Marshmallow

Pangamakasarili. Gyam. Kasakiman keng upaya ning ninu man malyaring panibatan na ning sigalut at kaligaligan da reng keraklan. Kapagnasan apatukyan no ngan keng kaburyan na ning ninu man deng aliwa bang ing kapanwalan nang ing ikakayap ding sabla yang matupad.

Dapot makananung ing metung a tau o agya mang mapilan karakal a taung miyagum-agum at mikampikampi ing malyaring makabalu?ya mu o ila mu?king tune ikakayap ning bangsa o mabilug a yatu? Agya mang dakal na lang memalangkas keng Saligang Batas, e pa mu rin pantas, atin ta pa mu ring akit a busbus.

Nung ing ninu man, e na tukya’t pamintwan ing tuntunan ning batas ning balen, dakal ing munye iting gulu. Ing kapayapan tambing mabating. Deng memalen mayalingasngas la king sigalut a darala ning kelang kapayapan nu man kasaguli ing pangapatad na inawa ning katimawan.

Ing katimawan ya ing bibitasa king alang sumbagal a pamagpasya at pamangalo ning tau. Nung ala ya iti sapalang mikakapayapan ya ing ninu man subali namu nung ala yang isip, bingut ya o atin yang kulang king utak na. Ing pangasupil ning katimawan pauli ning kelang kapayapan maging pabelu ne ning panglaganas a pamanalsa da reng malda. Bakit? Ala kasing matinu pamisip a bisang maging alipan ning ninu man king kekaban ning bye na.

Mekad malyaring payalipan ya ing ninu man king ninu pa man nung mung makinabang yang maragul iti

at e ya madadakurak mu naman karapatan. Makanyan man, kabud kinabsi ne iti at mikasarili niya namang pibandyan at upaya, magimbut niya namang sakupan na la kaisipan deng aliwang para nang tau.

Makalasing ing upaya, ibat man iti keng salapi o king nanu pa mang penibatan. Ing ninu mang lalasing king upaya aiisip na ya na ing Dyos. Maglimpungatan yang bala na ala neng kamalyan. Maninap neng makagising. Maging bunga niti ya pin ing pamandakurak na king karapatan da reng aliwa agya mang pakabsyan na la. Bakit? Kasi abubulabug na na ing karapatan da reng aliwang mikakatimawan at yang maging sangkan niti ning pangabulabug namu naman ning kapayapan.

Ing katimawan na ning ninu man ing tanda ning karapatang pigkalub na karing sabala ning Apung Ginu. Nung madakurak ing karapatang iti, mabating nang ditak-ditak ing kapayapan. E ya mipayndatun ing ninu mang kabatingan karapatan uling likas iting sangkap ning pangatau tamu. Lwid ing kapayapan!

*** Dake Talabaldugan: 1. kalumpít – (palagyu) tanamang pangdampul balat. English – (bot.) Terminata edulis. Its bark is used in tannery. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Inya pala parati yang maslag kule sapin ing Apin, parati na la namang darampulan deti keng agtang kalumpit.”

3. kalungkaling – (palagyu) kaung, mura pa o bubut a bungang sasa. English – (bot.) Immature seeds of the sugar palm, commonly used a sweet preserve and in “halu-halo”. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Inyang malati ku bala ku sana deng kalungkaling gawa la mu keng gogo at kanita da la sasangkap keng pamparimla.”

4. kalukúp – (palagyu) saping gawa keng bakal, tangsu, pilak o tingkaputi. English – metal lining, hem, border, or cap; metal overlay. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Inya pala parati yang maslag kule sapin ing Apin, parati na la namang darampulan deti keng agtang kalumpit.”

5. kalupì – (palagyu) datukanan salapi, pitaka. English – wallet. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Ala kang e malyaring saliwang kakaluguran a tapat agyang asne kasna ing kekang kalupi.”

PAMANGAPAMPANGAN: Ing sasabyan da reng kabalen nung meyangu ne bye ing tau— “Memayapa ne.” Bala naman mo makabitasa la kanita, kasi e balang mayayangu-bye. Ngara pin deng sasalpantaya keng Biblya at pati na aliwa pang Banal a Kasulatan?ating bubukal a api subali pa king ligaya banwa. Inya sa’t e binang makatud ing kesabyang ini dapot manibatan ya king maslag nang pamisip ning Kapampangan iti. Magkasakit ne o mangaplas, makatiman ya pa nung e man sasagakgak mayli. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Inya pala e ku ne akakit unabis ing magbante keng purtil king Bebe Matwa, memayapa ne.”

I WOKE up to the news that the president had just declared martial law in Mindanao because of a band of Isis sympathizers who had apparently seized control of Marawi Ci t y.

Social media was abuzz with different reactions from different friends I had. Since I’ve made it a personal policy not to unfriend real-life friends over differences in religion and politics, I saw all sorts of reactions from left and right and everything in between.

The anti-crowd said they already saw this coming, that it was staged to pave the way for martial law and authoritarian rule, or that it was not the correct solution.

The pro-crowd said they trusted the president, that it was the right move, and that there is nothing to fear, and that this was different from the Marcos years.

The in-betweeners tended to chastise the bashers on both side and saying why don’t you just find a way to help the victims or pray for them instead.

And then there were the grammar and spelling nazis laughing or mocking those who said “marshall law,” “marshall arts,” and even “mar shmal l ow.”

I honestly don’t know how to express what I am feeling or thinking about this. There is a part of me that sides with those who are thinking that there are better solutions than martial law. Yet, there is also a part of me that accepts the president’s prerogative and decisiveness in this action. Only time will really tell if he was right or w r ong.

I am neither a political nor history expert, and I rarely make long commentaries on politics, so whatever I say here I speak for myself only and impose upon no one these beliefs. I have decided in this matter to simply trust the president I elected. It is not a trust based on empty promises, but a trust based on witnessing how he has led my city for almost three decades — a city that has grown to love him.

In my line of work, results matter — not motivations, nor opinions, nor ideologies, but results. And Duterte’s results over the years have compounded to such a degree that I have a huge amount of trust in him — just as that kidnapped businesswoman from Luzon had a few years back when she told her kidnappers to go to Davao, trusting that she would be saved because the city was under Duterte’s car e.

It is funny how this trust is bordering on faith — that most freethinkers like me shun.

Although it goes beyond logic, but I’m going with my gut on this one. I hope that the trust I and many other Filipinos have in him is not in vain.

Oh, and don’t just pray for Marawi. Find a way to help. Like I said, results matter.

Agkatan da kang mambag o midake nanu mang Kapampangan a kawatasan, sanese, sisti, kasuryan o nanu mang dikil king Kapampangan. Nanu mang kutang o sisti king misulat king Kapisik, malyaring ikutang o malinawan king talasulat. Pakiparala king email address, garciakragi@yahoo.com o iyaus o itext king + 639988948624 o + 639423924399. Nung karapatdapat ya’t makayagpang king dalerayang tuntunang Kapisik, masa kang mirinang kapakibatan at milimbag ya sanu man kareng tutuking dangka ning Kapisik. Ipisik me, abe!