How serious is Mandelson?

Last Tuesday, the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council found a solution for the standoff among the three institutions about the issue of Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) flexibilities. The parliamentary vote clears the way for EU member states to ratify the amendment to the WTO Agreement onTRIPS agreed by the global trade body in December 2005. This happened after EU Commissioner on Trade Peter Mandelson assured the parliament that in the Economic Partnership Agreements and "in other future bilateral and regional agreements with poor developing countries, the Commission is not asking and will not ask for provisions which could affect access to medicines or undermine the TRIPS flexibilities contained in the Doha declaration on the TRIPS agreement and public health."

It remains to be seen how sincere Mandelson is. Earlier this year he wrote two letters to Thailand admonishing it for making use of compulsory licenses -- the very same TRIPS "flexibilities" Europe pledged never to undermine.... Moreover, the reference to "poor developing countries" makes me wonder whether he wants to make a distinction between the poorest countries and those that are classified by the World Bank as middle-income countries, like for example... Thailand. Is Mandelson really serious? Wait and see...

Bad Brains: Still got that attitude

When a friend told me some weeks ago that the Bad Brains were coming to Brussels I didn't hesitate to buy a ticket. It would have been unforgivable to forsake this occasion when the Brains are playing just 500 meters from my home. And apparently I was right because last Sunday the Hallen van Schaarbeek were packed with people from all over Europe, as the band played only four concerts this side of the ocean on their mini-tour.

It's not unforgivable not to know the Bad Brains. They never broke through in the mainstream. There aren't many bands who have invented their own genre though. The Brains did when, in the late 1970s, these jazz musicians toyed around with punk, significantly jacking up the speed, until hardcore was born. They were the first and probably also the best hardcore band ever, becoming an inspiration for every generation that has played rock and punk ever since. And if that wasn't enough to make them stand out, they tend to alternate hardcore with reggae during live shows and on their records.

Las time I saw the band must have been about 20 years ago. I had just discovered "Rock for Light", an album that is still on my favorites list (and should be on yours if you care for some pretty intense music), and I was blown away by their frantic live show.

Last Sunday singer HR, known to be extremely unpredictable, was not really with us and his performance was downright dull--hands in his pocket and his head covered with a scarf. The music was great though. The rhythm section is still rock solid at breakneck speed and Dr. Know's guitar playing hasn't lost any of its genius after all those years. The gig was way too short but still it was worthwhile. Even if their new album doesn't live up to the recordings of the early years, the Bad Brains' live shows are still an experience.

Satur was here

Anyone who has ever been able to work with Satur Ocampo can understand what an honor it is to welcome him in Brussels. In Philippine activist circles Bayan Muna congressman Ka Satur is an institution. "My life is the struggle and the struggle is my life," he said in an interview he did with Belgian newspaper De Morgen while he was here. And I swear that in the mouth of Ka Satur these words don't sound hollow.

We visited several European and Belgian Parliamentarians and paid a visit to the representatives of the European Commission. That last visit is what he talked about later on BBC World as you can see in the clip someone posted on youtube.

We had less than 48 hours in Brussels and there wasn't much time to unwind. Last year when he was in Brussels we had some more time and I will always remember how, after three long days of meetings and speaking engagements, he opted to spend time with his compatriots for some light talk. It was already past midnight and he must have been dead tired (at least I was!) but he didn't think twice and immediately accepted the invitation of some Filipinos who were so excited to see a congressman who actually showed interest into their lives. They met Ka Satur, a congressman like no other.

How much of the Philippines have you visited?

Tonyo's blog pointed me to a cool tool that allows you to visualize the places you've visited in the Philippines on a map. Here's my Lakbayan map. Not bad, I guess, for a foreigner.

My Lakbayan grade is B-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

How about you: How much of the Philippines have you visited? Take the quick test today and post the results on your blog.