The Fallacy That is Willie

Fact: There had been an anomaly in Willie Revillame’s show called Wowowee, specifically in their then two-day old segment called Wilyonaryo.



Fact: This so-called anomaly happened sometime last week. (I have yet to research when exactly.) [Blogger's note: I heard today (08/31/07) that the blunder happened last August 18.]

Fact: This blunder, seen by all Wowowee followers, has spurred a controversy in the net where a video clip of the said segment has been posted for the entire world to see.

Fact: No statement had been released by anyone from Wowowee or from ABS-CBN, the carrier network of the show, to address the said controversy from the time it happened until Tuesday this week.

Fact: Joey De Leon, one of the many hosts of Eat Bulaga which is Wowowee’s noon-time rival, and is known for dropping playfully placed striking comments to anyone he spites, naturally seized the controversy and, as said by those who witnessed, did his deed.

Fact: In yesterday’s Wowowee telecast Willie spent the first part of his show partly claiming that he is no cheater and mostly attacking Joey de Leon for being mean to him in spite of him idolizing the veteran host.





Fact: Willie even insisted that if in fact he did something wrong, then he doesn’t care if the show’s fans leave him or if the ABS-CBN management fires him.

Fact: In Willie’s speech, he kept on saying, “wala naman akong ipapakita dahil hindi ako mandaraya” but he never proceeded on explaining what really happened with the purple wheel, the zero, and the two in that fateful game of Wilyonaryo.

Fact: In between showing Willie trying so hard to keep his tears, the director of the show managed to slide a few shots of the audience, weeping sympathetically for their beloved Willie.

Fact: I didn’t know of this issue, not until I saw, in last night’s news, video clips of Willie in what I perceived as “whining like a baby”.

Fact: I don’t know Willie or Joey personally, I am not in anyway affiliated to any of their shows nor any of their networks but I still feel compelled to share my opinion because I know that I am part of the viewing public who witness the circus they run on a daily basis.

Opinon: Whether ringmaster Willie or his staff is to fault for their game show’s blunder, they owe the public an explanation of what happened. If Willie and the staff of Wowowee really are loyal to their audience and put them first above all else just as they say, then they would muster the decency to look into the purple wheel anomaly at that instant when Willie pulled the black thing and revealed the number zero instead of the expected number two. They could have gone into a commercial break, discussed it among themselves and returned back to air to explain what just transpired. The issue would have died there. After all, we’ll all believe that it was just an honest mistake we saw.

But Willie and everyone around him acted like nothing big of a deal just happened thereby insulting the ability of their audience to assess what just took place right before their eyes. Once again, the viewers were taken as non-thinking Neanderthals, not keen enough to sense that in a way they’ve been had. The same way they’ve been had when 71 of their fellow TV show watchers died while a number of others were hurt for the same show in the hopes of improving their lives as promised by none other than Willie himself. And that tragic event which happened not too long ago is slowly being erased in the mind of the public as Wowowee seems to be moving on barely looking back, except of course when the issues on the court hearings are being raised.

Willie said in his speech strongly directed to Joey, “Sa yo na yung ratings mo!” delivered in such a way which couldn’t have been more childish. I take it as a total bull because being on television, ratings is inevitably everything for you. OK, he loves his audience, he wants to help, he wants to entertain. He can’t do that without his ratings! Ratings that will pave the way for the pouring in of advertisers. Advertisers that will give him the funds to continue loving his audience, helping them, and entertaining them.

In Willie’s monologue, he never delved into the incident which as he says Joey de Leon is attacking him for. He denied that he’s a cheater, tried to win the people’s sympathy by ostentatiously betting his career against being proven a cheater, then proceeded on attacking Joey like he were Joey’s neglected child.

Although Willie’s bravado had been noted it was really uncalled for. He could have just told the public what really happened thereby giving them the chance to think for themselves. Perhaps only then can they judge Willie. I cannot seem to reconcile why Willie had to drag Joey into his mess.

Joey de Leon has less to do with this issue. Perhaps his only mistake was playing with fire which Willie just turned into a torch. And Joey, being the opinionated person that he is was merely expressing his sentiment on simple TV ethics, being that he is a veteran at game shows himself. In a way he maybe protecting the image of contests on TV, one in which history he somehow is a part of. Or then again he may be just being his naughty self, playing the devil's advocate in the war of the networks.

Willie himself admitted that he’s a fan of Joey’s, even emulating the latter at times. It follows that he knows Joey’s quirks—that he has a penchant for uttering stingy remarks for the fun of it, if not also for the thrill of it. Willie should have been used to Joey’s game by now. He may get hurt but he shouldn’t go crying on TV. Unless of course if Joey poked him at a part of him which was exceptionally sensitive, perhaps even too sensitive to tackle upfront and is easier to address by digressing elsewhere.

Of course, ABS-CBN will not dump Willie this time. Not after releasing a statement today that the anomaly, the root of this issue is nothing but a technical glitch in their contest’s second run. They wouldn’t throw Willie out especially now that all of their credibility, integrity and all those –ities are at stake. Although their decision to speak now is rather late, isn’t it?

Let’s not deny that by yelling, “Joey, sige na, ikaw na ang number one!” Willie just won himself the lola wiping her tears, the misis ng tahanan controlling her sobs, and the rest of the studio audiences on the verge of weeping for him as zoomed in by their very attentive cameramen and director who must have excellent reflexes. Good strategy in Willie’s part. Perhaps he'll get a raise for that. If only he flooded the set with tears, then I would have crowned him the king of Argumentum ad Misericordiam (Argument that Appeals to Pity).

***NOTE: I opted to post Willie's moment here to highlight how daft-like he looked and to show the whole of his daft-like act.

****FINAL FACT: My dad whose name is also Willie is thinking of having his name changed. "Nakakahiya!" he says.

Oh, God I miss the Boy!

Namimiss ko talaga si Kulas.

Sa Linggo mag-40 days na siya. Ang tagal na since last ko sya nahawakan! Limited na lang ako ngayon sa pagtingin ng pictures at pagnood ng videos niya. Wala e, ganoon talaga!

Si Daddy, pagpinupunasan yung picture ni Nichi, kinakausap niya si Kulas at sinasabi, "Dong, hanggang punas na lang tayo. Di na kita mapapaliguan!"

Sounds funny pero I feel the pain in his statement.

Nung gabi bago sinintensyahan nung neurologist si Nichi (bago niya naibigay ang final interpretation ng EMG ni Nichi), di talaga ako nakatulog nang matino. Literally na naramdaman ko na may nakadagan sa puso ko. Di nga ako makahinga. Di lang ako nag-iingay dahil katabi ko si Nichi noon. Minsan nakakainis kasi sa mga nangyari, ramdam na ramdam ko na powerless ako. Sa lahat ng mga kaya kong gawin, wala doong makakapagpahaba ng buhay ni Nichi. Nag-pansit naman kami nung birthday niya! For long life sana kaso hindi sya nag-work.

Ewan ko ba! Magfoforty days na pero hindi pa rin maging tunay na normal ang buhay nang wala si Nichi. Somehow, may naiwan na void sa pagkatao ko nang mawala siya. Ang tapang ko pa naman noon dahil naisip ko, walang sinuman ang makakapag-iwan ng void sa akin. Pati pala yon hindi ko kayang kontrolin.

Minsan naiiyak pa rin ako. Kagaya nung weekend, nagbabasa ako ng lumang libro nang malaglag yung nakasingit na scratch paper kung saan nakasulat yung draft ng reaction paper ni Nichi sa isa sa mga story dun sa book. May mga reminders pa sa class nila sa gilid. Iba talaga si Kulas! marami syang ways para bulagain kami.

Nung isang linggo naman, paglipat ko sa dashboard ng blog ko, nakita ko sa isa sa mga tips na nakapost yung sample profile ng isang blogger. Ito yung pangalan niya:

"Tyrone Nicholas"...parang pinagsama yung pangalan naming dalawa.


Tapos nung isang beses naman na inanyayahan kami nung paring huling nagbasbas kay Nichi sa isang misa na para na rin sa kaluluwa niya, yung flags na naka-attach sa sides ng simbahan ay kulay green. Favorite color ni Nichi yon. Feel na feel tuloy yung presence niya doon sa simbahan. Nakakalungkot lang nga kasi yung misa na iyon ay dinaluhan ng mga estudyante sa eskwelhang malapit dun sa simbahan. Congregational mass nila kung baga. Sabit lang kami ni Mommy, kung hindi man special guest. Naisip ko tuloy, sayang! Sana isa na lang si Nichi sa mga bata doon. Healthy, kumakanta, nagsisimba habang nakikipagkwentuhan sa katabi niya.

Madalas naaalala ko si Kulas kapag ipinipikit ko na ang aking mga mata tuwing gabi. Naiisip ko kung ano ang mga huling bagay na sumagi sa kanyang isipan habang nararamdaman niya ang papalapit na pagwawakas ng kanyang buhay. Siguro takot na takot iyon. Sana talaga yung pagtayo ko at paglapit sa kanya tuwing naalimpungatan ako dahil gising siya, sana kahit papaano, nakatulong iyon para maibsan ang takot nya. Nagsisisi nga ako. Sana nakipagsiksikan na lang ako sa kama niya at nang may katabi siya sa huling magdamag niya sa mundo. Sana rin hindi na lang ako umalis sa kwarto kung nasaan siya nung buong araw ng July 24. E di sana naipadama ko sa kanya sa huling pagkakataon na lab na lab ko siya. Yun yung mga bagay na pinagsisisihan ko.

Sumasagi rin sa isip ko kung tama ba ginive up namin sya? Kasi sinasabihan na namin siya noon na magpahinga na kung pagod na talaga siya. Kitang kita naman kasi kung papaano binugbog ng sakit niya yung katawan niya. Kaya naman nung mga oras na iyon, pinakamainam na sa kanya ang magpahinga na lang. Hindi siyempre madali sa amin ang pagpahingahin na siya pero yun ang kailangan naming tiisin kesa naman tuluyan pang maghirap si Nichi. Hindi kasi iyon kagaya last year na kahit hirap siya, mararamdaman mo na may pag-asa pa. Na kaya pang lumaban.

Ang nahihirapan lang akong tanggapin e yung fact na gusto pa talaga ni Nichi mabuhay. Two weekends before nga siya pumanaw, umiyak siya sa amin ni Dad while telling us na wala nang adventure ang buhay niya. Kasi nga naman parati na lang siya natutulog. Nakakaawa talaga kasi kung siya ang masusunod, gusto niya yung buhay na laging on the go. More than double yung sakripisyo niya nang mabedridden siya.

Sana talaga dun sa mga huling oras ni Nichi e napawi na ang takot niya kaya he chose na rin to succumb to death. Mukha namang naging maaliwalas na ang mukha niya matapos siyang mabasbasan ng pari. Kaya umaasa ako na hindi na siya takot nung mga huling minuto niya.

Yun yata ang hirap kapag di nako-coma o naguulyanin ang pasyente. Up to the last minute alam niyang ang mga nangyayari sa kanya. Up to the last minute din natetest ang tapang niya.

Matapang si Nichi. Pinakita niya yon sa maraming tao. Siguro habang nabubuhay ako, hindi ko malilimutan yung bukod tanging lakas ng loob na sa kanya ko lang nakita. Hanep talaga!

Sa kabila naman ng lahat ng nangyari, ang daming tao talaga ang tumulong sa amin. Kaya naman ito ang isang thank-you note na inihanda ko para sa kanila:

Sana sa pamamagitan niyan, maramdaman nila kung gaano namin naapreciate ang lahat ng ginawa nila para sa kapatid ko. Sana rin makita nila kung gaano ka-gwapo si Nichi kahit ano pa man ang look na iniisport niya.

Yung mga masasayang pictures ni Nichi na madalas kong tingnan ngayon at yung mga kalokohan (tricks) niya sa mga video ang nagpapangiti sa akin ngayon. Yon yung tumutulong sa akin para maiwasan ko yung pakiramdam na gusto kong mag-amok dahil di ba, nawalan ako, hindi lang ng kung anong bagay lamang kundi ng isang kapatid na napakadaling mahalin at napakahirap kalimutan. Somehow feeling ko nadaya o naisahan ako. Basta, obvious ang reasons sa minsang galit na nararamdaman ko pero hindi ko siya maipaliwanag ng malinaw. Kaso, kahit ano pang tantrums ang gawin ko, hndi naman na maibabalik si Nichi.

Noong birthday ko nitong nakaraang June, sinabi ko kay Nichi, "Lab na lab na lab na lab na lab na lab... na lab kita!" Tapos tinanong ko siya, "Ikaw lab mo ako?"

"Lampas pa doon." Sabi niya. Nakaka-touch talaga.

Sinabihan ko pa nga siya, "Pwede ka nang magkagirlfriend. Ang galing mong mambola!" Pero siyempre deep inside, naiiyak ako kasi pinahahalagahan ako ng utol ko more than pa pala sa pagpapahalagang ibinibigay ko sa kanya.

Tapos kapag naman nagpapa-embrace ako sa kanya at ayaw na niyang tumayo para yakapin ako sinasabi na lang niya sa akin habang nag-bu-beautiful eyes, "Bukas na lang."

O, siya Nichi, darating din ang bukas na maeembrace kita ulit. Magpapakabait ako at nang mapunta rin ako jan sa bago mong tambayan. Lagi mong tatandaan na sa gitna ng crazy emotions ko until today, lab na lab na lab na lab na lab...na lab pa rin kita!

Mission: Vision

I bought myself my third pair of contact lenses last Tuesday, not because I have cash to burn—in fact I don’t. Plastic money saved me again—well-er not really save. When I think about it now, my debt just piled up. Holy crap!

But I need the lenses badly. I ended up choosing to worry about how I’d pay for it later.

Yes I still have my eyeglasses but the world is absolutely better without it and with an almost perfect vision. Having worn a pair of eyeglasses since I think 2001 doesn’t make me a compliant wearer of the so-called spectacles. I wear them because I need to, never because I want to.

The first time I wore a pair of eyeglasses, I had to get used to seeing the world this way:

The two frames tend to merge, creating a rectangular frame. The budge (part of the bifocals just above the bridge of the nose) disappears when you’re wearing
the glasses.

Beautiful sceneries are framed by the eye wires (the material that surrounds the glasses). It’s kind of restricting. My brother has been convincing me to buy those frames with no eye wires as they wouldn’t hide my face aside from allowing me to see the world as it is. But a friend of mine has been advised by her ophthalmologist to get glasses with eye wires that have the capacity to absorb shock when your face hits something. It will prevent the glasses from shattering into pieces and sticking to your eyeballs in case of any accidental impact. Eww.

I’d much rather look nerdy than risk getting tiny pieces of prescription lenses inside my eyes.

Needless to say, all four of my eyeglasses came with eye wires. Unfortunately, I cannot show them all to you since I lost my first eyeglasses the morning of my college graduation day. Tsk tsk. It would have been a nice artifact to keep. Losing it forced my mom to buy me my second pair.

I switched to using contact lenses after my second eyeglasses. I used my Youngblood honorarium to purchase them. Mostly, I got them out of curiosity thus explaining my second thoughts while I was struggling to put them on and off my eyes. They served their purpose though. I felt normal again after I got over the weird feeling of having thin film of plastics touching my eyes for a maximum of 16 hours.

I kept those lenses and somehow preserved them although not in their original state. Soft lenses actually harden when they dry up. Good thing they managed to keep their shape. Here are they now:

A closer look:

Contact lenses, however, cannot stand alone. You would eventually need a good pair of eyeglasses ready in case you can’t slip the lenses as fast and as easily as you should. Thus, me getting my third spectacles, one which proved to be a bad investment. Most of the time, eyeglasses are more expensive than contacts—that is if you do not add in the expenses for solutions and eye lubricants. So here’s a tip. Find a sturdy frame made of materials that won’t react to your skin and sweat. Based on experience, metal and rubber on the temples (the hook over the ears) are a no no. Metal tarnishes from the acidic nature of anyone’s perspiration. On the other hand, rubber melts. Ultimately, you’ll get your money’s worth if your eyeglasses lasts throughout a whole year unscathed.

With the case of my third eyeglasses, its rubber temples melted roughly four months after I first wore it. So I ventured back to contacts lenses, primarily because they are cheaper to purchase. But, as I have previously said, they require maintenance which isn’t too pricey anyway. Plus contacts are more convenient—that is, once they’re in place. It really takes time, patience and luck to become a master at maneuvering them on your eyes.

Before my second pair of contacts reached its expiration date, I accidentally ripped one of them, probably when I tried storing it. I filled my contacts' case with too much solution causing the now-damaged lens to float and get in the way of me twisting the case’s cap on. Yikes!

I found a cheap frame which was originally molded for fashion sunglasses. I saw its potential as a good frame for my fourth eyeglasses. I opted to invest on multi-coated lenses instead—a bit costly but is worth it because of the UV protection and antiglare features it promises.

Heavy rains however place eyeglass wearers to a disadvantage, if not danger, because rainwater tend to cover a nearsighted (or farsighted) person’s vision. If you get what I mean, you’d understand why I have wished on so many rainy times for my eyeglasses to come with wipers. Since my demand for such gadget has not been properly addressed yet, I was compelled to get my third pair of contacts.

Now I am putting them on and off like a pro! (Finally!) Afterwards I sometimes shriek, “I’ve got perfect vision!”

Well, almost!

The sad fact beneath all these is that my eyeballs are probably growing fatter and fatter which explains the gradual progress with regard my myopia (nearsightedness). And believe me, I did my fair share in loading a healthy dose of Vitamin A.

I just hope to be able to hang out at the beach for a few more times before I become too much of an artificial-lens dependent.

Still Remembering

I'm exhausted in more ways than one.

Physically, I'm drained from all the moving in the office. And yes, I've carried boxes of diffrent weights and sizes, tables, shelves, steel cabinets and whatnots--although I didn't lift the things I just enumerated by myself. Well at least not some of the tables and shelves and steel cabinets.

I have bruises on my knees from all the pushing of heavy stuff I did. But I have to admit that I am looking forward to our first complete day at the new office tomorrow even if it means another day of lifting and pushing and unpacking in a place devoid of airconditioning and even free flowing air.

Then there's the sleep deprivation which is mostly my fault. I have been staying up really late--make that really early, as in until after midnight. Mostly I spend the time browsing photos and videos of you-know-who. By this time, my readers would think Nichi is overrated but I feel otherwise.

I am compelled to satisfy my need to get a healthy dose of Nichi whenever I can. If only to soothe my inflicted emotions and restless mind.

So here. I wish to share how our Nichi is like in a normal day. He dances when he feels like it. And when he does, he never fails to add his own twist to popular moves.

The rest of the video's still us...in a normal day. (Notice how I highlight how normal this scene is at home. Oh, how I wish I'd have that normal day again!)

Well Isn't That Moving?

My back hurts. I swear I’m going to see a doctor soon.

And we, the whole office people and I, moving from one location to another aggravates my weak back. But I don’t mind. At least things haven’t been ordinary for the past days—excruciating moments when we sit in the office, do our usual tasks and let our butts grow as if “butt growth” will do us good.

So these days, no work in our office gets done. What with the packing?! How can we work? Our official things are sealed in random boxes and so are our “corporate minds.” (Yikes, “corporate” daw, o?!)

We pack all day thus explains our exhaustion. (Hmmm…that sounds kind of weird. Either way, it holds true. You’d naturally feel tired when you do that thing all day!)

So we’re moving. I’m excited. Not that I’ve been deprived of moving. In fact, I’m an expert having moved houses six times in my whole hippocampus-developed lifetime.

Let me enumerate: From Canley Road we moved to Santiago Street [1st move]. Then my mom, one day, had the brightest idea to transfer from the third apartment door to the first one, being that the latter was slightly bigger [2nd move]. Later, as part of a major change in our lives, we packed our bags and headed to Malinao [3rd move]—Malinao which experiences its own version of high tide thanks to incessant rains. Add to that our next-door neighbor who turned their home to a furniture workshop, constantly emitting paint fumes. Both factors drove us to Plaza [4th move]. Everything in Plaza is cramped and fresh air, just as the water supply, is rare. But if you stand just above our staircase you’d smell McDonald’s foods while in the bedroom you’d savor the mouth-watering aroma of Max’s fried chicken! And life in Plaza is almost as cramped as those we see on telenovelas, where the hungry bidas hold on to their tummies while they watch the rich ones get fatter everyday by eating in restaurants like Max’s (or probably McDonalds, too). Until one day the old evil witch, wearing her gold chains, pearl earrings, and silver bangles, will drive the poor bidas away while shrieking, “Get out of my house! You are not my relatives!” Luckily the bidas find a better abode to take shelter in. Then again, going back to our family, hopping to that new spot in San Nicolas [5th move] wasn’t an entirely lucky decision. The house was all right but what was in store changed everything. (Perhaps it is even the reason why I mourn right now.) In San Nicolas, swarms of termites attacked around 25% of what we owned thus prompting us to use all chemicals possible to solve that matter regarding co-existing with pesky insects. It proved to be one of the worst ideas in the world as days later, our youngest, our Nichi began suffering the consequences of prolonged exposure to harmful chemicals and soon thereafter was diagnosed with leukemia—the perpetrator, so to speak, of his early demise. But four years before Nichi’s death, mom had the same brightest idea she had in Santiago. Hence our sixth home relocation from San Nicolas to San Nicolas.

See? I’m not making up the unbeaten six-time move claim. And I haven’t included my dorm hops yet.

Still, the prospect of packing, moving and unpacking doesn’t fail to keep me thrilled. I guess, I’ve learned to enjoy it. As a matter of fact, I have captured some of the moving progress of our office department in photos:



Early today. Things are packed and labeled. Our area is devoid of that asbestos ceiling that gives me the medical creeps and walls that hinder you from believing that you have X-ray vision.

Just arrived. Some of our Department’s tables and shelves are blessed with rain, although I’m using “blessed” in the not-so-favorable light. I guess, what I really mean is, “they got soaked by the uncooperative rain.”

View from the top. The stacks you see are not boxes. They are the tables and cabinets shown above. Amazingly, the hired hands are macho enough to carry one shelf per pair of hands, or I mean, per person.

Here I am. At the old office. Beside our group’s box number three. Smiling.





Perhaps my back wasn’t aching then.

Bakit Ba Hindi Ako Nag-Filipino Major?

Ito pong entry na ito ay kasali sa Wika2007 contest ng PinoyBlogoSphere. Mangyari lamang pong i-click ito para makaboto kayo. Madali lang po bumoto! Umaasa po ako sa inyong suporta. Maraming salamat po!


Minsan kong naitanong iyan sa aking sarili matapos magturo sa mga batang napakahuhusay magsalita ng Ingles.

Wala! Tiklop ako at ang pagiging Communication Arts graduate ko. Muntik na nga yatang dumugo ang ilong ko sa kasasalita sa wikang hindi naman akin sa loob ng mahigit isang oras.

Bakit nga ba ako hindi nag-Filipino major?

Hindi ko kasi alam na may ganoon palang kurso. Marahil hindi ko na rin siya inurirat dahil naisip ko, Pinoy naman ako. Filipino major by birth, kung baga. Sapat na ang mga klase ko sa Filipino para malaman ang mga dapat kong malaman. Isa pa, araw araw naman akong nagta-Tagalog. Kundi pa ba naman ako mahasa noon, ewan ko na lang!

Yon nga lang. Nakalimutan ko ang isang glitch: malabnaw ang Tagalog na kinalakhan ko. Palibhasa sa Maynila na ako pinanganak at nagkamalay, corrupted Tagalog tuloy ang nakagisnan ko. Yun bang may halong salitang kanto, pop, at bakla. Puno rin ng salitang hiram na karamihan ay galing sa mga Kano.

Kaya naman kapag malalim na Tagalog na ang binabato sa akin, napapanganga na lamang ako. Hindi pa naman ganoon kadaling maghanap ng mapagkakatiwalaang diksyunaryong Filipino. Samantalang ang mga English dictionary ay naglipana at ika nga, “they come in all sizes.”

Dagdag pa pala sa nagpalabnaw sa Tagalog ko ay ang mga ligaw na salitang Cebuano sa aking bukabularyo. Bisaya kasi ang mommy ko. At kahit dugay na siya sa Manila, Bisayang-bisaya pa gihapon! [Kahit matagal na siya sa Manila, bisayang-bisaya pa rin talaga!]

Madalas, maski ako ay nalilito kung Tagalog nga ba o Cebuano ang ilan sa mga salitang alam ko. Bagaman dahilan ng pagkalito ko ang pagkakaroon dalawang dialekto sa aming bahay, hindi naman ako nagrereklamo. Ayos nga e! Bukod sa Tagalog, kasabot pa ako ug gamay na Bisaya [nakakaintindi pa ako ng kaunting Bisaya].

Noong tumuntong ako sa kolehiyo at napasok sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, nagulat ang isa sa mga grupo sa klase ko nang minsang sumabat ako sa usapan Binisaya nila. May nagtanong tuloy, “Ngano man kasabot ka ug Bisaya? [Bakit nakakaintindi ka ng Bisaya?]”

Ang tanging sagot ko, “It’s a Jedi Trait!”

Kung iisipin, astig siya. Sino ba ang mag-aakala na ang Manila girl na kausap nila e nakakaintindi at minsa’y nakakasalita pa ng Cebuano? Heto nga’t naglipana na ang mga Bisaya dito sa Maynila. Kahit papaano, kaya kong makipag-usap sa kanila sa wikang malapit sa puso nila. At salamat sa Sesame Street, 11 taon sa isang private school, at ilang taon sa kolehiyo, pati mga puti ay kaya ko na ring kausapin! Kahit di ako katangkaran at may kaiklian ang mga biyas, mahaba naman ang kaya kong abutin dahil sa mga wikang alam ko.

Para mas madama ko pa ang pagiging isang certified polyglot o mas kilala ng marami sa tawag na multilinggwal, ipagmamalaki ko na rin ang anim na units ng Nihonggo na ipinasa ko noong kolehiyo. Kaya ko pa rin naman magsalita ng konting Hapon gaya ng atsui [mainit], itai [aray], sumimasen [excuse me], gomenasai [paumanhin], kudasai [pakiusap], at ilan pang mga bulol na pangungusap na pihadong maiintindihan naman ng mga singkit na medyo sakang. At dahil naaalala ko pa rin naman ang Hiragana at Katakana, mga alpabetong Hapon, nakakabasa pa rin ako ng mga sulat sa Nihonggo kahit na maliit na porsyento lamang ang naiintindihan ko. Kahit papaano, nalalaman ko kung ano ang mga pinagsasabi ng isang package na imported mula sa Japan at kung anu-anong pangalan ang pinapakita sa TV ng larong Naruto sa Playstation ng kapatid ko.

Kagaya ng mga sinasabi ng mga Bisayang nakausap ko, dili na mi mabaligya [hindi na ako mabebenta]. Sa kaunting naiintindihan ko, mahuhuli ko na kung sino ang nag-tritrip lang at kung sino ang tunay na matitinong kausap.

Maaari ko ring ipagyabang ang ilang pagbati sa iba’t iba pang lengwahe na natutunan ko noong bata pa ako. Nandyan yung sawa dee ka, kap koon ka, guttenmorgen, merci, kamsamida, añongaseyo, merhaba, tutche at iba pang salita na hindi ko alam ang tamang baybay at di ko na rin maalala kung saang bansa ginagamit. Kapag may makasalubong na lang ako na banyaga, pwede akong mag-trial and error para madiskubre kung papaano ko sila babatiin. At kung maka-binggo ako, dagdag puntos na iyon sa pinagmamamalaki nating Pinoy hospitality.

Ngunit sa bandang huli, isa pa rin ang hindi ko maitatanggi. Bano ako sa sarili kong wika. Nakakahiya man aminin pero heto ako, 27 taon nang nabubuhay at naninirahan sa Pilipinas pero nanghuhula pa rin pagdating sa tuntunin ng balarilang Filipino.

Nang makasalamuha ko ang mga batang Inglisera na muntik nang magpadugo sa ilong ko, nalungkot ako dahil sa aking napagtanto. Magagaling nga sila pero mukhang limitado lang talaga ang kaalaman nila sa wikang Filipino gayong karamihan sa kanila ay Pinoy at lahat sila ay kasalukuyang naninirahan dito sa Pilipinas. Kahit na sabihin ko pang mas ginagamit ko ang wikang Filipino kesa sa kanila, wala rin kaming pinagkaiba sa isa’t isa dahil pare-pareho naming napabayaan ang pambansang wika ng mga Pinoy dahil sa aming kagustuhang maging "globally competent".

Wala namang masama sa pagpapakadalubhasa sa wikang bayaga. Ayos nga iyon dahil nadaragdagan ang kapangyarihan natin bilang Pinoy na pasukin ang kultura at kalakaran ng mga ibang lahi. Napakatalentado pa naman nating mga Pinoy pagdating sa panggagaya ng banyagang pananalita. Madali nating nagagaya ang accent ng kung anumang bansa ang ipagaya sa atin. Kaya naman patok na patok ang call center sa atin.

Sabi sa itinuro ng guro ko sa Filipino noong hayskul, “ang wika ang sumasalamin sa isang bansa.” Ang pambansa wika natin ay punung-puno ng implwensya ng iba’t ibang lahi na sumakop sa atin at pati na rin nga mga bansa nakipagkalakaran sa atin noon. Patunay lamang kung gaano kakulay ang ating bayan. Pinapakita rin ng ating wika ang ating kakayahang makipagsabayan sa mga makakapangyarihang bansa sa mundo. Kayang-kaya nating hubugin ang ating mga sarili para maging kasinggaling nila o higit pa.

Mahalaga lang talaga na pagkatapos nating hubarin ang mga hiram nating salita, alam natin kung papaano babalikan ang tunay na atin. Kung hindi na natin magawang maging kumportable sa sarili nating wika, paano na tayo? Sino na tayo? Para saan pa ang pagpapasikat natin sa mga banyaga?

Oo, maaaring tayu-tayong naninirahan sa 7,107 na isla ng Pilipinas ay madalas na di nagkakaintindihan. Ang dami kasi nating iba’t ibang dialekto! Pero kung alam natin kung sino tayo, kung ano ang nagbibigkis sa ating lahat, hindi tayo mabubuwag ninuman. At sa puntos na iyon, maipagmamalaki natin na ang mayaman nating wika ang nabubuhay na saksi sa katatagan ng ating pagiging Pinoy, Filipino major man o hindi.

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Nichi on Video

Mostly we watch videos of Nichi or simply look at his photos...

Here's an MTV our dad prepared featuring Nichi and his undaunted spirit!



Meanwhile here's an another MTV prepared by one of the many people who cares about Nichi. (Too bad they haven't met in person.)