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WASTED TREASURE

Another death Oh the wasted wealth. Wish he had the opportunity, To share his treasure to the community.

The language that was once considered rich. Is now lost in the abyss. Another wasted treasure That we could never recover.

The loss of a life, The death for a language. Globalization’s effect, We tend to neglect.

- Shanellee Valencia

[tao-tayo]

Abang Kaaba-aba

Sa lagpas pitong libong isla sa bansa, Natatangi, isang mala-mutyang lupa. Dito nananahan, babaeng si Aba, Masaya’t payak, subalit nag-iisa.

Libangan niya’y hardin, dagat, at bukirin, Habang sa kabila ay kalakal at screen. Mga luhong kailan ma’y di nanaisin, Mga bayang walang balak bisitahin.

Iba kung magmahal si Aba sa isla. Ni pag-ikot ng mundo’y di makakontra. Di bale nang buhay ay di masagana, Kakayanin nang walang tulong ng iba.

Ngunit may magagawa pa ba si Aba, Kung alon na mismo sa kanya’y nagdala, Bangkang tinangay ng bagyong bumulaga, Sa karangyaang di niya nais makita?

Puting buhangin sa kanyang talampakan, Mga wikang sa pandinig ay dayuhan, Mga gintong palamuti sa bulwagan, Magagarang damit, nagkakasiyahan!

Pilak na alahas, nagpapasikatan, Presyong merkado, tila ay ginintuan. Medisina ay tanyag sa kahusayan, Mga taong mayaman sa kaalaman.

Tila bato na napatigil si Aba. Damdamin niya’y di mawari ang timpla. “Aba! O kay tagal ko nang nagdurusa! Maginhawang buhay ay posible pala!”

Kaya’t sa kanyang bangka, bumalik siya, Bawat yabag, nagtataglay ng pag-asa. Umuwi sa lupang minahal nang sobra, At handa nang buksan ang palad sa iba.

Lupa ni Aba, binisita ng masa. Sa yamang lupa’t tubig, namangha sila. “Aba! O kay sagana ng iyong isla! Kay gandang taniman ng ekonomiya!”

Buong pusong niyakap, mga dayuhan. Isa, dalawa, libo-libong nanahan. Yapak ng iba ay masusing sinundan, Lumaon at nabalot ng karangyaan.

Tunay ngang guminhawa, buhay ni Aba. Masayang nakisalamuha sa iba. Siya ay walang pagsisisi ni isa, Pagkat di na nahuhuli sa karera.

Ngunit lumipas ang ilang mga taon, Si Aba’y napukaw ng realisasyon. Halo-halong kulturang agaw-atensyon, Subalit sarili naman ang nabaon.

“Nasaan ang lupang minahal ko noon? Pagkakakilanlan, di matanaw ngayon. Ako ba’y mali, nakainom ng lason? Patawarin nawa ako!,” kanyang tugon.

O, Aba! O, Aba! Ano ba’ng nangyari? Pagmamahal mo’y bakit di na mawari? Nabulag ng ginto, pilak, at salapi, Masasabi nga bang ikaw ay nagwagi?

Kay ganda kung nagtutulungan, hindi ba? Ngunit ‘wag limuting tumayo mag-isa. Ang dapat na kaibigan lang, sinamba na! O Aba! Tunay ka ngang kaaba-aba!

- Yochebed Tamayo

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Officer

Officer, all I wanted was some bread, To feed my family so close to famine. Officer, why are you wishing me dead? I only wanted to ask for someone else’s help. Is it a crime to question the way you’ve been led? Camouflage arose instead of coats in this cruel time. Officer, I just wanted to get up from bed And test my luck on the road with a job so genuine. Officer, tell me, should we really be begging to be fed?

- Lia Rufino

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Under the Table

For your heart is full of greed, in my land you intercede. Spewing flowers that breed, With its thorns I shall bleed.

Pulling reigns into motion, you do things without notion. You smother devotion, to void insurrection.

Freedom spoken but not seen, leaving us in in-between. Doubt rises from fake serene. This time, I shall intervene.

With a battle cry I fought, for freedom is what I sought. Reaching until it is caught, All efforts are not for naught.

It is not long ago that I was free, when once again you had me by my knee. You had tricked me to agree, Into a deal I can’t flee.

I just had overcome your invasion, yet you’re here with another intrusion. In strings you play my nation, whipping into submission.

With trust I had you accommodated, But with treachery you had me dominated. I suffer your exploitation without redress. Under your spell, your whims I was forced to address.

- Justine Quizon

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HIRING

Everyone here is confused Wondering why this is happening Hundreds of professional people were gone, Migrated to different countries

In every building, I can see a poster, A poster that says "we are hiring" The companies lacks of employees Wondering where they all went

Why are they gone? They live here, Yet where are they? Thoughts running in my mind as I see the news

People migrated. That's why there are only few Who are here in the country, working

Professional migrates, To look for better opportunities, Yearning for freedom and justice Wanting to have a better government, a better leader

After the news, I just realized that, People migrates 'Cause all they want was not within The reach of our country

This is the problem right now, An insufficiency of professional individuals

A brain drain, They said

- Zcheloy Martin

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One, yet divided

What was once identified as one, common identity is now gone. Treasures of the pearl of the orient, divided in culture and environment.

Terror attacks, oh what an aversion! What a cost to get lost in translation. Oh! Sultan cried for liberty, battle scars not a priority.

Evidences of trail of death, a scene that we won’t forget. Dear Marawi wailed in pain, forty years wasted in vain.

Hear me, protect from the wicked! War made our land a battlefield, but our heart will not bleed. Mindanao is ours, won’t surrender in defeat! - Vanessa Colson

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Lost

It was like a vivid dream. A mystery that was untold it seemed. The trees that were once gracefully dancing, Continuously vanish as if it were struck by lightning.

What lies below the sea, Is not something you would like to see. The blue green color of the glistening water, Now seems to be getting darker.

As I walk through the earth and ask if it could be just like it was at birth, the wind just blows as if saying "I don't know." - Yannah Carreon

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Pandemic is not a Joke

We should still focus on our situation On going first wave is not a good sensation Waiting for the vaccines sounds stupid  We have thousand cases everyday Try to have an alternative solution Government doesn’t here people They are really approachable at this time Our government should have an award to their hardwork.

Where are the respond before the Pandemic? Making jokes at the start not making any move You are now seeing people nearly dying, Are you still blind on what you are doing

Government why are you always like that Never again that you will be at your throne Focusing on other things You are like clowns being blinded by you own imagination - Junelle Tecson

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DUST OF THE ORIENT

Two distinct worlds drifting to meet, One succumbs to the other in tragic defeat. Richest of cultures endlessly blend, Would their fragments of identity still come to mend? 

The barong of Tagalogs now stitched with wool, Visayan melodies infused with Hangul. Tan-colored skin tattooed by foreign hues, With all glory to gain and a pure heart to lose. 

Imported lens worn by brown native eyes, Blindsided by sheer bliss in subtle disguise. Horizons of west will soon hold the Eastern sky, Could the soul of any other nation ever satisfy? 

Yesterday's heritage - a timeless monument, Of dear'st motherland, Pearl of the Orient. Essence decayed by the bright local scene, Fear it fades into dust, left forever unseen.  - James Sarmiento  

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The Cost of Rationalization

                                                Men, believing what the world should be 

               Fast, a system of effiCiency 

                                     White, Designed for uniformity 

             What’s unique is now Ordinary 

                                     Grass iN the middle of greenery 

              And now, this system Applies to you 

                                       Then, Labor is the end of us too 

                                    The gooD it wants to be, forgotten 

                     The mask of equalIty, broken 

                                              It Zaps away the value of craft 

                                                 And replaces it with something drab 

                      Product, you’ll geT what I’m consuming 

             Clockwork, methodical In working 

                               Time, more Output in little passing 

                 Humanity, gone and Now fading  - Jian Olvida  

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The Equation

The disconnected land,

where blood is in demand.

I do not understand,

can someone please expand?

They cannot be added.

The rich just commanded,

and the poor were not granted.

The powers are not equally distributed.

The colors are subtracting,

only one shade mixing.

The other side is not cooperating,

they are just discriminating.

Multiplication of culture and histories,

combining like calamities.

It is full of tragedies,

everyone agrees.

Divide the line.

Find the equal sign.

The map does not have a design,

so please be benign.

This exam I cannot take.

The calculator, I will break.

The North is awake,

while the South is at stake.

The equation does not exist.

The developed ones resist;

the underdeveloped was put in a twist.

The answer to the solution was dismissed.

Please be one, put down the gun.

Solve and share, it’s not a pun.

it’s not about money, it’s about unity, equality and fun.

Every country has its own run.

- Queenie Manalansan

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#SUPPORTLOCAL

Burgers, Pizzas, Fried Chickens, and Kit-Kat.

Oh, how yummy is that?

Zara, Sephora, H&M, and Forever 21.

Shopping! Isn’t fun?

Japan has McDonald’s Ebi Filet-O.

Australia has Kit-Kat Chunky Cookie Dough.

India has Vegetarian Thali and Chana Snacker.

Wow, foods really make us drool all over!

All of these sums up into one word,

it’s glocalization around the world.

Globalization plus localization is equals to glocalization.

It is just like mathematics’ addition.

Glocalization won’t always be a good thing.

Our country is slowly changing.

It is something we don’t realize,

but let’s not act like we’re surprised.

Philippine weddings, fiestas, and birthdays,

Coca-Cola is there for these special days.

Lambanog, Sago’t Gulaman and Samalamig,

Are these still served on the table anyway?

Tons of money are spent in foreign brands.

But how about the local brands?

Foreign products are not always bad.

Still, we must remember the local we always had.

Philippines has a lot to offer.

Let us not neglect what our country has.

Remember the locals.

Support local.

- Patricia Maceda

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Glitch

I feel like I am on the opposite side of the world. 

All the clicking,

All this twitting,

All the messaging.

This is all that I have been missing.

The growing gap between us, 

Those who have and who do not have.

The privileged and underprivileged,

Wish I have a chance,

To search and tweet about France.

They dress like a retro,

And I dress like a weirdo.

They carry laptop and iPad,

And I carry this burden of feeling bad.

They all have internet,

And I only have pisonet.

There are so many things that I do not know, 

As the gap between us continue to grow.

Will this define my future success?

If I am unable to have an access.

- Gia Laderas

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Moral Universalism

Ethics that applies to all people

No matter what culture or religion

Used in all the nation

For their lives to be stable

Applicable to all humanity

Transcends to all sanity

Contrast between ethics and norms

And it can be seen in different forms

- Rona Gregorio

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The Message of the President

For now just trust me,

I know that you defy me

I've been planning for days,

Waiting for someone to trust thee

Everyone's getting hectic because of this pandemic,

Nothing is gonna happen if we go panic and hide in the attic

So let me spit out the verse, the actions which we agreed on

And let me show you the problem that we see as canon

If we don't work together, we'll see our names on a television

With no work, no food not even a crayon

I know that this tough, I know that it is hard

All I see are bunch of rants because of bats that invaded us

I sent out all the words, I sent out all the plans

The vaccines and the discipline is our only chance

It's hard being hopeful for this years sickness, let the wind wipe our tears

We're Filipinos no need to show our weakness, for we are as strong as gears.

- Charlene Flores

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The Bear, The Eagle, and The Pug

Once, a greedy pug wonders in the middle of wilderness, Where no one could touch but only the greens of the forest. He searched for a place where he could stay – A place he could call his and his alone, A place where no other than him could lay a finger on.

His pride swells more and more as he walks. He searched and searched but found no place to hold. His laughable temper exceeds his timidness, Until he found the Rock embraced by a river – A place where no other than him could lay a finger on.

The wind is tired, so it blew the current slow, Thus, the pug went and tried to paddle his paws. Though his arms were as miniscule as his tail, He managed to reach the river’s Navel – A place where no other than him could lay a finger on.

As the burning chariots rested and the swans of the night travelled, A bear bigger than the largest tree in the jungle, Laid eyes on the pug sleeping on his fishing spot – A place where no one should’ve laid a finger on.

As the bear’s fury was boiling inside, An eagle catches a glimpse of the creature, It was unmistakable, it was the bear whom he so bittered, For the bear removed him from his place in the Navel of the river – Now, a place he couldn’t lay his finger on.

The devious eagle swoops to a tree near the bear, To discuss a deal with him, to settle their affairs. The eagle declares, “The wind is howling, the river’s angry, You cannot go back to your river’s Navel – To the place where you couldn’t lay a finger on.

Let’s take a bet on the pug who hasn’t left, Whoever removes him shall win this game, If it’s you who claims victor, I shan’t bother your river again, If it’s I, all I ask is a piece of your meals, Both ways, you’ll return to the place you couldn’t lay a finger on.”

The bear thought the deal was sweet so he agreed, He’d get rid of the eagle whom he, as well, despised. They waited ‘til Apollo starts cruising the sky, To commence their plans to remove the pug from the place they couldn’t lay a finger on.

Since the wind is howling and the river is angry, The bear cannot cross and lift the pest from the Navel. So, the bear thought to give him some foods to devour, For the eagle cannot lift a full pug in its claws, From the place they couldn’t lay a finger on.

The bear shouts: “Will you ever leave the Navel?” “Never!” said the pug, with head lifted high. “Then, have you eaten yet?” the bear asked. “The fishes wouldn’t swim to my mouth,” said the pug standing on the rock where only he could lay a finger on.

So, the bear with his plan in hand, Threw all the food he could possibly find. The pug was happy with being served, “This is the place of a king!” he thought. And this went on ‘til darkness once more embraced the day.

When the bear was gone, resting in his place, The eagle drops by with some offerings to give – Peculiar berries, unique in its nature, Its hues of blue resemble that of the ocean, But its juice is gold like the blood of the gods.

“O great pug, please accept these treasures from the forest, Only those who sit in the Navel are worthy to accept! It’s not to be eaten, but to symbolize your greatness! Hide it, however, from the bear bigger than the largest tree in the jungle, For, my lord, his greed for the berries is immeasurable!”

The pug swelled with pride and greed – Without hesitations, he took the eagle’s offerings. The pug was happy with being served, “This is the place of a king!” he thought. And this went on ‘til the sun once more devoured the night.

The bear and the eagle’s plans, cleverly planned, were witnessed by Days who had gone by. The pug had found a way to eat in the morning, While hiding the berries at a rock nearby. The pug was happy with all he was receiving.

One night, the bear decided to observe the pug, To see how it lives and breathes in darkness, To his surprise, the eagle drops by the Navel, To give the pug some offerings of blue and gold. The bear’s curiosity, overwhelming, stole his sleep for the night.

The morning after, the bear had changed his plan, He’d lessen the food of the pug until he shows the eagle’s fruits. The bear asked, “Pug in the Navel! What did the eagle bring you?” The pug, remembering what was said, replied “Nothing!” So, the bear, filled with fury, diminished the pug’s food supply.

The pug, who was full with pride, cried, “This is no way to treat the Navel’s conqueror!” To which the bear replied: “Show the eagle’s fruit!” The pug, full with arrogance, answered “No!” And these went on ‘til the bear could give food no more.

Though the pug was haughty and conceited, He realized the power of the bear over him. His arms were too short to catch a fish, And the river is too angry for him to cross. So, he had no choice but to show the eagle’s berries.

When the bear saw the berries of blue, It was as if he was struck by lightning, stiff, This was the fruit that killed many of his kind, His single touch would send him to Hades’ hands. The bear had felt his defeat rush inside.

His anger was directed to no other than the pug, For he knew the pug was the root of it all. Knowing his power over him, the bear left, To let the pug die in hunger or drown in the river. The pug was damned so he cried – but the bear was away.

The eagle, who witnessed all the action take place, Knew his plan to retaliate has finalized itself. The eagle never cared for the pug at all, He just gave the pug all the berries it could find, Knowing it was the pug and the bear’s demise.

The pug was left in the Navel crying, For he realized the bear’s power over him, and the eagle’s deceit has brought him nothing. He went on ‘til the Reaper’s Scythe claimed him, From the place only he could lay a finger on. - F.A. Mallari