OPM Fever, Taking a Break from Kpop

For some reason, I felt like listening to one of Orange and Lemon's hits, Heaven Knows this morning when I woke up. I then found a Youtube channel with loads of OPM songs and after listening to most of them I realized I really missed Filipino music. So I searched for download links and ended up downloading OPM albums the whole day. Hahaha! Right now my playlist contains Callalily, Hale, Silent Sanctuary, Rico Blanco, Shamrock, Kitchie Nadal, Julianne, and even Noel Cabangon. I found a very helpful site with tons of OPM downloads so I kinda downloaded every album of my favorite artists. ^_^

During my highschool days, I was really into OPM. I think 2005-2008 was a period where OPM started to regain its glory but sadly it was short-lived. I don't know what happened. Maybe it was because of piracy? *chokes* I'm sorry. Sadly I am one of them piracy supporters. Forgive me. My meager allowance could only afford the cheap pirated CDs and "digital pirated copies/downloads". Haha! I think I only had one original album from a Filipino artist and it was given to me as a birthday gift. Anyway, that time, Rivermaya, Kitchie Nadal, Parokya ni Edgar, Hale, Callalily, Orange and Lemons and Cueshe were some of my favorites.

It was during the 90s that OPM was at its best.

The Good that Ondoy and Pepeng Brought

On September 26, 2009 Philippines was hit by a very strong typhoon that put 25 provinces under the state of calamity. Typhoon Ondoy, internationally known as Ketsana, was brought the worst amount of rainfall in Metro Manila. It was the most devastating typhoon I have witnessed happening to my country. Flood water went up to the 2nd floor of the houses in Metro Manila. There were cars floating and a lot were stranded. That time, I hated watching the news because the calls and text messages of people asking for help and the videos and photos of the situation in Luzon really made my heart break. The typhoon was even stronger than hurricane Katrina that hit the US in 2005. Up to now, there are still people missing and the trauma it caused to Filipinos is apparently hard to take away.

Just days after Ondoy, another typhoon, Pepeng(international name, Parma), came and made a landfall. It was a super typhoon and was much much stronger than Ondoy.. The Philippines haven't even recovered yet from Ondoy and then a much stronger typhoon comes to our shores again. At first, since the Filipinos were a little prepared, days before Pepeng made its landfall, people from those areas predicted to be affected by flood and rains were evacuated, it was "okay" since we only saw Pepeng damaging our agriculture and homes instead of lives. Pepeng was about to leave the Philippine area of responsibility when another weather activity near it brought more water to the typhoon and made it even more stronger and made a U-turn back to Central Luzon. Flood water covered a lot of provinces leaving people trapped in their roofs and a lot of rice fields washed out by water from the dams surrounding the area. There were also land slides that left many people homeless and lose their families.

This is probably the biggest calamity we had to face this year. Central Luzon is the rice and vegetable bowl of the country. Prices of such commodities are now going up and people from Luzon are now being supplied by Mindanao. People lost their homes, families, and their means of living.

During these times, what amazes me is the Bayanihan spirit and kindness of Filipinos.

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It's during times like this that I really question myself, "Was the decision my dad made correct?" We've spent 7 Christmases apart since he left to work abroad on the April of 2000. Although I can say that nasanay na kami, iba parin pag nandito siya at kumpleto ang pamilya.

Sometimes I wonder, "Ano kaya ang dapat mangayari sa Pilipinas para magising ang mga tao? Paano kaya natin sisimulan ang pagbabago para umunlad naman ang ating bayan? Kailan pa kaya uunlad ang Pilipinas?" I hope sooner.. Para naman wala nang mga magulang na mangingibang bayan at mag-titiis sa pangungulila para lamang mabigyan ng magandang buhay ang mga anak nila..

Ang mga OFW's nga ang tinuturing na mga bagong bayani dahil sa halaga ng dollars na pinapasok nila sa economiya ng bansa through the remittances. But many (or I think all) of them are not happy with the continuous backsliding of the Dollar-Peso Exchange Rate. I took up my Econ1(Intro to Economics, Taxation and Land reform) subject just last semester and I learned that the lowering of Dollar-Peso Exchange Rate means that Philippine economy is getting better. Well, in my observation, this strengthening of our economy is not felt by the "masa" and the middle class. Prices of goods continues to soar high.. Unemployment rate is still high.. Except of course sa mga nag-aabroad. And these OFW's and their families who are one of the major reasons of the strengthening of the Peso are also affected.. -heightening of prices of goods, gasoline, at pamasahe. Most importantly, since ang baba baba na talaga nang dollar ngayon, it means na bumababa na din ang value nang sweldo nang mga ama namin pagkapadala dito sa Pilipinas..

Unsaon naman lang ni? Should we wish na sana ipinapagtuloy ni Trillanes ang coup, para tumaas ang dollar? (joke lang poh.. baka mapagkamalan akong terrorista) I really don't understand.. Kaya naman ang gusto ko ngayon ay maka-graduate na.. And hope and pray na sana makapagtrabaho agad preferrably abroad and get out of the country the soonest possible. As of now, yan pa lang ang nakikita kong paraan..to help my family and help the Philippines..

Total my post sounds like an open letter na para sa mga kapwa ko Pinoy, lulubusin ko na.. To quote an article form our History 1 book(i think Renato Constantino is the author of the article), man the collective, not man the individual ang motivators of change. The mass of human beings is the one responsible for whatever change we want to achieve, for whatever is happening now and for what is going to happen in the future. Let's act for change to happen. let's start now. Let's not let the Filipino nation sink. Ako'y isang hamak na 2nd year college student lang at ang tanging alam ko na maari nating gawin especially people of my age is to educate ourselves and be aware of what's happening to our country and apply what we learn in school to promote change. Umpisahan natin sa mga sarili natin. Easiser said than done but i think we can. Hindi rin ako perpektong tao pero gayunpaman alam ko may magagawa ako, may magagawa tayo..

grabe na jud ni ha.. I'm supposed to write about how my family is going to spend Christmas but it turned out na mura ko ug gabuhat ug essay para sa history.. duh..nigawas akong pagka-nationalistic..

this is just my opinion people.. if you have any reactions, please leave a comment.. but as of now, hindi pa mababago ang mga paniniwala ko regarding the above matters.. that's all.. God bless