Farewell, Francis M

(This article was actually written for Goldstar. I do not know when it came out or if it ever did. I was not able to find it in the copies I bought for the week it was supposed to. Anyway, it's one of the most heartfelt pieces I wrote so I decided to share this with you.)


Master Rapper, King of Pinoy Rap, The Man From Manila, Kiko, and FrancisM. Francis Magalona was known by many names. However, to fans and peers all over the country, he will forever be the man who changed Filipino music by integrating nationalism into a popular genre called rap.

Francis, the son of Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, popular stars of the 1940s-50s, was only 44 years old when he succumbed to acute myelogenous leukemia last Friday, March 06. I was busy editing articles in the office when I read about it. I was shocked and surprised. I did not want to believe that it was true. The truth began to sink in after I read a full account of what happened from one of the news websites I regularly visited.

I first saw Francis in the movie Bagets. But it was when I was in college in Manila and his music ruled the airwaves that I really took notice of him. Mga Kababayan was a phenomenal hit; and so were his other earlier songs like Tayo’y Mga Pinoy, Man from Manila, Mga Praning, and Cold Summer Nights. Through the years, the Master Rapper turned in one hit after another. One of his most popular hits, Kaleidoscope World, became a favorite of many (including me). Eventually, he ventured into collaborations with groups like Parokya Ni Edgar and the Eraserheads. No matter what he did, the response was phenomenal. Perhaps it was because Francis was always full of passion when he performed. He was a true artist who cared about his craft.

Nationalism was a big issue for Francis. I admired the fact that he did not find the need to march into the streets just to express his patriotism for our country. He simply poured his all in the songs he weaved. Even his paintings and photos, his other passions, spoke of his love for his country…his love for life.

Francis’ zest for life was evident in his battle with leukemia. His was a different, more serious kind. But he never gave his illness the chance to get the better of him. Instead, he shared his battle with his fans, with the people who believed in him the most. Through his multiply site, Francis posted blogs about his treatment as regularly as he could. He posted pictures, too, that showed the same fun-loving, happy Francis. Despite his pain, he kept going. He was even scheduled to perform with the Eraserheads in their concert last March 07. Ely Buendia and his crew dedicated the entire concert to his honor and sang Superproxy (a song the Master Rapper wrote for them) and Kaleidoscope World.

It’s true. Francis’ death was surprising. Tragic even, because he was so young, so talented, and so intelligent. But maybe we can all learn a lesson or two from him. One is to always love life, no matter what it has to offer us. The other is to never give up no matter what the circumstances are.

And of course, we shall all keep listening to his songs. We shall all continue to ponder on every word, every lyric that he has left for us through his music. Somewhere in between those words is a part of Francis reminding us that life must go on, whether he makes music here with us or up there with the Greatest Musician of our lives.

So long, Francis M. You shall be missed. But your music, your legacy shall live forever.

maia's scribbles: March is Women's Month

maia's scribbles: March is Women's Month

March is Women's Month

March means a lot of things to many people. For students, March signals the beginning of the end of classes. For office workers, March means summer is almost here. For others, especially those who have gone through painful and abusive experiences, March is for women.

The story of women's month began many years ago in New York City. It was March 1911 when over 140 girls, majority of whom were Jewish and Italian immigrants, were trapped inside the factory of Triangle Shirtwaist while the building was on fire.

As a result of the tragedy, women in the early 20th century began organizing themselves and came up with various activities for women. One of the resulting activities was the observance of International Women's Day every 8th day of March in commemoration of the tragic death of the factory workers.

In the Philippines, Women's Month began when former President Corazon Aquino signed several proclamations pertaining to March as a special month for women. Proclamation No. 224 officially recognized the first week of March every year as Women's Week. March 08 became known as Women's Rights and International Peace Day. Proclamation No. 227 officially began the observance of March as Women's Role in History Month. Finally, President Aquino also signed R.A. 6949 and declared March 08 of every year as National Women's Day.

Today, various organizations around the country and the world have actively participated in annual celebrations and observances of Women's Month. Popular playwright Eve Ensler came up with her own way of highlighting the importance of women when she put together the hugely celebrated Vagina Monologues. VM is a collection of women's painful, funny, heartbreaking, and joyful experiences told in interesting anecdotes and monologues. It is one of the most well attended events during Women's Month celebrations all over the world. Celebrities, personalities, students, and many young women from different backgrounds have joined and performed the monologues for free. Every VM show is a benefit performance for various women's groups/organizations.

The Vagina Monologues is actually part of Ensler's bigger Women's Month advocacy, the V-Day Movement. V-Day is a worldwide campaign aimed at ending violence and abuse against women and girls. Various activities like concerts, mardi gras, reading tours, and interschool contests take place throughout the V-Day celebration. Here in Cagayan de Oro, V-Day has been observed for years now and many women (and men) have been continuously campaigning its advocacy through a number of activities like school campaigns, monologue readings, workshops and seminars, and essay writing contests.

The plight of abused women and girls around the world cannot be fixed with just a sweep of a magic wand. It takes years, a lot of patience, and unfailing dedication and passion. For those who refuse to give in to the pain and the hurt, March is always the best time to speak up and be heard. But if we want to truly put an end to all the terrible beatings, we have the whole year and the rest of our lives to stand up for them. In our own humble ways, we can help. When all our little efforts are put together, we can do more and help the many women and girls silently suffering.

Three cheers for women around the world!

Love Notes...

February has come and gone, I know. But it doesn't mean I cannot talk about love anymore. Love is something that you talk about everyday, wherever you are.

Several years ago, when I was still studying in Manila, there was a radio show called "Love Notes". It was aired over DWTM and hosted by Joe D'Mango. It was so successful that it eventually created a spin-off on television. Anyways, I didn't really tune in to the radio show but was able to watch some episodes of the T.V. show. The concept was formulaic - Joe D'Mango read love notes, or stories, sent in by viewers/listeners and the story would be featured on the show. The stories were nothing extraordinary but they were able to successfully paint different pictures of love. There were times when, while watching the show, I'd remark to myself how amazing love really is for people were willing to do anything and everything just to make love work in their lives.

Last February 16, I was witness once again to another attempt at painting a perfect picture of love.

My aunt, Maribel Veloso, was invited by some Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan students to give a talk about the different ways of saying "I Love You". Of course, the audience was made up of college students. And they all had their own perceptions of love. It was an honest and lively discussion that opened my eyes to how today's young people look at love; how they expressed their love to others.

The first part of the talk dwelt mostly on people's different views of love. It varies a lot, you'll be surprised. For me, love is mysterious; it is something that brings out the best or the unexpected in each one of us. It makes us do things we never did before. For others, love meant greater things like companionship, compatibility, togetherness. Love meant a lot of things for different people. So it's really difficult to pinpoint a specific definition of love. There is one thing I am sure of, though...love is infinite. It never ends.

Then the discussion moved on to what one can do to keep love in full swing. What my aunt told them was really basic knowledge. So basic that we sometimes forget about them. Things like letting the person know he is special by touching or hugging. Spending quality time together, listening and communicating, and even giving space to each other when needed. I know of a couple who takes turns going on trips or vacations (within or out of the country) regularly so they can have quality time on their own. You see, like what my aunt said, I believe that being a couple does not mean losing yourself and becoming one with your partner. For your relationship and your love to keep growing, each of you has to stay in tune with your individual selves. You should not lose your self or your identity just because you are the other half of someone else.

The question and answer portion was the most interesting part of the talk. Believe me, those students can make you think! Some of the situations they were involved in were common but there were those that were really unusual. A love triangle. Unreciprocated or unrequited love. Same sex relationships. Women wanting to make the first move. It was fun listening to their stories and I marveled at how honest they were about their feelings! It led me to thinking whether I was as brave and upfront about my feelings when I was their age.

Like Joe D'Mango's "Love Notes", the talk opened my eyes to more wonderful things about love...the best realization of which is that it brings people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and preferences together. It is truly universal.

No matter how many shows like "Love Notes", or how many "love talks", I attend, I know I won't be able to truly find the perfect and complete meaning of love. All I am sure of right now is that love is a wonderful kind of "wonder"...and it is a feeling I'd like to cherish for the rest of my life.