UNFAIR labor practices. Injustices. Wanton lack of jobs. Poor education. In-your-face corruption. Extrajudicial killings. Worsening health problems, social values degradation, acute poverty and the likes.
These are but some of the recurring "pain in the ass” dilemma the impoverished yet helpless Filipinos have to deal with consistently in their lives of which traditional and aspiring politicians vying for public seats in the May 10 elections have all promised to eradicate.
"Welcome to the jungle...people. It's cheating time na naman. Election, lokohan, dayaan na naman," raves local musician Ian Cornelius Callanta, partly para-phrasing a line on one of the songs crafted in a soon-to-be released album by Salamin band composed of wide-awakened individuals.
Describing it as full of social relevance, Callanta told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that each of the 13 songs recorded for Salamin's maiden album had been religiously penned--straight from the heart.
"Coincidentally, we have in our songs something to offer for the media people like you who have been subjected by the irony of it all. Kayo ay itinuturing na tagapagtanggol ng mga na-aapi na mismong sarili n'yo ay di maipagtanggol," added Callanta's fellow lyricist Abel Leonidas, citing the mind-boggling Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao that killed more than a dozen journalists.
Leonidas also frowned upon media practitioners who have courage to defend the victims of unfair labor practices "because majority of them are victims themselves of such greed by some business entities masquerading as respectable media outfits." Although he went on to admit that journalists and well-meaning musicians in the country today have great similarity. "Unable to defend their own rights. Dinadaan na lang sa pakanta-kanta, pagita-gitara at pasulat-sulat."
"Manloloko," he said is a "must-watch" ditty being inspired by a local mediaman who filed a candidacy for mayoralty post "obviously for a very obvious reason".
"Hoy hoy kandidato bayaran ng pulitiko," is just an angry squeal of Manloloko to which Leonidas shared is tailor-made for this pseudo-journalist-turned political beggar.
Another member of the band claimed that it is an open-book that club musicians in Cagayan de Oro and elsewhere in the country have not been treated fairly and squarely.
"Imagine, sa isang sikat na club `mi tumatanggap pa ng dalawang daan lang sa buong gabing tugtugan at puyatan," noted out Abel, who wrote the song Pindot (for automated machine kind of "electoral fraud") in the album.
And to show that they're really conscious of what's been happening around, the group commends local broadcaster Susan Palmes for her act of bravery.
"We knew for a fact that once in her life she fought and won on labor matters. In our country today, abject poverty could perpetuate us to just sit in a corner with mouth sealed kay mawad-an unya og trabaho si Dodong."
"Naturally, they'd easily get discouraged kay sa among observation medyo nahimo na'ng pro-employer karon ang government agency supposedly entrusted to look after the sad plight of the labor sector," said NGO (Non-Government Organization) worker Aileen Corrales. To which former softdrinks company employee Jun Atilano had readily agreed, saying "miyembro ko union sa una apan kasagaran sa ordinary worker nga moreklamo mao gyod permi ang maalaut," in another separate interviews.
For his part, Sun.Star chief lensman Joey Nacalaban opined that some laws of the government can be dismissed as stupid and useless. Nacalaban rants: "Naa koy mga amigo nga aduna gihapoy reklamo sa labor apan ang advise sa ila sa NLRC mao nga mag-produce daw ebidensiya nga na-bankrupt ilang kompanya o unsa ba diha aron maka-panumbong. Di ba kadakong binu-ang kay kinsa man nga employer nga mohatag sa statement of bankruptcy aron pagpabor sa mga mamumu-o. Pagka wala gyoy hinungdan."
"Useless kanang mga reklamo sa labor mao nga magpuyo na lang."
Salamin, which stands for Samahan ng mga Lingkod na Artista sa Mindanao, however, philosophizes that evil men thrive if a few good ones will just content watching the unfolding of events and do nothing.
"Apart from album launching, we can't also wait for our upcoming Mindanao Tour hadiin atong ma-express ang mga sentimento in behalf sa kinabag-ang hut-ong sa katilingban nga nilupigan," said the rhythm/vocalist of Northern Mindanao's progressive band all set to rock the demons out of certified cheaters and monopolizers in business and politics of Philippine society.