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Nakasunad na sa Sangguniang Panlungsod kan Ciudad nin Naga an propuestong ordinansa na mabilog nin task force na iyo an ma-monitor kan mga caso sa Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) asin Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) huli kan padagos na paglangkaw kan caso kaini. Si Consejal Sonny Rañola, pamayo kan Committee on Health iyo an nagpapadreno kan ordinansa na pigpunan nang tukaron sa regular session kan Martes, Febrero 28 asin yaon na sa committee level. Katuyohan kan consejal nganing macierto an proteksyon sa mga menor de edad na kaakian contra sa HIV/AIDS na posibleng maging envuelto sa amay na pakikipag-sex. An Department of Health asin an City Health Office kan City nagkunpirmar na padagos na naglalangkaw an mga caso sa HIV-AIDS asin iba pang sexually transmitted diseases sa ciudad na dapat mag-aksyon na an LGU, sabi ni Rañola. Sa saiyang privilege speech sa ginibong regular session kan SP saiyang pigluwas an datus sa mga caso puon kan 1984 hasta kan 2016 na padagos na naglalangkaw. Kinua niya an oras sa sesyon bako sa pag-panic, bako lang bilang sarong doctor alagad bilang namamanan na nagtataong patanid sa publico contra sa nakakagadan na helang. Sa mga provincia sa Bikol, an Ciudad nin Naga asin Camarines Sur iyo an may halangkaw na caso sa HIV/AIDS puon kan 1984 hasta 2016. Sa Camarines Sur kan 2016 nagsakat sa 54 caso mientras na sa Naga igwang 17 caso, alagad puon kan 1984 hasta 2016 an satong provincia igwa nang 192 na caso mantang sa satong ciudad nag-abot na sa 71 caso, sabi pa ni Rañola. An City Health Office, sa pamamayo ni Dr. Vito ‘Butch’ Borja padagos an saindang mga ginigibong advocacia asin iba pang programa kan lokal na gobierno kan ciudad nganing mapugolan an paglakop kan delicadong helang alagad envez na maghuros an numero padagos na naglalangkaw. Naglalaoman an consejal na susuportaran kan saiyang mga pag-iriba sa SP an propuestong ordinansa alagad kaipuhan niya man giraray an suporta kan iba pang mga sektor asin cooperasyon kan magurang nganing pakusogon magbaba an caso. Base sa datus kan City hall asin kan National Youth Commission nagkukumpirmar na nag-abot na sa 62 por ciento an bagong caso sa HIV sa nacion kan 2016 mantang igwa nang mga victimang jovenes puon sa 15 hasta 24 años. (DPA)

Kun dai pa suyoon kan Commission an Elections an mga barangay sa saindang ginigibong satellite registration padagos na magiging hababa an por cientaje kan nagpapalista sa Comelec nganing makaparticipar sa sarabay na pirilian kan Barangay asin SK sa Octubre 23, 2017. Sa Ciudad nin Naga, sinabi ni Election Officer Maico Julia Jr. na sampulo na sa viente sieteng barangay kan ciudad an sainda nang nalibot sa paagi kan satellite registration puon kan Febrero 3 hasta Febrero 25, 2017 na halangkaw an numero kan mga nagpapalista kun itatampad sa mga nagpapalista sa saindang oficina. Sa datus kan Comelec Naga sa mga nagpalista sa SK voters igwa pa sanang 195, regular voters - 1,115, PWD’S – 13, Senior Citizens – 88, na igwa nang total na 1,411 hasta kan Febrero 25. Puon kan Noviembre 7, 2016 kan bukasan kan Comelec an continuing registration inaabot sana nin treinta hasta cincuenta an nagpapa-rehistro aroaldaw, alagad kun sa satellite registration nagsasakat sa 62 hasta 165 an nagpapalista, sabi ni Julia. Inagihan na kan saindang satellite registration iyo an mga barangay kan Lerma, Caluag, Santa Cruz, Bagumbayan Norte, Concepcion Pequenqa, Peñafrancia, Concepcion Grande, Balatas, Abella, Concepcion Pequeña, High School asin Igualdad. Sa mga SK voters kun sa oficina kan Comelec bibihira an nagpipila alagad kun igwa naabot sana sa saro hasta sa apat na jovenes. Sinabi ni Julia, an pagpalista abot sana sa Abril 29, 2017 mantang magpapadagos pa an saindang satellite registration nganing maubos an viente seite barangay kan ciudad, alagad nag-aapelo an Comelec sa mga votantes na dai na maghalat nin ultimo diya nganing dai na tikapohan sa panahon. An saindang actividades sa ngonian iyo an pag-andam kan pirilian sa Barangay asin Sangguniang Kabataan na pigtalaan kan commission sa Octubre 23, 2017. An pirilian enot nang pigtalaan kan Octubre 30, 2016 alagad pig-uktaba kan congreso ngonian na taon. Nagdududa an ibang kapitanes de barangay na posibleng i-uktaba naman an pirilian sa masunod na taon mientras na pigtatawan nin prioridad kan administrasyon ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte iyo an pigtutulodad na federalismo, alagad mayo paman nin kumpirmasyon kaini an Comelec. (DPA)

IT IS conceded – based on visitors’ feedback -- that Naga City is one of the few cities in the country whose streets are relatively clean and its garbage collection system fairly passable despite its burgeoning commerce and ballooning population (and the open dumpsite with its offensive smell at certain hours when sprays of deodorizers fail, which is a serious problem that everybody thinks needs to be resolved immediately). And it cannot be denied that among the key players in Naga’s little successes in local governance and delivery of services are the barangays and the residents themselves who have learned to become active participants in community development. But of course, much has yet to be done in order that we may finally achieve the higher goal of sustaining our city as a “maogmang lugar.” We do not pretend to create a paradise here on earth, but building a livable city should be everyone’s paramount concern by doing our part in ensuring a better and environmentally-sound future for the next generations to come. While we have noticed that the quality of water in Naga River may have somehow improved following the rehabilitation of the riverbanks where some amounts of desilting were also undertaken as a flood control component of the river restoration project, many of the creeks or smaller tributaries that naturally lead to the river are sadly left abandoned and neglected that at the soonest time will bring to naught the nobler intent of reviving the Naga River as a habitable body of water where fishes thrive and birds glide low to hunt. As early as now, every barangay in the city, through its local officials, should be called upon to take the extra mile of keeping the rivers and creeks in their respective territories clean and free from pollution and usurpation by illegal settlers. While on a prowl, our team here at Bicol Mail noticed that the creek almost facing the barangay hall in Tabuco appears stagnant, if not dead, because of the pile of wastes, mostly plastics, oil wastes and other non-biodegradable materials that apparently have been dumped there for years and there is no sign that someone else will clean it, or salvage the garbage, so that water may flow freely and give the creek a new lease of life. The Mangga creek near the Ojeda property in Dayangdang, whose little middle island had been lately cleared of squatters, has been seen dumped with plastic wastes and styrofoam throwaways, apparently coming from its southern end of the storm drainages constructed in Balatas and Magsaysay avenue, which means that residents along the route had been indiscriminately disposing their wastes into that river line. And has anybody seen how polluted the creek is that snakes through Bgys. Lerma and Tabuco and ALDP Commercial Center down the Bicol River facing Milaor town? The river that parallels Bgy. Del Rosario and runs along Concepcion Grande and Concepcion Pequena also needs to be taken care of because of the uncontrolled encroaching by illegal settlers who throw their waste down the waterway leading to the Naga River, with the plastic wastes suffocating the drainage system along the way. There are more creeks within the city’s 27 barangays, and all of them, together with the accumulated piles of plastic, toxic waste materials, and non-degradable garbage, discharge dirty water into the Naga River that we otherwise envisioned to be a living body of water, a source of rich marine life, an alternative route for transportation, and a barometer of our civic maturity, character and cultural heritage.

I know I already had a piece about the EDSA Revolution anniversary last issue; but I just couldn’t help it. If memory serves me right, the concern last year was that then President Noynoy Aquino and then Vice President Binay were not together in the celebration ceremonies, supposedly due to political differences. And back then I thought it was rather improper for the second man in command to beg off attendance in commemoration of a historic occasion which had become, well, honestly, boring and taken for granted. Now, we have 2017 EDSA Day Celebration. What on earth is happening? Did some airborne virus blow with the wind? Was the water supply somehow contaminated? Is it just me? Am I being too idealistic? Am I rightist? Or has deference to history gone on a disappointing decline? The Pro-Duterte rally at Luneta last Saturday, according to Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Council (MRRD-NECC) spokesperson, Bobby Brillante, was a fight “for the continuation of the freedom and democracy that EDSA fought for,” an assurance and preservation of freedom, a strengthening of democracy and “should not be lessened as we go on.” He further adds, that “the only guarantee for freedom and democracy to remain stronger is for people to be vigilant.” (www.philstar.com) Come on. Any individual or organization has the right to do so, but does it really have to be on the Saturday of February 25? Isn’t there any other day in a week? Are there no other days in a month? Does it really have to be on a February? On the 25th? The Autism Society Philippines (ASP) has traditionally held the simultaneous nationwide “Angel’s Walk” in celebration of Autism Consciousness Week by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 711 which actually declares for the events to be set every third week of January. However, this year, it was moved on the first week of February to make way for the Miss Universe beauty pageant which was hosted by the nation. Mind you, the consciousness week, for years had been observed, based on a legal mandate. But it had to make way. Now, that is what we call “delicadeza.” Now, that is Filipino. Filipino folklore is replete with legends and folktales in which the simple male protagonist would in the utmost humility initially stay by the sidelines, and make way, letting his arrogant competitors strut their stuff, and in the end, in the simplest of efforts, this prince would demonstrate unassuming and unpretentious feats of heroics to ultimately win the hand of the dayang-dayang. (That means princess; if you’re more familiar with the European counterpart.) The ultimate Filipino action hero, Fernando Poe Jr. has had his name become synonymous to staying last on a queue to make way for others. As far as I know, as far as I have been brought up, this is a component of what I thought as highly honored Filipino values. This is Filipino. The tradition and culture of simplicity, modesty, sacrifice. This is our version of the European concept of knightly chivalry which transcends in the modern age in Filipino males offering seats for women, for the elderly. Now, where have these gone? Oh yes, democracy provides for freedom of speech, of expression, of political affiliation. But its tenets do not protect mockery of history. The administration advocates can downplay and legitimize the rallies all they want; but the efforts have been a spit on the face of Philippine history. When the Filipino values would direct us to render the highest respect for the elderly, the bereaved, to our ancestors, that as far as I know, we would set aside any grudge, any ill feeling, when remembering those who have gone before us in time. We would simply set aside resentments of our lolo’s painful butt spanking (if there were any), and just remember all the good about him, when his death anniversary comes around the corner (Northern Filipino tribes would even mummify their grandparents; out of respect.) I believed and I thought these are the Filipino values which we are so proud of, despite the nation’s poverty, the bullying of bigger nations, the abuses against OFWs, the discrimination against ‘brown monkeys ”. The red, white and blue, and three stars and a sun may not stand a chance in a military conflict with Malaysians in Borneo or the Chinese in the Spratlys, or may be panned for the corruption, the pollution, the heavy traffic, the slow development, but the Filipinos would stand proud for their values which would not be compromised, which would be our waving banner anywhere in the world; or is it? It is simply sad. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,” Philippians 2:3

THE celebration of Ash Wednesday yesterday ushers in the start of the Lenten Season. The Holy Week starts on April 10 with Good Friday falling on April 14 and Easter Sunday on April 16. Indeed, time is fleeting and soon enough would be summer time. As we approach this time of the year, many are looking forward to spending leisure time at our summer beach resorts. Among the leading beach resorts in Camarines Sur are in Magtabid and Balogo in Pasacao; the Sabang beach resort and Gota beach in Partido and, of course, the famous CWC at the Provincial Capitol complex in Pili. In Naga we have the hot spring in Carolina, and the Haciendas de Naga resort with its much vaunted wave pool, and the Pichelitos resort in Magarao where one could either go swimming or just go fishing and have your catch cooked for you. Its wine cellar is also complete with local or imported liquors. I was watching the TV interview of Senator Riza Hontiveros by Karen Davila this evening and indeed, it is not surprising for her and three other LP senators to be ousted from their respective committees in the Senate. I believe that the ouster of Senators Hontiveres, Senate Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino for not being allegedly supportive of President Duterter’s legislative agenda is a blessing in disquise. This time we will have a real minority opposition in the Senate which is good for the country. As correctly pointed out by former President Benigno Aquino III, the opposition can “speak up” and make the party’s voice “heard again”. Before the ouster, it was an awkward situation to have a minority opposition in coalition with the majority members in the Senate. Reportedly, the ouster move was hatched at the Forbes Park mansion of Senator Manny Pacquiao. No wonder it was Paquiao himself who moved for their ouster during the Senate session. TRIVIA: Greetings to my daughter Tessie who will be celebrating her Nth birth anniversary this coming Friday, March 3. She is now a resident of Los Angeles, California. Belated birthday greetings to my friend Mayor Fermin Mabolo of San Fernando who celebrated his Nth birthday anniversary last February 21. Hi also to Atty. Mariano “Nitoy” Sibulo and his lovely spouse Cecil, to Atty. Mon Felipe III and my former boss former Comelec Chairperson Ramon H. Felipe, Sr. Hi also to my good friend Nitoy Abella whom I have not seen for sometimes. Nitoy has been a friend since our Jaycee days. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: “YOU WILL FIND AS YOU LOOK BACK UPON YOUR LIFE THAT THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU HAVE TRULY LIVED ARE THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU HAVE DONE THINGS IN THE SPIRIT OF LOVE.” HENRY DRUMMOND FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE: “THERE IS AN APPOINTED TIME FOR EVERYTHING, AND A TIME FOR EVERY AFFAIR UNDER THE HEAVENS.” ECCL. 3:1

We all have stories to tell. Some stories are easily forgotten. Others are not, especially those that cause so much pain, yet give a new perspective to the meaning of life. There are also stories that, when shared, can help us understand the past, like the story of my father. He once shared with me that he was slapped by a Japanese soldier during World War II for feigning ignorance when asked about the whereabouts of certain individuals the Japanese were looking for. My father’s story and other similar stories make me understand the world that my father lived in. The very act of sharing my father’s story helps me understand the brutality that my father’s generation experienced in the hands of the Japanese during World War II. In Seattle last week to tell the stories of four young Filipinos who fought the Marcos dictatorship at the cost of sacrificing their lives was Susan Quimpo. She has dedicated her life to raising awareness about the evils of Martial Law and the importance of actively speaking against any form of authoritarianism. Susan is not a stranger to these stories – many of them heart-wrenching – that metamorphosed during the martial law era. After all, she is the youngest of the Quimpo family, whose members – seven siblings – have dedicated themselves to the anti-Marcos dictatorship struggle at profound personal cost. Her family story is documented in Subversive Lives, a book that chronicles the anti-Marcos crusade of the Quimpo family. Written by Susan and her brother Nathan, the book tells the stories and heroism of the youths during the Marcos dictatorship. Susan is a great storyteller. She is compelling and interests her audience with emotion and conviction. She can find ways to make the audience care about the content of her stories of Jan Quimpo, Francis Sontillano, Liliosa Hilao, and Jun Quimpo. Jan was a high school student at the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) when his exposure to the social conditions in his time led him to be an activist. At a very young age, he started joining demonstrations. At a rally he and Francis attended near the university belt in December 1970 against blacklisting students, a security guard at Feati University lobbed a pill box that hit the head of Francis, also a PSHS student. Francis, 15 years old, died instantly. Jan was a few feet away from him and he saw shreds of Francis’ brain stuck to his shirt. This was Jan’s first near death experience fighting the Marcos dictatorship. The death of Francis did not deter Jan in his activist ways. In April of 1973, Jan was arrested by the military together with two other PSHS students at the house of schoolmate Marie Hilao. Marie’s sister, Liliosa, who was a student at the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and a member of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, was also arrested. According to Susan, her brother was subjected to physical torture for hours. He was stripped naked, doused his feet with cold water, and his ears were clapped every time he gave what the military considered were wrong answers. A bright lamp similar to what is used for theater productions was put close to his face, causing him to scream in pain because of the heat. A live wire was also tied to his genital. Liliosa, who was arrested with Jan, was not as lucky because four days after her arrest, she was dead. Post mortem findings showed she was also severely tortured like Jan. Her face was severely swollen. Her lips bore cigarette burns. The military said she committed suicide by drinking muriatic acid which, according to Susan, left her chest cavity wide open. When Jan was finally released, he studied at the University of the Philippines Department of Geology until he disappeared in 1977 when he was about to graduate. Attempts by the family to find him failed. According to Susan, the family received reports that Jan was being used by the military as a bait to trace other activists. He has not been found since then. He was 23. Susan’s other brother, Jun, was exposed to student demonstrations like his brother Jan and also became a student activist. In 1976, he helped organize the squatters in Tatalon, Quezon City, together with some UP students. In a rally by squatters that Jun participated that year, the Metropolitan Command (Metrocom) conducted mass arrests and Jun was one of those arrested. He was beaten by the military for ten days before he was released. His short arrest convinced him that he was ready to be deployed to the province. Looking back almost 40 years ago, my wife and I worked with Jun in Tatalon. He was passionate and serious about organizing the squatters, quite different from the picture painted by Susan during the forum that he was a typical teen-ager who liked attractive girls and loved to play volleyball. I still remember clearly what Jun told me before he was deployed to the province to organize the peasants. He told me to take care of myself. That was the last time I saw him. In 1981, I was informed that Jun died in Nueva Ecija. The newspaper account explained that he was murdered by the military: “It was not hard to point the armalite at him. He was facing the other way finishing some food in his mouth. Then the shots rang out one after another. The first bullet hit him in the hips. The second hit in the nape and went out in the center of his forehead. As he fell, five more bullets entered his body.” He was 24. As I sat and listened to Susan’s stories, the stories took on a life of their own. Her voice was no longer only her voice. Rather, it was the sound of others struggling to come to terms with the current attempt by the Marcoses to ignore and forget their stories and instead portray Ferdinand Marcos as the best president the Philippines ever had. Listening to Susan’s stories unearth the truth that the deaths of Francis, Jan, Liliosa and Jun can provide a moral sense to counter any attempt to revise and sanitize the Martial Law years. As Inquirer Global Nation columnist Boying Pimentel once wrote, “These stories should not be left to those who would deny their true importance and meaning.” Indeed, the stories of Francis, Jan, Liliosa and Jun, to name a few of the thousands, convey the horrors of Martial Law to those who never experienced it. Their stories work in powerful ways, challenging us not to forget them so that we do not suffer the same fate.

The People Power revolution that took place 31 years ago at EDSA will be celebrated this year with a meager budget of P1 million pesos. The small amount made vice President Leni Robredo unhappy and accused the president of “green-lighting the downplaying of the anniversary celebration of the EDSA revolt.” She warned that “moving on and forgetting (the dictatorship) may leave us in danger of making the same mistakes all over again.” Celebrating the EDSA revolution will not be complete without adding the voice of the Philippine Catholic Church. Bishop Socrates Villegas then private secretary of the late Cardinal Jaime Sin in 1986 and now president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) lamented the darkness that has befallen the glorious past of the revolution. But he encourages people to constantly remember the faith and bravery of the people who took part in the EDSA revolution. Every year that this revolution is celebrated, a common primordial question being asked is “what are we celebrating?” It is a loaded question that haunts us every year because nobody can point to an end point that makes sense. It is pointless to celebrate the glorious days of the EDSA revolution if seen from the unfulfilled promises of such revolution 31 years since: freedom from poverty, hunger, better quality of education, government transparency and respect for human rights. Perhaps the president was right in allocating a pittance to this celebration because when you compare the outcome of this year’s celebration to the more extravagant celebrations of the past, nothing much will really change. So why spend more money on it? Perhaps VP Robredo needs to step back and reflect a little harder on why people are trying to forget the past because remembering it just reminds them that nothing has really changed under a democracy that was supposed to be the reward of the revolution. The very people who were key personalities during the revolution had plenty of opportunities to fulfill these promises when they were sworned in as president of the republic. But if the present is a reflection of their past leaderships, the EDSA revolution was then a failure. Cory Aquino allowed the oligarchy to regain their footing post EDSA. She had her own Kamaganak Inc. scandal to boot. It was not enough that President Cory restored democracy with a new constitution but should have taken the extra steps to ensure the promises of EDSA were fulfilled. Part of her legacy is the coups that happened during her watch because of military discontent. General Fidel Ramos along with then defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile hastened the revolution by breaking away from the Marcos dictatorship and joined the people. Not because that was their plan but it was an option that presented itself and helped them protect their hide. President Ramos protected the same oligarchy and was himself embroiled in the PEA-Amari and Centennial celebration scandals. He was also very much behind in bringing Digong Duterte to Malacañang. While Enrile tried through “Save the Queen” to become a de facto leader of the country through a failed coup, he survived politically but is now temporarily free on bail for corruption charges. Credit his political skills and legal acumen for his longevity in the halls of power. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was a product of another EDSA to oust another corrupt president who acted as if he was still in showbiz while running the country with his boozing, womanizing, and criminal dealing. President Arroyo turned out to be a reincarnation of the late dictator with her corrupt-ridden administration and whose legacy is the destruction of the democratic pillars of government by corrupting the presidency, the judiciary, and the legislature to stay in power. Senator Benigno “NoyNoy” Aquino picked up where his mother left off by going after officials of the Arroyo administration including the ouster of Chief Justice Renato Corona and jailing of the former president GMA, and senators Jingoy Estrada, Bong Revilla, and Juan Ponce Enrile. Along with them, the PDAF queen, her majesty Janet Napoles. But just like his predecessors, the oligarchy thrived and continued to set the economic agenda of the country. We now boast of having more Filipino billionaires no thanks to these past presidents! Aquino’s lack of executive experience prior to the presidency caused him to make bad decisions (Mamasapano, MRT/LRT, etc.) and his hard-headedness allowed corrupt officials to continue their merry ways. Senator Gringo Honasan, the mustachioed RAM colonel who stood out prominently during the revolution has himself implicated in previous coups and recently been linked to the PDAF scandal. Obviously, gone is the idealism of the much admired colonel of 1986. Bishop Soc Villegas who rose through the ranks to become president of the CBCP had tried to steer the church and the flock towards the direction of the popular Pope Francis but was late in finding his own voice on the matter of the extra judicial killing (EJK) the DU30 administration has embarked upon since taking office. Perhaps he tried earlier since becoming a prince of the church but his predecessors were tainted by the PGMA scandal by looking the other way while PGMA sullied Philippine democracy. And why not, many of the bishops were exposed to have been lavished by the lady president with material things to satisfy their earthly lust for power. But more than that, the Catholic Church collectively failed to address poverty, human rights violations, and government inefficiency through the years. DU30 rose to power precisely because of people’s collective anger and disappointment with the status quo. DU30, however, is clearly unprepared for the presidency and is just coping armed with limited executive experience as mayor of Davao. He bragged about killing criminals in the city and two key people have come out to corroborate his claim and more. Retired police officer Arturo Lascañas’ perjured himself with his new revelations that he was part of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) that killed criminals on Duterte’s orders while mayor of the city, but dovetails nicely with that of another assassin’s claim, Edgar Matobato. If proven true, DU30’s current campaign to rid the country of the drug menace will be discredited for being state sanctioned killings. But it will remain a big question mark if DU30 will be held accountable given his supermajority support in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Among the most vociferous is Senator Dick Gordon who himself was accused of being involved in summary executions in Olongapo City when he was mayor there. He is so hell bent in protecting DU30 by discrediting these witnesses rather that getting down to the bottom of the truth. Which brings us back to the question of what is it that we are trying to remember or celebrate at EDSA? To spend millions just to look back is very painful given the many missed opportunities. Income inequality, poverty, and hunger will always confront us every day until leaders and the people are ready to make drastic changes. The facts are there for everyone to see but which are continually ignored at our own peril. The gap between the rich and the poor are so wide, you could literally fit an elephant in it. It is not enough to continue celebrating, concrete steps must be undertaken if we are to progress. You can hail the economy as robust but if the people are suffering, it is nothing but a hollow claim. The Philippines has the resources to be better but is mired in corruption everywhere that hinders progress. It is not enough to give the poor a pittance para lang pampatawid sa gutom (temporarily overcome hunger). The gap must be made smaller if we are to create a middle class. If done, that is something to truly celebrate!

Dakul akong muyang sabihon tanganing ipamidbid si Luis Cabalquinto bilang sarong katuod asin parasurat na Bikolnon. Kan enot niyamong paghirilingan kaidto sa New York kan 2012, nakakatapos pa sanang uminagi an Hurricane Sandy asin naguuran-uran pa ngani ki mahibog na snow asin tanda ko na apwera ki Luis, nakihilingan man ako sa amigo kong Aleman na nag-aadal kaidto sa Columbia University. Nakua ko si Luis sa sarong kakanan sa 5th Avenue pagkatapos kung magsakay sa subway, maglakaw nin magkapirang kanto asin magsakay giraray sa bus. Huli ta Filipino, dai man kita tuod maggamit mapa, ta mala ngani kun hinapot ka baga kun gurano karayo an Iriga sa Naga o an Naga sa Manila, dai ka man nasabi nin 400 kilometro, o 40 kilometro, kundi walong oras kun Penafrancia o Isarog, kun ordinary abuton kang 10-12 oras. Napano man daw ta sinusukol ta an rayo gamit an marigsok na kamot kan relo? Mas marahay na sanang maghapot ka nin direksyon kaysa susugon an dalan gamit an mapa. Kaya, pinano kong nakaabot ako asin duman sa gilid, nahiling ko sa enot na pangyayari si Luis, tolong henerasyon an pagkagurang sakuya. Dali-dali nyang inabot sakuya an pirang pasabat, mga libro nya, asin nagduman kami sa iniistaran niyang apartment, asin duman sa ibaba kaini igwang mini park na may mga squirrels na nagpapamati. Sa buot-buot ko, kun ining mga squirrels na ini yaon sa Filipinas, remate ini sa mga aking naghahanap nin kawatan na hayop, papatirig-tirigon ini, babahug-bahugon, gagamiton sa mga pagsagin-sagin na pagkamoot. O baad pulutan na ini. Dakul kaming naging paghuron ni Luis kan panahon na idto. Dinara nya ako sa mga bookstores, sa Barnes asin dangan sa Strand, ining sikat na bersyon kan Booksale ninda. Namanggi, nag-inuman kami sa sarong Pinoy restaurant na an ngaran Jeepney na sa kaenot-enoteng pagkakataon nagkakan ako nin fishball (dollars ha) asin an dutdutan Papa Banana ketsup (sa katunayan pigtutuyo ini kan mga Kano asin turista an resto na ini, na saditon sana man, na siguro kaysa sana man an sampulong tawo, na pigtatao huli kan masiram nindang ketsup, na iyo man gayod an sikreto kan nasabing resto kun pano sinda nakaiba sinda sa listahan, in fact number 1 gayod sa listahan nin may pinakamasiram na burger sa New York). Dai ko na tanda kun pano ako nakapuli sa iniistaran ko basta an aram ko na sana, dakul pa an nangyari sakuya duman asin nagin dayupot ko nang katuod si Luis sagkod sa ginawadan siya kan Bulawan Bikol Awards kan satuyang unibersidad kan taon 2013. Nakalagda na siya ki tolong libro sa irarom kan university press asin ining PANTOMINA an pangatlong libro nya satuya, alagad ini panduwa pa sana sa mga bersong Bikol na niluwas niya kasunod kan Tignarakol. Totoo na enot kong nabasa si Luis sa tataramon na Ingles asin itutuga ko ini asin mawot kong tungkusan ini kan mga estudyante na yaon digdi sa pagtiripon na ini, na kan nabasa ko sa Ingles si Luis, nakamati ako nin kagianan nin boot huli ta an saiyang mga rawitdawit naggamit ki imahen na harani sakuya. For the first time, in my life as a young reader, I came to encounter a selection of poetry that is far from the way I was thought to believe what an English poem looks like. It was a sudden bolt, a lucid lightning, ta bako nang mga apples and oranges an nabasa ko, kundi coconut and coconuts and coconuts, and more coconuts. His poetry in English made me access and approach English as Bikolnon, as Filipino. Luis was writing from English and like other Filipino poets, he has initiated a kind of native clearing, so as this English borne out of our colonial experience, becomes a kind of language, that despite its own poverty is enriched by our Bikol/Filipino experience. Alagad an ikinarahay ni Luis, dai lang siya nagsurat sa Ingles, nagsurat man siya sa Filipino asin orog sa gabos sa Bikol, asin ini an ikinaorag niya sa gabos, Ini an ikinadakula niyang tawo dawa an saro niyang rawitdawit saro sa mga yaon sa mga required readings sa US, dai siya nagtugot na duman sana siya accessible sa Amerika. Sa paagi kan koleksyon na Pantomina asin Tignarakol, ibinabalik niya an pagkamoot na ini sa sadiri tang banwa. Totoong masakit magbasa sa Bikol, magsabot, asin mamoot sa Bikol. Mas madaling isipon an buhay sa luwas kan Bikol, mas madaling isipon na naglalakaw-lakaw ka sa Makati, (asin nagsasabi kun open minded ka ba?) o nagyayaba-yaba ka sa New York o Paris, o sa Dubai, o sa Singapore asin nagpipila sa Jollibee. Totoong mapung’awon an buhay tang mga Bikolnon ta igwa kitang kinakapung’awan na dai man napasatuya, na dati nang nawara na puon sa puon, kaya ngani siguro sinurat kan depuntong makata na si Rudy Alano man kun gurano kapung’aw an mapungaw huli ta igwa kitang dai napasatuya arog kan Bikolnon na agimadmad na padagos na tiutumhakan kan mga kaisipan na nagsasabing “dusta” an Bikol. Ano baya ta minabayle kita, nagigiromdan ta pa ngani an first dance ta? Ano an yaon sa bayle, ano an yaon sa rawitdawit? An kasimbagan, iyo ini, an bayle asin rawitdawit, haloy nang nagsasayaw, nagpapantomina, ta iyo ini an busol asin balos kan kalag sa hawak. Both poetry and dance are movements of the spirit towards the human body, towards our experience. Lugod sa paagi kan Pantomina ni Cabalquinto, maibalik niyato an girok asin ludok sa satuyang mga dila. (Binasa ko an halipot na mensaheng ini kan Pebrero 28, 2017 sa pagtiripon na nag-uurgulyo kan mga rawitdawit ni Luis Cabalquinto asin kan sayaw na Pantomina na iyo man an titulo kan libro ni Cabalquinto.)

The last page THERE is something more than merely coincidental in the way the holidays prevented this last page from being printed before the end of the year. For something happened on the last day of 1969. Our comrade, Leon SA. Aureus, finally received the final Transfer Orders that he had been awaiting, in pain, for quite sometime. And it was also more than coincidence that as he left us—he who was mainly responsible for bringing the movement here, five years ago in October, 1964, with Caceres Cursillo No. 1, among the graduates of which were the founders of The Rainbow—that same December 31st also saw the graduation of the 100th Caceres Cursillo class for men. It was amazing how so much leonine spirit was in so frail a man. And he was a man of many other firsts: organizer and Executive Officer of the Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit that, even before Corregidor fell in 1942, had already spurred the resistance movement here which had captured and held Naga for a week; founder and publisher of The Bicol Mail; organizer and first president of Naga Press and Radio Club; the first City Mayor of Naga; to name but a few. But we who knew him well will always remember him as a true soldier of his country and above all, of Christ. As the three volleys herald the sounding of the final taps, we too, The Rainbow Staff, render our fond salute. He died in line of duty in the service of country and God.—jamc (*Page 60, The Rainbow, October-December, 1969) The first page The pen name, “jamc”, is Jesus Antonio Matamorosa Carpio. He is my father. He was an esteemed Columnist, Author, and Writer. Coincidentally, this columnist was scheduled to return and report for duty last December of 2016. It was a joyful article but because of the inclement weather, which is an understatement—to call a spade a spade—it was a disheartening disaster. Sadly, many lost their homes, hence, we deemed it insensitive to have had it published. Later on, we thought that it would be interesting and enjoyable to feature a story and interview of a hotshot Bicolano basketball coach but he is too preoccupied with reasonable matters in terms of attending to his flourishing career. Time is, definitely, running out. It has been a long time since Inspired had a new edition. Your columnist was not hiding under a rock. I had to prepare to write for an American Media Company. The challenge was served on a silver platter, so to speak, everything was professional—like clockwork. The producer was quite welcoming and I was even assigned to have a Social Media Manager to handle the complicated machinery of online publicity. To be completely honest, I was glad. Well, the most- suitable-apt-word would be euphoric. But the feeling of leaving something and the people that I have worked with for a long time, since May of 2013, left my heart in profound chagrin. Two people that I am indebted to: the editor, and the publisher. And they became four; the son of the publisher, and the web administrator. The plot thickens, while at the head office, there was a poignant moment though, when the young female administrative assistant, referred to me as a former writer of the firm. That feeling that one could just walk away, never look back, and bask in the greener pasture I have been blessed with, for a moment, my heart leaped. Nonetheless, I just laughed it off. I gave my word to the editor that I would still write, dutifully, for the firm once a month. I am at a loss if the younger generation have been taught in learning institutions of the Filipino trait called ‘Palabra de honor’ (word of honor). And the proverbial trait we keep practicing, which is ‘Utang na loob’ (gratitude.) Frankly, my treasured readers, I would not have become a writer if not for Bicol Mail. Principles run deep in the core of my being and they are afire. When someone has a penchant for reading antique books, you might just be in for a surprise, in this case, a treasure. Reading that eulogy, sent waves of frequency to my soul that resonated and the connection between my Captain of the army and his private soldier is, unmistakably, loud and clear. “Son, go and write for Bicol Mail, pronto.” His last page. My first page. Tabula rasa we call it in Philosophy, simply, a clean slate. A few may remember this column, some may have been impatient, maybe most of you will come to know this for the very first time. Finally, my own personal elephant in the room had been addressed. From the film, Quantum of Solace, the double agent was asked by his boss, M: Bond… I need you back. James Bond: I never left. Here is to a bright future ahead. New stories, something to learn from, to make you laugh, to brighten your day, essentially and meaningfully, a celebration of life here in a wonderful world. Our commitment is to bring light to dark hours that we encounter in our lives. To give hope and inspiration, so that like your humble writer who found his purpose, you as well, would be where God wants you to be, and how He intended for you to discover your own or to continue your vocation and mission here on earth as pilgrims, walking on the road less traveled by—but, fortunately—will make it all the more worthwhile. Godspeed.

“The Word is a gift. Other persons are a gift” Dear Brothers and Sisters, Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion. Christians are asked to return to God “with all their hearts” (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord. Jesus is the faithful friend who never abandons us. Even when we sin, he patiently awaits our return; by that patient expectation, he shows us his readiness to forgive (cf. Homily, 8 January 2016). Lent is a favourable season for deepening our spiritual life through the means of sanctification offered us by the Church: fasting, prayer and almsgiving. At the basis of everything is the word of God, which during this season we are invited to hear and ponder more deeply. I would now like to consider the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (cf. Lk 16:19-31). Let us find inspiration in this meaningful story, for it provides a key to understanding what we need to do in order to attain true happiness and eternal life. It exhorts us to sincere conversion. 1. The other person is a gift The parable begins by presenting its two main characters. The poor man is described in greater detail: he is wretched and lacks the strength even to stand. Lying before the door of the rich man, he fed on the crumbs falling from his table. His body is full of sores and dogs come to lick his wounds (cf. vv. 20-21). The picture is one of great misery; it portrays a man disgraced and pitiful. The scene is even more dramatic if we consider that the poor man is called Lazarus: a name full of promise, which literally means God helps. This character is not anonymous. His features are clearly delineated and he appears as an individual with his own story. While practically invisible to the rich man, we see and know him as someone familiar. He becomes a face, and as such, a gift, a priceless treasure, a human being whom God loves and cares for, despite his concrete condition as an outcast (cf. Homily, 8 January 2016). Lazarus teaches us that other persons are a gift. A right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognizing their value. Even the poor person at the door of the rich is not a nuisance, but a summons to conversion and to change. The parable first invites us to open the doors of our heart to others because each person is a gift, whether it be our neighbour or an anonymous pauper. Lent is a favourable season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ. Each of us meets people like this every day. Each life that we encounter is a gift deserving acceptance, respect and love. The word of God helps us to open our eyes to welcome and love life, especially when it is weak and vulnerable. But in order to do this, we have to take seriously what the Gospel tells us about the rich man. 2. Sin blinds us The parable is unsparing in its description of the contradictions associated with the rich man (cf. v. 19). Unlike poor Lazarus, he does not have a name; he is simply called “a rich man”. His opulence was seen in his extravagant and expensive robes. Purple cloth was even more precious than silver and gold, and was thus reserved to divinities (cf. Jer 10:9) and kings (cf. Jg 8:26), while fine linen gave one an almost sacred character. The man was clearly ostentatious about his wealth, and in the habit of displaying it daily: “He feasted sumptuously every day” (v. 19). In him we can catch a dramatic glimpse of the corruption of sin, which progresses in three successive stages: love of money, vanity and pride (cf. Homily, 20 September 2013). The Apostle Paul tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Tim 6:10). It is the main cause of corruption and a source of envy, strife and suspicion. Money can come to dominate us, even to the point of becoming a tyrannical idol (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 55). Instead of being an instrument at our service for doing good and showing solidarity towards others, money can chain us and the entire world to a selfish logic that leaves no room for love and hinders peace. The parable then shows that the rich man’s greed makes him vain. His personality finds expression in appearances, in showing others what he can do. But his appearance masks an interior emptiness. His life is a prisoner to outward appearances, to the most superficial and fleeting aspects of existence (cf. ibid., 62). The lowest rung of this moral degradation is pride. The rich man dresses like a king and acts like a god, forgetting that he is merely mortal. For those corrupted by love of riches, nothing exists beyond their own ego. Those around them do not come into their line of sight. The result of attachment to money is a sort of blindness. The rich man does not see the poor man who is starving, hurting, lying at his door. Looking at this character, we can understand why the Gospel so bluntly condemns the love of money: “No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money” (Mt 6:24). 3. The Word is a gift The Gospel of the rich man and Lazarus helps us to make a good preparation for the approach of Easter. The liturgy of Ash Wednesday invites us to an experience quite similar to that of the rich man. When the priest imposes the ashes on our heads, he repeats the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. As it turned out, the rich man and the poor man both died, and the greater part of the parable takes place in the afterlife. The two characters suddenly discover that “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Tim 6:7). We too see what happens in the afterlife. There the rich man speaks at length with Abraham, whom he calls “father” (Lk16:24.27), as a sign that he belongs to God’s people. This detail makes his life appear all the more contradictory, for until this moment there had been no mention of his relation to God. In fact, there was no place for God in his life. His only god was himself. The rich man recognizes Lazarus only amid the torments of the afterlife. He wants the poor man to alleviate his suffering with a drop of water. What he asks of Lazarus is similar to what he could have done but never did. Abraham tells him: “During your life you had your fill of good things, just as Lazarus had his fill of bad. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony” (v. 25). In the afterlife, a kind of fairness is restored and life’s evils are balanced by good. The parable goes on to offer a message for all Christians. The rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, who are still alive. But Abraham answers: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them” (v. 29). Countering the rich man’s objections, he adds: “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead” (v. 31). The rich man’s real problem thus comes to the fore. At the root of all his ills was the failure to heed God’s word. As a result, he no longer loved God and grew to despise his neighbour. The word of God is alive and powerful, capable of converting hearts and leading them back to God. When we close our heart to the gift of God’s word, we end up closing our heart to the gift of our brothers and sisters. Dear friends, Lent is the favourable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbour. The Lord, who overcame the deceptions of the Tempter during the forty days in the desert, shows us the path we must take. May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God’s word, be purified of the sin that blinds us, and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need. I encourage all the faithful to express this spiritual renewal also by sharing in the Lenten Campaigns promoted by many Church organizations in different parts of the world, and thus to favour the culture of encounter in our one human family. Let us pray for one another so that, by sharing in the victory of Christ, we may open our doors to the weak and poor. Then we will be able to experience and share to the full the joy of Easter. FRANCIS

By Marc Jancent A. Bagasbas CAMARINES NORTE - The Catholic Educational Association of Daet hosted BACS Youth Camp last February 23-25 at the La Consolacion College of Daet. Themed “Building a Community through Service”, the annual event was attended by the other associations under BACS, namely CEACAL, CEAV, MACEA, CEAS, and CEAL. The delegations were immersed in activities in line with youth empowerment and spiritual formation. Outreach programs in the Provincial Jail, Orphanage, Half-way Home, Community Integration areas, and Eco-farming were were part of the 3-day affair. The “Search for Mr. and Ms. BACS 2017” and the election of Youth Officers served as highlights for the event as well. Dominic Abracosa, a participant, said, “It’s a great experience for [each] of us [to] be able to interact with other students and share our own stories with one another, while giving [importance] to our faith which bonds us together.” The Catholic Educational Association of Virac will host the next Youth Camp in 2018.

WORKPLACE. The work area of the small-scale mining---on the lower right hand the entrance to the tunnel has been covered for a while since the cease and desist order was issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. above the covered tunnel is a contraption used to haul rocks out of the tunnel using a pulley, while on the upper left side is the kitchen. Juan Escandor Jr. By Juan Escandor Jr. PANGANIBAN, Camarines Norte---Subsistence mining activities or mining on small-scale with not more than 20 but less than 50 persons involved proved to be sustainable in this second-class municipality at the northeastern part of Camarines Norte, if undisturbed verdant hills and mountains with vegetation are the proofs. Sarah Marie P. Aviado, municipal environment and natural resources officer of Panganiban, said the town had been known for iron and gold even before Spain colonized the Philippines. “It is really safe to say that small-scale mining had been going on here for centuries ago, but you see our mountains and hills sustain its green vegetation unlike in areas where large-scale open pit mining is allowed.” Panganiban was originally called Mambulao with the root word bulao which pertains to the distinct reddish color of the soil rich in iron mineral, according to Bicol historian Prof. Danilo M. Gerona. “The association of the name Mambulao with gold apparently came later as the town was earlier on identified only with iron. It was only in the later part of the seventeenth century that the name was increasingly associated with gold upon the discovery of the precious metal,” Gerona said. He said the abundance of gold in Panganiban town since centuries ago can be shown in the story of a legendary figure named Doña Ponay, who owned a mining site in the 16th century and gave Queen Isabela of Spain a precious gift of gold. “Doña Ponay sent Queen Isabela of Spain a life-size statue of chicken with 12 chicks mounted on the platter all made of pure gold. This story is probably widely known because it was even mentioned by the first American schools superintendent William Freer in the letter he sent to a man he believed was descendant of Doña Ponay,” Gerona said. He said the economic frenzy which erupted as a consequence of the emerging gold and iron mining industry attracted horde of migrants to the town in the 16th century Spanish period. “A local writer estimated that in the years 1752-54, this town was populated by about 60,000 inhabitants. Although the population estimate was apparently exaggerated, it nevertheless suggests that the town was undergoing a rapid influx of outsiders, who were the ones who benefitted from the mining industry,” Gerona said. He said the mining industry in Panganiban continued to be vibrant at the end of the Spanish period where British investors like Peele, Hubbell & Co. took interest. “The mining industry in Mambulao in the second half of the nineteenth century promised profits for investors, and employment for the residents not only of the town but of the neighboring municipalities in the region, sparking an era of massive in-migration,” Gerona said. Aviado said through the years the town has not experienced any untoward incident that can be attributed to the mining practices of the small-scale miners in the town. In the village of Luklukan, where the Bicol Mail made an actual visit and more than a hundred subsistence miners operate, the surrounding area remains green with coconut and other indigenous trees standing firmly. Wilfredo Sapalaran, 54, subsistence miner, narrated that they only make an opening of about one square meter then start digging until they reach the hard rock, examine it for gold vein and continue tunneling while chipping the rock, the pieces being brought outside for selection. Sapalaran said the shallowest they could go is 24 feet and the deepest they could go is 230 feet, depending on the potential of gold deposited on the rock. He said as they go deeper they are aided with a blower to supply them with air. He said plant trees after the operation of the small-scale mine which could occupy at a minimum of 50 square meters of a mountain. “You cannot see a mountain stripped of trees here unlike in other areas where mining is rampant and the mountains are made bare.” Sapalaran said if they are fortunate to mine high-grade gold ore, one could earn P10,000 in less than one month of work. On regular basis, he said he earns at least P5,000 a month. Evelyn España, 50, a financier of a small-scale gold mining operation, said that investing in a gold mining venture would at least require P200,000 capital with no assurance of the return of investment while the prevailing price of gold is P1,700 per gram. Aviado said to make the small-scale mining industry sustainable, the local government unit of Panganiban has tied up with the Department of Science and Technology and researchers from the University of the Philippines to establish a mercury- and cyanide-free gold processing plant. Herman D. Mendoza, mining engineer from the UP and program leader, said the gold processing plant will cater to the small-scale miners and will be operated by the LGU of Panganiban anytime within 2017. Mendoza said it will boost the small-scale gold production because the technology to be used in the processing plant will have a high recovery of 80-95 percent compared to only 40 percent recovery by the existing technology, aside from being free of the use of mercury and cyanide. For the meantime, Panganiban Mayor Ricarte Padilla on Thursday (Feb. 16) had met with Environment Sec. Gina Lopez to ask for reconsideration regarding the cease and desist order against the small-scale mining activities in Camarines Norte. Padilla said Lopez has initially agreed to reconsider the lifting of the cease and desist order with the crafting a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will be used as guide to permit the operation of small-scale mining in the town. He said Lopez promised to sign the MOU if he could submit immediately the deed of assignment from claim owners or the entities with approved mineral claims in the area. “If we can submit the deed of assignment from claim owners or their consent to appropriate certain areas from their claims, Secretary Lopez will sign the MOU,” Padilla said.