4HeadlineGitnang LuzonMARCH 5, 2013EDITORIALBarangay health--andpeace--workersBarangay Health Workers (BHWs),who are mostly women, are goodcandidates to promote peace and orderin their respective barangays. Barringthat there are women who usuallywage wars against their philanderinghusbands, women are predominantlypeaceful individuals.Women <strong>of</strong> today can no longer becalled the “weaker sex” because theycan do almost anything that men can.They have now equal rights in the societyand they are as efficient as men--sometimes better--in many obligationsentrusted to them.Governor Lilia Pineda, recognizingthe role <strong>of</strong> women in society and nationbuilding, has tasked the BHWs,her frontline army in her battle to keepKapampangans healthy, as force-multipliersin promoting peace and order intheir communities.The BHWs work for their fellowmenin the barangays almost 24 hours eachday but with minimal support from thegovernment. They, who visit homes <strong>of</strong>residents who are afflicted by diseasesand no one to turn to, could influencethe communities to think <strong>of</strong> the overallbenefit <strong>of</strong> their areas instead <strong>of</strong> focusingon their selfish interests.There are jokes about war-freak menwho shiver in fear at the sight <strong>of</strong> theirwives. But, we hope these jokes aretrue because if women can make hotheadedmen sober, we’ll have morepeaceful communities. We wouldrather live like this since violence is nolaughing matter.HEADLINE Gitnang Luzon is aDaily Regional NewspaperEditor-in-Chief: albert lacanlaleLayout Artist: JP ManalangReporters: CHARLENE CAYABYAB /MARNA D. DEL ROSARIOAdministrative Staff: sherylin l. riveraMarketing Head: ELAINE MAPILESPhotographer: Leo villarcarlosLegal Counsel: Atty. Gerome n. TubigCirculation: JIMMY TAPANG / ATO CRUZPublisher: I.N.I. NewspaperEmail: headlinegitnangluzon@gmail.comWebsite: www.headlinegl.comDISCLAIMER: Views expressed by columnists are theirown and do not necessarily reflect the editorialposition <strong>of</strong> HEADLINE Gitnang Luzon or itsinternet website: www.headlinegl.com.The publisher does not knowingly publish falseinformation and may not be held liable for the views <strong>of</strong> itscolumnists exercising their right to free expression.All rights reserved. Subject to the conditions providedfor by law, no article or photograph published byHEADLINE GITNANG LUZON may be reprinted orreproduced, in whole or in part, without its prior consent.Office Address: 2nd Floor, U2 Building, MacArthurHighway, Dolores, City <strong>of</strong> San Fernando,Pampanga, 2000Tel. Nos. (045) 435-0938Government employees and <strong>of</strong>ficers,including barangay <strong>of</strong>ficials,are discouraged from taking sides inthe elections and make sure that theyare non-partisan since they are in theposition to serve everyone regardless<strong>of</strong> their political affiliations.Showing partiality as far as politicsis concerned, is a big no-no forany government worker, whatever positionhe may be handling. Instead, heshould maintain the highest standard<strong>of</strong> service he could give, without biasto any political party.By “all,” it means nobody is exemptedfrom this ethical standard.There are no salary grades nor designationsthat can earn one governmentworker an exemption to this writtenrule. As long as they get paid withpeople’s money, these workers shouldwork for all the people duly recognizedby the government as Filipinos.Not even--or, especially not--thepresident <strong>of</strong> the country should beseen, heard or read endorsing particularcandidates in the election. Thehighest government <strong>of</strong>fice in the landshould set the example <strong>of</strong> political impartialityduring the dispensation <strong>of</strong>his sworn duties to the people.After being given the mandateto serve for six years, the presidentshould be focusing on his job and forgetabout campaigning for candidateseven if these belong to his politicalparty. If he thinks his six years is tooshort to “correct all the wrongs doneby his predecessor,” then he shouldnot spend even a single minute doingBALITANG TODA MAXNon-partisan Presidentthings that are not in his employmentcontract.Every minute is important toa president. Oftentimes,he needs to run“To go anywherein thecountry forthe purpose <strong>of</strong>campaigningfor his men willmean expensesfor the government.”Madalas kong sabihin na angpinaka-disiplinadong tao sa buongdaigdig ay ang mga Pilipino. Totooiyan. DISIPLINADO PAG NASAIBANG BANSA!Marami na ring bansa ang akingnapasyalan. Sa Estados Unidos,makikita mo ang mga kababayangmga Pilipino kung paano sumunodsa mga patakaran. Makikita mo nakahit sa mga ice cream parlors aypumipila at hindi nakikipag-unahan,hindi tulad dito sa atin.Ang mga nagkalat na Pilipino saiba’t ibang sulok ng daigdig, sa Paris,Japan, Hongkong, Singapore, Italyat lalo na sa Middle East, ay napakadisiplinado.Upper CutAmbet Lacanlale***Pagdating sa ibang mga bansa,iniiwan ang mga lisyang gawa ditosa atin. Hindi sila nagtatapon kahitultimong upos ng sigarilyo kahitsaan kung hindi Naghahanap ngbasurahan para doon itapon. Walakang makikitang Pilipino na iihisa harapan ng pader. Sa basurahannila ay magkahiwalay ang di nabubulokat nabubulok; at nasa tamanglalagyan.through all the itinerariesfor a day as these come in chain.He even needs a lot <strong>of</strong> assistants tohelp him through one hectic day.With all the work at hand, a presidentshouldn’t be adding workloadthat are not within his contract withthe people.A president campaigning for hisbets sets a bad example to the thousands<strong>of</strong> government employees inthe country who are repeatedly remindedto refrain from participatingin partisan politics.Our president is the president<strong>of</strong> every Filipino, even <strong>of</strong> those whoare running against his partymates.To campaign for his candidates automaticallydeprives the other candidates<strong>of</strong> equal treatment from ourgovernment. The highest leader <strong>of</strong> thecountry campaigning for hispreferred candidates is alreadycampaigning, albeit indirectly,against those running againsthis slate. So much for a levelplaying field here.The president’s salary ispaid for by all Filipinos who paytaxes to the government, that’swhy all Filipinos are his bosses.Yes, even those who are notamong his chosen candidatesdo share the burden <strong>of</strong> payingfor all the president’s perks andprivileges.Government resourcesare used each time a presidentmoves. The people who guardhis safety are paid with governmentmoney, as well as the gasused by the convoy <strong>of</strong> vehicles thatcarries him to his itineraries.To go anywhere in the country forthe purpose <strong>of</strong> campaigning for hismen will mean expenses for the government.It means that governmentmoney is spent only for certain a politicalgroup to the detriment <strong>of</strong> othergroups, which are composed <strong>of</strong> peoplewho also pay taxes.I don’t buy the reason that thepresident only wants his preferredcandidates to win to help him carryout his programs. A president shouldknow how to work with a Senate regardless<strong>of</strong> how many administrationUPPERCUT Page 7May pag-asa pa ba?“Dito sa atin, pansinin ninyo, kung saan ang mga signs na bawal ang ganito, ehdoon mismo ang lalabagin ng ating mga kababayan.”***Ang nakakalungkot, kapag nanditosila sa sariling bansa, nawawalaang kanilang pagiging disiplinado.Ang laging itinuturong masyadongwalang disiplina ay ang ating mgadrayber ng pampublikong sasakyan.Ang nakakalungkot ultimong mgamay mataas na pinag-aralang tao, atkung magka-minsan pa nga ay mgaalagad ng batas, ang madalas lumabagsa mga batas trapiko.***Ngayong panahon ng halalan,makikita mo, na mula kay PangulongNoynoy Aquino, sina BisePresidente Jejomar Binay, SenateBALITANG TODA MAX Page 7
HeadlineGitnang LuzonMARCH 5, 20135“The most potent weapon<strong>of</strong> the oppressor is the mind <strong>of</strong>the oppressed.”--Steven BikoTo wage in any war does not alwaystranslate into usingbrute force or violence.Nowadays, themost applied weaponryin any battlefield ispsychological warfare(psywar). The art andscience <strong>of</strong> stratagem,clever public manipulation,propaganda,hidden or underhandedagenda, covert orunderlying operationsare some <strong>of</strong> the components<strong>of</strong> this effectivesystem. To putthis into perspective, itis no wonder why propagandistsemploy thepower <strong>of</strong> psywar in thepolitical arena.Now WeKnow!ELLEZ J. DAVIO“I do notneed theirconcurrencejust to alterwhat I wantin life.”OutsideLooking InMark Lendle L. Toloza“Some candidatesuse gimmicksand playthe victim, theyare not onlyfeigning innocence,but posingas victimsas well.”Secret weaponHistory speaksfor itself: Hitler’s Nazipropaganda and his ideology<strong>of</strong> ethnic cleansing;Mussolini’s Fascistmovement; the “stateless,classless utopianism”<strong>of</strong> the great KarlMarx that they keptablaze through the use <strong>of</strong> psychologicalwarfare. Successful or not,they kindle an impact by the power<strong>of</strong> psywar, bar none.Deception is the benchmark <strong>of</strong>all warfare as, Sun Tzu stated. Andin our modern times, propagandaas an ingredient <strong>of</strong> psywar, is themost dangerous weapon in politics.Name-calling like “lasenggo, sinungaling,walang hiya, bastos, walangpinag-aralan, babaero” is a tactic todeviate the issue without looking atthe evidence and discourse.See, those tags were borderingin Ad Hominem, or attacking theperson instead <strong>of</strong> the argument.This is also to demoralize the targetby shaming; make him look inferior,frail and substandard.Intimidation in politics. Givingdeath threats is a scare tactic to disarmthe resistance <strong>of</strong> an enemy tocontinue fighting. As from the immortalwords <strong>of</strong> Sun Tzu: “to fightand conquer in all your battles isnot supreme excellence; supremeexcellence consists inbreaking the enemy’sresistance without fighting.”By bruising the psycheand emotion <strong>of</strong> yourenemy, putting him ina mental state whereinanxiety, fear, paranoiawere unsettling because<strong>of</strong> the proposed imminentdanger he’s dealingwith, he becomes aloser halfway through it.Again, this is demoralization.Losing a candidate because<strong>of</strong> a political battle isalso a death in democracy,remember that. But as always,there is a flip side tothe coin. Some candidatesuse gimmicks and play thevictim, they are not onlyfeigning innocence, butposing as victims as well.You get sympathy, you getthe votes. Plus, you’ll getthat upperhand by constructingthat devilishintent <strong>of</strong> the enemy (me doing thefacepalm).Have you ever seen this kind<strong>of</strong> scenario in your life? Take as anexample activists holding up picketsigns and boards in rally, shoutingin rage, swarming in front <strong>of</strong> anyinstitution, university, or company.I was never involved in activism,by any sort. But as a former sciencescholar student in Pampanga HighSchool, we were trained to be highly-opinionated,and outspoken. Ifanyone thinks that I am blatantabout my ideas, they should meetmy former classmates and realizehow timid I am compared to them.Back to my point, I had observedthat kind <strong>of</strong> scenario; every minutedetails in it. Most <strong>of</strong> the time, authoritiesin duty tried to pre-emptor forestall the activists by hubrisIf you could turn back the time, whatare the the things or events in your life youwish you could change? Some would probablysay that they want to go back in timeto rekindle their old flames, or to spendmore quality time with their departedloved ones. For others, I presume, eventsthat had something to do with money mattersand the opportunities they failed tonotice that could probably change theirlives for the better.Try to imagine your life if you did whatyou have supposedly done before. Doesit make a big difference? We would neverknow, would we? We are all prisoners <strong>of</strong>fate and destiny. All we have to do is towait slowly for our time and let the course<strong>of</strong> life take us along the way. As for me,I really do not know if I need to change athing in my past. My life is so full <strong>of</strong> challengesand significant events that I couldnot really enumerate all the agonies andthe enrapture junctures that made me whoI am right now. I have regrets in life. Whodoes not? I made decisions that were out<strong>of</strong> bounds and felt miserable for a briefmoment yet, with failures I gained wisdomand I have learned to stand on mytwo feet. Uncalled for decisions marked aturning point in my life, however, I choseto accept them wholeheartedly. I have tomove forward for my own sake and benefits.Accepting the reality makes me saneand complete.I am who I amand power <strong>of</strong> authority. The activiststhen squeal in pain and tears,showing brutality dealt on them.But, a well-versed tactician will justorder his security guards to takepictures <strong>of</strong> the activists. Why? InPsychology, this is what you call“sensitization.” This will effectivelymake the target feel that he is onthe look, like cameras in a grocerystore. Not only that it has psychologicalimpact on the activists, it isalso coupled by the intent to “identifythe enemy.” Very shrewd.But in a political activity, somepropagandists facilitate what theycall in their books as “street theater”as a form <strong>of</strong> baiting. They willuse people to shout and rally in ragein streets <strong>of</strong> a town or a city; ventingscandalous remarks to the opposingcandidate. This is a duality<strong>of</strong> attack and a set-up. Of course,this is unconstitutional. But if thetarget candidate reacted and counter-attackedthese political pawnsby force, he just made a flaw in hiscampaign. This scenario will bemagnified so he will be perceivedas a politician with impulsive character,hasty decision-making, andhungry for power that resonatespast dictators. Truth is, this is nothow we could test the character <strong>of</strong> apolitician, not with a single mistakeor action. Yet, this is propaganda atwork.To pin down an enemy, oneshould also break down his supportsystem. That is why the G2 or intelligence<strong>of</strong> propaganda operationsseek to know the circle <strong>of</strong> friends,co-workers and family <strong>of</strong> the target.Propagandists could use “rewardand punishment” to make the supportsystem <strong>of</strong> the target their veryown accomplice and pawns. Thereis no greater reward than moneyand a promise <strong>of</strong> a better future,as the earmark <strong>of</strong> the adage: “whenmoney talks, everybody listens.”That is why, in politics, “gapang”was coined. That is why in politics,propaganda plus money could turnpeople into automaton.After my first marriage, I had aOUTSIDE LOOKING IN Page 7The fact is, I am who I am. Nothing morenothing less. I love being me. I tend to beirrational sometimes, yet I always find themost logical explanation <strong>of</strong> my so-calledoutspoken attitude. I am open to criticism,either positive or negative, as longas it would help me enhance my identity.I feel awkward and indifferent when afriend reveals the dark side <strong>of</strong> my personality.I get <strong>of</strong>fended, honestly.But I have to welcome his/her observationfor me to step up to the level <strong>of</strong> conformityamong my peers. I need to recognizetheir noble deeds in order to sustaina lasting relationship. It is paramount forme to earn their trust and confidence. Mypeers appreciate the deepest context <strong>of</strong> mysoul. And in return, I give them the respectthey deserve.It is not my intention to please everybody.And I know I can’t. The funny thingis, I do not mind what other people wouldthink <strong>of</strong> me. I do not need their concurrencejust to alter what I want in life. I havewhat I need. My life circles in my own creation.If people cannot accept my imperfectionsthat’s their problem, anyway.If given the privilege to go back in time,I would take my life as it is. No regrets. Iwould not trade what I have right now foranything fancy and superfluous that thematerial world could <strong>of</strong>fer. Life is all aboutrisks. All we have to do is jump on everygiven chance and live with it. •Sitsit at kulayit“This aspiration to fight for what isrightfully ours, legally and historically,is a unilateral act <strong>of</strong> the Sultanate <strong>of</strong>Sulu. This I pledge in the name <strong>of</strong> the AlmightyAllah…”- Sultan Jamalul KiramIIIIng Sabah metung ya karing masasabing 13a estadu ning bangsang Malaysia. Iti apin ingpakalugal keng panguluning pulu ning Borneo– ing awsan da namangNorth Borneo. Iti ing laltokadwang pekamaragula estadu ning Malaysiakatuki ning Sarawak. Itipakatagkil ya naman kngbakud sasakupan ninglalawigang East Kalimantanning Indonesia. IngKota Kinabalu ing magsilbingpekakabisera ningmesabing estadu – ingdating mayayaus a Jesselton.Bista man at maskilala ya ing Sabah bilangmetung karing estadu ningMalaysia, ing Pinas atinyang susulung a kaangkinankaniti lalu na kng dakeaslagan ning mesabing estadu.Mupin, ing Malaysiana ing sasabi na metungyang “non-issue” ing bage aiti. Bakit mo kaya?Agpang keng amlat atkasalesayan ning milabas,ing lugal a iti ing awsan dakanitang “Land Below TheWind,” metung a panyalitangibat karing mamalakayakanitang minunangMagbalaweAleesus Manarang“iti awsan dekanung Sabapauli dngpisang saba,metung a urining saging,mayayakit atutubu karingbebe ning mesabinglabwad”panaun pauli ning ing labwad a iti palalugal yakng dane mawli ning labwad maralas dalanandng bagyu.Ing ibatan ning lagyung Sabah malabug yapa mangga na ngeni, pero metung karing teoryaketi ing sasabi na ketang panaun ning SultanatungBruneian, iti awsan de kanung Saba paulidng pisang saba, metung a uri ning saging,mayayakit a tutubu karing bebe ning mesabinglabwad. At dala ning ing lugal makapisan ya kngBrunei, sasabyan da ring magaral keng kasalesayanna niti na ing kataya o salitang iti metungyang Bruneian Malay na buri nang sabyan“pangulu” o upstream o ing kangatba keng baboning kailugan. Agpang naman keng metungpang teorya, iti menibat ya kanu kng salitangMalay a sabak na buri nang sabyan “lugal nungnu makakabyo ing mala-atbung tanaman.” IngSabah metung ya namang amanung Arabic namangabaldugang “sibutan ning aldo” o sunrise.Ing dekalan da ring teoryang iti ing magpasakitkeng pamagaral keng nung ingsanu pin tutunang ibatan ning mesabing lagyung Sabah.Ing Sabah dati ya namang meyaus Seludangkng metung a 1365 textung Javanese na awsandang Nagarakretagama na sinulat nang MpuPrapanca.Nung talukyan ya ing mesabing amlat, itiatin yang kuneksyun keng Pinas lalu na kengKapampangan. Alimbawa, ing Sabah bilangpisang saba iti atin yang lalto pamiugne: mumuna,ing katayang saba metung ya namanguri ning saging keti, at ing pesa naman metungyang kalutung Kapampangan nung nuing asan a itu bubulugan deng saging a saba.Kabang ing amanung sabak naman metungyang sapwa anti ning keng pun saging, na awsanda keti bilang sapwang sagin na gagawandang kurus a pupusanan deng magdarame keti.Keng matwang Kapampangan, ing amanungsabac mangabaldugan yang malanging sapwaning luyus, o sapin-sapin a sapwa ning saging.At nung ing pamanang kakabyonaman, metungyang kelat a belw an ning milabas keti.Katunayan, ing Kapampangan kambe ning Negrosmu deng adwang pekatanyag a lalawigangkakabyong atbu. Anya makanyan la naman mipalagyudeng aliwang lugal keti keng kabyasnana iti. Alimbawa: Cabiao (balen kng Nueva Ecija),Quebiauan (baryu kng Lungsud San Fernando),Mesalipit (baryu kng Baculud) at Atlubola (baryukng Lungsud Mabalacat).•
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