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FEATURE
The Augustinian
june 15 - august 15, 2009
Farewell, Cory
A tribute to the mother of Philippine democracy By PIETROS VAL PATRICIO
eventually wearing yellow armbands and wristbands. A huge portrait was hanged outside the University’s main gates in gratitude of the late leader. After all, what does Cory Aquino mean to us Filipinos? As we all mourn on the death of Corazon Aquino, the woman who became the icon of Philippine democracy after toppling the twenty-year dictatorial rule of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, let us take a look at the inspiring legacy she has left behind. FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT: Cory Aquino did not just become the first female president of the Philippines but also the first in Asia as well as the first female head of state in Southeast Asia. She became Asia’s second female leader after Indira Gandhi of India who first became prime minister in 1966.
THANK YOU, CORY. USA Publications Editor-in-Chief Jefferson Magbanua writes a message of gratitude in a poster of the late Corazon Aquino.
“The icon of Philippine democracy is gone.” “What a great gift we’ve lost.” These lead paragraphs of The Philippine Star and The Philippine Daily Inquirer’s banner headlines happened to struck countless passersby and avid newspaper readers one Sunday morning along the busy thoroughfare of Iznart St., one day after the demise of former President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino. After many months of battling colon cancer at the Makati Medical Center, the late president, better known to the Filipino masses as “Cory”, eventually took her final rest on the 1st day of August at
the age of 76. I even remember wearing a yellow t-shirt that morning to commemorate the former president, a day after the Acquaintance Party of the Political Science Club. It was actually the first time that I have witnessed a nation mourning at the advent of the death of a Philippine president. Days after, a massive poster signing activity was launched at the Alumni and Rada buildings, initiated by the Office of the Prefect of Students and the College of Arts and Sciences. The large tree of the so called Batibot Park was even decorated with yellow ribbons, followed by students
Pakibasa lang po pagkatapos mong panoorin ang Hayden-Katrina scandal By Donna Isabelle Fresnido
Parang kahit sino na lang ngayon ay pwede nang maging direktor. Bigyan mo lang siya ng digicam o kahit cellphone na may magandang camera, at handa na siyang gumawa ng obra maestra. Isara ang pintuan, patayin ang ilaw, paghuhubarin ang mga artista, pagsuotin ng bandanna at sumigaw ng, “Lights, camera… AAACTION!” Aba, kahit si Dr. Hayden Kho ay pwede nang manalo bilang “Best Director” at “Best Screenplay” (basta huwag lang “Best Cinematography” – pangit ang ilaw at magulo ang pagposisyon niya ng camera) sa Metro Manila Film Festival! Daig pa nga niya si Brillante “Dante” Mendoza, isang Filipino na nagwagi sa Cannes Film Festival sa Pransiya. Hindi katulad ni Hayden, pagbalik ni Mendoza sa Pilipinas, hindi ganoon karami ang mga dyornalist na sumalubong sa kanya sa paliparan: sa kabilang dako, hindi mabilang ang tumutok ng mikropono at kumuha ng larawan sa hearing ni Hayden at Katrina. Lumabas ang hearing sa Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Yes! Magazine, TV Patrol, Ratsada at kung anu-ano pang bigating istayson at dyaryo sa Pilipinas.
Pero kahit tingnan mo ang lahat ng mga anggulo sa cellphone o computer screen, at tawagin mo pa na bastos, kadiri, seksi, astig, immoral o anuano pa ang Hayden-Katrina scandal, mananatili pa rin ang isang bagay na hindi pwedeng itanggi; “Binaboy sina Hayden Kho at Katrina Halili. Binaboy ang kanilang reputasyon, ang kanilang dangal, at ang kanilang karapatang pantao.” Sila ay mga biktima lamang sa loob ng isang kwentong maraming karakter, maraming sorpresa, maraming malilibog na mata, at maraming luha. Pinagpyestahan lamang sila ng isang bansang wala nang ibang magawa kundi magdownload ng mga malalaswang video sa fleshasia.com at magsalita sa mga online forum tungkol sa haba ng utong ni Dr. Kho. Sa ganang akin, pwede kong sabihin na sila ay nakakaawa, pero insulto na iyon sa kanila kapag awa lamang ang pwede nating ibigay, hindi respeto. Oo, magaling gumiling si Katrina at napatunayan ni Hayden ang kaniyang pagkalalaki, pero tama na iyon. Iwanan na natin silang gumaling at gumising sa bangungot na ito. Tao lamang sila.
‘ L O N G E S T S TA N D I N G OVATION’: She was the guest speaker who received the longest standing ovation at the United States Congress in history after her installment as president of the Philippines in 1986. Then US House Speaker Tip O’Neill even hailed her delivery as “the finest speech I’ve ever heard in my 34 years in Congress.” WOMAN OF THE YEAR: Acknowledging her heroic role as a “savior of democracy”, Time Magazine honored Cory as “Woman of the Year”
for 1986 making her the third woman to ever make it to its cover after Queen Elizabeth II and Wallis Simpson, for whom English king Edward VIII gave up his thrown. She is so far the only Filipino to be given such honor by Time. FIRST FILIPNO NOBEL PRIZE NOMINEE: She was the first Filipino to be ever nominated by the Swedish Royal Academy for a Nobel Peace Prize, although she lost to Jewish German-American Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel also in 1986. She was later decorated with countless international recognitions such as the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, United Nations Silver Medal, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding and the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize among others. ‘FREEDOM CONSTITUTION’ & LEGAL REFORMS: Under Presidential Proclamation No. 3, Aquino declared a revolutionary government and promulgated the “Freedom Constitution” after abolishing the “Marcos Constitution” of 1973. The legitimacy of Aquino’s administration was affirmed by both the Philippine Supreme Court and the community of nations as a de facto and de jure government until the present Philippine Constitution of 1987 was drafted. It was later followed by further legal reforms such
as those in the Family Code and the Administrative Code. A G R A R I A N REF O R M : T h e ‘Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law’, which was passed into law in 1988 as Republic Act No. 6657, authorized the redistribution of agricultural lands from landowners to tenant-farmers, who were paid in exchange by the state’s “just compensation” and were only allowed to retain not more than five hectares of land. ONCE MORE IN TIME: Cory was selected as one of Time Magazine’s ‘20 Most Influential Asians of the 21st Century’ in 1999. In 2006, Cory was once again chosen as one of the ‘60 Asian Heroes’ that moved and shook Asia followed by fellow Filipinos Eugenia Apostol, founder of The Philippine Daily Inquirer, and multiple World Pool Champion Efren “Bata” Reyes during Time Asia’s 60th Anniversary. For a grateful nation like ours, we should never forget the contributions this ‘Woman in Yellow’ has once brought to our nation. The prayerful widow, whose hesitant rise to the political stage later transformed the fate of her country and eventually turned her into a world icon of peace and democracy, should always inspire us to never be afraid of change. She will surely be missed.
Remembering Michael Jackson By Mario Ivan Gonzales
“Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever.” – Michael Jackson, late 2007 If life was a big stage play, Michael Jackson singlehandedly ran the whole show, and he gave a rousing performance. That has been his life for the past 40 years of success in the industry he loved. He was a star from the beginning of his career, starting out as a bubbly nine-year old belting out high notes who would eventually rise as was one of the music industry’s priced possessions. He need not brag it- his numerous strings of certified hit albums, hundreds of sold-out concerts, legions of fans willing to shout out at the top of their lungs for him, his huge media mileage and a 40-year career track to boot, would speak of how much of a huge star he was. No other artist had been given this kind of adulation since Elvis Presley and The Beatles. He was not simply just a huge star – he was an artist in the true sense of the word. He lived and breathed music. He was a dedicated performer who does his homework, and gives a to-die for performance, and he does not disappoint. He electrifies the stage just by standing there, and the audience goes gaga. He was a worldwide phenomenon, and together with his popularity, his imitators come rushing in. They copied everything that’s him- from his unique fashion sense to his moves, especially his one dance step that stood out from the rest: the moonwalk. The backward glide steps made the whole world put their dancing
shoes. Neil Armstrong may have garnered international acclaim by being the first man to set foot on the moon but undoubtedly, Michael Jackson’s famed dance step “The Moonwalk” became his official trademark, and Michael Jackson without the moonwalk would be unthinkable. Several years later, the moonwalk still makes a ripple, and would become a staple to accompany a Michael Jackson song. His dance routine successfully transcended from one generation to another, and people all over the world had been bitten by the Moonwalk bug, from the Caucasians in the West to the Cebu Inmates in the East. It certainly became a worldwide fad. All may have tried to do the step perfectly, but only one can pull it off. He experimented with other dance routines but none of them equaled nor surpassed the popularity generated by the Moonwalk. That dance step indeed moonwalked its way not just to the top of the entertainment scene, but also to the hearts of millions. And it’s not just the dance steps that made Jackson a sensation. Imagine what would a great Michael Jackson dance be if not without an equally great Michael Jackson song. Many will surely agree that his music made him became THE Michael Jackson. His music defined him, and catapulted him into the stratosphere of superstardom. His distinctive vocal prowess sang its way to the top of the charts, and made him a well-known entertainer. From the upbeat hit “Billie Jean” to the billion-
dollar smash classic “Thriller”, to inspirational and eye-opener songs “Heal the World” and “We are the World”, Jackson raised the bar to the music industry and set new standards for a quality performance which was followed by recent artists who made him their source of inspiration. Beyonce, Akon and other black RnB artists would not be possible if Jackson did not pave the way for them. He used his songs not just to entertain, but to convey a message and to raise awareness about certain issues, which was to become an inspiration for some recent songs like the Black Eyed Peas’ hit “Where Is The Love?”, a proof of his great influence on the world of music. He was a performer par excellence, an embodiment of what entertainers should be. He left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, a legacy that will stay for eternity. In his untimely passing, he did not just leave his legacy; he left his heart and soul for music and art. Many would agree that we will never find another Michael Jackson, not in this lifetime. He may have ended his earthly existence as he joins the great kings of the past, but just like his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he will continue to shine and will forever be in our hearts. Maybe this time, the angels have learned the moonwalk. Photo credit: http://www.mp3lyrics.org