NOTEBOOK: Meaningful Lives

NOTEBOOK: Meaningful Lives

On page one of this issue are photos of four people whose lives have become meaningful to others beyond their own personal circle of friends and family. Each had either chosen to take initiative to make a difference for others or by force of circumstance, suffer and in the process expose man’s inhumanity to man.

Francis Magalona pioneered as a rap artist in his country. His legacy, however, was more his message than his art. Although his art was his medium to highlight his ideals to his legion of fans and followers, his passion and pride for his national identity distinguished him from other artists of his generation.

Thus his signature “Mga Kababayan,” “Tayo’y mga Pinoy” and “Man from Manila”. But more telling was his seething criticism of corruption, greed and callousness in high places. No performing artist at his level of popularity was willing to unleash such rage against the powers that be, if ever they felt his rage.

In the process, his fans grew far and wide in the country and even in north America where culturally disoriented Filipino youth felt his pulse and warmed up to his performances. For decades, he was the Rap King of the Philippines so that when he died last week, the whole entertainment industry and its legion of fans, especially the youth, mourned their great loss.

Juana Tejada, a live-in caregiver stricken with cancer in Canada, had to leave and stay away from her husband, siblings and parents in the Philippines so she could lift them from poverty. She came from a country where the lower middle class and the poor working class have no hope for decent livelihood unless they go abroad.

She was away for nine years without ever having the chance to visit home. She was denied twice of a chance to get permanent residency in Canada due to her illness because Immigration authorities said she would be a burden to the health system. When advocacy organizations and fellow caregivers, with the support of the community, rallied to her support and pressed the government for a reversal of its position, she was granted her wish.

In her statements before audiences and the media, she consistently took the cudgels for the other caregivers whom she knew were in the same situation. She asked them to be brave and come out because the community and other groups were there to support them. And with the help of her lawyers and supporters, the campaign for the Juana Tejada Law was launched for the removal of the second medical test for caregivers when applying for permanent residency. Her death symbolizes the extent of suffering her people are subjected to in this age of labor migration.

Rebelyn Pitao, a 20-year old teacher in Davao City, met a violent death after being abducted, tortured and probably raped by armed men who didn’t bother to conceal their crimes. Rebelyn’s only “crime” apparently was being a daughter of an alleged Commander of the New People’s Army, Leoncio Pitao.

That her uncle, Danilo Pitao, was similarly abducted and murdered in June last year in Tagum City, indicates a pattern of “punishment” being inflicted on the family of suspected armed rebels. Upon learning of her death, her mother blamed the military.

Church groups, lawyers groups, legislators, women, labor, youth and other groups from her country and overseas are rising in protest to condemn the unspeakable crime against humanity.

Rebelyn would not have comprehended why she had to be subjected to mindless cruelty by her tormentors but torture and summary execution have become common in her country where almost 1,000 extra-judicial killings have been reported in recent years.

Rebelyn’s life is gone but her name will always remind everyone that the armed guardians of power will stop at nothing and can be ruthlessly cruel in preserving their masters’ rule.

Eulogio “Tay Gipo” Sasi, Jr., a native of President Roxas, North Cotabato, discovered a new pest-resistant rice variety and was honored by the Norwegian government for this achievement.
The Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk cited him “for upholding diversity through indigenous knowledge on crop conservation,” said a news item.

Eulogio died days before the event where he would have received the citation. The story further quoted a Mindanao leader on community empowerment, “He reminded all of us that the seeds being deposited in the Global Seed Vault and all the genebanks are products of generations of farmers’ knowledge and innovations across the world that are entrusted to this generation and for the future generation.” It’s ironic that Tay Gipo’s work is recognized by a government of another country and not his own.

Four Filipinos passed away in the past weeks and what they’ve done or what happened to them have touched many other lives to an extent they would not have known. Someone said the significance of one’s life is measured not in power or possessions but in how it has impacted or improved others’ lives.