#karatula

“Sumulat”

Sumulat ka lang

Sa mga panahong kumukunot na ang noo

Nagtataka sa takbo at lakad ng mundo

Nagtatanong kung bakit ganito at paano

Sumulat ka lang

Kapag masyado nang matulin ang agos ng ilog

Kapag lahat ay nakatuon patungong dagat timog

Sa ganda ng mga bulaklak ay wala nang umiirog

Sumulat ka lang

Habang pinagkakaabalahan ng ilan ang pagtunganga

Naghihintay sa pagdating ng himala

Kinaliligtaan ang nakapaligid nang biyaya

Sumulat ka lang

Sa tuwing sarili’y ‘di mahuli, ‘di makita

Para bang nawawala’t nagwawala

Naghahanap ng makikinig sa kanya

Sumulat ka lang

Gaya ng pagsang-ayon ng saranggola sa hangin

Luimilipad na may makukulay sa buntot at kawayang tingting

Bulong ng grabidad ay ‘di pinapansin

Sumulat ka lang

Dahil sa oras na hindi sapat ang boses para sumigaw

Panulat ang s’yang magsisilbing karatula mo’t ilaw

Upang tawagin kahit minsan, pansin ng kanilang balintataw

“Itim na Karatula”

Hindi siya basta naiinis

Kung umunawa’y walang mintis

Ngiti’y pilit inilalawit

Kahit panga ay nangangawit

Mga matang tila buwang kalahati

Sa tuwing masasalubong mo sa tabi

Sa kaibigan nga’y walang pinipili

Mayaman, mahirap, maganda o hindi

Masasandalan, nakaupo man o nakatayo

Maaaring kapitan, barangay ma’y sa Tondo

Malalapitan, kahit gaano pa kalayo

Salamat sa peysbuk at teleponong makabago

“Babaeng ito’y wala namang iniinda

Lubhang masiyahin kaya’t bakit kaya?

Paano mangyayari itong bali-balilta?

Hindi parin kami makapaniwala!”

Mabilis na umugong sa buong bayan nila

Malungkot na sinapit ng isang dalaga

Nagulat ‘pagkat hindi nila nahalata

Kanila noong akala, maling-mali pala

Dahil... Bawat ngiting bumabalot sa mukha

Nagkukubli pala ng kawalang pag-asa

Bawat tawang pinakakawalan niya

Tumatakip sa lungkot na dinarama

Walang nakaaalam kundi siya

Walang nagtatanong kung ayos lang siya

Hindi rin naman s'ya makapagsalita

Hindi naman kasi sila maniniwala

Kaya't bawat patak ng luha sa mata

Pinupunasang bigla bago nila makita

Hanggang isang araw, panyo'y napuno na

Lubid sa leeg ang nakitang kasangga

”Makatang Hiling”

Brotsa, pintura, kahoy na mahaba

Ako’y gumawa ng sariling karatula

Doon isinulat nang malaking bahagya

Itong isang maikling kataga:

“Hiling ko ay umulan sana

Bumagyo’t bumaha sa buong kalsada

Bukas – at ang taas ay kagaya

Noong panahon ni Yolanda”

Ako raw’y  walang puso

Walang pag-ibig sa kapwa tao

Bakit daw hiling ng tulad ko

Tila iyong hindi makatao?

Masalanta’y hindi raw biro

Kaligtasa’y hindi masisiguro

Maraming buhay ang apektado

Masisira’t ‘di agad mabubuo

Ako’y gulat sa kanilang sambit

Ibig ko’y ‘di nila batid –

Pangarap ng mga tulad kong paslit

Ayaw lang sa isang iglap ay mapatid

Marami pa silang mararating

Mas malayo sa paputok na kaya nilang ihagis

Marami pa silang haharapin

Hanggana’y ‘di  ang mga pulburang may hugis

Kaya’t aking hiling, hindi ko babaguhin

Bagong Taon sana ay salubungin

Ng ingay ng ulan upang tayo’y minsang pigilin

Sa paglikha ng sariling ingay at panganib

Bawat daliri’y mahalagang lubha

sa pag-abot ng pangarap ng mga nilikha

Panalangin ko’y dinggin sana

Marami pang susulat – at magiging makata

 31/10/2017

Ito ay kalahok sa Saranggola Blog Awards 2017.

It’s more fulfilling to perform for the masses than to perform to the masses.

  KARATULA’s (Kabataang Artista Para sa Tunay na Kalayaan) last day of National Congress concluded first with a cultural protest in Central Market, a public establishment in danger of privatization. Our earlier rehearsals for the skit were sabog, and changes were made in the script at the last minute, but despite the jitters and anxiety of the unprepared, we managed to present the skit with relatively less errors. But when I look back on it again, it really wasn’t all about the technicalities, but rather the success of whether we have portrayed reality to the masses or not. I kept on remembering the aftermath of the skit, and it never failed to moisten my eyes to the extent that I just end up crying right after. What I have been feeling the past few days was a mixture of pride, of fulfillment and of yearning.

  Pride for the talent instilled in me which enabled me to act in front of people.

Fulfillment for having relayed the truth to the masses and for having fought somehow beside them.

Yearning for the actions which will, in any way, help them in the battle against the single-minded government.

  I cannot deny the benefits of privatizing public institutions. This takes place when the government can no longer effectively and efficiently provide goods and services for the people due to the lack of budget and so it taps corporations which are interested in gaining profits from a certain institution. Philippine Airlines is an example of a privatized service. The electricity was once publicly provided but has been taken under privatization too. For the wet markets to be privately-owned, however, it seems to be a tad unfair to the population within the poverty threshold. How can the government say that the economy is rising when the prices of goods keep on increasing and the minimum wage earned stays the same?

  We are all aware of how costly the prices in SM are. In a day out, one cannot buy too much out of a 200-peso budget unless he or she took the privilege of a free rider or went there solely for the sake of an air-conditioned walk. 200 pesos is more often than not a weekly budget of a poor family. It’s not any fairer to the vendors than to us customers.

  Hence, I find it insulting when one asks me if I would be able to get something good out of promoting the rights of marginalized sectors of the masses. It irks me. It irritates me. It angers me. I don’t want to identify myself with people who are ignorant enough not to at least empathize with the oppression given to a large portion of the masses and people who turn a blind eye to the harsh reality of his or her own country.

  Keep in mind that you have ready access to your basic needs whereas these Central Market vendors and loyal customers do not have. You have education, not fully-subsidized it may be, whereas their kids do not even enroll and some drops out and helps out instead. You have a sure house to live in whereas they are in constant fear of losing a roof above their heads.

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