Miracle in Rwanda: The miracle is Forgiveness

I was fortunate enough to be invited by friends from Couples for Christ to the Philippine premiere of Miracle in Rwanda. It was entertaining, poignant and very meaningful. It was a one-woman play wherein Leslie Lewis Sword brings to life the harrowing yet deeply moving experiences of Immaculée Ilibgiza.

The basic story is one of survival. In 1994 the plane bearing Rwanda's Hutu President was shot down, this triggered his tribesmen to exterminate their long time enemies the Tutsi's. The genocide to follow is the most brutal of our time, almost a million people killed in three months. Hutu militia armed with machetes tore through the Tutsi's villages, killing in cold blood, in broad day light and raping and pillaging along the way. Immaculée Ilibgiza was a daughter of a devoted Catholic teacher/businessman who hid in a stifling hot bathroom with cramped in with seven other women for those three months.

Leslie was Immaculée. She has a real gift for storytelling, coupled with the ability to become the different characters in the life story of Immaculée was a truly unique experience. I remember watching Hotel Rwanda wherein Don Cheadle plays a heroic hotel manager who gave sanctuary to some Tutsis refugees who were fleeing from genocide at the hands of their Hutu neighbors. While that story was about generosity this one was about grace. While cinema has the ability to tell great stories, theatre fleshes out the drama, as if adding another dimension. Is it depth? Is it the innocence and immediacy of another's face too close to disregard? Whatever it is this one made me feel differently about a story I thought I knew.

To be sure Leslie had something to do with it. She has such a feel for the deeply emotional points of Immaculée's story. The genuine fear, the courage to survive, the trust in God and in His instrument the pastor all these struck a chord. But the really powerful stuff is in the transformation in Immaculée herself, as she transcended the very human drive to bear a grudge, and hold on to the hurt of losing her family, and her people. She was even able to forgive the man Felicien who butchered several members of her family.

Leslie was thoroughly engaging, as she showed us the different faces of our humanity. Her face livid one moment when she is a Hutu butcher, and the picture of helplessness when she is Immaculée. She also channels the Huti pastor who gives Immaculée refuge, a French soldier, Immaculée's father, and as the story's spirituality became apparent she also became Mother Mary's apparition and the loving presence of Jesus Christ. She played all these convincingly, the way Eddie Murphy would without the make-up.

I appreciated the simplicity of the production, hardly any props just masking tape marking the claustrophobic three by four feet wherein she hid, at times mere inches from rabid Hutu butchers who were constantly searching the pastor's house. Leslie choreographed the logistics of the whole production so well the different characters she played interacted so fluidly.

In the end she brought to the stage a great story, in a simple yet impactful way and she also had a deeper message of hope and love rooted in the Catholic faith. A definite must see!

My new profile pic

was feeling a little artsy so I posted this pic

Inception pulled a $165 M heist at the box office, director Nolan at the top of his game

One of the most anticipated films of the year Inception was a spectacle, a psychological thriller and a thinking man's action movie. At the helm is veteran storyteller Christopher Nolan and he has lured audiences again into a dream world only he could imagine. In his cunning style of starting the film with the ending, he taunts viewers by taking them for a ride to which they already know the outcome and still pull the rug from underneath them with a plot twist.

Like any mastermind he only works with the best in the business, he has rounded up the usual suspects, actors with whom he has worked in the past Michael Caine is Miles, the mentor of Leonardo Di Caprio's Cobb and the mark, Cillian Murphy who played The Scarecrow in Nolan's Batman Begins.

The cast includes veteran Ken Watanabe as Saito, the overseer and employer, he is joined by some new faces Ellen "Juno" Paige as Adriane the dream world architect, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 days of summer) who plays Arthur the point man, here he makes his debut as an action star. Excellent support was provided by Dileep Rao as Yusuf the Chemist who concocts the drugs that allow them access to the mind's innermost workings and much needed wit and humor came from Tom Hardy playing Eames, the Forger who could impersonate anyone in the world of the unconscious. Marrion Cotillard is Mallorie, Cobb's dead fiancé whose ethereal beauty complicates the already convoluted plot with her control over Cobb's psyche.

Nolan is at his best, his ability to tell an engaging heist story with such attention to detail in a completely plausible manner shows how much he respects his audience's intelligence. And in that respect Inception is his most ambitious film yet, it's a masterpiece told in multiple-layers of reality whose characters and plot propels the story forward at breathtaking speed. Whole worlds of illusion are created, structures which cannot exist in reality are created and blown up in such glorious detail that one is left mesmerized. And to keep the viewers at the edge of their seats action sequences of immense proportions, are masterfully edited so as to flow with the tiered plot. Finally, the audience is cued to experience the appropriate emotions such as; anticipation, fear, and excitement at key instances by Hans Zimmer's brilliant musical score.

As far as films which play mind tricks go, Inception is up there with David Fincher's Fight Club, the Wachowski brothers' Matrix Trilogy and Nolan's Memento. Indeed he is creating a body of work that will cement his name in the pantheon of the greatest directors, with unforgettable titles such as The Dark Knight Franchise, The Prestige and Memento he is proving himself to be a master at telling stories in an engaging yet non-linear fashion. His treatment of his films is in stark contrast to the Hollywood formula, he expects his audience to keep up with the myriad details in his films, with the motives of his characters and to the consequences of their actions to the ensuing dénouement. One gets a sense that he really takes great pains into his filmmaking and his dedication and sincerity shines through his every production.

This generation has a debt of gratitude to storytellers like Nolan because his films are the true shared experiences, they are the modern campfires wherein we gather and take in the new mythology, with heroes like his which speak to us because they are just as psychologically messed up as we are. Nolan invites us to look at the nobility and heroism of the human spirit in the face of adversity and when we watch films like Inception we are struggling right there in that labyrinth with his characters, such that when the conflict is resolved we feel their satisfaction.

Strange Bedfellows Indeed

It is said that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" in this case the common enemy is Xstrata-SMI and the friends are the Communist National Democratic Front and the Catholic Church.

Now I'm just wondering why the Union of Catholic Asian News would carry a story about the Communist Party of the Philippines' statement, in its website and even have a URL to it. (talk about having communist links) Interestingly enough the NPA also cited the Church's opposition in its statement. Strange bedfellows indeed

The manner it was reported was "matter of factly." Which to me is more than a little disturbing. The call is to "arrest corporate executive officers of Xstrata SMI and/or their top level official representatives and to bring them to the People's Court for the proper judicial and legal proceedings." Needless to say if this happens there will be nothing proper, judicial or legal about it.

There was no call for dialogue, no urging of peaceful resolution, nothing. Average citizens like me are left to think that these representatives of the Church agree with the whole statement and the VIOLENT means by which such an order will be carried out.

The article ends with a quote from Fr. Romeo Cathedral the diocese of Marbel's social action director, the thinly veiled threat reads "The NPA promised in the past to take action against SMI and then carried it out." He then cited burning buildings and equipment of SMI as well as an attack on a police outpost.

Call me old fashioned but for me the ends don't justify the means. These instances of violence are unacceptable. And Fr. Cathedral is condoning the NPA's acts of terrorism. And why? Because the Church and the NPA both want a stop to Xstrata-SMI's operations. Now both institutions claim to speak for the people, I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE. I may not live there in the affected areas, but I sure do not want; a situation of escalating violence wherein innocents could be caught in the crossfire, damage to private and public property, and death threats to the employees of Xstrata who are just doing their job.

Finally I do not appreciate members of the clergy condoning violence, consorting with armed rebels just because they have a similiar agenda. And commiting acts of violence and injustice just to get their way. It's against the law, not just of men, it stands contrary to the beliefs of Jesus Christ and His teachings.

Shouldn't the UCAN instad publicize a call for peaceful resolution, rational dialogue and a laying down of arms? There have already been casualties in this conflict. Is more violence really the solution?

Words meant to inflame

Mr. Clive Hicks is an environmentalist and an activist. Just as beautiful supermodels go nude for PETA to make a point, he uses words calibrated to call attention to himself and his cause.

I have been following the Mindoro Nickel Project for some years now and this attempt to pit mining against agriculture first surfaced in 2009 when said Englishman wrote a report with Robert Goodland entitled 'Mining or Food?' (www.piplinks.org/new-report-says-mining-treat-food-security-Philippines-calls-for-a-mining-morratorium) The divisive, thought-provoking title a possible reference to 'Steel or Lard?' a speech given by Nazi minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels in January of 1936 about guns and butter. Mining or food is inflamatory but not completely informed. For the 9 reasons why I believe that mining and agriculture can work in Mindoro read my previous entry.

The DENR website carried an article (http://denr.gov.ph/article/IUCN-denies -protest-against-PGMA) wherein the Internaltional Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) distanced from its consultant Mr. Hicks denying having any knowledge of a letter sent by him to International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) protesting the conferment of a conversation award to PGMA.

IUCN Director General Julia Marton Levefre said in a letter to DENR Sec. Horacio Ramos dated April 16, and I quote "I wish to assure you that Mr. Wicks did not have any authority to make any statement in the name of IUCN or on behalf of IUCN' and 'any statement that he may have made cannot and should not be attributed to IUCN nor be understood to express any position tat IUCN might have taken on this matter.

PGMA was conferred with the Teddy Roosevelt International Award by ICCF for her innovative leadership to protect oceans and preserve the biodiversity of the Coral Triangle at the Cannon House in Washington D.C.'s Capitol Hill.

And this incensed Mr. Wicks, some newspaper accounts quoted him saying "Will President Roosevelt, the founder of the US National Park System, not turn in his grave that a destroyer of fragile protected areas, vital water catchements and marine enviroments is being given an award for conservation in his name?"

Now to be fair to our embattled President (while I may not be a fan of her politics, one must give credit where it is due)who seems destined to be remembered more for her husband's alleged misbehavior and an inappropriate phone call, let us remember why she was awarded in the first place. She laid down enabling policies under the Green Philippines Initiative that wil ensure healthy and productive ecosystems.

She is responsible for signing into law Republic Act No. 9367 aka the "Biofuels Act" the "Renewable Energy Law" the "Climate Change Act", the Integrated Coastal Management and other measures which promote sustainable development of our coastal and marine environment and resources. These lay down the foundations for her administration's environmental legacy which will benefit generations of Filipinos to come. And if for nothing else she deserves this
award and our thanks.

Secretary Horacio Ramos a man with "40 years of public service, unparalleled experience and outstanding achievements" had this to say "the president kows fully well that the successes we have achieved through the years in protecting our environment, as well as natural resources, are a result of the strong partnership between the government and the people." He adds that the Filipino people should be proud of the award as the President received it on behalf of the country.

Words may be cheap as they say, but they are powerful. They can hurt just as well as they heal. Words can set things right by honoring or chastising. It helps to take a look at who is speaking, the speaker's track record and the motive behind the words.

Food AND mining: The power of a new paradigm

Words have a latent power precisely because we use words to describe our world view. Take for example the conjunction 'or' it says choose; take one, but not the other. It is a limiting word. 'Or' puts a constraint on what is possible, the word 'or' sets paramaters where there may not be any. Such is the power of language, now if we replace it with 'and' then you can begin to talk about the possibility of having your cake AND eating it too, your mind is free to look for solutions.

Our world is constantly changing, and so is the realm of what can be done. The truth is our reality is shaped by our God-given inquisitiveness which results in pursuit of knowledge and our inventiveness or the ability to use technology in our exercise of stewardship over all of creation. Its natural and part of being human.

And so it is with the mining and agriculture debate. Some people think that the two are at odds since they both rely on land and they require resources to produce an output. Those who think in terms of 'or' worry that it is one or the other, that we have to choose between the two. What if both can be done at the same time, with no detriment to the other, and instead both complimenting the other. Is such a thing really possible? Yes! welcome to the year 2010.

Why not?

For years scientific studies have been conducted by the world's best and most trusted names regarding environmental impact, feasibility of mining operations and mineral production and there conclusions are clear that both mining and farming can be done in Mindoro.

The lands used for farms won't be affected, the critical watersheds and waterways for the irrigation of farms won't be harmed and the poeple/resources won't be redirected towards mining instead they will be sustained by it.

How?

I got some good info from the Intex Norway website http://intexresources.com and the local website http://www.intexresources.com.ph. And I was able to come up with 9 main reasons why food and mining can co-exist in Mindoro.

1. In Mindoro the proposed nickel mine will operate in the mountains and other terrain wherein agriculture is not feasible. Furthermore the impact is minimal thanks to the technology that will be employed and rehabilitation work will leave the land even better than the original state.
2. The proposed mine site must pass stringent environmental standards to be approved by the DENR and this includes an assessment of any impact in the community and the environment including any body of water. The Mindoro Nickel Project will not have any measurable impacts for the supply of water to the rice fields in either Oriental or Occidental Mindoro.
3. If and when mining begins a by-product of the process is ammonium sulfate. Fertilizer will be made available at a more affordable price to ALL farmers in our country.
4. Also since flooding is a perennial problem causing loss of crops worth millions of pesos, it would be in Mindoro Nickel's best interest to solve the flooding problem initially in the areas in which it operates, protecting the farming and fishing communities therein.
5. In addition the farmers and their children, as well as the unemployed, the new graduates and the growing number of people who live below the poverty line will have more opportunities for livelihood and employment if they choose to supplement their income from farming in the off season.
6. Thanks to the multiplier effect- that comes with an estimated 5,000 employees during construction and 2,000 during operations; farmers and entrepreneurs will have a captive market for their goods and services right in Mindoro.
7. Surplus energy will be shared with the community, eliminating the frequent blackouts and increasing productivity.
8. Better infrastructure (in the form of better roads, bridges, ports, etc) will help make the transport of produce from farm to market easier and more effective. Not to mention new schools, hospitals, malls, markets, housing etc
9. Taxes that will be paid to the local government will translate to better delivery of basic services for Mindoro (better education, health care, acces to water, electricity etc) and public funds to promote agriculture and local industries.

Imagine all this is possible when you change your paradigm to include the Mindoro Nickel Project instead of thinking it's a choice between farming or mining. Why choose one when you can have both? Embrace the added blessings when you use the word 'and'! Finally when it comes to the mining debate keep an open mind and listen to both sides before making a choice.

Overcoming the challenge of El Nino with alternative sources of livelihood

Once again the country will feel the intense heat brought about by the weather phenomenon that is El Nino. Already the local media and government agencies are bracing themselves for the impact in terms of massive losses financially due to lower crop yields. Aside from this the supply of water is also threatened as dams all over the country are sinking to critical levels. El Nino is also expected to negatively affect the country's energy supply compounding the problem with energy shortages that will lead to spoilage of goods, loss of productivity as well as rising blood pressures due to the heat.

Fortunately, there is some light in the horizon if we choose to look optimistically ahead. The mining and extraction industry has always been a steady contributor to our country's economy, considering its modest operations in the grand scheme of things it is a consistent profit center. There are some major players who have invested in the Philippines and in the Filipino; Shell and Sagittarius and to name a few. They have been quietly working to produce energy and harvest minerals that are a boon to the economy nationally and in the regions wherein they operate.

Of course the whole point is that we have alternative industries to compliment the ones which we rely on heavily and give us so much, industries like agriculture, tourism, manufacturing etc. But with the additional challenge of weather phenomena that are increasingly unpredictable and severe, it is prudent to have back-up plans. I urge everyone to continue to be critical yet open minded to the opportunities that will present themselves, let's be open to alternatives not just in terms of more mines and extraction projects but also in terms of alternate sources of energy.

Who know what the future will bring? But in this uncertainty let us remain steadfast because these instances of necessity may lead us to the answers that will provide for the continuation of our lives and lifestyles.

True Stewardship

We are the pinnacle of creation, among all God’s creatures he put is in charge of all the animals and plants and natural resources. To preserve and protect definitely but also to make use of them in a responsible way. Anyone who is using a laptop or PC, cellphone or rides a car in short anyone who enjoys the convenience of a modern life can’t be anti-mining in the strictest sense because our modern way of life depends on mines and the minerals they produce.

It now becomes a question of proper usage of the resources that we have form the most green way of obtaining them in the first place to curbing our lifestyles so that we use only what we need.

I AGREE with the church that we, the whole human family have to control our use of material things, we have to evaluate just how much stuff does one person need? How many gadgets, appliances, clothes, cars and etc. That is the root of this materialism and consumerism which leads to an unchecked harvesting of natural resources. With the threat of global warming we really must be aware of the carbon footprint, that we as individuals and as nations, exert on our planet.

But it does not change the fact that for life to continue as we know it. Resources need to be used, minerals harvested and products made. It is a fact of life. Now what we can control is how to conduct these activities in a manner that is sustainable, responsible and least impactful carbon footprint-wise.

I believe that the Nickel Ore found in the mountains of Mindoro are a gift to the Mangyans, the people of Mindoro and the people of the Philippines. We are blessed in the same way that the Saudi’s were blessed with the gift of oil. Why else would God put it there?

Now as guardians of this gift, it is our responsibility to harvest it in a way that is environmentally sound. Which thanks to advances in TECHNOLOGY is now possible. It is also up to us to be vigilant as to how this mining is done over the next decades and how our politicians will handle the taxes and royalties that will be paid to Mindoro as an effect.

None of this will happen if we don’t want it. It is up to each and every one of us to open our hearts and minds to both sides of this issue. We must be careful in considering the pros and cons, the details of this project. We must keep a watchful eye on Intex and our leaders in how they proceed. We must pray that the Lord guide us in our every step towards this bright future that he is offering us.

The people show their support for Mindoro Nickel Project.

Funny word play! (Antay- Waiting)

We are waiting for the mine.

We will wait for the opening of the mine.

Coming soon!/ Come join us!

Sadaki Mangyans

The plight of the Mangyan

Ang mga Mangyan ay trademark na ng Mindoro, parang ang mga Tamaraw din, ngunit parehong nanganganib. Ang Tamaraw ay malapit ng ma-extinct,ang mga Mangyan nangangambang madadaya ulit.

Wala pa ang mga Kastila nakatira na sa Mindoro ang mga Mangyan, indigineous matagal na panahon ng bahagi ng Mindoro. Ayon sa mga aklat ng mga historian nakatira sila sa may baybay dagat at nakikipag barter sila ng mga likas na yaman sa mga mangangalakal na Intsik. Dumating ang mga Kastila at tulad sa iba pang mga lugar kung saan sila lumanding nakakita nanaman sila ng ginto kung saan nila gusto makakita nito. Kaya Mina de Oro.

Lumipas ang panahon at unti-unti namang dumating ang mga migrante mula sa Vizayas at Luzon, kahit ano ang totoong relihyon nila tinawag na sila ng mga Mangyan na Kristyano. Nakakahiya naman. Dahil kung anu-anong pangloloko ang ginagawa, pinagpapalit para sa mga titulo ng lupa ang pagkain at mga baboy, kaya unti-unting pumasok sa loob ng mga kagubatan ang mga Mangyan, tumungo sa bundok para lang makaiwas sa gulo, dahil ayaw na ayaw ng mga Mangyan ng away. Sa kultura nila ay hindi sila confrontational.

Ngunit sinundan pa rin sila ng mga Kristyano sa bundok, ang ilan para kumuha ng torso mula sa mga kagubatan dito.(At isa pa, dahil puro mina na lang ang pinaguusapan baka nakakalimutan na ang issue ng illegal logging.) Ang iba para sa quarrying, kaya tuloy napagiisip ako kung talagang anti-mining ang mga vocal na anti o anti-Intex lang. Baka kasi hindi nabibigyan dahil hindi daw sila naglalagay.

Ang iba nais tulungan ang mga ito na makilala ang Diyos, mga missionary at wala namang masama doon. Kung piliin naman ng Mangyan ang ganun.

Ang tanong ko lang ay ganito where do you draw the line at interference? When does it become infringing on Indigenous rights? Kasi parang ang nangyayari ay starting now leave them alone.

Kung talagang hinahangad natin ang “self-determination” o ang pag dessisyon para sa sarili di ba dapat pinababayaan natin sila? Nandyan naman ang NCIP para magbigay gabay. Granted hindi lahat sa kanila ay nakapag-aral baka ma take advantage sila. Kaya nga may NCIP at kaya nga may MOA na sinusundan.

Talagang fair si God, sa daming kahirapan na pinagdaanan ng mga Mangyan, mayroon namang ginhawang darating at napakapalad ng Mindoro na ang buong lalawigan, maging ang buong Pilipinas ay makikinabang dito. Sa pamamagitan ng mga buwis na dadagdag sa kaban ng bayan na pondo para sa mga proyektong sosyal, pang kalikasan, pang-infrastructure. Etc.

Parang yung sa tribu ng mga Sheik sa Saudi. Itong mga mayayman na Saudi ang mga prince na mga bilyonaryo, ay yumaman ng dahil sa black gold--langis. Ang mga anak nila ay Harvard educated at ang mga kababayan nila ay umahon kasama nila, dahil sa likas yamang nakabaon sa ilalim ng lupa ng kanilang mga ninunuo. Sana naman di natin pabayaan na ang crab mentatlity ay maka hadlang sa pag asensong parating. Sana pagdasalan natin ang mga Mangyan na magamit ang kanilang grasya sa tamang paraan.

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What is Mindoro Sling?

Mindoro Sling is a popular cocktail from Puerto Galera a refreshing mix of rhum, mango and orange juice, grenadine syrup and soda. Sweet and smooth but packs a potent punch.

This blog is like the drink but more than that it is Mindoro's Sling. This is a medium for Mindorenyos like me to speak their minds and let their voices be heard.

What is a sling? The free dictionary defines it as a weapon consisting of a looped strap in which a stone is whirled and then let fly. (A slingshot.) and a looped rope, strap, or chain for supporting or cradling say an injured arm.

This blog is like that. A hard-hitting deadly weapon (ask Goliath) and a device for healing at the same time. Just like the good news this blog is meant to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. Sometimes the truth is hard to hear but it's better to air out grievances than to let them fester in the darkness of ignorance or deceit.

As a son of Mindoro I offer my humble blog as one voice crying in the wilderness so that like minded people can show their agreement and support, for those in the fence to take part in the conversations and even for those who disagree with my views to share their own opinions and promote dialogue so that we can move as one people, one Mindoro toward the prospertity that we know we can achieve and our children so richly deserve.