Poverty's martyr

They say that 12-year-old Mariannet Amper of Davao City committed suicide out of quiet desperation over her school absences, her inability to catch up with school work and the growing poverty of her family. Mariannet's diary and an unsent letter to 'Wish Ko Lang" were found tucked under her pillows. In her letter, Mariannet wished for a bicycle, a school bag and jobs for her parents. Her wishes reflected her gentle soul: a wish for the child she was in the present, a wish for the woman she could have been in future, and a third wish to give away to the ones she loved. That it was unsent and only fulfilled after her death shows just how sharply and mercilessly poverty cuts the soul of our nation. It is testament to the tragic failure of government to serve its people.

Was Mariannet suffering from chronic depression, or was she simply a tender soul who couldn’t bear anymore to live in the looming shadow of poverty? Whichever the answer, poverty embraced her soul with a tenacity that shattered the last vestiges of hope in her 12-year old being.

In memory of Mariannet Amper

It is said that 12-year-old Mariannet Amper of Davao City committed suicide out of quiet desperation over her school absences, her inability to catch up with school work and the growing poverty of her family. Mariannet's diary and an unsent letter to 'Wish Ko Lang" were found tucked under her pillows. In her letter, Mariannet wished for a bicycle, a school bag and jobs for her parents.

Pag-alaala kay Mariannet Amper

Panahon ng tag-lagas
nang dumapo sa aking isipan
ang iyong pangalan,
Mariannet Amper.

Saksi ako sa ritwal ng mga dahong
dahan-dahang nagsasayaw
hanggang sa ang hardin
ay natakluban ng dilaw,
kayumanngi
at pulang nahihimbing
habang pilit pa ring
tinatanto ng pangangatwiran
ang dahilan ng iyong paglisan.

Hindi ko ito agad naintindihan.

Siguro dahil sa hindi ko mapagtugma
ang imahen ng isang
labing-dalawang taong bata
at nylon rope.

Desperasyon, obsesyon, kombulsyon
separasyon, imahinasyon
walang-hanggang prosesyon
ng mga araw na nakabitin sa bangin
ng katiyakan.

Hindi ang kawalang-kasiguruduhan
ang nagtulak sa iyong magpumiglas
kundi ang katiyakan
na walang himbing kang makakamit
sa pagtulog,
walang magandang panaginip
kahit na ilista mo ang iyong mga pangarap
at itago sa ilalim ng iyong unan:
bisikleta
iskul bag
mas magandang trabaho
para sa iyong mga magulang.

Ay, Mariannet Amper —
labing-dalawang taong gulang
ng aking panahon —
tinitigan mo ang kahirapan
at ikaw ay nayanig!

Sino kami para ikaw ay hatulan?
Hindi sapat ang ligayang
naidulot sa iyo ng pag-aaral,
hindi sapat ang pagmamahal
ng kapatid o sakripisyo ng magulang.

Tinitigan mo ang kahirapan
at ikaw ay nayanig
sa katiyakan ng kanyang pangako.

Hindi sapat ang pinabaon naming pag-asa —
kaya mo pa ba kaming patawarin?

Sana’y makamtan mo na ngayon
Ang mailap na katahimikan.
Wala na kaming iba pang pabaon
kundi ang pangakong
hindi ka namin kalilimutan,

Mariannet Amper —
labing-dalawang taong gulang
ng aking panahon.

thoughts on games and ads

i make a distinction between games that are / part of the interactive narrative itself and those that are obtrusive because they're real function is just to be simply channels of the brand. many companies nowadays use stories or games in online campaigns albeit unsuccessfully, because they still tend to apply old rules to a new medium. a lot of creativity - and restraint - are needed for advergames. creativity in developing concepts that authentically reflect users needs and restraint in injecting the brand in every nook and corner. i think for and advergame to be successful it should be prepared to lose part of its advertising nature and embrace the fun and chaos of games. advertisers should immerse themselves in the gamers' world and respect their culture. start with the very basic: gamers don't like being distracted from the game. that's just disrespectful and totally against the Code ;-p .the challenge is to make the 'branded environment' disappear: weave the proposition seamlessly with gameplay. this is why emotional interfaces like avatars can hold huge potential for advertising or branding. make it about the user, not about the brand. brand = user.

check out two sites i got from our company blog:
jelly battle - these jelly-buggers are quite addictive. simple, smart, entertaining. kewl.
le courage was visually stunning and had a promising basis, but the story was not cohesive and was not sustained. it was thin. also there wasn't really a gameplay to speak of. the game was more of an afterthought that an integral part of the story.