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Image by ~MVI~ via FlickrThe city of Paniqui, Tarlac is beautiful in a way that only provincial cities are beautiful. Everything is but a street away. The ice cream parlor where I feasted on a generous meal of thick, sliced crispy fries for only Php 25 is but a street away. The night bazaar where I slaked my thirst on a mango shake fortified with milk for only Php 10 is but a street away. The auditorium where the Binibining Paniqui 2011 pageant will be held is but a street away.
The city of Paniqui, Tarlac is beautiful in a way that only provincial cities are beautiful. You cross the street and you fall in love. There are two schools of thought on preserving the charms of small-town life. You can wrap it in plastic and try to keep things just the way they are. Or you can let the town grow, but carefully, mindful of the pains that growth can bring.
The Binibing Paniqui pageant represents the best of Paniqui. When you meet the candidates, you don't only marvel at the sight of their natural, Filipina beauty. You marvel at the way they see themselves. They want to show that it is important to be beautiful inside and out. The candidates are beautiful in a way that few pageant candidates are beautiful nowadays. They are lovely to look at, but they are even lovelier when they start to talk. You cross their path, and you fall in love.
I came here to give a talk on how strong Filipina women should make the decision to be free, and how that decision also involves being chaste. But, as all fruitful encounters are wont to go, I ended up learning how many Filipinas have already made the decision to take responsibility for their freedom. I ended up learning that many of the candidates already demand that they love and be loved in a manner that respects their vibrant femininity and their desire for a healthy family.
I came here to tell them that it is important to be "safe", but that it is more important to make good decisions in love and life. A condom might safeguard one's burgeoning exploration of intimacy, but that's only so far as sex goes. What about an even more vital organ? What about the heart? There is no condom for the heart.
But the candidates, even though they could not articulate it before our discussion, already knew that. They already see themselves as more than just "beauty and brains". They see themselves as something precious, and undeniably loving. They see themselves as women of worth and character, who love and are loved in return.
You can wrap it up in plastic, or you can take care of it. In Paniqui, Tarlac, they've chosen to take care of it. It's a beautiful place. You cross the street, and you fall in love.
Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Anna Varona-Rivilla and Mayor Miguel "Dors" C. Rivilla. I can't wait to bring the Sweetness and the Sweetlings over one of these days. Mabuhay!
The proposed RH Bill isn't only a flawed piece of legislation. It is also the single, most divisive proposed bit of legislation in Philippine history. Many intelligent individuals have argued both for and against the Bill. And while they might have their differences, they are concerned with essentially one thing: LOVE.
And so, instead of focusing on the many things which divide us, allow me to remind everyone of the really big thing that unites us. Love binds everything together. And it is this concern for the future of love and loving that has everyone drawing lines in the sand regarding the RH Bill.
Rather than rehash all my arguments against the Bill in this entry, allow me to make a recommendation. Let's explore alternatives to the Bill. One such alternative was proposed recently in Time Magazine. Do you really want to fight poverty? Invest in girls.
But if, given the recent global financial crisis, you are adverse to "investing", then maybe you should consider doing something more concrete. Jason Evert, the character education speaker, is in Manila. You might want to drop by Real Love Revolution 2011. Love shouldn't just be about protecting yourself from your mistakes. There is no condom for the heart.
There are alternatives to legislating love. There are alternatives to pontificating about love. But most of all, there are rational approaches to love. Some of them are even mathematical. Because, as the pundit quipped, love is like mathematics. Joy is added. Sorrow is subtracted. Our friends are multiplied. And our love, undivided.
I was in Malaysia from May 26 to June 1 for the first international training seminar of the newly configured, and newly combined I AM STRONG and IKLR program. Needless to say, despite my desperate battles against over-indulgence (a struggle I have fought, to date, only in Kuala Lumpur), the long, sleepless nights contemplating beds bereft of smiling kin, and the logistical difficulties normally associated with traveling in a foreign country, I really enjoyed the trip.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped training the wonderful, insightful, warm-hearted citizens of Kuala Lumpur, and adopted the slightly reverential, oftentimes jovial stance of a student who has much to learn about the simple truths of freedom, responsibility, and cultural diversity. And yes, half my weight is effectively chicken rice, thanks to the overwhelming generosity of Mr. Chris Lim and his sons Nathan, Nicholas, and Noah.
See you again soon!
When I first got back from Cagayan de Oro from our strategic planning session for Alpha Philippines, I had to choke back tears. While I admit that I am a sentimental sort, the tears weren't due to any realization regarding the emotional toll that separation takes on all fathers with kids. After reveling in the pristine air of Cagayan de Oro, the transition to Metro Manila air was, surprisingly, difficult for me. Odd, that.
Still, the trip was wonderfully productive. Not only did we reassess and reorient ourselves regarding our ministry functions, the ministry caught up with us when we least expected, in a sector that, surprisingly, seems to need renewal: the Philippine National Police (PNP). A courtesy call to the PNP training school in Cagayan de Oro quickly turned into an introductory talk, "Is there more to life than this?" Despite their weariness, which calls to mind the saying "Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain", Tito Benie Sy and Carmela Rodil sported smiles wider than sapphire blue skies of Cagayan de Oro.
I also met with Dr. Tonton Torralba about the roll out programs for the Edicongress, which is currently being buttressed in the public imagination by the campaign I Keep Love Real, which only sounds like a song from The Jets, but ought to be more successful than that talented Tongan band. More on that soon.
All in all, I'm glad to be back. I sense multiple posts coming up. It would be a shame to waste such excellent internet access.
