“Such is the endless dilemma of dialect. Not every reader will ever agree with the way that I handle it, no matter how hard I work to keep everything readable. But again it’s that balance I have to maintain between keeping it easy and keeping it real, and I know that I’ll never please everyone.” –Susanna Kearsley

I was at the United Nations in New York City yesterday for the official opening of the 74th General Assembly. I was there as a journalist from Southeast Asia—“the third world”—with a primary duty to listen to state leaders and collect material for future articles. I have no major role aside from gathering facts and share stories on my blog and newspaper column.
More importantly, I will be chronicling this event amid a backdrop of crises—from climate change to economic uncertainty to flaring conflict. There are a myriad of issues that don’t directly involve the Philippines but, in one way or the other, will affect how Filipinos live and interact with the rest of the world over the next 10 years and beyond.

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If I were to represent the Philippines in the UN, I would speak in Kinaray-a, or Karay-a. It would then be the job of UN interpreters to translate one of the most colorful dialects in the world into English.
The Kinaray-a inhabit the coastal areas and riversides of western Panay and the interior of Panay. They are also founds in certain villages in Mindanao, according to the Ethnic Groups of the Philippines, an educational non-profit website.
They are also reportedly populations in Antique and Iloilo.
Hiligaynon, the language of the Ilonggos, was derived from Kinaray-a.
The website noted, the Kinaray-a are striving to preserve their traditions and have reportedly created their own kind of music called Original Kinaray-a Music (OKM).
Their theme song, “Antique, Banwa nga Hamili,” expresses the love they have for their home, their banwa—the birthplace of a hardworking, brave group of people.
In the 1940s, many Kinaray-a reportedly left for Mindanao, lured by the promise of bountiful fertile lands. Being an industrious people, those who settled in Mindanao established well-heeled communities and achieved great prosperity. Regrettably, tension has been reportedly growing between the Kinaray-a and neighboring Muslim groups, who feel their lands have been unfairly taken over.
It’s about time the UN heard the Kinaray-a within its chamber.

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The UN is currently concerned with resolving the ongoing conflict between Japan and South Korea. According to the New York Times, rooted in the legacy of Japan’s wartime occupation, the issue has led to downgraded trade relations and an end of an intelligence-sharing agreement.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea are not expected to meet and it is unclear is US President Donald Trump can broker a three-way conversation. In addition, they shared goal of a denuclearized North Korea may see little to no progress.
While Moon is expected to urge Trump to renew his push for diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, no senior North Korean officials plan to attend the General Assembly.

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Alex P. Vidal, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo./WDJ