By Butch Galicia
While whiling winter blues away with peers in a mall’s fastfood zone, someone asked: Sino ba talaga ang tama? Is it Manny or Boy and Vice?
Somebody replied: Pare, ang dapat itanong: “Sino ba ang may tama?”
After a hearty laugh, panandaliang dumaan ang anghel as the group hushed.
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So much was said and written on the issue raised by Manny, Boy and Vice. Nagsanga-sanga na nga at malayo-layo na rin ang narating sa paghimay ng mga umusbong na other issues. At the end of the day, all sides may be right. Or one side may be right; the other, wrong. Or all sides may be wrong.
That is how civilized, healthy and intelligent debates, discussions and oral expressions work.
Anyways, kung sila at mga fans nila ay magmamatigasan, eh ‘di pagbigyan. Showbiz lang ‘yan, kaibigan. Abangan na lang kung ano pa ang maaaring kahinatnan ng mga patutsadahan.
What? Magso-sorry na lang ba matapos manakit? Why not? Mas illogical nga yata kung maga-apologize bago manakit. Kaya, kina Ryan O’Neil at Ali McGraw pa rin: Love means never having to say you’re sorry. Ssshhhhh!
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Just as there are seven deadly sins, there are also seven bad speaking habits that must be trashed. No need for a drum roll. From what I’ve read, here they are in no particular order:
- Being negative: Kung kokontra, be sure na ika’y nasa tama. Kung ang sasabihin ay laging masama, itikom na lang ang dila. Heto, baka makatulong: Magsipilyo para maging fresh and positive ang hininga at salita.
- Making excuses: Who else has erred but he na may masamang tinuran. No finger-pointing, please. Mouth mo ang amoy imburnal, kaya magdusa ka. Kung mali, aminin! Iwasan nang humugot ng sanlaksang palusot.
- Exaggerating: Ang pagdagdag ng kadramahan sa istorya, malamang kasinungalingan ang bunga. Hindi na mabenta ngayon ang kayabangan. If high and mighty ang pananaw dahil nakapatong sa kalabaw, eh ‘di wow!
- Complaining: Reklamo, reklamo, puro na lang reklamo! Magiging patok nga ang bulak sa tenga. Sana’y huwag mapagsabihang “Narito ang piso, bumili ka ng kausap mo!”
- Gossiping: ‘Ika nga, ang wala sa umpukan, malamang ay pinagpipiyestahan. Mga tsismoso at tsismosa, handa rin kaya mapag-tsismisan? Hay naku! Huwag gawin sa iba ang ayaw mong gawin ng iba sa iyo.
- Judging: Iwasang magbitiw ng salita na mapanghusga sa pagkatao ng iba. Tigilan na ang pangungutya at panglalait sa kapwa, kahit ito pa ay joke, joke, joke. Bagkus, alamin kung paano magtrabaho ang tsubibo.
- Being dogmatic: Aysus! Hindi ito ang asong tumama ng jackpot sa lotto. Insisting that an opinion is the holy truth is rude. Kung nais mo ng kausap, pakinggan, igalang at tanggapin ang opinyon ng iba. Hindi lahat ay nadadaan sa bersikulo at kapitulo; mas maayos kung ang lahat ay nakaugat sa respeto.
P.S.: In any conversation, be cool. Chill lang at sariwain ang wagas na payo ni Lola: If you have nothing good to say, in silence better stay.
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According to free expressionists, “Speak your mind.” Others say: “Think before you talk.” And “Walk the talk.” Or stick to the all-time legendary “More talk, more mistakes; less talk, less mistakes; no talk, no mistakes.”
Talk, talk, talk. Sige, talk pa more. But be aware: The way you talk shows what is in your ituktok.
I no longer find it baffling why, to this day, no one has ever challenged a teacher who tells a class: “Stop talking!” and “Keep quiet!” Wanna know why? Ask mom.
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Throwback: It was March 13, 1986. Peter Preufert patiently stood by the exit hallway, waiting for me to come out of the tube at Berlin’s Tegel International Airport. After the greetings and handshakes between two strangers meeting each other for the first time, we got into Peter’s car and motored to Kolpinghaus, a hostel in Kreuzberg district near the city proper.
Peter was the course director of the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) in Berlin where I, having been chosen by Philippine News Agency (PNA) general manager Jose Pavia to represent PNA and the country, was to attend the three-month 49th IIJ Advanced Journalism Course.
Barely three weeks had passed since the so-called EDSA Revolution took place in the Philippines. Peter raised the topic to strike a conversation with me, who was busy ogling at the sights my first foreign trip offered.
I had no first-person story to tell Peter. I was not in Manila during those trying times in Philippine history. Thus, I gathered my thoughts and told Peter what he must have already heard and read about what unfolded in EDSA. I am sure of that, as he just kept nodding while driving.
Then, he asked: Butch, will the EDSA Revolution bring change for the better in the Philippines?
I replied: I hope so. Only the future will tell.
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The EDSA Revolution in the Philippines happened 30 years ago, a decade more than the much-maligned two-decade rule of President Ferdinand Marcos that ended in 1986 with his flight to Hawaii.
For all its worth, I am rephrasing Peter’s loaded question: After five succeeding presidents in 30 long years, has the EDSA Revolution fulfilled its promise to bring change for the better in the Philippines?
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Back at the fastfood zone, this query popped up: Sino ba ang iboboto mo as the next Philippine president? All seven in the group was required to give an answer and state why.
It was unanimous. Nobody! Not Binay, Duterte, Poe, Roxas, nor Santiago. The reason: Five are Canadian citizens and could not vote in any Philippine elections; while the other two, although having acquired dual citizenship, had no plans to go home and vote on May 9, the 16th presidential election in the Philippines since 1935.
Sa totoo lang, kami ay may kanya-kanyang manok. Prito, adobo, sinigang, tinola, b-b-q, sasabungin, etc. Name it, we like it. But honestly, sa tanda naming ito, we have had enough of Philippine politics. Kaya mas maayo jud na iwas pusoy na laang. Meanwhile, we hope and pray for the best for our kababayan sa lupang sinilangan.
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Due to the “non-crippling winter storm,” we opted to stay indoors. Aba, mahirap nang ma-cripple ang mga fragile tuhod. That was when ginud-time namin si …
Siri, Siri, Siri. Paki-translate naman sa English … Pang-ilang pangulo ng Pilipinas si …
Hindi pa nga tapos ang tanong, sumingit na ang Siri: Sorry. This is Siri, not Sira!
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Pang-ilang pangulo ng Pilipinas …
- Si Binay? May chance, pero 1:75. The odds may exponentially grow or slide, depende kung ilan ang illegal bingo halls sa Makati at buong Pilipinas.
- Si Du30? Patay kang bata ka! 2DirT, but dig on.
- Si Poe? Kahit Butas Ng Karayom, Papasukin Ko. Sen. Grace, pelikula po iyon ni idol. However, your fighting spirit is infectious.
- Si Roxas? Sure ball sa OFW. Oligarchs Forever, Wannabet?
- Si Santiago? Puwede, president of the Senate. Kung may forever, let’s see.
As sure as climate change, isa sa kanila will be declared the duly elected president of the Republic of the Philippines. Sinasabi ko na nga ba, weather-weather lang ‘yan.
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On March 1, the PNA celebrates its 43rd year of prominence in the Philippine print, broadcast and cyber media. I owe the PNA so much. Like what the PNA has achieved to do with its sons and daughters over the years, the agency has trained me and honed my skills as a journalist.
I join everyone who had been part and are still part of the PNA: Mabuhay! butchgalicia@yahoo.com
