“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.”

Relaxing moments in Philippine
history?

 After five
years there had never been any barangay elections, to have one gives that
feeling of people empowerment. In the
higher scheme of things, it only signals the start of a recruitment process,
with Malacanang, Inc. as a huge recruitment agency for patronizing new or old punong barangays and barangay
kagawads throughout the archipelago. Truly, political power starts at the base of the pyramid.

 Then again,
after six years or so of imprisonment, former president Erap is granted
executive clemency as a Thursday gift – irrespective of whether or not there
was a request for pardon. The thought of
his freedom is just about the greatest blessing that can descend to the
consciousness of an ailing mother of one hundred and two. From every perspective, GMA is cast to have
played the underdog. And such is part of
our crippling Filipino mentality. 

FVR

remains a resident evil in RP’s realpolitik –
with or without any official authority. And it is as if, he is the only one who can pull leverage or shield GMA
from serious attacks. Inferential
thinking tells us that, to some extent,

FVR

shares power with GMA, through his military clones placed in sensitive
positions of government. After all,
military power is always held supreme. Or
what is that 100-day ultimatum given to lady

Gloria

?

 Then there
goes the CBCP and its vicious claim to the moral high ground. But who really understood any of those
pastoral letters circulated in public? In not a single instance, had the pastoral letter cater to the IQ of the
ordinary man in the street as not even the bishops in their own fold comprehend
their true import. CBCP’s moral position
coming always late, opens it to negotiation – or to the highest bidder, call it
that. Who really cares about CBCP
anyway?

 Other more
serious political developments or events become hidden from public view. The ABZTEFG, the impeachment move, the
payolas in the House – all these really have to ‘back off’, matter-of-factly. The business of the day is the remaining
years of GMA’s term as president. It
must turn full circle – hassle-free. 

 If push
turns to shove, Malacanang may have to dispense with JDV and the fund mess in
the House that left no trace. Erap is
left with no option but to accept a cabinet position patronizing of GMA even
while the government sequesters most of his assets and earnings from you know
where. Political realignment would turn
into a myth as Erap’s perceived sphere of influence has just been skillfully
‘detonated’. 

 Trillanes,
being in jail, remains a mere shadow. Proxy senator is simply no senator. In the end, it will be a total waste of government funds except if his entire
annual P200-million appropriation be utilized to build the biggest jail yard
the country will ever have. That would
have been an unparalleled legacy from a young alumnus of PMA. Ironically, Gringo broke only a leg and
played along the grain – a highly-paid recruit.

 Vocal
critics against GMA are on the silent mode. Cayetano and Escudero are chips that fall in place. In a game of bend or break, they,
indicatively, are inherently bendable. Only Trillanes remains to be the young idealistic, principled, and true
reformist of the pack. Others chose to
run away as cowards – the likes of

Samuel

Ong

,
et al. 

Allan

Paguia

chose to be at a hitting distance – fragile but brave. 

Kit

Tatad

is always a mere antidote, antidotal no end.

 Any form of
power grab attempted at GMA is predictably anti-climactic. It holds no future. The remaining years of the Arroyo
administration will usher in a smooth turn-over to the new Palace occupant come
2010. Paradoxically enough, we saw the
make-over done to Joker Arroyo,

Miriam

Defensor

Santiago

,
Gringo Honasan and others. 

 It is disheartening
to realize that there is no one left to fight the status quo for its excesses,
no advocacy group strong enough to yield powerful influence as to be able to
tilt the balance of power to its side, no single individual that the Palace
would heed – not a Velarde, not a Villanueva, not a Manalo.

 As soon as
the one-year ban has already expired, more sensitive positions in government
will be occupied by the senatorial losers. It may be RP’s boon or bane. Either way it goes, the Filipino people will be its first casualties or
beneficiaries. It then bears watching
what doomsday scenario will soon unfold. 

Antipolo

City

– the next investment
field, believe it or not!

Antipolo

City

has about the same number of barangays its adjoining neighbor

Marikina

City

has. In terms of land area, the former
is bigger and in population alone, Antipolo has twice as much as the
latter. If we talk of a larger consumer
market, with more people, there ought to be a higher pattern of supply as well
as demand for goods and services. And as
soon as goods and services reach Antipolo, the prices would have been jacked up
a little bit to give way for a viable profit from business activity. In other words, goods and services in

Antipolo

City

ought to be realistically higher
than its neighboring or adjoining cities. Thus, nothing in the business landscape is altered – there is a common
given. 

 Sad to
tell,

Antipolo

City

collects very little in taxes from business establishments operating within the
city – a far cry from that of

Marikina

whose number of businesses is only relatively higher than that of Antipolo. For instance, compared to

Marikina

which generates some P226,000 from
business tax for last year alone, Antipolo only generates P65,000, even
less. Truly, there is a need to
“re-engineer” Antipolo without having to re-invent the wheel. And all these, under former

Congressman

Victor

R.

Sumulong

– the proverbial “superman” – are in the works. Not few foreign as well as local investors are eyeing to plant the
capital seeds, as if it were, to trigger that long-sought phenomenon called the
“boom and bust”. And let it come, if it
will. The evolving pattern is of course
one in which business from

Marikina

and other neighboring cities are moving toward the hills. The oft-repeated punch – “Tayo na sa
Antipolo” – has never been more cool and trendy than it is today. The “influx” of good things to come are seen
coming with Antipolo as the next expansion destination for businesses.

 Before the
year ends, City Mayor Victor Sumulong expects the preparatory works to be
finished, on top of which is the unclogging of all national highways – Marcos
highway, Sumulong highway, the Circumferential Road – on the principal belief
that if these road arteries are clogged, no development can take place. This is deemed to have succeeded with the
clearing of all structures that violate the right of way or easement as the
City Government begins to strictly implement the engineering criteria set by
law on national roads. In the process,
not few houses, even business establishments or other such structures have to
‘deleted’ from the surface and where relocation might be necessary, even this
problem is already on the drawing board. And if push turns to shove, the most doable thing to accomplish is
develop a great City from its own ruins – a political culture that could have
led to decay.

 While it is
true that by and large, the City Mayor has placed new heads of departments and
offices as well as practically flashed out a lot of rank and file who are found
to be mere political accommodations, it is not as if the new players can do
only as much as the old. Not at
all.  The days and weeks and months bear
watching. This early, a lot of things
are about to take off. The synergy is
there since

Mayor

Sumulong

deemed it wise to have the department/program heads to undergo basic trainings
on all major thematic areas in local governance with him as a participant
himself. The house is thus being kept in
order with that idea that if you put the best qualified people to the right
job, they will deliver. And not too
optimistically, every head seems to be on the delivery mood or mode,
whichever. Soon enough, the synergy
which is part of the City’s biological rhythm will shape the vision earlier
drawn by Mayor Sumulong – a blooming city in Sitio Cabading toward that of
Infanta, Quezon – dubbed as the field where the next development will take
place. Call it the – the Eastern Growth
Corridor – in the overall development road map. Figuratively enough, we are throwing

Antipolo

City

into a “public auction”. 

 Pray tell,
the finance cluster of the City Government sooner than late unties the Gorgian
knot as if it were. And it did require a
lot of time of study, self-sacrifice, and untiring efforts or even commitment
to succeed. After all, hasn’t it been
said that – “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. The marching order from the good City Mayor
of Antipolo City is precisely to succeed according to plan. This formula is simple enough. The thing is, the program or department heads
who must march to this tune – must reorganize and put in place better systems,
better procedures, as well as maybe better practices in their own departments
or offices. 

 These new
directions and thrusts from the City Government, however, ought to be
complimented by the participation of the private sector, let alone the
businesses operating within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of

Antipolo

. It cannot be overemphasized that “taxes are
the lifeblood of local governance”. This
is not as if new taxes will be imposed, although it is well within the lawful
prerogative of the City to do so now after five years of its corporate
existence as a component city. Fact is,
it is high time for all business establishments to pay all the taxes, fees,
charges that by law are levied or imposed as anywhere else in the country. After all, 50% of 1% of gross – does not
kill, does it?

 Truth is,
if and only if businesses from top to low only declare truthfully their annual
gross sales/receipts with the City Government so that the true and realistic
taxes due the city  can be collected, then
the business tax collected from

Antipolo

City

can equal that of
its neighbors. This does not have to be
a social experiment because the social responsibility is reposed upon the
companies, corporations, partnerships and proprietors operating their various
business in the city. It behooves upon
them to make their own social contribution. The City Government does not have to beg them to do so – it is a matter
of right on the part of the City and a matter of privilege on the part of the
business sector. A good marriage of the
two would usher well to a happy ‘married life’.

Antipolo

City

is one local government unit, one
community, and one family. The sugar and
coffee are in the boiling cup and we do enjoin the private, business and
corporate sector to give their share in building a

new city

– projected to develop to the
tilt. We have ‘superman’ with us. Hence, the task at hand is one of giving the
City Government what it rightfully deserves. In the end, your taxes go back to you. On the whole, every resident of Antipolo must do his part. Today, we mean business at the City.

The

Bloomfields

and
the other bands

 After that
day the Bloomfields performed, last but not least, at Sta. Lucia East Mall (in
Cainta), along with six other local bands, every music expert will tell us that
in general – none of the Pinoy bands can compare well with the fabulous Group
produced from La Salle Greenhills.

Paradoxically enough, the level of
patronizing accolade and audience applause cannot quite approximate that at the
homefront – the Eastwood’s middle class audience. This leads me to the point I now want to
drive at, if I may.

 At this
point in time that

George

’s masterful
invention is about to shine, it would be foolhardy for any changing the name to
something else. Let that be the first
law. 

Next, not few might be inclined to
think that the

Bloomfields

must undergo musical re-engineering. In the grand scheme of things, it is not
necessary. If it could only cater to the
middle class, and if by that we mean those in the A,B,C of our unique social
caste system, then let it be. All the other
rock bands can have those in the D & E, in our Great Cultural Divide. Let
this be the second law. 

The only factor that could best
explained why, apparently, the mall audience has applauded harder to the
performance of at least two other bands is the fact that – unlike the
Bloomfields who came in suits – all the rest of the other bands came in their
weekend street wear. Thus, the third law
would be –

Bloomfields

just cannot alter its genetic code. And
musically speaking, there is no re-engineering the

Bloomfields

’
musical genes. 

 That event
hosted by WRR101.9 on the occasion of its 11^th anniversary that
consumed all of four “halakhak n roll” hours
was a total day of entertainment and music at 50-50 basis. Stand-up comedians of the Punchline notoriety
and the disc jockeys of WRR radio station came to entertain the crowd with
their jingles, antics, songs, theatrics plus a lot of generous give-aways – t-shirts,
jackets, bags, all sorts of goodies – from their sponsors. Not to be forgotten,

Eric

and Tuko tickled the audience’s funny bone to the nth degree. 

 But going
back, it was, in truth, the

Bloomfields

that delivered not just
the grand finale but the grand fatale as well. Only God knows what happened when atomic

Louie

has to end the show by going ballistics –
throws himself like a dart to crash upon the band’s drummer Rocky and his
drums. 

That 4^th hour of show is
about to reach boiling point as the grand audience begins to feel the heat the
fabulous rock band aims to generate. In fairness, what saved the day for the
Bloomfields was that tiny pack of kids and youngsters who, call them ‘bloomies,
inc.’ if you will  – sang, hop, twist,
yell, shout, frolic, sway, applause – to a near point of social contagion. 

They were indicatively middle class
alright but they ought to have provided the communication line for those who,
by all indications, heard the

Bloomfields

only for the first
time. So even as the show ended, that
“virtual” line has been left open. By
and large, the

Bloomfields

,
with that rather anti-climactic performance, served open invitation for all who
love their brand of music to watch them where they see them – again, and again. 

There ought to be a measuring stick
against which all performances shall be gauged. Audience response would be largely deceiving, but not exactly. Theoretically enough, the two other rock
bands that performed may have received the louder wave of applause. To be sure, however, it came only from the
teenage group and did not quite cut across all social classes. Of course, bands like Itchyworms and Hale,
after all, came earlier in the musical landscape than any of the rest combined.

And gladly,

Bloomfields

now
comes crashing the gate. In no time,
their mercurial rise to the top of the musical chart would be more than just
audience-based. From where I stand,

Bloomfields

has come of age and soon it will not just be reflective of the ‘revenge of the
middle class’ but of society writ large against a current dispensation that has
gone loco – a government that has always gone on a self-destruct.

In music, there is fury. In music, there is rage. In music, there is rebellion. We all love to see the day when via – music –
Philippine society morphed into a community we can all be proud of. In a scale of 1 to 10,

Bloomfields

–
ranged against the performances of the other rock bands – performed level best
but let us please try to know if volatile

Louie

got himself injured in the unseen stunt. What about the simply unstoppable Rocky?

As to Pepe and his enigmatic
presence, Jayjay and his signature dance to the tune of King Creole, and Lakan
for his almost neurotic musical calculations over the keyboard – one and all –
is, I dare say,

George

’s only fault,
if you follow my drift. Long live the

Bloomfields

!

Bloomfields

– liberating rock band!

 It is most unkind to call the fabulous

Bloomfields

some
cheap version of the

Beatles

or other rock bands of
the same genre in the late 50s to the early 60s. But it is not as if – the blaze, the sounds,
the spirit, and that single sense of rebellion – could not be re-enacted any
which way but cool as they become one of the best audio-visual menu in the
local music scene. They have been doing
it via gigs held every Wednesday in some nook and cranny of a place people
calls the Eastwood. Those who groove to this Wednesday habit, however bad for
the pocket it could turn out to be, know where I am coming from. Truth is, it is worth every drink you gulp,
every bite you take from plates generously filled with gastronomic delights. And the lovely, beautiful, and intelligent
people you see around give that sometimes elusive middle class comfort every
young-upward-mobility- professional searches for. 

 True
enough, not everyone probably wants rock and roll but first timers may never
decide not to listen to their brand of music another time. It can even reach addiction levels. The mass hypnosis effect is generated by the
quality of their voice – Rocky, Jayjay,

Louie

,
Pepe, Lakan – as each one does a solo rendition.  And where their voices have to mix or blend,
the well-tapered mixture of sounds from their musical instruments form one
consuming unity not easily found in other bands of the same class. All told, this pack of young boys from La
Salle Greenhills seem to get all they wanted, achieve the dream they have but
longed for, and they bounce back the blessings they are having. The crowd – adoring, curious, addicted, hyped
– may be said to be this promising rock band’s greatest beneficiary. Trick-wise, if you ever decide to go to
Eastwood, jibe it with their presence every Wednesday night from 9 p.m. to 11
p.m. You have one hour left after the
show to go home before the

midnight

clocks another day in the dial – decent enough for every decent person worth
his salt.

 And you
will be glad to realize that you have not really paid anything when you have to
spend your Wednesday night at their homey Eastwood open theater – simply
nothing. I can always imagine this
fabulous band, as George always wants to put it, does everyone one great favor
each time they go to watch their gigs. That little place with all that cozy ambience, call it an arcade or
whatever,  truly exude with life, fun,
and great music as people from all walks of life – take  time out to eat, transact business, meet
appointments, set meetings, simply unwind – while five lively boys do their
musical performance. For some, there is
no place like Eastwood – if and only if –

George

’s

Bloomfields

is there to attract us all to the beat more than the booze of every kind
available. 

 The social
magnet that is the

Bloomfields

holds a lot of promise. But even as they
perform at their level peak, there is need to ride the flying carpet to bring
them to that stellar stature where they deservingly belong – the best local
rock band that is still undiscovered to this day. Lucky then are those who have already became
‘biological part” of the band’s patronizing audienceship. Be it Eastwood, any Metro mall or elsewhere,
the Bloomfields perform in a manner like no sure profit is in sight much less
on hand. It should be your fault,

George

. In
other words, the

Bloomfields

,
from every length and bread is not a fund-raising project, not at all. I can stand witness against any accusation of
profiteering committed by any or all of the

Bloomfields

. Poetically, what they actually do is a grand
political statement altogether. The
group appears to ‘rebel’ or perhaps, reverb against a status quo bereft of
legitimacy, moral ascendancy and unreflective of the sovereign will. And there seems to be no other more
penetrating means to pursue an advocacy than through their liberating
music. 

 No wonder
then, Fil-Ams not only listened and danced to their music on the occasion of
the 109^th anniversary celebration of Philippine Independence held in

Hawaii

very
recently, they experienced what freedom is all about. With the band, people can - hop, twist, rock, yell, shout, hug, kiss,
chant – to their hearts’ content. Hit or
not, the songs – Ale, Wala ng Iba or the more non-current ones like All My
Loving, At the Hop, If I Fell, Never Let Her Slip Away, You’re Gonna Lose That
Girl, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, The Way I Care, King Creole, Little Honda, Say You
Do, Walk On By, Please Don’t Go – all these will bring you back in time.  It is a travel experience, so called that one
music expert said brought to the surface “exactly the right level of discourse
for the audience”. And rightly so, I
dare say, in times that placed Philippine realpolitik in the global map as the
worst in everything – systemic if not endemic corruption in high places.

 As a father
to three very young kids who got addicted to the Bloomfields band, however as
equally guilty their parents could be, I do not mind giving children that air
of freedom through music that only the great Bloomfields can generate to the
level of perfection. The band creates a
world for us – away from the threatening presence of mad dogs called the police
or military, free of censure from Malacanang sycophants, moved away from the
big time corruption in high places that always rears its ugly head. There is life away from all these ‘cares and
woes’, matter- of- factly. Enjoying the
warm company of again,

Louie

, Rocky,
Jayjay, Pepe and Lakan in a given level of socio-political discourse through
‘rock and roll’ is not an old formula but a fresh one and most everyone needs a
form of soothing intellectual therapy less the crimes committed by The Palace,
Inc. choke us all to death or crash our already damaged psyche. Rock the band, will you!