More than celebreating greatness, but reaffirming justice and fulfilling hopes

More than celebreating greatness, 

 but reaffirming justice and fulfilling hopes 

A message for National Heroes Day

At first, this note honours the contributions the contributions left by heroes both past and present and its quest for freedom, independence, and nation building. Their selfless efforts, as evidenced by their sacrifices, has showed their fortitude in the face of adversity, including betrayal and death itself. 

 For the country’s history is rife with heroism, be it the revolutionaries’ quest for national independence to that of the concerned masses in its struggle for democracy and social justice, their efforts, all imbued with nationalism, adhered to the call of their beloved homeland and thus made sacrifices accordingly. 

From this would say that people has to pledge to live a heroic life as theirs, of actively responding to the call of times same as their forefathers. Thus, it is becoming a responsibility to inspire others to uphold greater ideals and put others above self and own conviniences. That unity should be driven by a common goal and aspiration- that of upholding justice, promoting true development, and a lasting peace.

Of course the current order can babble those words to and fro but is it really worth invoking from their pretentious thoughts? For the concerned, unity as a nation means sharing aspirations, upholding hopes, and building together both mind and sinew as a community. This may sound idealistic especially in these tumultuous times. 

On this National Heroes Day, may the folk remember those who have shown courage in the face of adversity and sacrifice. At the same time, should reaffirm its commitment to advancing a cause far greater than its own. These times demand greater engagement, and rising to the occasion is the only way for the nation to ensure that their sacrifices as heroes are never forgotten.

IN MEMORIAM: JUN CASTILLO JR. THE COCONUT MAN

IN MEMORIAM: 

JUN CASTILLO JR. 

“THE COCONUT MAN”

First and foremost, this page wishes to express its condolences to the family and friends of the late Coconut enthusiast Jose Constantino "Jun" Castillo. 

 "Jun," as his colleagues called him, is known for his humility, simplicity, intelligence, sense of humor, and patriotism, as well as his advocacy for the cultivation, production, and utilization of coconuts and their byproducts. Jun, a firm believer in the benefits of coconut, advocated for the use of Virgin Coconut Oil rather than Copra, describing its production as a "sickly old man" who "poisons" both farmers and consumers. He even promoted coconut byproducts like flour, sugar, tea, coffee, and even cheese. 

He also promoted alternatives to copra production, such as the "Frescahan" system (which uses fresh coconut), the community-based "Farmers Coconut Mill" (FARCOM), and the multicropping system in coconut fields (with crops such as coffee or cacao, as well as peanuts, planted alongside coconut), all of which aim to empower coconut farmers by breaking away from the "sickly old man" whose sackful costs fifteen pesos. 

For a fellow patriot would say how tragic his death was. To communicate with his fellow cocopartners and friends, he prefers to use his trusty analog phone, text and call, and meet in person rather than using his smartphone and social media. Jun would approach, introduce, and talk about "all things coconut" aside from other topics when this writer visited "Coconut House"- all over a cup of coconut coffee, "Kapayapaan float" (cold coffee with coconut ice cram on top), or any other coconut based dishes. 

Even his coconut ice cream, which is made entirely of coconut byproducts (milk, sugar, and virgin coconut oil), is heavily promoted in his shop, alongside other ice cream products produced by his other company, Eastern Blends Corporation. Jun even invited this writer for a tour of his small ice cream factory near his house in Quezon City- where he also participated in its production, as well as urging his workers to promote and sell his products in their communities- that somehow made latter managed to stay afloat in those pandemic-marred times. And the machines, no matter how simple they were, churned a lot of ice cream in all of its various flavors. 

And, because his ice cream was so intriguing and irresistible, yours truly brought tubs. One of which was given to the owner of a coffeeshop in Escolta, whose specialty is an iced brewed coffee with coconut milk and muscovado sugar syrup- and which is similar to Jun’s own coconut coffee or "Kapayapaan float." The difference is that his is made entirely of coconut, including milk, roasted "grounds" out of grated coconut, and a syrup made from sap. 

But his support for coconuts isn't limited to the cocopalm. His advocacy also includes the nipa palm, which he refers to as "water coconut." And the sap cannot be limited to wine or vinegar; it can also become syrup or sugar, and thus should be included in the FARCOM if possible. He even encouraged multrcopping in coconut farms, planting bananas, peanuts, or even coffee to augment coconut farmers’ income and to utilise the abundance of the soil. 

Need this note say more? His devotion to all things coconut is an act of patriotism in and of itself, and this writer believes Jun will be remembered, if not revered, or even reaffirmed, for it.

When a murderer becomes a “hero” by those who wanted to restore their order

When a murderer becomes a “hero”  
by those who wanted to restore their order

As time goes by the current administration is becoming more than just a thermidor. 

By reading comments from its apologists praising the recent murder of former Lamitan mayor Rose Furigay by gunman Chao Tiao Yumol, seems that they condone the murder by supporting the murderer’s reason- accusing the late ex-mayor of corription and dealings with prohibited drugs, something that the family denied and sued Yumol for several counts of libel.

But what seems obvious is that Yumol, being a diehard Duterte supporter and a Marcos fanatic, killed Furigay who’s aligned with the opposition, and not suprising for his posts on his social media account praising the past regime right or wrong and therefore should be continued under the present administration- thoughts the apologists of both regimes madly shared about, demanding a purge as they claim the opposition as a bunch of corrupt plutocrats while Marcos, Duterte as holier-than-thou beings.

This may sound bullshit but from these people who wanted an out-and-out Showa Restoration-like scenario they wanted chaos first to happen. How come? They find having a thermidor under the current administration not enough as they wanted more than just celebrating Marcos’s victory as president last May- that they really wanted a purge to happen if necessary.

And with the death of a former mayor aligned with the opposition by a gunshot during a graduation ceremony in Ateneo de Manila shows that the intent ain’t simply a political-cum-personal vendetta as what the killer claimed; but a go-signal to a scenario that’s wanted by apologists yearning to see „chaos to restore order” in the name of the regime.

Ironically, this happened days before the „State of the Nation Address” and not surprised that apologists of the order not just trolled the victims, but also praising Yumol as a hero and blaming the „yellows” for the incident. According to Rappler, Yumol's Facebook page gained nearly 13,000 new followers in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, and it became a hub of comments, many of which praised the shooting or sympathized with Yumol's decision. When Rappler contacted Meta three days after the shooting, the page had been removed. However, content praising, supporting, and justifying Yumol has continued to circulate on TikTok, YouTube, and, to a lesser extent, Facebook, revealing how social media companies continue to struggle with how to respond to violent extremism. 

Furthermore, a petition from Yumol's supporters was posted on Change.org calling for the murderer's release. According to the petition it stated that “he’s just an ordinary person tailored with a heart that swells, with a voice that yearns along with his people, and with an eye that sees the need of the people; with no intent of deprivation, but with a strong affliction to empower people.” That “He’s just an ordinary person, who stood firm for the rights of the oppressed, who saw the longing of the unnoticed, who spoke the voice of the uncertain.” How saintly they’re trying to appear him as such when his own statements prior to his actions smacks of trash- or isn’t it that calling him a martyr for a cause that’s  obviously causeless? So much for the desire to restore their idealised past that they wanted to make it happen, blaming the opposition, red-tagging them if necessarily, harassing to and fro, and then kill them as a Pièce de résistance.

Call it absurd but if a concerned may ask, is trolling enough coming from these people claiming „unity”? As far as a concerned sees is that these people venting their thoughts on social media wanted more than humiliating them, seeing them defeated in the recent election, or beaten out because they’re from the opposition, they simply wanted to see them „going straight to hell” the way they accuse them of various crimes proven or imagined. And Yumol’s action becomes an example of yearning for a restoration.

Don’t fail to preserve even the tower!

Don’t fail to preserve even the tower!

This is what happens when one completely "trust" a developer without imposing consequences for breaching agreements. 

For contrary to their promises of preserving, scrupulous developers rather chose to "sacrifice" heritage so madly that Buildings like the Philippine National Bank in Escolta, Philbanking headquarters in Aduana, and the Spanish-era Hospicio de San Jose building on Calle Rosario experienced the same fate. The government also demolished the Manila Port Terminal structure, as well as threatening other prewar structures stood in Port Area. And even the former Magnolia Dairy Products Plant in Echague as well as the former American Chamber of Commerce building in Dasmariñas st. both end reduced to a concrete shell as its developers trying to make compromise with the authorities. 

So is the Capitol theatre, now reduced into a rubble except that of its iconic art deco tower- -and almost demolished if not for a restraining order. 

A brief background 

The Capitol Theatre is an Art Deco building situated on Escolta St. in Manila, Philippines, next to the earlier Lyric Theatre. It was built in the 1930s using concrete, which was a cutting-edge building material at the time. National Artist Juan Nakpil planned it, while renowned Francesco Monti created the sculptures. Because apparently the only value of a National Artist's or any other famous person's works is in the empty acclaim of cultural organizations. 

When it was still in operation, the structure was known as "Manila's Most Modern Theater" and "The Showplace of the Nation," as it could seat around 1,100 people in its double balcony setup. It is also one of the structures said to have survived the Battle of Manila in 1945. 

However, due to the declining standalone theater business in Manila, the theater eventually closed. With the start of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) construction and the rise of the shopping center, moviegoers began to prefer moviehouses inside newly opened air-conditioned malls. there were attempts to rehabilitate the structure, one of which was transforming into a Chinese restaurant which eventually scrapped, leaving the edifice in an uncertain fate, what more of its recent demolition. 

Still pretending to be "concerned" 

As any other prewar/or heritage structure left at the mercy of the scrupulous developer, the latter would pretend they're concerned about heritage, to the extent of citing examples trying to entice government and heritage conservationists alike- as some years ago developers from Anchor Land promised to rehabilitate the redevelop the eight-story Admiral Hotel into a boutique hotel, only to be demolished without consideration of heritage regulations, claiming that the "original building was no longer structurally sound following years of slow deterioration." 

However, Republic Act No. 10066 states that all buildings 50 years old or older are presumed to be Important Cultural Properties. As a result, before a local government unit can issue a demolition permit, a building owner must first seek permission from the relevant government cultural agencies to lift the presumption of declaration. But no one cares; even the government, which should enforce the law, frequently disregards it in the name of "development," not to mention not consulting concerned sectors who have rallied on the side of heritage. 

So, what is the next step? To simply allow the developer to recreate the tower and façade in a haphazard manner, disregarding the age and value of what is currently standing in the location? Have the agencies given up completely? Is the city government also giving up on saving its own heritage and content to be a pretentious "developed" city when in fact wallowing in its urban decay? It is not surprising tho, that having a government full of interest seekers love to claim that they're trying to be a government of laws, yet still remains to be a government of corrupted men who can disregard the law for its own interest. 

And the driving force behind all the demolitions and threats towards heritage districts is that of prime lots that stood in those places, real estate that looks at high-rise, high-density developments, all for maximizing profit over any other agenda especially that of the folk. Apologists would even claim about the need for "sacrifice", that there are pictures to remember those once stood while urging to move on with their lives to an uncertain future; but the question is, is that so? All sudden claiming to be concerned yet mum in this cultural vandalism by those claiming to be "for development"? 

The need for "rage" against the wrecker

It is a pity that the state of heritage, especially in Manila, is treated as empty rhetoric. That seeing it in its neglected state, let alone being demolished in the name of "progress" and "development," elicits not only sadness, but also rage. 

As a concerned folk who refuses to allow this to continue, would argue that the system, while claiming to preserve heritage, is actually selling every bit and piece of it to the dogs. And this kind of "progress" contradicts popular belief that fighting for a better community includes preserving cultural treasures and heritage for future generations.