my 2011: revisited

Looking back at my year, I realized it was still a pretty good one..there were highs and lows, hits and misses, but I'm still grateful for the year that was...

Thumbs Up

1. my trips and travels - food trips in Cebu, nature-tripping in Tublay, Bolinao and Camiguin, the culture and history of Ilocos, Albay and Iloilo

2. approved funding proposals for continued advocacy work

3. finding time to write and get creative

4. paying off loans and debts

5. successful lectures/trainings/fora as opportunities for sharing my knowledge

6. various media exposures and recognition as a smalltime "celebrity"

7. staying in a relationship after realizing that it really takes work and commitment

Thumbs Down

1. my frequent asthma and hypertension attacks reminding me that this body is getting old

2. not enough time for bonding time w/ family and loved ones

3. seeming professional stagnation/career rut

4. lost friendships to departures, transfers or fights

And I have a feeling 2012 can get even better...:)

Return to Camiguin

On the occasion of my birthday a few years back, I had the opportunity to visit Camiguin island. Although we stayed overnight, it was one “hurried” visit. But this year, I promised myself that I would continue to travel and enjoy every trip I go on as part of my annual birthday resolutions. So I planned to spend my first day doing serious work in CDO, and then take an early ferry for Camiguin.

Our old route eight years ago took us first to Balingoan port, but the recent availability of hydrofoil ferries plying the CDO-Camiguin-Bohol route really made the 2 hour trip bearable and more convenient. Since Paras SeaCat had ceased operations, there is only an 8AM hydrofoil bound for Camiguin with a return trip to CDO at 4PM the same day via Ocean Jet.

While many describe Camiguin as pear-shaped, it’s rugged topography and lush and verdant vegetation made the island appear to me as a giant, green turtle from a distance. The peaks of its mountain ranges and rolling hills seemed quite and peaceful to the untrained eye, although the island is home to several volcanoes, including Mt. Hibok-Hibok which last erupted in 1951.

Upon docking at Benoni port, there are a variety of local transports for hire. Vans and multicabs are offered with reasonable package rates that make for an easier sight-seeing and tour around the island. Some even make referrals for cheap lodgings and accommodations also. But a major plus is finding a driver who can also serve as a tourist guide and provide credible commentaries on the island’s history.

By water is not the only way to reach Camiguin. The island province maintains a small airport that allow landings by light aircrafts. No commercial flights regularly utilize the facility, but charter planes by local politicians and businessmen are said to arrive on occasion.

The local government in promoting its tourism wisely invested in well-maintained roads. The highway that runs along the coastline, goes around the whole island and provides scenic views of the sea and the distant mountains and hills. Numerous wooden houses likewise line the highway; quaint, nipa-thatched and capiz-windowed, these ancestral homes of longtime residents make Camiguin a possible heritage site just like Bohol. On occasion, you come across homes and buildings with turn-of-the-century designs obviously influenced by the Americans. One enormous home even had “Sept 17, 1917” written on its white painted façade.



As in Cagayan de Oro, tricycles called “motorelas” are the popular transport. The slightly inclined coach behind a motorcycle has seats designed for passengers to sit across each other, face to face much like the jeepneys. This contraption is still much better than the “habal-habals” used elsewhere in Mindanao. The single motorcycle with a piece of wood placed across it and where passengers are suppose to line themselves up and sit for perfect balance are fortunately not used in these parts.

Driving around the island also gives you an idea about the local economy. Besides the bountiful sea that supports a small-to-medium scale fishing industry, the island’s naturally fertile land is perfect for agriculture. Plantations and farmlands reveal crops that range from coconut, rice/palay, cassava, abaca, mangoes, and of course, lanzones that thrives on volcanic soil.

En route to our lodgings, we got a glimpse of Tres Marias, Mt. Mambajao and Mt. Timpoong, the latter two being the tallest or highest peaks on the island. Coming in to port, visitors already get a view of Mt. Guinsiliban, whose elevation and strategic location made it the site of the old Spanish watchtower used to look out for Moro pirates of yore.

Once or twice, I saw remnants of adobe and cobblestone structures alongside the road. They must be the remains of Spanish colonial buildings destroyed by earlier volcanic eruptions. Strewn round the whole island are volcanic rocks the size of household furniture, some rivalling the nipa hut homes. Several tributaries emptying out to the sea have boulders and stones that could only have been carried that far by strong water currents or lava flows.

The first place we visited was the Katibawasan Falls. Like many parts of Northern Mindanao, mountains ranges also meant waterfalls. The majestic 200 ft. drop amidst the forest greenery provide an almost fairytale-like atmosphere. The shallow pond with its cool waters make it a perfect choice for families with small kids who wish to bathe and swim in fresh water. Since it rained the night before, the flow was a little stronger than usual and its temperature was consistently several degrees lower. A ledge is available for photo-ops, but you may go down the steep stairs to get a better view of the falls as a backdrop. Meanwhile, an amusing little monkey at the entrance reminds you of the animals thriving deep within the forests.

We headed next for the Sto. Nino Cold Springs, a traditional tourist haunt that has picnic facilities. Outdoor grills are available for those who choose to potluck, and tables and huts can be rented for a small fee. Enterprising residents have also begun offering cooked meals from a menu of fresh seafood, native chicken and pork. Try out their buko juice to go with your meal. The coconuts are dipped in the cool waters to keep them chilled and once opened, your drink feels like it came straight from the refrigerator.

The cold water springs from a sandy bottom and tiny fishes swim the waters with bathers. Quite deep in some areas, another enterprenurial innovation of the residents are the inflated tire interiors being rented out as life-preservers.

While we were eating our lunch, the children at the kiddie pool started screaming and crying. Parents and guardians ran to them thinking there was just a fight among them. But they were all getting out in a hurry, scared and pointing at the water. Apparently, there was a black water snake about a foot-long, which was feeding on the tiny fishes. It actually had a fish stuck in its mouth when it was caught.

That did it for me; besides the pool being too crowded, I had another reason not to go into the water. It seems the native chicken aren’t the only ones that are “free-ranged” around here.

Afraid to disappoint us, our driver took us to Bura Soda Water Swimming Pool instead. Another cold spring, its fresh water is clean enough for drinking. Since it’s a lesser known spot, there were less people around, and picnic huts here are for free. Unfortunately, the pool is too deep and there are no tubes that can be rented.

Having had enough of the waters, we were ready to visit the more historical sights of the island. I have always been intrigued by the destruction and havoc wrecked by the volcanoes. The town of Catarman was destroyed by the eruption and birth of Mt. Vulcan in the 1870s. An un-maintained metal plaque recounts the events that happened that fateful evening when earthquakes and rumblings suddenly resulted in a violent eruption that devastated the town and killed hundreds of people.

Unlike the other tourist spots, there is no fixed entrance rate here, but only a voluntary contribution. The walls with its high windows and pillars are all that’s left of the church proper. In the back, the belfry’s foundations are still intact while the remains of the old convent with its room divisions is a haunting testament to the power of nature.

Also in Catarman town, just a few meters away, is the Sunken Cemetery memorial. A giant white cross was installed as a reminder of where the old cemetery was. It sank into the sea during the 1871 volcanic eruption of Mt. Vulcan. Residents claim that until a few years ago, some of the grave markers can still be seen during low tide. But time and numerous typhoons have also eroded the gravestones.

It was perfect timing that we were there in the late afternoon. Located in the western part of the island, the Sunken Cemetery is great for viewing the sunset. But don’t delay your visit because if it gets too dark, your photos wouldn’t come out too good even with a flash.

Next would be the Via Cruces or the Stations of the Cross on old Vulcan. Another popular tourist spot especially during Holy Week, the climb begins with some stairs, with the steps slowly giving way to inclined ramps until eventually the cement walkway ends into a dirt and gravel stone path. Along the way are life-size statues depicting the passion of Christ and one forgets that this was once an active volcano that caused so much destruction and death.

The trek is both arduous and tiring, but the view from this vantage point is breath-taking. A clear day would show beautiful blue skies that meet the sea waters beneath. One could only marvel at the island’s thick forests upon rolling hills that rise into mountain peaks and volcano craters. Years ago, I managed to get as far as the 12th station when the altitude got the better of me. The steep climb and cliff drop-offs was too much for someone like me who was really afraid of heights. This time around, my age and my knees could only take me so far. So here’s another tip, make sure you’re fit and healthy before attempting to complete all 14 stations of the cross.

The perfect end to the day would be a long soak at Ardent Hot Springs. Another popular tourist destination, Mt. Hibok-Hibok actually feeds this hot spring. Made up of several pools and ponds, the temperature varies and starts to cool down until the last pool for kids. Again, even in the early evening, there were just too many people around. Besides, my hypertensive tendencies made taking a dip in the steamy waters inadvisable. Jeni took the plunge, however, and came out all prickly and itchy. With such high temperatures, I doubted if it was due to germs; so we surmised it must be the sulphur in the water.

Since we visited Camiguin in late November, night time comes early. The highways don’t have streetlighting so it can get pretty dark in some areas. I was told that electric power actually comes from the mainland in Misamis Oriental. Huge cables carrying the electric current are buried underneath the seabed to reach the island. It becomes problematic sometimes when typhoons make the waves too rough.

Except for the vehicle’s headlights, we traversed the island in pure blackness. On occasion, we pass by poor pedestrians on their way home, walking by the roadside in eerie darkness. And I remembered the story shared by the oldtimer at Sto. Nino Cold Springs. His ancestors used to say that when the island was still uninhabited and only a small number of people put up residence there, they saw little red men with horns and pointy tails come out of the volcano’s craters every night. Before the sun comes up, they return to the volcano craters and go back in. As such, island natives stay in their homes locked-in all night long. Even Chinese barter traders never spend the night there and instead head back to the mainland.

For the night, we decided to take advantage of the cheap lodgings in Mambajao. Strategically located near the White Island sandbar, there is an abundance of cottages for rent at very reasonable rates. Paguia’s offers spacious accommodations with airconditioning, cable TV, private toilet and bath, plus free WIFI. However, they only serve breakfast, so you have to get your meals at a nearby restaurant about two blocks away. On the other hand, Paguia’s has its own motorboat-for-hire to get to the White Island sandbar. For a minimal P400 plus P2 entrance fee, they will arrange a dawn ride to the sandbar so you could catch the sunrise.

The short boat ride was another pleasant experience over calm waters. White Island has a spectacular of Camiguin and two of its volcanoes – Mt. Hibok-Hibok and Old Vulcan. Its shallow waters also make for some safe and cool swimming. The soft white sand is perfect for sunbathing too. Unfortunately, with no permanent structures or equipment allowed on the sandbar, one could really get baked by the sun. Either you bring your own beach umbrellas, sun block and headcover, or you don’t stay too long there.

For me, I was happy enough with a few dips in cool water, lots of photographs, and the amazing sunrise that I witnessed. The highlight, however, was a breakfast of edible sea urchin. A local fisherman came peddling them after he caught some sea urchins at the far end of the sandbar. Unlike the black kind with long poisonous spines, this type is dark brown and has a jewel-container shape. Its shell is cracked open and its innards scraped and gathered together to make a tablespoonful. The fisherman came complete with some vinegar and doused with it, the sea urchin delicacy tasted much like talangka. Although freshly-caught, I tasted only a bit of it just in case my seafood allergies kicked in again. But Jeni enjoyed it so much, she ordered another one.

Heading back, we planned to check-out early and catch brunch at the Tanguines Lagoon in Benoni. This man-made inlet also provides a nice view of the island’s abundant forest cover. On the lagoon is a restaurant whose specialty is, of course, seafood. J&A restaurant has its own fishponds teeming with exotic saltwater fish, oysters, and other shellfish. But by this time, I was really craving for some grilled pork.

Word to the wise, and this is not to be so disrespectful, but the food sucks in Camiguin. The native chicken is reared free-ranged, and therefore, has very tough meat. Seafood consists of saltwater fish they call “isdang bato”. But to be honest, I just couldn’t bring myself to eat such ugly fish. The monstrosities looked like pre-historic creatures straight from the dinosaur era, and could very well eat “me” instead.

Finishing up our meal, we went directly to the nearby wharf for a ferry to Balingoan port. From there, we took a bus to Cagayan de Oro which took another hour or so. Getting back to Manila that day really entailed travel via water, land, and air. But all the trouble was worth it, because Camiguin delivered on its promises – truly an island paradise you can fall in love with.

Halloween Stories

Halloween or that time of the year Filipinos celebrate the “undas” has always been a time of “rituals” for me. When I was young, our whole Leonin clan trooped to the cemetery to visit the family plot where our grand patriarch and matriach were buried. For my cousins and I, it was like another family outing much like our summer vacations. Only, this activity was more like a night time picnic because of all the food, the beach chairs and mats on the grass. But the best part of it all were always the stories.
As my cousins and I grew older, we learned to entertain ourselves without getting lost in the multitude that seemed to occupy every nook and cranny of Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina. We’d use the parked family cars, sit ourselves inside them and tell each other the best horror stories we could come up with. We would re-tell stories told to us by our yayas from their respective provinces. We’d share ghost stories we picked up from school from our classmates. From big black dogs or large sows wearing bakyas, to strange birds tick-ticking in the middle of the night, to the white lady in our family compound and the invisible figure playing our Weinstein piano and running the Singer sewing machine, we’d talk about supernatural experiences and scare the hell out of our much younger cousins. Later on, we decided to give an award to the best horror story told that year. I was the winning story-teller for several years because I managed to collect the scariest tales from friends months before.
Recently, I was taking advantage of the long Halloween weekend by watching horror films and surfing the net for new stories. I came across a blog that featured the scariest places in the Philippines and realized I had been to most of them.
In Metro Manila, Balete Drive in Quezon City has the fabled White Lady that hails down taxicabs or hitches a ride with solo drivers traversing the area. My older brother used to drive around with us younger kids on lazy weekends and he always tries to scare us by passing through that New Manila territory. Other haunted places I remember in my youth are Baguio and Corregidor where we took family vacations. Baguio was notorious for the White Lady of Loakan, the invisible PMA cadets marching in the wee hours of the morning, and the poltergeists of Teachers Camp. And I’m not even talking about the notorious Diplomat Hotel, the Laperal White House, and the ghosts from the 1983 Pines Hotel fire and the big 1990 earthquake.
Corregidor, on the other hand, is also known for its historical significance. Remnants of World War II still prevail over much of the island and compose much of its ghost stories. Like Baguio, it was one of those sites which experienced a lot of bombings and fighting. True enough, ghostly apparitions consist of Filipino, American and Japanese soldiers, priests and nuns, doctors and nurses, as well civilians who all died during the war.
I remember my own experience there years ago. I was busy taking photos as my whole clan toured around the battery areas, the Mile-long barracks, and the Malinta Tunnel itself. At some grassy knoll near the popular flagpole, I just shot a few pictures, trying to capture the green scenery. No one was in my shot, I was sure of it. But when the photos were developed, a few white figures appeared in the distance, like priests or nuns. I showed them to my family but none of them believed me then.
I went to college in UP Los Banos, unaware of its own violent past. I didn’t know why people avoided the Baker Hall (the university gymnasium) late at night, or why the Vanguard officers and cadets really abhor their early morning jogs around Baker’s Field. It was only later when a few classmates who were really “locals” told me about UP Los Banos’ special role in WWII as a war camp. That certainly explains the alleged sightings of Japanese soldiers in the area.
As in any university campus which housed several dormitories, there were a lot of supernatural stories from there, too. From a white lady seen floating across a second-floor window, to a black coffin found lying on the long table at the communal study area, to invisible hurried footsteps on the stairs, each college freshman and dorm intern had to get ready for a unique “greeting” at the start of every semester.
There were also tales of forest creatures whispering from big trees or raining down sand on a passerby, of a student traversing a seemingly “endless” bridge, or of campus stone sculptures coming life and walking about at night, including the College of Agriculture’s symbol “Tao” which depicts a farmer and his carabao.
I, too, had my own share of frightful experiences; from the strange footsteps and knocking at my dorm, to the weird catcalls and shadows at the bridge walking home after a late night study session. But the scariest of all was the eerie moaning I heard right next to my ear while I was studying at my table one Finals week.
Then again, I could compile my own collection of UPLB horror stories perfect for fright nights and weekend scare-fests…but that would entail an entirely new piece.

The Other North: Discovering Region 2

When people talk about Northern Luzon, it is always the Ilocos region they begin referring to. But long before Vigan became the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, and hence, the center of Spanish control and government in northern Philippines, Cagayan Valley held the claim to that honor.
Region 2 is composed of provinces like Cagayan Valley, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya. Located on the country’s eastern seaboard, it is constantly battered by typhoons like the provinces in Bicol and the Samar-Leyte area. Although primary producers of rice, vegetables and cattle meat, their agricultural produce is subject to the whims and caprices of the weather, thus making life difficult for its inhabitants. Poverty incidence is therefore understandable, which in turn led to issues of peace and order, and the presence of rebels and militants against the government.
But owing to the legacy of its Spanish colonizers, there is much to see and discover in Cagayan. While land trips take an arduous 11-12 hours by bus, there are now direct flights from Manila via Air Philippines or PAL. Since the airport in Tuguegarao is quite simple and under-developed, only small aircrafts can land there. Unfortunately, these small planes seem like dragonflies buffeted by strong winds during typhoon season. Once or twice, flights can be diverted back to Manila because turbulence and thick clouds prevent the planes from landing safely.
Tuguegarao City itself is still rustic despite being the regional center for government line agencies. Business establishments cater to the most basic needs of people, with not much venues for “nightlife”. In fact, at around 7:30PM, the streets are almost deserted. Yet there is a unique charm to its simplicity and laid-back atmosphere, as if time really does slow down in this place.
Although the most popular tourist attractions are actually outside Tuguegarao, before one starts site-seeing other churches, the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral within the city should be your first stop. Then, enjoy a calesa ride in their own version of a local horse-drawn carriage, and know that this is one of the few remaining places that still have these as regular transport. Also take a tricycle ride around the city, and although motorbike-run vehicles like these abound in other places of the Philippines, notice that each province has a distinct take on these contraptions by design, much like the Thai tuktuk and Indonesian bedyak.
A must-see are the Callao Caves in Penablanca which actually houses seven (yes, count them) caverns, including one that has an opening overhead and lets in sunlight during the day, and bats, after a night of foraging for food. It also opens to a large space that has been modified to become an indoor chapel within the caves. To get to the cave, however, one must brave and hurdle the one hundred or so steps to its entrance. But once you face the majestic gap, that yawning mouth in the mountain, you will realize the climb was truly worth it.
Just beside the Callao Caves is the great Mororan River. Riverboat rides are available to sightseers who may get a chance to traverse this major tributary that waters most of the province’s farmlands. There are some areas which make for some “shooting the rapids” excitement, but this river-rafting experience can be quite calming as you cut across mountain sides covered with lush forest vegetation. Exotic birds still fly above, while assorted fish dart in between the rocks and boulders lining the river’s path.
Your next stop should be a visit to Our Lady of Piat. Fast gaining popularity as a pilgrimage site, it rivals Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan and the Lady of Penafrancia in Naga City when it comes to visitors. An attraction here is the “black” Virgin Mary created in recognition of the indigenous tribe of the Itawis, one of the peoples native to the region, along with the Ibanags and Ilocanos. It is said that the image of the Virgin Mary in Piat was originally from Lallo, Cagayan where it miraculously saved hundreds of lives when the Cagayan River overflowed in the early 20th century.
In nearby Iguig, one of the Philippines’ oldest churches survives. The small parish of St. James still bears the remnants of the artistry of the Augustinian friars as seen from many of Ilocos’ churches. With some parts of it in original wood, it was ruined by a great earthquake during the last century. As such, at the back, even its landscape has somehow fallen a few meters below its original elevation.
But upon this rolling terrain was built the Calvary Hills, where gigantic models of Jesus and his apostles depict the fourteen Stations of the Cross. A variation of this, however, is the inclusion of a fifteenth and final sculpture of Christ’s resurrection. Unlike the life-size models found in Camiguin island, these are huge statues that can be seen across the field of grass, overlooking yet another tributary of the Cagayan River. This makes Cagayan a perfect Holy Week destination during summer.
Before heading home, make sure you also sample the local cuisine. Besides the traditional goat’s meat-based viands of the Ilocanos like papaitan, dinakdakan and imbaliktad, try also their beef longganisa that makes for a heavenly breakfast. They also have a local pansit composed of different noodles and a seeming “everything-on-it” combination of vegetables, chicken meat, fishballs and/or kikiam. Since garlic is also produced in this area, make sure you bring home fried garlic bits as pasalubong.
At several degrees away from the equator, Cagayan is also one of the hottest places in the country. If you’re visiting in the summer, make sure you keep hydrated and covered, because you can also get one of the worst sunburns there without even realizing it.
So for your next vacation, try a location that’s “off-the-beaten-track”, visit Cagayan Valley.

On Violence by RFK (1968)

“ I take this opportunity to speak to you briefly about the mindless menace of violence that stains our land and every one of our lives..It is not the concern of any one race. The victims of violence are rich or poor, young and old, famous and unknown..They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one, no matter where he lives, or what he does, can be certain who next will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on, and on, and on in this country of ours. Why? What has violence ever accomplished? Whenever another’s life is taken by another, whether it is done in the name of the law, or in defiance of the law, by one man or a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in a attack of violence or in response to violence, whenever we tear at the fabric of our lives which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his family, whenever we do this, then the whole nation is degraded. Yet we seemingly tolerate the rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike.
Too often we honor the swagger and bluster and the wielders of force. Too often we excuse those who build their lives on the shattered dreams of other human beings. But this much is clear, violence breeds violence, repression and retaliation and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our souls. For when you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies that he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job , or your home and your family, then you also learn to confront others, not as fellow citizens, but as enemies. To be met not with cooperation but with conquest, to be subjugated and to be mastered. We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens. Alien men with whom we share a city, but not a community. Men bound to us in common dwelling but not in common effort. We only learn a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other, only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force.
Our lives on this planet are too short. The work to be done is too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in this land of ours. Of course we cannot banish it w/ a program nor w/a resolution. But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live w/ us are our brothers that share with us the same short moment of life, that they seek as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and happiness, winning whatever satisfaction and fulfilment that they can.” – Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, June 1968

R-Rights on PAP Statement on SOGI

Rainbow Rights Project (R-Rights) commends the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) recent pronouncement on non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Such a categorical statement from a respected professional association will go a long way in educating people about respecting the human rights of Pinoy lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs).
For the longest time, the discrimination and violence experienced by Filipino LGBTs stemmed from a combination of societal influences, including views that homosexuality and lesbianism is a mental disease. Such pathological perspective lends to the myth that homosexuality and lesbianism is a sickness that can still be “cured”. This prevailed for decades in the Philippines even when as early as the 1970s, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association both de-listed homosexuality and lesbianism from the listing of mental disorders.
As early as the mid-2000s, sexuality practitioner Margarita Holmes shared with LGBT activists the importance of making the medical and psychology professionals our allies. She emphasized the need to get the local counterparts of the American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations to also reconsider its classification and treatment of homosexuality and lesbianism, and to come up with a more progressive view of LGBTs.
R-Rights appreciates the clear move of the Psychological Association of the Philippines to do its part in protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of Filipino LGBTs. By enjoining their peers and colleagues to stand by their code of ethics in recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of a person, and in respecting diversity among people, the PAP remains steadfast in their clear stance against discrimination based on actual or perceived differences in characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
In behalf of all LGBT activists, R-Rights wishes to express its gratitude to the PAP for taking this matter seriously enough to take concrete steps in addressing homophobia and discrimination against Pinoy LGBTs.
Kudos to the courageous and progressive leadership of PAP and Mabuhay tayong lahat!

Psychological. Assoc.of the Phils on SOGI

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Filipinos continue to experience stigma, prejudice and discrimination in Philippine society. This stigma is manifested in actions such as: bullying, teasing and harassment of LGBT children and adolescents in families, schools and communities; media portrayal of LGBTs as frivolous, untrustworthy and even dangerous or predatory; denying transgender Filipinos entry into commercial establishments; pigeonholing LGBT Filipinos into particularly limited roles and occupations; or curtailing their rights to participate in the political sphere.

LGBT Filipinos often confront social pressures to hide, suppress or even attempt to change their identities and expressions as conditions for their social acceptance and enjoyment of rights. Although many LGBTs learn to cope with this social stigma, these experiences can cause serious psychological distress, including immediate consequences such as fear, sadness, alienation, anger and internalized stigma (Hatzenbuehler, 2009; Meyer, 2003). This anti-LGBT prejudice and discrimination tend to be based on a rhetoric of moral condemnation and are fueled by ignorance or unfounded beliefs associating these gender expressions and sexual orientations with psychopathology or maladjustment.

However, decades of scientific research have led mental health professional organizations worldwide to conclude that lesbian, gay and bisexual orientations are normal variants of human sexuality. These include: the American Psychiatric Association in 1973, the American Psychological Association in 1975, British Psychological Society, the Colombian Society of Psychology, Psychological Society of South Africa, the Australian Psychological Society, and the International Network on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns and Transgender Issues in Psychology, among others.

The Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) aligns itself with the global initiatives to remove the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated with diverse sexualities and to promote the wellbeing of LGBT people. Moreover, the PAP Code of Ethics (2010) is clear in its stance against discrimination. Filipino psychologists are called upon to recognize the unique worth and inherent dignity of all human beings; and to respect the diversity among persons and peoples (Principle I, a and b). This means that Filipino psychologists should not discriminate against or demean persons based on actual or perceived differences in characteristics including gender identity and sexual orientation (Ethical Standard III-A and C; V-B.8).

In order to eliminate stigma, prejudice, discrimination and violence against LGBT, the PAP resolves to support efforts to:

• oppose all public and private discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and expression;

• repeal discriminatory laws and policies, and support the passage of legislation at the local and national levels that protect the rights and promote the welfare of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions;

• eliminate all forms of prejudice and discrimination against LGBTs in teaching, research, psychological interventions, assessment and other psychological programs;

• encourage psychological research that addresses the needs and concerns of LGBT Filipinos and their families and communities;

• disseminate and apply accurate and evidence-based information about sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to design interventions that foster mental health and wellbeing of LGBT Filipinos.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (1973). Position statement on homosexuality and civil rights. American Journal of Psychiatry, 131; 497.

Anton, B.S. (2009). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association for the legislative year 2008: Minutes of the annual meeting of the Council of Representatives, February 22-24, 2008, Washington, DC, and August 13 and 17, 2008, Boston, MA, and minutes of the February, June, August, and December 2008 meetings of the Board of Directors. American Psychologist, 64; 372-453.

Conger, J.J. (1975). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the year 1974: Minutes of the annual meeting of the Council of Representatives. American Psychologist, 30; 620-651.

Hatzenbuehler, M. L. (2009). How does sexual minority stigma “get under the skin”? A psychological mediation framework. Psychological Bulletin, 135; 707-730.

International Network for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns and Transgender Issues in Psychology (2001). Sexual orientation and mental health: Toward global perspectives on practice and policy. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/international-meeting.pdf

Meyer, I. H. (2003).Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129; 674-697.

Psychological Association of the Philippines Scientific and Professional Ethics Committee. (2010). Code of Ethics for Philippine Psychologists. Philippine Journal of Psychology, 43; 195-217.

My Zamboanga Interlude

Something kept me awake these past two nights. I was thinking about the weekend I spent in Zamboanga. It was going to be just another place I've visited; new people I'd meet but faces I'd sooner forget. But I was wrong and that trip made such an impression on me because of the kids I became acquainted with.

Zamboanga was typically like the rest of Mindanao - exotic, teeming with colorful and vibrant flavor, both from its Islamic as well as indigenous cultures. It was also unfortunately reflective of the economic and political realities that have plagued the region. The abject poverty was apparent from the lack of high-end amenities if not basic facilities, the obvious limited infrastructure and public service utilities. The presence of police and military personnel also depicts the state of peace and order in the area; where there is always a fragile sense of safety and security, when armed conflict, evacuations and senseless bombings can occur anytime.

A week before I went to Zamboanga, there were already reported bombing incidents. Days before we arrived, there were at least two clashes between the rebel groups and the government forces. My sister told me our Mom worried about me. But Zamboanga was already a compromise location, since our original target audience were actually the youth from Jolo, Sulu. Our friend and local LGBT partner insisted we reach out to these LGBTs in the far-flung areas. Part of us sincerely wanted to, but we also worried about logistical arrangements and the feasibility of the activity. The monetary costs alone would be staggering. But we promised we'd try, and we always do our best. So three months later, after some support from embassy friends, we managed to do so.

The more than a dozen kids who were supposed to be our participants were clearly excited, as well as their guardians, two local women working with human rights groups. They felt honoured to be visited by people from all the way from Manila. They were not used to being given such importance. For people who feel that they have been forgotten by everyone, especially the government, they understood it was important that they come and meet us. Opportunities like this do not reach them often, and they really expected to learn from us.
Beforehand, we were already told about the communities where these youth live. Make-shift houses, wooden bridges and dirt roads are their immediate environs. They come from very poor families and most of them have already stopped schooling because of financial constraints. While they belong to a populous ethnic tribe, the Tausugs, majority of the members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Abu Sayaff forces are also Tausugs, so this negative stereotype and notoriety likewise rubs off on them.
In a Muslim dominated region, where patriarchy and machismo also abounds, religious and cultural practices make for an oppressive situation for females. And to be a sexual minority in these parts, is even doubly riskier. Add to that the fact that they are minors, lesbian teenagers just barely out of their childhood.
Before giving my lecture, I knew it would be hard to talk about LGBT human rights and all, when the most basic of human needs is not even satisfied. So I decided to speak about identities and individual empowerment instead, through gender and sexuality concepts. The exercises and workshops were no different from our old modules, but this time, we chose to emphasize on raising their awareness and understanding possibilities. For people whose minds were conditioned to accept specific gender-stereotypes in their culture, the mere possibility of changing people’s perspective about them was already mind-boggling. Yet in a way, I believed they knew these things all along; by challenging hetero-normativity in their communities alone, these thoughts were the same dreams and yearnings they’ve harboured within themselves for so long. These are unarticulated hopes and dreams, yet cultivated within for a chance to be actually lived.
From stories shared by their two guardians, Ate Jocelyn and Ka Julma, the kind of trouble these kids get into are not only typical, but also partly expected. Because they have stopped schooling, without any other productive activities to occupy them, some of them are drawn to barkadas who get into minor scrapes with the law – be it fist fights, drug busts or girlfriend-related issues. The problem is, their criminal offenses only adds to their troubles and further justifies such labels as “siksah” or cursed one, and “haram” which is violative of, if not an actual affront to Islamic beliefs.
Of course, such negativity cannot be escaped and is bound to have an effect on the youth. Low self-esteem, insecurity, and even self-hate can result. This discriminatory and homophobic bombardments will no doubt adversely affect a lesbian youth.
During one of our workshops, they were asked to dramatize in a short skit their own ideas and experiences of homophobia and discrimination. They instantly got creative, albeit shy with their performances. But it was clear to them that these instances hurt deeply and were wrong to happen to them. Later, they were given the opportunity to showcase their talents. We didn’t have ordinary icebreakers or energizers, we had a full-blown intermission number from them. One was a modern hip-hop dance worthy of being featured in Pinoys Got Talent; the other was a traditional Tausug dance called “pangalay”. Moving to music slightly reminiscent of the popular “dayang-dayang” tempo and also the Indonesian “dangdut” music, I was told that the extremely difficult steps are also ritualistically performed atop two bamboo poles. By some happy accident, the venue’s operators (Philippine National Red Cross) saw them dancing and asked them to perform at the Ms. Red Cross beauty pageant they were having next door. The kids jumped at the chance, of course. That night, during the fellowship videoke party we had, they also sang their hearts out – never missing a beat or singing out of tune.
The next day, I reminded them about these small things – that as Tausugs, they belong to a proud “warrior” tribe; they should harness the best qualities of their culture, strength and bravery but not violence or unlawfulness. Similarly, I told them that they are young and talented, that they should enjoy their lives and not fall into the hopelessness of their situation. Instead of getting depressed and involved in drugs and petty crime, they should become productive and earn a living which will greatly improve their lot. For some of them who want to study but without resources, we reminded them of academic as well as athletic scholarships, of financial assistances not only for formal schooling but even for vocational and technical trainings.
I also pointed out to them that being lesbian does not mean acquiring all the “manly traits” including their “bad habits” of womanizing, drinking, smoking, gambling, and physically abusing their partners. These negative trappings of maleness are not the best part of “being like men”; instead, it is their sense of responsibility, loving and protecting loved ones, and being able to provide for the needs of their family. These are the things they should remember.
After all of these, it was then that I realized that these kids only needed positive role models. To have lesbian images similar to them, but also different in a good way. They also needed to be taken out of their situation, to be exposed to other things…possibilities and opportunities outside Jolo. It was only then that I realized that our real work, and possibly one clear achievement, was in giving them hope.
But this is easier said than done. During our fellowship gimmick at Catribu, a local drinking and party spot, military men with armalite rifles heard them speaking Tausug and suddenly cursed at them, calling them mga “Puta…” For whatever reason they were subjected to such verbal abuse, I can only speculate. But I continue to worry for these youth nonetheless.
(For Mers, MM, Nadz, Coms, Vaness, Alex, Teems, Marwa, Elvie, Raidz, Ridz, Sam and Sheva, and the rest of Tumbalata-Jolo.)

In Retrospect

It did not come quick
It was a drawn-out process
Of agonized waiting
Of disorienting doubt and confusion

No, the light of hope
Did not burn bright or clear
It flickered and flashed
Before ultimately dying out

The resulting freedom
An opportunity to shine
Does not explain its necessity
It’s a truth I’ve never,
And cannot, accept

GPL 9/7/11

Flight of Fancy

Initial excitement
seeming animation
Suspended, in wonder
Fleeting, floating
In a flight of fancy
As the clouds
Outside my window

Drink in hand
Feet up, and a pillowed back
Comfort and service
fit for a king
suspiciously pandering treatment
one should have known
better

the richness of the offerings
the abundance
of graces bestowed
must be appreciated with
much gratitude
as a condemned prisoner
walking his last

For the lost taste
Merely lends to blandness
And the unaffordable
Luxury
Is ultimately seen
As without sense or meaning…

GPL 9/6/11

Of Pilgrimages and Prayers

During a chance visit to a high school last year, I came upon a bulletin board displaying some favourite pilgrimage sites for the Virgin Mary in the country. Among these were Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan, Our Lady of Piat in Cagayan Valley, Our Lady of Penafrancia in Naga City, Our Lady of Namacpacan in La Union, and Our Lady of Antipolo in Rizal.

The Lady in Manaoag is one of the most famous and thus, most visited among them. Second only to it is Our Lady of Penafrancia which has its own share of crowds every September. Their popularity is based on their supposed tradition of miracles and the power to grant petitions. And their counterparts are no less than miraculous. Our Lady of Antipolo is actually also known as the Lady of Good Voyages, and travellers, especially overseas contract workers, visit her for safe journeys. Our Lady of Piat is originally from Lallo, Cagayan and her image was said to have saved the people from a great flood when the Cagayan River overflowed. It is also one of those rare “black” virgins because there is a dark-skinned version of her in honor of the ethnic Itawis tribe that populate the region along with Ibanags and Ilocanos. Our Lady of Namacpacan, on the other hand, is exactly what her namesake means in the Ilocano dialect – her miracle was having “fed” the people during a time of famine and drought. To this day, her chapel has a deep well where people draw miraculous water which is said to heal ailments.

I realized I was fortunate to have been able to visit all of them, some them more than once. It has always been my practice to visit pilgrimage sites whenever I travel. Besides sampling the local cuisine and learning about the folklores of the place, I usually make it a point to include religious sites part of my tourist itinerary. Maybe I owe it to my religious mother or my Catholic upbringing, but somehow this makes my trips special. It is part honouring the place, part marvelling at the church architecture if it happens to be an old structure as well, and part “self-interest”. Self interest because if it’s my first time in a church, I know I’m supposed to get three wishes. This becomes all the more significant if I have my own petition or special intentions for something really important to me.

To be honest, my belief in these was strengthened when I was a Bar reviewee and like the rest of aspiring lawyers, I was one of those who trekked to Manaoag, Antipolo, St. Jude near Malacanang, Sta. Clara along Aurora Blvd., Quiapo church and Baclaran. Looking back now, I think part of these rituals is “conditioning“ one’s body and soul. It’s when you discover that not all things are within your control, especially when you’ve done everything humanly possible already. It’s when you finally accept that there are greater powers at work besides your “genius brain and egotistical nature”. It’s when you ultimately succumb to prayers because hey, saying a few could never hurt your chances.

Going Sectoral: Learning from the Seniors

Of late, there is so much talk about sectoral concerns. Probably because our own Constitution identifies them explicitly for political representation in Congress because they have been recognized as “ marginalized”, or maybe because our national human rights framework was geared towards protecting these identified sectors as a “priority” for years, especially if they already have their own United Nations Convention.

The elderly community is one such sector, and although they are sometimes lumped together with Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), they have certainly come a long way compared to others. Like women and children, there was specific mention about them in the Philippine Constitution – something about recognizing their contributions to society, etc.etc. As such, senior citizens also have several legislations to their name that provide them specific benefits and privileges. But unlike women and children, said laws bestow unto them certain “advantages”, more than “preferential treatment” rather than “protectionist”. Maybe that is why the original Magna Carta of Senior Citizens was more about discounts on purchases, than addressing neglect or abuse committed against them.

But what makes the senior citizens sector “special” is how they manage to get things done and to achieve things that run in their favour. Note that while women have the Philippine Commission on Women (formerly known as the NCRFW or National Commission on the Role of the Filipino Women), children have the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) and the youth, the National Youth Commission (NYC), the PWDs have the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) or what was formerly known as NCWDP. Senior citizens do not have any agency, council or commission. All they have is an inter-agency National Coordinating and Monitoring Board (NCMB) chaired by the DSWD and focused on monitoring the implementation of the senior citizens act.

Note also that older persons do not have their own treaty or UN Convention unlike other sectors. Children have the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) while women have the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). PWDs have the UNCRPD or the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, while migrant workers have the UN Convention of the Migrant Workers Rights. The only international instruments “of stature” that seniors can use are the Macau Plan of Action, the Madrid Programme of Action, and the Shanghai Implementation Strategy, plus a few proceedings of World Assemblies on Ageing.

But since the early 1990s, senior citizens have managed to organize themselves nationwide. With initial help from DSWD, the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of the Philippines (FSCAP) was established with a national membership and representation from all the regions. From the most basic political unit in the barangay, to municipalities or cities, to the provincial level, up to the regional federation president, they were able to build up their ranks from the grassroots up to the national level. It was this very same mechanism that got them organized enough to apply for partylist accreditation and achieve that 10% of electoral votes enough for sectoral representation in Congress. For the PWD sector and the LGBT Community seeking to run under the partylist system, there is a clear lesson to be learned here. Get organized as a true sector and not just as a hodge-podge community of “marginalized” individuals; and make sure you are able to reach all regions and provinces to harness that nationwide membership, come campaign period and most importantly, election day.

We must get our act together first, get unified and work to achieve a common goal. Senior citizens have repeatedly shown their highly effective legislative advocacy and lobbying work. In a span of almost two decades, they have managed a third amendment to their senior citizens act and which now provides for even more additional benefits and privileges. Meanwhile, the Anti-Discrimination bill that seeks to protect Filipino LGBTs has languished in the halls of legislature for the past three Congresses or over nine years!

With all these things working out positively for senior citizens, I guess they do know something we don’t…because they seem to be doing everything right.

Lessons (for the young and the old)

I once told a friend working on child rights that I envied him for being regularly exposed to the energy and idealism of the youth. I believed it was that kind of positivity that was needed in our advocacy work. It envigorates any veteran activist on the brink of burn-out. He answered that he envied me too, because working with, and for, the elderly also had its advantages. I get to benefit from their wisdom and years of experience from which I can learn a great deal. And he may have a point there.

I have been working on senior citizens concerns for four years now, and admittedly, while dealing with the elderly can sometimes try one’s patience, I have found it quite rewarding too. Firstly, I learned that besides patience, our elderly just want someone to truly listen to them. In exchange, they listen to what you’re trying to say too. Besides true communication, I learned from my beloved senior citizens the power of gratitude and appreciation. It must be their generation of exacting “politeness”, but when they are pleased with your efforts at addressing their concern, they never lack for “thank you’s” and “we really appreciate it”. Maybe because of all they’ve seen and experienced, I think they truly know by now what is important in life and that is what they put a premium on. You can sense it in the way they are respectful of authority, the way they value family and friends, and the way they deal with problems or conflicts…even the way they enjoy everyday experiences.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of knowing what the elderly know, especially the youth. Young people are sometimes too much in a hurry to grow up, so they fail to enjoy their childhood, their freedom from responsibility, their only chance at making mistakes. As busy adults, we waste so much time on pursuits that we think will give us the most material gain; never realizing that whatever we accumulate in this mundane life, we can’t take with us when we die.

With the success of the senior citizens in getting sectoral representation in Congress, lobbying for and getting laws passed for their benefit, and having nationwide membership in senior citizens federations and associations, I’d say advocacy groups and aspiring party lists can learn a thing or two from our seniors.

ILGA in the ECOSOC; Phils Abstained

With 30 votes in favour (India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Norway, Peru, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary), 13 against (Iraq, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Egypt, Ghana) and 6 abstentions (Guatemala, Mauritius, Philipines, Rwanda, Bahamas, Ivory Coast), the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) granted today consultative status to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). ECOSOC consultative status allows NGOs to attend UN conferences and meetings, submit written statements and reports, make oral interventions, and host panels in UN buildings, thus representing a fundamental tool for an NGO like ILGA – with more than 750 member organisations in all continents – to do work on LGBTI human rights within the UN system.

ILGA was the first international LGBTI organisation to get ECOSOC consultative status in 1993, but lost it the following year due to the presence of groups advocating the abolition of laws of consent. ILGA has applied to regain the status ever since, following the expulsion of the above mentioned groups from its membership and after amending its constitution to state clearly its commitment against child abuse, but a small group of countries sponsoring homophobia had been able to influence the votes in the UN NGO Committee examining the applications for a long time. In the meantime, many ILGA members – like LBL Denmark, COC The Netherlands, FELGT Spain, LSVD Germany, ABGLT Brazil, IGLHRC US, and Ilga-Europe – were able to obtain the status by having the negative recommendation of the NGO Committee overturned in the ECOSOC Council, as it has happened in the case of ILGA today.

A special thanks goes to Belgium, for its relentless efforts in building a consensus around us, together with the United States and Argentina. We would like to thank also our member organisations which successfully lobbied their Governments on this occasion and all our allies for their support, in particular Arc-International in Geneva."

"Today we are celebrating – said co-Secretary General Gloria Careaga from Mexico City – but we are aware that there is a lot of work to do for us in the coming months. We are looking forward to working together with all our members, particularly those which also have the status, and our allies to advance LGBTI human rights in the UN bodies in the coming years, taking advantage of the very positive developments opened by the resolution presented by South Africa in the UN Human Rights Council last June."

Pedro Paradiso Sottile, Regional Secretary for ILGA LAC (Latin America and the Caribbean), also in Geneva for the occasion, said: "Granting ILGA consultative status is an act of justice and a reason for pride for the international community working for a world where human rights are truly respected without any discrimination. Our voices and our struggle for equality and freedom must reach every corner of the world, for differences in sexual orientation, gender identity and expression to be respected and protected by all States. We believe that the ECOSOC status will help all our activists around the world in this endeavour.”

Hits and Misses: The Real Issues behind LGBT News

A few days ago, a colleague in the civil society movement congratulated me for all the media exposure the LGBT Community was getting. He said TV and print media not only “picked up” on our LGBT news, but we were able to “sustain” it on air for quite some time. For someone who worked on migrant workers rights, he certainly knows what he’s talking about; because even for them, whose issues should’ve been constant fodder for the news, it is still quite hard to get media coverage sometimes.

Once upon a time, I would have believed the saying too; that whether it’s good or bad publicity, it’s STILL publicity, after all. But as we have learned throughout the years, sometimes media can be so “irresponsible” as to hype up and make so controversial such a small thing. In addition, “traditional” media would not even attempt to be politically correct and even reinforce negative stereotypes about LGBTs because that is “what sells”.

In the past weeks, features on Boy Abunda’s public support for Ladlad, the spate of gay killings now being documented by the Philippine Hate Crime Watch led by Marlon and Reighben, and the Baguio Pride celebration of a mass same-sex wedding got so much media mileage. For my part, with a human interest story on Rated K and the development in New York allowing same-sex marriage, I was also given my 15 minutes of fame for the last weekend of June.

As Vice-Chairperson of Ladlad, I know first-hand about all the difficulties we went through campaigning for Ladlad in the past elections. Tito Boy coming out to support the Filipino LGBT Community through Ladlad LGBT Partylist was probably one of the best things that came out of our “loss”. Besides using his own popularity to give Ladlad the exposure it needs through his own TV shows, he has been providing us the necessary resources to do the groundwork early for 2013, like providing us an office/headquarters and donating the proceeds of one of his endorsements. What more, his coming out in the open and serving as Ladlad’s Senior Adviser, has given us more credibility as a legitimate sector entitled to representation in Congress, and other LGBTs around the country now know about Ladlad and are willing to support us as well.

Once or twice, Tito Boy has spoken about other LGBT issues too, like the gay killings for example. For many years, murders of gays have been reported, but there has never been sufficient attention given to it by authorities. Police were always dismissive of these cases and categorized them as “robberies gone wrong” or engagements with male sex workers (call boys) which led to “misunderstandings about the rate of services.” Families were known to avoid any focus on their kin’s homosexuality because of embarrassment, and this attitude leads to cases not being pursued. Police also discontinue their investigations and leave these murders unresolved. For the LGBT Community, this issue has been the major consideration for a proposed “hate crime” bill similar to what are being passed in the USA.

After the initial forum conducted at the Metropolitan Community Church-Quezon City, where Marlon presented his initial inventory, Rainbow Rights Project and Ladlad sponsored a special human rights violations documentation training at ISIS International as a follow-up activity. QTV 11’s Brigada featured gay killings in one of their episodes, while Philippine Graphic magazine also released a special issue on the subject matter. This even prompted Anti-Discrimination bill sponsor Rep. Teddy Casino to also pass a resolution in Congress to investigate such cases of violence against Filipino LGBTs.

Meanwhile, as part of their annual June Pride celebrations, Baguio Pride Network in cooperation with the different resident pastors of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) held a mass gay wedding for eight same-sex couples in Baguio City. Obviously, this exercise was meant to bring to light just one other issue of Filipino LGBTs, the societal recognition and acceptance of their partnerships as legitimate and valid couplings entitled to respect and legal protection.

It was a happy surprise that it got front page exposure in a broadsheet, but since Baguio City is notorious for its rather “vocal” clergy, the bishops overreacted again calling it immoral and “kadiri”. But what is more embarrassing for Baguio City besides revealing itself as an Anti-LGBT locality, was the fact that city officials and councillors likewise joined the bandwagon of negativity and started calling it “illegal” and that they will pass a resolution “banning” such activity in the future. There were even threats of censuring all the MCC pastors who officiated the said weddings.

They totally missed the point. While the activity clearly had some very serious reasons behind it, as the original intention of all those who participated in it, this event was also a “gimmick” of sorts. Maybe the local officials had “no sense of humor” about it, or the media was just being “helpful” for exposing it, but the message was sadly lost in all the controversy.

Rev.Ceejay was forced to answer the issues of illegality and immorality in all his interviews as a seeming knee-jerk reaction to the city officials’ and bishops’ homophobic and discriminatory statements. Time and again, he had to tackle the rather “irrelevant at this point” questions about the way LGBTs are and if we can still change and become straights.

As I said during my own interviews, people cannot say they accept us as LGBTs and yet deny us the right to love someone and take him/her as our life partner. It is not enough that they acknowledge us as LGBT individuals because who we actually love, and that is a person of the same sex, is the single important aspect that defines us. So the Catholic Church statement of “love the sinner and hate the sin”, which “accepts” us as LGBT people but prohibits us from “practicing such a lifestyle”, just wouldn’t work. It is our same-sex relationships that comprises our most unique self-expression of gender and sexuality.

With the bishops spouting cries of ”immorality” once again, they seem not to get it through their thick skulls that nobody really cares about them imposing their Catholic self-righteousness on every Filipino, what with sexual harassment and child abuse cases within their ranks. Not every Filipino is Catholic after all, so they cannot claim to be the vanguards of morality for the whole country. Besides, there is also such a principle as “separation of State and Church” in our Constitution which they seem to have a penchant for violating. Talk about violating the laws of the land!

As for the alleged “illegality” of the same-sex wedding, nobody claimed it was “legal” after all. The pastors and the couples present there were all aware the ceremony would have no legal consequences whatsoever and never made representations to the contrary. The Holy Union wouldn’t need to be registered with the local civil registrar or NSO, and no one would get to change their civil status or legal surnames. But these couples were still willing to do their commitment ceremony publicly for the acknowledgement of their family and friends even if the greater majority of society doesn’t appreciate it. This was the real message that was the meant for the media to make noise about - why same-sex partners want their relationships recognized and respected so badly.

But hope springs eternal. Philippine media can still prove itself a supportive ally of the Filipino LGBT Community.

Ladlad for RH

Ladlad Party List, a national organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Filipinos, supports the immediate passage of the Reproductive Health Bill. Ladlad decries that this legislative measure has languished too long in the halls of Congress and believes that it should be given utmost priority when Congress reopens on July 25, 2011.
The lack of information and services on reproductive and sexual health has resulted to young people and adolescents engaging in unsafe sexual activities that put them at risk of early pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections (STI), including HIV; mothers needlessly dying due to unplanned pregnancies that lead to unsafe abortions; and a ballooning population that is increasingly unable to enjoy even the most basic of social and economic services.
Ladlad believes that all Filipinos, particularly young people, should have access to accurate, age-appropriate and evidence-based sexuality education. This will enable them to make informed and responsible choices about their sexual and reproductive health, without guilt, shame or fear. For LGBT Filipinos, this is essential, given the deep-seated issues of self-hate and internalized homophobia that result from their lack of access to information and education on sexuality. Ladlad also upholds the need for accessible, affordable and sustained sexual and reproductive health services for both women and men, particularly those in their reproductive ages. This includes LGBTs, some of whom actually have or plan to have children.
Ladlad, however, is particularly alarmed by the actions of the Catholic Church hierarchy, particularly the vigorous opposition it has waged against the RH Bill. The current discourse on the RH Bill has been clouded by too much misinformation and mis-education about the issues, and neither reason nor rationality is employed in many of the arguments against it. One example is the insistence of the Catholic Church that condom use has led to increased cases of HIV. Such a statement conveniently ignores scientific evidence confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that condoms, when used correctly and consistently, are 98% effective in barring HIV infection and other STIs. Access to condoms can help in staving off the alarming rise of HIV cases among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Philippines, which has now risen to five new infections per day.
This religious opposition to the RH Bill is akin to the “moralistic”, prejudiced and bigoted actions that the members of the COMELEC’s Second Division manifested in their decision to deny Ladlad’s accreditation for Party List representation. Fortunately, an enlightened and rational Supreme Court affirmed the principle of separation of the church and state and upheld Ladlad’s right to representation and the recognition of LGBTs as a marginalized sector.
Ladlad is pro-life, pro-choice and pro-rights. We believe that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity, should be able to make informed and responsible decisions on matters concerning their bodies and sexuality. We uphold the right of all people to quality life and a dignified existence. Pass the RH Bill Now!

Baguio Pride on Anti-LGBT City Council Resolutions

POSITION PAPER OF THE BAGUIO PRIDE NETWORK SUBMITTED TO THE BAGUIO CITY COUNCIL

RE: Proposed Resolutions denouncing and prohibiting the conduct of same sex unions

in the City of Baguio and for the Conduct of an Investigation by the National

Bureau of Investigation and the Baguio City Police Office regarding the conduct
of same-sex unions.

I. BACKGROUND:



The Baguio Pride Network (BPN) is an alliance of the different LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) groups/organizations, advocates and individuals in Metro Baguio. Every year, the BPN celebrates June as pride month and conducts different activities in celebration thereof; some of which are Libreng Gupit conducted at the Baguio City Jail, the Silungan Center of the DSWD, the Peoples Park and at the La Trinidad Municipal Plaza; Tree planting and clearing activities at the Pride Park at Busol Water Shed; Relief Operations during calamities; Pride Religious Services conducted by one of its members, the Metropolitan Community Church of Metro Baguio (MCC); Educational Forums re: LGBT issues at the different colleges and universities in the city and lastly the yearly Pride Parade.



As part of the 2011 Pride Celebration, the MCC conducted the Pride Religious Service with the celebration of the Holy Union of 8 same sex couples. Such ceremony has drawn mixed reactions from the public. Members of the church hierarchy and the ecumenical community had condemn the act and some had made discriminatory statements against those involved in the Holy Union branding them as “abnormal”, “mentally ill”, “kadiri” and a pastor-announcer at Z-Radio Station called them as, “mga kampon ni satanas” and the event as “gawain ng demonyo”.



The City Mayor was “ashamed” that the event occurred in the City of Baguio. Other politicians/lawyers also joined the band wagon and stated that criminal cases can be filed against the persons involved in the said event.



II. POSITION:



The LGBT community of Baguio City through the Baguio Pride Network denounces the passage of the proposed Resolutions for being discriminatory and prejudicial and in violation of the human rights of the LGBT community.



It is the position of the Baguio Pride Network that the Proposed Resolutions of Councilor Weygan and Councilor Bilog be ABANDONED and that the Rights of the LGBT community be respected and upheld as provided under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and the UN International Covenant on the Civil and Political Rights.



III. ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE POSITION:



a. Deliberating on the matter of whether or not to denounce and prohibit the conduct of same sex union in the City and for the NBI and the BCPO to conduct an investigation regarding the same sex union ceremonies is a violation of the INVIOLABLE SEPARATION OF THE CHURCH AND STATE as enshrined in Article II, Section 6 and Article III, section 5 of the Philippine Constitution.



ARTICLE II, SEC. 6. Philippine Constitution



“The Separation of Church and State shall be inviolable”

Article III, Section 5 Philippine Constitution



“No law shall be made respecting as establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights”

First in the agenda is the issue as to whether or not the “Holy Union” ceremony conducted by the MCC is a “Marriage Ceremony” falling within the legal definition of the Family Code.



While some groups/individuals have used the words “Holy Union” and “marriage” interchangeably, the MCC and the Baguio Pride Network maintains that the Holy Union ceremony conducted is a Religious Ceremony and not a marriage ceremony as understood under the law.



Nowhere was it claimed by the MCC or the BPN that the Holy Union ceremony is the same as the marriage under the Family Code. In fact it was explained in the MCC website that the Holy Union ceremonies are conducted as “Blessing” ceremonies. It was for same sex couples who wished to have their “commitment, union” blessed by the Church through the MCC.



It was explained in the pre-Holy Union Counseling of the same-sex couples and in the media guidelines before the conduct of the Holy Union that the ceremony has no legal effect and that the gender and civil status of those involved will not change. Further, it was made crystal clear to the couples and those present that the Holy Union is not the same as the “marriage” under the law. The personalities involved in the “same-sex” weddings are not ignorant of the fact that there are no laws in the Philippinesrecognizing same sex marriage.



With these facts, it is logically obvious that the City Council cannot and should not meddle in the affairs of the Religious for it will be in violation of the Constitution.



The state, in the personality of the City Council, cannot intrude into the affairs of a religion and question its

religious ceremonies. The only exemption is in the exercise of the state’s Police Power where the welfare of the general public is at stake. In this case, no harm was committed on the welfare of the public, neither were there laws
which were violated by the conduct of the ceremony.



In saying that the City’s tourism is at stake or that the city’s reputation as a “Character” City is being trampled

upon by the conduct of the Holy Union is baseless and flawed.



During the BPN Pride parade alone, local tourists from mainly Metro Manila came to Baguio to celebrate with us. If not for the rains and road conditions during that time, a number of visitors from the Cordillera Region would have joined the festivities. The annual Baguio Pride Celebrations attracts a lot of tourists, local and foreign; hence we should not be blamed if ever the number of tourists in the City is at its low.



As to the City’s dampened reputation as a “Character” City, what does this mean? By implication, is the LGBT

community being judged as immorals and depraved individuals?



It must be noted that this proposed resolution is being pushed in the council by members of the church and the

ecumenical communities of Metro Baguio due to their religious beliefs that belonging to the LGBT community is a sin and all actions due to being an LGBT is also a sin.



While the LGBT respect their right to such belief, though discriminatory and derogatory, we encourage them to

likewise have respect for LGBT rights and freedom.



This issue here is a religious one where the City Council should not act on; otherwise the body might be accused of supporting the religious beliefs of a sect and denouncing another.



On the resolution pushing for an investigation, the BPN submits that the proposed resolution is also prejudicial

and discriminatory for the reason that it specifically targets the LGBT community, exposing them to an investigation where none is needed.



The BPN ask of the Honorable Council to think twice if it wants to subject the persons involved in the Holy Union ceremony to an investigation. The MCC never claimed the ceremony to be a marriage under the law so why is there a need to investigate? It is the claim of Honorable Bilog that it is needed in order to determine whether or not a

marriage, in the legal sense was conducted or a Holy Union. The MCC and the BPN insists that the “Holy Union” is a religious rite and should not be trampled upon by an investigation. The LGBTs in this issue calls on the City Council for

equal protection of all its citizens under the law. The persons involved have not violated any law in the conduct of the ceremony so why conduct an investigation at all?



b. Approving the proposed resolutions is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Philippine Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)to which the Republic of the Philippines is a signatory



Article 2, par. 1, ICCPR



“Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes to respect and to ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the present Covenant, without distinction of any kind, such as

race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”

Article 26, ICCPR



“All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection

against discrimination on any ground such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”



In the above-cited articles, “sex” was established to include “sexual orientation” (Toonen vs. Australia, 1994, Human Rights Committee decision)



Under the covenant and the decision in the Toonen case, the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations declared that Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.



The proposed resolutions of denouncing and prohibiting the conduct of same sex unions in the City and for the NBI and the BCPO to conduct an investigation regarding the same sex union ceremony are very alarming indicia of homophobia in the City, whose passage will definitely violate human rights of the LGBTs in the City.



III. MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES:

It was noted by the LGBT people present during the City Council’s Monday Session that pictures of same sex

couples kissing after the Holy Union were enlarged and were being shown to the Council and the Public at large. It was vividly explained by the members of the ecumenical community that they did not want such pictures in newspapers for it trudges on their sensibilities as Christians. However they find such pictures is no business of ours but they are barking at the wrong tree here. Neither the BPN nor the MCC had caused the printing and publication of these pictures in the newspapers; neither do they have power to censor the media.



The MCC was also accused of purposely soliciting media coverage for the event. This is not the case at all, the MCC and the Baguio Pride Network solicits media coverage in all Baguio Pride Activities, not just the Holy Union. When we conduct “Libreng Gupit”, we invite the media, during the Baguio Pride Parade on the 26th of June 2011, we also invited the media. Hence, the accusation that the solicitation of the media was purposely made for that particular event is but a falsity.



As to the claim of Atty. Bangsoy that the Holy Union ceremony was a “carefully crafted political statement” followed by a rally pushing for the passage of House Bill 1483. We don’t know where his facts came from.



The Baguio Pride Network would like to reiterate the following facts:



1. The BPN conducts an ANNUAL Pride celebration in the City of Baguio every June;



2. The month-long celebration includes activities by member organizations/groups/individuals; herein includes libreng gupit, educational forums on LGBT issues and concerns, tree planting/cleaning of Pride Park at the Busol Water Shed, MCC religious services, fund raising activities and lastly, the Pride Parade;



The Holy Union ceremony conducted by the MCC is part of the Baguio Pride Celebration, so was the Pride Parade, there was no rally to talk about here. We conduct our Baguio Pride Celebration every year in the month of June, in commemoration with the Stone Wall Riot in New York City.



While it is true that the BPN supports the passage of House Bill 1483 (Anti Discrimination Bill), it cannot be said

that the whole 2011 pride event is about the house bill. It is ridiculous and far fetched to conclude that. The Baguio Pride Network had annually celebrated Baguio Pride for 5 years now.



The LGBT community, through the Baguio Pride Network respectfully asks of the Honorable City Council to abandon the resolutions forwarded by Honorable Councilors Weygan and Bilog for the reasons discussed above.



SIGNED:



LESBOND

MCC-MB

TACSI

PROGAY-MB

INNABUYOG-GABRIELA

CWEARC



Copy Furnished:



Vice Mayor D. Farinas

Councilor Pinky Chan-Rondez

Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda

Councilor P. Cosalan

Councilor P. Weygan

Councilor E. Balajadia

Councilor E. Bilog

Councilor D. Carino

Councilor N. Aliping

Councilor F. Bagbagen

Councilor J. Alangsab

Councilor P. Fianza

Councilor E. Datuin

2011 Natl LGBT Conference

The official statement of participants representing forty-six (46) LGBT groups in the Philippines from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region during the Philippine National LGBT Conference, "Forging Unity Towards the Recognition of LGBT Human Rights in the Philippines” on June 3 – 5, 2011 at Cavite, Philippines.





For years we, the lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) groups in the Philippines, have always pushed forward the agenda of equality and respect from mainstream society and have been clamoring for due diligence from the government specifically for the passage of laws that will protect the rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).



LGBT groups have held on to the promise and dream of every LGBT person in the Philippines: to live a life of dignity and respect, free from discrimination and violence.



Through the passion and commitment of LGBT groups to promote and protect LGBT rights, there has been significant progress in the different aspects of LGBT people’s lives in the Philippines. However, the dominant patriarchal and heterosexist ideologies that pervade the society, and the legal, cultural and religious taboos, that they have ingrained has made it more challenging for LGBT groups to fully realize the equality agenda.



Despite the growing tolerance towards LGBT people, acceptance is still yet to be achieved. LGBT persons in the Philippines still face violence and discrimination from the family, from civil society organizations, from medical and health institutions, in schools, in employment and from the government. We have been kicked out of our homes. We have been bullied at school. We have been denied basic privileges at work. We have been barred from establishments and ridiculed in public places. We have been denied the opportunity to participate in legislation. All these we experience because we do not conform to gender norms dictated by society, a society that is a witness to the worsening situation of violence against our ranks. Ours is a society that allows the media to perpetuate stereotypes. Ours is a society that doesn't take seriously the rising number of hate crimes being reported – thereby tolerating impunity. But at the end of the day, this is still our society so we will demand of it what is rightfully ours.



We now come together to stop this oppression. We come together to remind our government that we, as a marginalized community, as guided by the Yogyakarta Principles, are protected by international treaties and conventions the Philippine government has ratified such as the OPICESCR, OPICCPR, CEDAW, CRC, and the Magna Carta of Women.



We demand from the government to protect and promote the human right of all people regardless of SOGI by:

• Passing laws that protect and promote the rights of LGBT people, particularly the anti-discrimination bill that has been languishing in Philippines Congress for the past eleven (11) years and other laws such as the Gender Recognition Law and Anti-hate Crime Law.



• Repealing anti-LGBT policies such as the Vagrancy Act, and reviewing and monitoring of application of ordinances and national laws used indiscriminately against LGBT people, such as anti-kidnapping and anti-trafficking laws..



We come together unified in our commitment to continue working for LGBT rights in the Philippines as guided by the Philippine National LGBT agenda that is comprised of the following strategies:



1. To do human rights research and documentation, particularly to hold documentation training and workshops, to research on violence and hate crime and consolidate researches in communities to come up with a documentation handbook and an annual Human Rights Status Report;



2. To provide services which include Spiritual, Health, Psycho-social support for the LGBT individuals and communities;



3. To conduct a comprehensive information campaign about SOGI to civil society, mainstream LGBT community, and LGBT groups;



4.To implement resource mobilization that would maintain the work and services of LGBT groups and the emergence of new groups doing LGBT human rights work;



5. To work on Community Organizing and Alliance building with LGBT groups and mainstream groups across the Philippines, in the region and international settings;



6. To continue Advocacy work, which includes legislative lobbying, passage of LGBT-related bills, ordinances and policies, review and/or repeal of laws that are used against LGBT people; and to establish a national LGBT database and network.



We commit to hold on to the promise to continue the LGBT rights until all people regardless of SOGI will be able to live a life of dignity and respect, free from discrimination and violence.



LGBT human rights Now!! Mabuhay ang mga Lesbyana, Bakla, Bisekswal at Transgender ng Pilipino!

ASEAN CSO Meeting

From May 2 to May 5, 2011 over forty lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgenders, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) activists representing 8 out of ten Southeast Asian countries[1] came together in a historic assembly for the ASEAN People’s Forum to tell their governments that the status quo is not acceptable and that the recognition, promotion, and protection of LGBTIQ rights is long overdue.

ASEAN is the cradle of the Yogyakarta Principles[2], a landmark articulation of internationally recognized human rights instruments in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), and yet LGBTIQs in ASEAN countries consistently face criminalization, persecution, discrimination and abuse because of who they are.

In Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and Burma, authorities arrest, detain and persecute individuals because of colonial laws that criminalize their sexual orientation or gender identity. In other ASEAN countries, certain laws are abused with impunity to harass or persecute individuals whose sexuality or gender is deemed unacceptable, immoral, or unnatural: anti-prostitution, anti-trafficking, or anti-pornography laws in Indonesia and the Philippines are applied to conduct illegal raids in gay establishments or to nab transgenders, oftentimes subjecting them to humiliation and extortion. The anti-kidnapping law in the Philippines is likewise used to forcibly break apart lesbian couples living under consensual and legitimate relationships.

We are part of the people of ASEAN, and yet across the region we are treated as criminals and as second class citizens.

Instead of representing the interests of all citizens, many governments and state institutions become instruments of religious and sectarian prejudice. In Surabaya, Indonesia, the police was complicit in an attack by an intolerant religious group against the participants of an international LGBTIQ conference.

A climate of stigma and discrimination prevails in most, if not all, ASEAN countries. From Vietnam to Brunei Darussalam, social stigma persists. Sexual orientations and gender identities outside heterosexuality and patriarchal gender norms are considered as a sickness that can be corrected through rape, reparative camps like in Besut, Malaysia, only one of several camps in the country, and other damaging psycho-social measures.

Access to basic services, from health to education, is denied on the basis of one’s presumed or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. Stigma has contributed to the steep rise in HIV infection among at-risk populations like men who have sex with men and transgenders, making it difficult for preventive interventions to reach them.

But our movements are growing. In various parts of the region, pride is unraveling and we will not take exclusion sitting down. LGBTIQ activists and organizations continue to actively engage government institutions, mass media, and civil society for equal rights and basic fairness. It is in this spirit of pride and dignity that we are reclaiming our rightful space in our respective countries and demand our governments to:

Immediately repeal laws that directly and indirectly criminalize SOGI, recognize LGBTIQ rights as human rights, and harmonize national laws, policies and practices with the Yogyakarta Principles.
Establish national level mechanisms and review existing regional human rights instruments (e.g. AICHR, ACWC) to include the promotion and protection of the equal rights of all people regardless of SOGI with the active engagement of the LGBTIQ community.
Depathologize SOGI and promote psychosocial well-being of people of diverse SOGI in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, and ensure equal access to health and social services.

We will not be silenced by prejudice. For a people-centered ASEAN, LGBTIQ rights now!

What Lengths

To what lengths would you be willing to sacrifice your true happiness for?
When each day is pure agony already;
You force yourself to lie beside her at night,
To face her at the dinner table as you eat your meals,
To speak to her when her voice is a mere echo of words,
After you have tuned out from her absurd monologues hours ago.

She finally notices your blank eyes, the smileless lips,
the wan look - misery clearly etched on your face;
Yet she has the gall to ask if you still loved her.
She suddenly raises your common concerns:
the trip, the dog, the bills –
as if these things still matter
like your plans and your dreams.

You have managed to extend your patience to unimaginable lengths
But the effort is not because you really aim to please her
With each tantrum, you’ve learned to detach yourself
With every outburst, you’ve learned not to care
Because with each hurtful word she blurts out
You love her a little less …
Gpl 4/10/11

Stuck

You seem stuck in this place
While everyone else’s lives go on
What is there to hold on to anyway?
Expectations and promises,
The recognition, the credit
The long-awaited promotion?
But what is it that you are really waiting for?
A life waiting to be lived?

GPL 4/10/11

Letter to a Graduate (for my nephews and niece)

This summer, our family boasts of three new graduates covering the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. My siblings, regular, hardworking people, are very proud indeed. Like all parents, the tradition of sending your kids to school to ensure them a bright future is still considered one of life’s greatest accomplishments. And for all of us who have labored in school, graduation is more than just a culmination of all your hard work, it is a great milestone in life.
For my nephew graduating from elementary, I always told you that you should learn all the basics in science, math, history and languages already, because these details won’t change and will keep haunting you until college. Since there’s no escaping it, better learn them all now. Who knows, these information may prove useful later on. One thing for sure, sometimes a little knowledge is perfect for impressing girls.
And for having “survived” elementary when most kids are most cruel, congratulations for rising above the bullying of both teachers and classmates. At this point, you must have realized your own innate worth and goodness. Whatever your peers called you or how your teachers labelled you, the only opinion about yourself that really matters is yours. So never lose faith in yourself.
An important lesson you may have learned from all the bullying is that now you know how it feels, and the memory of that pain and torment will remind you later on in life that it’s never nice to oppress or pick on the down-trodden. The experience may have taught you about your humanity, so I never begrudged you that one time you got yourself into a fight because you defended yourself. May you show the same zeal and righteousness as you fight for the rights of others when you get older.
To my nephew graduating high school, who was so pressured about getting into the “right” university. Know that elder siblings’ “successes” will always torment you, especially if they set such high standards. Your Dad did that to all of us six other children who followed. Only four of us managed to get into the State University as well, but no one was able to match his NSDB (now known as NSTA) scholarship. Nevertheless, the lesson is this – always be your own person. Soon you will realize that you shall follow your own Path, and your accomplishments and your failures will be your own. Things always turn out as they should in the end, and your life is what you make of it.
And to my niece in college who is so torn about choosing the best job offer. Money is always good since a fair compensation is a measure of the hard work required of you. But be reminded that sometimes wealth is not the answer to everything. Many successful people measured their accomplishments by how much they earned; yet in the end, they still searched for that sense of fulfilment. So consider what would really make you happy too, because a meaningful job that contributes to society is never a bad deal. Always think of a job as more than just a source of income, and you will be on the right track.
To a graduate, graduation is about moving on to the next stage in your life. Relish this moment, take time to look back at what you have accomplished. It will to give you the courage to face what comes next. This is a rite of passage, and you have proven yourself worthy.