Datu Salumay: An Irony of green pastures

DAVAO CITY – As you step on the land of Barangay Datu Salumay of Marilog District in Davao City where the hard working peasants live, you will surely witness the wide ranges of abundantly green fields; you will somehow smell the future excitement of a big harvest and you will slightly hear the farmers’ anticipation to gather the crops and turn them to gold. But beyond this bountiful scenery, there’s a hidden irony. The community of Datu Salubay is besieged of hunger as its number one problem.

Flowers grow well at Datu Salumay.

Brgy. Capt. Merilyn Wayan unveiled the ironic reality of their green community in an interview with the Mass Communication students from the Ateneo de Davao University last month. Mrs. Wayan has shared the issue on poverty, which is a major struggle of the inhabitants in their barangay.

“It is true that we are delivering goods to the city market, as what you can see, we are an agricultural area. But it is also a reality that many of the residents here does experience starvation” said Mrs. Wayan.

The people’s tradition of prioritizing economic exchange while sacrificing their stomachs is the main reason why hunger is evident. The money they got from selling crops in the city markets directly goes to the payments of their credits. Leaving them without a single of centavo, or if there is, it is not enough for the family to buy foods.

The author facing the green mountains of Marilog District.

“They can eat camote and the like, but still they choose to sell everything. They store nothing for them to eat” a barangay kagawad stressed.

Beside from the local residents’ tradition, the family’s number has also an impact why they experience poverty.

According to Mrs. Wayan, the citizens are not aware of family planning. They don’t think of limiting the numbers of their kids. They assume that when their children will grow, they will have added workers to till the soil and plant crops in their lands.

Since the families don’t eat well, another problem co-exists. Malnutrition has been a glaring caused of hunger. The kids are the most vulnerable sector who is greatly affected by the crisis.

“We always ask help from the City Office in solving this problem. We perform immunization, feeding programs and the like to counter the crisis” said Mrs. Wayan.

Today, the small government of Datu Salumay is coordinating with Davao City Office’s project in strengthening the advocacy to correct the wrong practices and eradicate the pressing issues of their community.

“The local government is supportive. All we’re hoping for is the cooperation of our people.” Mrs. Wayan added.

Today, their small government unit is working hand on hand to attain their community goals. So that, sooner or later, there’ll be no more irony of Datu Salumay’s green pastures.

For a better Maguindanao

DAVAO CITY – The infamous massacre in Maguindanao that killed 58 lives of innocent individuals a year ago is an evidence of how prevalent impunity is in the Philippines.

It is no longer a surprise for us Filipinos to hear amassing of millions of money from the public’s fund and to see glaring mansions of powerful politicians. These are real faces of corruption -a politically-made-culture, which is not accepted yet continued to strike a chord in the long history of our politics.

Despite of the strong opposition and demand to end this evil, this practice of abuse has never eradicated. From the smallest sector of our government up to the national level, this sad reality is still unveiling.

Today, the people have never lost their hopes for a better country. The people are still wishing for a sincere and willful government. The demand for transparency has elevated. Progressive groups have taken step-by-step actions to correct the perverted system.

In pursuing the goal, the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project hosted a round table discussion last Jan. 25 at Water Front Insular Hotel in Davao City with a theme “ Maguindanao after 11.23: Building Accountability and Transparency.”

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, the main panelist of the event, shared his struggles in building an accountable and transparent province. In line with his eagerness of putting Maguindanao out of the list in the top ten poorest provinces in the country, he is now applying new strategies to restore the province.

The challenge in Maguindanao goes beyond the attainment of justice and the restructuring their provincial system of governance. But also to premium the need of quality education, empower their people and protection of their resources.

Gov. Mangudadatu asked the public to participate in this course of action, he further stressed that the Filipinos should not only watch Maguindanao but the whole country instead.

 

Skateboarders’ wish

SKATEBOARDING is a popular sport in the West. It ranks 3rd as the most well-liked game for the teenagers after football and basketball. It even gained its popularity all over the world because of its simple anatomy where it only requires yourself and the skateboard. No wonder why we have several young Dabawenyos in our city hooked at it.

Pinoy Skateboarders.

“Anyone could actually try skateboarding,” said Troy Bascon, a college student who is inclined in skateboarding. He viewed this sport as an activity where it doesn’t discriminate anyone.

you’re girl or boy, fat or thin, small or tall, young or old–everybody is welcome to try and enjoy it as long as they are able.

This sport is also a good way of self-expression.

“The tricks and moves a skater does are actually reflections of his personality. The gracefulness of how you move your feet and scroll with your skateboard is not only an art to be considered but also a mirror of a skater’s attitude,” Troy added.

However, despite of the positive effects skateboarding could bring to individuals, the eyes of the spectators aren’t that impressed with the so called “benefits”. Many Dabawenyos look at skateboarding as a dangerous activity in which young people should be discouraged to get into.

Worst, they are tagged as gangsters or bad guys. They are stereotyped as people who are possible snatchers around.

They think that it is a sport which is prone to accident. It could break your bones and give you wounds. But skaters believed that the dangers which you could possibly encounter are not exclusive to skateboarding only. They usually perceive that whatever sports you are in, you could probably get wounds, injuries and the like as long as you’re not careful. These possibilities are evident also in basketball and other prominent games.

“The lack of knowledge about this sport and about the skateboarders passion why they do (skating) are reasons why people tend to give judgment,” said Lee Roy Guzman, a skateboard competition organizer and a skater for 11 years.

Instead, this sport could give important values like discipline, camaraderie and a sort of escape from gangsterisms. It is actually considered as a leeway for a healthy lifestyle.

“We really want to eradicate the misconceptions around us,” Lee Roy stressed.

One of the biggest concerns of Dabawenyo skaters are the area where they could enhance their ability. They have nothing but city streets and parks like in Magsaysay where they could perform skateboarding.

For several years, they make of their own rails and ramp. They get nothing from anybody except from themselves.

“We did [ask] for support from the city government yet nothing happened,” Lee Roy said.

Skateboarders think that because they are in minority, they aren’t given premium. They are often neglected and misunderstood.

A city ordinance was passed banning skateboarders to go on streets. Since city law-enforcers want to keep order on our highways and prevent the occurrences of street accidents where skaters could have possible involvements.

That is why the small community of skateboarders wishes to ask the city government one thing “a skate park”. They want to have a place to practice and improve their craft. Since the ordinance doesn’t want them to be on streets then better provide them a venue where they could continue to thrive on their skating abilities.

Besides, the sport could be a room for tourism. Just like what is happening now in Manila and Cebu, skateboard competitions are considered as tourists’ attraction.

Like any other unnoticed good athletes, skaters want to seek governments’ guidance. They think that if not now, maybe tomorrow, skateboarders’ community in Davao will bring pride not only to our city but even to our country.

Like how our boxers and football team rings across the board; they were called goats and like skateboarders, they were often neglected. But when they have started to prove themselves globally, the country is now cheering for their achievement.

Let us hope that our government mainly the LGUs won’t wait for an international recognition before they’ll encourage our potential citizens to do better on their respective fields. The best thing to do is to support and acknowledge all sports within the city.

Who knows, the next world renowned skater will be a Dabawenyo.

The power of Sports

Every time Manny Pacquio enters the ring and fight against internationally renowned boxers, Filipinos begin to act untamed ; shouting out loud their kababayan’s name in unity and telling the world how proud they are to be Filipinos.

Mr. Joaquin Henson, a PBA Analyst and sports columnist, the keynote speaker of the Sports Forum held at Ateneo de Davao University last December 6 shared the positive impacts of sports development among the Filipinos.

Henson mentioned how sports have greatly helped our nation to become integrated. He also stressed that in sports, people could learn important values since sports gives everyone the spirit of courage.

“Whenever someone loses a game, it teaches him to desire more to win,” Henson said.

According to Henson, sports do not only build individuals’ self-esteem but even furnish opportunities to feel proud and make friends with others.

“It is an avenue where there’s a direct promotion of team work and entertainment. At the same time, it instills discipline and offers the art of responsiveness,” he added.

My take

In barangays, sports is used as a platform to bring people together, since it has something to tender the community’s camaraderie. It becomes one of the central activities of the youth organizations like SK, given that it stirs up  involvement.

With these, I can greatly recognize sports as a powerful tool and a means to bring this nation way up.

I just observed that beyond the positive things that Mr. Henson has shared to us, there’s a sad reality. The government’s lack of support towards our Filipino athletes is apparent. The insufficient funding to train and mold highly competitive individuals, who are apparently potential to bring Olympic medals, is a problem to be resolved.

Basically, our athletes are as good as any other internationally renowned players or even better than them. They actually have the will and passion to win, talked about Paeng Nepomuceno, Bea Lucero and any other athletes that have proven that Filipinos are capable of making our nation known and proud in the field of sports. But still, they are leased prioritized.

How I wish that we’re like Thailand, a country who gives full out support to their athletes, whether they win or lose, they continue to provide them what is due to their athletes. Since they know, that athletes are also good resources or investments of a state to project its positive image in the international community. They even became our heroes, like how others passionately considered Pacman.

I hope that being a third world country won’t necessarily hinder such idea. With sports’ power to unite us and bring pride to our land, I am hoping together with our athletes that the government will do something about it. Again –they are investment. They are valuable resources.

Fate in Faith Healing

It is said to believe that an average Filipino citizen doesn’t go to a doctor directly whenever he experiences something bad in his body. He must be very sick before he goes to the expense of calling a licensed doctor to give him scientific remedies. He considers these medical doctors in the hospitals as a form of last resort. Maybe because, the concept of going to hospitals in the Philippines is a costly act that would force these poor citizens to sacrifice a lot just to pay long lists of hospital bills. That is why traditional practices like faith healing remains popular in the country.

The so called faith healing which refers to notably overt and ritualistic practices of communal prayer and gestures is the most accessible means of attaining cure in the country. Aside from the fact that it is cheaper, it has been said to be proven throughout the centuries.

Several “mananambal” or “albularyo” (faith healers in English) are believed to be gifted people chosen by gods. They are said to have super powers that can cast out bad spirits causing diseases and bring cure to various ailments.

Most of the doctors don’t believe with faith healers idea of pointing out bad spirits as the main cause of body disorders and illnesses. Since science has its own way of clarifying things out with clear bases and logic.

But according to a faith healer interviewed by Dr. Juan M. Flavier, President of Rural Reconstruction in the Philippines, no one can deny the existence of these spirits which doctors continue to contradict as causes of problems. That is why there are illnesses that doctors can’t cure and these cases are eventually end with albularyos.

Many say that faith healing is a non-problematic procedure of attaining wellness; however cases that had harmed lives of people are being recorded -bringing doubts with their powers of healing.

Like of in Gladstone, Oregon where a teenager’s death was identified a simple problem that could be easily treated however because of the family’s preference to access faith healing instead of scientific remedies, the teenager died.

No wonder why issues on faith healers legitimacy in performing their so called profession is now being questioned by various prosecutors in liberal democracies, which is under debates and discussions.

As of now, the medical world is pushing efforts to put awareness to the people around the globe to shift their preferences if they really value life.

However, in scenario where incapacity of paying medical doctors to be treated is evident and the lack of the government’s support to create cheaper hospitals and provide free welfare for its citizens like in the Philippines, then no one could question the public on why they are still falling in long queues, hoping to acquire cure in the hands of their mananambal or albularyos.

DMFD: To strike a chord

The gruesome killings of 30 media practitioners in Maguindanao last year is an evident scenario that reflects how Philippine Media has been corrupted and abused in the past decade.

This horrifying event is one of the many reasons that had brought the various media institutions from Davao City to unite their selves that paved way the launching of the first Davao Media Freedom Day (DMFD) that aims forward a just and fair treatment from the Philippine government.

“We [the media men] labor so hard yet we encounter these sad realities” said Tek Ocampo in Filipino, a local newscaster from GMA News Network Davao and one of the speakers of the 1^st DMFD launching in AdDU.

He pointed out how newsmen came across a range of mistreatment from the government that has somehow impeded their rights.

Discussions on threats from the authorities and risks on dealing with their profession as watchdogs and protectors of the masses were talked about. Other speakers shared their personal experiences on these issues –attesting that media cruelty is not mutually exclusive in the regime of Marcos but even in the present time.

Ideas aroused that if the newsmen are suffering from various danger and threats then maybe it’s now the high time for them to take actions like arming themselves for security purposes. However, journalists do not disagree on this.

“Journalists are journalists. Police are police” stressed Estella Estremera, Sun Star Davao’s Editor-in-Chief, which she tried to give emphasis on everyone’s delineation of roles in the society.

Despite of the eagerness of the law-makers to give the newsmen’ treatments like how they allow businessmen carry arms for protection, media believes that the idea wouldn’t solve the present problems, yet it will only open more possibilities for chaos.

If the Philippine government is serious on giving actions on these crucial realities that maligned rights of their citizens, it is possible that justice will be served. But if the government will be too feeble on putting all their promises into solid acts, then, these distressing realities will continue.

The launching of Davao Media Freedom Day will not only remind the people of what had happened to the journalists in Maguindanao. But its yearly celebration will also strike a chord to all Davaoenos how important media is in the society and how should the government give them the sufficient services and treatment they deserve.