change the course of life and time, to say nothing of people’s strengths and wills. I revel in the silence, but only if it’s the lull before the storm. The last few days have been a revelation. And journalist and friend Inday EspinaVarona has been saying long before contagion struck: we have no government, and that what we are seeing is a veneer of a structure less likely to survive the quarantine—much less the anger of the people—should it continue in its incoherent and largely hopeless course. Should this time arrive, we will all have to again leave our homes and gather where the fires had once been lit. For now, even as we wade through quarantine by our lonesome, we must come to realize that “we are not worlds, nor infinity, we have no claims on stone,” as the poet Stephen Spender said, “except to prove in the invention of the city our hearts, our intellect, our love.” Our city is in lockdown. The time has come to love.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

BAYAN KO! At kung paano ito hinabi ni Lualhati Bautista Ni Che Sarigumba

BANG-IBA na ang panahon noon sa kasalukuyan. Noon, tila nakakulong sa kuwadro ang isang babae. Ngayon, pinapantayan na nito at kung minsan nga ay hinihigitan pa ang mga kalalakihan. Hindi na rin mabilang ang mga

teknolohiyang namamayagpag ngayon na nakatutulong upang mapadali ang pang-araw-araw na gawain. Nariyan na nga naman ang cellphone, gayundin ang laptop, computer o tablet. March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

At kasabay ng pagbabagong ito, pumupusyaw naman para sa ilang kabataan ang mga pangyayari sa nakaraan. May ilan ngang tila ayaw na itong balikan lalo pa’t hindi naman sila naging bahagi. Hindi nila naranasan. Wala sila sa naturang panahon kaya’t wala silang interes o pakialam. Kumbaga dahil nangyari na, gusto nilang manatiling kasaysayan na lang at ayaw alamin o pagtuunan ng pansin. Maraming kinaharap na pagsubok ang bansa magpahanggang Graphic

ngayon. Kaya’t hindi tamang maging mangmang ang kabataan sa mga pinagdaanan nito. Nararapat na kahit paunti-unti lamang, naimumulat ang henerasyon ngayon sa hirap at pasakit ng mga nagdaang panahon. Ngunit kung kasaysayan nga ang pag-uusapan, kadalasan ay boring o nakaaantok ang mga librong mayroon o puwedeng mapasadahan. Kaya’t imbes na kaaliwang basahin, inilalapag at iniiwan. Iniiwan na tila wala itong halaga. Kaya naman, malaking tulong ang mga kuwento ni Lualhati Bautista nang sa ganoon ay muling mabalikan ng kahit na sino—kabataan man o hindi—ang mga kinaharap ng bansa, gayundin ng mga nakatira rito noong unang panahon. Namumukod-tangi ang paraan ng pagkukuwento ni Lualhati Bautista, hindi lamang sa bago niyang librong BAYAN KO! kundi maging sa iba pa niyang mga obra. Lagi’t laging may dantay ng pangyayari sa nakaraan ang iniluluwal na mga akda. Isang akda niya ang nasaktan ako’t halos hindi ko maharap ay ang Desaparesidos. Habang namamaybay ako sa mga pahina ng libro, maya’t maya kong nakasasalamuha ang mga pangyayaring hindi ko magawang lunukin. Ang pakiramdam ko’y hinuhugot ako sa lugar at panahon kung saan nagaganap ang kuwento. Nariyang magimbal ako. Maluha. Mapatanga. Mapaisip. Manggalaiti. Maghimagsik ang loob. At dahil nga sa tila may kakaibang gayuma ang manunulat, sabihin mang nakasisikip ng dibdib ang pagsasalaysay sa naturang obra, hihilahin ka pa rin ng iyong sistemang tapusin ang pagbabasa nang makita nang buong-buo ang mga pangyayari. At kung bakit ito nangyayari. Ngunit kung may mga makabagbagdamdamin siyang kuwento, mayroon din namang magaan sa dibdib gaya ng kanyang Bata…Bata… Paano ka Ginawa?

Sa madaling salita, gamay na gamay na ng awtor kung paano higitin ang kagaya kong mambabasa sa lugar at panahon kung saan nangyayari ang isang kuwento. Kung paanong makihati sa emosyong nararamdaman ng bawat tauhan. Lahat ng kanyang mga obra ay hindi ko pinalalampas. Kung mayroon ngang isang manunulat o awtor na lagi’t lagi kong inaabangan ang pagluluwal ng panibagong obra, isa riyan si Lualhati Bautista. Madalas niya kasi akong dinadala pabalik sa mundo o panahong hindi ko nakagisnan. Dahil sa kanyang mga kuwento, nagkakaroon ako ng panibagong pagtingin sa mga bagay-bagay. At ang patlang na nananahan sa aking puso’t isipan, dahil nga hindi ako nabuhay sa panahong buhay na siya, ay napupunan. Sa pamamagitan ng kanyang mga akda, malinaw niyang ipinakikita kung gaano kabrutal ang mundo. Kung gaano minamaliit ang isang babae noong kanyang kapanahunan. Kung paanong kailangan mong sumunod para sa ikabubuti “kuno” ng lahat ngunit parusa naman ito sa iyo. Muli, sa BAYAN KO! ni Lualhati Bautista ay natalunton ko ang panahon ng digmaan o giyera. Naramdaman ko ang bigat na pasan-pasan ni Juliana sa una niyang kuwentong “Ang Pag-ibig ay Isang Tula”. Si Juliana na may sariling gusto—ang pagsusulat ng tula—ngunit tahasan iyong ipinagbabawal ng ama dahil kahihiyan lamang ang dulot nito. Kung paanong sa “Panakot Uwak” na ang isang babae ay nagpapahinuhod sa gusto o nais ng mas nakatataas gaya na nga lang ni Padre Roque. Na kung papansinin mo sa kuwento, isang alagad ng simbahan na may kababalaghang ginagawa. Kung paanong sa “Sayaw ng Kapayapaan” ay mababanaagan mo ang pagpapakita ng kabutihan ngunit kabaliktaran pala ang nais. Kung paanong ang pagtingin natin sa dayuhan ay tila Diyos at pinaniniwalaan ang March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

kanilang salita. At ang tingin naman sa atin ng mga ito ay mababang uri na puwede nilang pasunurin. Kagaya ng tropa ni Tyrone. Kung paanong sa “Giyera” makikita mo ang pagiging brutal ng mga mananakop. Inilarawan dito ng manunulat ang dalawang klase ng ugaling mayroon ang mga karatig bansa. Una, na ang isang kagaya ni John na sundalong Amerikano ay umibig sa isang Filipinang si Ising. Ngunit dala ng mga pangyayari, napilitang magkalayo ng landas. At ang ikalawa, ang kalapastanganan ng mga Hapon sa mga babaeng walang asawa na ginagawang comfort women. Parausan sa madaling sabi. Na karamihan ay hindi kinaya ang hirap at pasakit kaya’t namatay. Ipinakita rin ng awtor sa kuwentong ito na sa kabila ng mga pangyayaring masalimuot ay umuusbong ang pag-ibig, gayundin ang bagong pag-asa. Habang binabasa ko ang nakapaloob na apat na kuwento sa BAYAN KO! muli akong niyakap ng iba’t ibang pakiramdam. Muli’t muli, hindi nagkulang ang awtor na iparamdam sa akin ang mga emosyong nais kong malasap sa kanyang mga obra. Mga pakiramdam gaya ng galit at paghihimagsik, lungkot, pag-ibig, kaligayahan at panibagong pag-asa. May talab ng punyal ang bawat kuwento ni Lualhati Bautista na hindi lamang sa puso tumatama, kundi maging sa isipan ng kahit na sinong makababasa. Maganda ang atake sa bawat kuwento. Sumasabay ang lenguwahe sa panahon ngayon kaya’t kayang-kaya rin itong masabayan ng millennials. At sa mga kuwentong nakapaloob sa BAYAN KO! muli akong nagkaroon ng dahilan para lumaban, hindi lamang para sa pag-ibig, kundi higit para sa bayan. Panibagong ehemplo ang koleksiyong ito para mahalin at ipaglaban ang kapayapaan at pagkakapantay-pantay.

She only had herself: her hand gripped hers since no one was physically present to hold them.

FICTION

The awakenings Samson V. Edillo

Di.

JIMBO ALBANO

24 24

MarchFebruary 30, 2020—April Graphic 17, 20206, 2020 Graphic

Everyone wanted to be around him. He is perfection, they say. He was orphaned from birth. His mother, lunatic Mika, never left him, but severe depression took its toll. She succumbed to the harshness of a life that had forsaken her after she was impregnated by a man she never met and disowned by the parents she never had. Mika was a fine young lady growing up. Her eyes were iridescently beautiful, yet no one noticed them because she often hid them from people. She only had herself: her hand gripped hers, since no one was physically present to hold them. Her lame excuse for parents would do everything to hurt her, either by abusive whips, or hurtful words. She sometimes wondered which gave more potent pain. She became deaf, and mute and there were days when she was numb all over. There were afternoons where she would sit under the tamarind tree near their rented house and stare at people with wistful eyes. People stared back, often with condescension or annoyance, or other reactions she couldn’t even fathom. Days spent people-watching did not prepare her for their spectrum of emotions. Then one night, under the red moonlight, the first awakening moved like leaves swept to mulch. She fell asleep in the garden. Suddenly she was awakened by a quaver of fibrillations brought by a tender touch on her face by a young, beautiful man who was staring at her with passion and desire. Never did anyone show her such attention, yet this stranger smiled at her with intensity. A thousand inexplicable feelings rushed through her veins as his fingertips drifted over her cheeks and his red lips touched hers and locked her in a passionate kiss that made her long to hold and own his being. She stared at him for a while and she saw his wayward, curly hair. His eyes were soft and friendly. He lured the first genuine smile from her timidity and melancholia. He wrapped her wrists with his fingers and pulled her back down. She

March 30, 2020—April 6,2020 2020 February 17,

was very appalled by the feelings that enveloped her whole being with this stranger. Pinned to the softness of the meadows, the roses even at night seemed to glow with her, their petals bled with the color of a permanent blush. That was her first and last taste of extreme joy and happiness. The stranger she shared a torrid evening with was never found. Pain, loneliness and the uncertainty of the future consumed her. First, the imaginary ticks, then a mass of hysteria, then lurid black, and a coiling that started within her. After few weeks, she discovered she was pregnant. She was found heaving and emptying her guts on the bathroom floor. Her parents went ballistic. She was driven away as thunder clapped in the distance, piercing rain be damned. She took refuge in the kindness of the city. She lived in the company of beggars, amid the cacophony of crickets, and the lights that never go away. In the witching hour that May day, Di was born while her sanity drifted away. She slipped away one day, never to be found again, leaving Di at his grandparents’ doorstep. After finding the baby, they brought him to the orphanage. ••• The awakening happened to Di when he turned 16 in the guise of the dreams that haunted him. He barely remembered anything except the image of a young man who stared at him with sad, illuminated eyes. He continued to appear in his dreams. He tried to recollect how this young man looked, but his mind could not recapture anything because his face was obscured by the darkness of the night. Di switched the lights on, his fellow orphans snored in reckless surrender of the lives they lived. He went into the study room and gazed at himself in the big mirror. Di liked what he saw. He stared at himself. He examined his eyes, his face, his lips, and his nose. He touched his cheeks and offered a faint smile. Slowly undressing, he loved what he saw. He had a sudden jolt of pride and satisfaction.

25 Graphic Graphic 25

Di grew up to be a Lothario, the orphaned girls basically worshipped the ground that he trod. There’s Janine with big-hair energy. There’s Mikaela and her patrician nose. Then there’s Angela, with the loveliest legs. But no one awakened in him the blinding desire to hold, want, and kiss a girl. The rest of his life in the orphanage was spent in the frenzy of time with the other boys his age, playing with pellet guns, throwing pranks at annoyed girls, exploring uncharted territories from undisclosed legends. Plotted dates with different women turned out to be failures. The closest thing that Di could do for a one-night stand was through peer pressure. They met in a bar and had far too many drinks. She seemed to be a nice girl. However, she was as interesting as a paper bag. Yet he wanted to try her. They spent an hour more in the bar and he really got a little tipsy and wobbly. Then she started kissing him. He tried kissing back, but there was a certain emptiness that could not be denied. When she used the ladies’ room as they were both wanting a way out, he casually slipped her a letter by the tall whiskey glass and went out into the night. He dodged awkward encounters that could end up wasted. That moment seemed too much for Di. But he thought that was better than being confounded before a girl. Then there’s Darren. He was this newly-hired junior finance analyst from the company that he helped build from the ground up. He had an aura of freshness, like distilled air and cockiness that bordered on sexiness. The name Darren suited him well. It was as sexy and elegantly masculine as himself. He looked impassive as he was talking to his department’s boss. And so his days were spent thinking of Darren and nights still haunted by the same dream back when he was still in the orphanage. Often, he would find himself perplexed thinking of the man in his dream. Hitherto, he couldn’t still figure out his face no matter what he did. ••• Suddenly, Di caught him staring straight at his face. Then their eyes met. The intensity of his gaze was searing. It felt like his entire attention was on him which made him feel fervid.

“Hi! Di, this is Darren, a newly hired junior finance analyst,” the manager broke his momentary hiatus. “I’d like him to work with you for a while till he learns everything about this job,” continued the manager. Darren offered his hand and Di gently took it. He smiled politely and mischievously as Di remained composed. Di caught a glimpse of his smile and, for some crazy reason, the sight of him stoked some dormant, forgotten stirrings. Rising to his feet, Di led the way to the door going to his office. Darren quietly followed, and he could hear even the barest breath of air beside him. He couldn’t understand why he was feeling awkward this way. “So this is my office and, for the meantime, you can use the other table while I teach you everything you need to know until you can be by yourself and work on your own,” gasped Di, who seemed to run out of air. The ghost of a smile touched his lips. Di spent the whole day trying to hold his composure while teaching, guiding and helping Darren learn the particulars of his work. He could actually feel Darren’s breathing on his ears, which made him feel even more uncomfortable. He looked back and he saw him grinning as if he was enjoying the moment. Stepping into the car, Di loosened his necktie and tried to recompose himself. He closed his eyes gently and tried to calm his nerves before driving. He needed to restore his focus and his sanity after a really blood-gushing day with this young man who suddenly held him hostage and possessed his being. Slowly as he lifted his face while starting the car, he saw Darren looking him over, lips curved into naughty, heart-stopping smile. Di gave out a sharp gasp and shivered at the thought that had been occupying him. He made a forceful move and drove his car home. Immediately, Di immersed himself in his bathroom leaving nothing, not even a single piece of cloth to cover his nakedness. He closed his eyes and tried to recollect those baffling stares from Darren. He remembered his dreams again. The man

26 26

March 30, 2020—April February 17, 2020 6, 2020GraphicGraphic

in his dream. “Would it be him? Would it be Darren who has been appearing in his dream? If it’s him then why?” He rose to his feet and his bareness illuminated the room. He was still as physically perfect as he perceived himself to be. He gulped down a glass of wine with abhorrence, all so he could drift into sleep. He took another and emptied it until his eyelids felt heavy enough to lull him to a deep nothingness. His sigh echoed softly and, out of the bold night, a man appeared to him. Dim light from a distance scintillated over the man. He stared closely at the man and studied his face like a puzzle. His face looked intensely familiar. His nose, lips, his hair… all seemed to be like HIS. All belonged to him. He stared at the man’s eyes and they were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen in his life, but they were also the loneliest eyes in the world. Those eyes were very much like his. Yes! Very much his very own eyes! The man disappeared past the curtains, gone as fast as he came. Di had pulled some strings and, before the day ended, Darren was begging not to be laid off from his job. “I don’t think he’s up for the challenge. We’re better off without him,” Di told his immediate supervisor and, in an instant, Darren was dismissed and told to pack his things. Darren pleaded and begged for mercy because he really needed the job for his mother, who has been battling cancer, but Di never cared. Di never cared for anyone anyway. Even those people who cared for and loved him. He ignored them. He shut them out of his life. Di never really had a friend since childhood. He had never loved anyone. Not anyone. The whole day, Di was consumed by his dream. The man that had been appearing in his dream was HIM. He was confused and dazed. “Why would I visit myself in my dream?” he asked himself blankly. The day ended with Di endlessly baffled. ••• That night, Di was completely perturbed, in his room. His nakedness hadn’t changed his

mood. He stared at his reflection and he still admired those piercing lips, those mystical eyes, the skin festooned by perfectly-curved muscles. His shoulders were broad, but not bulky, the hardness of his chest emphasized his lean waist and long legs. He took a sip of his mulled Chardonnay while remaining fascinated by his reflection in the mirror. He loved him so much. Yes, the man in the mirror. The man he has been dreaming of all the nights of his life. The man who only gave him sexual desire and satisfaction. Yes, now Di realized the reason why he never felt sexual attraction to all those beautiful girls back in high school and college. Not even those successful women in the corporate world who attempted to lure him with their aggressiveness. None of the girls ever caught him nor brought him a feeling of wanting to hold, to touch, to kiss, to own. Neither did Darren, to whom he thought he was physically attracted. The young man he thought was the man in his dream. Yes, Di is in love with Di. Di is in love with himself. It was dark outside and a storm seemed likely to lash out at any time. Di is dancing in his barest self, embracing himself, singing and laughing. Intoxicated and still drinking. Besotted by all his achievements, his money, his car, his position, his house, his everything. He stared at himself in the mirror again. That man…that great man… Then suddenly, out of the middle of the darkest night, came a loathsome light striking from a distance with fury, latching the man in the mirror with a blazing blow that sent a deafening silence into that room forever. Di was found clutching his heart. Sam V. Edillo is the recipient of Guronasyon Award for Outstanding Secondary Schools Teacher in DepEd Antipolo City. This is his first foray into fiction writing after co-authoring a grammar book. He is currently a Head Teacher I in San Isidro National High School, Antipolo City.

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

POETRY

Karlo Silverio Sevilla

Love in the Time of COVID- 19 If ever there is a quickie for a kiss, this is it (far from French), between my wife and me on our fifteenth wedding anniversary that we celebrate tonight at home with our three children whose classes are suspended and will attend school again, at the earliest, in a month (hopefully). For our special occasion— while watching on TV news the imposition of the lockdown, and reading online news on my smartphone about the death of a patient at Philippine Heart Center (which is less than a kilometer from where we live and where my wife always passes by on her way to work) - we dine on one small chocolate cake, fried chicken, and beef pasta (which noodles are too thick for spaghetti yet too thin for lasagna). Our dear children, we haven’t kissed since when. But I couldn’t resist pinching the cheek of our youngest, our six-year-old daughter Maleeha (after sanitizing my hands with alcohol which is neither beer nor wine). I pinch and pray. I pinch, and pray.

Praxis for Nicaraguan liberation theologian, poet, and priest, Fr. Ernesto Cardenal (20 January 1925 –1 March 2020) To live and love until arms wear out and there is only the wounded and withering heart. To live and love until the word is no more and there is only the healed but withered heart then the heart is no more and nothing is wounded nor withers and everything bright and new.

Graphic 2828 Graphic

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020 July 15, 2019

March 30, 2020—April 6, 2020

Graphic

BILLBOARD

BDO FOUNDATION REHABS CAPIZ, ILOILO AND NEGROS OCCIDENTAL HEALTH CENTERS Lemery, Iloilo—Now that BDO Foundation has successfully rehabilitated more than 80 rural health units across the country, public health officials have taken notice. Concerned about the health and well-being of their constituents, they have called on the foundation to sustain its corporate citizenship initiative to reach beneficiaries in more communities. One such community is the fourth-class municipality of Lemery in Iloilo. According to Lemery Rural Health Unit municipal health officer Dr. Helen Grace Palmejar, when she visited a neighboring town and saw a health center rehabilitated by the foundation, she was very impressed. “I was amazed by the transformation of the facility,” remembered Dr. Palmejar, who immediately wrote BDO Foundation to seek support for their health center in Lemery. “When

we learned that our rural health unit was also going to be rehabilitated by BDO Foundation, my staff and I were very happy and excited.” A few months later, the project was completed. “We are grateful to the foundation for this noble endeavor to upgrade our rural health unit, which we consider our second home, as well as our birthing clinic. Thank you for your generosity and compassion to serve the people of Lemery. We are honored and privileged to be a beneficiary of your rehabilitation program,” said an emotional Dr. Palmejar, who held back tears as she graciously accepted the newly rehabilitated health facility at the turn over ceremony. Lemery Rural Health Unit is one of the latest rehabilitated by BDO Foundation as part of on-going efforts to help improve healthcare services in the country in line with the United

Nations Sustainable Development Goal no. 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of people of all ages. Recently, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank also renovated Panay Municipal Health Office in Capiz and Bago City Health Office in Negros Occidental. BDO Foundation improved the health centers’ layout, interior design, facilities, reception and waiting areas, offices, clinics, consultation rooms, treatment rooms, and spaces for health workers and patients. The foundation constructed spaces where children can read books and play as well as waiting lounges for the comfortable use of senior citizens. The rural health units were refurbished to be more mother- and child-friendly. New furniture and fixtures were also installed. With all these improvements in place, doctors, nurses and midwives

BDO Foundation has rehabilitated more than 80 rural health units all over the Philippines, the latest of which are in Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental. are now better equipped to provide primary and maternal health services to more than 254,000 people from 97 barangays. The newly rehabilitated rural health units in Bago, Lemery and Panay were inaugurated in events led by BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito and BDO Foundation program director Rose Espinosa together with branch heads of BDO and BDO Network Bank in the three provinces.

CDO FOODSPHERE ENSURES CONTINUOUS FOOD SUPPLy

CDO Foodsphere, Inc., one of country’s leading food companies, expressed its commitment in ensuring the public on the continuous supply of food during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). The Company is operating its production facility 24/7, despite some challenges brought about by the quarantine. “We initially experienced a drop in headcount because of difficulties encountered in checkpoints,” explained CDO Foodsphere president Jerome D. Ong, “but with the help of the Department of Trade and Industry, and local government units, these issues have been addressed. Now, our team has regained momentum and our production capacity has steadily increased.” In CDO Foodsphere’s efforts to

help its employees, the company has provided shuttle services for those who wish to go home to their families. These shuttle services are available in areas where employees reside, and bring them to and from work daily. The shuttles follow the prescribed number of passengers by the Department of Transportation in compliance with social distancing measures. At the same time, all employees are provided with masks and daily doses of vitamins to help boost their immune systems. CDO Foodsphere’s facilities undergo cleaning and disinfection frequently to prevent the spread of any disease. For employees who live far from the factories, CDO Foodsphere has provided temporary accommodation within the facilities and nearby

dormitories. “We are continuously doing what we can to protect our employees during this time, especially those who have committed to come to work everyday so that we can continue to produce food for consumers,” added Mr. Ong, “They are our very own heroes in this fight against COVID-19.” CDO Foodsphere, Inc. is one of the food companies who are answering the call of the national government and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to ensure that food supply for Filipinos will continue during the

enhanced community quarantine. The company has approximately 5,000 people in its workforce and has facilities in Valenzuela and Batangas. On top of its commitment to ensure adequate food supply, CDO is working closely with the national government, local government units, NGOs and civic organizations in providing not just immediate assistance but renewed hope to our most affected countrymen during these challenging times. “We are a Filipino company and in our 45-year history, we have witnessed firsthand how Filipinos triumph over challenges by simply working together. We strongly believe that our people will make it through this ordeal, and it is our responsibility to be able to help in whatever way we can, “said Jerome D. Ong.

DA CHIEF: “DON’T PANIC, wE HAvE ENOUGH FOOD!” The Department of Agriculture (DA) assures all Filipino families that there is enough food for everyone that are accessible in public markets and through outlets of DA-initiated “KADIWA ni Ani at Kita,” as some areas in Metro Manila are placed under “community quarantine” due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We call on the general public to buy only their daily or weekly food requirements and refrain from overstocking or panic buying,” said agriculture secretary William Dar. “We at the Department of Agriculture will ensure the sufficient and continuous supply

of basic necessities and perishable commodities, and make these available in public markets, and Kadiwa stores for the benefit of all family households, particularly in depressed communities,” the DA chief added. “For our basic staple, rice, the current inventory at various NFA

warehouses nationwide is good for at least 80 days, and it will be further augmented by the incoming palay harvest this current dry season, providing additional stocks for another two to three months,” the DA chief said. “Together with the rice stocks held by the private sector and households, we will have a 35-week rice supply, which means this is good for at least nine months,” Secretary Dar said. “Further, to ensure readily available and affordable supply of other basic food commodities, we have gathered initial commitments

March 30, 2020 —April 6, 2020

Graphic

from the private sector and DA regional offices to sufficiently supply the needs of Metro Manila residents, under our Food Resiliency Action Plan,” he added. He said the plan includes the strategic positioning and efficient distribution of basic food commodities, including the monitoring of suggested retail prices of the same in public markets in Metro Manila. Other than rice, the other basic food items include pork, chicken, eggs, other poultry products, fish, vegetables, fruits, sugar, cooking oil, and other coconut by-products.

SM FOUNDATION, GOLDILOCKS BRING BREAD & PASTRy PRODUCTS TO FRONTLINERS SM Foundation (SMFI), in partnership with Goldilocks, brought bread, cakes, and other pastry products to 30 hospitals and medical facilities around the National Capital Region (NCR) in hopes of bringing smiles to the brave and hardworking COVID-19 frontliners. SMFI and Goldilocks acknowledge the vital and tedious roles of all COVID-19 frontliners and intend to provide them with short relief with its products during the COVID 19 battle. Through the social good partnership, a total of 2,900 buns, 6,200 cakes, and many other pastry products were distributed from March 18 - 20. This effort complements the other initiatives of the SM

COVID-19 frontliners received sweet treats from SM Foundation and Goldilocks. Group in response to the COVID-19 crisis–which include the waiving of mall tenant rentals nationwide and the P100 million donation to

government hospitals which will be used in acquiring personal protective equipment (PPEs), testing kits, and other medical supplies.

SHARP INSTALLS AIR PURIFIER AT SM BREASTFEEDING STATIONS collaborated to promote indoor clean air environment. Plasmacluster is a unique purifying technology developed by Sharp that provides comprehensive protection against airborne threats in a safe and chemical-free way. It disperses positive and negative ions that eliminates the effects of airborne threats by up to 99%, rendering them

Sharp (Phils.) Corporation (SPC) installs Plasmacluster Air Purifier at 74 Breastfeeding Stations in SM Malls Nationwide. SHARP, leading manufacturer and distributor of quality household and commercial appliance and SM Cares, a division of SM Foundation, Inc. that handles the corporate social responsibility program of SM Prime Holdings, Inc.,

inactive and capable of spreading. With the current outbreak of airborne diseases, This partnership aims to give the customers a cleaner and safer environment outside of our homes. Both companies are committed to provide protection and defense against these viruses for the benefit of their customers. Know more about PCI products at https://ph.sharp/.

DA OFFICES IN METRO MANILA TO SET UP KADIwA STALLS AMID qUARANTINE Agriculture chief William D. Dar has instructed the heads of the Department of Agriculture (DA) agencies in the National Capital Region to identify available spaces in their compound for the establishment of their respective “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” stalls to provide more options for the public to access affordable agri products. “We want to provide the public as many options possible to access affordable and nutritious food. The DA offices shall be ready to accommodate buyers, but they should, of course, follow the quarantine guidelines and physical distancing procedures,” Dar said. Kadiwa, which stands for “Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita,” is a marketing strategy of the DA which directly connects the food producers to the consumers, thereby lessening the cost of the products. It links the local government units (LGU) in urban centers to farmerproducers in different parts of the country to ease the delivery and distribution of food supply.

Secretary Dar has been continuously urging LGUs to engage in the Kadiwa services to help ensure food supply in metropolitan areas while providing markets to local farmers’ produce. Amid the enhanced community quarantine, residents of Cainta, Rizal enjoyed the benefits of the Kadiwa food market with at least four major farmers’ groups participating and bringing fresh fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products closer to households at very reasonable prices, Dar said. With many restaurants, shops and other services shutting down operations due to the enhanced community quarantine, Secretary Dar said that farmers’ groups participating in the Kadiwa program braved the initial set of logistical problems in order to deliver their produce to the people of Cainta. “This only proves our farmers’ commitment in ensuring that there will be stable, affordable and nutritious food supply for the people in this time of crisis,” Dar said. Farmers’ groups such as Baguio’s

Hola Green, Batangas Organic and Natural Farming Association, CamSur-based Agripreneur Farmers and Producers Association, and Mama Agnes of Bataan participated in the two-day food event held on March 21-22. “It’s a win-win for both consumers and producers with the Kadiwa event in Cainta for the farmers’ groups and residents enjoying affordable and nutritious agri-fishery products amid this health crisis,” Dar said. Through the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita initiative, Secretary Dar hopes to provide stable and cheap food supply for households affected by

March 30, 2020 —April 6, 2020

Graphic

the ongoing enhanced community quarantine. For her part, DA-Agribusiness Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said that they will be prioritizing the rollout of Kadiwa stores in Metro Manila and other densely populated metropolis, which are traditionally dependent on outside sources for food and nutritional requirements. “We are finalizing the details of our arrangement with LGUs in NCR, especially those with earlier commitments such as Quezon City, Pasig, Manila, Pasay, and Taguig,” Evangelista said. The DA is closely coordinating with its regional field offices through their Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) for possible suppliers that could address the requirements of the LGUs. It has also identified possible “Bagsakan” dropoff point/s where suppliers can directly deliver the required commodities of the LGUs for their relief operations. At least 66 Kadiwa sites will be opened nationwide, Evangelista added.—(Myriam Layaoen, DA Communications Group)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in 1960, under arrest by Atlanta Police Captain R.E. Little (left rear) passes through a picket line outside Rich's Department Store, in Atlanta. On King's right are Atlanta student movement leader Lonnie King and Spelman College student Marilyn Pryce. Holding the sign is Spelman student activist Ida Rose McCree. Following the publication of "An Appeal for Human Rights" on March 9, 1960, students at Atlanta's historically black colleges waged a nonviolent campaign of boycotts and sit-ins protesting segregation at restaurants, theaters, parks and government buildings. (AP Photo, File)

March 30, 2020â&#x20AC;&#x201D;April 6, 2020

Graphic