‘The missive applies as well to dastardly deans, callous bureaucrats and perfidious profiteers.’
A WW2 witty remark for you: “Dad, have a good one during dinner time today. Did you ever notice the names of our three Presidents?” he asked. “Yes, why?” I asked. Mrs. Quezon’s name is Aurora meaning Dawn; Mrs. Osmeña’s is Esperanza, which means Hope; and Puppet Laurel’s wife is Paciencia, which means Patience. We had our morning, our birth under Quezon, Osmeña’s regime is now filled with hope; and you certainly have to have a lot of patience during this regime of Laurel.” [Diary of Felipe Buencamino III, November 2, 1944; https://philippinediaryproject.com/1944/11/02/november-2-1944/]
Must we adopt the same attitude today? Marce, Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, Super Typhoon Leon.
Typhoon Yinxing (locally called Marce, the 13th major storm to hit the disaster-prone Southeast Asian archipelago this year) battered the northern Philippines with floods and landslides before blowing away from the country on Friday, leaving two airports damaged and aggravating a calamity caused by back-to-back storms that hit in recent weeks. Tropical Storm Trami and Typhoon Kong-rey left at least 151 people dead in the Philippines and affected nearly nine million others, mostly in the northern and central provinces. More than 14 billion pesos ($241 million) in rice, corn and other crops and infrastructure were damaged. Trami dumped one to two months’ worth of rain in just 24 hours in some regions. In the hardest-hit province of Batangas, south of Manila, at least 61 people died in floods and landslides. [https://apnews.com/article/philippines-typhoon-yinxing-51b689a712c6bb793cc7d08929eb3143#]
There was a traumatizing typhoon as well eight decades prior: “Then followed a night in which all the devils in hell were loose. It is what we have feared and not really had in three years—a typhoon of most violent nearness. Sometime in the night the center must have had come close to us and stuck there for outside our window a wind roared as if through a long endless funnel. The roar was steady, with no letup at all, with a drawn sound as though compressed into definite confined space. The velocity was terrifying and we moved about in total darkness trying to close windows, as the electricity was off. In the dentist’s office, a window blew open, but only he had the key so no one could go in to stop it. It crashed and banged back and forth, with breaking glass panes added to the din of the night. Such precious panes being destroyed! The tin roof crashed off the water tank, windows shook and rattled, branches tore past. Upstairs the aides mopped the operating room, sopped up 13 bucketsful in [one] place alone; went up and down stairs in dim light or blackness, answering calls. About one, Betty burst in out of the storm, calling, ‘Bob! We want men and a light—the Baby House roof is blowing off.’ She sounded desperate but the men answered, ‘You’ll have to get man-help from topside. We’ve been up all night here too and can’t spare anyone.’ But the doctor went over as his wife and son were there. He found them without lights, no hammers or nails, holding down the roof by tying a rope to the rafters. Fortunately, it worked but they were frantic for a while. Always there was the long steady roar and draw of wind between the two buildings, like a huge mass of animals in stampede or a primeval force unleashed. There is no sound like it. Once heard it stays in the mind forever. As though man had not been unkind enough, war not cruel enough, nature added to our terror and misery by striking with sudden and overwhelming fury. No one went into the flooded toilet except in great extremity. Wet beds and blankets and corners flooded. The kitchen upstairs was a sight, flooded, and the workers there were barefoot with slacks up to the knees. Operating tables were all pulled into the center of the room, blackout curtains dripping black over everything sterile. The dentist came down with his key, waded in to take sofa cushions out to dry, fasten the windows and pound a covering over the broken panes.” [Diary of Natalie Crouter, November 9, 1944]
In the midst of the maelstrom, the Ambassador of the United States of America Mary Kay L. Carlson requested the pleasure of our company at a commemoration of Veterans Day last 11 November 2024. How different was this from the other event? “Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty.” [https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/facts-and-information/] In America’s capital, the soon-to-be-replaced Chief Executive recalled: “Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day alongside so many World War II veterans. Their service and sacrifice helped free the world from tyranny. We learned then what we still know now: Democracy is never guaranteed. Every generation must preserve it, defend it, and fight for it.” [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/11/06/a-proclamation-on-veterans-day-2024/]
Talk about tyranny. Overall, since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed the post in 2022, the DFA has filed a total of 189 protests against the Han chauvinists. [https://malaya.com.ph/news/national-news/ph-says-beijing-pushing-it-to-cede-china-sea-claims/]
But it is Yuletide and the Filipinos (especially Christ’s followers) can revel in the Season, showing the hegemonists the path to the Messiah: “The mentality of the world demands that we become somebody, that we make a name for ourselves at any cost, breaking social norms in order to accumulate wealth. How sad of an illusion this is! Happiness cannot be acquired by trampling on the rights and dignity of others.” [Message Of His Holiness Pope Francis For The Eight World Day Of The Poor, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 17 November 2024, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/poveri/documents/20240613-messaggio-viii-giornatamondiale-poveri-2024.html]
The missive applies as well to dastardly deans, callous bureaucrats and perfidious profiteers.
