Love is a Rose

"Pink Roses in Bloom", photo by Primo

"Roses in varying colours", photo by Primo

" A Wedding Bouquet, photo by orange tulip

" A Day in the Flower Show", photo by Primo

There is a thin membrane that protects the self, and love’s thorns can puncture it with ease and tear it open. This is the painful service that love provides. It strips away our protective layer leaving us open to both hurt and love, and since we are human and fallible, we cannot love without hurting or be loved without being hurt.

-John Fischer
(Confessions of A Caffeinated Christian)

I am reading this inspirational book over tea in the last few days and i liked the lines too much and scribbled them in my traditional "planner". Yes, i received an organiser as a present strangely starting the month of September but i liked it so much. I am also looking forward to getting busy again and filling up at least my social calendar as i am excited to meet up a lot of old friends again.

The lines would not get off my mind and i tried to find my favourite photos stored in a flask disk. I initially looked for the photos that i took in my few visits of rose gardens in the country but i cannot locate them. Anyway, i got to rediscover the photos from a very dear friend, well also my brother Primo ( he patiently read the manual and taught me how to operate my first digital camera, thanks) from a flower show that entralled both of us and our closest friends one fine autumn day.

Well, the words of John Fischer about my favourite subject " love" are pretty much true, at least as far as i am concerned. Yes, love is a rose. Thanks John for such eloquence excellently verbalising the obvious . And i like roses just as i like tulips as i like loving too.

Favourite Hang-out

"My favourite hang-out", photo by orange tulip

I saw this in one of my hang-outs and it became my favourite from then on. This is where i go when i don't feel like seeing or talking to anyone, too tired, or simply just want to be away from it all. Looking around, there were a lot of pretty artworks and quotes beautifully scribbled all over the place but this particular line captured my interest for it never fails to make me smile everytime i read and reread it. I have a favourite table and chair close to the window where i drink my favourite tea or hot chocolate with a good book and i feel great. I relish those moments for they have been very emotionally and spiritually enriching.

This is also my place of solace next to the beach, when i am confused with what's going on about a lot of things and people around me. I always make it a point to pass by this area no matter how busy my life has been or would be and these words of wisdom from Oscar Wilde reminds me to breathe.

Yes, life is too important to take seriously.

Davao

Davao International Airport
Durian art work greeting local and foreign tourists
Island Garden City of Samal's Paradise Resort
Christmas time in Davao City
People from all walks of life converge at "People 's Park" in Davao City

all photos were taken by Orange Tulip

Few days earlier, i was happy about Barack Obama's good choice of picking up his Vice Presidential running mate Joseph Bidden. This guy is arguably an expert in government and foreign policies, a trait that many critics have found Obama lacking. I am personally in favour of Obama probably because of his disarming charisma and his promised " mantra of change" although he has not talked a lot on how he would go about such "change." I was reading about Hurricane Gustav's destructive plot in the Gulf Coast affecting the Republican Convention. President George W. Bush should have been to appear Monday at the four-day convention and i am getting interested over the 44-year old first-term Alaskan governor named Sarah Palin whom John McCain, in his advanced age and a former Vietnam prisoner of war has chosen to be his Vice Presidential running mate.

The headline news for today has brought chills to my spine. Digos City, Davao del Sur's capital city's terminal was bombed initially killing six people and left 28 others wounded, including a three year old girl. Davao, which is mostly popular for the tasty yet smelly durian is a huge province which was divided into three still huge provinces are as follows: Davao del Norte with Tagum as its capital, Davao Oriental with Mati as its capital and Digos City as capital of Davao del Sur. Davao City is geographically located in Davao del Sur but it has become an independent city. Davao is a lovely place with beautiful gardens, nice beaches, happy people and where local and foreign tourists enjoy coming back. It is a very friendly city both to people and the environment as smoking is prohibited in public places of the city. Around three years ago, i enjoyed reading a book in the city's Rizal Park which is pretty safe. A stone throw away is the San Pedro Cathedral across the City Hall. One can walk to his or her hotel or residence even at midnight and arrives safely, thanks to the disciplinarian,feisty and very much hands-on Mayor who's policies are deterrent to criminals to the delight of the business community and majority of the constituents. Of course criticisms about his management syle also abounds but what the heck, one cannot please everybody and even a popular mayor is never an exception.

Davao has been in the headlines since August 25 due to the ill-fated crashing of the C-130 in the Davao gulf( reportedly close to the Samal islands where white sand beaches including the upscale Pearl Farm are). Digos city is also known for each beaches and this is where most of the people from the nearby Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces go for outings. This is also a major city where travellers from Cotabato City, Maguindanao, South Cotabato and Saranggani pass through on their way to Davao City. http://www.davaocity.gov.ph/

Now enough for the geography. The news about such bombing (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080902-158108/Davao-bus-blast-kills-6, (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080901173 has made Davao in the headlines again. In July, the same bus line was bombed in Digos City initially killing one a nursing student and this was linked to the extortion activities allegedly by the Al-Khobar gang and this time initially killing six people and injuring another 28 including a three year old child. I assume that since the bus came from the city, the child was probably treated to Jollibee or McDonalds, went a little shopping with his parents or had a stroll in the lovely People's Park. Since it happened in the afternoon, they are probably on their way home. Same goes with the other commuters. It was supposed to be a happy day after unwinding in the city. But it turned out to be tragic.

And it happened at a time when the public has heard enough of the atrocities and human rights violations by MILF extremists or break away groups so it has done more impact. Only a copuple of weeks earlier, Kadayawan Festival was celebrated but it did not get much media attention as this gory bombing has done. Whoever was responsible for the bombing of such bus were a group of heartless, cruel individuals who did not care a bit about humanity. Injuring a three year old child, including probably her parents and killing and leaving other civilians wounded is a very cruel act and deserves severe punishment. Yet justice in this country is so slow and i am wondering if this tragic incident would just be included in the statistics.

When the hype of the news about such incident diminishes, what will happen to these victims? Who will take care of them? Who will take care of their hospitalization bills and medicines and will they be ever given an assistance after the medical care? What will happen to families whose breadwinners are included in the initial fatalities? Will they be given a livelihood assistance to start with? Or will they be left behind and fend for themselves and suffer their own pains?

Digos City is around an hour drive or an hour and a half by bus from Davao City. As i have mentioned earlier it has nice beaches too, and one could buy flowers of various kinds from the market although there are a lot more in Bangkerohan Market, Davao City. It has its own Gaisano mall and fastfood outlets and major banks. The people are very warm and friendly too. During " normal days" Digos City i reckon, is a lovely place to live due to its proximity to the beaches and closeness to the amenities of Davao City.

Yet people outside Mindanao and that includes the other countries outside the Philippines are unaware that other areas are safe for travel so they postpone or cancel their trip due to "peace and order situations". I have travelled myself riding the same bus line to Digos City and back to Davao City three years ago and it was my favourite bus because the drivers and the conductors are very courteous and accomodating. Even my fellow commuters are very friendly they exchange smiles with me although they are quite hesitant to talk to me probably because i looked a little different. I was lucky enough in taking these trips for a large number of few days there was no sad incident like this. There were checkpoints in going and coming out of Davao City so i felt safe. However, when the Glorietta Mall in Makati City was allegedly bombed( the cause is still disputed to date) and the Congress of the Philippines was bombed too- the free spirit in me suggested that everyday and everywhere , one's life is a risk and no one was able to stop me from going anywhere whenever my resources could afford it.

I just hope that the perpetrators of this crime will be apprehended and be given due punishment in the soonest possible time to deter further plans of inflicting man-made sufferings to innocent civilians. And i hope that the victims of this cruelty will be taken cared of or their sufferings would at least be alleviated. And i pray that any human right violation of this kind will never happen again.

Its an irony that this occured on the first day of Ramadan- when our Muslim brothers are starting their annual fasting activity as a part of the Islamic practice. Whoever the perpetrators of the crime would be, i hope that they will find it in their heart to pause and meditate and repent. Most importantly, i pray that they will respect the innocent civilian's right to live.

Something Precious

"My Beary Dear Christmas Bear"

“ Sometimes when you lose something precious,

you’re not really losing it;

you’re just passing it on

to someone else”

– Mitch Albom

(Tuesdays with Morrie)

Child's World

... delightful

... delectable

... sweet

... delightful and delectable

"Where everything is delightful, delectable and sweet "

photos by orange tulip

“ Am I still in the child’s world where candy stands for anything sweet enough to hold back tears? “
-V.C. Andrews

(Flowers in the Attic)

Continuing Cry for Peace in Mindanao

" A Hope for Peace in a Dark World" by Orange Tulip

While composing the photo, i was thinking that the fountains of various colours represents the multicultural Mindanao hoping for peace. And i asked myself- "When will peace be really achieved in the world and in this island?" Thinking about it sent a tremor to my heart. The words " Peace on Earth" in a dark evening was like an enormous longing for the Mindanaoans who have witnessed, emotionally and physically scarred and displaced by seemingly endless "war". Orange Tulip

Source: http://reckonsofspring.blogspot.com/2008/08/cry-for-peace-in-mindanao.html

IS THERE ROOM AT THE INN? by Edwin Bacasmas

A family displaced by the fierceness of the MILF raids certainly hopes so. They knock on the door of a total stranger to ask for shelter from a shop owner in Iligan City on Tuesday night. At press time, 15,000 evacuees are occupying the Iligan City National High School, the City Central School and the West Central School in Buruun. EDWIN BACASMAS

Source:http://media.inquirer.net/inquirer/inq/index/index_network.htm

The photo above has been used in my previous post, " A Cry for Peace in Mindanao"http://reckonsofspring.blogspot.com/2008/08/cry-for-peace-in-mindanao.html I am using this photo again as a reaction to this front page photo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer which really struck me at first glance. http://media.inquirer.net/inquirer/inq/index/index_network.htm. Taken by Edwin Bacasmas with the caption: " Is there room at the inn?" this photo i reckon, successfully captured the sufferings of a displaced family and is probably a perfect representation of the fifteen thousand evacuees in Iligan City as a result of the MILF attacks to the neighbouring villages. Looking closer, one finds an elder woman probably a grandmother, a female parent, minors and even toddlers. Noticeably missing are the male family members who probably opted to stay and take care of their homes, or to find food supplies for the family.

The sight of such photo made very much concerned about the reportedly 160,000 people (i am wondering if the women and children are included in the statistics) displaced by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rampage in North Cotabato. I was wondering how these villagers are making it through in crowded evacuation areas or in finding available place to spend the night. On top of the shelter, these families need other basics like food, clothing and beddings. For the wounded or sick, considering the crowded condition in evacuation areas the need for medical supplies and attention. I gathered from various national broadsheets and television news that constituents in the affected municipalities refuse to go back to their own homes(thus named ghost villages) due to the fear of another attack by MILF( where the GRP peace panel was supposed to be talking peace with) once the government military forces leave the areas recently " cleared" of armed rebels.

Few days earlier, the government troops did a " clearing operation" of affected villages in North Cotabato. Reportedly led by a Commander Umbra Kato, they torched, burned houses, took livestock and available resources, killing the innocent civilians( most notably a 72 year old man and his 71 year-old wife, and using their 39 year old son as human shield before finally killing him) displacing hundreds of thousands of both Muslim and non-Muslim civilians. Another MILF group, led by a “Commander Bravo” did a rampage in the neighbouring province of Lanao del Norte including some barangays of Iligan City. News accounts reported that at least 40 people were killed. This included the reported ambush of six soldiers led by Lt. Col. Angelo Benitez, in Kolambugan Town, Lanao del Norte on their way to the headquarters of the Army's Task Force Tabak in Iligan City.

According to reports, Monday's attacks was the bloodiest since a territorial deal with the MILF stalled earlier this month, just days after the government troops drove out MILF rebels from North Cotabato. “Commander Bravo” and his men took several villagers as hostages as they burned and looted several houses in Lanao del Norte. News accounts showed that even the aged parents-in-law and a brother-in-law of the former Comelec Chairman Garcillano (who became very popular for the allegedly vote rigging scandal of 2004 Philippine Presidential Elections) residing in one of the villages in Lanao del Norte were not spared from the atrocities of the supposedly " break away group". The MILF leadership refused to be responsible for the group's actions, citing them as " loose commands". Bravo tried to dismiss the allegation announcing over a local radio station that that it was an action of the Islamic warriors or muhadejins as a reaction to the Supreme Court's Temporary Restraining Order for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain(MOA-AD).

Arguably, there was no consensus nor public consultation held over the preparation and finalisation of the MOA-AD as claimed by the local government officials led by North Cotabato's Manny Pinol, Zamboanga's Celso Lobregat and Iligan City's Lawrence Cruz. Notably the indigenous group or " lumads are quiet. Having their own ancestral domains, i am wondering what would be their stand or whether they were consulted by the government peace panel. News accounts usually identify Mindanao settlers as Muslims and Christians, although i have always believed that it does not follow that if someone is not a Muslim, he or she could not become automatically considered as a Christian leaving the indigenous groups unmentioned. It will probably sound better if all residents of this island will be collaboratively called Mindanaoans. Further, regardless of the religious or ethnic background or dialect or language spoken, native or migrant in the island-they are all Filipinos.

Iligan City http://www.iligan.gov.ph/ is a charming coastal city which i chanced to see the first time around on my way to Pagadian City and the neighbouring Zamboanga provinces last year with few friends. On our way back en route to Cagayan de Oro City for a flight to Manila, a native of Iligan City whom i met few years back and has became a very good friend ever since, was generous enough to meet us up, treat us for dinner ( i heard Tatay's Grill is one of the very popular seafood restaurants in the place) and drive us around the city like a real tourist guide. What i found unforgetable was the city hall strategically located in the elevated part of the city giving me a delight to see the city evening lights from the city hall grounds. We took souviner photo shoots in the nearby park and i asked why the place is devoid of people enjoying the early evening breeze or simply " taking time to smell the roses". Our tour guide,my dear old friend jokingly replied" because they were expecting you to come, they left you alone to pose for your photo shoots to your heart's content". True enough, i posed excitedly like a tourist visiting a lovely place for the first time. Driving down, we passed the ampitheatre where the annual play about Saint Michael (the patron saint of the City) is regularly shown as a part of the highlights of the city's festivities. I missed going to the majestically beautiful Maria Cristina Falls (the sight of which enthralled me the upon watching a television show featuring the city's falls few years back) and other beautiful springs and waterfalls so i resolved upon myself to come back in this city on its festivities, walk on its grounds, learn and probably imbibe their culture-as soon as i can. While we were being showed around, i noticed that the city is quiet and peaceful sans a threat of any disorder. It was then a surprise to hear about the bombings in two hotels of- what i saw was a peaceful and charming city just a year ago. Unknowingly, this became a prelude to series of attacks by MILF rebel groups in the neighbouring towns resulting to massive evacuations.

The picture that in the Philippine Daily Inquirer news as i mentioned in the earlier part of this blog, represents the anguish and sufferings of the innocent civilians caught in the conflict. The sight of that photo has made me ponder and stop worrying about my own concerns which i reckon- are mundane. The said photo and the numerous news of deaths, displacements, and chaos made me cry some more- hoping for peace in Mindanao.

As the atrocities of the armed rebel group continue, military forces are sent from Manila, Luzon and even the Visayas to provide further support. No matter what side they are taking-either as a government or rebel forces, casualties will continue to soar. It makes me feel sorry thinking that they are still Filipinos hurting and even killing each other regardless of the causes that they have chosen to fight for. Most probably, the ongoing war in Mindanao will continue to cost the limbs and life of the soldiers deployed to drive away the rebels sowing chaos over certain vilages using the Supreme Court Temporary Restraining Order for the supposed signing of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity(BJE) as an excuse. Even the MILF rebels reportedly have, and also suffer their own losses.

Most importantly, the number of displaced civilians will continue to multiply, for who would not run away from their homes which at anytime could be riddled with bullets or torched by rebels? During unfortunate incidents, on their way for a safer ground, they could possibly be caught in the crossfire or worse, could be used as human shields. At the end of the day, the Filipino people are all losing in this very sad scenario.

I have always thought that Mindanao is lucky for its bright sunshines, beautiful sunsets,enthralling sceneries, rich soil for any agricultural crop away from devastations of strong typhoons or volcanic eruptions and other natural calamities. Little did i realised that the man-made calamities has, or will be more devastating- which brings undue disruption of many lives and leads to unquantifiable losses.

I choose to remember Mindanao with its clear blue skies, picturesque sceneries, pristine beaches, abundant natural resources and people with warm smiles and sunny dispositions in life. Yet it pains me to think that the condition has become very volatile again as a result of the BJE-MOA AD which arguably lacked " consensus" in many aspects. This ancestral domain issue has become a "sleeping tiger" recently reawakened due to the lack of sense and sensitivity of the concerned parties who are supposed to be " peacemakers".

Yet i continue to cry for peace in Mindanao for many huge reasons the foremost of which is my undying love for this place and its people where i belong. Yes, Mindanao will always be the first in my heart wherever my fate and faith would bring me- for this is the place where i first saw the rays of the sun and the sparkle of the stars and the beauty of the moon. This is the place of my birth.

Michelle

"Crossroads", photo by orange tulip

You are free to choose, but the choices you make today will determine what you will have, be, and do in the tomorrow of your life.

~ Zig Zigler

Today, my dear friend and sister Michelle flew back to her parents' home where her heart really is-Dipolog City. After studying and working in the big city for a considerable number of years, she decided to have a rest from the rigours of traveling,working and living in the big city. And as she is contemplating for the choices that she has to make in the future, orange tulip wishes her well.

Michelle, may the good Lord bless and keep you, until we meet again.