Yes, I am a sucker; but neither for blood nor anything playing naughty in your mind. I am a sucker for Twilight.

Twilight, the book/movie which features the star-crossed romance between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, was a huge success in 2008- at least for its author, producers and actors, but never the least for its fans. In fact, its author and popularity is now compared to J.K Rowling and Harry Potter. All over the globe and of course in the Philippines, the Twilight Phenomenon is self-evident and persistently conquering minds and hearts.

The story is about a teenage girl named Bella who fell in love to a heartthrob named Edward who is a vampire- there comes the conflict. But add to that is the lovers’ “You-and-me-against-the-world” situation where they need to straighten out their unlikeness: Bella is human, Edward is vampire. Bella grows old and eventually will die while Edward retains the age of 17 and is immortal. And the worst thing, the couple could hardly perform “lovemaking” because Edward, being a vampire, is so strong and irrepressible that he might tear down Bella to death whilst romance and passion rule them. There is also Jacob, a love interest to Bella in some sorts, who is a werewolf. According to legends, werewolves are mortal enemies to vampires. There is also another vampire named James who learned about Edward and Bella’s relationship and tried to wreak havoc on it by slaying Bella. It should be noted that Edward and his “coven” do not kill humans for survival. Although they love the aroma of human blood, they resist the temptation by drinking animal blood. Their diet is comparable to vegetarians. Hey, you’ve got to read the book or at least watch the movie to get a full understanding of this unorthodox love affair.

But what really is the message this phenomenal saga sending us? The author underscores that one of its major themes is the power to choose. Stephenie Meyer says that the book is centered on Bella’s choice to make her life herself, and the Cullens’ choices to abstain from killing rather than follow their temptations. “I really think that’s the underlying metaphor of my vampires. It doesn’t matter where you’re stuck in life or what you think you have to do; you can always choose something else. There’s always a different path if you just decide.” The author articulated it clearly and adequately.

Freewill is, in my opinion, the best gift God has bestowed upon humanity. It is one of the main qualities that set us apart from the brutes. Philosophers suppose that freewill is the doctrine that human choices are not predetermined; it means that we are self-determined and not (ultimately) subject to forces outside of our control. In other words, we are in supremacy over our choices and decisions, and thus our destiny.

We choose to think or not, what to think about, how much and how long to focus on an issue, how many options to mull over, which of the options to pick, etc. We also make higher level choices of goals and values, such as desirable character traits, careers, friends and lovers, and of course, moral decisions such as when to lie or tell the truth. The concept of free will is very closely connected to the concept of moral responsibility. Acting with free will is being responsible for one’s action.

I believe this is the definitive message of Twilight. Some critics claim that the work is anti-feminist because of its depiction of Bella’s vulnerability, independence and obsession towards Edward. But I would like to refute that by stating that the very foundation of feminism is being able to choose; and Bella, for that matter, chose to submit herself to Edward because of her love to him. In a particular scene, Bella opted to wrestle against James to protect herself. Isn’t that a proof of strength, of woman empowerment? In another scene, Bella braved clinging behind a soaring Edward when they traversed the wintry forest. Doesn’t that substantiate her courage and audacity? In an instance, Bella came to Edward’s place to meet the members of his coven for the first time and played baseball with them, and eventually had an encounter with nomadic and human-murdering vampires. Isn’t that a show of self-reliance and pride, of woman empowerment?

Edward Cullen, on the other hand, is a gentleman. Devoid of the vampire traits that Anne Rice indoctrinated, he is of first-class breeding and a hero to Bella. He daunts Bella to conversion into a vampire because she might regret it in the future. However, Edward lets Bella choose for herself and respects her decision. He defies the lure of having sex with her because of the dreadful consequence: her death. You will never be frightened by vampires anymore, if you think they are akin to Edward. In fact, you will love them.

The symbolism corroborated with the “good vampires” can very clearly be taken as a parable to resisting temptation for an eternity of love and a belief that man has a soul. Some may find offense in a vampire’s long life/immortality, but it cannot be denied that mankind will always lust for life after death and is afraid of death. Although it is based on fiction and fantasy, Twilight speaks dimensions of human nature and universal realities.

So, one question, “When you can live forever, what do you live for?”

SWU CED 1 Class supplies basic provisions, entertains patients

at Gasa sa Gugma

Laughter is a tranquilizer bearing no side effects.

Eighty five men and women of sorry plight and 44 students of glaring zeal proved this line by the American humorist Arnold Glasgow as factual and effective. The only dose of medicine which is free but priceless had been given and taken generously.

More Than a Class Requirement

Equipped with the tenets of community involvement and people empowerment they learned in class, plus the ardor to help the deprived, the Southwestern University Community Education and Development (CED) 1 students of Mrs. Norma Cubeta- Maratas embarked on a community outreach program entitled “Compassion and Care in Action” at the Gasa sa Gugma, Home for the Dying Destitutes of the Missionaries of Charity at Cabantan St., Mabolo, Cebu City.

The project anchored on the theme “Pagtagad ug Pag-amuma sa Nag-inusara Angayan nga Buhaton Ta!”supplied our forlorn elderly brothers and sisters necessities such as appropriate food, clothing and medicines which were gladly accepted by the nuns from the Missionaries of Charity. Cash and donations in kind came from the students enrolled in the class and those generous entities within and outside the university.

A Heartrending Experience

However, material provisions are never sufficient. Wholehearted human contact is needed to actualize happiness. So, the entire class presented a variety of entertainment and games which involved the vivacious elderly members of the geriatric facility. Lolo Domingo, 65 years old, rendered the song “Kasadya Ning Taknaa” with the accompaniment of his old guitar. While 106-year old Lola Rosa, who also delivered the welcome address in fluent English and showed unbelievable wit and interest, started the dancing of waltz and cha-cha. Lola Inday, meanwhile, mute but mentally alert and cheerful, wrote on her note pad, “It’s very boring here. I have always wished to see people from outside to visit us. God answered my prayer.”

Living up the Virtues of Mother Teresa

Being the pioneer of off-campus culminating activity for a CED class, as per Mr. Huberto Zanoria, director of the university’s Community Education and Development Office (CEDO), Mrs. Maratas revealed in her post-activity evaluation that this program was just the beginning of an annual endeavor. “I’ve seen the good results of having worthwhile projects such as this. I want this done every time I handle this subject.”, Maratas remarked.

Past the activity, quite a number of the students pledged to revisit Gasa Sa Gugma during their free time. Touched by the smiles and gratitude expressed by the piteous patients, the whole class affirmed that it was an unforgettable moment of their lives. A moving statement posted at the office of the Missionaries of Charity, which reads “Wholehearted and Free Service to the Poorest of the Poor” made these bunch of youngsters realize that showing compassion and care to those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone is not just a conscientious mission but a catalyst for an uplifting feeling of having helped unconditionally.

A Resumé of an Exposé

In the rustic town of Plymouth resides a par excellence file de joie named Gianna. She is the petite-fille of the infamous coiffeur Francois Girbaud of Paris.

One day, she is scheduled to attend a soiree of the bourgeois at her maitre d’ hotel’s chateau. There she chanced upon an extranjero who was rumored to be a mucho dinero Latino but now a persona non grata of Guadalajara, Mexico. The ogre-looking extranjero named Protacio allegedly suffered chronic lumbago since he was christened. He came to the place to open a depot for dolce cocoa.

Subsequently, in Gianna and Protacio’s tête-à-tête at the divan, a subtle sotto voce can be detected. The cueco who eavesdropped in the conversation, concluded through Vox Populi that they were talking about a verboten modus operandi against a muchacho summa cum laude named Claudio Leviste.

To escape tragedy, the knightly Claudio instantly rushed into the jardin without any bade of adios to his beau in the night’s gala. Gianna hurriedly walked off from the banquet and decided to be carried by an azure caballo to look for Claudio. He came so far, but still searching. Now she asked herself, “Quo Vadis, Gianna?”.

This verse extracted from the “Gozos to the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu” exemplifies the faith and devotion of the Cebuanos to the Holy Child Jesus ever since the dawn of the Spanish colonization in the Philippines over four centuries ago. This lexis which is chanted by devotees during novenas still generates the same goosebumps- a manifestation of strong emotions- that the Cebuano ancestors had when facing Santo Niño in supplication. Nonetheless, the conveyance of this fondness and belief does not stop in verbal prayer; it carries on through a dance.

Historical Background

Sinulog or Sinug is a dance in prayer in honor to the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu. For a long time, Santo Niño was the patron saint of Cebu but now it is the Our Lady of Guadalupe who holds the title since Jesus cannot be a patron saint. Purportedly, the Sinulog has some pagan derivations that were later integrated into the Catholic tradition by the first Filipinos who were baptized for Christendom. These natives were alleged to be worshipping a wooden icon, said to be miraculous, that was being removed from the altar when they were Christian converts already. Sinulog is also assumed to be based on Hara Humamay’s (or Queen Juana, wife of Rajah Humabon) euphoria and excitement upon accepting the original image of Santo Niño from Magellan.

The word Sinulog comes from the Cebuano adverb “sulog” which means “like water current movement,” which illustrates the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance. Additionally, this dance steps were believed to originate from Rajah Humabon’s adviser, Baladhay who was allegedly healed moments later when he was brought into a chapel where the Santo Niño was enthroned. Surprisingly, Baladhay was heard shouting, and was found dancing with outmost alertness and ecstasy. Baladhay was asked as to whether why he was awake and shouting. Baladhay explained that he found a small child, pointing to the image of the Santo Niño, who was on top of him, and trying to wake him up. He, at great astonishment, scared the child away by shouting but couldn’t explain why he was dancing the movements of the river. Up to this day, the two-steps forward, and the one-step backward movement dance is still used by the Santo Niño devotees believing that it was the Santo Niño’s choice to have Baladhay dance what the holy child wants them to dance.

Custodians at the Basilica have reported that the Santo Niño sometimes disappeared from its glass case at night only to return with grass stains on its clothes. This sparked speculations that the Santo Niño took long walks at night. There were never any official accounts of these stories and they were often dismissed as local superstitions, but this did not lessen the number of devotees to the Santo Niño.

Fast forward to 1980 when former regional director for the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development David “Boy” Odilao deemed the need to identify Cebu’s rich religious practice, thus he instituted the Sinulog Festival. He is then regarded as the father of Sinulog. Meanwhile, Southwestern University’s former Performing Arts director Melquiades “Mych” Gonzales, Jr., known to be one of the foremost choreographers of Sinulog, employed simple yet very graceful and polished dance steps and props in  his direction of the initial Sinulog performances. A certain Estelita “Inday Titang” Diola, an octogenarian and resides in Mabolo, Cebu City, is considered to be the living authentication of the early Sinug drum beat and dance steps and routine. These three important individuals in the history of Sinulog unanimously highlighted that Sinulog is a dance offered to venerate the Holy Infant Jesus.

Sinulog is a ritual dance, thus the ones who perform it is expected to mutter prayers of petition, forgiveness and thanksgiving. In the Basilica, some aged women will offer to do a Sinulog on a person’s behalf. In doing the Sinulog, they clasp candles, and sometimes with a diminutive replica of the Santo Niño and face the church or the area where the Santo Niño is situated. They will be the ones to say, sing, and dance your prayer. Customers shall only pay for the number of candles used in the Sinulog. “Pit Senyor” is the commonest shout-out of the people, and sometimes it becomes a greeting ubiquitously during the fiesta.

Fanfare and Festivity

For the politically-correct person, Sinulog means a cultural event that falls on the same date of the Fiesta Señor which is every third Sunday of January annually. Fiesta Señor, which commences and culminates in the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño de Cebu is the correct term to denote the religious activity.

The mardi gras or carnival, being compared to the ones in Brazil, is composed of street partying by ordinary folks all over the city’s environs. Cebu-based and contingents from the other provinces executes a Sinulog-based and Free Interpretation presentations. Street dancing is also a prerequisite in the competition, so the main streets in the city are clogged up by performers and revelers as well. Majestic floats which put on display some local and national celebrities including politicians engender much crowd rapture and thrill.

Unquestionably, the Sinulog festival is one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines. The festival features some the country’s most vibrant exhibition of music, pomp and pageantry. It is also a time for business and economics to boom. Cebuanos could hardly complete the queue of celebrations from Christmas to New Year to Chinese New Year without the Sinulog. Lately, the cultural affair has been promoted as a tourist attraction- magnetizing international and local tourists. Hence the “magnet” which is referred to the Holy Infant Jesus in the Gozos holds truth also in this aspect.

The Message

Sinulog is not only a celebration of a feast but it is also a time for thanksgiving. It is the wonderful time of the year when harmony and forgiveness rule in the hearts and minds of every Cebuano and the whole Filipino nation in general. It is when wrecked fences are mended and clenched fists are being opened.

The image of the Señor Santo Niño proclaims this message very obviously: his right hand clutches a cane and gestures a peace sign, while his left hand holds a globe and on its top, a cross.

The Santo Niño is the depiction of Jesus Christ’s childhood. That is why countless miracles are being done by Him instantaneously and without second thought because of his juvenile attitude. A child is kind, gentle, undemanding, sympathetic, trusting and forgiving. These childlike qualities need to be emulated by each and every one of us if we truly worship and adore Him.

Leonilo E. Estimo: a poet, storyteller, novelist, dramatist, teacher

“Gikan sa Iyang kabubut-on ang tanan,

Sama’s bituon masilakong pagsubang…

Si Bathala ikaw Iyang pinalangga

Ug kini dili maisip nga tanghaga…

Pagbuot Niya atong panaghiusa

Aron kanimo matunol akong gasa.”

-Leonilo E. Estimo

Writing is the only profession where no one considers an author ridiculous if he earns no money. Indeed for the man who have always touched men and women: rich and poor, young and old, through his witty but humble words. Indeed for the man who lingers an inspiration to his fellows and continues to be a guiding light to all his students. Indeed for the man who have always exemplified that mental and emotional courage overwhelms the physical might in carrying life’s burdens. Indeed for the man who, ever and anon, successfully learned and taught the equilibrium among passion, family, work and society. Indeed the man is christened Leonilo Estomago Estimo.

He first saw the light of day on January 17, 1948 at the rustic Simala, Sibonga, south of Cebu. A Shakespeare incarnate, “Nilo”, as he is affectionately called, spent half of his lifetime as a writer and literature teacher. Enjoying his salad days, he had his first professional experience in Bisaya Magazine as poetry contributor in 1967. Consequently, he was invited to be a script writer in DYSS where he obtained the luxury of doing what he loves to do and the opportunity of supporting himself for a college education. Although he began as a diamond in the rough, Mr. Estimo is indeed a self-made man and a gem worth keeping.

During his student days at SWU, he was a staff writer of the official student publication The Quill (Ang Dagang, in Cebuano). He worked professionally in the radio during the day and attended his classes during the night. Despite the tough tug-of-war between work and school, Mr. Estimo managed to complete his curriculum. He earned the degree Bachelor of Arts. To further his expertise in the field of teaching and writing, he mused to pursue a Master of Arts in Literature degree, and he successfully completed it.

Mr. Estimo joined the English and Filipino Department (now Department of Communication Arts and Humanities) of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1993 as faculty member. He taught literature, research/ thesis writing and Cebuano language courses. When he was still in his pink of health, he depleted his free time in school writing short stories, poems, radio plays, essays and at times, novels using his typewriter. Former CAS deans Dr. Catalino C. Abos and Dr. Yolanda C. Sayson would describe Mr. Estimo as “a dedicated teacher, a responsible employee and a person of strong disposition and great sense of humor despite his waning health”. Every English major in SWU would look up to him not just a mentor who molded them into literary-minded individuals but an idol who achieved so much in his chosen discipline, thus igniting the passion of the learner and pushing him to never rest on his laurels. Above all, he had always been a devoted husband to Angelita, a nurturing father to Jethro and a lighthearted grandfather to Leo Jahidi.

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with sleep” is a line from Love’s Labours Lost by Shakespeare which Sir Nilo constantly articulated in his literature classes. It was his potent conviction that life is temporary and fleeting, so human beings must seize everything life has to offer and of course, do and make beautiful and worthy things so as to leave a legacy. Suhot, a collection of some of his best works spanning over three decades as writer, is Mr. Estimo’s undying bequest. It showcases literary genres in Cebuano such as short stories, poems, comics and plays plus Pre-Hispanic Visayan script situated below the title and rare archeological images in the other page. An unrelenting theme in his masterpieces is his attachment with the sea and memoirs of his youth in the seashore of his hometown. Categorically, this must-read anthology published by Southwestern University in 2005 will offer readers a path to appreciate the artistry of Cebuano talents and the rich cultural heritage of the Filipinos.

Local and national awards and citations for literary distinction were not strange for him. Through the years, Mr. Estimo prides a wide array of accolades for his works. Through his splendid literary prowess, he grabbed the limelight of accepting three awards from Cebu Arts Foundation, Inc. for his three-act plays Saudi, Ania Ako and Ludhanan, and his novel Agipo in 1982 and 1983, correspondingly. The year after, he garnered first prize in the Population Commission Region VII Literary Contest for his three-act play entitled Agsad Nga Katam-is. Ludabi, Inc., an association of local writers, awarded him thrice for his “balak” Tipik Sa Kalibutan, Duyog Sa Dagan Sa Panahon in 1989, a short story entitled Paril and poem Bato sa Hunasan in 1994. The Cultural Center of the Philippines also bestowed upon him the CPP Literature Grant thrice for his novel Panay-as in 1990, children’s play Praktis in 1993 and a literary criticism in 1995. Bathalad, Inc., also an association of Visayan literary artists of which he is a member, had conferred him three awards for his short stories Pugon in 1992, Himbis and Hunat in 1994. Joining the ranks of some of the Philippines national artists for literature who esteemed the most-coveted award for literary excellence in the country which is the Don Carlos Palanca Awards, Mr. Estimo boasted his short story entitled Sambunot which claimed second prize in 1999. In 2005, SWU honored him for his “Outstanding Contribution to Cebuano Literature” in an official gathering held at the Aznar Coliseum. In a separate occasion, subsequently, he was recognized as finalist of the Gawad Matias H. Aznar Outstanding Teacher, a proof of his effective learner-friendly mentoring and smooth interpersonal relationship with co-teachers. On July 25, 2008, The Quill acknowledged him as one of the Outstanding Quillers. Being staff writer while he was student and adviser during his teaching stint in the university, Mr. Estimo helped the independent publication survive and stand tall amid the crises that confronted it through its three scores of existence. Whilst The Quill turned sixty this year, so did he.

Hitherto, September 2, 2008 is a poignant date for every individual in The Quill and Southwestern University as a whole, yet a new beginning for this man of virtue and wisdom. Literatus Leonilo Estimo shuffled off this mortal coil with a smile in his heart, a smile that will forever be remembered by every man and woman whom he had enlightened and inspired through his words, deeds and example. And so he does ad infinitum. After all the joys and toils of his stage, he gracefully took a bow. For him, life is short but beautiful. For us to appreciate it, he left us with this food for the spirit excerpted from his poem Dagandagan Uban Sa Mga Dahon which reads, “Ang mga dahong laya sa paghuros sa hangin, nanglupad ug nagdinakpanay; sa atong kadalanan nga kita nagdagandagan; ang mga nanagdula nga mga dahong laya hipanghitumban sa uban nga pahulayanan nga sa mga dahong laya natan-okan, wala nay kadalanan ug wala nay nagdagandagan.”

Bachelor of Arts in English, as perceived by some, is a boring, outdated and unchallenging course. It is evident by the low-down turnout of enrolment this field of study has, not only in Southwestern University but also in other degree-granting institutions especially in the Philippines. AB English is never an exciting and prideful diploma.

But allow me to present some facts to defy this notion (or misconception).

Did your mother ever tell you that former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Senator Francis Pangilinan and Kris Aquino had an AB English as baccalaureate degree?

If you think that only Stephen King, and Amy Tan (both novelists), to name a few, are holders of this degree, then think twice because Barbara Walters and Steven Spielberg are too. Actors Paul Newman and Christopher Reeve and actress/host Whoopi Goldberg are also AB English graduates.

Hugh Grant has a BA English Literature from Oxford. Tommy Lee Jones is an AB English graduate from Harvard. Renee Zellweger obtained AB English from University of Texas. Maggie Gyllenhaal got her AB English from Columbia University. Jodie Foster achieved her BA Literature from Yale. And hey, Reese Witherspoon was also a  student from Stanford who completed a BA in English.

Want more? Sally Ride is the first American woman to be an astronaut. In addition to a physics degree, she graduated with a Liberal Arts degree in English (which sadly, did not help her communicate with those aliens). Harold Varmus, a Noble-prize winner in Medicine for discovering the cellular origin of retroviral oncogenes. Varmus holds a B.A. in English literature and a graduate degree in English before entering medical school. Jill Barad, former CEO of Mattel Inc., one of the world’s largest toy companies with products like Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars. Jill graduated with degrees in English and Psychology. Carol M. Browner, the longest-serving Administrator in the history of the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States, graduated with a degree in English.

Here in SWU, we have a wide array of achievers who also pride their AB English degrees. Aside from some of our teachers from the Department of Communication Arts and Humanities who really are a living testament of this fact that I am trying to put across, Sir Pierre Infante, the director for Alumni Affairs, is also a holder of an AB English. Mrs. Jonah Lafuente, the HRMD directress and Mr. Amado Brigoli, EDP head are also proud AB English graduates. Dr. Rouel Longinos, dean of the Graduate School and adviser to this paper is also a holder of an AB English degree.

Myth: An AB English degree is a waste of time; science, technology and medical-related degrees are a lot more marketable.

Fact: AB English degree is as marketable, if not more marketable, than any other degree. The fact is, if you have the background, knowledge, skills and general characteristics required for success, you’ll succeed in life no matter what degree you have. And besides, this program develops your research, communication, creativity and problem solving skills like no other program. So why would anybody not hire you?

Sources: Surprisingly Smart : Hollywood’s Educated Icons [Brain.Com]

http://talentdevelop.com/gtcelebs.html

http://www.classesandcareers.com/education

The entire editorial board of The Quill and the staff of the Center for Promotions and Publications are utterly glad to see young and promising writers such as you guys–young writers who will make a difference in their own. Young writers who will be the change they want to see in the world. Young writers who will make their people and Alma Mater proud. Young writers who will unleash the good, beautiful and true of what the Almighty has given them.

Today, we are all here gathered together for the practical purpose of learning… with that, I do mean knowledge and wisdom.

The explosion of Information Technology, which is roughly translated to the Internet have revolutionized the teaching and practice of writing. With just a click of the finger, everything and anything that a person desires to know are already at his/ her face. Certainly, this is one of the best advantages our generation takes pride in.   But why do we still need to study and learn the art and science of writing?

The more things change, however, the more they remain the same. Writers still need to learn critical reading skills. They still need to assess rhetorical context and purpose, consider their readers and develop and organize their ideas… things that are not demonstrated genuinely in the internet.

There are no magic spells and instant miracles in the skill of writing. Inspiration is an element one will achieve through time and effort. Time and again, writers are never born but they are made. Thus, education and training are essentials in the sharpening of a journalist’s saw: his pen.

Scribere est agere, “To write is to act.” “… Thus, the author who is bound to write is the man or woman who has acquired, by the continual study of years, exceptional sources of knowledge. Furthermore, if that knowledge is not bequeathed, the next generation is a heavy loser. So if we really care about the future, then we should start writing now so as to leave something to our posterity. Good writings are good legacies. Best writings are enduring and everlasting. Man is immortalized because of his works.

George Orwell in his book, Why I Write thought there are four great motives for writing: first, sheer egoism—a desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death; second, aesthetic enthusiasm— a quest for beauty; third, historical impulse— the desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity; and fourth, for a political purpose, and in the use of the word “political,” Orwell meant to use the word in its widest possible sense, viz., a desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other people’s idea of the kind of society that they should strive after.

Now, before plunging yourself to the world of writing—journalistic or literary, let me ask this question… why do you write??? Or better, why do I write?

I pose that question now, and will ask for your answers Saturday next week. Of course we will still see each other next week for another exciting and informative line-up of writing topics.

Good morning everyone and enjoy this enlightening experience.