REMEMBERING THEM

Halloween is a contraction from the words “All Hallow’s Even” meaning the night of all holy people.  During the old times, it was believed that during the night of All Hallow’s Even which was the night before New Year, the boundary between the world of the living and the dead becomes blurred because the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.  In connection with the holy person, the feast of celebrating all Saints comes next.  A day of glorifying the God for all His saints be it known or unknown, particularly those who have no feast observance of their own.  Including those martyrs who died defending the teaching of God and fighting their faith is celebrated after the Halloween.   And speaking of the death, believing that the prayers of the surviving love ones of the died person in purgatory will put the souls into rest.  Called All Souls’ Day, it is a day of commemorating the souls of those who have cleansed their sins and the worldly punishment for the mortal sins they confessed have entered into Heaven.

When we speak about the start of Halloween, it has to be noted that New Years during old times fall every November 1, which was the start of the cold season.  Exactly it ends the year’s harvest season since there was no more sowing during cold season.  During that time, cold season or winter was often associated with human death and dark.  And when there is death and darkness, there are always souls that connects in the picture.  This is the reason why Halloween in modern days is always symbolizes by conjure of eerie images like skeleton, ghosts, gravestone, bats, owl, black cat, witches, and pumpkins or Jack O’Lantern.  In the modern English today, Halloween is being observed by costume party and the famous trick or treat for children where they go from house to house wearing costumes asking for candy as treat.  To prank the homeowner of his property is the trick if no candy has given.  In Philippines, Halloween is not customarily celebrated because it coincides the local tradition called Pangangaluluwa (literally means Souling).  It is widely common in rural areas by group singing in front of the house who have deceased relatives, a treat has to give to the group otherwise the household’s useful trivial things will be stolen.

All Saints Day is celebrated by remembering the love ones who have passed away by visiting to their grave as show of respect and lasting love.  In own conscience and guilt, it seemed it is mortal sin missing to visit their tomb.  Offering prayers and attending Mass are other ways of joining in the observance of the All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  In Angono 30 kilometres east of Manila, visiting the tomb is traditionally observed during the All Souls Day like with some provinces in the country.  It serves as family reunion affair where the relatives of the dead person meet in the tomb.  I still can remember how my family celebrate the All Souls day during my young years.  A week before the feast, my uncles used to mow and rake the grass, clean and repaint with limes the tomb of our relatives.  While during the day, making ball out of melting candles marks most in my memory.  Although laud laugh of family while in the cemetery cannot fully observe, laud music, galore of foods and display of entertainment were humiliation to observe during those times.  And at nights when all had returned to home, for sure none of our brothers had the courage to sleep alone, fresh from a week of Pinoy horror films and shows.

Often interrelate and associated these three feasts in each other as sadness and fear; the ghost, the souls and the Saints – remembering them during these days.  The Halloween, All Saints Day and the All Souls Day are commemorating from October 31 to November 2 of the year.  Writing a subject about religious thing that will not be offensive is always intimidating.  Nevertheless, it is a primitive and universal dispute that the definitive answer is not conformed until now.  And this is what I hold in pursuing the versatility of my creative writing regardless of story plot.

By Alex V. Villamayor

October 31, 2013

NOONG UNANG PANAHON

May bahagi sa buhay ko na gusto kong magpunta sa napakalumang panahon.  May kung anung pang-akit sa akin na balikan ang daigdig sa panahong wala pa ang kabihasnan na lumaganap na sa malaking bahagi ng daigdig kundi nasa isang lugar pa lamang. Nuong panahong hindi pa nararating ang masusukal at bulubunduking lugar na pinamamahayanan ng mga hindi pa nakikilalang kulisap, ibon at mga hayop, malayong-malayo sa hitsura ng daigdig ngayon,  Siguro, habang ang mga tao nuon sa sinasabing unang sibilisasyon sa mundo ay nagpapalipas ng bawat araw, wala silang kamalay-malay na sa napakalayong lugar ay naka-kubli ang hindi pa natutuklasang nagtatayugang mga punong-kahoy sa dalisay na kagubatan, makukulay at ibat-ibang bulaklak at mga luntiang halaman sa kabundukan.  Lahat sila ay kalikasan ang naghasik ng mga punla at inalagaan.  Malamig ang lugar tirik man ang araw, sariwang-sariwa ang hangin, payapa na ang ang naririnig lamang ay ang mga huni ng kulisap, ibon at mga mababangis na hayop.  Nagtataasang talampas at talon, napakalinis ng tubig na dumadaloy sa mga batis papunta sa dagat.  Sinisikatan ng araw sa umaga at sa gabi’y ang buwan at mga bituin ang tanglaw sa napakadilim na lugar.  Ito ang lugar na malayo sa panghihimasok ng mga tao.

Mula sa kinalulugaran ng unang sibilisasyon, ang ibang bahagi ng mundo na wala pang tao ay likas na nagbabago sa pagdaan  ng mga panahon.  Kapag malakas na lumindol at pumutok ang mga bulkan ay nagwawasak o lumilikha ito ng mga bagong lugar.  Ang pormasyon ng lupa ay tumataas na nagpapababa sa tubig at lumulutang ang mga bagong lupain, sa paglipas ng maraming panahon ay pinamumuhayan ng mga halaman at puno hanggang maging panibagong isla, gubat o bundok na nakakubli at matatagpuan ng mga dumadami at lumalaganap na mga sinaunang tao mula sa karatig-lugar, at pinapamahayanan.  Ngayong nararanasan natin ang matitinding delubyo ng mga sakuna tulad ng bagyo, buhawi, pagbaha at lindol, hindi ko lubos-maisip kung paano kaya o kung ano kaya ang ginagawa ng mga tao nuong unang panahon kapag may napakalakas na bagyo?  Maaaring mas malalakas pa sa mga nararanasan natin ang bagyo nuong unang panahon na nagpapabagsak sa malalaking puno.  Ang mga magulang kasama ang kanilang mga anak malamang ay nakatago lamang sa loob ng mga kweba.  Paano kaya kapag hinahampas ng malalaki at malalakas na alon ang mga silungan ng mga tao?  Siguro’y tahimik lamang sila na nakasilong, mahigpit na kumakapit sa puno o sa mga bato.  Kapag lumindol ng napakalakas, maaaring ang mga mag-anak ay natatabunan ng buhay kapag bumagsak ang buong bundok na ang ibaba ay ang kweba na kanilang sinisilungan.  Paano nga kaya nakakaligtas ang mga tao nuon sa mga kalamidad?

Gusto kong makita ang ating mundo nuong panahon na ang lahat ay natural.  Gusto kong simulan sa aking kinalalagyan ngayon, gusto kong makita ang napakalayong lugar mula sa unang sibilisasyon na sa takdang panahon ay tatawaging Angono.  Iniisip ko habang ako ay nakaupo sa aking lamesita na pinagsusulatan ko – ang kinalalagyan ko ay dating bakanteng lugar ng aking mga ninuno na lugar ng itikan.  Ang itikan na ito ay dating kabilang lamang sa mangilan-ngilang bahay sa aming baryo na nagsimula lamang nang marating ng mga Kastila, ginapas ang mga talahib, pinutol ang ilang punong-kahoy upang panirahan ng mga taong galing sa mga kanugnugan na lugar, ngunit nang wala pa ang mga dayuhang ito, ang kinalalagyan ko ngayon ay dati palang gubat na masukal, pinagkukublihan ng mga hayop, pinamumugaran ng mga ibon at kulisap.  Daang libong taon bago muna, ang dating gubat ay mga bundok na walang pangalan na sikatan o hindi ng araw, ulani’t di kaya.  Dating dagat kaya ito na sa pag-galaw ng lupa sa ilalim sa ibang lugar ay nabawasan ang tubig at humantad ang paanan ng bundok na siya naming bayan ngayon – walang palantandaang ganito ang dating lugar na saktong kinauupuan ko ngayon, may mga muwebles at kasangkapan.

Malapit ang puso ko sa kalikasan, katunayan ay gusto kong pagdating ng araw, kapag gusto kong magpahinga mula sa pagpapakahirap sa buhay ay manirahan sa isang lugar na tahimik, simple, malayo sa kabihasnan.  Walang makina, telepono, gusali, mga kasiyahan at kaluhuan.  Walang mga taong sumisira sa kalikasan at walang mga politikong nagsasamantala.  Gusto kong gugulin ang aking mga huling araw na nag-aalaga ng mga halaman, namumuhay ng simple sa isang lugar na malapit sa malinis na dagat, naririnig ang mga huni ng ibon, nararamdaman ang lamig ng sariwang  hangin , natatanaw ang malawak na bukid at makapal na mga puno sa bundok.  Gusto ko sanang maramdaman na mapalapit ako sa kalikasan na simple lang mamumuhay at ang lahat ay natural. Minsan iniisip kong sana’y hindi na lang nagkaroon ng progreso upang simple lang ang buhay tulad nuong unang panahon.

Ni Alex V. Villamayor

October 26, 2013

FATHER’S BIRTHDAY

A friend is a father to three children.  He was a happy go lucky during the heydays of his singleness but being a young father gave him the sense of maturity, responsibility and selflessness.  And for the sake of his children he does sacrifices too.

When asked him how he feels during his birthdays, he said it’s not really big thing for him to prepare, celebrate or even wait his big day.  It just comes and passes as it is a normal and ordinary day.  What he wanted to prepare is the birthdays of his three children which what matters first and foremost for him.  He always wanted their big days happy that every child has to have, they deserved nothing less.

It is not important now to celebrate his day and in fact he’s not interested to throw a party at all.  He does his thanks between him and his Lord at least.  Those calls from his wife, the messages of his children and the e-cards they’re sending are more than enough to thank.   The simple text of his eldest and the giggling of the two younger on phone make his big day to feel real complete.

He’s done in partying and it’s time for his children’s important moment celebration now.  That is why, as much as he can, he throws birthday surprises for each even he’s from distance away. At least he can bring his presence during these important days of his children.  He misses his children so much.  Being a father away from his children is punishment in his personality, a blow in his sacrifices, and torture to his paternity.

To father is to sacrifice, the unconditional love for the children made him to disregard the worldly things for himself.  When he became a father, it is not important to look at his own interest, happiness and comfort.  Family first, this has been his priority.  At the end of the day, it is his wife and children that can give him everything anyway.  It is in his wife and his children that his whole life revolves.

Whenever I say enjoy the life, he most likely shrug.  Forget those original and branded shoes, clothes, and bags that are fitted for him, never mind those latest gadgets that are helpful to him, and no need those parties’ invitations to attend.  What’s he really after is his son’s toys, his daughters’ dresses, their school needs, their childhood’s desire, welfare, and concerns that will left in their happy childhood.  More than anything else, his children are his life.

A father’s birthday, the big day of a father that is a friend of mine, shows the unselfishness that exists in his personality.  True, it doesn’t matter all the richness in the world to a loving father, as long as his children and his family as a whole is returning back the love and respect that are just right to be given to a loving father, nothing more can be ask for in this  special day.

By Alex V. Villamayor

October 18, 2013

CREATING SOCIAL IMAGE

The following article is a long pending subject waiting for right timing from editor until it closed unpublished.

As part of operating business, every company would like to establish a distinguished identity that will identify them.  One of these objectives is to have a corporate logo that will instantly recognize their name, their products and services.  For instant recognition, the corporate logo plays an important part in company profile.

Logo could be the social image of any group.  It represents the company’s corporate identity, core values and vision.  It symbolizes the product and service excellence.  It also signifies the company’s highly motivated employees who are well respected in their chosen field of expertise, and represents the supportive management and the importance to the servicing community.

Reflect in the logo the main business that everyone in the company is offering.  Looking on it, it is assumed that this is the products and services which is the result of team work from the topmost men of the company down to its talented workers.  Highlight your advantages, goodness and versatility – these symbolize your leadership in the market.

Corporate logo is the company itself that speaks their legacy, reputation and success.  It should leave an instant remarkable impact that creates a distinguished favorable corporate identity and lasting impression.  Catchy and lasting, these are characteristics that need to seal in the logo.

Simplicity in putting all your strength in a simple but detailed, enough and complete design is tough task to fill in.  In excessive array of qualifications, selecting the strongest point can be the unanimous decision.  Attempting to have elegant and sophisticated symbol tells crowning glory of the company.  It is designed to be iconic symbol of reputation and integrity that will leave remarkable presence but acceptance of the going public might risky.

Better yet to describe the history of the company or a story behind the success.  It will show the courage of embarking the responsibilities for your products and services to the benefiting consumer and community.   It will mean full determination, will power and strong perseverance in keeping commitment to your customers.

Your company’s goal or core value could be best theme of your logo.  Symbol that strongly holds the core values, visions and ideals are perfect design in transmitting the legacy of the company.  These themes, together with the shape and usage of right color selection play important impact to represent the company.  Their overall appearance will encapsulate the main objective and benefits of the company that can be the social image that we would like to leave.

By Alex V. Villamayor

April 11, 2011

BIKO (SWEET RICE CAKE)

Biko is a Filipino traditional sweet delicacy made up of glutinous (or sticky) rice cooked in coconut milk with brown sugar.  It is especially served during Christmas, New Years and birthdays.  But nowadays, this can be conveniently own through pasalubong store outlets and of course in public markets.

I may not crave to eat it but once I cooked, I cannot help myself but to eat them all.  Cooking may differ according to geographical location of the Philippines but since the origin of this delicacy is from the southern part of the country, I cook it the way the south does.

Biko plays an important influence from a southern friend to become fan of rice cake.  It was taught to me and since then it changed my impression in this delicacy from plain, ordinary and underrated sweets into lovable and loyal dessert. I thought it is difficult to prepare but it’s the other way and here how it goes.  On my preparation, I had the following ingredients:

• 2 cups of sticky rice
• 4 cups of coconut milk
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• Small piece of ginger
• Salt to taste

The preparation starts by steaming the sticky rice and ginger chopped and pounded in one and a half water which is intentionally to cook the rice half-cooked.  Put a dash of salt to taste, then once done set aside until needed.  It has to note that in some areas other than the southern part, Biko has no ginger.  But if you want an exotic version, ginger will help.

In a big pan, boil the coconut milk and brown sugar, stir occasionally until thickened.  This will look caramelized coconut milk.  Mix the half-cooked rice and stir continuously until the liquid evaporates.  This is the most physical part of this cooking, the continuous stirring until it feel tough to mix.  This part is about 20 minutes in a medium heat, then you will have the cooked Biko.

Transfer into serving plate and flatten the top, then cool down.  This is the finished product.  For toppings you can choose your choice.  You can use the powdered peanut as toppings, grated cheese, but the most popular is the coconut curd.

This is the plain Biko.  As variation, you may add sweet jackfruits while you are boiling the coconut milk and brown sugar.

This is best served with hot tea.

And lastly, just eat right.

By Alex V. Villamayor

WINNING A CROWN

The year when Philippines had its sweetest, memorable, historic, happiest and celebrated win in a pageant when the country finally clinched the elusive blue crown, Filipina beauty queen Meagan Lyn Talde Young, 23, won the 2013 Miss World in Jakarta Indonesia, besting other 126 contestants to become the 63^rd Miss World.

Miss World is such a prestigious beauty contest, enjoying the reputation as the original, the first and the oldest of its kind.  This is Philippines’ only missing crown among the beauty pageants’ big-4, making the country’s fans were determined and excited to clinch a title.

Philippines has been very passionate to win the Miss World title.  Since 1973 when the Philippines placed first runner up and later rejected to assume the dethroned winner, and duplicating the highest placement in 2011, Philippines has almost win the crown twice.  The country has been consistently serious in sending the best candidates but the perfect time has not yet just come.  Until a US-born Filipina actress vied the title and made history as the first Pinay to win the Miss World crown.

Megan showed her winning edges in winning and topping the events during the preliminaries and dominated the leader board updates to make it in the first cut.  Her regal look in a glittering pearl soft pink gown, fierce catwalk, talent and sincere winning answer why should she be the Miss World, made Meagan clearer to become winner of the year’s edition of Miss World.

“Miss World for me treasures the core value of humanity and that guides her into understanding people, why they act the way they do, how they're living their lives and I will use these core values in my understanding not only in helping others but to show other people how they can understand others, to help others so that as one, together, we shall help society”.

Meagan’s win is envisioned to become the best Miss World ever and a possible one of the most beautiful Miss World winners.  Her beauty that never enhanced by any medical procedure is truly an authentic.   Meagan Young is deserved to win the crown, and so with Philippines is deserved to wait this long overdue coveted title because winning the crown this long wait, the taste of success is really so sweet.

I wanted to write this story to give importance to the lady who brought honor for the country.  I wanted to write this article to record this important milestone of Philippines pageantry and headline that banner worldwide.  No matter what happen, Philippines had already made when it comes to international beauty contest.  As eagerly as before, the Filipinos are still hoping another blue crown for ladies representing the true beauty of the Filipinas.

SEX SCANDALS

Warning: the following story contains adult materials that may not appropriate to some readers.  You may leave the page anytime.

In many sex scandals that have surfaced in the wide range of internet, unless they are of legal status who have mutual consent to do the video then I personally believe I don’t see problem in recording the video.

There are people who are just excited to record and watch their private moment and we have nothing to do with that as long as they are not creating public disturbance.  Some people want to have these private videos for their own personal collection only.   It is a private property and if it is a personal collection, then it is not intended for public view.

Recording personal and private intimate moment between two people is a prerogative and we do not have rights to prohibit them.  If that makes them happy, we do not interfere their lives.   We do not have the rights to dictate people about the right things when it comes to their own pleasure (again, as long as it is legal partner).

I take no offense to these people who are involved in the explicit videos.  The culprits of proliferation of these kinds of video in the net are those who uploaded the video.  The responsible for the viral of these sex scandals in the web is the uploader. The videos are private property and no third party person has the right to share it to others.  It is a qualified theft, invasion of privacy and destruction of reputation.

The pity here is the women, the minors, and the private individuals who were violated and stripped of human rights.  Given the fact that they preferred to do the recording and they wanted it, still it was not intended to show in public eyes therefore it should not be disclosed.

Putting any person in an uncompromising situation is always wrong and bad.  As long as there is no criminal law that will bar these irresponsible internet users, the victims of cyber bullying will not cease.  It is just sad, netizens are usually blaming those people who they see on the video but those who posted them are at large.

It’s time to have cyber law and order.  Cyber space is public and there should be peace and order in any public place.  Implement an act that will protect private individuals not only about the people in these sex scandals but also the irresponsible, abusive and mean netizens who are using democracy an excuse to abuse freedom and utter derogatory languages and images. 

Sex Scandals

By Alex V. Villamayor

October 12, 2013.

ORGANIZING THE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

The very first thing that faces to us when we open our computer is the desktop layout where it displays the default basic window’s icons of our computer’s programs.  In observing with some colleague while working, I’ve noticed that most of their desktops are congested of folders and files that are perplexing and cluttered.  The layout of our desktop is the main door to our electronic files, which is our work.  If in main door alone is an intricate pathway to our main file, how much more we’ll need to go through when we click each folder towards to the document we need? It requires us to spend little extra time finding the right location of our document.

In my opinion, desktop should be organized since it starts here the very beginning of our daily works.  Organizing the desktop needs a good judgment in classifying the genre of the documents. It will help us to facilitate our work efficiently, create a smoother workflow, and increase the productivity.  Although organizing the electronic documents is depends on the individual who uses the unit, good layout is still important to improve our operation and to create a good business impression.  If sometime sorting folder’s name may depend on the nature of work, but trying to adhere in the common format is good move.  Below are my 2-cents in keeping a well-organized desktop that I feel maybe helpful to others.

1. Avoid saving your documents in the desktop to keep it neat, limit the practice if inevitable.

2. Choose drive D or your libraries to store your documents.  Your libraries help you to classify your file as to document, music, picture and video.  However, only the owner of the computer can access the documents stored in the computer.  In drive D, whoever replaces you can access your files and do your work.

3. Classify the documents according to type of work not based on Microsoft program.  Some named their folder as MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, PDF, etc. regardless if they are letter, reports, forms, etc.  The boss will ask you to give him the letter copy anyway, not give him the PDF.

4. Create a “Shortcut Folder” on your desktop.  Your shortcuts of all useful programs, folders and files that contained in your computer can be put in this folder.  The more tasks you are doing the more possibility for you to create shortcut links to your desktop until become disorganized and clutter as more icons are added to the desktop.  The shortcut folder then helps to control the space of your desktop.

5. In your shortcut folder, have a “Temporary Folder” and use this for the documents that you cannot classify and for documents that you will delete later.  Using this will control the sporadic tendency of your desktop layout.  If you are in a hurry to save your file, you can save it in the desktop for the meantime but make sure to move this to the proper file later.

6. Still in your shortcut folder, use “Forms”, “Letters”, “Reports”, “Temporary” for instance  as the name of your sub-folders.  That is, all forms, whether it is in word, excel, or PowerPoint will be kept in your “Forms Folder”, as all letters be it PDF or words doc will be kept in “Letters Folder”.

As we work along, we cannot help but to have sub-folders of the sub-folders of the main folder.  The important here is we understand the main folders for all of these.  We should know what items to have in our desktop, organize and minimize them.  Limit the space of our desktop with important icons only.  The fewer icons it has the fresher it looks.  The sporadic look of our layout is tiresome and gives stress.  Help ourselves to find ways in sorting out strains, anxiety and hassles.  Do not make our world complicated out of disorganized electronic documents.  

By Alex V. Villamayor

October 3, 2013