Do We Deserve November 8?

Every four years we experience Leap Year and add February 29 on our calendars because the Earth revolves around the sun slower than normal.

A Reverse Leap Year hasn’t been proposed yet wherein instead of add, we omit one day from the calendar. If that ever comes true, perhaps most Filipinos and Americans would vote for the removal of November 8.

If you belong in the minority of these populations who weren’t informed by the recent breaking news, here are they:

Our Supreme Court ruled 9-5-1 in favor of allowing formerPresident Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’Cemetery)—the final resting place for our country’s presidents, heroes, patriots, and national artists and scientists. For almost three decades, human rights lawyers, activists, and martial law victims have opposed this move because while he is technically qualified to be buried there as a former president; National Defense secretary; Medal of Valor awardee; and WWII veteran; the atrocities committed under his declared Martial Law counters the essence of the cemetery’s foundation.

For obvious reasons, social media exploded with furious netizens. While majority of people (at least on my feed) could not accept the decision, others said that life must still go on.

“Move On!” said those who have had too much of this ‘Martial Law thingy.’ For them, the burial might actually signal our national unity—an ideal path to progress with our past behind us where there is no sinner and everyone is a saint.

“It’s a soldier’s and a President’s burial, not a hero’s burial,” others said in an effort to calm down the opposition. Point taken: soldiers and presidents are qualified to be buried in the cemetery; however, whether Pres. Marcos was a war veteran and a decorated soldier remains contestable (read up on articles about his allegedly fake medals and hard fought war victories).

On another note, the AFP Regulations G 161-375 states that the cemetery prohibits a burial for people “who have been dishonourably discharged from service or personnel convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude.” Pres. Marcos was ousted from Malacanang in a dishonourably manner. If you’re lazy to read the news or browse online videos, ask your parents and grandparents about it. The recurring image of People Power revolution that shows military officers accepting flowers from rosary-decorated nuns is the culmination of a bloody struggle. While it painted a peaceful resolution, the path to achieve it was not. Others contend that while Pres. Marcos was charged with several offenses, he was never convicted—he died as an innocent man. Then we hear a new rebuttal and the argument just went, and still goes, on and on.

The following day our strongest ally (probably a debatable issue), the United States of America, held their elections to determine, above all, who will be their 45^th president. Whichever was the result, it was a historical night because they would have either elected their first female president or their first president who hasn’t held public office in his entire privileged life.

Popular vote favored Hillary Clinton but their election, validated by the Electoral College System, placed Donald Trump on the lead. If only to prove that America is first at anything, they trumped United Kingdom’s#Brexit from EU earlier this year and claimed the most embarrassing national move title.

“Why are you affected, you’re not even a US citizen?” asked clueless netizens to their friends who hate Trump or are appalled by the results overseas. For your information, USA is among the country’s top foreign investors (meaning they put up businesses here), trading partners (we can sell them our products and vice versa), and military partners (we can buy equipment from them and have access to their advanced training so our soldiers are better equipped to protect us).

Our current president is vocally not a fan of the United States but (surprise!) the feeling is mutual for Mr. Trump. In his race to the White House, Mr. Trump once cited the Philippines among “terrorist nations” whose immigrants should be barred from the US. Mr. Trump’s hostility will likely affect us, especially the more than 3 million Filipinos currently living in the US and millions more who aspire to visit or reside there.

Don’t blame Filipinos who are concerned with economics, diplomacy, foreign trade, and generally our security in the international scene. If you’re a Filipino who insists on taking care of your own business in your native land, then don’t bet on your favorite NBA team during the finals; stop binge-watching with your Netflix; don’t drink a tall, grande, or venti; don’t line up for the latest Marvel movie; and stop filling your sentences with “ahm,” “like,” or “you know,” because uhm...you know, all these and more are so like...American.

November 8 was 2016’s biggest irony yet. We were haunted by our past and left with uncertain prospects.

Now that the table has been turned by the highest court in the land, we ask ourselves: do we create another revolution by going to the streets, angrily typing at our keyboards, or shutting down everything so we can simply live free from politics? Now that Mr. Trump will soon be Pres. Trump, we have to observe and assess the impacts of his “America for Americans” plan. If it will be as aggressive as he promised it to be, his “wall” won’t just be for Mexicans.

November 8 begged the question if both our countries have been taking democracy for granted. It also challenged us to think if we can keep it longer.

Do we deserve November 8? It depends on your belief in your people, your government, your leaders and yourself. Even if it’s ideal to have a Yes or No for an answer, it only matters if you care enough. You don’t shrug off these issues and easily move on. It’s not as easy as when you click that like or share button but didn’t even read that damn political news.

Whang Od's trademark

My portrait

In Buscalan, Kalinga province, 98 year old Whang-od Oggay or simply "Whang Od" lives and thrives with her art called "pambabatok" or traditional tattooing. She is the oldest and the last of her generation of Kalinga mambabatoks. 

Whang Od is highly regarded for her work in the preservation of their tribal identity since World War II. It is no secret, however, that due to old age, cultural advocates are anxious about the influx of tourists in Kalinga who want to see 'the,' and be tattooed by, Whang Od, herself.

Critics dismiss this trend as anything from exploiting the rich Kalinga art form, to immersing in pop culture (where people are more into the 'pop' aspect of the visit than in knowing their 'culture'), to subjecting the almost centenarian to intensive labor than her frail body and eyesight can manage.

I won't deny my aspiration of meeting Whang Od in person because to me, she's a living museum. I think it would be a memorable opportunity to sit with her and ask her about the art form, her reasons for keeping it alive, and the inevitable day when she has to wash down the ink and clean her container for good.

Plenty of videos have previously surfaced on the net about these topics but until I hear from her, then I can gauge whether I will get a tattoo or just witness her leave her mark on someone else's body—turning it into enviable historical artifact while I settle on being a reliable witness.

For me, there are three obvious courses of action when one meets Whang Od:

1) The Fan. Greet, smile, and ask for a picture with the 'living legend.' Tell her where you're from and what brings you to their remote village. Post on Instagram with #blessed. If you can afford to bring a Polaroid camera, ask her for a signature and perhaps request for the same ink that she uses when tattooing. When Whang Od's relatives ask if you will get a tattoo, say you'll think about it or you'll get permission from your parents, first. 

2) The Culture Vulture. Come early morning in the village and approach her assistant so you can get in line first. Bring a draft of your preferred tattoo design and ask help from translators so Whang Od can get your rationale. If applicable, show her your other tattoos to prove that you're legit and you're not just there for the 'likes.' Make sure you can get through the pain of the 'pambabatok' process because as you know, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As a true cultural advocate and a tattoo aficionado, you know that having a Whang Od tattoo over your dead body equates to bringing another portrait to decorate heaven with.

3) Journalist/Blogger. Yes, you go through days of travelling the Cordillera highlands to finally see Whang Od in action. You document her every move and imply deeper meaning to her simplest nuance like, maybe moving her eyes, taking deep sighs, stretching her worn out arms, and washing her tattoo equipment. You narrate how she reacts alone and within the community, and how her tribesmen and neighbors respond to her celebrity. You end your journey with a question if Whang Od is indeed a national living cultural treasure or if the government and our people take her for granted just like other tourist attractions.

To fit in any of these categories is not at all unfortunate. Whang Od's legacy has been primed once locals and foreign nationals realize that she could be gone soon. She has been doing this since the post-World War but we only see her now. Whang Od's body and eye sight may be frail but we are the ones trying to catch up with her and her trademark.

Think about it, we have invented the emojis, hashtags, memes, and chat acronyms to decorate our communication and self expression but we are also the ones willing to travel for days and line up for hours to get that painful, long-lasting ink in our bodies. We are so busy making a mark as a generation and in order to do that, we seek the help from older ones like Whang Od. We cannot erase that fact; it's like our collective tattoo.