Sa ngalan ng ama

ARAW nila noong Linggo.  Sila ang mga tinatawag na “haligi ng tahanan” na madalas pumundi sa “ilaw ng tahanan.”

Opo, mga ginang at ginoo, sila ang mga tatay na lahat tayo’y mayroon, kilala man natin o hindi, patay man o buhay, mabait man o salbahe.

Ang tatay ko mismo e hindi ko masyadong kilala dahil bihira siyang umuwi bilang seaman. Pero kahit ganoon, nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa kanya dahil nabuhay ako sa mundong ito. Ang natatandaan ko sa kanya e tahimik lamang siya at bihirang magsalita. Kapag umuuwi para magbakasyon e madalas rin siyang nasa labas ng bahay kasama ng mga kaibigan. Sa kabila noon, malakas pa rin ang impluwensiya niya sa akin. Hindi siya nakatuntong ng hayskul pero nag-enrol siya sa isang correspondence school noong may-asawa na siya at nagtatrabaho, at nagtapos bilang inhinyero. Kahit hindi niya sinasabi sa akin, sa halimbawa niya natutunan kong walang imposible sa planetang ito na ating ginagalawan.

Namatay siya noong Pebrero 2001 sa kanser sa baga. Maging ito’y isa ring halimbawa sa aming magkakapatid. Agad tumigil ang tatlo kong kapatid sa paninigarilyo dahil sa takot na mangyari sa kanila ang sinapit ng tatay namin. Ako naman at ang isa ko pang kapatid e hindi nakaranas magbisyo ng yosi.

Ako mismo e tatay na rin naman at mahal ako ng mga anak ko; alam ko dahil binati rin nila ako kahapon ng “Happy Fathers’ Day.”

Medyo nakakaasiwa lamang itong Fathers’ Day na minana natin sa mga Amerikano. Pista opisyal ito sa Estados Unidos na unang ipinagdiwang doon eksaktong 100 taon na simula kahapon. Medyo nauna lamang maging pista opisyal ang Mothers’ Day doon dahil mas kawawa naman talaga ang mga babae noong unang panahon; nakatali sila sa mga gawaing bahay at nagtatrabaho nang walang sweldo.

Pero sa kasalukuyang panahon, hindi na masyadong nagkakalayo ang papel ng mga tatay at nanay. Marami na rin kasing babae ang nagtatrabaho sa labas – lalo na nang mauso ang pagpapakabayani sa ibayong dagat – at nagiging papel na rin ng maraming tatay ngayon ang maglaba, mamalantsa, maghugas ng pinggan at mag-alaga ng bata. Mga gawaing pambahay na hindi na lamang eksklusibong teritoryo ng mga bebang ngayon. Ang pagiging “housekeeper” e “okupasyon” na rin ng mga macho gwapito.

Nagrereklamo tayo sa “komersyalisasyon” ng mga nakaugaliang pagdiriwang, gaya ng Pasko at Bagong Taon. Pero kumbaga sa adik, kailangan natin ng “high” para maglibang at magkaroon ng dahilan para gumasta at magsaya. Kaya nga naging popular din ang mga okasyong hindi pista opisyal sa atin, gaya ng Valentine’s Day, Halloween at ito ngang Mothers’ Day at Fathers’ Day.

May katwiran ang ilan nating kababayan na pagdudahan ang mga kapitalista sa bansang ito sa pagdiriwang ng paparami at paparami pang mga okasyon para samantalahin ang pagiging emo o maramdamin ng mga Pinoy para sila pagkakitaan.

Hindi naman ako nagrereklamo. Basta ‘wag lang akong gumastos nang malaki e OK lang ’yan sa akin.

WTO reviews JPEPA

21 June 2010—The World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) is considering the Japan – Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), according to its chair Ambassador Alfredo Suescum of Panama in Geneva last June 15.

The WTO General Council established the CRTA to examine individual regional trade agreement (RTAs).  The Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements adopted on 14 December 2006 governs the process.

DTI Senior Undersecretary Thomas Aquino heads the Philippine delegation and is the lead negotiator for the JPEPA.  Officials from the National Economic Development Authority, Board of Investments, Bureau of International Trade Relations, Department of Agriculture, Tariff Commission, Department of Justice, and Bureau of Customs, as well as officers of the Philippine Mission to the WTO composed the Philippine Delegation.

Deputy Permanent Representative  Kuni Sato of the Japanese Mission to the WTO  heads the Japanese delegation. He said: “The conclusion of the EPA with a country like the Philippines, which is one of the core countries of ASEAN, would create a positive and demonstrative impact on other economies, particularly those in East Asia, and help further develop and enhance the comprehensive economic partnership within the region as a whole.”

Senior Undersecretary Aquino said that “Japan and the Philippines have a positive and forward-looking economic partnership, and that Japan is the Philippines’ largest trading partner within East Asia Region and has sustained its position as the Philippines second largest global trading partner.”

Aquino further stated that “the JPEPA underwent fine scrutiny from Members, which contributed to the better understanding of the Agreement’s objectives and specific provisions by WTO Members.” Japan and the Philippines both prepared the joint written replies as well as responded to questions from the floor.

The JPEPA was signed in Finland on 09 September 2006 and entered into force on 11 December 2008.

Aside from the JPEPA, the CRTA likewise considered the free trade agreement between Australia and Chile.

Few jobs for Pinoys in Macau

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has warned overseas Filipino workers against going to Macau to look for employment with only tourist visas as the Macau government has passed a law that prioritizes the hiring of local workers over foreign workers.

Citing a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Macau, Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque said it is no longer easy for foreign workers to come and find employment in Macau, unlike in the past when they could apply and easily fill vacancies as walk-in applicants in this part of China.

Roque said Filipino workers should be wary against unscrupulous individuals or agencies who may entice or bring them to Macau as tourists with promises of stumbling upon jobs in this Chinese territory as they may instead find themselves in dire straits in view of the new Macau restrictions against foreign workers.

He said the workers should always verify first with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) the legality of jobs in Macau that may be offered them.  In 2009, POEA deployed 6,729 OFWs to Macau, most of whom were employed in the tourism sector.

The Macau government passed the Law for the Employment of Non-residential Workers, also known as the Law on Imported Labor, to safeguard the employment of local workers and restrict the hiring of migrant workers in Macau.  The new law took effect on April 26, 2010.

The POLO – Macau report said the draft administrative regulations complementing the new law have already been submitted to the Macau government’s Executive Council .

In view of the new law, the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) presented 10 demands to the Macau Department of Transportation and Public Works to protect local workers and prevent the illegal employment of foreign workers.  The union asked the Macau government to, among others, prevent the hiring of foreign workers in occupations such as drivers and floor supervisors in casinos, and in the industrial and construction sectors as well.

Meanwhile, the POLO-Macau has consulted the Macau Labor Affairs Bureau (DSAL) for the conduct of a symposium aimed at orienting the OFWs in Macau on the new Law on Imported Labor.

Macau, a former Portuguese colony, is one of the two special administrative regions in China.  The other one is Hong Kong.  Macau’s economy is based largely on tourism, gaming, and hospitality industry which contributes more than 50 percent of its GDP.  Other chief economic activities in this administrative region are export-geared textile and garment manufacturing, banking and other financial services.

A Wedding

Last Sunday’s wedding was the first my family ever attended on my husband’s side. We failed to attend an older nephew’s wedding last year due to many reasons. Now, this May 30 wedding at the 400-year-old  Manila Cathedral was a time for a family reunion of sorts that had never happened  (rather happens only with a few groups of close relatives during birthdays or Christmases).

There she was, Rova, our nephew Hector’s beautiful bride beaming  in her ecru wedding gown with a long, long virginal white veil traversing the red carpeted aisle as she savored this once-in-a-lifetime walk escorted by her equally beaming parents.

Hector was also escorted by his father, my husband’s elder brother  who is as dignified as the groom.  The groom’s mother, radiant in apple green and royal blue terno, was teary-eyed. Reaching the altar, he embraced his father and kissed his mother bidding his final goodbye to singlehood. The groom, handsome in his barong, took Rova’s father’s right hand to his forehead to do the traditional mano and kissed his bride’s mother on the cheek, then  escorted his bride to the altar.

What a beautiful couple!

While preparing to go to this wedding, my husband blurted out: “Parang tayo ang ikakasal ah.” It was the first time our family of five went out shopping to buy barongs, sarongs, alampay, closed formal pairs of shoes and evening bags. Good that the wedding couple decided the motif to be Filipiniana. It was so practical and easy to prepare – and very Filipino, too. Husband wonders why the Philippine-made clothes are expensive though they are made locally. It must be because they are labor-intensive.

Husband and son had to go to the barber shop to have a haircut. I also had to go to the nearby parlor to have my hair coiffed up. On the way to the church, our daughter who is used to putting on make-up put on her Nanay’s lipstick and powdered my face which is not used to even a face powder or a lip gloss.  This she did while the car was running along Roxas Boulevard after we picked her up from a three-day youth camp along the way. I am glad we have a daughter who is smart and presentable enough to do these things for me happily. I am happy too we have a son who can drive for us safely and patient enough to wait for his young sister who is as stubborn as me. (Second son was in Davao attending a youth leadership conference but bought a new barong just the same for this annual conference).

I could imagine how taxing and difficult it is for both the bride’s and groom’s families to have planned a well-organized activities leading to the success of the wedding.  Hector and Rova are lucky that there is this person called wedding coordinator during this time of frenzy who can arrange things for them and make their life easier during this important moment of their life.

Wedding reception at the Maynila Pavillion of the historic Manila Hotel was well-organized too.  My daughter and I who are both vegetarians feasted on the fruits that bedecked the dining table. Husband and son who are meat-eaters feasted on a sumptuous dinner joyfully.

Seeing Ate Beth, Hector’s mother, cry as mother and son danced on the ballroom, I cannot help but think that weddings are not only joyful unions of two persons loving each other but also are bitter-sweet moments as mothers and fathers become ambivalent and foresee vacant bedrooms or vacant seats at mealtime when a son or a daughter finally decides to leave the home they had shared for many years to establish his or her own family.

Congratulations, Kuya Oca  and Ate Beth. You have raised Hector to be a strong, well-mannered and principled man.  Congratulations too to the parents of Rova. You have raised her to be a dutiful, loving and wonderful woman.

Cheers to the newlyweds!