By Manuel L. Quezon IIITHE LONG VIEW, Phil Daily Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--This involves some arts and crafts, but it’s something you can do in school, at home, in your office (during breaktime, of course) and you will only need scissors, some paste, some cardboard and a stamp. Whoever thought you and I would share a Martha Stewart moment? But it’s for a good cause.
You’ll find, at the bottom of this column, the design for the postcard we intend to mail to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tomorrow. If you’d like to join us, meet us at the foot of the Ninoy Aquino statue in Ayala Avenue, at 11:30 a.m. At 12 noon, sharp, we’re going to make our way to the Makati Central Post Office, to line up, get stamps and send our postcard directly to the President. We expect everything to be done by 1 p.m. If you work in the area, you might want to get permission from your boss to get a little extra grace period from your lunch break. Or if you’re a boss, you may want to let your workers know that you won’t penalize them for taking a few extra minutes from work, to satisfy their civic conscience.
Or, wherever you may be, there’s surely a post office near you. And here’s where the arts and crafts comes in. You can clip out the bigger portion, below, with our message, and paste it on a piece of cardboard, and on the other side, you can paste the smaller image, which is the design for the front of the postcard. Fill it out, add a stamp, and mail it. If you and some friends have access to a Xerox machine, you could make as many postcards as you have sheets of paper (and toner). This is a particularly satisfying use of office supplies if your boss happens to be a crony of the President.
If you’d like to print a full-color version, or the greeting card version, please visit http://www.pinoybigbriber.com. Vote and click on the “downloadables” link, now na!
That’s all there is to it. It sends a message direct to She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named (except in the postcard), lets her know exactly how you feel, and is a perfectly legal, democratic exercise of your right to be heard and to let your highest official know your sentiments. Encourage your friends to do the same. And if you don’t like our design, design your own! Create your own message! But send it, and if you can, send it on Friday so that piles and piles of postcards reach the President’s desk and she knows exactly how you feel.
Tomorrow, Filipinos in Riyadh, San Francisco, Seoul, Tokyo, Cambodia and Hong Kong will be bringing manifestos to their local Philippine embassy or consulate expressing their dissatisfaction with the cash bar and buffet in the Palace, and with all the multiplying manifestations of monkey business on the part of our officials.
There will be postcards sent, too. A reader from Dubai has already sent his; another from Riyadh has also sent his, and made copies to distribute to friends; another reader, a full-time mother, will be mailing hers from Laguna. This act of peaceful protest is also being adopted by other groups, which have their own messages to send, but which all have agreed on one, single addressee.
Personally, I’m going to send the postcard to selected congressmen and governors, and some bishops, because, as you can see, the message is applicable not only to the operator of the cash buffet, but also to those taking turns to line up for a cash feeding from the She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named (except in the postcard).
See you tomorrow!
