THE LITTLE KNOWN STORY OF A REVOLUTIONARY BROTHA IN THE P.I.

Not really a halloween fan but the image may be a bit timely. (look closely)

The remains (replica) of DAVID FAGEN (photo taken by the author from Cinemalaya 2013 exhibit) the African American (one among a handful) who defected to Aguinaldo's Revolutionary Army and later promoted as captain as he gained the trust of the revolucionarios who fondly referred to him as "Heneral Fagen." 

After the capture of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan in 1901, the Filipinos tried to secure amnesty for Fagen but the gringos refused due to their hatred of him and the overwhelming obsession to end his legend. Knowing he'll be briefly court-martialled and executed, he refused to give up and evaded bounty hunters and the Americans together with his Filipina wife.

It is unclear to this day what precisely happened to David Fagen. There were claims that his severed head was presented to american authorities by a Tagalog hunter named Anastacio Bartolome who claimed to have chanced upon Fagen bathing in a river with Aetas (indigenous people. But reports of Fagen sightings were still lingered months later after his "supposed killing."

A few years ago, I wrote about Fagen and several foreigners who joined the Filipinos' struggle for independence, perhaps I should write about them once again to recognize their sacrifices and shame some of us who take our independence for granted and unknowingly take part in our decay.

Ay, QUE HoROR!

Excerpts from the Cinemalaya Film DAvid F.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBDPyHaMnrM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwQX_WWykQ4

UNSUNG ALIENS IN OUR HISTORY

Turn of the Century – Spain’s royal feudal reign in Las Islas Filipinas hangs by a thread and the manifestations of a former world power’s eventual corrosion is at dawn. A steady decline in the ranks of the royal army followed the liberation of the provinces by Filipino revolutionary forces led by Emilio Aguinaldo upon his resumption of the Revolution through the persuasive actions of American diplomats in Hong Kong. Victory was within reach. The ilustrados saw that the Spanish regime was finished and rushed to join the sublime call to turn the tide of the second installment of the Revolution. (Aguinaldo ceased organized military operations in December 1897 in the Pact of Biak-na-Bato due to subsequent losses. He was then exiled to Hong Kong). Thousands of volunteers, cash and food contributions, poured in from all over the country. Among the ilustrado converts was Gen. Antonio Luna, who had studied Military Science and Tactics in Spain and guerilla warfare in Belgium who was appointed as Commissioner of War by Aguinaldo. In weeks, Aguinaldo had an efficient, fiercely patriotic army. The army was taking in hundreds of Spanish prisoners of war everyday.

            On June 12, 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo declared Philippine Independence from Spain. The national flag was unfurled and the national anthem played for the first time.  But what seemed like a conclusion to over 300 years of feudal rule signaled the beginning of another colonial phase in our history. Unaware that the Philippines was no longer in contention for sovereignty but rather a prize at that time were the revolucionarios. The United states of America, only known then as an economic nation, entered into an accord with Spain to hold a mock battle to save little of what is left of Spain’s honor in the Islands, with the added condition that not one Filipino insurgent would be allowed inside the city. Filipino soldiers and officers alike wept in rage as the American flag (stars and stripes) was hauled up over the capital city they had besieged for months. The US upstaged a war the Filipinos were already about to become triumphant and the Philippine revolution was degraded to a “minor sequel in a comic-opera war, lost in the clamor and shuffle of greater events.” (So much for “Our Constitution does not permit us to take colonies” bit) Years later, the Japanese Imperial Army took over until the so-called “Liberation”. The American masters stayed and played on for a few more years before finally returning the Archipelago to the Filipino people on July 4, 1946. (July 4 is the US Independence Day. Was it a coincidence? It is more like a lifetime branding of slaves or colonial subjects to me). 

Unfortunately, most history textbooks only provide students with enough information to pass their subjects but never with things that would inculcate nationalism in their hearts and would weave the right cultural and moral fibers in their identities as Filipinos.

Aguinaldo, Bonifacio, Jacinto, Mabini, Del Pilar, and Luna. These are names commonly associated to the Revolucion. Their names would echo in perpetuity in our history books indeed but what about the individuals who sacrificed and wept in frustration as much as these famous figures? Without them, there could never have been a Revolucion.

Left in deeper obscurity are the Aliens in the Philippine Revolution. No, not the likes of E.T., Kokey, Roswell creatures, or that character in David Lynch’s “Eraserhead.” I am talking about individuals of foreign origins joining the Filipinos’ plight in realizing freedom and shared with their heartbreaks likewise

Unknown to many, the Philippine Insurgent Records contain documents about David Fagen, a black American who fought on the side of Aguinaldo’s army in the Fil-American War. David Fagen is a man whose name is rarely known today. But a little more than 100 years ago, this young, Black soldier was the subject of sensational headlines in American newspapers. Standing tall at six feet, he was a defector who earned the rank of captain in the Filipino forces (He was a Corporal in the Black Amerian infantry). It was reported that he led Filipino guerillas in numerous raids against American outposts and supply trains. American and Filipino officers and men told stories of his "cunning" and "audacity." An avowed hater of "whites." Fagan learned to speak Tagalog rather well, according to accounts, and lived-in with a Filipina. He was described as a fierce warrior and reportedly "salvaged" a number of white Americans captured by Filipino troops. He was hunted down after the defeat of Emilio Aguinaldo's army, and believed to have been assassinated.

How did a six-foot tall Afro-American end up in the ranks of the Philippine Army?

Rudy Rimando (President of the Bainbridge Island Filipino American Club), historical novelist William Schroeder recounted, “In mid-summer 1899 during the Fil-American War, companies of the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Black infantry Regiments arrived by ship from San Francisco. In his book, Smoked Yankees and the Struggle for Empire, Dr. Gatewood speaks of the black soldiers' dismay when they learned that Uncle Sam and Jim Crow had marched arm in arm into the Philippines. In many ways, the racial prejudice the men faced in the ranks was far worse than they’d experienced as civilians. Not surprisingly, racial prejudice directed toward blacks co-existed with prejudice against the Filipino. In time, the Asian pejorative or derogatory terms "dink," "gook," "slope" and "gugu" became interchangeable with "nigger," "coon" and "sambo." To further complicate matters, the black soldiers discovered they weren’t fighting Spanish troops, but Filipino resistance fighters instead. These were men and women seeking freedom from oppression in their own land - something the black soldiers knew well. This was the moral dilemma that weighed heavily on their hearts – the black man's quest to achieve first-class citizenship through battlefield heroism meant bringing virtual slavery to another colored race. The soldiers spoke of being "caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," and they searched for a moral compromise. In time, the black Americans developed an affinity for the Filipinos. They liked each other. They called each other "Cousins of Color." In the midst of this chaotic backdrop, my protagonist, Private David Fagen, decided he could no longer participate in the destruction of another colored race, and one late light in November 1899, he defected and joined Aguinaldo’s army.” For the next six months Fagen, who had a $1000 price on his head, led his dwindling band in a cat-an-mouse game to avoid capture by the U.S. Army.

Nothing more is known of Fagen, only the date he signed up for service and the date he defected. At the end of 1901, a native hunter named Anastacio Bartolome, walked into and American army outpost with the slightly decomposed head of a Negro in a sack, claiming it was Fagen. He said he had killed the fugitive guerilla when his hunting party came upon Fagen group near a river in the jungle. With this grisly evidence in hand, the US Army closed the investigation on him. David Fagen placed himself in the Philippine Army and let him navigate through that dark period in history where the United States first experimented on Imperialism, which resulted in a violent, bloody clash of cultures and national wills.

           Black Americans were not the only ones who deserted the US Army at that time. Even white soldiers joined the Revolution. One revolutionary veteran recalled that in June 21 of 1900, some of the American soldiers defected and joined the Filipinos. Among the deserters were Privates John Wagner, Edward Walpole, Harry Dennis, John Allance, and a certain Private Meeks. On November 25, another deserter by the name of Private William Hyer, joined the Filipinos. Another deserter is Private Laurie Macklin, whose story entitled "The Apostate," was included in of the Philippine-American War stories in Trail of Blame, a book written by William Pomeroy and published in 1971. Macklin's story is a composite of several true incidents of desertion. These men apparently felt outraged by the inhumane treatment of the Filipinos by their fellow Americans.

Another interesting yet unknown character is Telesforo Carrasco y Perez, a Spaniard in Aguinaldo’s armed forces. According to accounts, as can be read in his journal which was translated from the original Spanish into English by the late National Artist Nick Joaquin, Telesforo was born in 1873 in Guadahortuna, Granada, in Southern Spain. He died in San Pablo, Laguna on September 22, 1916 at the age of 43. He had lived here in the Philippines some two dozen years, was married to a Batanguena from Tanauan, and had two children by her. Such in brief is the rather brief history of Telesforo Carrasco y Perez, the Andalusian who became a veteran of the Philippine Revolution.

In his pictures, Telesforo Carrasco looks very Andaluz and romantic; raven-haired and dark-eyed, with a thin and straight nose, delicate lips, sleek face narrow with oval chin ajut. He was a person of refinement having been born to a wealthy family and brought up in the glamorous city of Cordoba but he preferred to loiter in the streets. To cut the story short, he ended up in the army, to be disciplined at a young age of 17. He later volunteered to serve in the Philippines where he arrived in September of 1892. He served with the army and the Guardia Civil. At the time of the Revolution, he was with the rural constabulary.

When Spain lost the Philippines he surrendered to Pablo Tecson in Bulacan on June 1, 1899, eight years after he arrived in the Philippines. He waived repatriation to Spain and found himself serving in the ranks of the Philippine Army initially as an instructor then as a junior officer in Aguinaldo’s army in the war against the Americans. Eventually, among various assignments and missions, Telesforo became a part of Aguinaldo's rear guard at Tirad Pass. There he witnessed the death of his commander, General Gregorio del Pilar, who was killed by an American sniper.

As a testament to his valor, his family said that after his death a street in Binondo was named after him, but they are unsure if the street still bears his name today. Nick Joaquin says, “It may be that City Hall’s habit of changing Manila street names has made a victim of Calle Carrasco.”

Telesforo is not a rare case in the Spanish army. In his book, Nick Joaquin further stated, “…there were many other Spaniards who joined the Revolution and fought under Aguinaldo; but Telesforo was one of the few who left a record of his passage. The record is doubly valuable because it is not a reminiscence composed long after the Revolution but a journal or diary kept at the very time the event was unfolding.”

Some mestizo Mexicans and native Mexican Indians also made their way to the Philippine army. Very little is known about them but history supports their existence. The discovery of the Islands prompted the arrival of the Mexican Indians here in the Philippines. By the time Miguel Lopez de Legaspi was sending expeditions to chart the different parts of the Islands in the 1500’s, he brought with him Aztec Indian chiefs for exploration. The Indians probably intermarried with the natives later. Other Mexican Indians who came with Legázpi and aboard succeeding vessels had blended with the local residents so well that their country of origin had been erased from memory.

In Pampanga and nearby regions however, traces of Indian culture can be found. Words such as achuete, atole, avocado, balsa, bangueta, cacahuete, cacao, caimito, calabaza, camachile, camote, calachuche, chico, chocolate, coyote, nana(y), tata(y), tiangui, tocayo, zacate, and zapote are just some of their influences. In line with the American plans of Pacification against the military uprising of the first Philippine Republic, a specialized tactical army division was organized. This specialized force (equal to what we know today as Philippine Scouts) was commanded by American officers but mainly composed of Filipino elements. This followed the long-established tradition of colonial powers using native troops to quell dissent, under the principle of Divide and Conquer. One experimental unit of this type, the first of its kind, is the Macabebe Company, which was established in the month of September 1899 under the command of Lt. Mathew Batson, U.S. Army. The Macabebes, incidentally were descendants of the Mexican Yaqui Indians who were brought here in the Philippines by Spain. The said unit was an experimental one considering that Lt. Baston’s superiors, including General Arthur Macartur (father of General Douglas Macarthur), did not trust the Filipinos enough to arm them with standard issue equipments despite the Macabebes’ reputation of loyalty to Foreign Masters. They were used as interpreters and guides. But it did not take long for Baston to convince his superiors of the Macabebes’ loyalty. Not all of these descendants of the Yaqui Indian tribe of Mexico dedicated themselves to the side of the Americans. Some, after experiencing discrimination and racial abuse, defected to the side of Emilio Aguinaldo. Segismundo Pobre, a veteran of the Revolution in Cavite under the direct command of President Miong, recalled witnessing a number of men from La Pampanga fashioning long black hairs. Unfortunately, there is little information and data on the Macabebes’ role in the Philippine Army.

Curiously, Filipinos of Sepoy descent and culture may have landed roles in the Filipino Forces as well. Sepoys or soldiers from the far land of India were transported to the Philippines via war vessels during the brief British occupation of Manila from 1762-1764 as a result of the Seven Years' War. The said war was mainly between France and England. Since the Spanish royal family maintains special relations with France under the Bourbon Dynasty, Spain, together with all her colonies including the Philippines sided with the French. To cut the story short, the Spanish army succumbed to the naval superiority of the British. The Indian soldiers, who came with the British, deserted in droves and settled in Cainta, Rizal, which explains the uniquely Indian features of generations of Cainta residents. French mercenaries who came with the British also settled in various locations around Manila. Some of the descendants of the Sepoys and French integrated with Filipino Forces in Cainta, Rizal.

The thought that native Filipinos alone did not participate in one of our nation’s greatest episodes of struggle for liberation and humanization should inculcate the value of History and infuse the spirit of Nationalism. Shouldn’t the fact that even personages of foreign ethnicities irrigated our lands void of liberty, with their blood, make us see our History as a priceless source of wisdom?

This piece of historical trivia should provide us with the notion that the significance of this historical trivia does not merely lie in the legends and myths that encompass all those who fought for the subjugated and oppressed Filipinos. It is in the appreciation of how individuals, native and alien, decided who their real brothers and sisters and who their real enemies were.

Sources: Looking Back, A Spaniard In Aguinaldo’s Army: The Journal of Telesforo Carasco y Perez,
Cousins of Color by William Shroeder,
The Saga of David Fagen: Black Rebel in the Philippine Insurrection by Joseph Ryan

A LIFE OF GIFT OFFERING Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa and ADC Graces the 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival

A slight mention of Traditional Dances typically conjures up images of Singkil, Tinikling, Maglalatik, Sayaw sa Banga, Cariñosa and other popularized dances. These styles, along with other regional art forms have painted a collage of what most people make of as Philippine Culture.

Indeed, these icons have represented our heritage well. Yet, little do people know about a dance style where gestures and emotional metaphors are principally expressed through the arms and hands sometimes amplified by metal claws or janggay. This is the Pangalay; an ancient dance style native to the Badjao, Tausug, Sama ang Jama Mapun peoples that has been the life’s calling of Prof. Ligaya Fernando Amilbangsa (born Ligaya Flores Fernando in 1943 in Rizal), a scholar and the primary researcher of the dance which is also known as igal (Badjao) in the Sulu or paunjalay (Yakans of Basilan). Pangalay literally means a gift offering (a temple of dance in Sanskrit).

Based on the extensive researches of master Amilbangsa, the antiquity of the pangalay is such that it antedates Islam and Christianity in the Philippines. As a living cultural link it affirms our connection with the traditional dance cultures of Asia with closest affinity to the Indian, Javanese and Indochine classical dance styles.

The pangalay probably has the richest movement vocabulary among Philippine indigenous dances that offers a broad range of expression.  Various elements derived from nature such as flowers, sea waves and birds as well as feelings are symbolized through postures and artistic gesticulations executed in defiance to the western concept of time. It is, without a doubt, a cultural gem that is Filipino, Asian and universal.

1964 was a pivotal year for pangalay. It was in that year when tita Ligaya (as Prof. Amilbangsa is fondly called by her students), married Datu Punjungan Amilbangsa, the younger brother of Sultan Mohammad Amirul Ombra Amilbangsa. What was a union and affirmation of love between the two also served as an impetus for Prof. Amilbangsa’s lifelong quest to preserve and conserve the traditional cultures of Sulu, especially the pangalay; which led to the establishment of the Tambuli Cultural Troupe in 1974 and the AlunAlun Dance Circle in 1999 upon her return to Luzon. Her mission spurred the publication of two award-winning books “Pangalay: Traditional Dances and Related Folk Artistic Expressions” (1983) and “Ukkil-Visual Arts of the Sulu Archipelago” (2005).

           

Unfortunately, despite the meticulous scholarly endeavours of scholars like Prof. Ligaya Fernando Amilbangsa, the pangalay along with other traditional arts and culture of Sulu is being pushed to the brink of obscurity even before these are known or documented. Inevitably, it seems that social, cultural and political changes are catching up fast in their milieu. 

In her late sixties, Prof. Ligaya Fernando Amilbangsa; still witty, agile and graceful returned to Tawi-Tawi to reconnect with the people and the culture she has embraced and loved. What she discovers about the state of arts and culture in her return to the archipelago after three decades is captured in a full-length documentary entitled “Ang Pagbabalik sa Tawi-Tawi,” written and directed by Nanette Matilac who also serves as the managing director of the AlunAlun Dance Circle.

The film was featured at the 10th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival: Pinoy Pride Philippine Documentaries category on August 4, Monday, 12:45 pm at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Little Theater.

Much to the delight of the audience a dance performance by the AlunAlun Dance Circle was in order after the screening.

Just a few winks away from a glorious Christmas and the turn of the year, we have seen our fortunes turn from bad to worse, as if a cloud of doom had crept up from behind, robbing our land of the heavenly graces.

 Photo of evacuees attributed to Mr. Florencio Pimentel, PDRRM Officer of Surigao Del Sur

Source: Inquirer News

via trulyrichmom.com

Pablo had left scores dead and lives devastated in the south; Philippine sports suffered a couple of major blows. Pacquiao and the Azkals suffered the same fate~victory was so close, but no cigar.



Landing in such predicament, the arraignment of an Ampatuan was a speck light. We may yet see a revitalized economy before we bid 2012 adieu.

All is not lost. God is still in control. We will be redeemed.

SUNDAY SCHOOL REFLECTIONS: Champ No More?

PACMAN'S LOAD TAKES TOLL

Photo Credit : 

Chris Farina - Top Rank 

(no other credit allowed) 

copyright 2012

For years we have come to believe in the invincibility of the Pacman. Yet his most recent fights have led some of us to doubt his capacity to keep up with the sport. The Pacquiao-Bradley fight, though tarnished with controversy has exposed the former’s partial betrayal of his true calling.

It is true that we can't expect him to win all the time but always hope for his best showing.

He may have gotten knocked out with a lucky punch, but that one certainly came at the right time.

Pacquiao is not a politician, an actor, soldier nor a pastor; 

He is first and foremost a boxer, a peleador.

While he can assume many roles in society, he cannot deviate too far away from the discipline that created his legend. And while he has too good and too big of a heart to go out for his fans, friends, business partners, the President, family, coaching staff, Paris Hilton and even Mitt Romney (little did we know that the ex-US presidential candidate was to extend his loss to Manny.lol!), wolves in sheep’s clothing are some characters lurking in his shadows who would milk what they can from Manny until nothing is left, not even time for his beloved boxing.

Yes, he did make up for the lost time in his training in a few months but considering that JuanMa had been hitting the mitts and snitching around for a year with his coach Nacho Beristain, perhaps the Big Man up there thought of rewarding the efforts of, not necessarily the better one, but the more passionate, the more hardworking; the more faithful.

In today’s preaching by our pastor David Sumrall, the Holy Spirit has made realize a few things. Today’s biblical wisdom in church was meant for me and PACMAN, who, like everyone else fall victim to inconsistency or unfaithfulness sometimes.

Successful people have learned and embraced the principle of faithfulness and consistency, things that are not new to Pacquiao. However, if are to look at the lives of the people who have risen to success and have later fallen, we can see that failure came because they failed to do what they always used to do. Most often, it is because of distractions or a change of heart.

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 

Faithfulness to a profession or a relationship is so precious for this is how we make ourselves known.

God is worshipped by people because of His faithfulness.

Malachi 3:6

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

People also favor and continually seek us for our faithfulness in what we do.

Here are some of the people in the bible revered and remembered for their faithfulness.

1 Corinthians 4:17 ~ Timothy

Colossians 4:7 ~         Tychicus

Colossians 4:9~          Onesimus

Hebrews 3:2~              Moses

In this light, I have understood that faithfulness results to success and favor.

If you are faithful or at least you think of yourself as one, it does not mean that you should also try to be faithful with everybody. That is not what the bible teaches as God himself is NOT faithful to everybody in this world (yes folks, a bucket of cold water came pouring down huh?).
God is faithful, however, to His people, to those whom He is in covenant with. 

(Ephesians 2:12, Hebrews 10:23.)

Why? Because teaches us that if one will be faithful to everybody then he/she will be spread out too thin and his/her time will be divided therefore one cannot be faithful to anyone as well in this setup. Again, therefore, failure in one or in all of them is certain. (Psalms 25:5, Psalms 57:3)

From the looks of it, Pacquiao has recently received Jesus in his life and has become a bible-believer through the ministry of Pastor Jeric Soriano, I hope that he can also teach the Pacman this principle. 

If he has already done so, then I pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the Pacman’s heart for this message to penetrate. I believe God has a good purpose for Manny and his household and the best is yet to come as what they also said.

As a brother, I really pray for direction in his life and for his recovery.

So what should it be PACMAN? 

politics, military, show business or boxing?

Captives of Freedom: The Sama Dilaut Tribe of the Philippines

THE SAMA DILAUT

Ang Mga Sama ng Laot

Practically unknown to most Filipinos, 
these indigenous people are often mistaken for Badjaos.
The Sama Dilaut are called many things by many people. Most often they are referred to as Badjao by the Tausug people who live near them. Westerners often refer to them as ‘sea gypsies’ the Sama Dilaut spend most of their lives living on the sea (NCCA. 2002). 
Historically, they were a highly mobile people that lead a nomadic lifestyle which depended upon the bounty of the ocean and the use of key resources on land in order to survive (Nimmo. 2001: 21-25).

 

Driven out of the sea by commercial fishing and into the cities where they are forced to ask for food from strangers and seek shelter in streets, public parks, ghettos and even in sewers.

The threats internal to the Philippines that loom over the daily existence of the Sama Dilaut are many. Of primary importance are three: economic hardship, ethnic persecution, and a lack of recognition and representation. The first threat, that of economic hardship, affects their traditional lifestyle. Formerly, they had little need for monetary valuables and were rarely involved in cash exchange. The Sama Dilaut would harvest what they needed from the sea or unoccupied land. This has changed with the advent of fisheries laws, the setting of National boundaries, and over-fishing of waters traditionally used by the Sama Dilaut by large scale commercial fishing operations (Alamaia. 2005). As a result of these changes in resources that were once abundant have become relatively scarce, the Sama Dilaut have become dependent upon wage labor, they are exploited by capitalist fishing operations, and they are forced to compete in a world that they are not adequately prepared to compete in (Arquiza. 2004).

Here's PAC in a ground-breaking interaction with the the Sama Dilaut youth of Mabalacat, Pampanga. The Sama Dilaut community under the care of artist Yatu Ybarra
(sometimes referred to as "Datu" by the Sama Dilaut)
  The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states that the people of the world must recognize “the urgent need to respect and promote the inherent rights and characteristics of indigenous peoples, especially their rights to their lands, territories and resources, which derive from their political, economic and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions, histories and philosophies…”(UNESC. 2007).

ViDeOs

PAC dancing traditional Pangalay to Ysagani Ybarra's "Sea Nymph Song." in the community center. The song is about a 14-year-old Sama Dilaut girl who was massacred in cold blood due to rage ~ just when the community was starting to establish their dwelling in a sanctuary secured by Yatu in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

The Sama Dilaut's instinct then was to flee to the sea. 

Yatu, however, convinced the people to stand up for themselves and be counted in their newfound community. Without deviating from their peaceful and humane nature, the people exemplified how justice can be achieved through peace, love, and humility, essential virtues the word of God teaches.    

Pangalay Artists Circle's (R-L) Levi Azarcon, Yang Bautista, Boom Granada, Mark Anthony Castillo with Maharlika Artists and Writers Federation's Ysagani Ybarra near the lahar-coated river - traces of the horrors of the Mt. Pinatubo explosion in the early 90's.

PAC with PAMPANGA and MAWF Artists

Dating Gawi

Christmas and New Year is just around the corner and multitudes have yet to come up with their New Year’s Resolutions. 

(Hooray! We’re through with the apocalyptic prophecies of 2012 and onto the imminent World Peace or should I say World War?!).

From my end, waiting for the eve of 2013 before I turn over a new leaf is not a option; and turning over a new leaf means going back to writing (and prolly shedding off a few chunks accumulated from the past holiday feasts)

I have spent a bulk of the last decade seeing life through a kaleidoscope (not with LSD). 

All this time, a loyal companion has never left my side. 

A thing that stuck with me closer than a brother…

My Old Faithful camera “Pixie,” as a tribute to the best canine friend we've ever had (alas!). 

It was originally named Katsutoshi, after a Japanese friend who spent some time here in the Philippines.

NOW...The BLOG! =)

A nation of 7, 107 islands, home to hundreds of known languages and ethnic groups and millions of species of flora and fauna, the Philippines is a paradise, perhaps the lost Eden of the Pacific. 

The Philippines mean different things to each of us. For some, it is a place of  mediocrity, a place of extremes, a place of scarcity, a place of abundance, a place of permanence and a place where dreams are not necessarily met but a launchpad to greener pastures.

One could only imagine the random events that take place within the confines of its vast wealth every minute that goes by.

This site is dedicated to the proliferation of FILIPINISMO…anything and everything related to the Philippines that could harness or revitalize a native soul’s desire to live up to the expectations of the motherland.

KaKosa Nostra is a bastardization of Cosa Nostra, meaning "This thing of ours."

(which is also the formal name of the Italian Mafia).

KaKosa is a term used by inmates to refer to a fellow behind bars for we all incarcerated by our uncertainties and idiosyncrasies as a people and as a country. 

It is time to look into the predisposing factors (our things, are ways) that results to what we are now and use them to build our future...looking back yet moving forward while enjoying the flowers along the way.