Utang nga kabalaslan

By Alex P. Vidal

“Everybody talks about wanting to change things and help and fix, but ultimately all you can do is fix yourself. And that’s a lot. Because if you can fix yourself, it has a ripple effect.” – Rob Reiner

WE shouldn’t condemn people who continue to look up to former President Rodrigo Duterte with high adulation and veneration even if he is now detained in the The Hague.

We shouldn’t question why there are so-called “Marcos loyalists”; why there are still Aquino devotees, and even fans of Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo and so on and so forth.

We all have utang nga kabalaslan (debt of gratitude) with anyone who become part of our life in one way or the other, especially those instrumental in lifting us up from dire straits.

Big favors we owe from anyone become heavy debt of gratitude.

When somebody lent us money “at a time when we needed it most”, that’s utang nga kabalaslan in Hiligaynon or utang na loob in Tagalog that’s hard to ignore, deny or forget.

When we get appointments in “profitable” government positions by the sitting governor, mayor, or even president, that’s a huge and major league-level utang nga kabalaslan.

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This explains why some Filipinos continue to give mind-boggling allegiance and even heap (mostly undeserved) praises on political has-beens and disgraced former leaders with derogatory records.

It’s mostly utang nga kabalaslan as the culprit, not because those former leaders with shady characters with loathsome history are respectable and doyens of public service.

There are those who have enriched themselves while in power because they were placed in that lucrative appointed portfolios when their bosses—the former political leaders—were still in power.

We can’t underestimate the level of loyalty and admiration they continue and will continue to give those former leaders who “changed their lives.”

Among Filipinos, debt of gratitude is embodied by favors, a profound cultural value meaning “debt of the inner self,” creating a lifelong obligation to repay significant favors with loyalty and support, deeply influencing family, social, and business relationships, often involving non-monetary reciprocity but sometimes causing stress, especially when expectations clash with individual needs or Western values.

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In a recent Swedish study of nearly 5,000 boys ages 15 to 18, those who ate fish frequently scored higher on intelligence tests. How much higher? Eating fish once a week was enough to boost scores by an average of 6 percent. Eating fish more than that resulted in nearly an 11 percent increase.

TAI CHI HELPS STROKE VICTIMS. 136 adults who had suffered a stroke more than six months earlier took three months of weekly classes in the Chinese movement practice tai chi or a general exercise regimen that included breathing techniques and stretching. The tai chi group outperformed the other group in tests that involved balance.

SAVING OUR PLANET.  Let’s push away pest. The smell of camomile deters most small flies. Let’s make our own pesticide by infusing camomile flowers in hot water for ten minutes. Spray on plants to prevent pests alighting.

SAVING OUR NATURE. The dirty work. When we rent glasses for our next party, let’s try to find a hire company that takes them back dirty and washes them. They will probably be washing in bulk so it will be more energy efficient than we doing it.

BETTER BREAST CANCER SCREENING. New research: In a study of 334 women at high risk for breast cancer (due to personal history or other factors), 86 women alternated between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening and mammography at six-month intervals for up to four years. Result: This method detected a total of eight cancers–all of which were identified by MRI–three were found by mammography.

HOW TO BECOME A GREEN TEA LOVER. About 50 types of Chinese or Japanese green tea can be found at specialty-food stores or online. If we don’t like the taste of green tea, let’s just add lemon and/or one teaspoon of sugar or honey–and try iced green tea.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)