Ang mga LIHIM at Kwento...

[Ito ay isa lamang sanang puna doon sa post ni Poging (ilo)Cano na pinamagatang Si Cris, si Ruel at Ako. Napahaba, kaya dito ko nalang ipinaskil. Nagkataong magkapareho pa kami ng pangalan ng isa niyang kaibigan.]


Hindi ko alam kung bakit kailangan pang sabihin ng agency na 'office staff' ang magiging position o ang trabahong pinapa-applyAn nila sa Dubai kung ang totoong trabaho ay diesel attendant pala... [Kasalukuyan kayang may trabaho noon sa Pilipinas sina Cris at Ruel habang pina-process ang visa nila? Pogi, pakisagot nalang.]

Kung ipinaskil kaya ng agency sa job ad nila at sinabi rin sa job offer/description na diesel attendant ang totoong trabaho (sa ganu'ng parehong sweldong natatanggap nila ngayon) tatanggapin pa rin kaya nila ang trabaho bilang isang diesel attendant kahit na sinabi ni Poging (ilo)Cano sa kanyang post na 'sayang din kasi ang kanilang pinag-aralan'?


Parang ganito rin 'yan. Ang visang iginawad sa akin ng Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship sa una kong trabaho sa isang malaking piggery sa Queensland ang position ay 'Agricultural Technical Officer'. Ngayong lumipat ako sa manukan- 'Farm Overseer' naman.

AKO AY NAGPAPAKAIN noon ng mga baboy, naglilinis ng kanilang kulungan, humihila ng mga patay naming alaga (maximum 110kgs. mag-isa lang ako, may taling panghila at push cart na kargahan) palabas ng kulungan, naglilinis at nag-aayos ng mga kapapanganak na mga biik, nagababakuna (800 - 2,400 pigs every 2 days mag-isa lang ako), nagtuturok ng gamot sa mga may sakit na baboy, nagtatapon ng patay at nagda-drive ng loader/tractor.

BILANG ISANG Farm Overseer naman ngayon dito sa poultry... araw-araw, sa unang tatlong oras ng trabaho ko sa loob ng manukan, namumulot ako ng mga patay na manok [mga 300-400 bawat araw (ang iba'y nagsisimula nang mabulok)] gamit ang wheel barrow; kapag huling linggo na ng mga manok 3.6kgs na ang timbang nila multiply sa 50 hds, ganyan kabigat ang itinutulak kong wheel barrow sa 110m. na haba ng manukang ito. Naglilinis din ako ng mga control/computer rooms, nagtatanggal ng mga alikabok sa mga blower fans, nagtatapon/naglilibing ng mga patay na manok gamit ang loader, naghahanda ng mga kulungan sa gabi kapag may manghuhuli ng mga manok para dalhin sa dressing plant, nagpuputol ng mga makakapal na damo sa farm gamit ang mechanical slasher, etc.


WALA NAMAN KASI sa listahan ng mga job positions ng Australian immigration ang poultry farm attendant o piggery farm attendant. Talagang Agricultural Technical Officer at Farm Overseer lang ang positionG maaaring mabigyan nila ng working visa. Napakasarap basahin at pakinggan, di ba? Pero ang trabaho ay talagang farm attendant- at ito rin ang nakasaad sa job description na pinirmahan namin.

Ang kagandahan (?!?) lang dito sa Australia, lahat ng mga empleyado ng isang farm ay ginagawa pareho ang tinatawag na mga 'clean' at 'dirty' jobs, kahit supervisors at manager sila pare-pareho kaming nagtatrabaho nito. Madalas nga mas mahirap pa ang kanilang ginagawa kaysa sa mga farm attendants na tulad ko. Totoo ito, sa Queensland tatlong beses isang linggo, 2:00am naglo-load kami sa truck ng 205 na mga baboy (para dalhin sa slaughterhouse) kasama naming nagtatrabaho- tatlo kami palagi kasama ang manager, summer man o winter (nangyayari pa noong -3'C ang temperature!)

Dito sa manukan, ang manager namin sa kabilang farm (dalawang farms ang pinagtatrabahuan ko, MWF/TThS ang schedule) ay isang beterinaryong Pilipino na nagtapos sa isang kilalang pamantasan sa Pilipinas. Ginagawa rin niya ang lahat ng ginagawa ko (sa itaas nakalista), pati ang mga paperworks at kung anong coordination sa hatchery, feed mill at sa dressing plant sa kanya (alam ko dahil kapag nakabakasyon ang Iranian o Filipino manager, ako ang gumagawa ng mga trabaho nila).

Kahit papaano, masasabing mas madali pa rin ang trabaho ng isang poultry farm attendant; physically ay mahirap nga, pero pagkatapos ng oras ng trabaho pwede na akong mag-blog, samantalang ang manager namin 24 hrs. na nakabantay sa manukan, katabi niya sa pagtulog ang computer na nagmo-monitor ng temperature, humidity, feed at water consumption, etc. ng manukan. May naka-set pang alarm sa mobile phones nila para kapag nasa supermarket, malls o nagka-crabbing kami at biglang mabago ang setting ng temperature, tutunog ang mobile phone nila. Kailangang umuwi kapag ganyan para ayusin ang naging problema sa loob ng chook shed.



HINDI KO ALAM ang situation sa Dubai, pero dito kasi sa Australia kakaunti lang ang mga laborers. Inaayawan ng karamihan sa mga puti itong mga ginagawa namin. May suporta galing sa Australian government (Centrelink) ang mga walang trabaho, madalas mas mataas pa ang ibinibigay ng gobyerno kaysa sa minimum wage nila rito (na mas malaki pa ang kasalukuyang sweldo ko ngayon) kaya mas pinipili nalang ng mga locals na hindi magtrabaho at umasa nalang sa gobyerno nila- na ang perang ibinibigay sa kanila sa bawat buwan ay galing sa 19% tax na ibinabayad naming mga working visa-holders (at iba pang mga Australians na nagtatrabaho).

Dito halimbawa sa manukang pinagtatrabahuan ko ngayon, isang milyong manok ang aming inilalabas tuwing ika-60 na araw pero siyam lang kaming nagtatrabaho kasama na ang manager. Kulang na kulang sa mga mangagawa ang bansang ito kaya lahat kami ay naka- hands-on sa pag-aalaga (?!) ng mga manok. [Computer naman yata at automatic feeders at drinkers ang nag-aalaga sa mga ito.]

Kaya ayos lang 'yan para kina Cris at Ruel dahil nandyan na sila kayanin nalang nila ang trabaho bilang isang diesel attendant. Tulad ni Poging (ilo)Cano, maaaring magkaroon din ng pagkakataong ma-promote sila sa pinapasukan nila. At tulad ng madalas sabihin ng mga nagko-comment dito sa mga reklamo ko, "kaya mo yan, Doc Aga!" Kaya ko nga... kinaya ko, at kakayanin ko, alang-alang sa aking kinabukasan.

Kaya nga sa post kong Epidemics nailabas ko rin ang aking nakikita sa mga graduates ng Pilipinas, ganyan talaga ang nangyayari sa atin kasi ang ating bansa ay nahihirapan talagang makaahon sa kahirapan ngayon. Kung ano ang mga naging pambansang suliranin ng Pilipinas, hindi ko na kailangang sabihin pa rito.


MAY ISANG ARAL ding makukuha sa kwento nina Cris at Ruel, kapag pipirma ng kontrata, siyempre ang mas paniwalaan natin ay kung ano ang nakasulat sa dokumento hindi sa kung ano ang sinasabi ng agency.

Ngayon uulitin ko ang ang aking katanungan:

Kung ipinaskil kaya ng agency sa job ad nila at sinabi rin sa job offer/visa na diesel attendant ang totoong trabaho (sa ganu'ng parehong sweldong natatanggap nila ngayon) tatanggapin pa rin kaya nila ang trabaho bilang isang diesel attendant kahit na sinabi ni Poging (ilo)Cano sa kanyang post na 'sayang din kasi ang kanilang pinag-aralan'?

NAKATANGGAP AKO NG TAG mula kay Azel ng Panunumbalik ng Ulirat, heto isisingit ko nalang dito. Sana ay ayos na ito kay Azel.

Paki-click niyo nalang po para ito ay lumaki. Hindi na isang lihim ngayon ang aking sulat-kamay!

Nais ko ring gamitin ang pagkakataong ito para pasalamatan ang lahat ng mga sumusuporta at nagbabasa ng The Chook-minder's Quill- Ang mga Lihim at Kwento ng Isang Dayuhang Magmamanok.

INNOCENT (Epidemics II)

After serving almost 26 years in prison, the twelve convicts of the Benigno Aquino, Jr.-Rolando Galman assassination have been freed—two of them were released last February 6, 2009 and the remaining ten walked out of their detention cells last March 4, 2009. I don’t know if the multiple serious illnesses (hypertension, diabetes, kidney failure, etc.) they have had made them very lucky because their current health status was one of the palace’s bases for granting them the executive clemency.

Exactly a week after the 23^rd EDSA 1 commemoration (which was very notable due to the absence of the current Philippine president) was another remarkable day in history as the Malacanang Palace boasted her gesture of ‘political-wound healing’ by sending those convicts out of jail. It’s indeed a celebration for the family and friends of those who received the pardon, while it’s an absolute day of lamentation in the household and supporters of the former Sen. Ninoy Aquino, Jr.

August 26, 1983 - Friday; RJ's 4th Birthday Party

Photo taken 5 days after Ninoy's assasination.

WHO AM I TO SPEAK or to write about the issue here? I feel that I’m not in the right position to comment on this very sensitive matter because I am just an ordinary chook-minder who, 25 years earlier, was completely INNOCENT celebrating my 4^th birthday in North Cotabato five days after Ninoy shed his blood on the tarmac of the Manila International Airport.

I WAS ONLY SIX and a half years old during the 1986 People Power Revolution, a grade 1 pupil of Bialong Elementary School who indeliberately heard, “Tama na, sobra na, palitan na!” over the local radio station; a young boy who had unintentionally seen the waves of the meaningful hand gestures and imagined the two political parties being separately wrapped in red and yellow cloths on the screen of my grandmother’s black and white TV. In the succeeding years I had turned into a ‘promdi’ adolescent who met the Aquinoes and their family's immortal, political rival only in the history books; and finally transformed into a young professional who has been seeing the re-enactments and dramatization of the Martial Regime on the award-winning movies.

RJ with Lola Abe.

March 1986, Bialong Elementary School Recognition Day

Approximately a month after the People Power Revolution.

Last January 15, 2007 at exactly 5:10pm, I left my beloved country—Philippines, thru the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. That’s the only thing I had in close contact with ‘Ninoy’ since birth, and oh, before I forget... when I flew to Australia that day, I still have a 500 peso bill in my wallet.

These days, it seems that Ninoy Aquino is simply just the father of the controversial actress and a witty host Ms. Kris Aquino; he was also the man who has literally given his full name to Sen. Noynoy Aquino III; and the late husband of ex-President Cory Aquino who is currently fighting her battle against colon cancer, whose favourite colour is unmistakably yellow. [And a man whose family name is the same as the middle name of my late father, huh! Kamag-anak?!]

I don’t know if Malacanang’s decision to release the convicted killers of the proclaimed Philippine hero Ninoy Aquino, Jr. was the best ‘suture material’ that will excellently help in the ‘primary intention healing’ of the political wounds incised using the sharp scalpels of EDSA I and II (and if I may include, as well as the unhonoured EDSA III). I’m not really sure if the actual wound healing has already started because there seem to be an erroneous wound debridement on the ‘heart’ of the Aquino family as Senator Noynoy was quoted calling this clemency as a solid proof of injustice.

After more than 25 years, these convicts (who were active members of the Philippine Army when Ninoy was murdered) are still claiming their INNOCENCE on this crime. How about the inside story? Can we safely say that the truth behind this case has already been moulded with the ‘wax’—where the facts haven’t been buried but displayed behind the lying wax statue inside the museum, instead? I definitely don’t know!

Ninoy’s heroism was once ironically equated into a funny jig performed after the successful voting against the opening of the controversial second envelope during ex-Pres. Estrada’s impeachment trial.

How about tomorrow? How would my grandchildren identify ex-Sen. Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino, Jr.? I am scared that in the future ‘Ninoy’ would only mean a dilapidated aircraft passenger terminal; or Ninoy would soon become an unnoticeable carved stone in the middle of Makati’s empty skyscrapers; and possibly, Ninoy’s value could only be as worthless as our rapidly depreciating five hundred peso bill!

photo from http://myepinoy.wordpress.com/

"The Filipino is worth dying for!"

-Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino, Jr.

Hello Philippines!

Serious business
Originally uploaded by Chook-minder's Lens

I’ve just finished speaking to Nanay over the phone. The call summary of my mobile phone read 54:36 when we ended our conversation. A lengthy chat like this is only happening once a month, or luckily, every 3 weeks. It’s not practical for me to ring and talk to her weekly (except for emergency situations, of course) considering the cost of an international call from Australia to the Philippines. A daily exchange of short message service (SMS) is enough for us to update ourselves with each other’s activities, achievements and anxieties.

Nanay was actually watching the evening news on the national television channel when I rang, and as compliance to my request, she instantly turned the TV off. It’s not that I don’t want her to watch the news, but because the sound was very disturbing as it was actually a noise when my ears started to capture it over the telephone line.

“The news are not really very good,” my mum said, “it doesn’t matter if you interrupted our viewing with your call.” She enumerated the headlines and issues for the day: the bombing and the battle of the rebel troops with the military in our province, the GRP and the MILF peace process, the oil price and the protests of the concerned groups, the charter change and the opposing teams, the justices and the alleged bribery case in the GSIS-Meralco issues, and many more. I just can’t stop my mum from mentioning these things earlier, as a respect, and tell her that tomorrow morning I’ll be updated about these things through my Australian-based source of Filipino news.

Aside from the national news, financial problems, personal matters and family worries were as well discussed. [Don’t be bothered, I’ll not reveal it because it is classified and it is not my issue here.] It’s good to have updates from my loved ones back home. I can compare and contrast, and finally realize the situations of both countries which are very important to me. While the Philippine media is very busy presenting issues regarding those very critical national concerns, Australian news this evening was mainly focussed on how their Olympic athletes fight for their 5th gold medal and showed how their swimmers established another world record in the Beijing Games. My favourite Australian current affair show tackled issues on how they can help save the Murray River and Australia’s plans to combat climate change.

Upon hearing all the news (including our family problems) back home, my thoughts of giving up this job as a chook-minder (in this driest state in the driest continent in the world) has been offset. Perhaps it is good to stay here in S.A. and happily pick up the daily mortalities inside the sheds and drive the farm tractor to bury those decomposing dead birds by myself; or start putting on a pair of earplugs in my ears and enjoy shearing the thick, tall grasses in the farm perimeter using the auto-mechanical slasher. I admit that being a poultry farm worker is not easy but packing up my things and rushing back home is not a very good decision at the moment (the detailed reasons? That's another story).

Now back to my phone conversation with Nanay... As we shared our stories, my 3-year old nephew—RJ, was grabbing the mobile phone from my mum, screaming, “ako man!” (me too!), which means he wanted to speak to me, as well. His grandma allowed him to.

“Daddy, bakal eroplano nga nagakamang kag nagalupad, kotse, kag bag ko nga may karito ha...” (Daddy, please buy me an airplane that crawls and soars, a car and a bag with a wheel...)

I instantly answered, “Yes, I will,” because I know that with his young, innocent mind I could surely satisfy his countless fantasies in this world!

But I suddenly started to think about tomorrow, how about if a growing RJ will soon ask for something about the Real World: to give him peace and harmony, a government with integrity, food security and a happy family?! Can I buy and give him at least one of these? I wept.

A Promise!

I heard the news this morning. The Supreme Court has issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the expansion of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

I have mixed emotions about it. I was surprised because I haven’t heard about the issue in the past days, considering my complete attendance in front of the television during the Filipino News every morning in SBS-Australia. I am happy because the MOA has been restrained. I am sad when I realized that the GRP’s peace-negotiating panel hasn’t consulted nor conducted public hearings with the constituents of the affected provinces (North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Palawan) and city (Zamboanga City) before composing this agreement. I am scared about the future of my province should this plan be pursued. I am worried about the future of my country should this agreement be upheld.

I was only 10 years old when ARMM was established. What has been left in my memory at this moment is the plebiscite that was conducted where the voters in my hometown were given the chance to write YES or NO on their powerful ballots, as an answer to the question whether they wanted their province to be included in the autonomous government or not. Majority voted for NO in my province (North Cotabato).

Twelve days before my 22nd birthday in 2001, the same opposing note was heard from 90.98% of the electorate of North Cotabato after the conclusion of the ARMM inclusion/expansion referendum. I wasn’t in my hometown that time because it’s the first day of my 3 days veterinary licensure exam in Manila, but my cry would be the same had my fate allowed me to cast my powerful vote that day!

This year, twenty-two days before I turn 29, the people in North Cotabato has again started expressing their protest against the move of the Philippine government to put them under the governance of the ARMM. During this late Australian winter, I also wore my red jumper in the poultry farm this morning to join my fellow Cotabatenos back home as they demonstrate their courage amidst this crisis and as they show their anger against this careless decision of the GRP Peace Panel.

I oppose because I care. I oppose because I believe that the secret MOA on Ancestral Domain is not the ultimate solution to attain the genuine peace for Mindanao that we’ve been seeking for ages. I oppose because I believe that the secret MOA on Ancestral Domain is not the ultimate solution to achieve the real economic progress for Mindanao that we’ve been waiting for decades.

I believe that the ARMM will now take this as a challenge. I believe that the ARMM will now immediately start to show to the world that its power can diffuse genuine peace that will originate from the 5 provinces and a city under the present rule. I believe that the ARMM will now immediately start to show to the world that its authority can bring real economic progress that will originate from the 5 provinces and a city under the present rule.

As soon as the ARMM can accomplish these two important things, I will immediately withdraw my protest. Promise.