I AM NINOY
By: Iris P. Concepcion

I will always equate today's relevance in my country with one extraordinary name: Ninoy Aquino.

Just when I thought everything he had thought, said and done is lost in this generation of blitzkrieg info, came an ad titled "I AM NINOY" (I also loved the commercial ad done for a chocolate brand which the brain tipped me off). It is a badge that is easy to wear. It is a socially cool and hip creative yarn with Ninoy's glasses doing a statesman Lennon. He was a true conscience sparkplug and this creative work kind of pricked again that lost sense of decency among us. To the team behind this responsive output, my absolute respect. Come out and be proud.

Why are you Ninoy? The difficulty of squaring off that query is enough testament that the best thing a Filipino can do, stirs and inspires the whole planet but with a somewhat frightening caveat: a solitary responsibility at its hardest. But then, flowers bloomed after the social awakening and that ought to get passed around, unimpeded, lighting up decisions in whatever form. I am a fan of the man and I am the first one to say, his words need to get flourished. I am proud to be Filipino because of two reasons : Ninoy and its artists, both living and dead.

I have one personal request. I had been reached in a galactical way by this hero's kid who is now an entertainment figure in this country. Very forthright woman. Oprah can perhaps do a special on people like Ninoy or Havel straight from the mouths of their children. Real Heroes' Sons and Daughters who had carried on the dreams of their ascendants in quite quiant, oblique and different worlds. I know my personal endorsement wouldn't back off from any tough question with her public, colorful life ----just to fan the spirit that honesty IS cool and truth, palatable. She said in quite a candid and funny way that she had paid her taxes and almost wept at the amount she had to shell out. I guess, that is her way of saying : I want to see infrastructures rightly put because I had paid my dues.

I am doing this because of her father primarily and I am doing this for her talent, albeit secondarily, but deserved.