Aftermath

These last two weeks was a period of upheaval for our country, meeting 2 strong typhoons, and we are now living it their aftermath--great devastation, never before seen in history.  The image on the right shows a satellite image of Luzon (NMFC MODIS) more than 1 week after Typhoon Parma's first landfall; rivers are still swollen. Weather is fine with a ridge of high pressure area extending over Northern Luzon. The image at the extreme right shows a hemispheric satellite image (JTWC NMFC) demonstrating no current tropical cyclone warnings; TS Nepartak is moving northeast, while TS Parma is moving westward. A Low Pressure Area (LPA) however is seen about 700 km east of Catanduanes island. Hopefully this fine weather continues.

As of this writing, the combined figures are mind-boggling.  About 1.3 million families were affected, translating to about 6.6 million individual persons, or 7% of the national population.  Of these affected people, 952 lost their lives, and many are still missing.  Thousands of houses (about 66,000) were destroyed.  The total damage to agriculture, infrastructure and many utilities amounted to more than P15 Billion or roughly about $320 Million, or about 1% of the national budget for 2009.  To restore electricity, some areas will have to wait at least a month. The socioeconomic devastation will now be slowly felt my all, more so for the poor.  In many places floods are everpresent; some estimates say floods will recede in 3 months, especially in areas near the lakes and rivers.

Incidentally the Gospel passage yesterday (Sunday) talks about giving away "all you have" for the kingdom.  Many people lost everything (albeit by force of nature) and many more gave away some treasure for their relief, which has to continue for a long time.  Let's do whatever we can to help our neighbors rebuild their lives.  Relief from all groups is welcome, be they private, or government; the private component may cease (hopefully not), but the government portion must continue and be sustained indefinitely.  If anything has to be done, it should be done, and forget politics.

Part of the gospel goes...

And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." (Mark 10.21-27 RSV)

Good Works and Media

The Philippines, particularly Luzon was recently devastated by two powerful typhoons--Ketsana (Ondoy) and Parma (Pepeng)--leaving behind a lot of miserable people, needing humongous relief, mainly food, clothing, medical care, and shelter.  The image on the right shows typhoon Parma almost stationary above North Luzon, soaking it, being followed by supertyphoon Melor (went to Japan).  Obviously there is a need to give relief packages to them, and people who actually do the handing of the items.  Some popular personalities however said things on air that prompted this writing.  One says that people, particularly politicians and actors, ought not to show their faces while handing the packages, or perhaps not to give their names when donating.  Please, let's not criticize people for doing good!  Let's not put malice where there is none.  The faint of heart might lose interest in the whole thing just because of such idle talk.  They somehow remind us of the following biblical passage:

"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6.1-4 RSV)

They do seem to have a point, right?  But then turn one chapter back and read...

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5.14-16 RSV)

Now this is the reason why private interpretation of scripture does not always work.  The two passages seem to be contradictory at first glance; note that both came from St. Matthew's gospel.  But there is no contradiction!  It boils down to the real intent of the person.  If the real intention was to be seen doing good, then the act of gift-giving is hypocritical--there'll be no reward from God.  For politicians, it is indirect vote-buying at the least.  But if the person goes to the aid stations with pure intentions, then the presence of cameras is incidental only.  So folks who condemn these people need to shut up; nobody can really read minds, nobody can see the intent of people.  In conclusion, I leave this passage for our own meditation:

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you." (Matthew 7.1-6 RSV)

Let's continue being neighbors to everyone; let's rise again after this fall. Think positive, walang iwanan!

Typhoon Lands

About 12 hours ago, slightly weakened Typhoon Parma (local name: Pepeng) was located at about 360 km NE of Manila, moving 315° at 7 knots (13 kph), in the general direction of Isabela province Saturday (image 1).  A multispectral satellite image obtained now shows the further weakened typhoon accelerating to 22 knots (41 kph) moving NW, located just east of Isabela (image 2, both from NMFC/JTWC).  It's obvious by now that typhoon Ketsana's (Ondoy) fury will not be repeated in Metro Manila, and other nearby provinces.  Brace yourselves, people from Isabela, Cagayan and other adjacent provinces. Incidentally, one knot (nautical miles per hour) is equal to exactly 1.852 kph.

Kudos to members of the Police (PNP) and Armed Forces (AFP) as they are rarely mentioned in the media, nevertheless they are the unsung heroes.  While many others are also giving relief and assitance, they are really the frontliners; before politicians and actors come, they have already cleared the way.  For responding to the call for help from our countrymen in dire need, I also pat the backs of many folks.  The work is not over (may continue indefinetely) but it's okay to pause and think about this once in a while.  To all: keep up the good work!  To our very much affected people: keep the faith, keep the hope, things may become worse before it becomes better. May God be with you and all!

On a related note, some sort of order must be implemented in the relief areas.  Relief giving should be an art: there's a minimal structure that should be there before distribution is allowed.  A few unruly people must not cause anarchy; people can't kill just to get aid!  In crisis or not, discipline must be maintained.  The elderly and children can't fight it out against these rouges.

"One great form of wealth is kindness. It does not diminish no matter how much you give. It increases the more it is shared."

Supertyphoon

After 24 hours and using the previous parameters, the shaded area now is forecast to include the entire Luzon island and Samar; it is affecting Samar by this writing. Using NMFC/JTWC (mtsat 2009-10-01 05:30), we can see the extent of Typhoon Parma (locally named Pepeng); the associated clouds are now covering the entire country, especially the eastern sector. The eye of storm is located about 460 km east of Samar island, moving in the general direction of Northern Luzon (image on right).

The latest image (left) demonstrates supertyphoon Parma (2009-10-01) with maximun winds of 220 kph, gusts reaching 260 kph, and moving NW at 22 kph (http://www.wunderground.com). It is category 4 (up to 250 kph) until it makes landfall in Northern Luzon on Saturday. Superimposed is the satellite image showing the extent of the typhoon.

Let us hope for a non-destructive outcome, or better still, for it to change course and dissipate away from land.

Bracing for another Storm

After being battered by tropical storm (TS) Ketsana last Saturday where at least 240 people died and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes (as of this writing), another TS is coming--Parma (19W). Its effects are expected to be felt this weekend; northern Luzon is a possible landfall (NMFC/JTWC). As many more weather disturbances are expected after this, let's all pray for a tamer storm.

Proud To Be A Filipino

When great things happen that put the Philippines in a good light, people would instinctively exclaim "I'm proud to be a Filipino!" "I was hiding my head in a hole until this thing happened, what a wonderful feeling!" Many such things come to mind: the restoration of democracy through a peaceful revolution in 1986, the triumph of Lea Salonga in the music and entertainment scene, victories of many sportsmen and women in their fields, especially for Manny Pacquiao lately, and many others...

When bad things apparently happen, these same folks profess to be ashamed of their nationality. Surely, bad things always happen, and we should do our part in stopping them, or at least mitigating their effects. But our national pride never fades; it goes on and on.

Perhaps it is similar to what happened (it may still be happening) to the Church in the past few years. I guess everybody remembers the clerical scandals involving minors. Many Catholics lost their faith. They failed to see the forest because of the rotten trees. You know what? I'm proud to be a Catholic. I might include here the politicking of many bishops and priests--I'm very disappointed with them, but I'm still a proud Catholic. [Obviously, pride as used here pertains to its positive meaning, not its negative, being the first among the 7 capital sins.]

I'm proud to be a Filipino, no matter what!

Cory Aquino, Farewell

At 3:18 am last Saturday (1 August), Madam Corazon "Cory" Aquino, Philippine president from 1986-1992, passed away after a long bout with colon cancer. She is rightly called the Icon of Democracy from the recent past as she led the country out of a protracted one-man rule, "introducing" peaceful revolution via "people power". It may not be acknowledged by western historians but this manner of government change started it all--dominoes started tumbling! Remember Poland? This was followed by the eastern European countries, and also the former U.S.S.R.! The late Pope John Paul II incidentally had a hand there too.

February 1986 was really very memorable for many folks over here. As Mr. Ferdinand Marcos (ruling president at the time) was preparing to take a "new" mandate after "winning" the snap elections, a military coup was simmering. A violent uprising being hatched very high in the defence establishment. This plot was however uncovered and many officers were detained, and later presented to the public. Because of this, Misters Juan Ponce-Enrile (Defence Minister) and Fidel Ramos (Vice Chief of Staff) with their loyal followers, jumped the gun, fortifying their defences at the headquarters building, and shrewdly calling a press conference about their captured colleagues and their plan, hoping to gain public support. While they attracted a few, this provided for the "two fish and five loaves" for what will happen next.

When then Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin was informed, he called for "people power". People flocked the areas of concern to protect the "rebels". For some reason, I wasn't concerned about these things, and there was no sense of urgency or danger. Perhaps the millions of people who went at EDSA were also unaffraid. Perhaps there was safety in numbers. Perhaps as Filipinos it's in our nature to be fatalistic and just go go go! I guess religion also played a role--the government soldiers still didn't want to massacer millions just to protect a few people. The rest was history. Cory was installed as the eleventh president of the country, and the first female to take the post.

There was euphoria everywhere, and it took some time to put things back as before. That was a great achievement by all, and particularly for the new president. While I maintain my admiration for Tita Cory (fondly called by many), there are many things that could have been done to translate this revolution to benefit the majority of our countrymen who are poor. [What could have been done is anyone's guess; positives and much negatives in her administration--better discussed in another post. Because of this, people should not overdo the lip-service for the fallen leader. Let's give her the respect and not use this for personal or political purposes. I placed this side note because Filipinos have a penchant for turning anything to politics.]

President Cory Aquino... farewell! Now you're with Ninoy, your spouse and our hero, and there's no longer any pain from the illness. Now you can do much more for the country from there.

Goodbye, Michael Jackson

Four months has elapsed since my last entry, and many things happened, including socio-political and economic developments here and abroad. While these are important, they often become so boring that we sometimes forget their significance. We never run out of doomsayers who always see the negative in things. We see politicians and "pundits" creating ghosts, and then becoming frightened by them. Mere speculations end up in front pages; lies being repeated several times and then admitted as gospel truth. They are asking, "what is truth" but they already have answers! Religious events become politicized, and politics become sacralized. People who ought not to be believed are put in a pedestal and almost worshipped! This can go on forever.

More than a week ago (June 25), the famous singer Michael Jackson passed away for a still unknown etiology at a young age of 50. Inspite of the numerous negative comments, Jackson was a great man for his circumstances, mainly out of his control. They focus on his defects, but ain't we all imperfect?

Let's celebrate his musical genius, his songs, his contribution to the entertainment part of our lives. I remember his songs during those good old days--Ben, I'll Be There, One Day In Your Life and the ubiquitous Christmas songs Give Love On Christmas Day and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. I still remember the vinyl album Thriller, with all those famous tracks. I'm always entertained by his unique dance steps, perhaps similar to what magicians do in their routines. Many performers mimicked such moves but no one gets them as rhythmic as the original.

There are many things I would like to say but it's early morning already. But before retiring, I'm sending my best wishes to his soul... Goodbye Mike!

Revisiting Death

Less than a week ago (March 6), a very popular music/rap icon passed away after a painful and protracted bout against leukemia (AML). He's the forever young Francis Magalona, a.k.a. Francis M--his 44 years looks like just 22--that baby-faced. His fight against this kind of stubborn cancer is well-publicized. Many people unrelated to him, including me felt the loss, as if losing a brother. This incident made me revisit our old friend--death.

Death is a friend, but we don't seek it, it seeks us. It becomes an enemy if we actively long to see him. It's a mystery why some go through a lot of pain and suffering before he comes. It comes to some with no pain at all. Don't get me wrong, euthanasia is an abominable sin; as Christians, we accept the suffering and pain with its coming, as if it replaces our purgatory.

We should not dread death. I believe in God's mercy and we will surely have an opportunity to ask for mercy, only God knows when. One nanosecond on earth may represent a very long time in that instant when mercy is offered. Besides, death is the door to life, life of glory up there. "...Beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude 20-21 RSV)."

Guide the Children

A few hours ago, a nephew asked me about the meaning of some words he's trying to read from the computer screen. It's in fancy fonts and written in Spanish. In decades past, children were familiar with Spanish. That's not the point anyway...

The problem phrase in Spanish was: "Cinco Diablo". It pertains to the title of the music album of a certain band he's scrutinizing. I told him it stands for "five devil" [maybe that's five devils], and warned him of the dangers of being attracted to such things--the name might become a reality--meaning the devil might influence him sooner or later. It's laughable I have to admit, but who knows? It's similar to playing with ouija boards, e.g.; dangerous to the soul.

Then I asked the name of the band. I was surprised the group's name was "Saliva". What? I'm wondering, if such are the band name and album titles, the lyrics would also be garbage. I then intended to speak to his parents about this seemingly innocent stuff. That I'm going to do, but lest I forget, at least many of you readers out there get to read it first.

What is it about these stupid music that kids like? Worse, it might be something about bad or even "evil" lyrics. And the effect? I can only guess!

Please investigate these kinds of music! Let's guide our children, and make the good, the holy, and the moral attractive to them...

Rational Chess 2

I few months ago I posted a lightning chess game in which I lost, and then proceeded to write about the irrationality of lightning chess (see previous blog post). Well, some people agreed but some didn't, and so this post. There has to be another side to this thing. I got some insights from Sarah (at Chess.com), and I'm putting a piece of her mind here (with her permission):

"...Basically, it's doing what you already know, but by instinct and without deep analysis. I think to believe that even lightning is just mindless moving of pieces is shaky ground. Of course, it can be, but doesn't have to be. Many great players were great blitz and/or lightning players--Tal, Fischer, Fine, Petrosian, Korchnoi, Bronstein, Spassky, Taimanov, Dzindzichashvili, Tal's uncle Nezhmetdinov, Svidler and, of course, Chepukaitis. None of these players made many random moves. But time is an important factor, maybe the most important one, everything else being equal, since the clock ends the game for sure.

"So successful blitz/lightning players have well rehearsed opening repertoirs. They also often use pet lines that are more complex than they are sound. They know their traps, but don't waste time on material since endgames are rare and usually flawed. And they learn to attack, to pose problems and to offer choices (to make their opponent waste time, of course).

"Time is your friend and your enemy. The best players keep on its friendly side.

"The point is, that it's not really chess. Chess requires a great investment of time, energy and ego. It's just a frivolous, fun thing. You can lose 10 in a row in 30 min. or an hour and shrug it off.

"The only ways to get good at lightning or blitz is to either have a natural talent, a la Morphy, or play thousands of games at those speeds.

"On the other side of the coin, someone once asked Botvinnik if he ever played blitz. He said he played it once, on a train ride, and didn't like it."

I changed my mind since then. I don't think I can say more... thanks Sarah!

This blitz game I played more than a year ago (see diagram); at least I won this one.
PGN, Diagram

Of Manny Pacquiao And Mar Roxas

Two weeks ago, the country was glued to the TV waiting for the Dela Hoya-Pacquiao Dream Fight. Incidentally, the crime rate was zero--the criminals are also watching! Manny who is fondly called Pacman didn't disappoint his countrymen. He did what he said he'll do, and I think had he lost, nobody would have been disappointed. His training regimen is sometimes shown on prime-time news, and he's really doing his best to turn his body into a rock, and no beating from Oscar would affect him. The maxim "no pain no gain" really is true. Oscar is now definitely retired after that 8-round punishment, and I respect him for standing opposite a respectable boxer.

Congratulations Pacman!

A few days later, a large political rally (called "interfaith" rally) was held at the financial district of Makati. I would like to please the participants in saying that there was a "massive" crowd as reported by a news channel, but just a few went there (I'm speaking in relative terms). Just to make the story short, Mar Roxas, a "respected" senator, had his 15-minutes of fame on stage delivering a speech on the many ills of the country caused by the government. That's alright--we all respect the people's right to speak freely in a democracy. I was horrified--he cursed in no vague terms! I can't even mention what he said; we were trained from childhood to refrain from saying bad words. There goes that "good boy" image to the trash bin.

Worse, he refused to apologize to the people. How can he present himself for a higher office later? No congratulations for you...

Wherever we are placed, at home, work, on the street, or others, we must always do the right thing, big or small. People always cried that we have corruption all over; if we all become faithful in small things, we'll be faithful in larger things, ergo, no corruption. We all like to hear our divine master tell us one day, "...Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25.21 RSV)."