From one mother to others...

What is it in life that fires our enthusiasm to live? Is it the pursuit of lofty ambition for career, money, love and acknowledgement? At every stage in life, there are challenges we face that we must win over. Think of a new born baby suddenly overwhelmed by the bigness of a universe that sorrounds him, then a small child mastering the use of his motor and speech skills, a little boy or girl enlarging his or her social network in day care, and later in school. As the child grows older, he confronts a growing complexity in dealing with people, things and the world around him.

How are choices made on what's important and what's trivial in life? In the beginning, there is a family that guides the making of choices and it seems safer that someone can take the blame for making mistakes. I have four children I watched grow closely despite the rigours of being a single parent for quite some years. One thing that guided me in dealing with the different phases of growing up, was to avoid the errors made by my own parents and family. I am a liberal parent and dealt with my children as though they were adults, even if they were just small children. If and when they had to make a decision, I allowed them with a reminder that if they made a mistake, they had to take the consequence.

The children I brought to this world have learned to form their own opinions as early as they could muster their ability to think and weigh consequences, to make choices - some daring and adventurous, and savour the triumph of winning new pursuits with every challenge. Today, I watch them with great content that the pursuits they have chosen to take in life are worthwhile and meaningful. They have discovered values to guide them and an open mind to hold back judgment against people and situations that corrupt the world they live in.

I remain the mother and parent to my children, but the bond of friendship is stronger and lasting. One can say that close family relationship is cultural and regional. In less developed countries, the family network is strong and basic to one's life. But in developed countries where the state plays a central role in the upbringing of children through welfarism, family ties are not as close and needful. And when children become adults, it is seldom that parents and children meet except during celebratory events of the year like Christmas. One can say that between birth and death, the moments shared in family togetherness is richer among the poor than in the affluent societies.#

A politics of one

The Swedish daily newspaper, Dagens Nyheter carried a news item today wherein the leader of the opposition Social Democratic party, Mona Sahlin invited middle road parties to join her coalition party in order to avert what political analysts predict may might be a catastrophic situation if the newcomer Social Democrats (SD) get into the Swedish parliament. But she was politely refused.

Mona Sahlin referred to the Liberal and Center parties in her invitation for "cross over party borders" cooperation in order to edge out whatever decisive role the SDs might have if they come into the parliament. She excluded the Moderate party, whose alliance with other non-socialist parties are currently in power. Just now, the Synovate political barometer shows an even chance for either of the two blocks at winning the national elections next year.

The SDs have had a phenomenal rise in the Swedish political arena. One wonders why it has gained supporters considering its hostile position on Muslims and immigrants which is anathema to everything Swedish politics stand for. What is it that attracts supporters to SD? I reckon that many Swedes who cannot speak openly against the Swedish open-door policy vis-a-vis refugees and asylum seekers and what it is costing the taxpayers to support the exodus of these people into Sweden, are looking for a way to put a break into this trend. But in Sweden, it is almost forbidden to say one's opinion regarding the government's benevolence vis-a-vis asylum-seekers.

The biggest number of asylum-seekers are coming from Iraq and friendly counties such as Södertälje- in the southern suburb of Stockholm have had the burden of receiving the largest number of Iraqi asylum-seekers. Other counties have flatly refused to take in more than their economies can support. With the current difficulties in the employment situation, it is understandable why many Swedish counties are not as open-hearted in their attitudes towards refugees and asylum-seekers.

But it seems a desperate move on the part of Sahlin to invite middle road parties to a cooperation in order to create a majority party and avert a situation wherein a small unwelcomed party could play a decisivie role in parliamentary politics. What I don't understand is, why don't the big Swedish parties analyse what it is that makes the SDs popular, if not appealing? What is it that they are missing out, like the unspeakable fear of an unstopable exodus of refugees coming to Sweden that puts a burden on a over-taxed population? Instead of unblocking borders between the non-Socialist and the Socialist opposition, is it not better to re-examine the issues that make the SDs attractive to Swedish voters?

When the Swedish elections take place next year, the decisive issue is still employment and taxes. The opposition Social Democratic Party promises to do better, and how is not really specified. They have been in power for a long time without any progress in this major problem. On the other hand, the non-Socialists alliance have instigated not only tax reduction for the low-income earners but succeeded in reducing over-dependence upon the welfare system by those who refuse to work, or make honest attempts at getting jobs.

In an open society, it is better to speak of even the unspeakable topics. When humanity and solidarity are challenged by hard economic times, it is more honest to admit where the limits are to one's sense of hospitality.
Sometimes it pays to think of who's footing the bill for the policy of humane admittance of refugees and asylum-seekers that come not only from conflict areas but from places where life promises no future.#

When economics lord over environmental adjustments

The Swedish EU presidency is soon finishing its six-month term without any concrete promises for the summit meeting on Climate Change to be held in Copenhagen next month. The big countries considered to make a big difference in achieving the target figure in reduced carbon dioxide emission such as United States, China and India are adamant to make any commitments.

The deciding factor - as enunciated by India during the recent trip by Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, is economics rather than environment. Economic progress at the cost of environment devastation is a hard political choice being made in the US, China, India as well as the lesser developed members of the European Union like Poland. The financial crises that hit the world economy left debris that got in the way of economic productivity. It is the strongest reason by many industrialised countries to prioritise economic development at the cost of enviornmental adjustments such as reduction of carbon dioxide emission.

Countries like India and China have strong economies with global impact but at the same time, they have a huge population of extremely poor people. Environmental problems are coming not just from unregulated industrial processes but from usage of natural resources in the areas where poor people earn their livelihood. Forests, rivers, seas are drained of their environmental balance when poverty becomes an excuse for abuse and exploitation.

At the outset of the Swedish EU presidency, it has been made clear that all other areas of concern such as admission of new EU members, regulation of refugee and asylum intake, labour migration, unemployment, regulation of the financial system and bonus payouts, as well as synchronisation of the internal EU market will take a backseat position. The overwhelming concern is signing a climatic change agreement to secure both the short and long-term welfare of the human community. # ( Photo by Jayline. Manila is flooded)

Land of distress and endless misery

It is heartbreaking to view one's homeland as a country in perpetual distress - mostly because it is geographically in the path of annual storms and typhoons, but mainly aggravated by man-made neglect and mismanagement of environmental measures to cushion the impact of such natural calamities. The country known as "pearl of the orient", with nature's gift of endless miles of white sands, green forests, lakes, ocean teaming with marine life- is a sad picture of perpetual disaster.

After many years of living abroad, one is not totally liberated from the placental ties with the homeland no matter how hard one tries to distant oneself from the socio-political developments taking place. Many are forced to leave the Philippines for reasons that are politically and economically-motivated. In the dark days of the dictatorship, it was necessary to flee to avoid more repression if not imprisonment. But in the mid-70s, the Filipinos leaving the country were is search of economic security and prosperity. They formed the population of overseas Filipinos whose regular remittances to their families became the country's main source of hard currency.

There are no words enough to honour the contributions of overseas Filipinos. No matter how severe their setbacks are in their search for jobs abroad and despite the tragedies suffered by many in the hands of unscrupulous recruiters, the feeling of loyalty to blood and belongingness remain strong. Such strong emotional commitment is often exploited when in times of severe calamities, we are driven by a strong conscience to help the victims of typhoons back home.

There seems no end to feeling a bad conscience for the disasters that perpetually confront the Filipinos. We, living abroad are always sorry for what we are and have become, because the rest of the countrymen are not doing so well, and because the political management of the country never gets better. How long are we, for reasons of birth, going to be hounded by the abysmal failures committed by political leaders with no conscience?

(Photo: Courtesy of Jayline)

Some living lines in my life's lane

The passing away of many memorable people whom I had the fortune - as well as misfortune of encountering in my life's history in the Philippines, brings to mind some questions about what and how these well-known personalities have touched my life.

I was truly saddened about Cory Aquino's death and memories of her home in Times Street, Quezon city came back. She spoke little, was seen little in a court of friends and journalists where her husband was the main actor. Yet, one could sense the strength she had that was her husband's lifeline during his days of incarceration and exile. She said with a half smile during a dinner I had with her: " So, is it true that (President) Marcos is afraid of Ninoy? What is he afraid of ?" I could have said: " The force that Ninoy Aquino has to end the Marcos regime". It is prophetic that it was infact Cory Aquino who led the moral crusade that ended the dictatorship after Ninoy was brutally assasinated in the Manila International airport.

The late President Ferdinand Marcos left a million quotable lines - his and his brilliant speech writers. As a journalist then, there was no shortage of quotes from this man who knew what to feed journalists hungering for good lines. The one I remember most was what he said at a press conference in Malacanang Palace. I think I asked him if the New People's Army (NPA) could surrender without giving up their arms. And he replied with his typical half-smile, half-smirk on his face: " I will embrace my enemy even as I hold a knife in my hand."

My best pal, Time's Nelly Sindayen owns a great number of lines for each of her friends, as well as foes. The ones that drew great laughter was her Tausog dialect spoken like a homosexual. And when she talks, her own laughter was never far behind. Then there was Teddy Benigno of AFP - also gone and probably having a good laugh with Ninoy Aquino - somewhere out there. Teddy wrote long columns and one often wondered if he ever learned the use of a period to end sentences.

And not too long ago, Adrian Cristobal also passed away. Adrian was a great speech writer not just of the late Pres. Marcos but more so of Imelda Marcos. Of lines and quotes, one cannot forget the ones that Adrian wrote or said. What I remember most were the ones he wrote when I was a newcomer at the College Editors' Guild, and he and the late Labor Secretary Blas Ople - another brilliant speech writer of Marcos, were conference lecturers. In one of his private letters he wrote: "You are Galathea to Pygmalion". I was an aspiring writer and I thought that he was trying to encourage me. They were beautiful lines he wrote when he was not yet in the corridors of power.

As I sit and ponder at many living lines that friends and enemies left behind, I also see their faces expressive in what they are saying and later breaking into joyous laughter. How could these people with great minds simply go and we are left to muse over what had been said, at which juncture of a life's history and that of a nation.#

Cory Aquino - A Woman of Substance

Cory Aquino was hesitant to become president. She did not plan to be a politician. She was a mother, a housewife of the most popular political oppositionist to the Marcos dictatorship, Benigno Aquino Jr. After the treacherous assassination of her husband in 1983, Corazon Aquino ceased to be the quiet person she had been all through her role as politician's wife. She became the leading spirit of the Philippine's people power revolution that led to the downfall of the Marcos regime.

As foreign correspondent of the Far Eastern Economic Review, I had on many occasions been to the Aquino's residence on Times St in Quezon city, where former Senator Benigno Aquino - on a temporary freedom from Camp Crame prison held court and met journalists, politicians and friends almost every day. The senator was a fantastic source of valuable information and made excellent copy for my Hongkong-based paper. In all those sessions with him, Cory was almost invisible in the house. She was in the living room only to see that the guests were attended to. During some late interviews I made with the Senator, she was very solicitous with dinners and once she actually had dinner with me and spoke about her concern over the Senator's situation in prison.

When I returned to the Philippines in 1986 for a short visit, she had just been elected president of the Philippines. The whole nation was jubilant and yellow became her symbolic colour of victory. I saw her in Malacanang during her first days and she looked like she wasn't sure she was actually the President. She still rode her old car to Malacanang Palace. When my younger sister Daisy was murdered in 1989, I saw her again in Malacanang. She had called her Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Fidel Ramos and asked him to expedite the search for the killers of my sister.

As a President, she was a compassionate person. She had a program of reform that was blocked by old powers and the military - accustomed to getting its way with Marcos tried to topple her government a few times. If she was given the chance she needed, she could have rebuilt a country demoralised by years of abuse, corruption and greed. Even then, she tried her very best and her countrymen will remember her for what she was - an incorruptible moral leader of her country.

June...in an explosion of sun and happiness

In Sweden, it is hard to predict when summer comes and whether it will be all sun or sun and rain. It has become an accepted reality that Swedish mid-summer week is unreliably fickle and many feel cheated to spend their holidays indoor. Nonetheless, this country is extremely beautiful this time of year when everything comes to life and its waters are filled with boats of all sizes lazily cruising the archipelago, or just moored in various small harbours.

Despite the early pessimism over the unpredictable arrival of Swedish summer, it did come in full blast week after midsummer with 25 to 30 plus degree temperature, almost rubbing off the dominance of the sun in places South like Greece. The sun has a strong effect on people's humour and well-being and most of all, on one's capacity for love and affection. Somehow, in the cold winter days and night - our hearts find it difficult to respond to warmth and the need to share it with someone, or others. It is not that love disappears into darkness. The heart just seems more melancholic and proned to dark thoughts ( for others suicidal!).

I have many reasons to be happy before the after June with many happenings of the heart like the joy of awaiting a new grandchild, of being at a son's wedding in Santorini and witnessing an immeasurable surge of happiness in two people who celebrate a much -awaited union, and then becoming part of many events simultaneously occuring in my nearest geographic space. The Volvo Ocean Race Stockholm Stopover for one, was a sight to feast on.

However, even in the brightest of horizons can come some rainclouds and I don't mean meteorologically. The world - near and far, remains unsettled by military and economic conflicts aggravated by the deterioration of life's quality in poorer parts of the world. While I have personal reasons to be happy, I am not entirely detached from a world that is wrestling with hard issues of survival.#