The intrusion of "Kuya" and "Ate"

I did a good turn for policeman Adonis Dumpit last Tuesday. I corrected an American who pronounced his name “Dump-it.”

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It says here that “Kurtina na Pula” won the Sinulog 2010 short film award. (TF, Page 3, Jan. 31, 2010.) Why “na”? Is this a Tagalog film?

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I often come across writeups in Binisaya (supposedly) where “na” instead of “nga” is used. Both words may have the same meaning but when writing in Binisaya it’s better I think — repeat, I think — not to mix it with Tagalog.

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Enough na ang “Kuya” and “Ate” which have intruded into our language. They have gotten stuck with us. Every Cebuano is now calling an elder brother “Kuya” (not anymore “Manong” or “Manoy”). And every sis now calls her elder sis “Ate”.

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Sorry for making a mountain out of a molehill. But, well, I’m just trying to correct a molehill of an error before it becomes a mountain. Take it or leave it.

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Tree planting activities are done all over the land. In the name of environmental concern. Although I observe that some students and office workers do it just for fun. That’s my observation. If the observation is wrong, sorry. What’s yours?

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Hundreds of trees are planted here, hundreds more over there. But my friend Teddy doubts if there’s a hundred or a couple of hundred of these hundreds of trees that would reach maturity.

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Unless each of these trees planted as seedlings gets proper care, the efforts of the planters will only come to naught. Tree seedlings need proper attention and care. But who’ll care for them if after planting the planters go home in the lowlands and watch tv or read Banat News?

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There was one Cebu governor, I think it was Sir Mundo Rama, who launched a Nangka planting campaign in the province’s mountain areas. The guvnor envisioned the project to, first, enchance the forest cover of Cebu’s mountains; and, second, to provide a source of income for the people who planted the trees.

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    I don’t know what happened to the Nangka trees. Have they grown to maturity? Have they lived up to what the guvnor had envisioned them to become?

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Clarie Morales Bontol, who topped the nursing board exam given by the Professional Regulation Commission last November 2009 is a graduate of the Iligan Medical College. But she is Cebuana, her roots being in Cordova, Cebu.

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This I learned from my media colleague Ben Ypil who happens to be Clarie’s father’s classmate in a seminary here. Ben said Clarie’s father Jude was a consistent honor student in college. “They’re a family of scholars,” according to Ben, who adds the information that Jude is a lawyer and a former Cebu Customs collector.

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I join Ben in extending congratulations to Clarie and her parents. It’s my nature to congratulate Cebuano-blooded achievers, even if they don’t know me from Adam.

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