a good night

Noche Buena. Simbang Gabi. Misa de Gallo. All are cherished Filipino Christmas holiday traditions we hold warmly in our hearts. 

Simbang Gabi is the night mass Filipinos attend mass either late at night or in the early morning hours. It is a series of masses held daily for all nine days before Christmas. The belief holds that attending all nine masses will grant ones wish.

@dokmarkus via Instagram

Simbang Gabi can also have a nine-day novena procession that is a reenactment of the nativity of Christ known as the Panunulúyan.

possibilities & probabilities - perseverance & persistence

Potential does not come to fruition in barren territory - even at the price of blood, sweat and tears. It is what differentiates the quitters from those who eventually succeed.
Every fellow Filipino and freedom fighter accepts this in their core being. All throughout recorded history it has been the rough road our countrymen are tested with every day.
Even the best among us have to cushion ourselves and take succor from the horror and beating meted year in and year out.

multi-generational trauma of the Philippines

A people known for their spirit of warmth and hospitality whose life force slowly leaks away in a country of parasitic politicians of few exceptions.
Much is wasted to expend scarce resources and ill-gotten wealth on keeping the masses fat dumb and happy on short term extravaganzas and fiestas.

heroic fallacy

Today marks National Heroes Day in the Philippines - a stark reminder of our long history of suffering and revolt against the powers that be - whether foreign colonizers or local overlords. 

Since the American colonial period the Philippine Legislature enacted Act No. 3827 on October 28, 1931 - designated every last Sunday of August as National Heroes Day. This date was last revised in 2007 to the last Monday of August as per Republic Act No. 9492. 

celebrating our true heroes - not some made up one

A day to honor and remember all known and unnamed national heroes who fought for the country's independence and freedom. Officially recognized or not Filipinos have long been martyred for countless reasons and causes - then and now. 

We idolize our heroes so much we even have a cemetery dedicated to our fallen heroes. This sacred ground has since been desecrated with the burial of a non-hero - our one and only dictator (to date), Ferdinand Marcos. 

Philippines People Power, 1986

We commemorate all our known and unsung heroes and their exemplary achievements on this day. We celebrate those who continue to inspire us - the fearless visionaries, the tireless advocates, the selfless souls.

Because of them - who stood against, fought bravely, risked their lives for country, justice, liberty - we have our freedom now. Let us remember and honor them always by continuing to fight for our rights. 

on display

Inspired by the resistance storytelling of Arundhati Roy, we cannot help but draw parallels between our countries. 

Prime Minister Modi and India's violently divisive history and politics raise the ghost of Marcos - the father and dictator - who birthed and raised our current baby boy heir and president. 

Roy's rage and frustration is apparent in her passionate love of people and country - vilely manipulated by decades of corruption and greed. 

mantra, prayer, plea - graphics by bhaktiCD.org

In all her heart rending stories her writing includes meditations on language - public as well as private - and the role of fiction and alternative imaginations in current disturbing times. 

The Philippines has always been plagued by leaders obsessed in their divine command. Whether pretended, promoted, or publicized in political, religious or other arenas - these folks prey on our beliefs and biases to gain power and prestige. 

Philippine leadership

One thing our current Philippine administration is sadly lacking in the hands of this Marcos-Duterte tandem is accountability and transparency. 

So much spending and borrowing under their helm - confidential funds, intelligence funds, wealth funds. Bleeding the country and its citizens dry - squeezing blood from stone. 

Leni Robredo & accountable leadership

They jet set around and party all the time - these shameless pretenders. They have never had any standing or heritage to be proud of - until they came to power in dirty politics. 

cries of Cassandra

In an ever-changing, incomprehensible world the masses had reached the point where they would, at the same time, believe everything and nothing, think that everything was possible and that nothing was true.

Mass propaganda discovered that its audience was ready at all times to believe the worst, no matter how absurd, and did not particularly object to being deceived because it held every statement to be a lie anyhow.

weaponizing a population

The totalitarian mass leaders based their propaganda on the correct psychological assumption that, under such conditions, one could make people believe the most fantastic statements one day, and trust that if the next day they were given irrefutable proof of their falsehood, they would take refuge in cynicism; instead of deserting the leaders who had lied to them, they would protest that they had known all along that the statement was a lie and would admire the leaders for their superior tactical cleverness.

~ Hannah Arendt (The Origins of Totalitarianism)

The Origins of Totalitarianism begins with the rise of anti-Semitism in central and western Europe in the 1800s and continues with an examination of European colonial imperialism from 1884 to the outbreak of World War I. 

September 2022

The month of September hold the best of times and the worst of times here at Change Warrior. September 1 is my labor day and the birth of my only and favorite child - Mahala. 

The rest of the month chronicle traumatic dates in history - this month resurrects all the old ghosts. The tragedy of the bombing of New York City's Twin Towers on September 11 here in the US and the horror years of martial law in the Philippines because of Marcos and his insatiable greed for power. 

11,103 documentary banner

As we come to the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by dictator Ferdinand Marcos - another film has been produced which features survivor stories of state-sponsored violence during these terrible years of death and destruction.

the documentary 11,103 records the survivors'

tales of state sponsored violence

The film 11,103 is the recounting of thousands of names and their individual stories of how they overcame the trauma and fear of abuse they suffered from martial law abusers who tortured them.

keep the good fight raging

“Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya

sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila 

gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa?

Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga, wala.”

Which translates to, ‘What love can surpass purity or greatness like love of country? None.’

Letters written by Andres Bonifacio - Archivo General Militar de Madrid

The poem Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa (Love for One's Homeland) was written by Philippine hero and martyr Andres Bonifacio. He was no martyr but was sacrificed and murdered by his political rivals. Executed in broad daylight on the 10th day of May, 1897 - their graves unknown to this day.

Diane Lockhart's election superstitions & prayer

This is how we feel in the wake of our 2022 presidential elections on May 9 - sold out and hang to dry. The term election stress disorder (ESD) is used to describe the pressure build up due to this event. With so much riding on the outcome, many are stretched to the extreme.

abuse & trauma

Born and raised in a banana republic like the Philippines exposes one to intergenerational trauma from multiple layers of unresolved and often unacknowledged abuse. 

Imbedded in our DNA for countless generations of ancestors and perpetuators of a colonized land peopled by all manner of beings - local, pioneer, settler, trader, opportunist, colonial, and colonizer. 

Philippine history timelines

Asian, European, American - all these aliens fought their wars on our land and fought each other to gain a piece of our paradise. Leaving us with nowhere to run or hide all these years. 

Raping, pillaging, destroying and stealing whatever they could, in any way conceivable - most of it with malicious and violent intent. 

the true catastrophe

Our home island of Negros Occidental declared a state of calamity in the wake of Typhoon Odette - a disaster that wreaked so much havoc in its wake. 

a long standing record of service to the nation & its people

With local national elections in full swing this becomes a double edged sword. Those working on the ground are often hampered by show boating politicians who have until now been largely absent to local citizens and constituents. 

The Philippines' latest failure - President Duterte

a proud moment

Pinoy pride fills our heart and spirit to overflowing as we listen to Maria Ressa's acceptance speech at the Nobel Peace Prize awarding ceremony. 

Philippine VP Leni Robredo with Maria Ressa

The Nobel Peace Prizes were awarded today in Oslo, Norway. This year's winners were two journalists honored for their unrelenting pursuits of truth in a world becoming less free.

Dmitry Muratov, editor of one of Russia's last independent news sources, was recognized for his work. Philippines journalist Maria Ressa, editor of Rappler.com, called for a reform of social media platforms.

Nobel Peace Prize Awardees - MLK & Maria Ressa

At stake are truth, facts, our democracy - threatened most by social media and technology. Where the spread of lies, laced with anger and hate, is prioritized over facts. Without the facts, you can't have truth. If you don't have truth, you can't have trust.

murdered Philippine journalists - GenSan, Mindanao 2009

Without trust, all is compromised and much is lost. These are the folks at the forefront of this fight. Kudos to them for holding the line for truth and accountability for the rest of us.

This win is a victory for press freedom advocates across the Philippines and the world. Mabuhay!

god given gifts

The world is full of pageantry - beauty in infinite forms, outrageously generous gifts - pouring out of the Earth. The planet's bounty and harvest are our best gifts - its canopy of trees, the richness of our soils, the wilderness, its oceans - all creatures and elements of nature.

Mary Pelc on Instagram

The human species is a part of all this, connected and never separate - even if we managed to have grown apart. The separateness, however real it feels - in our concrete cities and boxed up domiciles of convenience and comfort - is a manmade delusion.

let's go Greta!

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was in New York City tirelessly inspiring us all to go on strike and demonstrate actively for climate change.

In events leading leading up to her appearance at the UN Summit, we all watched as she called on our world leaders to do something now.

"We are not just some young people skipping school," she told thousands of school strikers in Manhattan, on a day when millions around the world demonstrated for action. "We are a wave of change. Together, we are unstoppable."

casa azul

“Never in life will I forget your presence. You found me torn apart and you took me back full and complete”. ~ Frida Kahlo

The creative universe of Frida Kahlo is to be found in the Blue House, the place where she was born, where she painted as she convalesced, and where she died. 

Ina Gunid | goddess of war & poisons

Ina Gunid was invoked for success in war and mangayaw raids. She was also associated with another trinity of deities when working with and concocting poisonous oils and charms. 

Courtesy of Anituo

Also known as Ynaguinid, Inagunid and Naguinid, she was one of the three deities according to whom the tribe offered prayers to for success in the battlefield. 

Philippines: politics & pimps

You may have heard the adage, "money talks and bullshit walks".

Moving Forward: The Ati & Tumandok People of Panay Island

In our native home islands money driven bullshit reigns supreme. Economic issues drive folks to extremes. Paradise is being sold to the highest bidders.

Money and power fuel land grabbing. Rich folks buy locals out. Corrupt government officials abuse the law, selling what they have no right to.

Money, power or corruption are ever present in our lives. The local people, environment and way of life are all harshly affected.

homeland hues

On the eve that celebrates the original 1986 EDSA Revolution in the Philippines, it's heartbreaking to admit that this historical moment of dissent has not led our country out of the loathsome corruption we inherited from the Marcos Martial Law days.

Fat chance relocating to the United States did, now that Darth Cheeze Wheeze Trump has brought this once great country to its knees. We can only hope we recover when he's relegated back to his gilt lined tower.

Bonifacio Day 2017

On November 30 we celebrate Bonifacio Day in the Philippines. 

Andres Bonifacio was a hero and leader who spent his life fighting to uphold justice for his people.

Today we recall him in his poem, "Pag-Ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa" - love of country or better yet love of my homeland. 

we're having a heat wave

A tropical heat wave! The temperature's rising! It isn't surprising!

It has hit us here BIG time in the Philippines where El Niño has reared its hellish head. 

Charles Lahti: Cebu Exhibit at 856 G Gallery

With half of #wonderwanderwomen already back in the Philippines for the holidays, we opted to reblog  the latest post written for Kate's Paperie and Charles Lahti Studio .  Congratulations Charles! Catch his exhibit in Cebu - it's ongoing til Dec 18! 

Read all about it here - http://katespaperie188.blogspot.com/2014/12/charles-lahti-his-cebu-exhibit-at-856-g.html?view=sidebar