Thought Paper on Female Genital Mutilation

 

Every person has the right to say NO, and everyone is entitled to choose what he thinks is good and beneficial for himself. However regardless of these rights, one’s free will is sometimes caged by the society he is in. Following what he wants may show signs of deviation and therefore he is often times treated with prejudice.

 

 

In a country where people strictly adhere to their beliefs and traditions, culture often gets into the way of experiencing the totality of one’s freedom. The Female Genital Mutilation or FGM is a perfect example of rituals being performed without proper procedure and scientific basis. Although this practice has been present for more than decades, as a woman and a person who values individual rights, I am supporting Waris Dirle’s advocacy against FGM.

 

Why am I against FGM? First, it can kill innocent females as young as five years old. Let us face it, the procedure of the surgery in unhygienic and is practiced by people who are not even experts on medical field. The surgery itself may not cause the death, but they may most likely die of infection since the instruments used may not even qualify as standard tools for operating humans. Second, it robs the opportunity of women to experience pleasure during sex. It is not women should be very particular of it, but it is part of adulthood. Why prohibit women or why only women? Are they not entitled of anything, from opportunities in the society, power-relations, and now even simply experiencing pleasure? Lastly, it brings a lifetime nightmare, a traumatic past no girls would ever forget. A person who experienced FGM carries the burden physically, emotionally and psychologically until the she dies. At an early age, one should be enjoying her childhood rather than enduring the pains given for free by mandated traditions that only few bothered to question.

 

I am not disrespecting anyone’s culture. I myself is a slave to society’s traditions but the only difference is, I know when to stop being one especially if it means endangering myself and putting my fellowmen into life-threatening situations.

 

When will kids be kids again?

I may not be rich when it comes to money, but I do believe I have lived my childhood just like a kid. I’ve cut enough leaves to make as cooking ingredient. I’ve run several times around the town’s plaza. I’ve gotten a number of bruises and scars all around my tiny body. I’ve been scolded so many times for going home late. I’ve cried more than I think I could because I did not win when we were playing jackstone. I made quite enough friends but a lot of enemies…see? the beauty of being a kid. When honesty was your only weapon, and candies were your only motivation…who would have thought life could be so simple and less expensive back then?

Now, kids are almost grown ups. They enjoy technology and do things that seemed to be not suitable for their early age. Gone are the days of playing outdoor games. No more running and playing hide and seek… Today, almost all of them enjoys talking to nobody just sitting at the corner with their PSP (and it is freakin’ expensive)

However not all kids are enjoying that kind of luxury. There are others who do not have time for themselves. Do not have weekend plans…and even birthday celebration. There kids who think more than an adult do. They are burdened by the fact that they must go into the streets in order to eat at least a meal a day…wuld you even call it a meal if it is just a water and a bread?

I’m always saddened by the fact that these children have skipped from a mere infant turned into a man in a boy’s body. I don’t blame anyone for their situation but if all of us would just give them the chance to be kids again, they could have been saved. How come we people can afford to buy laptops, cellular phones, shoes, bags and cars that would even cost a fortune but always hesitates to give these poor angles a piece of bread? What hurts me more is that even children now know how to criticize and discriminate other children.

My sister and I were eating at a fast food restaurant when I suddenly heard to young boys at the age of six or seven I guess. They were complaining that the smell of the playhouse stinks…and there were two boys not fully clothed just smiling and standing as all of the people watched them. The two young rich kids were yelling for the guard’s attention. The way they treat the street children, the way they try to humiliate them as if they were criminals. I even heard one of the rich kids saying that when they grow up and be a policeman they will put those kids in jail.

I really wanted to scold them, but their parents were there. As for the two street children, they kept on smiling just to avoid conflict and to hide the pain they felt the moment they were scrutinized.

After that incident, I was really troubled. I knew how kids were raised these days but I did not expect that they could that be brutal and heartless. I was lucky to be born earlier than they were. I do not care if I was not born with the amazing lifestyle technology brings. I am proud to be born during the transition period. At least I got to experience the primitive way of life. I got to have a glimpse on the traditions that made me who I am now. I may not be “techno kid” but at least I know that I do not have a robotic heart.

When I get to have a family of my own, I will surely not make the same mistakes parents of today’s generation made. I will not spoil them with material things nor let them wander in the streets.

Why not let your kids be kids again?

What should watch dogs do?

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/PageMill_Images/media_monkeys.jpg

The media is considered to be the watchdog of the society. They are entitled to render service among the people in being objective in giving out information. However, there overlapping of duties with the government is also unavoidable. As a Media and Communication Studies student, I considered the August 23 hostage taking as one of the best examples that shows the conflict of interest between the government and the watchdogs.

The intention of delivering the new somehow jeopardized the operations of the government. Although the police and the authorities are really the ones to blamed, the press had somehow made the situation worst. As a result, the House of Representatives came up with the House Bill 2737 that requires media blackout during crisis situations. I believe this is considerable a “positive” response from the government because it simply shows that government is becoming more sensitive that they are trying to prevent the reoccurring of such tragedy. However it totally stops the duty of the media to deliver news that concerns the public and the country.

The role of the media does not stop when the government restrains them from their function. Media practitioners are known to be obsessed with facts up to the point of endangering their lives. The implementation of this bill is not enough and its content is not even justifiable in a country like ours. If they want this bill to be beneficial to both parties, revisions should be done or how about instead of proposing this new House Bill, why not just focused on strengthening the government and media agreement or the PNP Media Relations Policy? Working out on what is available is easier than to start all over again…and I doubt if the whole media community adheres to this action from the government.

I do believe that even in crisis situations, no such guidelines or protocols are well implemented and followed. On the part of the media, their being objective ends when they do not practice self-regulation and when they risk, not only their lives but the whole state just for their search of truth.

Does objectivity in the world of the media even exist?

So yesterday: Sex and Pornography

“There is an irony implicit in our lives. What is deemed immoral by the law is mostly lived and practiced freely by normal people; hence immorality has become a way of life as dictated or demanded by our need to survive.” (Mendoza, 2009)

Brillante Mendoza is one of those artists who are striving to create films that depict stories showing the reality of the society, regardless of the age, gender and status. One of his creations, “Serbis” has been included in the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival in France. The film had won several awards during the 32nd Gawad Urian of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino here in the country.

The story is about the Pineda family who runs an old movie house that shows pornographic films. Business is everywhere inside the theater and the noticeable businessmen are the “serbis boys” or the male prostitutes who are being frequent by gay patrons.

Despite the popularity and recognition of the said independent film, it has not been totally accepted in the country. In the news article of Boy Villasanta on ABS-CBN News Online (2008) the film was first rated by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board as X or not for public viewing which through the appeal of the director and production crew became R-18 or for adults only. The regulating body pointed out three scenes which led them to their first decision; the pumping scene of lead star Coco Martin (Allan, billboard painter) with Mercedes Cabral (Merly the pregnant girlfriend of Allan), and two scenes portraying oral sex one which was performed by Kristofer King (Ronald, also a painter and operator of the movie projector). According to the director, theses scenes are important given the context of the story. He was just being realistic about the life of the poor people with no other option but to make sex as a profession.

Is being realistic equated to being pornographic? Why is independent film stereotyped by the Philippine mass media to be sexual in nature although it is about the society? How come that there are independent films that can touch different issues concerning the general public without being sexual?

Media always think that sex sells. This is the reason why themes with sexual content or sexual in nature are present in almost every medium. Sex and pornography are being feed to the public without them even knowing it.

There is a thin line between art and pornography, and the distinction is subjective to every person. However, given the definition of the MTRCB under Presidential Decree, Section 7 of 1986 that states, “Material and/or Scenes not Suited for Public Exhibition, applying to contemporary Filipino cultural values and standard, be objectionable for being immoral, indecent or contrary to the law and customs”.“Serbis” , therefore qualifies for being pornographic.

The part where Allan and Merley are doing the bed scene should appear that they are really having sex. If they wanted the seen to be realistic, it does not necessarily mean that they should capture the whole scene as it is or focused on private parts of the actor and actress. There are many ways of deceiving the viewers and making them believe that indeed the characters are doing sexual act that are acceptable and which could not corrupt one’s mind even if the he belongs to intended audience who are above 18 years of age.

The part where a gay is performing oral sex to Ronald can also be considered as pornographic. The focus shot of the gay doing the act was unnecessary. They could establish the scene without being too vulgar. This also applies on the parts where gays and male prostitutes are doing sexual acts inside the movie house.

Even if the MTRCB had rated the movie as R-18 therefore allowing it to be shown on the intended group of audience, still, there is no assurance of viewer regulation. It is because anyone could actually get a copy from stores that sell pirated CDs and DVDs regardless of age. Monitoring and controlling the mass production of the film is hard to do especially nowadays where media believes that sex sells.

The Philippines being a Christian country abide strictly on the teachings of the church. Morality is equated to one’s dignity as a person and as a member of the society. Although the country’s face is slowly evolving from being traditional and conservative to being bold and liberal, the Philippine mass media should not forget their role as catalysts on the rapid changes that every Filipino undergoes because of them being an influential tool.

Film makers should be sensitive in choosing what to show, how to show and where to show their piece of art. If their aim is to promote realism, they are free to do so, as long as they carry with them the social responsibility of being a media practitioner.

One can be realistic without being indecent and immoral. One can deviate without being offensive to one’s culture and belief. One can be a showstopper without being controversial.

Culture Jamming

Culture Jamming

Moms don’t Always Know What is Best

Maternal or Women’s Care is the 5^th Milennium Development Goals of the United Nations. It aims to lower mortality rate and unwanted preganancies.

According to United nations Develoment Programme, in the Philippines induce abortion is the foruth leading cause of maternal death. Also, out of 3 million pregnancies over half of births occurred at home and one-third of them were assisted by traditional birth attendants (TBAs).

In Barangay Lumangan, survey shows that majority of the respondents in Lumanggan are practicing modern maternal care methods but rarely participate in seminars and forums regarding family planning. On the other hand, there are still few who adhere to the traditional means like “hilot”. Age could be considered as an intervening factor since those who prefer “hilot” are the ones who conceived at the year 1970’s.

During the pregnancy stage, 6 out of 9 respondents had their regular check-up at their health center and nearest hospital while the remaining 3 still believe in “hilot”. This could also be attributed to lack of financial resources and the presence of “hilot” and midwives at their barangay.

The survey also shows that majority of the respondenst which is 6 out of 9 gave birth to their children in their home with the aid of “hilot” and midwives. The remaining 3 gave birth in the hospital.

When it comes to family planning, there have been no case of abortion occurred during their pregnancy and the use of contraceptive is not prevalent. This is due to the fact that 5 out of 9 did not participate in any type of forums or seminars conducted by the government or any volunteer group. The remaining 4 attended the seminar about family planning conducted by volunteer groups of UPV and other institutions.

Women in Lumanggan should participate in the activities by the government intended to widen their knowledge about modern maternal care. This will be beneficial on their part since they will learn new ideas and practices given the right methods and proper supervision. They should not rely solely on traditional birth attendants since there are risks involved before and after pregnancy.

Road to Development

Faster and safer trip to Barangay Indag-an, Cubay and Cagbang is guaranteed thanks to the road construction from Barangay Malagyan to Barangay Tan-agan.

Because of the road construction, traveling will be made easier and faster. It will minimize accidents caused by unstable gravel surface thus promoting safer trips to any barangays found within the Miagao area nearing barangay Mat-Y onwards.

Also, the road construction will help lower health related issues like allergy or asthma attack from the dust covering the streets and from the fatigue of traveling on road that is not concrete. In addition to this, it would be favorable for pregnant women since they can afford to go the nearest hospital anytime without risking the health of their child and their body condition.

In terms of economic growth, road construction could make the barangays more accessible thus promoting trade and improving their local business such as pottery in Barangay Cagbang and Hablon in Barangay Indag-an.

However, there are some loopholes in the planning and implementation of this road construction project by the government.

When it comes to organisation, there is no starting point to where the road construction should start. It seemed that almost each barangays have a part of concrete road but they are not even finished and some were unevenly distributed.

This set-up of road construction could still bring danger to the travelers especially during at night. Since streetlights are not low in number and with the unstable road, accidents are being welcomed.

If this road construction aims to serve and give the people a better and safer road, the implementation of this project should be taken into consideration whether it is effected or just another waste. Strategies on how to make the road concrete should be developed and should not left unevenly constructed. It should not left unfinished.

Despite these problems, the road construction is still a good sign of development and improvement of the barangays in the rural area of Miagao. With proper execution from the government, it will not be long for the whole far flung areas to be part of the modern Miagao.

Identity Crisis

The youth, as they say are great imitators and are often victimized by what they see on TV, heard from the radio, and read on magazines. They get their sense of identity to what the dominant culture offers, but somehow, there are some who find belongings together with the  so-called deviants of the society.

However, looking to the present situation, I can say that more teenagers are losing their real identity because of the commercialization of these subcultures.

Subcultures, as we all know are formed out of deviating from the mainstream or from the dominant culture. These are formed by people with the same ideologies which are reflected through their appearance, communication style, and beliefs.  With the media, each distinction served as mere branding and for merchandize now.

In a study conducted by Joseph Klapper, he explained that media serve as mediating factors that could either produce direct effects or as a contributory agent. According to him, mass media only reinforce existing behavioral predispositions.

In the case of Filipino teenagers, one can see them walking on the street per group, wearing the same clothing and carrying the same brand of merchandize. This is because Western countries are targeting mass audience through hidden persuaders embedded in every Western movie, cartoon, news analysis, TV program, video tape, compact disc, advertisement and product. Filipinos who easily give in to the bait are easily influenced especially on how they think and feel about themselves and the society.

The youth, according to Heaven and Turbidy are the part of the community who are most receptive, or, alternatively, susceptible to, foreign cultural practices. Frequently, youth is associated to rebelliousness. They are the part of society that are most likely to engage in a process of cultural borrowing that is disruptive of the reproduction of traditional cultural practices, from modes of dress to language, aesthetics and ideologies.

This borrowing of identities among teenagers often leads to different problems associated with this age group. Some of the youth actually do not know when and how did their particular subculture came to life. All they know is how they are supposed to look like one they have chosen a group to conform with.

Ever seen a 16 –year old boy wearing a statement shirt, let us say it has “Black Sabbath” printed on it and ask him what does it mean, and he will be saying nothing. Also, everyone they see wearing dreadlocks hair is already called Rasta. Do they even know how it is to belong to be called Rastafarian?

The teenagers’ idea of subculture and identity is limited on what the media projected. Often times, it is of negative connotations, but they do not bother to argue or question since it seemed to them that the culture is cool.

The ideologies and practices that should be the standard basis for belonging to a certain subculture are over powered by the trendy clothes and catchy songs. Slowly, subcultures become part of the mainstream because of globalization and commercialism.

To support my claim that media have great effects on teenagers, InterMedia, a nonprofit company that conducts global research and evaluation, and specializes in the field of media and communications, conducted a study about analysis of trends among young people and media in Central and Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States.

As might be expected, young people most often seek entertainment from all the media they follow. They tune in to television for films, music shows, game shows, soap operas and series, sports events, fashion/lifestyle programs, etc. They tune in to radio to listen to their favorite types of music. They use computers and the Internet primarily to use e-mail and chat with their friends, to download software and music, and to play games. Their main interests in newspapers and magazines centre on celebrities, rock groups, sports, fashion, horoscopes and crosswords (InterMedia.com)

This study shows that the teenagers’ behaviors are greatly affected by the media. Nevertheless, their sense of identity is dependent and undergoes alteration through exposure to different medium. What I am trying to convey is that, teenagers have lowered the value of subcultures and have made a fool of themselves through believing that they are keeping it real well when in fact they are hiding their real selves.

If this kind of thinking continues to exist, the real essence of deviation will be totally gone and will be replaced by profit oriented thoughts by the mainstream; made possible by the media. We, the youth should know what we really want and believe in. We should not let the media control us, make use of their packages to lure us in believing and conforming to a particular group without even knowing a thing about it. We should be  knowledgeable about our own selves before jumping into something for the sake of belonging.