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By Netnet Camomot

UBE champorado, ube polvoron, ube jam, ube ice cream, ube cheesecake, ube cupcakes, ube halo-halo, ube munchkins.

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Yup, I love ube.

But a Cagayanon’s love for ube is not always politically motivated. Much like his love for oranges which won’t necessarily inspire him to vote for the Cagayan de Oro political party whose team color is orange. And a Dilawan doesn’t have to love mangos as a prerequisite for acceptance to the yellow party.

The Dilawan should thank Vice President Leni Robredo for keeping the yellow color alive and kicking. If former senator Bongbong Marcos were the incumbent VP, the yellow color would have faded by now, with the Dilawan having a difficult time tying “a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree” especially if those trees are located in Carcar and Naga in Cebu, and in the Amazon rainforest.

Former president Erap Estrada’s wisdom thought on “weather-weather lang” continues to ring true today, and it can even be applied to CDO’s political arena where a younger generation may bloom in 2022.

Operative words: younger generation. Meaning, the children and children-in-law of seasoned politicians. Willing to continue their parents’ legacy. That’s probably the reason why the voice of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a.k.a. Bongbong sounds like that of his father, former President Ferdinand Marcos. Kang kinsa pa man diay moliwat? Alang-alang sa silingan.

Hard habits to break can be handed down from generation to generation since parents may lead by example. But it’s up to the new generation to choose what hard habits are worth continuing as the family’s legacy.

The madlang pehpohl can’t help but compare the young ones with the young once, since the latter is believed to be wiser and brighter.

To avoid such unfair comparisons, the young one should reinvent himself as the new breed and not a mere clone of his parents, grandparents and ancestors, otherwise, Lavinia Arguelles (Cherie Gil) will say, “You’re nothing, but a second-rate trying hard copycat.”

The younger generation of Pinas’ political dynasties can be good—or bad—examples of these copycats. Good if they’re the Pinoy’s idol. Bad if they’re not.

The Pinoy tends to ignore his idol’s mistakes, assured that his idol is perfect and, therefore, not capable of any wrongdoing. That’s how the same political surnames are elected again and again since the Pinoy voter believes that at least these names have proven their worth.

The Dilawan wonders why the Pinoy still votes for the Marcoses. But there’s the former Dilawan who did vote for President Rody Duterte, but chose Robredo for VP, hoping the latter would be the opposition’s eyes and ears in the government.

The 1986 People Power is so long ago, it seems to have lost its luster. But the spirit is still there. Waiting to be revived. With the loudest alarm clock. At the ungodly hour of 3 am. Like catching an early flight.

It’s painful to watch Robredo’s victory being questioned by the son of a former dictator. Parang kailan lang when we went kapit-bisig and drove the Marcoses out of Pinas. How could our generation forget that? Or are we too tired to fight again?

I was watching a video of Alanis Morisette performing “You Oughta Know” in The Howard Stern Show. It was posted on Facebook and since I’ve not deactivated my account yet, it brought back many memories. Morisette’s songs were some of my go-to music for de-stressing way back in the ’90s. That decade was about five to 10 years after the 1986 People Power. The Dilawan was still relevant then, while our generation was busy finding our way in the world, thus, my song choices.

Songs have a strong impact on our memory. It’s like perfume, or the aroma of food, or the sound of a voice, or a whistle.

Years from now when I can’t even remember that ube is my favorite ingredient for anything, my senior-moment mind will come alive once I hear Sting’s “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You,” Pearl Jam’s “Light Years,” Garbage’s “I Think I’m Paranoid,” The Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979,” and Rivermaya’s “Umaaraw, Umuulan.”

Political parties and politicians have their songs, too. For the Dilawan, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” and “Bayan Ko.” For the former dictator and his New Society, “Bagong Pagsilang.” For former First Lady Imelda Marcos, “Feelings”—well, she used to sing that. I don’t know if she has a new repertoire now.

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