September 15-21

Legendary singer and songwriter Freddie Aguilar is the King of Pinoy Folk & Country. His iconic 70s song Anak (about a young man ruined by drugs) would have had an international English version by Kenny Rogers if not for the people who grabbed the copyright from him. "Ka" Freddie is kinda like the Bob Dylan of the Philippines, whose songs are emblematic of his era yet they remain timeless. With his guitar and signature hat and long hair, he gave us memorable, socially relevant classics that stands the test of time, like Katarungan (about an innocent man on deathrow); Sa Kuko Ng Agila (about the social ills of foreign military bases); the Metropop awardwinning Bulag, Pipi At Bingi (about the lives of blind, mute and deaf people); and a lot more. My favorite Ka Freddie song is Magdalena, about a woman driven by a cruel world to become a prostitute.

Obviously, I have great respect for him, so I was happily surprised when I saw on Sarah Geronimo's Sunday night musical Sarah G: Live! on Aug. 12 (or is 5?), 2012, where Freddie and the "Pop Princess" did a duet. But before that, Ka Freddie performed his famous hit Estudyante Blues, the angst-driven anthem of high school kids, with the entire studio audience rocking. That's how it should be: great artists, in fine form, solo on stage!
 

 

***

Brian went out with Nadine, whom he met over the Internet, on a double-date with his colleague Joseph and Joseph's girlfriend, Dina Brian is Troy Montero Joseph is Diether Ocampo Jessa Zaragosa is Dina. She is also Nadine. It's complicated. 

The movie, Bakit Pa, is written and directed by Jose Javier Reyes, who also did Kasal Kasali Kasalo, which starred Judy Ann Santos, who starred in Isusumbong Kita Sa Tatay Ko, which also starred Fernando Poe Jr., who was the best friend of Joseph Estrada, who appointed as his press secretary Dong Puno, who had a public affairs show with Rey Langit and Mon Tulfo, who had a airport fight with Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barretto, who starred in Mula Sa Puso with Rico Yan and Diether. 
 
Diether, to continue in another paragraph, is the ex of Kristine Hermosa, who is married to Oyo Boy, who is the son of Vic Sotto, who starred in Agimat & Enteng Kabisote with Bong Revilla, who was linked with Ruffa Mae Quinto, who had an issue with Jessa Zaragosa.

Jessa, continuing on to a third paragraph, is married to Dingdong Avanzado, who was the ex of Rachel Alejandro, who is the daughter of Hajji Alejandro, whose song Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika was written and composed by Ryan Cayabyab, who is the mentor of Geneva Cruz, who is the ex of KC Montero, who is the brother of Troy

***

Lysa (Denise Laurel) gets out of prison and returns to her hometown of Cervantes, facing the social stigma of being a convicted murderer even though she was innocent. But she's now under the protection of a rich young businessman, Noel Crisostomo (Lemuel Pelayo), with his own agenda of vengeance against the mayor, Victor (Tata Mara). Noel appoints her to head his new scholarship program. Lysa is surprised to discover that, of all the teachers in the local high school, she has to work with Sev (Martin Del Rosario), her ex-boyfriend who had testified against her in court. On one of those rare days when I got the time the watch TV, I came across the afternoon soap Precious Hearts Romances Presents: Pintada on Aug. 30, 2012; the next day, I was glad to watch another episode because I was beginning to like it, although I knew I wouldn't be able to follow the series
 
Lysa is interviewing the candidates for the scholarships one by one. Sev remains silent as he sits next to her, looking at the applications. "It would be better," she points out to him, "if we do this together!" Sarcastically, Sev asks an applicant: "What would you do if you have to work with someone you dislike?" The applicant says he'll ignore the person. Without missing a beat, Lysa asks: "What if the other person is reaching out?" The applicant says he'll stand his ground because he's a man. "Men...!" sighs Lysa, rolling her eyes
 
Lysa asks another candidate: "What are your strengths?" Answer: "I can carry heavy objects!" 
 
During one of their awkward days working together, Sev refuses the school project of one of his students who submitted it late. A deadline is a deadline, he says. Lysa asks him to give the boy a chance.
 
"How can he change if he doesn't learn?" he says, both of them knowing he's also talking about her.
 
Lysa answers: "How can he change if you don't give him the chance?" 

 ***

 

John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) stands before the United States Supreme Court. A group of young men, abducted from Africa and sold as slaves, overpowered their kidnappers and now they stand on trial. This is the most momentous decision the High Tribunal has to make, declares the former President, because the true nature of man is not enslavement -- it is freedom. If this was not so, he asks, then what do we do with the Declaration of Independence? I have a modest suggestion, he continues, and he takes a pro-slavery pamphlet -- and rips it in two.
 
Does the truth stand, tall and proud? No, he said, it is "wretched and destitute." 

The Mende tribe, he tells the court, when faced with adversity, would call upon their ancestors for guidance. He walks around the courtroom, passing the statues of the Founding Fathers and invoking their names, pausing with reverence at the figure of his father, the late great President John Adams.
 
We never asked for your help, he intones, because we're afraid we may look weak; we want to shape the future, but we don't look back at the past. Now, we realize, and we are made to understand, "that who we are, is who we were..." 

***

April 21, 2012, Saturday, 2:27pm: I was cooking Quickchow pancit canton beef on my rice cooker. The radio was playing Deep In My Heart by Jose Mari Chan, on 96.3 EasyRock. I was in Mulawin, Tanza, Cavite. Over the kitchen sink, the window overlooks the highway. While eating, I surfed the radio, wanting to hear people talking. Glad I discovered the Twisted Tag Team with Stan and Cage on Mellow 94.7, Sounds Good! Earlier that morning, I made another good discovery: Anthony Pangilinan in a Saturday morning motivational radio show, Magbago Tayo, on 92.3 NewsFM