In tonight’s Leni-Kiko rally in Pampanga the San Nicolas farmers went on stage to surprise Senator Kiko Pangilinan, upon which the instrumental for the song Rosas started playing, followed by the crowd singing the chorus in unison. This made everyone get all misty, specially in the context of many local officials not endorsing Senator Kiko. The farmers raised his hands, which, in the grand scheme of things, should count more than the endorsement of politicians. We can also conclude from this scene that we can now sing Rosas on cue, and that this smash hit by Nica del Rosario, writer of the equally explosive Tala, will be a videoke favorite.

Rosas is a catchy song with an anthemic melody. The lyrics reflect the marching order of VP Leni’s campaign of hope and love, instead of the standard declarations of patriotism with stock words and platitudes. The song climaxes into what we should aspire for, to be: matatag at matapang at mabuti at mapagmahal. Hopefully I can embody these characteristics in the near future, as currently I can probably describe myself as: matatag at matapang at mabuti at vindictive.

Had a bit of down time this afternoon, and was able to read in the Starbucks branch in front of Makati Shangri-La. Today’s read is Primitivo Mijares’ The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (Fully Booked, P650). This is a gripping, heartbreaking read, written by Ferdinand Marcos’ ex-media czar, who defected in 1975, wrote the book, and was eventually killed the year after it was published. His youngest son was also killed and dropped from a helicopter into the mountains. This should have been required reading in elementary and high school. It is a page turner, but I had to stop reading after a while, terrified at the very real prospect of the late dictator’s son rising back to power.

If I were as rich as any of these political clans with such a rapacious appetite for more money and power I would probably retire to some tiny island with a cat and drink myself to alcoholic stupor every single day (or play Nintendo Switch instead, for fear of liver failure).

Categories: Blogs