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Lobaton: New coffee shops Posted: 30 May 2021 06:26 AM PDT IT HAS been said that because of the pandemic, the rules of social interaction had also been changed. When before it is so easy to come into one place and enjoy the company of friends, now it would not be the same as before due to some restrictions. People are also becoming conscious that the more they expose to public places, the more they will take the risk of exposure to coronavirus. The government though, encourages continued interaction through social media by connecting with friends and relatives particularly during the period of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). This is to ensure that people will maintain their sanity as periods of uncertainty will have a negative effect on the emotional state of individuals. Filipinos are actually noted to have close relationships with one another. Social cohesiveness is understandably one of the reasons why we fail to control the spread of Covid-19. We are a close society that our solidarity is our weapon to survive in whatever trial that would come our way, yet, there are also some disadvantages like in our ongoing fight against the pandemic. Sociologist Emile Durkheim's definition of mechanical solidarity seemed to be related to a kind of social interaction that we Filipinos possess. Despite the present modernization, we could hardly detach ourselves from the closely knitted solidarity that actually defines our society and people. It made me think somehow about the role of coffee shops not only as a business venture for some but as places where people could maintain a balanced life. As one could observe the many new structures in the highland barangays of the city like Granada and Alangilan, where many of these coffee and tea shops sprouted like mushrooms. It is surprising that in the middle of this pandemic and many businesses like this were affected in terms of revenues, we have friends who decided to build these structures at places we don't expect it to exist at present. It made me ponder on the connection of our people's resolve to also find ways to survive the pandemic and the functionality of these coffee shops. While the usual interaction process is not the same as before, we resolved to maintain it and find ways to bring our friends and family members to places we believe are free from the threats of infections. And these new structures in the highland areas are the happy hosts of our people who want to escape the toxic of city life and to maintain their defined social interactions. In a way, they still maintain a balanced life despite the imbalances of isolations and quarantine measures. Aside from those walk-in clients, the coffee shops also serve those travelers and bikers as they stop for food and fellowship. Despite the low income of businesses in the city proper, we have seen that little by little, some areas in mountains are also becoming growth areas. This has become the situation at present, while we remain positive that businesses could thrive in these areas and our people will be able to find a way to live a normal life in the midst of these abnormal times. Tourism could be one of our many sources of revenue, but we could not make it bloom now because of the uncertain future. But if this is the manner by which these places are started up, then we don't know what coffee shops could usher into in the coming days. For now, this is to ensure that we have an option in case we want to go to places, at least we have them just near our homes. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Abellanosa: Re-assessing Duterte’s Presidency Posted: 30 May 2021 06:24 AM PDT NOW that President Duterte is moving close to his last year, what has happened to "change is coming?" I am asking this question not for the purpose of resurrecting the past but of inviting to a reflection of the present that will eventually affect our future decisions. I must admit that on a scale of one to ten, then presidentiable RRD gave the most inviting promise: "change." I would give him around eight or nine for that. However, we just don't vote for a candidate because he is attractive. We choose our candidate also based on the "reality" within which his promises are made. The president is "in touch" with the reality, but his promises are bloated. More than any other promise, his "six-month" estimate of solving the problem of illegal drugs was, has been, and will be most unbelievable. I am not going to elaborate on the "jet ski" issue anymore because he has already denied the "literal truthfulness" of the statement. Invoking his undiscovered Shakespearean talent, he said that the statement was nothing but his style of answering the question. But still, it must be made clear, that for all those who expected a bolder approach to our territorial issue, the invocation of "jokes" as a cover to a seeming inaction against China is frustrating. The war on drugs (WOD) has been the highlight of his presidency. And perhaps, if it were not for this pandemic, the same phenomenon would remain at the center stage of Philippine politics. To be less subjective about the issue, there is merit in the objective to protect society from the harm of illegal drugs. Of course, no one in his right mind would and should say that illegal drugs are good. However, it was the promise of six months that made the entire narrative unbelievable. Even some ordinary people have an idea about the complexity of the drug trade in this country. And some those who are involved in it, "might" even be part of our structure of governance. The number of deaths of said-to-be drug addicts looks high, but it seems that the operation has been scratching the surface. Practically one year towards the end of his term – this, for me, is what the administration has not accomplished. And then there is the issue of ENDO. While the Department of Labor under this administration has been giving pro-labor pronouncements, but the issue of contractualization has been to some extent untouched. One can then say that even with this administration's tough approach to almost all things, economics always has the upper hand over politics. There was a promise in the earlier parts of the presidency that contractualization will be ended, but workers who have been affected by this are yet to see the slightest indication that change is going to come. I would like to say some words on the totality of the current president's approach to politics. The totality that I am referring to is the perceived "representation" of Duterte of the non-elites. This is important in any analysis of his presidency because there is a growing number of commentators, even academics, who would say that the reason for Duterte's stronghold is none other than his different kind of politics that counters what has been a running "elitist" show in this country. Those who read Duterte this way, are trying to offer something novel. Unfortunately, there is nothing new in the reading. Politicians are like products and they all try to come up with a distinct packaging. There is a reason to believe that the president represents a certain group of people who have been asking for recognition. But I do not find it reasonable to immediately conclude that he represents the non-elites. Philippine society has so many non-elites, and some of them are found not just in Mindanao but also in Visayas and Luzon. It is possible to say that his "branding" is attractive to those who feel that they are society's underdogs. But distinction must be made between the real social underdogs on the one hand (who resonate or are emotionally drawn to a political discourse), and, on the other hand, the politician (who is not an underdog) who must strategically use social realities to continually increase the magnetic appeal of their discourse. So even if some would say that Duterte's "refashioning" Philippine politics is "radical", still he remains an actor on the same stage, trying to re-state in different words the same script dictated by the logic of politics. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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