Makibaka wag Matakot


Makibaka would be my name if I naturalize as a citizen of Timbuktu, feisty name for the feisty character I wish people I know would characterize me with. Unfortunately, I was mostly seen as a stubborn or worse, bitter or defensive for speaking up my mind.
Makibaka is a call to fight for one's rights. I associate the cry to Karina David, my former professor in Diliman for the community development class that I was then enrolled in. Her story: she was driving to her husband's home province in Pampanga with her young children one day and they passed by a herd of cows. Baka is the Pilipino term for cow and as she pointed to the cows and referred them in Pilipino to one of her toddlers.
"Baka wag atakot" was the toddlers reply. The child's reply to Karina was an awakening that she is becoming too engrossed on activism that her children are adapting into.Karina was a known street parliamentarian. I don't know if she still goes to the streets to raise her fist in advocacy. She must be near 70s now.

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