They Had Sex

My folks were honest to me about how I came to be.  The moment I asked them how babies were made, they sat me down and dutifully explained how it all happens.  I think I was around 6 or 7, then.  I couldn't remember exactly how old.  However, I never forgot that they took time to painstakingly lay it all down in a way a child could comprehend.

For me, there were no tales of storks delivering babies on doorsteps.  For that matter, even Santa Claus, closet monsters, or the Bogeyman weren't spoke of in our household.

Some parents purposely scare their children into thinking that mysterious human-devouring creatures rest under their beds and in their closets at 9PM just so they wouldn't jump off after bedtime strikes.  And it doesn't stop there.  The list goes on.

I'm thankful my parents never used any of those scare tactics on me.  I wasn't necessarily an obedient child.  I've always had a mind of my own, but they still chose to take the parenting route of awesomeness.  Yep!  I have cool parents.  They may not have the style that Morticia and Gomez Addams have, but they're as awesome as parents could ever get!

Featuring My Hair

Some people love it,

Some people don't care.

Some people envy it,

Well get your own hair!

Some people dislike it,

I couldn't care less.

Some people hate it,

How I feel, you guess!

Jes' 12th Birthday - Me, My Mom, and Padre Jonas
My Mom looks weird in this one.
She kinda looks like a wicked Witch about to turn someone into a toad!
She's among those who dislike my hair and keeps futilely egging me to have it cut.

Jes' 12th Birthday - Bilu, Me, and Stephie
blurred photo, but I like it anyway

Reviewing Bohol Coco Farm - Me and a goat

Dad Manuel and Mommy Ver's 50th - Mamalol and I
before the food was served

Dad Manuel and Mommy Ver's 50th - Just me
And the photographer really caught me right when I turned my head.  No, I wasn't purposely flipping my hair!

Of Generation Gaps and Wisdom

Chronological advancement advantage only presupposes possession of greater wisdom.


However, members of a particular generation have a great deal of things to learn from members of another generation--from the older to the younger and, in turn, from the younger to the older.


Listening and Understanding, employing genuine Love and Compassion are the basic keys to achieving Harmonious and Peaceful coexistence.


It is true that the perennial philosophies are matters of broad discussion, which great minds who have existed longer in the present consciousness usually bear more profound credibility to give insight on.


Keep in mind, however, that everything is dynamic and subject to the laws of evolution--most especially when dealing with the subject of knowledge.


In the end, a give-and-take process of insight exchange among various generations will always work best.  No one holds the absolute truth.  Likewise, no one is inherently and absolutely incorrect, either.

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Of Generation Gaps and Social Outlooks

Each new generation rejects a chunk of their predecessors' attitudes as being out of date for modern society.

When will people finally realize that the generational drift extends all the way back to the ancestors who wrote the Bible?

Can you see the transition of it?  From the jealous, repentant, and murderous god of the Old Testament emerges the compassionate and loving god of Christianity in the New Testament.  Take note of how the violence and coercive prohibition mellows down as the Bible progresses from one era of writers to another.  It actually all depends on who's writing the particular book and what the culture is during the time it is written. Everyone should at least use their brains and consider that fact.

Look, don't get me wrong here.  I'm not out to debunk faith and belief in the Bible.  I'm here to to point out usage of the brain in addressing modern society.  Let the Bible be the Bible.  If you live by its teachings, by all means do what you will.  Just don't impose on others.  And you aren't seriously going to do everything it says, are you?  You can't kill people for working on your holy day.  You can't smite people who eat crustaceans.  You can't subjugate women.  No way!

Some actually see what I see and people like us don't enjoy stuff being forcibly and repeatedly hammered on our heads simply because some book says so.  The same goes with concepts regarding race, sexuality, and caste systems.

Generational attitude differences don't only apply to Biblical things; they apply to most everything.  For example:


About RACE and SEXUALITY in relation to marriage

About TECHNOLOGY

I'm not saying we should all just sit back and watch culture get annihilated before our very eyes.  What I'm saying is that we should be open-minded and allow ourselves (outlook and all) to progress with time despite what our traditions have set for us in the last millennium.

It is vital to keep in mind that morality is always subjective.  However, at the core, it is how we address others -- whether beneficial or detrimental to the well-being -- that truly matters.  As for everything else, we should let them be - whether personal judgment is present or absent - unless the particular activity causes harm to the well-being of the greater majority.

It is not for us to intervene on same-sex couples getting married.  It is not for us to dictate what kind of music people must listen to, what books to read, or what things to buy.  Sure, we might not bear appreciation for some things and that's our right.  It is another's right, as well, to hold to his/her own principles.

Of course, for activities that cause global warming and obviously damaging things like collective bigotry and death, it's a different story.  For counter-harmonious mentalities that are injurious to the well-being of peaceful and loving movements and the people involved, we should put up a fight if, upon intelligent scrutiny, we feel that we need to.

Then again, keep your cool.  Let others be if no real harm is done - even if they do things contrary to the faith you profess or the principles that you hold.  Be intelligent about life.  Communicate and move to inform, but never coerce and never employ violence of any kind.  Like Alex Noriega said, "Stay open to new things."

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Old Entry #12: On Being 19 and Not Being a King Anymore

I'm so darn happy and I'm not going to tell you why!

*Jump! Jump! Jump! Clap! Clap! Clap! Dance! Dance! Dance*

Anyway, I digress...  It's time for another old entry.  I'm not in the mood to post anything RH Bill-related or Divorce Bill-related or anything about Magick or Theosophy or interfaith dialog or gender equality or racism or the GLBTQ movement!  Just not right now.

For now, let me explain my old entry.

This was written a day after my 19th birthday, so don't be surprised if it talks about being a teenager because I really was one when I wrote this back in 2008.

Another major issue about this entry is the fact that it talks very emotionally about my ex.  Yes, my ex.  I didn't bother editing it because he doesn't mean anything to me anymore.  Also, it wouldn't be a genuine old entry if I were to remove huge parts of it simply because it disgusts me - which, to be honest, it does.

As I went over it, I was cringing through the latter parts starting from the point where his name first appeared.  I can't believe I was THAT in love with him back then.  Like, eeew!  Eeeeeeewwww! Ugh! My spine is getting violent shivers.

So, yeah, I decided to publish it in small prints.

One more thing, I couldn't find any photos of that dinner party anywhere in my hard drive.  I don't know if my old computer still has it.  I've taken to digging this one as deeply as I possibly could, but nothing came up for my 2008 birthday.

Well, it's a bummer, but I guess emotional detachment is the key to getting over it.

Here's that old entry now.

This was originally posted on Oct 28, '08 7:01 AM on Multiply.com.

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The photo above was taken during my uncle's wedding 15 years ago.  I was four then.

Oh, how cute I was.

I still haven't sunken in to the fact that I'm already only a year closer to not being a teen anymore.  It's not that I'm beginning to get age-conscious this young or anything.  It's just that I've been too immature to even qualify to advance in age.  I've been really negligent -- practically about everything.  I guess it's a trait I've learned to live with.  [Not good!]

I consider this a catch-22 to be reckoned with.

My day yesterday wasn't as fussy as my birthdays when I was younger.  I used to be king for a day whenever the 27th of October would come.  There used to be huge parties at my home where everyone from neighbors to school friends to governors to congressmen would be around.

This time, however, it was way different.  I even cooked at my own dinner party.  Get a load of that!  I went grocery shopping, pranced through aisles worrying if I'd left something out -- not to mention going through the agony of hand-carrying what felt like a truckload of goodies and drinks, shoving them in the back of my car and nearly passing out in the front passenger's seat.

And the work didn't end there, I passed by two restaurants to order a couple of stuff only to be told that it wouldn't be ready until 3 hours later.  What a treat for the ears!

Upon getting home, I had to marinate the chicken the way I wanted it, bread the pork, butter the chevon, tenderize the beef, dictate how the charcoal was to be burnt for the grill, burn my tongue tasting dishes directly from saucepans, instruct piece-by-piece how the vegetables were to be chopped.  Moreover, I was also the spice director for the soup.  I was practically head chef/grocery guy/birthday boy.

Yeah, it felt great!  No, I'm not kidding.  It actually did!  Amidst all that brouhaha going on in the kitchen, I was rather happy that I was part of the effort of making it all happen.

Upon finishing, the guests started coming in.  And, boy, were they hungry!  I wanted to wait for my dad but it was rather inappropriate to make my guests wait.  Some of them came all the way from Los Baños, Laguna.  We had to start without him.  He came in the middle of it all, though.  And he brought a lot of ice cream and wine.  Such an awesome dad!  [Hahaha!]

Yes, I was happy last night.  I just wish Ted could have been there.  I miss him terribly.  Yes, we did have two days together over the weekend.  A night over at my house and an entire day at the beach.  But still, it was really bitin.  We made the most of it but it still wasn't enough.  Well, what would one expect?  We're lovers!

He gave me two silver bracelets.  So sweet of him.  I love him so much!

Anyway, over the years, I've outgrown a lot of things.  I used to be really obsessed with WWE but it has now fallen to the bottom part of my list of interests.  Lea Salonga will, of couse, remain since my love for art will always be something of passion.

Ted, on the other hand... Being with him... Loving him... Even quarrelling with him... I'm certain I'd never grow tired of.  I love him.  I love how he goes so utterly gay and claps his hands so childishly when he gets excited.  I love the look on his face when he gets 'hurt'.  I love the way his eyes close when we kiss.  I love everything about Ted.

Well, what more can I say?  I don't think I need to.

I'm 19.  But I think this would take some getting used to before I'll be completely comfortable with telling people.  There's a huge difference between blogging and enunciating "I'm 19."  It's just not the same.

Anyway, "deal with it, Ludwig!"

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Old Entry #11: Rainbow Connection - A Rant About This Severe Last Song Syndrome

Time for another one of these.

Hmmm... What have I done so far today?  Apart from studying, studying, Facebooking, Tweeting, and more studying, I don't think I've done anything else.  Oh, yeah, I ate, too.

What else?

Earlier today, I took a break from the jargon of economics and decided to watch a little local TV. I was lucky (?) they were playing a rerun of last night's Harapan debate on the Philippine Divorce Bill.  Goodness gracious!  I had my options but I chose to watch it again, anyway.  I wanted to fill myself with disgust for the opposition.  And, boy, did I succeed!  Stupid assholes!

Anyway, here's my old entry.  Enjoy!

This was originally posted on Oct 17, '08 9:54 PM on Multiply.com.

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I don't know why.  For the past several years since time immemorial (of course, take note of the fact that I'm only 18), I've had a severe case of last song syndrome.  Yes, with this song.  Hey, it's not my favorite song or anything.  It just so happens to be stuck in my head.  All these years!

Picture my late grandfather.  Back when I was 5, whenever we'd visit our ancestral home, I'd be prancing through the living room going about my business--singing the song.  It's amazing how he managed to develop such tolerance for a boy singing about rainbows taking into account that he considers stuffed Bugs Bunny toys to be sissy.  And mind you, my voice was anything but masculine back then.



Imagine this common scenario.  I'd sit in front of my PC singing the song so jovially and then poof!  The internet connection bugs down.  I'd be making horrible shockwaves on the wood-tiled floor.  I'd be swearing tri-lingually with terms ranging from the usual "shit" to the more obscene "fuck" to the rather demeaning "putang ina" to the local "bilat sa ijang ina."  And then... Surprise, surprise!  Seconds later, still steaming from the ears, I'd start singing "So we've been told..."  Isn't that rather amazing?  No?  Yes?  Whatever!

I'm not sure, though, but it probably began when I heard Lea Salonga sing it as a child.  My dad had what I used to see as a tall pile of child-singers' music album audio cassette tapes -- Lea's included.  He'd play it every morning with the volume cranked up.  It was my alarm during school days -- from my years at the local Montessori to the end of gradeschool.  On weekends, it was recreational music for me.  The only reason why I stopped hearing it regularly was because my mom moved out of the house during their break-up.  Sad days.

Of course, I've out-heighted that pile by now but it still seems pretty big of a collection.  Most of them have already accummulated moulds over the years and, naturally, the wheels don't turn anymore.  However, this marvel excludes a few.  On top of the list is Lea Salonga's "Small Voice" -- an album that I never got tired of listening to.  I even brought it with me when I left the house.

Maybe she's the culprit.  It sure wasn't Kermit the Frogof The Muppets.  I was never really fond of those silly puppets whose feet nobody ever sees on TV.  No offense meant to those who adore the green icon.  Other than his, Lea's version and the Carpenters' were the only ones available for my ears at the time and I'm sure it wasn't Karen's voice that made it stick to my head.  Back then, I didn't have much appreciation for such deep contralto vocals.  Her albums weren't off my reach but I left them just where they were.  I always used to think they were just for the grown-ups.  ABBA's songs were more appealing to me.

When Jason Mraz's version came out, it got five thumbs down from me.  Not that it's ugly.  He has a great counter-tenor singing voice.  It's just that I'm adamant against versions other than Lea's -- only for this song, though.

And, again, the most peculiar thing is that it isn't even my favorite song.  Get a load of that!  I don't listen to it anymore.  I'd rather be hearing Idina Menzel singing Defying Gravity.  And sure, I do have other songs to LSS with but no matter how long I haven't heard the song, it always keeps coming back.

Weird, no?  No?  Yes?  Whatever!

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Divorce: Sink Your Teeth into Why I Feel We Need It

This is something I haven't written about yet despite having placed the advocacy badge on my blog for a couple of days now.  I'm not writing this entry because I feel obliged—you know, being quite vocal about it on Twitter and Facebook.  I'm writing because it has dawned on me that I need to share a story that people could sink their teeth into to explain my opinions.

My parents haven't been under the same roof for 9 years now.  My mother moved out of the house when I was 12.  It wasn't a very peaceful thing back then.  Yes, hearts were broken and there were buckets and buckets of tears.  There was immense grief on both parties.  And, yes, I did, of course, feel very sad that the marriage had ended after only 12 years.  No more Christmas Eve celebrations with just the three of us feasting on a big native basket of fresh fruits and ice cream while watching a live filming of Cats the Musical—closing our eyes in unison when Elaine Paige belted out “touch me,” from the show tune, “Memory.”  No more walks to the car after seeing a play where we’d talk about how amazing the story was and how bad some of the actors were.  No more late nights of telling jokes and sharing stories and no more mom to go all, “Oh my gosh, it’s two hours past your bedtime!”  No more asking mom for her opinion one second and asking dad for his thoughts two seconds later.  All those moments are now but mere memories to be cherished, but, alas, I knew that my mother had made a wise decision by leaving.

Was there abuse involved?  Probably.  It was not a one-sided thing, though, and I'm not partial to either of them.  I'm also not going to delve into the reasons because that would be an invasion of both my folks' privacy.  I love both of them equally and I'm not bitter about their separation, so there will be no trashing from me.

What was wrong, you ask?  There was nothing wrong with either of them.  What was wrong was the fact that they were silently forcing their union to work because they didn't think I would be able to handle such a drastic change at such a young age—more so because I was an only child and they feared I would get the feeling that I needed to divide myself for them.  They were mistaken, of course.  I had already understood what was going on.

In the heat of the conflict “season,” as I term it, they would take turns explaining the on-goings.  Of course, since I was a child, they had to sugarcoat things, but they never lied.  It started off with the usual “mama and papa aren’t seeing eye-to-eye these days,” to “mama and papa are having some sort of misunderstanding,” until the dead giveaway that went something like “we hope you understand that this could bring about certain changes,” because of this and that and what not.  It’s interesting to note that, as honest as they tried to be, they couldn't resist employing a vulnerable tone of voice when explaining things to me.  They obviously did it to gain my "vote of sympathy."  However, they understood that I was a thinker to begin with and that I was more than capable of extracting the truth on my own, so they didn't do it for very long.

I understood back then that they feared I would think of either of them as "the bad one."  Whether or not I did isn't an issue anymore.  What's important was that I knew in my heart and mind that their being together was not meant to last and what was very wrong with the picture was the fact that they were burning themselves in a marriage that was no longer working.  It was not at all hard for me to figure that out.  In fact, my words paved the way for mother's final decision to leave.  I was the one who said, "I'm not going to choose between you both.  I understand.  I can manage being shared and it's not going to damage me like you think it would."  After all, being shared doesn’t mean I’m going to have to divide myself—not that it’s even possible.

Two weeks later, my mom left the house.  While I was busy in school, she silently packed her stuff and drove away.  I only learned she had left when I got out.  5PM on the dot, she phoned me in tears and told me she was somewhere else.  I went to her instantly and decided, with blessings from my dad, to stay with her for a while knowing that she was the more fragile between them.  She moved in with grandma and grandpa (her parents).  And, not long after, the whole family—as in my mom's and dad's parents, siblings and friends—fell into utter chaos.  They were so worried for me that they took huge chunks off their daily work clock to talk to me in tears (them, not me), "trying" to console me and make me understand while at the same time trying to get me to do something to patch the marriage up.  One of mom's not-so-intelligent friends even went as far as to urge me to throw a tantrum just so they'd get back together.  In my mind, I said, "oh, you have no idea!"  They didn't know how relieved I was to begin with.  I finally lost it in a fit of irritation and yelled, "I get it and I believe it's better this way!  Leave me alone!  You don't know anything!"

That left them in a bit of a shock for a couple of weeks.  Nobody reached out to me.  I had to go through a full hour of silence each time I’d dine with other family members.  My only comfortable moments in the home were the ones I’d spent alone with either mom or dad.  I had to put up with the awkwardness for nearly a month until the issue finally started falling silent and people started talking to me.  The whole thing eventually returned to normal, thank goodness.  And it must have been that long since my cousins expressed how unusual it was for people to be talking around me.  Strange.

Over a few years, wounds gradually healed.  My mom came to recover fully and my dad moved on.  So did I.  The sadness disappeared over time and a lot of epiphanies.

Today, my parents remain friends—if not for voluntary interest, then for my sake.  I demanded that from them, at least, and they have no problem staying civil in each other's presence.  It’s also a wonderful thing that they’re clearly not holding anything back anymore.  Goodness forbid we ever go back to those times when mom would suppress a screech.  She wasn’t very good at pretending to be okay, so it was always obvious back in the days.  Now, however, they don't fight anymore and they don't exchange painful statements.  The discussions between them are much, much healthier even if their ideas don't lie on the same plane.  Plus, I'm happy.  Nothing will change the fact that they're my mother and father and nothing will ever make me love them any less.  Heck, I'm even the one surprised that it didn't take any effort on their part to accept me for everything I am when I came out to them as a bisexual.

Who doesn't think it's better this way?

Yes, I am happy, but there's something still not right with this picture.  The fact that society still addresses them as husband and wife is something that compels them to lie every single day.  The truth is they're not married anymore.  They have not been married since 2002 and they have no legitimate grounds for annulment because the fact is they really were married.  They are honest people and they refuse to lie by nullifying it.  Everyone knows how in love they were—most especially because I exist.  I was no accident.  I am a product of a love story that once was.  To deny that it ever happened would not only be painful, unethical and inappropriate; it would be plain sordid.  Now that it's all gone, though, the papers are still there saying otherwise.  It's very sad thinking that they have no way to be able to declare to the world that the marriage happened, but has now been legally dissolved.  The fact is, legal dissolution of a marriage (divorce) is just not an option where we live.  What's available for us is annulment, which is plain hypocrisy!

Why is this happening?  This is happening because we live in a country where the system compels them to force each other to admit they're something they're not.  Otherwise, they'd have to tweak a few stories here and there and spend hundreds of thousands of pesos to tell people it never really happened.  Isn't that such an evil thing to do?  Why is the Roman Catholic hierarchy, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), so against something so downright honest?  I really don't get it.  If they favor righteousness over evil, then why be so adverse towards progressive suggestions?

My parents are lucky that they're peaceful and they have come to a mutual understanding.

But what about those trapped in dire situations?  What about the women who suffer perpetual physical abuse from husbands who can't stand the sight of their wives because the attraction has moved somewhere else?  These women have to put up with the battery because of a system that forces them to stay together.  Moreover, majority of them lack education on options of personal protection because they believe they are bound to submission.  Why?  The reason is because the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church dictates that wives have to remain subordinate to their husbands.  And not many women in remote areas have access to liberal ideologies.  An enormous number of them just absorb whatever is poured over them (pun intended).  This also goes for the issue on Reproductive Health Education, but that's an entirely different story.

The Philippines is the only country on Earth that doesn’t permit divorce—a process that happens to be sensible, practical, and honest.  Why?  Because we suck up too much influence from a religious institution that, apparently, favors denial and lies over a clean solution to unsolvable marriage predicaments or the thorough dissolution of the real sense of marriage, for that matter.

We need the divorce bill to be passed.  This is not a selfish thing.  This helps a lot of people—women and men alike.  The provisions don't make marriage turn into a form of brief recreation unlike many countries.  Read the bill thoroughly and you'll understand.  There just needs to be an exit door for people in a situation wherein the word “married” has been reduced to a mere nominal thing.  There needs to be a way out for couples whose marriages have turned into excruciating traps rather havens of life-building love and peace.  Whether or not you're going to say that this nation is ready for something so new, the option should exist because the world is not perfect and many lives are not as gleeful as others.  Many of the Roman Catholic Church’s subjects are not as faithful as the church thinks they are.  They need to accept that.

I sincerely hope the Philippine Divorce Bill gets passed.  I’m sending a lot of energy into the advocacy.

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Old Entry #9: Ten Rules for Being Human

I haven't posted an old entry in a while, but seeing as this day isn't about to get productive in a real world sense, I might as well do something to make it.

I don't think I need to explain this very much, though.  It pretty much says everything already.

This was originally posted on Oct 13, '08 2:47 PM on Multiply.com.

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Ah, the indubitable veracity of it.  Life is, indeed, a cycle of brouhahas and gleeful moments divided into variants and sundry events.

My dad introduced me to these rules a year ago before I left home for college; along with a book he gave me entitled "Life's Little Instruction Book" by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.  It was a present among presents.

Truth be told, I did, indeed, forget about them, then I would remember a line each time it would apply to a situation I get stuck in.  And then I'd forget about it again.

But I guess the essence isn't in remembering the statements verbatim, it's in printing these lines onto your heart.  Life is a non-packaged journey of endless possibilities.  It's how we handle ourselves in the process that truly matters.

Char…

Read on below to get your own insights.

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* You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it but it will be yours for this time around.

* You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant or stupid.

* There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error: experimentation. The failed experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that lands up working.

* A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it you can then go on to the next lesson.

* Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

* ‘There’ is no better than ‘here’. When your ‘there’ has become ‘here’ you will simply obtain another ‘there’ that will again look better than ‘here’.

* Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

* What you make of life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need – what you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

* The answers lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen and trust.

* You will forget all this, remember it, and forget it again!

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A Young Lady's Tribute to the Beauty and Magic of Music

FOREWORD :  This was published in the May 22, 2011 issue of the Bohol Chronicle in the Lifestyle Section as a feature article without a byline so people would, for all their lives, wonder who wrote it... except for those who read my blog, that is.  I'm saying this because, yes, I wrote it.

What's awesome was the fact that we didn't need to pay a single cent to have it published.  I'm certain they haven't seen anything like that in long time and, as fellow lovers of art, the section managers were very happy to take it in--consuming an entire page.

Anyway, here it is.

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What would an average 16-year-old girl want to do during the hot summer days of March through May?  Get a tan at the beach?  Hang out with friends?  Spend on popcorn and movies?  Go on excursions with the family?  Maybe burn hundreds of pesos at the arcade to get prize tickets?  Or go for karaoke at Time-Out, party all night at Lazer, Club Atmospheres, or Martin’s?  For some, the list would stretch to include other mundane things, but for one girl, there was nothing mundane about this summer.

Alec Cristi Migriño Mende spent her summer practicing over five hours every single day—training her fingers to reach for the right keys, memorizing and internalizing classical music pieces, sacrificing a huge chunk of daylight hours which she could have spent basking at the beach with her Canadian cousins.  An imposed predicament or self-laid challenge?  When asked, she needn’t open her mouth to give you an answer you could understand.

Yes, there were questions and doubts about whether it was someone else’s or her own love for music that caused her to push herself to take on such an endeavor.  However, these doubts all vanished last Tuesday, May 17th, 2011, at the Grand Ballroom of the Metro Centre Hotel, when Alec Cristi played solo in front of an audience of well over a hundred people in a premiere recital dubbed A Young Lady’s Tribute to the Beauty and Magic of Music.  Her swift fingers alternated on two pianos, completing ten classical music pieces that ranged from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and C.P.E. Bach of the Classical era to Ludwig Van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy, and Camille Saint-Saëns of the Romantic era, to Richard Addinsell of the 20th century modern era.  She even took on two pieces written by two famous Filipino classical composers—Francisco Santiago and Francisco Buencamino.

When was the last time Bohol saw one of her own children holding a classical music solo concert in her soil?  The most recent that comes to memory was also a premiere piano recital held in the mid 1990’s which starred Rose Dale Abapo, daughter of Atty. Tomas Abapo Jr and Atty. Roselima Cuyno Abapo, who were also present in the audience last Tuesday.

The hall was packed with some of Bohol’s intelligentsia—family and dear friends of Alec Cristi.  It even had its share of international audience members.  Other than Filipinos, there were Canadians, Britons, and Americans.  These were people from various walks of life—from students to independent artists to lawyers to judges to businesspeople to economists to agriculturists to priests to doctors to marine biologists to engineers to politicians and all sorts of public servants.  We were even favored by the presence of Bohol’s busiest man—an uncle of Alec Cristi who happens to be our very own provincial governor, Atty. Edgardo Migriño Chatto, who gave a short speech to honor Alec and the beauty of music.  It was a real treat for many, to count this as one of a few privileged occasions, hearing him speak not as a politician, but as a gentle and caring uncle talking to his niece—a real family man.

In the course of it all, nobody minded if Alec Cristi had committed any mistakes.  Nobody but she, her teacher, and few other virtuosos present could tell, anyway.  There wasn’t a hint of stress on her part when she sat down on that bench, removed her high-heeled sandals and started striking the keys.  It was like her body danced to the rhythm of the music.  With eyes closed, her fingers knew where to go and she hit each key with such precision.  You could see raw emotion and passion in her movement as the instrument relentlessly filled the room with the messages of the great men who composed such pieces from centuries and centuries ago.  Each piece was akin to a ride on a time machine and a visit to the inner dimensions of the self rolled into one—perfect for those in the audience who sought inner peace.  And why would we be surprised?  She has had a great tutor.

Alec Cristi learned such method of playing while under the tutelage of one of the living greats—Bohol’s very own Maxelende Ganade—whose words are sung each day by Boholanos the world over.  This woman is the very person who translated the Bohol Hymn to our very own vernacular language—Binol-anong Bisaya—turning it into what we now call Awit sa Bohol.  And for all her contributions to the field of music in and out of the province, she was honored in the same event with a small tribute.  None of it would have been possible if not for her guidance.

It was truly a night for music lovers—a very proud one at that for Atty. Peter Emman Mende and Judge Olivia Migriño Mende, Alec Cristi’s parents, who have been with her every step of the way.  It is no secret that both of whom have great influence on her and have inspired her to love music just as they do—possibly even more.  While Judge Olivia, or Bing as she is fondly called, possesses a golden singing voice that when listened to is a reward in itself, it is Atty. Peter, the father, who is the primary root for her love of the piano.  When asked, she answered, “Growing up hearing him play the piano every morning inspired me to take it upon myself, too.  It was when I mustered the courage to go near him to hear the instrument better when I got my first set of basic piano lessons.”

In an evening of music with histories that elude most people alive today, no one was left ignorant as this unique premiere recital saw two hosts of ceremonies—a master and a mistress, if you will.  Before each piece played, Joyce Fe Migriño Caseñas, Alec Cristi’s aunt, and Ludwig Bon Migriño Quirog, her first cousin, read a précis to tell the audience members what they were about to listen to—ensuring that everyone was well informed.

There were four other artists who came to play that evening.  While Alec Cristi was on intermission to rest her fingers, the evening also saw Jes Mari Josef Migriño Mende and Aivilou Noelle Migriño Mende, her younger sisters, play Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major, from the German Baroque era, in a beautiful violin duet.  Dave Matthew Marmita Dumaluan and Kurt Benedict Nazareno also had their share of stage light during the second intermission in a guitar duet—the only non-classical pieces of the evening.

With all the beautiful music that Alec Cristi’s fingers produced, it came as no astonishing matter that she received two standing ovations.  What was surprising was the fact that pieces that caused everyone to rise from their seats to applaud her were the ones composed by the Filipino greats.  On the first occasion, it was for her solo rendition of Souvenir de Filipinas—a world renowned very hard-to-play piece which Alec Cristi had perfected at age eleven during her fifth grade recital at the Holy Spirit School.  Her reprise of the piece caused everyone to get on their feet for well over a minute, complete with whistles and howling from an audience that was obviously bowled over in awe.  The second occasion when everyone stood up was the finale that saw her in a duet with Bohol’s living musical legend, Maxelende Ganade, in a rendition of Inday.  This answered questions as to why there were two pianos on stage.  It was obvious perfection.  Such harmony and coordination earned a well-deserved standing applause—a perfect piano tandem to culminate such a glorious evening.

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About Being a Witch

About being a Witch, let me clear everyone's mind.  I know some readers may still be stuck in the dark ages thinking that Witches are inherently evil and all that.

The truth of the matter is for you to now learn by reading these next few paragraphs.



Religion

A Witch, in a religious context, is a person who embraces and professes a spiritual tradition that utilises Magick as a primary practice.  Magick essentialy means energy manipulation.

Whether Celtic, Welsh, Gaulish, Norsk, Romanian, American, Greek, Roman, Asian, or otherwise, the general English term is Witch.  The address is applicable to both men and women.  Sorcerer, and Warlock are masculine terms, while Sorceress and Enchantress are gender-exclusive to women.

These days, the term Wizard is not very widely used anymore because of fictional and fantastic connotations--even if it is, in every sense, valid.

There are many other terms specific to each tradition.  I'm going to orient you on ones specific to traditional Celtic Witchcraft and an indigenous tradition from Bohol called Binol-anong Baylan.

For the Celtic tradition, specifically Irish, from County Westmeath, the terms are all gender-dependent.  An ordinary Sorceress is called a Cailleach, while an ordinary Sorcerer is called an Asarlai.  A High Priestess or a female Druid is called a Bandraoi, while a Priest or male Druid is called a Draoi.

Take note that the word Cailleach has a colloquially derogatory connotation for Irish people who don't practice Magick -- the same way the word Witch is, for people who don't understand.

For the Binol-anong Baylan tradition, the terms are a bit more complicated.  The word for a non-adept practitioner, regardless of gender, is Mananambal, a term which has been presently relegated to mean medicine man/woman.  But ask someone who actually practices antient Baylan and you may get that word or the word Mamamarang.  This latter word is now presently relegated to mean an evil Witch.  Barang, a northern Cebuano-Visayan term for Baylan was understood by invading Spanish friars to mean something evil because, well, they were Roman Catholics during the period of the inquisition who thought anything that wasn't part of their belief system was evil.  Does this sound familiar?  Other than that, Witches also did unspeakable things to them to try to drive them away.

A more advanced Baylan practitioner would be the hermit low Priestess/Priest called Tumanan.  He/She is more advanced than an ordinary Mananambal/Mamamarang and lives his/her life in solitude, isolated from community while perfecting the practices and meditating.

As for the high Priestess, the term is Babaylan.  It should be noted that all Babaylan in the various Baylan traditions of the Visayas Islands were women until the late 1700's during the tradition revival and collective rise of the resistant forces -- over a century after matriarchy was forcefully abolished by the Spanish.  During the time of the matriarchy, however, a male counterpart in the Bohol tradition was the Biki`.  They were sometimes called high Priests, but they were still obliged to bow down to the Babaylan.  They constituted a large number of men who assumed the title Babaylan after the abolition of the matriarchy.  Contrary to what most people believe, the assumption of the title was not done in defiance.  It was done out of need because they knew that the only way they would get the whole land's full attention was if they bore the title.

Men from the Visayas who are historically named Babaylan before the 1700's were not genuine Babaylan, but merely lower ranking practitioners dubbed with such a title by historians.  This statement, however, excludes the Luzon traditions as they are known to have had a few male Babaylan throughout pre-Hispanic history.

Here's a fun fact:  Up to the 16th century, in the Visayan Baylan traditions, while mostly men led the politics and military activities during the same time the matriarchy was happening, the tribal matriarchs had the final word.

A little bit of history for you:  In the Island of Bohol, the high Priestess during the onset of the Spanish conquest in 1521 was Babaylang Karyapa.  Twelve years before that time, however, in 1509, she had already foretold the destruction of the Baylan tradition and of the ways of the people of Bohol by a foreign force.  It was Datu Sikatuna's defiance of her advice against befriending the Spanish conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, that led to the proliferation of the invasion and mass coercive conversion throughout the island.  Thus, her vision came true.



Modernised Traditions

The 20th century Neo-Pagan religion called Wicca is a modern derivative/combination of the antient European pagan traditions.  The term Wicca (a word which means a male Witch in Old English), for them, is the name of the religion whose practitioners are called Wiccans.  It is emphasised as a positive spiritual craft that openly shuns evil.



God

There are Magickal traditions that do not recognise a supreme being and only put faith in the intermediary gods and goddesses that their pantheons follow.  Our two examples, however, both do.

Antient Celtic Witchcraft recognises and Unnamed Divine Spirit, while Binol-anong Baylan tradition names the Absolute Being, Bathala`.  This is a very essential similarity between the two traditions.

This being cannot be prayed to -- only recognised.  This being is without gender and form, yet it is the source of everything in existence.  Thus, it is also of all genders and all forms.  This being lives at the centre of our spirits, yet our spirits are entirely part of it.  This being is the ultimate cause, thus it is also present in every consequence.  This being is everything itself, and likewise nothingness itself.  This being is acknowledged as present in every single being and place and is recognised as neutral.  This being is perfect.



Basic Principle

The only worded principle in our two examples of traditional Witchcraft is The Law of Return (which, in other religions, is called The Golden Rule or The Law of Karma).

   The Law of Return :

      Gàidhlig: "An rud a chuireann tú amach, tiocfaidh sé chugat ar ais."

      Old English: "What ye send forth comes back to thee."

      Bisaya: "Unsa'y ihatag mo, mobalik kanimo."

This means whatever energy you put out into the world will be returned to you.

Spells

In Magickal practice, prayers are called spells.  There are two kinds: blessings and hexes.  The former is self-explaining and obviously positive, while the latter needs to be clarified a little.  A hex is, most often, negative.  However, if it is done to put a subject in a formidable predicament for the purpose of teaching a lesson, then it may still be considered a hex even though it isn't evil.  In which cases, Witches would call them blessings in disguise.

Spells generally require only energy emanating from the self.  However, there are cases that call for the help of intermediaries.



Intermediaries/Deities

Intermediaries are beings whom some traditions like to call lesser gods and goddesses.  They are not nature itself, but are nature-based and nature-dwelling, leading to the colloquial term nature-spirits.  Nature itself is neutral and therefore exempt from being labelled good or evil.  These intermediaries are, however, not exempt.  Thus, it is understood that there are good forces and there are evil forces.

Another great similarity between our two examples is the fact that the deities are not anthropomorphic, only named.  While most Celtic traditions have their gods and goddesses illustrated and given human forms -- even elaborate life stories -- the tradition of County Westmeath refused to adopt this.

During the earlier days, as in before the Irish Iron age (before 1 C.E.), all of Great Britain and Ireland (Celts, Welsh, and Gauls) sought aid directly from nature spirits.  Although named, these spirits did not have human images.  It wasn't until the entry of Greco-Roman influence into their cultures that they began giving their deities human forms and mythical stories.

On the other hand, the Philippine Baylan tradition, seen as a whole, had already largely adopted anthropomorphism long before the Spanish came.  The influence of other Asian religions led to nearly all deities being given humanoid forms, thus the replacement of the unnamed and formless nature dwellers with the anthropomorphic Diwata (derived from the Hindu term p. Devata or s. Deva, meaning guardian spirits, which, ironically, have a formless origin).

There is nothing inherently wrong with it, except for the development of human misinterpretation over the course of time, which then led to the creation of supposed origin stories for the deities and the rise of idolatry.  Most Baylan traditions have even given the Supreme Being a life story of its own, leading to the destruction of the concept of absolutism, which it was originally supposed to have.

Bohol's Babaylan, however, strongly rejected the growing national trend of anthropomorphism.  Thus, while some spirits have names, the authentic Binol-anong Baylan tradition never gave them stories and faces.



The Concept of Duality and Certain Beliefs

Celtic Witchcraft and Baylan, being very similar, are not exclusively emphasised as benevolent, unlike the Neo-Pagan Wicca.  It is given as a choice to every practitioner whether he/she chooses to do good or evil, in acknowledgement of the fact that whatever you do will inescapably happen to you in return, no matter how much you try to compensate.  Your positive deeds will be returned as blessings, but you still will not be able to escape your negative debt.  There is no principle of cancellation.  And, yes, reincarnation is held belief in.

Although there is no benevolent emphasis, it is understood in the way the saying is delivered that one should use his/her powers for good.  Who wants bad things happening to them, anyhow? The difference is that there is no dictation to do good or otherwise.  It is ultimately a matter of personal choice and exercise of freedom.

On the other hand, it is emphasised as a Witch's duty to protect his/her family.

Curses

What are called "curses," are fruits of passionate negative human emotions which are unleashed by an angry person.  One does not need to be a Witch in order to make a curse.  However, Witches are more accustomed to releasing their own energies when doing things, so it generally means that the effects of their curses are more potent and more destructive than that of most people.

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More things to learn:

            - The greeting "Blessed be," is a Neo-Pagan derivative from the old Irish parting blessings that say, "Bheannacht De ort," which means "May the gods bless you," and "Mo Bheannacht ort," which means "My blessings on you."  The Binol-anong Baylan equivalent is the age-old greeting that says, "Pagabuwahan ka," meaning "Blessings on you," which has presently been Christianised and changed into "Pagabuwahan ka sa Diyos" or "Pagabuwahan ka ni Kristo."  Diyos means "the Lord," while Kristo means "Christ."

            - The word Magick, spelled with CK is the Old English spelling of magic.  It is used by practitioners to distinguish the antiquity of the tradition.  The M is always capitalised to denote its use in the context of religion.

            - The word Witch is always began with capitalised W when used to refer to a person or a group of people who practise a religion based on Magick.  In another religion's context, for instance, what is appropriate is to refer to a practitioner of Buddhism as a "Buddhist," rather than a "buddhist."

            - The Pentacle (five-pointed star/pentagram in a circle), according to the County Westmeath Celtic Tradition, represents the union of the five elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Soul matter/Æther) with our own Spirit (centre) and the Absolute Being (circle).

            - Most Witches who are not practitioners of any denomination of Neo-Paganism generally do not appreciate being called Wiccans, especially if they practice antient traditional Witchcraft like Celtic Witchcraft or Baylan.  It is because Wicca is a new-era pagan movement and a lot of people like to hold on to the pride of being antient Witches.

            - Like in all religions many Witches are good.  Likewise, many are also not.  There are definitely evil Witches, but Witchcraft itself is NOT evil.  It is neutral.  I already mentioned this.

            - Talking about the Witch trials and the inquisition should be done with caution as it is a sensitive topic for most Witches who come from Traditional backgrounds.  Their ancestors may have been victims.  Most will not turn negative, but some will certainly get hurt.

            - Some Witches have familiars, or brother/sister spirits.  They are not servants or slaves; they share a special bond with the Witch.  Thus, the Witch and the familiar protect each other.  They usually inhabit small and agile animals.  In the Baylan tradition, they are called sigbin.

            - The way media programs such as Harry Potter, Charmed, and Sabrina portray magic are totally UNREALISTIC!  They have good values to teach people; they have good poetic justice themes; and they are good for entertainment purposes, but real magick just doesn't work like that.

            - Don't be afraid to ask questions.  Witches do not bite!

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