Writer's Musings

Originally posted on Subli: IF I WERE THE NEXT PRESIDENT (Part 8 of a series) By BEN R. PUNONGBAYAN Founder, Buklod National Political Party Improving Philippine agriculture, which includes fishery and forestry products, has been a persistent major issue since much of the 20th century. Unfortunately, we still continue to struggle to come to grips…

Originally posted on Subli: The Sunday edition of the Philippines Daily Express on September 24, 1972, the only newspaper published after the announcement of martial law on September 21, the evening prior. Ferdinand Marcos changed parties to run against Diosdado Macapagal and was elected president in 1965. While running for the presidency, Ferdinand Marcos and his wife,…

Originally posted on Rose Gardening World: By Rosalinda Morgan A sepal, a petal, and a thorn Upon a common summer’s morn- A flash of Dew – A Bee or two – A Breeze – a caper in the trees – And I’m a Rose! Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) I’ve been growing roses since 1971 and joined…

Originally posted on Subli: IF I WERE THE NEXT PRESIDENT (Part 7 of a series) By BEN R. PUNONGBAYAN Founder, Buklod National Political Party The Philippines is one of the probably very few countries in the world that do not speak a primary language on a national scale. This situation, unfortunately, has grave disadvantages, more…

Originally posted on Subli: General Macario Sakay y de Leon was born on Mar. 1, 1878, along Tabora Street in Tondo, Manila. and died 114 years ago today on Sept. 13, 1907, at age 29. He first worked as an apprentice in a kalesa (carriage) manufacturing shop. He was also a tailor, a barber, and…

Originally posted on Subli: IF I WERE THE NEXT PRESIDENT(Part 6 of a series) By BEN R. PUNONGBAYAN Founder, Buklod National Political Party There is a common acknowledgement that the quality of our education system is quite low. This observation, without doubt, has been validated by the poor results of the performance of our students…

Originally posted on Pacific Paratrooper: High class facilities in the Philippines, 1944 Back in the states, people were still dancing to the tunes of The Dorsey Brothers, Count Basie and Artie Shaw.  They listened to the songs of Doris Day, the Andrew Sisters, Lena Horne and Rosemary Clooney.  But, some others weren’t so lucky, in…

Originally posted on Subli: Encomienda Drawing by Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala An encomienda was a system adopted in all the Spanish colonies based upon the practice of exacting tribute from Muslims and Jews during the Reconquista (Reconquest) of Muslim Spain. As legally defined in 1503, encomiendas (the term comes from Spanish encomendar, “to entrust”)…

Originally posted on Subli: IF I WERE THE NEXT PRESIDENT(Part 5 of a series) By BEN R. PUNONGBAYAN Founder, Buklod National Political Party A heartbreaking face of poverty is the present-day preponderance of undernutrition of Filipino young children. The leading single measure of this undernutrition, or malnutrition generally, is stunting—the health condition of children under…