Birthday

The day fell on an important event in the Liturgical Calendar—Good Friday. Basing it on a factual document, I was actually born a minute pass twelve in the morning. While everyone was contemplating, reflecting and impeccably sleeping, my mother was in an eight excruciating hours of labour. My older sister was left at home and was told to slumber by my father.

The Philippines—back on the summer of April 1992, the country had over 83 000 candidates for election vying for 17 000 national and local posts. Since it was a Good Friday, every one was told that their campaign will resume on the 18^th after keeping silent for two days. With only about 22 days of campaigning (courting the Filipinos), candidates were strategizing on reaching every part of the country before the Election Day came, 11^th of May. As implemented for the recent elections, campaign materials such as bill boards, posters, and other election propaganda should be posted at the campaign headquarters of the candidate or political party, organisation, provided that such materials do not exceed two feet by three feet in size. But for the past elections that we had, we have observed and experienced that this law was not practiced and implemented effectively. Surely, it was written in the books, but since most of the candidates, nowadays, have more budgets to finance their campaign but a lot more to protect their illegalities during the campaign period.

Comelec Commissioner back in 1992, Vicente de Lima even said that if any campaign propaganda is found posted in a private house and the owner refuses to remove it himself or allow the members of the team to enter and tear down the material/s, a report on that matter will be made to the Commissioner and proper charges could be filed against the person concerned. This is how stringent the laws were on President Aquino’s time. As compared for the May 2010 elections, we were all eye-witnesses to the gravity and intensity of campaign garbage that clogged our esteros and thinking. But how can these be stopped if every candidate does his way of campaigning. It was just a matter of choosing the lesser evil and therefore they are now seated on their desired political positions.

Now on a lighter note but still keeping with my subject, that Filipinos back then were really devoted to such a national phenomena. At least one million principal watchers representing six major political parties will guard the voting and counting of votes in over 170 000 polling centers. This is a great deal considering that about three fourths of the population were registered voters. Comparing it for the computerized election last year, the Comelec restricted two poll watchers per precinct. This was in accordance to the Resolution No. 8739, saying that the appointed watchers of a presidential candidate, political party and citizens' arms would have to serve alternately to avoid congestion inside the poll precincts.

It was on the same week that Walt Disney's first animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was again showed to the theatres in a colored movie strip. Moreover it was this day that the movie came out in VHS mediums. Another movie garnered attention in the industry. Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres. In that week, it was again previewed for the critically acclaimed scariest movie of the decade by the American Film Institute. One of the most epic movies was also previewed and very timely for the season, The Ten Commandments is one of the most financially successful films ever made. It ran for three hours and forty-five minutes in the theatres.

Once our professor told us that asking our parents about the events that occurred on the day that we were born would test on how unreliable they are when it comes to this matter. True enough, it applied to my parents. They were too occupied with their new baby entering their wonderful lives. Gladly, reading through the newspapers on the day that I was born, I browsed on the entertainment part where the horoscope was placed. Glancing at Aries saying, “Do not allow dust to accumulate, you are more liable to infection so do take elementary precautions.” Silly it may sound and even though I do not believe in fortune telling, I was amazed on the coincidence that transpired. I am allergic to dust, and maybe the nurse or the doctor did not pay much attention regarding these ‘elementary precautions’ that was mentioned. This was just very amusing that I have to cite it given heretical reasons regarding the cause of my allergy.