Hang together or hang separately

WHATEVER administration detractors, angry militants and other cynics may say, it cannot be denied that the economy has never been this vibrant since about four, five months back and especially as December now  trots in.

Word is that dollar remittances of Overseas Filipino Workers who have long been coming to the aid (albeit, coincidentally, according to critics) of their motherland’s financial distress is about to hit $12 billion and the Philippine peso has thus grown that much stronger.

The rosy signs are there: Higher demands for RP bonds, robust trading at the stock market and President Arroyo’s now buoyed up spirit seriously considering more non-wage benefits for workers to tide them over hard times even without the cash equivalent yet.

The figures of course are hard to dispute because these are official and the more sober-minded oppositionists, while acknowledging these grudgingly and making some dire warnings of these developments being at best temporary or artificial, seem to give things now the benefit of the doubt. This is as good a bargain as any for the once-beleaguered administration – to have a breathing spell from the myriad of stink bombs thrown at its direction every which way in the past months. Now, if it can only sustain the momentum, this country will be in business once again.

This section realizes there are national issues that have yet to see a firm and final closure. But it shares the belief of some in the center that it would be unfortunate if in the quest for political resolutions, the economy is summarily   sacrificed or left to rise on its own. We are after all talking about national survival in these globally perilous times and without unity – even only temporarily – we have but two bitter choices on our fate as a nation: to hang separately or to hang together. 

Your choice, fellow Pinoys, fellow Pangasinenses!

Nen Mario F. Karateka

Amagamaga, ambetebetel

AMAGAMAGA. Ambetebetel.

Amin lawarin totoo so mangibabaga na onia no nabitlay Pasko o Krismas natan. Anggan antoy pilit kalamor na saray katoowan ya paliketen o pasayaksaken so pamilya, opisina tan ingen anggan kaliber-liber da, ag niborin kulang so pakayari da pian gaween iya.

Aliwan singa imbebeneg iran Kapaskuan a walan naliknam ed inkasaysika so ispirito na sayan sankaliketan a panaon ed taon, singa ag naabot na sanduan limam natan so medyos pian onligsa so liknaan.

Akin, oniatala kairap so bilay?

Lakad syaping mols  dagdaiset so walay bitbit ya asaliw; karaklan mantotongtong, mamibista tan manmumulagat kalamor labat ed saray displey ed iskaparate na tindaan.

Pigaran taga-media so onian nanengneng mo ya akatanyareg tan manus-usdong ed tagtagilakos. Maong yay abalayan nen editor min BFH a si Nana Buenafe ta singa manwawa amo so katiw to ta naynay konon nababanaan ditad Siti Mol tan Madyik, kuandaray kabalabag ed Medya. Agkometni abanaan balet – ta antoey, mataltalagak ditan ya ongatin. Angangaan ko lay  Dagupan Metromart  tan say Market Interior (loob na tindaan, antoni ey?)

Balet, agagi, anakora, biig so lorey, diad say sikatayo labat, walatay isisipen yo natan – on, natan a bekta – ya magrasya so lamisaan ya pananganan yo sano labiy Disyembre 24?

No say ebat yo et “Sigsigurado!”, sikayoy sakey ed saray mapapalar a pinalsad Pilipinas. No say ebat yo et andi, duaran dalan itan: onaan, kaiba kayod mayoryay Pilipinon obrero ya naopot dalay Krismas bonus da (ta asakbay ya inter iya na manedsmint) tan anggapolay isaliw da kalamor, odino komadua, sikayo et kabingay Iglesia Ni Cristo.

Et no akin kuanyod onor ya balikas ko, ta lapud lanti anggapod INC itay selebrasyon na Krismas a ituturing dan sakey a gaway pagano (pagans) nen inmoonaran siglo kanian ag nepeg tomboken, kuanda, na saray Kristiyanod sarayan panaon. E, agyoakpametla panbibitlaen na kapitulo tan bersikulo na Biblia ed saya ta anggapoy nonot kon midebate  ed siopaman. 

No tepetan yoak balet, satan a pananisia na Iglesia so sankapraktikalan ya gaween ed sarayan panaon no onsasabi so Krismas a tatawagen. Abotaw met lamlamang so bulsam tan nairapan kan ondungo ed litson, hamon, keso de bola tan ankablin alak, di lingwanan mo la itay Krismas tan say itiponan tan pantaryaan mola labat ed loob na sakey taon ya ginaway Dios et say  -- antoniey, di say Inkianak mo! Menos gastos.

Tan sakey ni, iwasan yolay onladtan ed saray supermarkit tan mols pian ag onsakit so nakem yo.       

* * * * *

Istorya toniay editor min BFH, akabanda kono ditan ed say Star of David Hotel ta walay nila tod Manaoag. Et agustoan to kono so inkialagey na sakey ya otel ed satan a dadayoen a baley ta singa mas lalon nalukasan iray potensiyal na Manaoag. Sakey so Manaoag ed saray baley ya paspasyaren nen BFH sanen ogaw niya ta ditay panaayaman na saray babai, lalaki tan kakapinsan tora.

Nen say onlanirad Binalonan o Urdaneta o Dagupan iray walan bisita o debotos na Birhen na Manaoag, nitanlan walad olsoran da so sakey a marakerakep ya panayaman tan panliliketan a pasen.

Kayarian nen oga-ogaw nin Janette Patacsil Yaari ya asaway sakey ya Israelita, say Star of David (ningaran ed bitewen a simbolo nasyonal na saman a bansan Israel) so walaan na function room ya makakargay 150 a totoo, videoke rooms, internet café tan komportable ran kuarton paabang tan “lounge area”.

Sali yopay onsamar ditan sakey agew no makabanda kayod Manaoag.