Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Dear Joyette
02 February 2009
Dear Joyette,
I wanted to blog about this, but then writing you instead might be more prudent. I just finished reading your father’s biography, “U.G. – An Underground Tale (The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the First Quarter Storm Generation” by Benjamin Pimentel. Bought the book a few months back but never got to read it, but when I started I couldn’t put it down. Mas mahilig talaga akong magbasa ng non-fiction, kesa fiction; ‘yung hiniram ko ngang “Para Kay B” na unang nobela ni Ricky Lee napakatagal ko bago natapos.
Gusto ko lang sabihin sa’yo na idol ko ang tatay mo, ang nanay mo, ikaw, at ang buong pamilya n’yo. Before reading the book, I was only vaguely familiar with your father’s martyrdom, kaya mas lalo akong napabilib at namangha nang mabasa ko na ang kuwento niya. Though largely apolitical, even during my days as a UP student, I’ve always felt that I owe a lot to your father’s generation, kasi sila talaga ‘yung nag-sacrifice ng normal na pamumuhay para lang makapag-aral ako sa UP nang hindi nahihinto dahil may diktaturyang kailangang kalabanin. Dahil isinantabi ng tatay mo ang komportableng buhay, at isang financially rewarding career path, walang gaanong guilt kong magugugol ang mga panahon ko para matupad ang mga personal kong pangarap. Ultimo ang passion ko ngayon na maging bahagi ng malayang media ay isang posibilidad na malaking utang ko sa tatay mo.
Buhay pa rin ang spirit ng activism noong estudyante ako nu’ng 90’s pero hindi talaga ako nahikayat sumali dahil naniniwala ako na iba na ang pagsislbing hinihingi ng aking bayan, and that is to be the best “civil” citizen that I can be. Hanggang sa ngayon ‘yan ang pinanindigan ko. Isang rason nga kung bakit ako nag-Mass Comm eh dahil alam ko na makakahanap ako ng fulfillment sa trabaho sa ganu’ng karera kahit andito ako sa Pilipinas, kesa kung mag-Med ako na tulad ng gusto ng mommy ko. Feeling ko kasi kapag nag-doktor ako, mahihikayat lang akong mag-abroad. Hindi ko ring pangarap pasukin ang pulitika, o ang magsilbi sa gobyerno bilang civil servant dahil hindi ako siguradong incorruptible ako. Natatakot kasi ako na sa daling mangurakot sa gobyerno, hindi ako matutukso at maja-justify ko na lang ‘yun ng anumang bullshit na tulad ng true, good, and beautiful ni Imelda.
When your father was a student leader, my parents met and got engaged. In the year Martial Law was declared, the catalyst that led your father to go underground, my parents got married and started a family. They moved into our own home in Marikina a few months before your father headed the CPP’s Metro Manila organization in 1979. I was a few months old then. My parents made a decision to try to live a normal life despite the political and economic injustices then; while your parents chose to fight.
My grandparents will never know how it is not knowing where my parents exactly are, or if they’re safe, or even alive. Lola and lola will never know how it is to visit an obviously tortured son in a military camp. My kuyas, unlike your Kuya Nonoy, will never know how to maintain a relationship with absentee parents, who keep in touch through voice tapes; or to regularly move clandestinely from one house to another. Our family will never know how it is to get a phonecall confirming a report that a loved one has died in a raid. We will never know precisely your pain, but we will never, ever forget the sacrifices of courageous and glorious families like yours. Families like the Agapays owe a lot to families like the Jopsons.
Alam ko na ngayon ang hangad ng iyong ina eh mapanatiling buhay ang alaala ni Edjop sa isang henerasyong namulat na sa kalayaang bunga na rin ng kanyang mga ipinaglaban, at ikinamatay. Please assure her na hindi ako makakalimot, hindi kami makakalimot, at habambuhay kong sisikaping tanawin ang aking malaking utang na loob sa tatay mo... Maraming, maraming salamat.
Mabuhay,
Rey
Dear Joyette,
I wanted to blog about this, but then writing you instead might be more prudent. I just finished reading your father’s biography, “U.G. – An Underground Tale (The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the First Quarter Storm Generation” by Benjamin Pimentel. Bought the book a few months back but never got to read it, but when I started I couldn’t put it down. Mas mahilig talaga akong magbasa ng non-fiction, kesa fiction; ‘yung hiniram ko ngang “Para Kay B” na unang nobela ni Ricky Lee napakatagal ko bago natapos.
Gusto ko lang sabihin sa’yo na idol ko ang tatay mo, ang nanay mo, ikaw, at ang buong pamilya n’yo. Before reading the book, I was only vaguely familiar with your father’s martyrdom, kaya mas lalo akong napabilib at namangha nang mabasa ko na ang kuwento niya. Though largely apolitical, even during my days as a UP student, I’ve always felt that I owe a lot to your father’s generation, kasi sila talaga ‘yung nag-sacrifice ng normal na pamumuhay para lang makapag-aral ako sa UP nang hindi nahihinto dahil may diktaturyang kailangang kalabanin. Dahil isinantabi ng tatay mo ang komportableng buhay, at isang financially rewarding career path, walang gaanong guilt kong magugugol ang mga panahon ko para matupad ang mga personal kong pangarap. Ultimo ang passion ko ngayon na maging bahagi ng malayang media ay isang posibilidad na malaking utang ko sa tatay mo.
Buhay pa rin ang spirit ng activism noong estudyante ako nu’ng 90’s pero hindi talaga ako nahikayat sumali dahil naniniwala ako na iba na ang pagsislbing hinihingi ng aking bayan, and that is to be the best “civil” citizen that I can be. Hanggang sa ngayon ‘yan ang pinanindigan ko. Isang rason nga kung bakit ako nag-Mass Comm eh dahil alam ko na makakahanap ako ng fulfillment sa trabaho sa ganu’ng karera kahit andito ako sa Pilipinas, kesa kung mag-Med ako na tulad ng gusto ng mommy ko. Feeling ko kasi kapag nag-doktor ako, mahihikayat lang akong mag-abroad. Hindi ko ring pangarap pasukin ang pulitika, o ang magsilbi sa gobyerno bilang civil servant dahil hindi ako siguradong incorruptible ako. Natatakot kasi ako na sa daling mangurakot sa gobyerno, hindi ako matutukso at maja-justify ko na lang ‘yun ng anumang bullshit na tulad ng true, good, and beautiful ni Imelda.
When your father was a student leader, my parents met and got engaged. In the year Martial Law was declared, the catalyst that led your father to go underground, my parents got married and started a family. They moved into our own home in Marikina a few months before your father headed the CPP’s Metro Manila organization in 1979. I was a few months old then. My parents made a decision to try to live a normal life despite the political and economic injustices then; while your parents chose to fight.
My grandparents will never know how it is not knowing where my parents exactly are, or if they’re safe, or even alive. Lola and lola will never know how it is to visit an obviously tortured son in a military camp. My kuyas, unlike your Kuya Nonoy, will never know how to maintain a relationship with absentee parents, who keep in touch through voice tapes; or to regularly move clandestinely from one house to another. Our family will never know how it is to get a phonecall confirming a report that a loved one has died in a raid. We will never know precisely your pain, but we will never, ever forget the sacrifices of courageous and glorious families like yours. Families like the Agapays owe a lot to families like the Jopsons.
Alam ko na ngayon ang hangad ng iyong ina eh mapanatiling buhay ang alaala ni Edjop sa isang henerasyong namulat na sa kalayaang bunga na rin ng kanyang mga ipinaglaban, at ikinamatay. Please assure her na hindi ako makakalimot, hindi kami makakalimot, at habambuhay kong sisikaping tanawin ang aking malaking utang na loob sa tatay mo... Maraming, maraming salamat.
Mabuhay,
Rey
# posted by rey agapay @ 12:15 AM 
