ON DEATH PENALTY

Change. Discipline. Heinous crimes. Death penalty.

People are hungry for change. They elected a leader who promised change and suppression of crimes in a few months. He has a track record for developing a city and making it one of the best in the country. Change, he says, is coming.

People rely on him for discipline. He is a man of strength and courage. The day after elections, some drivers already start dropping off passengers in the allowed drop-off points. Some drug dealers have already made plans to change business. His victory inspired change.

He hates drugs. He hates crimes. The first thing in his agenda is to suppress crimes. Fast. The way to move the country forward is by making sure crimes are not tolerated. 

He is open to bringing back death penalty - by hanging, even. The death penalty has been abolished nearly a decade ago. The Philippines was the first country in Asia to abolish death penalty. But this president who will bring about change, is about to bring back a law that was abolished a decade ago.

There are many debates around this issue, and not surprisingly, a lot of people support bringing it back. Because their president wants it back. Period. What he says, they support. What he wants to do, they will be willing to do. Because he is the only person who can help transform this county.

The church is still silent on this issue. Famous personalities with Christian faith have been asked. Surprisingly, one famous personality agreed that death penalty is biblical. The passage he cited? Romans 13:1-10. The passage talks about duties toward state authorities. That authorities should be respected because God put them there to lead. 

In the Old Testament, death was God's punishment for the people of Israel who disobeyed his commands. God punished not only individuals but whole clans (Num 16:31-33), who dare disobey His commandments. When people worshipped other gods (Deut 13:9), He killed them. When people stole what is supposed to be in God's treasury (Joshua 7:25-26), or when they do not obey simple instructions. He punished them, and their families, if need be - with death. He burned people (Lev 10:2), punished them for complaining (Num 14:36-37), for rebellion (Num 16:31-33), and for committing false accusations (Deut 19:21).

Throughout the Old testament narrative, the children of God continue to forget Him and worshipped other gods. But God's love was unfailing. He continued to send people to lead them back to Him (Deut 4:37). But we humans continue to fail. Crimes and sins against God and against humanity have become our nature. And because sending leaders to lead people back to God wasn't enough, He sent his only Son, Jesus. Jesus became fully human, born as a human, raised and grew up as a normal human. He experienced what it was like to be human, and even though he did not sin, he was sentenced to die. He died hanging on the cross. Death on the cross was the ultimate form of death penalty at the time. He died through the ultimate form of death penalty. But in his death, he reconciled man to God. No one can come to God, except through Jesus. He died, but He rose again after three days. His death  and resurrection was a symbol of victory over death itself.

In present-day reality, death penalty or capital punishment is an issue that still causes heated arguments, especially among Christians. Some people support death penalty because God's punishment for sin is death. Some people are against death penalty because it does not align with restorative justice principles.

Yes, death is God's punishment for sin, which is why we are all supposed to die. But Jesus Christ's death on the cross was an ultimate form of sacrifice. He is the reason why we can have eternal life.

We, humans, are not worthy to impose death to others who have committed crimes. It is only God who can do that.

As a human rights and peace advocate, I strongy believe that death penalty is not the answer to reduce crimes. It would only show that the government does not value the life of its constituents, and would only promote fear and terror. What this society needs is not fear - to force them not to commit crimes. What we need is inspiration - so we can actively and proactively work together towards a better society. We need to explore restorative justice processes. Yes, it may take more time, more energy, more resources. But in the long run, restorative justice is what we need so that the pains and injustices of this generation will no longer be passed on to the next.

THE WISDOM OF THE AGED

I come from a small church denomination with less than a thousand people across the country, with five bishops! Throughout the years it has been puzzling for me and for many people I talk to, how we have so many bishops in so little a denomination as ours.

Recently, I've been reading the stories of church leaders from all the member churches of our congregations and it suddenly hit me why we had so many bishops. Each area/district is in a separate province, a few hours away from each other (by driving), and a few days away by hiking. In each of these areas, people have different cultures, different languages/dialects, different context, and different perpectives. They often need a leader who understands their context to mentor them and disciple them. They need a leader whom they can visit for advice and who can also visit them from time to time to encourage them. In their geographical locations, it would be hard for one bishop to visit the churches on a regular basis without being physically exhausted. That is why, perhaps, they needed five bishops - one for each strategic location. They needed a bishop not just to lead, but mostly to serve as a mentor, a fatehr figure, an adviser, a counselor. 

This now becomes clear to me. The wisdom of the aged people can be puzzling for us, younger generation, but it is amazing to finally figure out that yes, somehow, their wisdom made sense.

There is a lot of things we can do to improve on our current situation, and we need not ditch the wisdom of the aged. In fact, we need their wisdom, their past experiences and lessons from pains ad mistakes - in order to guide our generation into dreaming for the future. :)

THE COST OF LEARNING 4: TACLOBAN, LEYTE AND SAN JUANICO BRIDGE

Tacloban City, Leyte

13 September 2015 - From Davao, there are no direct flights to Tacloban City. You can only fly through Manila or Cebu. So instead of the  expensive air fare, I opted for the more adventurous and cheaper option. I took a bus! The whole trip lasted for about 26 hours for me! From Davao Overland Transport terminal, there was a 12nn trip to Tacloban which would last around 21 hours, but I missed this one. So a conductor told me to take the Butuan bus and either catch the 12 noon trip, or wait for another five hours to get on the next bus to Tacloban.

(On a side note, when I got off a taxi at the terminal, men came flocking towards me, asking me where I'm going, and grabbing my bags. I had to yell at them to stay away from me. First, I can pull my trolley bag, and then I only have a shoulder bag with me which is not heavy, so I don't need any help. Second, I feel like I am being harassed as several men came towards me when they saw the taxi stop. This same scenario happened almost the rest of the trip, in any bus terminal or port area, where guys just flock and ask you where you're going and trying to get your things from you. I know they are only trying to help and earn some money by doing so, but most of the time they are just so threatening and harassing. I hope the government and transport groups could pay attention to systems that would work better for porters and passengers.)

So anyway, I got on the bus to Butuan and paid P490, travel time around 8 hours, because the bus stopped at every terminal in every municipality. When I finally arrived in Butuan City, the bus to Tacloban just left, so I waited for another five hours for the next bus. I spent time drinking coffee and eating cup noodles. There are several stalls there and I also happened to charge my phone battery, with a charging fee of P10. There are a lot of trips to Cagayan and Davao in the evening, so waiting was not boring and staying at the terminal for a few hours felt safe.

Finally, when the bus to Tacloban arrived, I gladly took a seat. When I tried to put my big bag inside the storage space beneath the bus, a guy helped me load. I gladly thanked him and sat inside the bus. A few minutes later he came for me and asked me for a fee. He specifically asked me for P20 (for carrying my bag! Which I didn't even ask him to do! I could have done it myself!) So anyway, I was pissed off but I know he wouldn't leave me alone. I checked my coin purse and I only had P15 change in there so I told him that's all I had and he left unhappily. It was around 1:45 AM when the bus to Tacloban left Butuan City. The bus fare was P650.00.

At around 5:30 AM the bus arrived at Lipata Port in Surigao. Passengers had to get off the bus and purchase our own ferry ticket, terminal fee, and another fee that costs P5. After getting the ticket, I realized it was a Red Cross charity ticket. I was surprised that in this part of the country they seemingly charge by force to donate to Red Cross. Anyway, the ferry ticket and Red Cross donation totaled P142, and then there was a terminal fee of P16. It was raining hard that early morning, so we waited around 40 minutes before we were able to board the ferry. The trip took only around 45 minutes, and then we were already in San Ricardo, Southern Leyte.

After getting off the ferry, I had to look for our bus (before getting off, we were reminded to look at the bus number to make sure we don't get lost). The ride from San Ricardo to Tacloban took another eight hours. Riding from Mindanao and then Visayas, I could totally sense and see the difference of the landscape. I know I am already in a different island, in a different province, with a different language. I enjoyed the trip, but I couldn't wait to see the person waiting for me in my destination.

Finally, the hour has come. The bus arrived at Tacloban New City Terminal around 1:40 PM. From the bus terminal, we took a tricycle to downtown where my hotel is located. Tricycle special fare is P100. I checked in at GV Hotel which cost P775 per night. It is relatively a cheaper option in this city, where most hotels tend to be over-priced after typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013. Most of the hotels needed some restoration and renovation and with the tourists and humanitarian workers flooding the city, hotels are back to good (and expensive) business. So this room I got had an aircon, TV, and private toilet (but no hot shower!). The space was small, and generally not clean and neat. But since I had no other affordable option, I just closed my eyes at night so I could sleep fast.

I stayed here for a week to relax, restore my energy after three weeks of traveling, spend time with my beloved (John), and to meet up with my colleague, who I will be traveling with in the next provinces in Visayas.

During the day, I spend time at PhilRads office in San Jose area, where John also works and stays. The jeepney (or multi-cab) fare from downtown to San Jose is P9 per way. I would have to warn you that I had to squeeze in to fit inside a multi-cab if it's full. From the Rotonda area going to the office, you can walk for around 10 minutes, or ride a pedicab that cost only P5, (but we pay P10 each because we feel like we're so heavy! Poor drivers!).

Invading PHILRADS Office!

There's lots of pork lechon around the city. Meals cost around P50-P200 per person depending where you eat and what kind of food you are looking for. If you keep an eye, there are places that sell fruits and vegetables for reasonable price, but pork is really the most common food all over the place. I also noticed that they are not fans of soupy food.

Hanging out at their lechon place!

There are tons of restaurants and coffee shops around the city,but I tried the local places. For dinner once, we went to a grill park near the city hall and had a satisfying grilled squid and barbeque for only P266 (including rice and drinks). Another evening, we tried the lechon park and had satisfying meals too for around the same price.

I had a chance to cook here,and as if being spoiled, a random lady knocked on their door selling crabs. It was only P180 for 1 kilogram. I was so excited, bought it, boiled it in salt, pepper, garlic and soda,, and then it was gone. :) It was a tasty treat!

The tasty treat!

A popular place to hangout is the Robinson's place. Beside it is Go Hotels which is also a really nice place to stay if you could afford it. I stayed there twice before and it was really worth it and in a nice location. For grocery shopping and other options, you could also visit SaveMore, which is near the market. I've walked around the market shopping for fish and vegetables too, and prices are also pretty decent, especially if you know how to haggle.

We watched the movie Heneral Luna at Robinsons for only P155.5 each. We enjoyed the movie, and then a few days later it became popular through social media and was extended by most cinemas nationwide.

Places to visit in Tacloban are the: MacArthur Park (aka Leyte Landing), and the Sto. Nino Shrine where you could tour the Marcos mansion and their extravagant rooms.

San Juanico Bridge

There was a place which I couldn't distinguish whether it was part of Leyte Province or Samar Province. It is somewhere in the middle of San Juanico bridge, the longest bridge in the country connecting the two provinces. It was built during Ferdinand Marcos' era, and legend has it that he built it as a symbol of his love for his wife Imelda. But of course, he used the government money, and it was actually part of his public service.

From downtown, we took a jeepney going to the New Terminal, which cost P8 per person. There are buses and vans going to Basey, Samar that can drop you at the entrance to San Juanico Bridge. We got on a van and had to pay the full fare of P30 each. We got off a few meters before San Juanico. From the starting point of San Juanico bridge, up to the end, John and I walked hand-in-hand.(Wait, we had to stop to take some selfies and quarreled a little bit when he couldn't take a nice photo of me, and all the photos I took of him were great!) But yes, it was a great experience! We walked around 45 minutes including all the selfie and emo moments in the middle of the bridge.

When we arrived in Sta. Rita, Samar, we waited for a jeepney to get back to Tacloban. The fare from Sta. Rita to Tacloban was only P8!

THE COST OF LEARNING 3: SOUTH COTABATO AND DAVAO DEL SUR

Marbel (formerly Koronadal), South Cotabato

08 September 2015 - From Kidapawan, I rode a van (with Kuya Bebot, our partner from Arakan) going to Tacurong. The van fare cost P120 each. In Tacurong we took a tricycle to YBL Bus terminal (P17), and hopped on a bus to Marbel (P52 each). Tricycle fare in Marbel is P10 each. We stayed at Villa Princessitas at Jabido Compound. The rooms cost P500 each. My room had twin beds, an Air-con, TV. and private bath (but no hot shower). It is very cheap for a room that can accommodate two people. This place is always full of groups that conduct seminars and training because they also have function rooms and catering services.

I only had a day to go around the city looking for offices of organizations we wanted to visit. Somehow, I had a chance to pass by the provincial capitol of South Cotabato which looks beautiful and modern. We went inside, but I was disappointed to see how the clean and new look outside the building was not sustained in its interiors. It was still an old building badly maintained. Nearby is the Notre Dame University which looks neat and interesting, but I did not have a chance to even enter inside the university premises.

Our favorite (not really, just the closest to where we stayed) restaurant was Nadie's Chicken Haus. When we ate there they didn't have all the specialties they offer, so we ended up having chicken barbeque. It tasted good,but the first one we had was under-cooked. The second try was perfect. Our meals cost P259 for two persons already.

Unlike in Kidapawan, the tricycles here are small. Two people hardly fit inside, and I always have to duck so that I don't bump my head during the ride. They are nicely painted yellow though, which looks neat. :)

Provincial Capitol of South Cotabato

Notre Dame of Marbel University

General Santos City

09-10 September 2015 - I traveled to GenSan for two consecutive days while billeted at Marbel City. Bus fare cost P95 per way. Tricycle fare is also P10. When I got there, their Tuna Festival just ended, but there were still some stalls at their Oval Plaza. I wasn't lucky to taste their tuna kinilaw, but I would surely love to go back to this place and roam around if I have a chance. Food is fairly affordable, and there are also affordable places to stay. I was recommended to stay at Lea's Pension House, although I no longer had the time to try.

The tricycles here are also big, similar to how they are designed in Kidapawan.

Digos City

11 September 2015 - From General Santos City, bus fare to Digos City cost P115 per person. Tricycle fare is also P10. I only spent a few hours in this city, There are lots of durian and pork lechon here, and I think the prices are reasonable. I went back to Davao City and spent a night there before traveling to Tacloban City by bus.

The tricycles are designed similar with how they are in GenSan.

THE COST OF LEARNING 2: NORTH COTABATO

In my previous post I talked about my trip to Davao City and Bukidnon, including the amount of expenses to be expected when traveling to those places. I personally put this up as a reference for my future travels, as well as for anyone who might be interested.

Kidapawan City, North Cotabato

01 September 2015 - From Davao City, I rode a van to Kidapawan, their terminal found behind Gmall. Van fare cost P150 per person. From Kidapawan bus terminal, I took a tricycle to the lodge where I stayed, costing me P20.00, which I later found out is actually over priced. The minimum fare is only P8.00 and the distance between the terminal and JBL Lodge is not that far. I stayed at JBL Lodge, which is just along the National Highway, near DXND radio station. It is in the farther side (if coming from Davao City),the road leading to Arakan (van to Arakan costs P100 per person per way).

The rate at JBL Lodge cost only P500 per night. It was recommended by our local partner, and the rates are really lower compared to other nicer hotels in the area.  I had a room with double-sized bed, a TV, air-con, private bathroom with hot shower. There is no free breakfast and no hooks or place to hang my clothes, and the towels are really thin (but you can ask them to clean your room and replace the towels everyday). It was a relatively nice place, given the price. At night it is usually packed with guests who have nice cars. Our partner said people from Red Cross also stay there. But I think some couples also use this for short-time stays because it is really just affordable.

Durian is cheaper here (I LOVE DURIAN!) it is only P25 per kilo. All other kinds of fruits are also cheaper and the sweetest (which is probably why it is called the "fruit basket" of the country). The most familiar place to eat is at Jollibee, which costs around P50-P150 per meal. There are also other nice restaurants, but I did not want to try them alone. Near JBL Lodge is Penong's (a famous chicken restaurant in this side of the archipelago). I ate there once for dinner and it cost P259. There is a nice buffet restaurant (Cucina de Miguel) we once visited for lunch, and it cost only P130 per person. It is located just downtown, near the market area.They have all kinds of vegetables and meat viands for everybody.

There is also a nice restaurant called Ga-Lor, which is located near Gaisano mall. Their specialty includes Australian Beef Cheese Burger and Palabok. They serve durian halo-halo and durian coffee, but they don't have plain coffee, sadly. I had dinner at Boyd's once, which is a nice pizza and pasta place located behind Jollibee. My meal cost only P200, for a small box of mushroom pizza and coffee. It tasted pretty good and also filling! They have wifi too, but by the time I ate there, they didn't have connection. Along the street where Boyd's is located, is the Serenity Thai Spa. It is a new place so it is still clean and neat. Swedish massage cost P300.00, and P320 for Hot Lava Stone Massage, which I really enjoyed. I was really sick that time with head colds, and they directly contact the hot lava stone all over your body. I was surprised at first that they directly contact the hot stone on the skin, but it was soothing and calming. They also serve tea after the massage. (Tea was sweet though).

There is also a quiet coffee place with wifi at Jicar coffee, which is part of Eva's Hotel at the 4th floor of Eva's Bldg. (a few blocks from Jollibee). They have a lot of supermarkets around the city, so it was not hard to find essential toiletries and food.

On a Saturday, I tried visiting Lake Agco (a boiling sulfuric lake) which is around 45 minutes away from the city proper. I took a tricycle to the terminal (which is right across the Iglesia ni Cristo church). I took a special habal-habal ride on my own, costing P250 per way. The driver was really nice and friendly (Kuya Toto). I agreed to text him so he could pick me up on my way home. Apparently, from Lake Agco, they do not allow the passengers to ride with other habal-habal drivers except those that are in line. So I had to ride from Lake Agco to Ilomavis gym, and then Kuya Toto picked me up there.

The steaming sulfuric Lake Agco - you can boil an egg in there!

The entrance to the jacuzzi resort (with steam bath) was P20.00. To visit Lake Agco and have photos there, entrance is P10.00. The nearby resort has swimming pools too, but I did not try it. I enjoyed the steam bath and jacuzzi, and then headed back to Kidapawan in the afternoon. It would be fun to spend the whole day, or even over night if I had company.

You have to pay ten pesos to enter, and this is the pathway leading to the Lake

The tricycles in Kidapawan are big and can accommodate around 6-8 persons! They are also especially appropriate for their mountainous terrain.

The marker in front of the city hall

City plaza

Kidapawan is known as the fruit basket, and I can prove why.

Of course, durian, my love! But there's also lots of mangosteen, lansones, rambutan, marang, and more!

I happened to also visit in Arakan, North Cotabato, where Fr. Fausto Tentorio, an Italian priest, was shot to death four years ago . He was known to actively speak against injustices in this community, and one day an unidentified man wearing helmet shot him while he was in the parking lot - on a Monday morning, in broad daylight. Until today, this man is still unidentified. This memorial below is the spot where he was found dead.

This memorial was built in memory of Fr. Fausto Tentorio

THE COST OF LEARNING 1: DAVAO AND BUKIDNON

So, I have been traveling for over a month now and I am extremely homesick and tired of the clothes I'm wearing. But one thing I am thankful for is that I am traveling and going places without spending my own money.I am learning a lot and enjoying a lot of things funded by the office. It is truly a blessing. I am putting up this post just to take note of the expenses I had the last month, that might also be a good reference for me (and for others) when I travel in the future. I would include costs for transportation, accommodation, and food in each of the places I visited.

Davao City

24 August 2015 - My airfare from Manila to Davao cost around Php 2034.96 through Air Asia. Taxi from Francisco Bangoy International Airport to Hotel Uno in Claveria cost around P200.00. Hotel Uno rate for Single Deluxe is P750.00 per night. (They also have Single room for only P650 and non-air conditioned Single for P250, Double for P350).

Because it is Kadayawan season, durian costs around P30.00 per kilo only! Mangosteen for P60.00 per kilo. Rambutan for only P20.00 and lansones for  around the same price. Meals range from P50 - P200 depending on where you dine and what food you order.

Durian! My addiction...

You can get around through taxi or jeepney (if you know how to get around). I have been here a lot so during this trip I did not spend much time visiting the touristy places. A to-go place is Samal island and Talicud island, which would probably be more affordable if traveling with a group.

Valencia, Bukidnon

28 August 2015 - Bus from Davao City to Valencia, Bukidnon is P345 per way. In Valencia, I stayed with the Rojo family, so I did not spend much for food and accommodation. But there are affordable rooms and food is also cheap in this area.

Going around through "rela" (basically a big tricycle that can accommodate around 8-10 passengers), cost a minimum of P8.00 per person per way.

At the Rojo residence, I loved hanging out with the Kalinaw Youth Movement

LIVING ON A SUITCASE

For almost a month now, I have been traveling around with one small suitcase and a purse. I traveled around Mindanao (Davao City, Bukidnon, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, General Santos City, and Davao del Sur), took a bus from Davao to Tacloban, Leyte and spent a week there, and now I am in Cebu City. My next destinations are Bohol, Dumaguete, Bacolod, and Iloilo. Traveling has always been fun and inspiring, and my recent trip has taught me a lot of things and inspired me to write again after a long time.

In the next few weeks perhaps, I will write about the places I visited and the experiences that came along. But for now, a major lesson I learned the past month is about living on a suitcase. Back at home in Laguna, I have a closet full of clothes, several pairs of shoes, and bags. In Manila, I have two closets of clothes, and a half closet of bags and shoes. I have acquired those possessions in the last five years of working. Some of them were gifts, some I bought out of necessity, some are souvenirs from various countries I visited, and some I bought as a reward for myself after accomplishing a hard task.

 I'd say I have a simple taste when it comes to fashion, but I love the variety I find in my wardrobe. I have several sets for formal meetings and dressier days, I have sets for traveling and rugged days, and I have a ton of my everyday jeans and shirts. I love that I have options to choose from everyday, but I did have my favorites that I will wear more often than the rest. I am not very keen on brands, nor do I collect the latest trends. I go after comfort and practicality in all my stuff.

For this trip, I packed along two dresses, one pair of jeans, one jogging pants, three shorts, two pairs of pajamas, six shirts/blouses, and ten pairs of underwear. I planned to wash my clothes whenever I can as I move along. I wanted to limit my stuff in one suitcase so I could travel fast and lite. I have a purse where I put my netbook computer, wallets, and important documents. Off the road I go, on a taxi, airplane, bus, tricycle, habal-habal, motorbike, van, and ferry, with my suitcase and purse in which my life depended on.

After a month of traveling, I really miss my entire wardrobe and the variety from which I choose my outfit everyday. The past weeks, I have been limited with the seven pairs of clothes I brought with me.Today after shower, I looked in my suitcase and was bored with the same set of clothes I look at everyday, struggling to find something to wear. I feel like I really have a serious problem now, I can't wear other clothes!

But upon reflecting, I realized some lessons in life. Firstly, of course there are thousands of people in the world who own even less amount of clothes than what I have in my suitcase. What is there to rant about missing my wardrobe when some people have bigger problems than that? Secondly, if I could live in a small suitcase and a purse for an entire month (and counting), why do I need several closets full of clothes? Such are the baggages we have in life...

Sometimes we tend to put too much in our emotional baggage that it becomes overloaded and we think we need to expand them to be able to put more. Most of the time we store our feelings of anger, hatred, unforgiveness, revenge, and bitterness towards other people. It is hard to let go because it just feels good to have a variety of emotions kept hidden somewhere. We also keep our attachments on material things, such as our possessions that we forget what is more valuable - relationships.

Yesterday we talked to a small farmers' organization and they shared to us their struggles about being trapped in the economic and political warfare between the rich and the powerful. Being poor, they are powerless and caught in the middle. Their only concern everyday is how to find food on the table, how to stay in a safe shelter, keep something to wear, and send their children to school. The rich and the powerful? Well, they fight over their political positions, huge lands they use for mining and other businesses, and they think what they have is not enough so they need to get more from other people, thus they fight.

From the farmers I learn a great metaphor. Identify the essentials of life and fit them in a suitcase, and that's what you bring with you anywhere. You cannot acquire more because it will be hard to carry around. For me, the essentials are my family, friends, some clothes to wear, a bed to sleep on, books to read, and food to eat. Those are the essentials I will put in my emotional suitcase. I cannot ad more I cannot desire for more wealth, power, influence, or enemies - they will keep me from moving on.

In life, we should learn how to live in a suitcase, where only the essentials fit.