By REV. LUNA DINGAYAN
www.nordis.net

“Many of those who have already died will live again: some will enjoy eternal life, and some will suffer eternal disgrace. The wise leaders will shine with all the brightness of the sky. And those who have taught many people to do what is right will shine like the stars forever.” — Daniel 12:2-3

Rizal’s 150th Birthday

June 19, 2011 was Dr. Jose Rizal’s 150th birthday. People in various parts of the world had come together to remember and celebrate his heroic deeds. His two great novels – Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo – helped a lot in raising our people’s consciousness relative to the abuses and oppressive rule of the Spanish colonial government. He was accused, arrested, imprisoned, and executed for fomenting rebellion against the Spanish crown.

The meaning and significance of Rizal’s birth can be found in his life and death. Rizal is long remembered because of the life he lived and the death he died. If Rizal did not live and die for our country, then perhaps his birthday would not be celebrated as we do today, or even be remembered at all. According to the survey conducted by the Social Weather Station, about 75% of our population regard him as our national hero.

Of course, like anyone of us Rizal may have had his own weaknesses and limitations as a human being. However, his playboy attitude, for instance, and his love relationships with a great number of women are somehow overshadowed by his genuine love for country and his passion for freedom. There are those who even go to the extent of deifying him and worship him, like a god.

Resurrection in the Book of Daniel

The Book of Daniel talks about the resurrection of those who died of fighting for freedom. This Apocalyptic Writing was written when the Israelites were under the oppressive rule of the Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes. He issued a degree revoking the Law of Moses as the official law, ordering the burning of the Jewish Torah, and imposing the Hellenistic Law. He even built a pagan altar in front of the Temple, and placed inside the Temple the statue of the Greek god Zeus.

Consequently, a massive revolt erupted through the able leadership of Judas Maccabeus, one of the sons of a priest named Mattathias. The Greeks were driven out of Palestine, and the so-called Hasmonean Dynasty was established. The Israelites believed that those who died in their fight for freedom from Greek colonization will live again in the free nation that would be established. Of course, it was not physically, but spiritually. Their lives and sacrifices would be forever etched in the memory of freedom loving people. But those collaborators of the enemies would also be remembered in disgrace.

And so, the writer of the Book of Daniel says, “Many of those who have already died will live again: some will enjoy eternal life, and some will suffer eternal disgrace. The wise leaders will shine with all the brightness of the sky. And those who have taught many people to do what is right will shine like the stars forever” (Daniel 12:2-3).

Quality means Longevity

Eternal life should be understood not only in terms of its longevity, but also in term of its quality. Eternal life is a life characterized by genuine freedom, peace, justice, joy, goodness, prosperity, and well-being. It captures the best and highest aspirations we have in life. This is the kind of life that lives forever. It is a life that goes beyond death.

One of the Ten Commandments says, “Respect your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you” (cf. Ex. 20:12). Living a long time in our land is dependent upon being respectful to our mothers and fathers. Our quality of life determines our length of life. Similarly, we can also say this in terms of our country. Those who respect our motherland and fatherland, even to the point of giving their life like Rizal, may also live a long time in this land of our birth. # nordis.net

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By COLLEGE EDITORS GUILD OF THE PHILIPPINES

Another human rights violation, another reminder to continue our struggle for Human Rights

Three days after their detention, seven activists who staged a protest against the Aquino administration on the 150th birthday anniversary of Jose Rizal were finally released, after posing a P12,000 bail, last June 22.

The seven activists, five of whom are students from UP Los Baños and two from the Anakpawis partylist, were nabbed by policemen last Sunday in the commemoration program of the national hero’s birth. The “Calamba 7” expressed their discontent over Aquino, who was present in the event, and his current policies on education which they described as being “anti-people.” In addition, they also expressed lament on the issue of land reform which is very prominent in the Southern Tagalog region.

CEGP-Cordillera is denouncing the detention of the Calamba 7. We see no justification in the police’s arrest of the seven activists who were merely staging a protest when they were arrested. On the contrary, we are with the Calamba 7 and believe that they have all the justifications to stage their protest action.

First, as citizens of the country, they have the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.

Second, the validity of their grievances only further justifies the protest action and renders their arrest as a malicious action (by security elements). Ultimately, The Guild sees this case as another blatant violation of human rights in the country.

The release of the Calamba 7 does not end the struggle for human rights in this country. The P12,000 bail was even illegitimate because no clear and justified case was charged against the arrestees. We reecho the irony expressed by other youth organizations regarding this event. Even in the birth anniversary of the national hero who hailed the youth as the hope of the nation, violations and suppression of their right to voice out their concerns to the present administration continues.

This only speaks of the true nature of Aquino’s regime. It is a regime that does not recognize the issues and welfare of the youth sector that even goes as far as limiting their participation in national concerns. With this, we are calling on Benigno Aquino to be responsible for this illegal detention and more importantly, start doing something significant to protect the human rights of Filipino citizens.

STOP ILLEGAL DETENTIONS OF YOUTH LEADERS!
UPHOLD HUMAN RIGHTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAMPUS! # nordis.net

By MARY LOU O. MARIGZA
www.nordis.net

To continue our musings from last week, we return to the problem of land for the tillers. When land remains in the hands of a few landlords, we have a big big problem. But when land owned or tilled by small owner-tiller or settlers becomes reconcentrated in the hands of a few we have an even bigger bigger problem. Again, the case in point in San Mariano, Isabela is one prime example, not to mention Hacienda Luisita.

Most of the farmers of San Mariano “own” the logged over lands. They have settled and cultivated the land since the sawmills stopped cutting timber and logs. However, they lacked the resources to increase their resources like irrigation so they can plant rice at least twice a year and provide for year round vegetables. Despite the expanse of land, they have barely survived on their lands produce.

In many cases, land accumulation led to monocropping as dictated by the landlords. Usually individual owner-tillers tend to plant according to market needs or seasonal patterns to keep food on the table. Now comes the government with enticing agricultural projects and these change according to dictates of the elected regime who in turn kowtow to big business payola. The likes of Masagana 99 and Maisagana further kept them in poverty. These grains need high inputs like commercial fertilizer and pesticides so the farmers are now indebted to new exploiters like traders and fertilizer store owners who provide the needed inputs. Whereas before the landlords dictated crops, now the “market” drives crop production. More and more, high value crops were encouraged. It is a blessing we did not succumb to the profits of producing costly orchids in place of camote.

Most of the farmers of San Mariano could only plant rice once a year. Lucky if they get to harvest these since weather, crop diseases and rats had affected their crops. More and more the farmers are pressed to produce for the market that is greedy for high value crops – corn for feedstock or cassava for flour and beer. At least they could still plant vegetables and other root crops for food but monocropping is becoming customary. You travel for two hours into the interior barrios of San Mariano and all you can see are sugarcane, yellow corn or cassava — vast tracts planted only to these crops.

Now, there is a new game in town. Ethanol. The company Green Future Innovations Inc contracting their lands is selling the idea that they are promoting green energy. They would be saving the planet from carbon emissions not by using fossil fuels like coal and oil but through bio-ethanol which uses renewable resource – sugarcane. But 11,000 hectares even for the size of San Mariano is B-I-G. Again, monocropping of a high input crop not for food but for energy spells HUNGER maybe not only for San Mariano but also for Isabela.

In the scheme of things, rich, energy guzzling economies of the world look to the Third World for their sources. The wars in the Middle East are precisely wars for oil, energy and supremacy. The Philippines is in their line of sight for socalled renewable energy. Learning lessons from projects past, they now shun megadams, geothermal projects that not only dislocate large populations but destroy ecosystems and environments and foment dissent and civil wars.

Now rich and greedy countries are using green language to save their energy souls from famine while the renewable energy contracted farmers die of hunger as they could no longer plant rice and other food. It may be sugarcane, cassava, grass or what-have-you, the equation is still the same. Land concentration for a single crop not for food.

It is bad enough that land will be reconcentrated for monocropping. It is bad enough that land reconcentration is happening for other uses apart from food. Land reconcentration not for food will bring hunger and disease. Why are the San Mariano farmers the sacrificial lambs in rich countries’ search for energy? Why should the San Mariano farmers bear the brunt of land scams, land dispossessions and foreclosures so Japanese zaibatsus can claim they are proponents for renewable energy? Is this the price we pay for approving JPEPA? Is this the price we pay for allowing “free trade” when there is an imbalance in trade?

There should not even be any debate on energy vs food. The right to food on the table should always be the priority. # nordis.net

By LAYAD EKID
www.nordis.net

(Layad Ekid is indisposed. Michael Umaming will take over the column for this week. — Editors)

When things turn awry, it pays to sit down and think of what used to be before we veer the other way.

This is what Sagada did when it convened a water summit last May 26 to 27, 2011. The awry thing is that water supply is dwindling and the town has no scheme to regulate the sharing of the precious resource.

In the words of Sagada Councilor Francis Kilongan, its kanya-kanya (each to his own).

What used to be was guided by the old Sagada value that water is a public domain. It was given by Kabunian for everyone to use. Inayan ay bukodam nan danom tay ayke ka kedeng is matago (its sacrilegious to monopolize water because you deny others’ right to life)? There was then no church and government to tell this to the people.

Water was not the primordial concern when the people of Sagada decided to plant trees. But it was the public and the future that were in their minds. Is gumawisan di ili ya ta esa wada datngan di ungong-a (for the good of the community and the future generation).

Today, with climate change and the relationship of trees and water becoming clear to everyone, Sagada is now talking of preserving and protecting the trees and the watershed.

The problem is the watersheds are being privatized – and seemingly even water.

Central Sagada’s Mt. Ampakaw; Eastern Sagada’s Kiltepan and Lamagan; Northern Sagada’s Maaney, Langsayan and Pilaw were just among those cited as having been tax declared by individuals. In Mt. Ampakaw, there are accordingly tax declarations as wide as twenty to forty hectares.

Participants to the summit suggest that the municipal government look into the tax declarations especially of wide track of lands. They recognize there are small parcels of batangan and saguday, but they look at the big declarations as the real threat.

Privatization of forest lands is accordingly one reason why people no longer come out to put off a forest fire. But public ownership of the watershed could still be revived through the land-use plan.

Jane Likigan, municipal planning and development officer said watershed areas should be delineated and imposed as such.

A resident said saguday and individual pine lots could be maintained in the watershed and enhanced with coffee or fruit trees but any structure should be prevented.

“The important thing is we protect the sources of water and assert that water is a communal resource,” he said.

Many bala-an (water source) are also threatened by the growing commercial gardening which is pesticides intensive. Participants suggested that at a certain distance from the bala-an, everything should be organic. No id kasin et inayan nan sabon ya menbu-o isnan bala-an, am-amed nan agas is umey isnan balaan (before, soap and washing of hands is not allowed in a watersource, what more with pesticides contaminating water sources). They said trees and grasses should be planted around the bala-an to serve as natural buffer against pesticides.

“Entako kuma gedan ap-apoyan nan bala-an (we should regularly perform the apoy for the watershed),” said one elder.

Many participants think the apoy will enhance the spiritual significance of a water source and will enhance respect to it. # nordis.net