One bloody lesson

Members of Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel join the nation in mourning the passing away of Press Secretary Cerge Remonde Tuesday morning. Word about his departure, coming so swiftly, without anyone knowing that his time was at hand, came as a shock, numbing, and saddening. At the Heritage Memorial Center to where his body was taken a few hours after his death, friends and colleagues, allies, but I suppose no foes, paid their last respects. Many of them exchanged stories about their relationship with the Cebuano raconteur, singer, lover of the balak (Visayan way of reciting love poems), spiritual man, admirer of beauty, very patient person, hard-working executive, spirited broadcaster, and most of all, unsurpassed defender of his boss, the President.

We at Bulong Pulungan felt that we were Cerge’s favorite media group. But it turned out most everyone thought they were, too. We were probably the last bunch to have dinner with him where he laughed to his heart’s content, told bits of secrets about goings on in the Palace, gave each one (except our boyfriends) a big hug before and after dinner. There’s so much to say about Cerge, but for now, let me say that he was one of the President’s good, and most trusted, men.

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Election-related violence, purported attempts at rebellion, massacres; are we breeding a culture of violence? In the last week alone, our countrymen have hurled grenades at cathedrals, shot and wounded radio reporters, and a score of other terrible things. These are not isolated incidents, however. Much to our dismay, we find the makings of warlords, thugs, and goons in our very own neighborhoods, our very own schools. Unbeknownst to many, gang activity has been steadily rising in the country over the past few years.

A quick internet search of “Filipino gangs” brings a video that is a composite of various pictures featuring supposed gang members, set to an eerie piano accompaniment. The description states [verbatim]: “To all Gangs in the World: Promote, visit & Build your gang in the Philippines (Filipinas). Because Philippines is a good place for gangs & Fraternities.” It goes on to invite international gangs to Tondo, Manila, and other highly-populated areas of the NCR, citing that the youth are predisposed to joining up, officials are corrupt enough to turn a blind eye to illegal goings-on, and that gang culture is sensationalized in the country.

Despite the adverse intentions and poor grammar, this video blogger is not far off the mark. Gang and fraternity culture is indeed emphasized in our culture, whether or not the groups are violent in nature. The fabled Old Boys Networks are just as powerful as the Makati Business Club, the Mara Salvatrucha, or the Yakuza. It just so happens that the prior two handle things with less blood than the latter. We respect one, fear and condemn the other — but presumably the quest for power is shared by all.

Earlier this week, a 20-year-old male walked into an elementary school building and stabbed a sixth grade girl slowly, 29 times, as horrified classmates looked on. This kind of cruelty may or may not be gang related, but the fact remains that our children are constantly encountering hostility in school. This alarms parents and education officials alike.

Secretary of Education Jesli Lapus has called for change, saying “These [problems] have serious effects on the attendance and focus of our students, particularly in high schools.” While fraternities, sororities, and gangs are prohibited in elementary and high school, there nevertheless exist those who recruit students as members, who in turn promote the group on school grounds. These student recruiters assure their classmates that when they get into trouble, their “brods” will protect them.

Many parents have transferred their children to schools in safer locales, seemingly away from the violent influence. However, this is merely a band-aid solution; we have to cut the head off the snake and directly address the rising problem of gang-related juvenile violence in the country.

 The Department of Education (DepEd) has been noticing this alarming trend for some time. DepEd Order No. 7-2006 reiterates provisions from previous issuances and memoranda directing school heads to take more active roles in the prevention of juvenile violence in their areas.

Now, the onus lies on us to shift the paradigms a little. We were not born violent; we learned it as easily as we learned our letters. The hard part is un-learning, removing from our society all traces of this horrible blight. I find it rather bemusing that a country trying to brand itself as the most hospitable in the world would engage in such depraved behavior.

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How do you get up the leader of success? For Julieta Cebujano of Barangay Sacred Heart in Quezon City, the climb did not come easy, but it did come — thanks to the Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran or SEA-K Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

For a long time, Julieta did not know how to make both ends meet. She had to depend on her husband’s monthly salary of P9,500 for their four children’s schooling, food, and household expenses.

 Always on the lookout for livelihood opportunities, Julieta, upon learning of the microfinancing SEA-K Program of the DWSD, and the other members of her association submitted business proposals. In 2007 Julieta was able to get an initial loan of P5,000, which she used to produce and sell fabric conditioning and dishwashing solutions. Her industry paid off; she was able to repay her loan in six months and contribute to her family’s income. She happily says, “I see my life as a flight of stairs. It started at the bottom but step by step, I have gone up because of the help provided by SEA.K.”

Julieta’s friends in the association have also benefited from the program. Their collective loan amounting to P107,000 to start their respective businesses has been paid in six months. They have plans of expanding their businesses and borrowing more from SEA-K.

“SEA-K,” says Julieta, is “God’s gift to me and my friends. We are privileged to have received a loan that is easy to access and easy to pay.”

SEA-K is a key component of the Accelerated Hunger-Mitigation Program (AHMP) of President Arroyo. With SEA-K going in full swing, the families of Julieta and other beneficiaries all over the country, will have a better future.

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My e-mail:[email protected]