There is an unmistakable special-ness in the act of unexpected house visit by all-time friends, even if they came to me on certain days within the year. It was a special display of goodwill because instead of; myself inviting them for a taste of rare delicacy during Christmas Day, they came and on their own account brought a bottle of red wine!
My good neighbor-friends Lito and Willie and Renren are a kind of firecrackers at this time of the year when firecrackers are banned in the City . They soon ignited my being with a sense of well-being and exultation—feeling once more the carefree verve of my younger days. Haha.
And so it came to pass, the Season’s session began in a rare ambiance of a political-update-ly conversation that rendered my Christmas Day more than an ordinary holiday.
RENREN: Pare! Maayong Pasko diha! Manaygon mi ha? (Pare, Christmas greeting to you! Can we do our caroling here?)
MYSELF:Sige! Ayaw lang nang binata nga tenk yu tenk yu ang babait ninyo, kay somo na kaayo — kada minuto sigeng ginakanta sa mga batang nanaygon diri ba! (Of course! But not the monotonous tenk yu tenk yu ang babait ninyo , mind you. That’s being jingled here every minute by the children!)
WILLIE: Unsay imong gusto, sir? Kadtong “Ug ang Mahal nga Birhen Maria nanganak sa pasungan sa baka”? Mao man nay tradisyunal nga daygon sa mga katigulangan!” (Which one do you like, sir? The one traditionally sang by the old folks, like this “And the Blessed Virgin Mary gave birth to Baby Jesus on a cow’s manger.”)
MYSELF:Oo, mao nay ganahan nako, kay naay istorya nga gikan pa gyud sa bibliya. Ang tawag ana nga porma sa daygon Pasyon Henesis. (Yes, I like that, because there is the story taken from the Bible story. That form of narrative song is called Pasyon Henesis.)
LITO: Nganong Pasyon Henesis man ang ngalan ana, Bay? (But why is that called Pasyon Henesis, my friend?)
MYSELF: Ingon ani ang kasaysayan ana: Niadtong panahon pa sa mga Katsila, dunay mga Pinoy nga nagtagik og mga berso sa istorya sa Bibliya nga Henesis o Sinugdanan sa Kamugnaan sa Kalibotan. Ug ginakanta kini ug ginganlag Pasyon. Ug sanglit istorya sa pagkatawo ni Hesus ang gisaysay , maong ginganlag Pasyon Henesis.
(It goes this way: During the Spanish time, the Filipino Catholics wrote a versified version of some Bible stories, and one of these is the Genesis where the story of Jesus Christ’s Nativity is told. And these bible stories in verse are sung and are called Pasyon. Hence, the Pasyon Henesis.)
RENREN & WILLIE & LITO: Ah, mao diay. Tenk yu tenk yu, pagka brayt gyud nimo. Hahaha. (Ah so that’s it! Tenk yu tenk yu O how very bright are you. Hahaha!)
RENEN: Pre, malain tag istorya, Unsay imong komento sa gipamulong ni Mayor Duterte karong bag-o. . .nga kon siya daw ang ma-Presidente, mugnaon niya ang usa ka Kowalisyon Government kauban ang CPP-NDF-NPA?
(By the way Pare, what can you say to the latest pronouncement of Mayor Duterte that if ever he becomes President, he will form a Coalition Government with the CPP-NDF-NPA?)
LITO: Unsaon pagka Presidente niyang di man gyud siya molansar isip kandidato pagka Presidente, ingon niya? (But how can he become President when he said a number of times that he will not run as candidate for President?)
WILLIE:Dili. Sa akong nahinumdoman — miingon siya nga “kon siyay Presidente, iyang iproklamar ang usa ka Rebolusyonaryong Gobyerno parehas sa gihimo ni Cory Aquino kaniadto pagka human sa EDSA Rebolusyon, diin sirhan ang Kongreso, ug ipahiluna niya ang mga radikal nga reporma.
(No. As far as I can remember what he said was “If I will be the President, I will proclaim a Revolutionary Government like what Cory Aquino did after the EDSA Revolt. I will abolish Congress and I will have a free hand in instituting radical reforms”)
MYSELF: Bisag hain ana — Revolutionary Government or Coalition Government — maayo man para nako — kana KON klaro ang direksiyon sa paingnan sa katilingban. Kadto man gong kang Cory Aquino, napakyas ang gitawag niyag revolutionary government kay wala man makapahilunag dugokang mga kausaban sa gobyerno ug sa kahimtang sa katatilingban. Gibalik ra man ang kahimtang sa gobyerno ug sa katilingban sa panahon nga wala pay martial law. Walay tinuod nga kausaban para sa tinuod nga kalamboan.
(As far as I’m concerned, either of the two eventualities is good. . .IF the direction of what will become of the society is very clear. The revolutionary government of Cory failed to carry out genuine reforms for a genuine social transformation, because the societal dispensation was only reverted to the pre-martial law conditions.)
However, I am inclined to prefer a Coalition Government which will include the participation of the CPP-NDF-NPA. I believe it would be more favorable and advantageous to the well-being and welfare of the masses, because it will pave the way towards incorporating the demands of the CPP-NDF for a truly independent State and the construction of a national democratic order that insures genuine land reform and nationalist industrialization—ingredients for a truly progressive economy and sustainable development.
Under a Coalition government, the long dreamt dream for meaningful social justice and an equitable distribution of national wealth shall be given due course. The primoridal concern of this form of governance, with the CPP-NDF as co-agent for meaningful change, shall be the eradication of poverty. The vast majority of the masses through the cadres of the CPP-NDF, shall have a voice in the formulation of policies deemed vital for the advancement of their basic interests.
In the cultural realm, a scientific and mass culture ought to be cultivated among the citizenry. This would entail a reexamination of educational policies and the need for a review and reorientation of cultural programs.
WILLIE:Maayo diay ang mahitabo aning gihunahuna ni Mayor nga Kowalisyon? (So, the Mayor’s idea of a Coalition Government is good?)
LITO : Tan-awa! Kon wala pa ta mobisita aning atong higala, dili ta mapatin-awan aning giingon ni Mayor? (You see, if we did not visit our good friend , we wouldn’t have been enlightened of what the good Mayor said?)
RENREN: Maayo gyud nga nagdala pud tag Red Wine, kay nakatabang nig patuyhakaw sa pulahong panghunahuna sa akong kumpare! Hahaha. (Well, it’s also good that we have brought with us this bottle of Red Wine because it directed our mind to something red in our discussion. Hahaha!)
Who knows, in the coming few years, we wouldn’t just be discussing but more importantly, participating in the running of a Coalition government. But short of that, there is a ray of a hopeful year ahead with the impending resumption of peace talks between the Government and the CPP-NDF. We are keeping our fingers crossed with the hope that something worthwhile and fruitful would be its outcome.
ALL: Thank you, thank you sa paliwanag ninyo!
And let us not forget that our beloved Pope Francis is coming to bless our New Year with a visit! Next time— Oh, this coming New Year’s Eve —, we shall discuss the revolutionary pronouncements of the good Pope. Akong taya!
