THE KAMUNING ESSAYS

2012-01-22T13:09:00.011+08:00

I was asked to contribute an essay as one of 52 global Resident Thinkers of the new nation, Nowhere Island, a public art project of London's Cultural Olympiad 2012 which imagines how a new nation should begin. An expedition team set sail to the Arctic in September 2011 and will travel until the final weekend of the Cultural Olympiad in September 2012. According to project organizers, "Over 4000

2011-03-08T17:20:00.004+08:00

THE EMPIRE'S PRESENT RENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINO GMAnews.tv March 8, 2011 The wise men cometh. Here comes the bling. On sale, democracy's dubious offspring. It's all just a game. Get the latest version of Freedomware -- blazing guns, star-spangled jetfighters and troops peddling elections and Kool Aid. Democracy expansion sets sold separately. Get it on the cheap. Everything's a bargain. "

2010-12-13T15:19:00.003+08:00

WINTER IN BREMEN RENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINO GMAnews.tv December 13, 2010 For days Europe was a white mess as snowstorms ploughed across the continent, snarling airports and stuffing railways and highways with snow. The cold spell came early, disrupting transport across the continent. On different days, different closures. In France, heavy snowfall forced civil aviation authorities to cut

2010-10-26T08:37:00.001+08:00

THE SIN OF CERTAINTIES RENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINO GMAnews.tv October 26, 2010 Perhaps a scroll exists somewhere linking the Akkadian moon deity Sin with worship later forbidden by faiths commanding greater armies. Lunar veneration as wrongdoing? Who's to know? Beyond the reach of memory, the moon is still a magical place, the sun remains majestic and life-giving, and the earthbound beetle is

2010-10-07T08:48:00.001+08:00

MAMA'S BOY RENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINO GMAnews.tv October 6, 2010 The toughies subscribe to the same edict as the cupcakes. At least most of them. In the end, mum's the word, as it should be. You tumble past four decades and arrive at a place that's familiar but a little unglued. You know you've held aloft a sign too often saying "Daft male seeking a scrap", and too often you've despaired

2010-07-23T22:27:00.002+08:00

WANG-WANG NEEDED FOR CLIMATE ACTIONRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGmanews.tvJuly 22, 2010If there is one vehicle in the country that deserves blaring sirens, it's the ambulance called climate action. Its mission: administer public finance at the soonest possible time to communities most vulnerable to increasingly severe climate change impacts.A team composed of the country's best environmental,

2010-07-13T08:24:00.002+08:00

SOME THINGS THAT MATTERRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvJuly 12, 2010On funky days, you see deep blue without exuberance. Gray scales, without nuance. Yellows without radiance.The world is flat, and that's that. So they say, and maybe it's true.But some days you get lucky and by chance you open a few files and flip through images of better days.Here is Photo-A, grainy and generally of poor

2010-06-06T23:54:00.002+08:00

MANIPESTO KONTRA KABABUYAN SA KONGRESORENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvJune 7, 2010Pahayag:Sa okasyon ng pagkakaluklok sa inaheng Gloria Arroyo bilang kinatawan at kuko ng kanyang kalingkingan.Sa okasyon ng paghirang sa kanyang marangya't mayabang na anak na si Mikey Arroyo bilang Kagalang-galang na Kongresman daw ng mga sikyo at iba pang maralitang kawani sa sa Mababang Kapulungan.Yayamang,

2010-05-29T11:04:00.003+08:00

RISING TEMPERATURESRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMANews.tvMay 29, 2010Perhaps the future is from yesterday.It was 38 degrees celsius on Wednesday in Metro Manila. In other parts of the country the heat hit 39. Sporadic showers have come but they say it will be a week more or still before the clouds fully gather. Scorched may just be the global mode for some time, unless people who think themselves

2010-04-02T14:13:00.004+08:00

THE NEXT CHAPTERRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvMarch 30, 2010For Burrito, Hijack, Pretty, Pooh, Beauty, Choco, Frankie, GoorameeMonday dawned and the 12-hour sleep was done.The first freedom act — check out the clock, which read half past nine in the morning.The Bishkek brandy from Maral was waiting and the kids were already busy downstairs.It was their first no-school morning and they

2010-01-30T13:28:00.004+08:00

ONCE UPON A TIMERENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOFor Kalayaan Pulido Constantino, who I marriedH.I.P.P. Magazine, February 2009There are places where our stories begin.A night on a quiet coast south of Manila. Overcast sky, windy and cold enough for a shawl. There is a chill in the air and the bonfire, down to its last embers, lends orange glimmers to her face. She smiles as the dry wood cracks and

2010-01-29T12:23:00.002+08:00

ZINN IS DEAD. VIVA ZINNI'm reposting news from the Boston Globe. See you later Howard, in the sea, in the troposhere or as fiber in a placard. You will be missed terribly.Howard Zinn, historian who challenged status quo, dies at 87January 27, 2010 05:40 PMBy Mark Feeney, Globe StaffHoward Zinn, the Boston University historian and political activistwho was an early opponent of US involvement in

2010-01-01T23:28:00.004+08:00

THE FIRST DAY AND THE LASTRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOJanuary 1, 2010, GMAnews.tvFor Rio, Luna, Gabgab, Noni, Padma and AnabananaPast the old year is Janus -- January, the first month, its opening day a two-faced janissary looking back and towards a new period that has yet to unfold.Djamangeen gar oo chagar, an Armenian saying goes. Once upon a time there was and there wasn't. There is the first

2009-12-26T22:26:00.001+08:00

STUPIDITIES AND SCAREDY CATSOr, "Mayweather's on Drugs"By Paul StraussEastSideBoxing.comSomebody take pity on Vivek Wallace and stamp "Loser" on his forehead. Ever seen a moron as big as this? Oi, Vivek, eat yer socks. They'll give yer brains the vitamins they lack. But anyway, Strauss gives a good take, from the same site, and feel free to dodge the equally stupid snipe on rap and the wrong

2009-12-16T10:26:00.009+08:00

TWO DAYS, TWO NIGHTS IN HONG KONGRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvDecember 16, 2009Lou Reed opened the day looking for something to screw. But the bright sun streaming in from Baker's terrace would have none of his cussing.On the table, two huge oranges on the table with a quart of soya milk and two squares of brownies for breakfast. But on a far shelf is another meal and out it goes.A bottle

2009-12-12T11:58:00.004+08:00

A THOUSAND SLASHES TO THE WRISTRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvDecember 12, 2009They will call 2009 a revelation year, when the nation was once more forced to confront self-evident truths and when again too many looked away.Decades from now, we will be asked not merely how but why we endured the decay and incredible debauchery of our time. The indifferent will shrug and the clever will offer

2009-12-12T11:51:00.003+08:00

PAGKATAPOS NG ISA PANG LINGGO:PACQUIAO AT COTTORENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvNovember 26, 2009Walang kaduda-duda na pag dumating na ang araw na siya'y nag-pasya nang magretiro, papasok si Pacquiao sa kategorya ng Sampung Pinakamagaling na Boksingero sa Kasaysayan ng Boksing. Saan man siya ilalagay sa hanay ng Dakilang Sampu – sa itaas man o sa ilalim ng Dakilang Panlima – tiyak na sasaludo

2009-12-12T11:35:00.003+08:00

PAGKATAPOS NG ISANG LINGGO:LABANANG PACQUIAO VS. COTTO, VERA VS. COUTURERENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvNovember 23, 2009Makalipas ang pitong araw, panahon nang balikan ang bonggang banatan na naganap sa pagitan ng apat na bigating mandirigma. Ang dami na rin kasi ng sumulat sa akin tungkol sa nakaraang mga salpukan.Sa Manchester Evening News Arena sa Manchester, England, bumangga si Brandon

2009-11-04T19:33:00.003+08:00

BASIC EQUATIONS: TAJIKISTAN ON THE EDGERENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINONovember 4, 2009GMANews.tvFor Muatar and ParvizDushanbe, Tajikistan -- Jiri Barta opens the day with Prelude, Suite No.1 in G Major from Bach's Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello.The Czech virtuoso plays the piece with a slow signature vigor, his bow gliding across and tapping the strings with a little more gravity, hewing close to

2009-11-02T10:29:00.002+08:00

BALIK TANAW SA LABANANG MACHIDA VS. RUARENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINONovember 2, 2009GMANews.tvNapaaga. Ako mismo nagulat. Pero gaya ng inaasahan, pag-aaralan ng mga mandirigmang matatalino at nakikinig sa kanilang mga trainer si Lyoto "Dragon" Machida, ang bagong kampyon sa light heavyeight ng UFC.Noong isang linggo, nagharap si Machida at si Mauricio "Shogun" Rua sa unang title defense ni Dragon.

2009-10-23T09:00:00.003+08:00

PROCEEDINGS OF SUICIDERENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMANews.tvOctober 23, 2009Here we are.The morning after.When the plane finally touched asphalt I could call home.Kamuning in the heart and also beneath my feet.Content canine Emil is sleeping on my left, at peace with the slow day in the corner where he fought and defeated the ugly things that once attempted to impose their space in our house.In

2009-09-25T13:36:00.003+08:00

USAPANG SALPUKANRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMANews.tvSeptember 24, 2009Para kay Harley, Tambol at ToktokMay mga bagay na hindi pwedeng ipagkaila.Halimbawa:Henyo si Bitoy.Mas masarap pa rin ang fish ball kaysa squid ball.Kung naghahanap ng malamig, Sarsi pa rin kahit may Coke, pero mas masarap pa rin ang gulaman kahit may Sarsi.Kung naghahanap ng tinapang isda, tamban ang piliin.Kung naghahanap ng

2009-09-01T21:59:00.002+08:00

A SKETCH OF INDIARENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvSeptember 1, 2009For AvilashAnimesh the Navigator triggered the thirst.The first stop was in Old Delhi, the walled capital of the Mughal dynasty whose foundations were laid down in 1639 under the rule of Shah Jahan, son of the emperor Jahangir and father to the emperor Aurangzeb and the great Taj Mahal.If India had pores, a stream of sweat

2009-08-25T16:39:00.005+08:00

DELHI DAYSRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvAugust 20, 2009New Delhi - There was a downpour when the plane touched down in Delhi the night before India's big day.A week ago a friend from Bangalore had asked for a bit of the rain that he said Manila seemed to have too much of. And indeed the rains came with the plane.Night showers seeded puddles across the tarmac and the wheels of cargo

2009-07-30T20:15:00.005+08:00

THREE DECADES LATERRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvJuly 30, 2009Three times ten is not so long.Thirty years ago it seemed as if the discotheque flu spread by Donna Summers and the Bee Gees would sway in the roost forever, especially after Gloria Gaynor issued her cross-generational therapy for cross-generational anomie titled “I will survive.”This was in 1979, the year “twenty-five of the

2009-07-15T12:18:00.005+08:00

A FEW THINGS WORTH MENTIONINGAnother take on Hayden Kho and related sexcapadesRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOH.I.P.P. MagazineJuly-August 2009 Double IssueFor Letty, Dudi and KarinaI know a little a bit about this country. We're like the title of that ZZ Top song, "I'm bad, I'm nationwide."By the time this mag's issue comes out in print, the whole Hayden Kho scandal will have been replaced by a new

2009-07-08T15:52:00.008+08:00

SONGS FOR PALPAKISTANRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tvJuly 8, 2009For BenRazon, Kikay, MutyaI mean, viva ZZ Top.Get up in the morning and it's a Monday and stick Tres Hombres in the player so Billy Gibbons can get the day right from the get-go."Rumour spreadin' around in that Texas town / 'bout that shack outside La Grange / and you know what I'm talkin' about."If the Chicken Ranch song's

2009-06-10T11:00:00.010+08:00

NORTH TO SOUTH, SORT OF.RENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMANews.tvJune 9, 2009Our nation's enduring hex is forgetfulness. If only we'd remember the word.It's like we have a national reboot button and every three weeks someone steps on the big clicker and everyone stops mid-step in a bazillion tiny pieces of a second. Then the music lurches forward again and we do a little skip and we sneak furtive

2009-05-24T15:17:00.004+08:00

ENTER THE DRAGONFighting notes by redsterBelem boy Lyoto Machida knocked out the swaggering Ultimate Fighter winner and UFC lightheavyweight champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans in round two of UFC 98. Take a bow. To those who have followed your career, it was not a question of if but when you'd spill sugar on the octagon canvas and wipe it off the floor. As usual, it was about martial arts - Defend,

2009-05-18T21:46:00.003+08:00

MONUMENTAL STORIESRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOGMAnews.tv, May 13, 2009It's likely no one ever asked Ebe Dancel if he meant it this way when he wrote the first lines of Sugarfree's haunting classic, Kwarto. But I suspect he'd agree if I tell him the moment his songs are first played in public, they're actually no longer his.If there was ever a soundtrack to the chapter on memory and monuments in a

2009-05-08T11:15:00.007+08:00

WHEN 'GOOD' BANGS WITH 'GREAT'Pacquiao vs. Hatton Wrap-upBelow are three really good pieces - the first from SweetScience.com distinguishing between 'very good' and 'simply great' and the next two from guys who picked Hatton, or were hedging their bets too much and for too long against Pacquiao. I also very much like the way Coleman presents his case, from a memory perspective. It will not be the

2009-04-25T13:38:00.003+08:00

A piece from Shawn O'Donnell -- the smartest, most insightful one so far in a sea of boxing analyst poseurs, on the coming Pacquiao-Hatton superfight. Whether I agree with his conclusions or not is immaterial. Enjoy...HATTON's LAST STANDEastSideBoxing.comApril 23, 2009On May 3rd Ricky Hatton will be searching for something very valuable : a chance at redemption. It wasn't long ago when Hatton

2009-04-19T14:54:00.007+08:00

There's a new mag out, headed by feisty mag journo Gina "Manhattan" Abuyuan, she with the nice bags. It's called H.I.P.P., which stands for Happy, Progressive, Intelligent Parenting. Not sure I fit the bill, but I do know it's been a fine adventure so far. Kala and I were recently asked to write a piece each for the mag's first issue, so here's mine, and the next one's by Kala. Thanks for

2009-04-19T13:38:00.010+08:00

Kala's piece in the great new mag H.I.P.P. (or, Happy, Intelligent, Progressive Parenting) helmed by mag journo Gina "Mojito" Abuyuan (if not the drink in hand, then you'll spot her via her shoes). Like my piece following this, the actual text in the mag bears Gina's edits which has made things obviously better. If you didn't get the maiden copy of the mag last January, better find one, or you

2009-03-28T16:17:00.022+08:00

BORDERS OF THE MINDA KYRGYZ POSTRenato Redentor ConstantinoSo here's an idea. It's been on the mind for some time but I've never really gotten around to writing it down. Obviously I'm at a boiling point of frustration given that I haven't really posted annything recently that wasn't written and published previously.Nice dilemma if only it didn't weigh so much, like a refrigerator resting on the

2009-03-02T15:49:00.006+08:00

THE NATIONAL IMPERATIVERENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusinessMirrorMarch 4, 2009So, what do we do now?For decades we were told not to mind the stink behind the altar, where pale clerics of the market faith congregated and preached the good word.Year after year, behind the burnished marble slab, beneath the old wood cross beams of consumption, black coat and black tie delivered the liturgy of bling

2009-01-27T14:28:00.005+08:00

SPECTERS OF COMPARISONRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusinessMirrorJanuary 27, 2009IF, in the end, there is only the word, what would the end say? We know what the word tried to say in the beginning, in the ancient Middle East, in the lower reaches of the Euphrates where the earliest known writing was located, and in the coastal cities of Syria where “the radical simplification from hieroglyphs that

2008-12-24T17:46:00.014+08:00

AMIGOS DE CERVEZAFriendly Files with the Beer FilesPaths change and we all get to take a few detours down the road. Sometimes the surprises are fascinating, but it not always scenic.I am thankful for liquid grain fermented with memories of good times past. Here's a toast to people who remained faithful to the mug, the glass, the bottle and the perpetual next round. When the day was long or when

2008-12-06T01:45:00.004+08:00

CREATURE STORIESStrange days at the Poland NegotiationsWell, it's been an interesting week so far. Move around the massive sprawl of the Poznan convention center and you'll come across uncommon things. Creatures even... More and more are feeling more and more anxious about the slow pace of the negotiations here, with delegates acting as if the world was not facing its most formidable crisis in

2008-12-05T13:48:00.002+08:00

Dispatch from PolandSEEING WITH TWO EYESDecember 4, Poznan -- That's what the world needs to do. Look at the problem with two eyes.The picture here is from this morning - the fourth day of the climate talks in Poznan, Poland. The morning was cold and when the Forum delegation got off bus C26, and we walked right into a beautiful peaceful action by Oxfam International.That's Maya and myself having

2008-12-05T05:07:00.007+08:00

This was a post I did back in July at Peoples' Voice, the blog site of the NGO Forum on the ADB, which I've headed since June 2008. I think it's still interesting...REBORN AT 2,700 METERSHigh note from KazakhstanWe were already at the foot of the mountains early in the morning. We sped out of Almaty and from a higher vantage point we could see Medeu, the famed Soviet-era ice skating arena.There

2008-11-06T08:21:00.007+08:00

RAPID WORDS ON THE OBAMA WINRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOI started typing this in the lounging place right after clearing the Philippine immigration counter, past the usual X-Ray machines and the quick-fondle guards sussing out evil intentions. I've just finished it from Changi by whimsically choosing a few pics and posting them now from Jakarta.Within a minute of the announcement on international

2008-09-28T19:26:00.008+08:00

IMPERATIVES AMID UNCERTAINTY:THE CASE FOR GLOBAL ACTIONRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOPaper delivered at the conference Climate Law in Developing Countries post-2012: North and South Perspectives, organized by the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, September 26-28, 2008. Faculty of Law, University of OttawaGood morning everyone. Thank you Scott for the introduction.I wish to thank Ben Richardson for

2008-05-01T16:23:00.018+08:00

MONUMENTS OF STORY-TELLINGKeynote speech in BulacanI was the town speaker the other week in a magical place in historic Bulacan, a province sweating with history and stories, not to mention great food, rice fields and warm people. The occasion was the 109th Anniversary of the Battle of Qingua in the town of Plaridel. It's the only place in the country that marks this day annually, and since 1999

2008-02-28T17:43:00.012+08:00

SKETCH OF A DAYRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOSpecial to Business MirrorMarch 4, 2008The rallyists rushed down the short stretch of EDSA from Santolan to Ortigas, as if they were in a hurry to catch-up with a long lost legacy. And maybe they were.Down EDSA scores of protesters marched, past the billboard of Krispy Kreme announcing the First Couple’s family credo: “Share the love.”The rallyists had

2008-01-23T13:04:00.000+08:00

SUHARTO: THE BOOK OFSLAUGHTER AND FORGETTINGRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusinessMirrorJanuary 29, 2008Certainly there will be a reckoning. But it will not be soon, no thanks to intrepid members of so-called Western journalism who, in the days his life hung in the balance, bravely sifted through the minutiae of the despot Suharto’s medical condition even as they avoided the anatomy of how and why

2008-01-04T02:16:00.000+08:00

PAKISTAN: A CONTINUING TRAGEDYRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusinessMirrorSecond of two partsJanuary 8, 2008Perhaps this was a situation again of two people and one coffin. Pakistan’s current US-backed dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, did not want to share the space with Benazir Bhutto and so the latter had to go.This was certainly the case in 1977, when Brigadier General Zia ul-Haq seized power and

2007-12-31T20:23:00.000+08:00

PAKISTAN: NOTES TO A TRAGEDYRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOFirst of two partsBusinessMirrorJanuary 2, 2008In the next few weeks we shall witness a torrent of sorrow and regret, as any such horrific loss of life should provoke. But clearly the story is unfinished, despite the seeming finality of Benazir Bhutto’s murder.In two suicide attacks inside Pakistan since October, at least 160 have been

2007-09-09T23:30:00.000+08:00

MEMORIES OF CONSUMPTIONRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusinessMirror, ParasIndonesiaSeptember 10, 2007We have two eyes so we can see more dimensions. Or at least we should.A decade ago, Cambridge University researchers made the startling assertion that stood history on its head. Based on the work of archaeobotanist Dr. Delwen Samuel, "who specializes in analysing ancient forms of food and drink," it

2007-09-09T21:55:00.000+08:00

Below is another post that got stuck. As the New Belgium Brewing Company sez', "Follow your folly..."LURCH TO VIENNANotes from the geographically dyslexicRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINO24 August 2007, 0800 -- Onboard one of Europe's most efficient, super quick ICE trains -- Inter-City Express -- which the European Rail Guide said have managed "to slice hours off the journey times between popular

2007-07-23T10:54:00.000+08:00

STRATEGIC ENERGY IMPERATIVES IN ASIARENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusiness Mirror; Malaysia SunAugust 6, 2007A decade ago you would have probably been thrown into the box called " fringe group" for simply speaking against something as esoteric-sounding as global warming. Nowadays -- thanks to those who tirelessly ploughed the ground earlier -- it has become easier, even popular, to talk about

2007-04-29T00:58:00.000+08:00

Read Michael Klare's companion piece here. Mother Jones and a couple of other online publications have published the piece.Tomgram: Klare and Constantino, Where is the USS Nimitz?May 3, 2007Tomdispatch.comAt a news conference on Monday involving the President and European leaders, this exchange took place:"Q: …[Y]our Secretary of State is going to a conference [on] Iraq where the Foreign

2007-04-04T12:16:00.000+08:00

REGARDING ALESSANDRA DE ROSSIWell, this was fun to write. I've never had a bio which ended this way: Constantino can be reached via his neighborhood sari-sari store, buying a cold bottle of San Miguel Pale. This is his first profile on a showbiz celebrity. After submitting this story, he walked to the said sari-sari store, got himself a bottle... and forgot to pay.I had a great time thanks to

2007-02-05T16:06:00.000+08:00

THE LONG JOURNEY OF A TIRED PEOPLERENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusiness Mirror, February 9-10, 2007Malaysia Sun, February 9, 2007ParasIndonesia, February 14, 2007For Melai and Bobby T.Perhaps it really is as helpful as the radio broadcaster Paul Harvey suggests, that in times like these we should just remember that there have always been times like these. It's a comforting thought.We find ways in

2007-02-05T12:24:00.000+08:00

It's important to say that I have not and don't think I will be comfortable for some time with the title "historian". It's flattering but I'm not comfortable with it. Perhaps one day, but not now. (It took me a few years before I became at ease with the 'writer' tag.) One undergoes training to earn the privilege of the title 'historian', and while I'd disagree with the claim that only those

2007-01-15T10:28:00.000+08:00

THE SURGE AND THE WAKERENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusiness Mirror; ParasIndonesia; Malaysiakini.comJanuary 17, 2007The journalist Hossam al-Hamalawy was right to wonder aloud in May 2003, shortly after America's invasion had commenced, whether Iraq had become "the new bus stop for the mujahideen after Kabul, Bosnia, Grozny, Kosovo and Kashmir."Others were thinking along similar lines.It seems the

2006-12-15T23:21:00.000+08:00

I'm happy to share with you two statements from RC Constantino, also known as Renato Constantino, Jr. and who also happens to be my dad. The first is a message he delivered last December 5th before the House of Representatives' Human Rights Committee as it celebrated International Human Rights Day. RC was hoping AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon would attend but the Hello Garci general

2006-11-30T21:06:00.000+08:00

From the pen of the first woman editor-in-chief of the Philippines, a tribune of Philippine journalism from the time of the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, till today, here is the book's foreword, which is often an indication of what the rest of a book may just yield for the reader... Click here, too, for a recent review of the book by the writer Robert JA Basilio, Jr. Both courtesy of the

2006-11-28T08:04:00.000+08:00

THE MINING OF MEANDERINGRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusiness MirrorDecember 1, 2006Far away from home, you draw on your reserves and dwell in a lonely residence, inside the only possession that ultimately matters, inside that inexhaustible, final lode.There is a room there for each deposit, for each vein of wonder and longing and dread. Inside, there is a headstone for each regret, a lapidary for

2006-11-14T23:10:00.000+08:00

We interrupt your surfing with an announcement from the Department of Shameless Plugging regarding a recent review of The Poverty of Memory by Reihana Mohideen of Green Left Weekly. Thanks for dropping by.REMEMBERING HOW TO FIGHTReihana MohideenGreen Left WeeklyNovember 10, 2006When history is denigrated, such as in these times, Renato Redentor Constantino’s book of essays, which brings together

2006-10-08T22:00:00.000+08:00

ACROSS A FEW BORDERSHYPERSPACE LURCHSo writing's a bit of a hurdle. Nothing new there. Here I am, staring down a difficult piece of easy; there are ten thousand compelling themes and easy's still winning by a mile and the page remains blank or mottled.I wish I could write like a distant friend of mine, a hack who once told me all he needed to do was to just get his hands resting on his laptop

2006-09-18T11:00:00.000+08:00

THE TIDES OF SEPTEMBERRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusiness MirrorSeptember 18, 2006They say love and lives rise and fall like the ocean. That, in the end, there is no end, only ebb and flooding and ebb.It is comforting to think that we are fluid and not candles, which run out when the wick is consumed. Maybe it's not really all so bad.Not too long ago, others had asked the same questions that

2006-09-09T22:15:00.000+08:00

THE VEIN OF THIRTY-FOUR YEARSRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOParasIndonesiaSeptember 11, 2006Turbulence framed his horizon and the young writer wrote it all down. Visage and facade, noise and speech. He drew anger and desire and with words pushed history to quicken its footstep."Thunder of feet, tumult of images and sounds," scribbled the writer of the clash of January 26, when discontent collided

2006-07-31T23:20:00.000+08:00

REGARDING LEBANON: AN ESSAYThe views expressed by the essay do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the artist whose work is featured below. The images on this essay are by Beirut-based artist Mazen Kerbaj. Readers are encouraged to visit his blog (and his actual website), which represents a moving depiction by an artist of his family -- and his people -- under attack. Kerbaj himself tells

2006-07-03T11:20:00.000+08:00

THE ROAD FROM COLLEVECCHIORENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOParas Indonesia and Business Mirror-PhilippinesJuly 4, 2006Editor's note: the writer participated in the historic Oil, Debt and Climate Change conference held in Collevecchio, Italy in June, which came out with a statement portions of which were used in this essay.In a small medieval village in Italy called Collevecchio, in the courtyard of a

2006-06-27T09:10:00.000+08:00

STRANGELY, A POEM IN JUNEA decade, perhaps; maybe twelve years, or more. It has been that long since I last wrote one. I have had no compulsion at all to write poetry. It feels silly to even write that I attempted to write verse. And yet, early June, as I read a single page from a book of grace over and over while time dissolved in Don Muang airport, small waves from the page washed over and I

2006-05-25T23:41:00.000+08:00

IT'S A WISE WORLDRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOParas IndonesiaMay 25, 2006Saber prattling is again in vogue. Snotty boy shouts "Evil!" The other screams "Bad!" Who's the good guy, who's the rogue?"Israel must be wiped off the map," huffed the president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a speech last year that made many gasp. Israel "is a regime based on evil that cannot continue and one day will

2006-05-25T11:57:00.000+08:00

HYDRATING IN HYDERABADRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOBusiness MirrorMay 25, 2006A few minutes after the plane landed on the airport runway, the pilot announced the obligatory just-landed twaddle. "Welcome to Manila, it's a bit muggy outside at 32 degrees but I'm sure you'll find the welcome warm and pleasant ... Cabin crew, doors may be opened." I almost jumped out of my seat and cheered. Oh boy,

2006-04-19T22:27:00.000+08:00

PERPETUITY AND IMPERMANENCE: TO ARLIE NAVA, IN MEMORIAMRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOParasIndonesia.comApril 19, 2006Business MirrorApril 20, 2006Death is something we do not have to fear, wrote the Spanish poet Antonio Machado. "As long as we exist death doesn't, and when it does, we don't."Of course, death is easier said than done.Some live each day as if it were their last. Some hope and

2006-04-09T17:44:00.000+08:00

PHILIPPINES:LEFTIST MPS AND PRESS FACE ONGOING PERSECUTION, WRITER SAYS by Fabio Scarpello, ADN Kronos InternationalManila, 4 April (AKI) - Philippines president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a week-long state of emergency in February to stop an alleged military coup. While tension and emergency restrictions have since eased, writer and historian Renato Redentor Constantino believes that the

2006-04-07T16:21:00.000+08:00

INTRODUCING RED's FAMILY:Tadaaaaa....The first pic shows Luna with probably something sneaky on her mind; her mom thoughts are somewhere far away... (nice shirt Kala...)Next to that is the one with Rio in front holding the yellow alien he won recently in a water shoot-out contest (Rio was also the chess champion in the elementary school intramurals and was given a gold medal today. Yeyey!).

2006-04-06T15:24:00.000+08:00

NARRATIVES OF INCARCERATIONRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOParasIndonesia.comApril 4, 2006Have you asked yourself lately, for whom the bells toll? The prism of prison has more than four walls."No nation is exempt from the demands of human dignity," said US president George W. Bush. "Everybody desires to be free; embedded in the soul of each man and woman on the face of the Earth is this deep desire

2006-03-25T14:31:00.000+08:00

CONSTANTINO BOOK LAUNCHEDEvent brings together writers, activists and political personalitiesQuezon City, 24 March -- The Foundation for Nationalist Studies (FNS) today launched the book The Poverty of Memory: Essays on History and Empire by Renato Redentor Constantino in an event that brought together a hundred guests and attended by writers, activists and political personalities. The event

2006-03-25T14:18:00.000+08:00

Remarks made by the author regarding the launching ofTHE POVERTY OF MEMORY: ESSAYS ON HISTORY AND EMPIRERenato Redentor ConstantinoMarch 24, 2006 Balay Kalinaw, University of the Philippines, DilimanBismillah hirahman nirahim. Asallamu alaikum. Warmatullahi ta'ala walbarakatu. Pagbati sa inyong lahat. I am not an Arab or a Muslim or a member of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan but, in keeping

2006-03-01T16:09:00.000+08:00

RESCIND PROCLAMATION 1017, END THE ASSAULT ON THE MEDIAPooled editorial of writers and journos in the PhilippinesMedia were among the first targets of Ferdinand Marcos when he declared Martial Law in 1972. The news blackout allowed him free rein to round up political opponents and strip the rest of the nation's citizens of their civil liberties.Once again, the media were among the first

2005-10-13T09:47:00.000+08:00

WAIT FOR RUIN OR EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY?RED CONSTANTINO, Greenpeace Southeast AsiaThe Manila TimesOctober 12, 2005 For all the heated talk about national security in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, what is curiously missing in the discussions is the one issue that may just define the future well-being - or ruin - of the country and the region. Some call the issue global warming.

2005-08-27T11:43:00.000+08:00

CHRONICLE OF CHRONIC ADVENTURESRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOThe Manila TimesAugust 26, 2005 The fiction of truth is an interesting thing: it flies, it swims, it sings.[1] "The percentage of foreign fighters over the past several months seems to have increased," whined General John Abizaid, the commander of US forces in Iraq in an interview

2005-08-06T22:06:00.000+08:00

HIROSHIMA MEMORIES: THE STRUGGLE AGAINST FORGETTINGRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOThe Manila TimesAugust 6, 2005 Hiroshima, Japan -- The day has grown dark and so has the river but the sky has remained luminous and clear.[1] Cyclists zip intermittently past empty benches and pedestrians walking along the bank of the gently flowing Motoyasu river. A

2005-08-01T11:33:00.000+08:00

NARRATIVES OF INVENTIONRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOCommentaryThe Manila TimesJuly 31, 2005 Revolution is radical some say, a complete break from the conventional - the successful culmination of tremendous, sustained bursts of emotion and imagination. Perhaps. A revolution can take many forms: leaps in technology, mutiny in thought, a revolt against certainty, the reengineering of the

2005-04-13T19:03:00.000+08:00

WAR AND REMEMBRANCERENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOOp-Ed, ManilaStandardTodayApril 13, 2005What are we to do when evil doesn't befall us, the late writer Susan Sontag once asked - when the pain that is endured is the pain of others? Rarely can questions be as difficult - or vital. Computers are useless, said Pablo Picasso. They can only give us answers. "Why is evil not everywhere?" asked

2005-03-30T17:26:00.000+08:00

THE BLOOD THAT BINDSRENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINOOp-Ed, ManilaStandardToday/abs-cbnNEWS.comMarch 30, 2005Black is the blood of pipelines, the preferred shade of Washington's flammable mural called the Middle East - an oil painting that combines the high art of irony with the science of spontaneous combustion.[1]Trace the blood and connect the dots.