Showing posts with label talent. Show all posts

Ang Pagsusulat

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Lahat tayo ay may kakayahang magsulat, sanaysay man o tula, o kung sa Ingles ay essay o poem. Yon nga lang, ang karamihan ay napipigilan ng hiya kaya atubili sila sa pagsulat ng kanilang saloobin o laman ng diwa tulad ng isang naging kaibigan ko…..

Ang kaibigan ko ay kilala noong dekada sitenta dahil sa pagiging unang babaeng direktor ng pelikulang Pilipino. Siya ay nagtapos sa Univeristy of the Philippines at nagpakadalubhasa sa larangan ng pagdi-direk ng pelikula sa Amerika. Nang siya ay tumigil sa pag-direk ng pelikula sa Pilipinas, inimbita siyang maging radio broadcaster dahil maganda ang kanyang boses. Narinig niya sa isang kaibigan ang tungkol sa mga naisulat kong mga tula na nalathala noon sa isang magasin. Sinubukan niyang banggitin sa radyo ang pangalan ko bilang panawagan na interesado siyang makausap ako at kung maaari daw ay baka pwede ko siyang tawagan sa istasyon dahil “on board” siya noon at dahil kauupo pa lang niya, may mahigit isang oras  pa siyang natitira dahil isang oras at kalahati ang kanyang programa.

Nagkataong paborito ko ang istasyon ng radio dahil kahit AM ay marami silang pinapatugtog na mga folk songs na gusto ko. Nang mag-usap kami, inamin niyang curious siya sa akin at siguro bilang pagsubok kung totoo nga ang narinig niyang kuwento, nag-request siya ng tula para sa kanyang mama na ang birthday ay kinabukasan. Hiningan ko siya ng detalya tungkol sa kanyang mama at sabi ko ay patawagan ako after ten minutes. Pero dahil natapos ko agad ang tula in less than ten minutes ay ako na lang ang tumawag uli dahil may pupuntahan pa ako. Nagulat siya at pinabasa sa akin “on air” o sa ere ang tula. Maraming tumawag sa kanya pagkatapos nang ginawa at hindi ko na inalam kung ano ang mga pinag-usapan nila dahil pumunta pa ako sa Tondo. Kinabukasan ay inenterbyu niya ako on air at nang malamang pumunta ako sa Tondo ay nag-request naman ng tula tungkol sa Tondo na ginawa ko naman at binasa “on air”. Dahil wala naman akong pupuntahan noon ay tumutok ako sa programa at narinig ko ang sunud-sunod na mga tawag ng mga Tondo na natuwa. Ang mga caller na dating taga-Tondo na tumawag din.

Pagkalipas ng dalawang araw ay tinawagan niya ako pagkatapos ng kanyang programa at inimbita sa kanyang opisina sa Katipunan Ave. Pagdating ko doon ay tinapat niya agad ako tungkol sa tulong na gusto niyang hingin sa akin. Nang tanungin ko kung tungkol saan, binuksan niya ang dalawang cabinet ng puno ng mga folder. Sabi niya, tingnan ko raw ang mga laman na ginawa ko naman. MGA HANDWRITTEN POEMS PALA NA GINAWA NIYA MULA PA NOONG SIYA NAG-AARAL SA UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES!

Pinapa-edit sa akin ang mga poems pero sabi ko, kung walang mali sa spelling ng words, walang dapat baguhin sa porma, at kung sakali man ay very minimum lang at sa pagpupuwesto lang ng tuldok at comma. Sa tantiya ko ay mahigit isang libo ang mga naisulat niya….nakakagulat!

Pero ang ikinagulat ko pa ay nang tanungin niya ako ng, “pwede na ba ang mga iyan, Bot”? Sa halip na sumagot ay tiningnan ko siya ng matagal at napailing ako. Akala niya ay “hindi” ang ibig kong sabihin, pero nang makapagsalita ako ay sinabi kong, “hindi ako makapaniwala….nalula ako”!

Tinanong ko rin siya kung seryoso ba siya sa pagkuha sa akin bilang editorial consultant niya, sabay paliwanag kung saan ako nagtapos at kung anong kurso ang natapos ko. Ang nakakabilib na sagot niya ay, “wala akong pakialam kung saan ka nagtapos…basta nakitaan kita ng pruweba”….yon lang. Dahil sa pinakita niyang tiwala ay pinagbigyan ko siya.

Ang gusto kong ipakita sa kuwento ay ang hindi maiwasang paghingi ng “assurance” ng isang tao sa kanyang kapwa dahil sa kawalan ng tiwala sa sarili sa larangan ng pagsulat. Sa larangang ito, bawa’t isa ay may sariling “style” na hindi dapat kuwestiyunin ninuman. Subalit para sa mga nag-aaral pa lang, dapat ay sumunod muna sa  mga literary rules na itinuturo sa loob ng klase…. magtiyaga na lang para hindi bumagsak. At, kapag nakatapos na, saka na lang magpakasawa sa paggamit ng sariling “style”…na ginawa ko at ginagawa hanggang ngayon.  Gusto ko lang iparating sa iba ang “assurance” na, “KUNG KAYA KO, KAYA NYO RIN”.

USE THE GOD-GIVEN TALENT PROPERLY

AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS

By Apolinario Villalobos

If God gave you the talent to invent gadgets, come up with what are useful to make life comfortable. If He gave you the talent to sing…make others happy, instead of singing to yourself inside the bathroom. If He gave you the talent to write and which you have discovered, perhaps, inadvertently, help others to discover theirs, and write what are relevant and helpful….do not foment misunderstanding among readers by coming up with lopsided information or exposes.

Today, the counterpart of the print media journalists are the so-called “bloggers”, those who write on the cyberspace sites, most particularly, on facebook which is the most popular. Unfortunately, many of the so-called “bloggers” use their talent for purely bashing intent. They post photos and short write-ups which most often contain or imply negative messages about a person, entity, or the government. Blogging, especially, visuals of untoward crime-related incidents could help in solving cases, but not the photos with short captions that present only one side. There is nothing wrong with posting negative comments, but such should be “balanced” with the blogger’s suggestions on how what he observed to be bad can be transformed into something good… an opinion for which he is entitled.

Many so-called bloggers have obviously are abusing the free opportunity offered by the IT sites purportedly for the benefit of humanity. Many of them feel great just because they have posted just anything to solicit attention to their site. Blogging should be viewed as an advocacy to share the good that others have done to inspire others, as well as, the bad to caution others but with accompanying precautions on how to avoid them or at the very least, suggestions based on the writer’s opinion.

If the blogger is from a small community, in all probability, there is a chance that he could get in touch personally with people who are the subject of his blogs. There is nothing wrong with introducing himself as a blogger followed by expressing his intention to help to correct what he views as wrong. If the blogger believes that he has a “mission” that is why God gave him such kind of talent, by all means, he should be serious about it. But if his intention is just to become known by bashing others, then he should be reminded by the “Golden Rule” – do not do to others what you do not want others would do to you.

Understanding the Filipino

Beyond his Penchant for Music and Beauty

By Apolinario Villalobos

According to Osang, the Filipina winner of The Netherland’s first X Factor, Filipinos will no longer be allowed to join singing contests in that country. It could just be a joke of Osang as Filipinos are also known for cracking jokes to spice up interviews. In the field of music, Filipinos are practically known the world over. Many may not be so lucky to garner the title, but still, they can give anxiety to other contestants. A youtube I viewed last year, showed an American telling his viewers, “if you want to hear real singers, go to the Philippines…”. It seems that the Filipino when brought into this world, instead of a pitiful cry, he instead, let out a melodious scream.

But the Filipino is more than the musical notes…more than the instruments that he can play. The Filipino in whose veins flow various culture, is first and foremost, God-fearing. Be he a Christian or an Islam adherent, the Filipino’s life revolves around the Most Benevolent. Aside from Roman Catholics that comprise the majority of the population, the Orthodox Catholics, Western-based Christian sects, indigenous Aglipayan and Iglesia ni Kristo, as well as, the typical Filipino Islamic faith, have successfully amalgamated to form a very strong spiritual foundation on which the Filipino proudly stands.

Many international beauty titlists are married to Filipinos. Among the most notable is Ms. Armi Kuusela, an early Miss Universe titlist and married to the scion of the prominent Hilario family. When the beauty pageants started many years ago, the Filipina contestant aside from the representative of Thailand are always anticipated to land at least, on the top ten. During the latter years, the Filipina representative persisted, showing her best in the face of stiff rivalry posed by the Latin American beauties. And, just like in international singing competitions, the Philippine representative in several beauty contests that have mushroomed lately always leaves an impressive mark.

The Filipino has always been known as “pliant like a bamboo”, a survivor in the right sense of the word. The more than four centuries of Hispanic subjugation followed by those of the short-lived American and Japanese, did not break the Filipino spirit. Although, there was fierce resistance, the Filipino easily swayed with the onslaught of the colonial misfortunes, and fed on the cultural nutrients that they brought. With their passing, the Filipino twanged back to his upright posture – with unblemished and fully intact pride!

As a survivor, the Filipino is resourceful. For instance, the two-day old almost molded boiled rice, he can prepare into a delicious snack called, “winilig-wilig pop rice”, after thoroughly washing the almost spoiled precious staple, dried under the sun and fried in coconut oil with sprinkling of brown sugar. Out of the discarded foods from restaurants, called “pagpag”, he can prepare thoroughly-cooked dishes, of course, after equally, thorough washing…although, the sanitation and health agencies do not allow this, for the record. But rather than die of hunger with a gaping mouth and glassy stare, or allow his guts to be punctured by acidic intestinal fluid, the Filipino can courageously take this last resort! If other nationalities can eat deadly scorpion, drink blood of the cobra, and swallow live wriggling baby octopus, why can’t the Filipino partake of left-over food cooked thoroughly?

The young Filipino could cross a swinging bamboo bridge, or swim across a swirling river to attend his classes, in a school, several hills away from his home. He can walk kilometers of distance under the scorching beating of the sun just to occupy his seat in a crowded classroom, or study his lessons under a tree while his stomach grumbles for having nothing, not even a sip of coffee for breakfast. For the duration of his school year, he can also wear the same white shirt and a pair of khaki pants that he immediately washes as soon as he reaches home. He can mumble a thankful prayer for a half-cup of burnt rice salvaged from the bottom of the pot, drenched with a little water and sprinkled with salt.

Part of the Filipino’s discipline is the caution from his parents to behave and show his best self when there are visitors, as well as, clean the house very well, so as not to displease them. This he does with utmost obedience. And, additionally, to always give the visitors the best part of the chicken when they are invited over for dinner. All these the Filipino does as he is used to sacrificing for others.

The Filipino is a practical human being, as he is willing to accept what is realistically on hand. He does not vie for what is impossible because he is easily pleased. He has an easy smile and with an ever-ready hearty laughter for anything funny, even if it pertains to him, though, with limitation that borders on respect.

The Filipino loves food! There is only the problem with identity because many preparations are tagged with foreign names, especially, Hispanic. Nevertheless, they are concocted with ultimate patience and diligence inherited from his ancestors. This love for food can be observed during fiestas and other special occasions such as Christmas, birthday, baptismal, and wedding parties, or even last dinner for a wake.

Understanding the Filipino beyond his love for music and beauty, will make one appreciate how this guy who belongs to the brown race has survived the waves of corruption that besets his country!