POLITIKA SA PAG-ALBOROTO NG TAAL

Pinilit kong hindi magpakita ng saloobing politikal sa social media nitong nakalipas na ilang araw (na napagtagumpayan ko naman) dahil bilang pagdadalamhati at respeto sa trahedya.  Pero nang patuloy kong nakikita ang mga memes ng mga trolls na mula pa sa mga kakilala at ilang kamag-anak ko, siguro kahit isang beses lang ay pwede muna akong magparamdam ngayong ika-apat na araw ng pag-aaboroto ng Taal.

Kumpara sa mga die-hard keyboard warriors tulad nina Mocha, Sass, Nieto, Even Demata, Mr. Riyoh at mga solid blind-worshiper DDS na tagasunod nila, kahit papaano ay makakaramdam ka pa rin ng pagmamalaki sa sarili mo na mabuting tao ka pa rin kesa sa kanila.  Bakit?

Silang mga nagpapakalat ng mga memes tungkol sa mga photo ops at press release sa mga ginagawa ni VP Leny, tungkol sa 5 pirasong pandesal at tubig daw na paninira kay VP Leny, tungkol sa naghahanap sa raliyista na tumulong daw dahil ang mga pulis at sundalo ay tumutulong.  Silang mga nagpapakalat nito, mapalad kang hindi pumapatol sa mga ganito dahil kahit papaano ay mas mabuting tao ka sa kanila.  Dahil hindi mo ginagamit ang trahedya para makapuntos, mangkutya, manggulo, o pagkakitaan pa – hindi ba’t magagawa lang ito ng isang tao kung siya ay may maitim na puso? Kung ginagamit mo ang trahedya para mamolitika, mistula ka ng dimonyo na natutuwa sa nangyayari. 

Hindi lang nila ginagamit ang trahedya kundi wala pa silang respeto.  Magagawa lang nila ang mga ito kung wala silang respeto sa gitna ng pagdadalamhati ng bansa at ng mga biktima.  Irespeto man lang sana nila ang makakayanan ng mga tumutulong.

Photo ops? Siguro ay mas mabuti na yun kesa sa hindi nagbigay, nagpunta man lang, o huling dumating.

Limang pirasong pandesal at tubig? Eh ano ngayon kung yun lang?  Siguro ay mas mabuti na yun kesa wala dahil sa taong nangangailangan ay napakalaking bagay na niyon.  Ikaw ba ay nakapagbigay na ng anim na tinapay at dalawang tubig?  Sana ay matuto kang mas magpasalamat kesa magreklamo.  Kung hindi mo gusto ang ibinigay sa iyo, kailangan mo pa bang ipagsigawan ito?  Talaga bang ugali mo lang ang kapag ibinigay sa iyo ang kanang kamay ay pati ang kaliwa ay susunggaban mo?

Malay mo naman, tumutulong yung mga nagrarally hindi nga lang pinicturan.  Ikaw ba, nakatulong ka na ba?  Kung tutuusin ay hindi mo sila dapat hanapin at ikumpara sa mga sundalo at pulis dahil hindi nila trabaho yun.  Mas dapat mo sigurong hanapin yung mga hinahangaan at sinusuportahan mong sina Mocha, Sass, Nieto, Demata, at iba pa dahil ang mga blog nila ay mistulang pag-aari ng gobyerno.  Lalong-lalo na si Mocha, pinapasuweldo siya ng gobyerno nang malaki, sana ay magdonate naman siya (siguro ay nagbigay hindi na nga lang niya isinapubliko).  Sila ang mas masahol pa sa malansang isda.

Wala akong reklamo kung maraming litrato si VP Leny sa mga aktibidades niya.  Kung sinasadya man ng kampo niya yun, siguro ay kailangan nilang gawin yun upang ipakita na kahit kakarampot ang budget na ibinibigay sa kanila ay hindi sila titigil sa pagtulong.  Siguro ay kailangan nilang gawin yun upang ipakita na may trabaho sila dahil palagi silang hinahanapan ng mga die-hard DDS ng trabaho.  Kailangan nilang gawin yun para mahikayat ang lahat na gumalaw-galaw.

May media kasi kaya nakukuhanan siya ng mga litrato.  Kung sinasadya man nila na ipakita sa media o kung may ibang agenda man sila, hayaan mo na lang dahil sila naman ang nagkakasala.  Ang mas mahalaga ay may natutulungan sila.  Ang sabi nga, kung galing man kay Satanas ang mga donasyon mo pero kung makakabuti naman sa mga tao – tatanggapin ko.

Siguro, maging sensitibo na lang sa mga panahong ganito.  Isa-isang-tabi ang politika.  Huwag politikahin ang trahedya.  Huwag maging instrumento ng kasamaan.  Kung hindi kayang tumulong physically o financially, ipagdasal mo na lang ang mga biktima o mas mabuting manahimik ka na lang upang huwag makagulo at makasakit.  Ito ang mga aral sa pag-aalboroto ng bulkang Taal.

Ang problema sa mga panatiko ay wala na talagang nakikitang maganda sa mga ginagawa ng hindi nila kapanalig.  Matuto ka na lang tumutok sa isyu at huwag yung kahit lihis sa isyu ay ikinokomento mo basta makapagpakita ka lang ng tapang-tapangan at dunong-dunungan mo dahil nagmumukha ka lang mangmang.

DURING VOLCANIC ERUPTION

The surprising eruption of Taal volcano brought me in sad nostalgia to look back the appalling story I experienced during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption.   It was an unordinary Sunday at home with family.  Around 3 ‘o clock in the afternoon, the sun was supposed to be still bright but the sky was quite unusual dark then.  I thought the weather was just indicating heavy rain, unaware of news that the Mount Pinatubo in Northwest of Manila was spewing huge volume of ash, lava and gases, categorizing the situation in high alert level.

I was starting my career then back in 1991 and during that time there was no social media that can quickly spread breaking news like that.  What I had just noticed before I heard the breaking news were the tiny white particles in my hair and arms.  Totally no idea that they were ash falls from Mt. Pinatubo that had already blown across in our province not until I heard the news.  Surprised and perplexed initially because my hometown is relatively far from the scene of eruption yet reached of these ash falls.  The following morning, I was about to open our windows when I’d noticed the unfamiliar dust on it.  Just next to the window was our small balcony.  I went out over there to check the dust and I was stunned in the thick dust on the floor, on the plants and I looked around to find out the dust were everywhere.

When out of my home and I was able to walk around after watching the live news update of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, I can’t help but to feel depressed seeing the sad faces of the people and the shady and melancholy clouds.  Though some places had been cleansed but there were still traces of ash falls everywhere.  Some were still washing their belongings, cleaning their yards as if we were plagued and left losers.  But our town was actually not the most damaged community.  The real sad and painful stories were indeed started in the nearest communities of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga.  Watching the footages of ashes and lava spewed from volcano, running deadly lava down to community, destroyed properties and loss of lives was very touching.  Hearing the stories of the locals whose hair, skin and clothes were full of mud narrating how they survived from the nightmare was totally heartbreaking.  The picture of the surroundings seemed to look-like black and white because of the ashes.  Mercy, compassion and sorrow rolled into one were what I had felt.  And it was goose-bumps feeling to witness the spirit of teamwork.  The sense of voluntarism was vividly working in every people in all walks of life.  Local governments addressed the needs, the international community sent aids, non-government sects participated in community works, the telethons were opened and the mass included the Mt. Pinatubo victims in their intentions.

The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 is one of the most damaging, deadly, costly, fearing, and biggest tragedies in our modern history.  The aftermath was even equally devastating, leaving the entire area of the provinces no man’s land, washed away the homes, properties, livelihoods, and some human lives.  Like in disaster movies, the province was practically like a ghost town.  The effects of the violent eruption were felt global, it did not only reach the regional the haze to neighboring Asian regions but also its effects were beyond geography.  Our ozone depletion had increased and over the following years, the global temperatures dropped.

Mt. Pinatubo explosion is natural calamity that reminds me the power of nature.  It just demonstrated how powerful the nature is that no matter how we prepared and equipped we are, no one is above when it is made by nature.  I have colleagues who are from the provinces directly destroyed by Mt. Pinatubo.  Gratefulness is just perfect to think they survived the tragedy and happy to meet them.  It is just so nice to think that we grew up in separate and different places but shared same frightening experience and soon will meet to become colleagues and friends.