Any time a well-known personality supports condoms and the Reproductive Health Bill is certainly blog worthy, to me at least. And as well as well-known can get, internationally-acclaimed Broadway star Lea Salonga - just of the tiny Miss Saigon and Les Miserables fame - has joined the fight to support the RH Bill, thanks to that crazy ordinance that the officials of Barangay Ayala Alabang passed. So who said I was making a big deal about it? Apparently, I'm not alone.
Lea Salonga joins Ayala Alabang residents to protest condom ordinance
It was the same scene two weeks ago, rallyists dressed in yellow with placards protesting the passage of a barangay ordinance that regulates the purchase, sale and promotion of condoms and other moderns forms of contraception. Only this time they were angrier, noisier and demanding.
Storming the gates of the uber posh Ayala Alabang Village, rallyists were vigorously waving signs. Words that were previously only spoken in angered whispers or "shouted out" in the realm of Facebook, were now brandished in bold red letters: "I am a citizen of the Philippines, not Alabangistan!" read one placard. "AAV = Alliance Against Vaginas" read another placard, giving another meaning to the acronym of the village name. "Get bigots out of our bedrooms!" cried another. Other posters asked those passing by to show their support by honking their horns. And they had every right to be angry.
Since the last demonstration that coincided with the second public hearing on the controversial ordinance last March, there has been no word from the Barangay Council if they were going to repeal the ordinance which was rejected by the City Council and later declared as unconstitutional by various local government agencies.
"Wala pa kaming balita sa barangay council kung ano ang gagawin nila," said former DOH Secretary and Alabang resident, Esperanza Cabral."Hindi dapat pa patagalin ito." Cabral has been leading the efforts among the anti-ordinance group in the village.
Broadway star Lea Salonga, who openly opposed the ordinance said, "We live in a democracy and this is simply not right. Maigiging public record ang pabgili ng condoms at kahit ng pills na pwede naman hindi lang pang-contraception, pwedeng pang treat ng ovarian syndrome, magiging public record. It simply is not right." Salonga said she would have joined the previous demonstrations, but was out of the country.
Raoul, the 27-year old resident whose attempt to buy condoms last March from a drugstore in Alabang Town Center was secretly captured on video, also revealed himself. "I'm an example of who this ordinance directly affects. I'm going to have to go to my doctor and get a prescription for condoms. And how will I even say it, "Doc I'm going out on a date and it might work out."? It's just crazy."
Despite a statement from Barangay Captain Xerex Burgos that the ordinance was not be implemented as it had not yet secured the approval of the City Council, condom sales are being regulated. This was validated by Raoul. "Just three days ago, I tried to buy condoms at the Rustan's supermarket inside the village and they wouldn't let me. Bawal daw." Raoul also explained that condoms were at the back and not accessible without the assistant of a pharmacist.
"We want a resolution to this already," added Cabral who said that since the March 19 rally, nothing yet had been done by the Barangay Council, not even an update. When asked about being prepared for the worst and the ordinance being kept in effect, Cabral said, "They cannot not repeal that. And if they don't then we will just keep on doing this," Cabral concluded.
Read the article here.
All I can say is, "You go girls!"
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Miss Saigon to Miss Condom
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Trust
Despite my early morning jog being called off last minute, I still had a full Saturday planned out. It was really a mishmash of stuff that got thrown into a 24-hour period, so I really wasn’t sure how it could all get sewn together into a sensible story.
But I can always try. Bear with me.
I needed to convince myself to do another morning run. I had all the excuses. I was lazy, I was sore, I’d be tired so early, I wanted to save energy for yoga, etcetera, etcetera. But fine, I’ll do it. Up at 4:30 am Saturday, I awoke to a text from running buddy calling the run off. I was neither happy, nor bummed. Deadma lang. So I had breakfast, and back to bed I went. Thus, I worked in 9 hours of sleep. Ah loved et!
Next on the menu was family bonding. Needed to go to the grocery with mom and run some errands. No biggie, nothing unusual. Was back home within just an hour. Had lunch, and had a few minutes of food coma, and then needed to get back on my feet and prepare to leave again. It was yoga time.
I couldn’t miss yoga. I had a Yoga for Life virgin coming in to join us. Plus Basyang already got in the way of our Wednesday yoga, and I was already craving for it. So off I went, bussing to Makati in the noon traffic and heat. I got there half an hour early, but just a few minutes after my guest, so it was perfect.
It was again a tight group, all familiar faces. It started out with the usual. Maybe what was most unusual was that it was a noticeably light, less strenuous and lower impact yoga session. But then two words threw my complacency into the air. Two words simple enough on their own, but when put together made my jaw drop. Head... Stand... Headstand.
Headstand?! Oh my gosh… We were going to do a headstand today?! I’ve never done a headstand before. I don’t even think they teach that in Kamasutra! I’ll be honest, I was scared. But we were assured that we were to be guided and assisted one at a time. But still... gulp.
So one by one, starting with the most yoga-experienced, our yogi got us into headstands. I was getting more nervous as my turn approached. Four others did it before me, and did it successfully at that. So I had the chance to be the pooper… but I felt dared and challenged. Fine. Let’s do this.
Propped on my hands and elbows, ass up in the air and seeing the rest of the room upside down, I was given three counts to boost my feet off the floor and up onto the wall. One… two… three… and caution was thrown into the air. Next thing I felt was our yogi catching and assisting my legs till they were straight on the wall. I did it! I did it! I would’ve given myself a round of applause if I could!
I was only there less than a minute, but already I could feel all the blood rushing to my head. I was then told to roll out of the headstand when I was ready. What?! I’m here already! I’m not budging! It would be a challenge anew to get out of the headstand. But fine, I would have gravity on my side this time, right? So down I went. It was less of an effort than getting into it, and easier than I expected.
I needed to ask myself. Did I really do it? I sat stunned for a few minutes, until someone from across the room gave me a thumbs-up, asking if I was okay. I smiled back and nodded. I did it. I really did it. Next thing I knew, I was picturing my room in my head, thinking against which wall I could do headstands. Whoa! And I wanted to do more of it?! Hahaha!
That was a yoga session to be remembered. And that headstand was worth more than the minute I was in it. It was empowering. It was liberating. I cannot thank our yogi enough.
It was almost 4pm when I left Makati. Where to? Another date. Same guy I was with at the movies last weekend, so it wasn’t just any eyeball. I headed home to dump my stuff and freshen up. Within a few minutes of getting home, rain started to pour. Was I lucky to get home in time? Or have I jinxed my night out? Argh.
Really, it was raining enough to activate the laze in anyone. But I had made a promise. I promised we’d hang out at his place. It was a promise that I was set on keeping. So I just sent a text message asking for some leeway to wait for the rain to hold up slightly. He was fine with it. After a good fifteen minutes or so, I charged out. In a cab and armed with some instructions with which to direct the driver on where to go, I crossed my fingers hoping that we don’t get lost.
I was lucky enough to get a good driver, who was slightly familiar with the area and didn’t take advantage of my not knowing. I let my don’t-look-lost façade down, and we worked together to find the place. Success. At least I’ll know how to get there next time.
My date led me in, and plopped me down onto his bed. We watched TV and talked, wrapped in a blanket and each other’s arms the whole time. After four hours, I was tired, sleepy, and drugged, and said I had to go... Okay fine, rewinding, we did get a bit frisky within some of those four hours. It was not anything we both weren’t into.
So from there, we freshened up and left. We drove-thru on the way for a light midnight snack. He dropped me off where I could get a ride. I bid goodbye... without a hug or a kiss because of his stand against PDA... hahaha.
As much as I’d like to say that my trip home was uneventful, it wasn’t. It’s not every day that someone makes a pass at me and strikes up a conversation on my walk home. Argh. Small talk is hard enough for me, let alone with a stranger. Good thing he was a pretty decent guy… decent enough to say I didn’t really have to tell him my real age when I could pass for someone in his mid-20s. Hehehe. Talk about a last minute ego boost.
So, as you can see, I had another packed Saturday. It seemed like I was just all over the place, until I watched Nim’s Island on cable today. It was my first time watching it, and I enjoyed the story. Very feel good. But there was one particular line that caught my attention...
Trust is the secret to adventure.
Indeed, trust was huge for me this weekend. Trust in fate. Trust in my instinct. Trust in our yogi. Trust in my body. Trust in gravity. Trust in the weather. Trust in the understanding of others. Trust in a cab driver. Trust in unknown paths. Trust in a date. Trust in a stranger. And over all, trust in what the heavens had in store. A whole lot of trust... and not even counting the condoms I always have on hand just in case. Hehehe.
For a pretty juvenile movie, Nim’s Island hit the nail on the head. Trust is the secret to adventure. It is, at least, the secret to mine. And my adventure just happens to be this little thing I call life.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Tough Ten
I’m not exactly sure how I got dragged into this, but John Stanley just tagged me to answer ten of their hottest and nakaka-kablog questions that a blogger can be asked. So, not being one with hands ever left speechless, here are my Tough Ten answers to their Tough Ten questions... in a The Buzz exclusive...
Tough Ten Question Number 10
Who is your least favorite blogger and why?
Hmm. The blogging world is extremely small, so I think it would be better for me not to say exactly who it is. As for why, that I can answer.
First, the way he blogs so highly of himself brings pagbubuhat-ng-sariling-bangko to a whole new level. As in ang habaaaaa ng hair. As in pwede na siyang kunin ni Lord. Fine, so maybe he is possibly just really that perfect, but I always believed perfection should be anything but self-professed.
Second, he is anything but true to himself. I know that by the way he contradicts himself, saying one thing about himself in one entry, and saying the exact opposite in the next. Things just don’t add up. It defeats the purpose of blogging as a medium of expressing one’s true self.
Third, reading him makes me want to whip out my red ballpen and edit him on the spot. Janina San Miguel level ito. I appreciate the attempt... pero di naman bawal mag-blog in Tagalog, diba?
I’m sorry for rambling on like it’s Tough Ten question number 1 already. I’ve ranted against this person to some of my online pals at one time or another, so they should know who and what I’m talking about. I confess, I do still visit this extremely irritating blog, but only because it reminds me that, like his blog, there are worse things in life. Teehee, bad me. I’m not called B.I.T.C.H. for nothing.
Tough Ten Question Number 9
If you can only read one blog, which one will it be?
Blog ni Inday? Hahaha. No, I’m kidding... Of course, my BFF’s blog... As in Blogger Friend Forever! Yessss, ikaw yun!
Tough Ten Question Number 8
Who do you think tells fabricated stories?
Are you really trying to piss me off? Or can you just reread my answer to number 10?
Tough Ten Question Number 7
If there's one blogger whom you haven't met and would like to meet, who would it be and why?
Hmm. Probably the blogger formerly known as Misterhubs. I’d just like to get an idea of what kind of person comes up with the stuff he does in his blog. Hehehe.
Tough Ten Question Number 6
What is one thing that you'd like to write about but cannot (due to real or perceived complications)?
This is such an easy question. The one thing I can’t write about as of the moment is who I am exactly. I’m talking about disclosure. For obvious reasons. But maybe eventually, it can and will happen. But then I’d have to change the title of this blog when that time comes, wouldn’t I? Geesh.
For now, I walk the very fine line between transparency and anonymity.
Tough Ten Question Number 5
Have you had sex with a fellow-blogger?
Hell no! I have not had sex with “a” fellow-blogger. Bwahaha.
Okay, fine. Yeses. Take note of the plurality.
Tough Ten Question Number 4
Have you had sex with your blog reader?
Hmm, that’s a complicated question. If the reader happened to be a blogger, does he fall under this question, or the previous one? Does someone who I had sex with prior to his reading this blog count as well?
Tough Ten Question Number 3
Who is the most narcissistic/self-absorbed blogger that you know?
Why... do... you... keep... getting... on... that... nerve? *Evil eyes* Just go back to question 10. And enough about him... please.
Tough Ten Question Number 2
Which blogger would you want to have sex with?
Anyone at all. Ano ba?! Magiging choosy pa ba ako?!
Hahaha, seriously... wholesome ako.
*B.I.T.C.H. has been struck by lightning*
Tough Ten Question Number 1
Based on how you know this blogger through his (or her) blog, who would you like to be in a serious relationship with?
Ano baaa?! Walang tuksuhan!
*B.I.T.C.H. stares at RubyPurple’s gorgeous lips... and shoves a whole jumbo siopao in... with paper and all*
Basta, definitely, it will be a “his”. Hahaha.
Are you guys happy now? The more important questions though are... Which one of you is Ruffa, which one is Kris, and which one is Boy?
