Pugad Baboy Issue - St. Scholastica's College to File a Lawsuit; Pol Medina Apologizes; PDI to explain

I used to be a reader of Pugad Baboy Series. Now, it faces controversy, an issue. To those who are interested, curious or even intrigued as to what's really going on, here are some related and relevant news about the Pugad Baboy issue. 

Happy reading!

Must-read articles.  Click the links. Take a stand.  :-) Good reads. 

Pugad Baboy lesbian jibe at St Scho prompts censorship by Inquirer management!

Inquirer pulls out Pugad Baboy in its Comic Relief section

Inquirer apologizes for offensive comic strip

Photo Credit : getrealphilippipnes.com

Inquirer: Sorry for 'offensive' Pugad Baboy strip

BY ANGELA CASAUAY

MANILA, Phiippines - The Philippine Daily Inquirer on Thursday, June 6, issued a public apology for the controversial Pugad Baboy comic strip by cartoonist Pol Medina Jr.

Calling Medina's cartoon "offensive," Inquirer publisher Raul Pangalangan clarified that Medina was not fired but his cartoon will not appear in the newspaper pending further investigation.

In an interview with Agence France-Presse, the Inquirer's internal ombudsman Elena Pernia said the inquiry would look into the editorial processes that allowed the controversial comic strip to appear in the paper, and a decision on the cartoon would be made soon after.

The comic strip, which appeared in the Inquirer on Tuesday, June 4, depicted two characters talking about how hypocritical it is for Christians to denounce homosexuality when gays and lesbians are tolerated in Catholic all-girls schools. It went on to name St Scholastica's College as an example.

Below is the full statement issued by Pangalangan:

‘‘The Philippine Daily Inquirer apologizes for the offensive Pugad Baboy cartoon by P.M. Junior on June 4, 2013. In the words of the president of St. Scholastica’s College, 'our school was singled out and our Sister-Administrators accused of allowing homosexual relationships between its female students.

‘‘Our Reader’s Advocate, Elena E. Pernia, has begun an inquiry into this matter. Her preliminary findings show that this cartoon strip had been rejected for its insensitivity when it was submitted in April 2013 but, due to a mix-up in the comics section, was picked up for publication. The Inquirer confirms its commitment to the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and good taste.

‘‘Contrary to erroneous news reports, P.M. Junior was not fired and remains a contributor. Pugad Baboy will not appear in the Inquirer, however, pending further investigation.’’

St Scholastica's College president Sr Mary Thomas Prado sent a letter to the Inquirer seeking an audience with the Inquirer on the day the comic strip was published.

Part of the letter said: "If we will not hear from PDI this week, the lawsuit will be filed. If the dialogue will be arranged, we will be inviting administrators, faculty and students who care about this issue to join us. The entire Sisters community will be present."

Medina, for his part, has hinted at a possible "conspiracy" regarding the issue. He said the comic strip was republished after he created a series of strips against former president Ferdinand Marcos. – Rappler.com

Why Inquirer suspended 'Pugad Baboy'

By Kim Arveen Patria | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

A major broadsheet on Wednesday announced  it is suspending the publication of a widely popular comic strip after a recent issue drew flak online.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer said it has pulled out “Pugad Baboy” from its comics section, following online outrage over a strip about a Catholic school for girls.

On June 4, the comic strip, penned by Antonio “Pol” Medina, discussed Catholic hypocrisy and alluded to St. Scholastica as a school riddled with lesbians.

A character in the strip said: "Sa St. Scho e wala kang makikitang magandang kulasa na walang girlfriend (In St. Scholastica you can't find a 'kulasa' who doesn't have a girlfriend.)"

Kulasa is a term used to refer to students in the exclusive school for girls run by nuns.

Another character said: "Di kaya tongril din 'yung mga madre (Could it be that the nuns are also lesbian?)"

The strip has stirred violent reactions online, with some St. Scholastica alumna posting their comments on the Inquirer website itself.

"I'm a true blue Kulasa, and not once did I hear the sisters or professors badmouth gays and lesbians. I'm proud that we were taught to always keep an open mind about things," Jenny Santiago said in a comment.

Meg Siasoco meanwhile said: "Una sa lahat, walang masama sa pagiging lesbian. Kaming mga Kulasa--all employees and superiors included--nirerespeto ang bawat tao ano man ang gender preference (First of all, there is nothing wrong about being a lesbian. We in St. Scholastica--all employees and superiors included--respect everyone regardless of gender preference)."

In its official Twitter account, St. Scholastica also posted a statement condemning the comic strip and hinting at a possible lawsuit.

The school has sent a letter to the Inquirer and has sought an audience with newspaper officials and Medina.

"We protest in strongest possible terms the way the school was singled out and out sister-administrations accused of allowing homosexual relationships between its female students," its letter read.

It added that it is ready to file a case against the Inquirer and Medina if they do not hear from the publication within the week.

Medina, for his part, said St. Scholastica's reaction to the strip, which was originally published in March, is questionable.

"If you zoom in on that particular strip that got me fired, you'll see that the strip first appeared in March. No reaction then," Medina said via Facebook.

"It was reissued after I made a series of anti-Marcos strips, then boom! nag-trending sa Twitter. Interesting. I smell a consPIGracy," he added.

Medina later on noted, however, that he received an email from the Inquirer saying that he did not get fired but has only been suspended.

"They're still deliberating... Let's wait for the official word. Salamat sa suporta (Thanks for the support)," he said via Facebook.

“Pugad Baboy” (pigpen) is famous its hard-hitting and satirical take on Philippine politics and society. It was first published by the Inquirer in 1988.

Women Empowerment 101 - Loving Yourself More

I was browsing the newspaper this morning when I came across an article about empowering oneself written by Ms. Cory Quirino. And here's what she has in mind:

 

Empowering yourself

By Cory Quirino

Philippine Daily Inquirer

1:44 am | Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

There are simple and practical steps that can have a profound effect on your well-being.

Let’s wire or rewire the brain by programming ourselves.  We all know that no change is ever possible unless the mind accepts it as truth.  What are your truths?  It’s time to analyze your belief system.

Many people might be lazy and resistant to change simply because they feel that it requires hard work.  Or, that it translates to giving up the things they enjoy the most.  A classic example is Elena, a housewife saddled with three kids who  wishes she could lose another 10 lbs.  

The idea of exercising in the morning after everyone is out of the house is overpowered by the need to rest.  So, for her the choice is either the gym or the bed.  We know which way this is going, right?  And yet, Elena grows more dissatisfied with herself as time passes.  Eventually her displeasure  will deteriorate into low self-esteem and depression.  With these come the need to self-indulge with overeating.  It’s a vicious cycle.

What Elena needs to understand is that the root cause of her problems is herself—her indecisiveness and lack of perseverance stem from the inability to believe.  She needs to love herself more.

To Elena and many like her, I advise:

1.  Practice self-love. Don’t be in denial of your own needs.  Be honest with yourself.

2. Prioritize.  Make a wish list of the things you want to happen in your life.

3. Practice “me” time. That’s right.  Declare a specific day or time of the week to focus on you and your wish list.  Make it happen.

Our minds are so powerful that reality begins from our thoughts.  So if we think it, then the probability is high that it  will happen.

Under control

A complete sense of being empowered is the knowledge that you and I have every situation under control.  And that’s a good thing.  So let’s explore some control measures that we can do everyday.

The focus is on prevention.  There are many lifestyle and behavioral changes that we can make starting today.

Reduce food intake.  Restrict calories sourced from refined and processed foods. Overeating is a no-no.

Increase exercise.  By  doing so you avoid weight gain and obesity.  Exercise plays a pivotal role in lowering the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer by 23 percent if females exercise regularly between the ages of 12 and 35 years.

There is an urgent need to train children early on in life. The only real way to combat diabetes and obesity is to exercise.

Don’t smoke.

Take the right vitamin and  mineral supplements.

Learn and regularly practice stress management techniques.

Give yourself enough rest and sleep time.

Do you know that…

The risk of lifestyle diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses can be dramatically reduced with an adequate intake of fruits and vegetables.  These foods are rich in phytonutrients that help prevent cancers of the lungs, breast, colon and prostate.

High flavonoid foods like tea, chocolate, onions, garlic and moringa may lower the risk of heart disease by 20 percent.

The nutrient lutein (a carotenoid pigment in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables) can help prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults.  A daily habit would be to include sweet potatoes, squash and carrots in your meal plan.

B complex vitamins can reduce the amino acid homocysteine in the body, thus reducing the risk of heart disease.  With B3, B12 and folic acid therapy, there can be a 16-24 percent lowering of risks.

Selenium combined with vitamin D and fish oil may significantly reduce the dangers of developing prostate cancer.  Be aware, gentlemen.

Juice it

Do you truly want to have a more energetic, slimmer body? Is it your dream to have a glowing complexion?  Would you like to start a detoxification program?  Here is my wellness advice.

Start practicing the habit of drinking fresh, natural and, if possible, organic fruit and vegetable juices.

When taken raw and unexposed to heat, juices are packed with enzymes that directly nourish our cells.

Must do:  Drink healthy by going green and rainbow colors.

Invest in a good juicer.  If you have no juicer, try a blender.  But the downside of a blender is that the end result is mashed food.  You need to extract the greatest amount of live enzymes in a slow and no-heat manner.

One of the best juice extractors most nutritionists recommend is the Hurom Slow Juicer which uses the patented low-speed technology system (call Hurom at tel. 0917-8108822 or 9267782).

Trivia:  Vitamin C is especially sensitive to heat.  And this is why, while a cup of hot calamansi juice may be soothing to the throat, it has no vitamin benefits.  With the proper juicer, you can juice fruit even with the skin and tiny seeds intact.  This is great news for health buffs indeed.

For more information and details on this article, please feel free to visit their Lifestyle Page on PDI's web page. Click HERE.

Happy reading! To all my fellow women, wives and mothers out there, let us love ourselves more by pampering oneself and giving quality time to our needs. Indulge, fellas! Hugs.

xoxo,

Mommy Mai