Remembering Cheerless Christmas Due to Odette

Today marks the anniversary of the formation of Odette. I remembered having a cheerless Christmas. I was in no mood to say Merry Christmas until January came. I couldn't get over celebrating Christmas and New Year in January. Those dates were on December 25 and the final day of the 12th lunar month. I wanted to put up some Christmas decorations but the house was still under repair. Living rooms and some bedrooms were still under repair. The good thing though was that electricity was restored. I did enjoy doing some clean-up work. The disaster was unenjoyable. The repairing soon became enjoyable. It was because every repair meant something to do after the disaster.

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My hometown of Cebu was devastated. Much of Visayas was ruined. I could remember how both former president Rodrigo R. Duterte and former vice president, Atty./Mrs. Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo did separate scouting. I was thankful for whatever help both did for the less fortunate. This reminded me of the devastation of Tacloban City during Yolanda. Seeing Tacloban in ruins still ruined my heart. I did associate Tacloban City with getting some delicious desserts and the sights.

Bohol was yet another place dear to my heart. I remembered having a family reunion in 2008 at the Bohol Bee Farm. That bee farm was my first experience in organic food. As a food lover, I felt devastated just thinking about how damaged it must've been. Fortunately, I'm glad to hear it recovered. Meanwhile, the damage also hit somewhere. Somewhere where I wish I could've flown to but the pandemic stopped me from doing so.

I could remember how reckless I got. I almost felt it was just going to be another normal storm. What started out as a normal storm became a tornado. It was a good thing I was warned on time not to stay where I was. I could've been badly hurt or even die as a result. I lost all energy for the whole time. It was eating a lot of meat before they'd be rotten. I was really glad that after some time--I was able to slowly eat some more plant-based food. Eventually, electricity was restored but those living in far-flung areas were still not having electricity.

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I could also remember the damage in Surigao as well. My late paternal grandmother came from Surigao City. I heard Surigao City was far worse than Cebu City. I was totally perplexed looking at Surigao City. It's another part of me even if I didn't grow up there. I wasn't there in Surigao but seeing the damage was something. Fortunately, there was limited use of a generator to allow me to check on my relatives. I used one month's worth of mobile data until the electricity and Internet returned. The damage was heartbreaking. Surigao had a sentimental value to me in one way or another.

Fortunately, some of my relatives in Surigao City went to Butuan as refugees. I was amazed that Butuan was left unaffected. I was able to chat with a cousin of mine who was staying in Butuan with his wife and newborn daughter. I was happy to hear that Butuan was accommodating to refugees. I could remember going to Butuan before going to Surigao during one of those family events. I was devastated even more. It seemed Surigao was going to take longer than Cebu to recover. Though, I was glad to hear that Surigao's repair was in the works.

Today, I wake up thinking about how bad last year was. It was a cheerless Christmas. It's a good thing that the mentality of "If it's bitter just add sugar." didn't prevail. Instead, people decided to slowly but surely work together. Odette was really something to remember. Hopefully, this would be a lesson in better disaster management. This should also be a wake-up call that we need more public services. Fortunately, the Public Services Act of 2022 was signed by Duterte before his term ended. Hopefully, there will be more preparedness in times of disaster.

Is It Just a Coincidence that Most Least Corrupt Countries, are Under the PARLIAMENTARY System?

It's easy to post an outrage on Facebook, whether it's on the Butthurt Philippines' Facebook page or Gerry Cacanindin's relatively open Facebook profile (except that only his friends can comment). I try to ignore the guy's page. I was wondering if Gerry has learned his lesson (that the Philippines badly needs a system upgrade) or if he still wants to believe that "It's just a matter if Leni Robredo or Vico Sotto." The latest Facebook post gives me something to think about: People often ask why some countries seem almost immune to corruption. As if their leaders are just magically more honest. But that’s not really it. The truth is actually simpler. These countries didn’t wait for good people. They built systems where doing something dirty is hard, risky, and usually not worth it. In the least corrupt countries, corruption isn’t just illegal but inconvenient. Paper trails are everywhere. Payments are digital. Contracts are public. Anyone can look up wh...

What? The Aquinos Aren't Part of a Political Dynasty?!

I was looking at the Mahal Ko Ang Pilipinas (I Love the Philippines) Facebook page, which made me laugh. This is what they wrote on their post saying that the Aquino Family isn't a political dynasty: THE AQUINO FAMILY IS NOT A POLITICAL DYNASTY 🇵🇭🎗 Pro-Duterte blogger Tio Moreno says that Bam Aquino is part of a political dynasty because the Aquino family is a political dynasty. But to me, this is not true. Why is it not true that the Aquino family is a political dynasty? 🤔 1. When Ninoy Aquino entered politics, none of his children joined him in his endeavors, and even his wife Cory did not join him in politics. 2. When Ninoy was assassinated in 1983, none of his children succeeded him in politics, not even his wife. But when the opposition and his supporters were looking to be the opposition's candidate for the presidency in the snap election called by Ferdie Marcos for 1986, his housewife Cory Cojuangco-Aquino was approached, encouraged or convinced by people t...

Lee Kuan Yew and Mahathir Mohamad: Just a Matter of Strong Leadership Without a Good System?

Jakarta Globe It's very easy to talk about how we need character change only, not a charter change. I say that having a charter change (better termed constitutional reform ) will lead to character change. The old saying of some boomers goes, "It's common sense that nothing is wrong with the system, just the people running the system." However, when I ask something like, "If that's so then why do other nations have better leaders? What about Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew?" Their answer is, "Well, that's proof that the system isn't defective, it's just the leader." This can also come from people who believe what Atty. Hilario G. Davide Jr. said that there's nothing wrong with the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, that it's the "best in the world". The arguments are clearly illogical at best . Some say that the parliamentary system worked in Malaysia and Singapore because those heading it aren't corrupt. T...

Why Philippine Elections Can Be Compared to GAMBLING

Gemini AI Art Some time ago, I wrote an essay that Filipinos can expect to lose more money betting that people will vote wisely . It's time for the truth, and the inconvenient truth hurts now, doesn't it? I had Gemini AI create this new AI art of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. and Atty. Maria Leonor "Leni" S. Gerona-Robredo, at the casino, just to make a point. Sure, Bongbong shook hands with Leni in Sorsogon as a step for political reconcilation . However, such events should be considered more like random variables, such as getting your ball to land on a certain color and a specific number in a game of roulette. Let's define what a gamble means. The Cambridge Dictionary defines gamble as: to do something that involves risks that might result in loss of money or failure, hoping to get money or achieve success: The gamble of whether your candidate wins or not, because popularity is fickle It's effortless to say, "It's not rea...

My Experience with a Cataract and Laser Eye Surgery

What really scared me was when my left eye got blurred. At first, I was hoping it was just a dry eye. I had my check-up done. My worst fears were confirmed by my cloudy vision. I had a cataract but at age 37? It was pretty young. It was a developmental cataract or a developmental defect . I was told that there was no other choice but to have surgery. I was pretty scared. I decided it was time to really view cataract surgery and discover the amazing use of laser cataract surgery. It's a good thing I dismissed the bogus claims of cataract-dissolving drops. Above is a sample video of what was shown in the hospital. I was nervous at first about what could happen. Having been told by the doctor (and will not disclose further details out of respect for the doctor's privacy) that it'll take faster than the manual surgery was a relief. I was willing to spend more on laser surgery rather than have the bladed procedure. I could say I was scared of the bladed procedure. I heard that ...

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