Remembering Rizal

“I die just when I see the dawn break,

Through the gloom of night, to herald the day;

And if color is lacking my blood thou shalt take,

Pour’d out at need for thy dear sake,

To dye with its crimson the waking ray.”

— Jose Rizal, My Last Farewell (1896)

Today, the whole nation marks the 115^th death anniversary of the national hero who dedicated his life to the cause of freedom and sovereignty. To put it in Neville Longbottom’s words in the final installment of the Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows 2, he may have died but his memories will forever lie in our hearts. People die everyday. But remarkable people such as Dr. Jose P. Rizal cannot be forgotten; his idealism and his hopes for his impoverished nation shall live on. He has not died in vain.

Circa Dos Mil Onse

Sa pagpasok ng isang panibagong taon, hayaan n’yo akong magbalik-tanaw sa nakalipas na lampas tatlong daan at higit pa na mga araw ng 2011. Bagong taon na naman ang sasalubungin—taon na siguradong magiging hitik sa bagong kaalaman, pagtuklas at pakikipaglaban tulad ng nagdaang taon.

Magsusulat ako hindi sa wikang banyaga ngayon. Hayaan n’yo na. Dahil tulad ng nagdaang mga buwan, blockbuster kung maituturing ang mga pagbabagong nangyari sa ating mga buhay-buhay. Hayaan n’yo na. At para maging epektibo ang pagbabago, binabalik-tanaw ang mga kajologsan at mga sablay na dapat ayusin. Saka ipri-press release (read: ilalako sa pamamagitan ng pag-tag sa facebook) sa mga kaibigan ang bagong magiging japorms at dating pati na rin ang mga plano sa susunod na tatlong daan at animnapu’t limang mga araw.

Weekend Musings at Davao Oriental

Under a deep blue sky and with the sound of the sea breeze, I found myself in one corner of a beach resort in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental. It was a fine afternoon: the sea was gentle and calm, the white sand shimmers as the seawater went ashore and the only thing visible from where I stand are the children enjoying the heat of the sun on their skin and a lonely fisherman navigating through his banca amidst a sea of blue. It’s twenty five minutes past two in the afternoon and I am perfectly lonely.

Davao Oriental speaks of legends and folklore and is brimming with nature's wonder. While many around me enjoyed the beach, here I am standing still on the shore, missing someone from a not-so-distant past. It’s been a while since I last saw the sun kiss the western sky with someone I love, enjoying each time nature paints the sky with yellow and red. This afternoon, I’ll be viewing it alone and with high anticipation someone’s gonna stand beside me someday, hold my hand and cherish the moment that marks the passing of another day. From a distance, I saw couples sweet as lovebirds, flashing those sweet smiles to each other and exhibiting those gentle caresses.

There's no perfect time and there's no perfect place to dream than on the spot where I am standing today. It's fourteen days before Christmas and I know --- more than anybody else --- the true meaning of a Cold Christmas. Soon as the night bites after a very hot day, I'll be shivering in the corner brought by the sweet zephyr. 

The sea is still gentle and calm. The white sand still shimmers each time the seawater go ashore. The kids just quit from swimming and the lonely fisherman is now excited to go home with his catch which will be shared by his family for dinner.

I'm still here. Melancholy strikes. I knew what loneliness meant.

Writing on the Shore,

Monobloc Chair