Redeemed Spirit

South Cotabato Tambayan is my choice

2011-11-30T21:42:00.001+08:00

It's time for the
2011 Philippine Blog Awards Bloggers' Choice
and with matching double thumbs up
I choose from among the finalists

South Cotabato Tambayan!

The blog of bloggers!

The blog that's bringing the whole South Cotabato
to the world!

My New 7 Wonders of Nature

2011-11-01T07:09:00.000+08:00

Puerto Princesa Underground River trek circa 1994

Have you cast your vote for the New 7 Wonders of Nature? You have about 10 days left to vote if you haven't done so. Voting ends November 11, 2011 (that's 11-11-11 for you). I just sent my own verdict a while ago, through the New7Wonders website. You may not be interested with my picks, but here they are nonetheless in no particular order, each with snippets of the wisdom behind my vote:

The Amazon of South America. The largest rainforest is found here. Sadly, among the fastest rates of deforestation also happens here. The Amazon rainforest produces 20% of the earth's oxygen, earning for it the monicker "The Lungs of the Planet". This tropical ecosystem is shared by nine countries.
Great Barrier Reef of Australia and Papua New Guinea. This is the "Amazon" of the coastal and marine ecosystem in terms of size. The reef is the biggest single structure made by living organisms and can be seen from the moon.
Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. This is where one finds the biggest concentration of endemic species. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was born here. Without Darwin, there would have been fewer atheists and agnostics, and society would have been a lot boring.
Komodo National Park of Indonesia. The earth's largest living lizards - the Komodo Dragons - call the Komodo and nearby islands home. Their only home; so unlike their cousins who are also able to survive in Congress.
The Dead Sea of Israel, Palestine and Jordan. The lowest point on the earth's surface. No creatures (except for some microorganisms) live in its waters because of its high salinity (saltiness, in our terms); hence the name. What's more fascinating is that one can float on it without really trying. Click here and watch. Bad location for mafiosos to dump dead bodies.
Halong Bay of Vietnam. I was there two years ago. The mysticism of the place is just overwhelming. Simply awesome.
Underground River of Puerto Princesa, Philippines. But of course!

There are more of the finalists that deserve my vote, but since I am being limited to voting for just seven, I am sticking with my list above. I have never been to these places, except for the last two; but I have always been fascinated by them since childhood and have continued to get awed as I read and hear stories about them time and again. I hope you will also find them amazing and will also include them in your own list.

Halong Bay, Vietnam circa 2009

Related article: Vietnam and the Philippines united by nature

Looking forward to a Dallas-Miami NBA Finals

2011-05-26T23:23:00.000+08:00

http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com

In the classic battle between youth and experience, the latter always edges out victorious. This was proven once again in the just concluded Western Conference Finals of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The veterans-led Dallas Mavericks won over the youthful Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-1, in a very offensive-minded conference championship series (only in Game 3 did both teams go under 100 points).

That 4-1 slate looks deceiving though, as Dallas actually did not completely dominate the whole series. In fact, the last two games were OKC games, simply stolen by the Mavs in the endgame. In Game 4, Kevin Durant and company were up by 15 points with just under 5 minutes to play but could only manage 2 points the rest of the way as Dallas dropped in 17 points to force the game into overtime. Dallas eventually won, 112-105. Game 5 was pretty much the same story. OKC led Dallas most of the game before the latter staged a 17-6 run down the stretch to steal the show from the Thunder, 100-96.

But you have to give it to the OKC Thunder. This is the youngest team in the league in terms of players' age (average: 24); and in just its 3rd season as a relocated franchise (they were formerly the Seattle Supersonics), they have come this close to a conference championship. A little fine-tuning of its endgame poise, it will not be difficult to imagine OKC becoming the youngest ever NBA titlist next year.

Dallas is returning to the NBA Finals after its first ever stint at the championship in 2006 ended in a debacle. Five years ago, the Mavericks dominated the league and was actually up 2-0 against the Miami Heat at the onset of the finals before folding up amidst a 4-game rampage by Shaquille O'neal, Dwyane Wade and company.

By some fateful twist, the Mavericks will probably find themselves tangled once again with the same team that dealt them broken hearts in 2006. The Heat, as of this writing, is leading its own series against the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern conference, 3-1. The odds favor Miami, as a 3-1 card in the NBA playoffs have always resulted in the front-runner eventually winning the series except on only 3 occasions in the past.

Dallas and Miami may eventually mix it up once again in the finals, but both are not the same teams as five years ago. The Mavericks is still led by 12-year veteran Dirk Nowitzki but there's just Jason Terry left with him in the roster of the team which bowed to Miami in 2006. On the other hand, 29-year old Dwyane Wade still plays guard with the Heat but now forms the third post of a formidable triumvirate within the team known in the league as "the other Big 3", with MVP Lebron James (formerly of Cleveland) and erstwhile Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh. Now, that might sound like the scale tipping off in favor of Miami; but one has got to be reminded that Dallas actually won over Miami in their only two meetings in the regular season.

http://www.zimbio.com

I am almost sure there are quite a number of Filipino basketball fans who have lost interest in the NBA playoffs after favorites L.A. Lakers, Boston, and San Antonio got eliminated. But for the remaining diehards, everyone will be tuning in beginning next week; and it's almost certain that many will be rooting for the Miami Heat to repeat over Dallas. After all, the team is coached by Erik Spoelstra, a Filipino-American.

Me, I am happy that I see no L.A. or Boston in the finals.

A vote for Life With Ria

2010-12-08T10:20:00.004+08:00

The Philippine Blog Awards 2010 Bloggers' Choice Award is up

and my vote goes to Life With Ria.

Consider this vote an affirmative action

for women, for Mindanao...

If you feel like doing the same, click HERE for the voting mechanics.

If you want to know more of Ria click on the image

A feast awaits you at the BLOGFEST 2010 SOCCSKSARGEN

2010-12-02T22:12:00.002+08:00

Blogger? Where will a couple of hundreds and a fifty pesos take you these days? To Jollibee or McDo for a hearty meal? No, you won't find anything good for your heart in those places. I'd rather that you have your hard-earned money take you to the Grand Ballroom of East Asia Royale Hotel in General Santos City come next weekend. What awaits you there is a feast that will not only satiate your heart and stomach, but your mind and spirit as well.

On December 11, 2020, Mindanao's Funnest, the SOCCSKSARGEN Bloggers (more gamely called the Sox Bloggers) holds BLOGFEST 2010 SOCCSKSARGEN, a convention of bloggers and new media enthusiasts from the region and various parts of the country.

The whole-day affair will feature fun, food and freebies. But the real headline of the event is the presence of some of the biggies of the blogosphere who are slated to share their valuable thoughts on a range of new media-related topics. Consider these:

You do not want to miss this. For more details and updates on the event, visit soxbloggers.com. To register for the event. click HERE.

Pacquiao-Margarito: Are you excited?

2010-11-13T19:52:00.001+08:00

Lamenting a Margarito vs. Pacquiao. Well, not anymore. Not a day's time from now, the fight will finally happen and is going to get done.

Are you excited? Me, I am a Filipino; and if only for the fact that compatriot Manny is about to carve another milestone in world boxing history, another unprecedented feat, I am excited. Eight (8) world titles in eight (8) weight divisions. Only the macho Hector Camacho's record comes near - 7-in-7; never mind if half of his came from fighting bouts sanctioned by pro boxing governing bodies you and I have never heard of (e.g. IBC, NBA). But outside of this prospect? Well, there's still history - a first in Philippine history, at least - in having a Philippine congressman winning a world boxing championship during his term of office.

Again, are you excited? Me, frankly, not exactly. I lamented 2 years ago over a Pacquiao vs. Margarito non-prospect because I wanted them to fight 2 years ago. Before the Mexican was demolished by American Shane Mosley. When there was real glory ripe for Manny's picking. When Margarito was still the world's (WBA) best welterweight; handwrap gizmos and all.

Tomorrow is far from this ideal. Margarito is still struggling to regain form (after being beaten to a pulp by Mosley in late 2008) as evidenced by his so-so performance in his last fight against Roberto Garcia in May this year. I even would want to believe he is already past his prime. Tomorrow's fight will be for the vacant WBC 154-lb light middleweight (or super-welterweight) belt; Margarito, now a natural middleweight, barely made the required catchweight (150 lbs) at yesterday's weigh-in. Some say this negotiated catchweight thing highly favors Manny. I say, this fight is all set up for the Pacman; especially after the failed negotiations with Pretty Boy Chicken.

Two years ago, a Margarito-Pacquiao would have been a classic. Tomorrow's version of it will be a rather predictable one. But who knows? In boxing there is also what they call a lucky punch. Now, I am excited.

Remembering Kagawad Osting

2010-08-28T13:00:00.423+08:00

Kagawad Osting would have been 82 today had he not succumbed to a liver ailment on February 27 at the turn of the century. No, I did not write this because I remembered him on his birthday today. I remember him all the time. If I will write of things about him every time I remember him, I will never be able to do any other thing for the rest of my life; for there are many sides to the life of Kagawad Osting worth writing theses about. It will probably be a breeze for my older siblings to recall and write about his early life in Bohol, his birthplace; and his earlier sojourn to this place which then had just called itself General Santos. Me, I always associate him with his being a farmer (and a gardener!) and a public servant (the original meaning of "government official") at the same time.

You find that hard to believe? How can one be a farmer and a government official at the same? My Grade 3 teacher could not believe it either. She had our class bring some farming/gardening tools to school and I was assigned to bring a pala (shovel/spade). I failed to bring in one the next day because, I reasoned out, the tool was being used by my father. My teacher could not hold back her exasperated wonder: "Ano'ng ginapala ng tatay mo sa city hall (What's your father using a shovel for at city hall)?". I had forgiven my teacher for her momentary ignorance.

Kagawad Osting in one of his stints as acting mayor of Gensan

Kagawad Osting was a farmer. During his prime, he had in the backyard of his household a Green Revolution. His farm in the barrio was planted to coconuts, vegetables and a staple of corn (maize), sorghum, cotton and tobacco, season in season out. Kagawad Osting was a also public servant. He had served the government in many capacities - from being a barangay captain (teniente del barrio), a city councilor, to being acting mayor of General Santos City on a few occasions. Ask me not how he was able perform such multi-roles (including being the head of his household) for I cannot provide you a definite answer. All I know is that Kagawad Osting's life had always been driven by industry and diligence. One moment I see him weeding and felling "excess" vegetation in his backyard; the next he is on a tricycle/pedicab going to city hall.

When I am in General Santos City I remember Kagawad Osting. When I see the big building that is the City Hall, I remember Kagawad Osting and how it used to be the old smaller edifice at the back which now houses the COMELEC office among others. When I see the public market I remember Kagawad Osting and how it had moved back and forth between its present location and across the boulevard; and how he (being chair of the public market committee at the city council) had to parry not a few bribery attempts from local big businesses for premium spaces inside the market. When I see the ubiquitous tricycle/pedicab, I remember Kagawad Osting for he was the only tricycle-riding member of the Sanggunian during his time. Not that if city hall, the public market and the tricycle disappear will I also forget Kagawad Osting; for there will always be something in Gensan which will remind me of him. Besides, how can a son forget his father?

My mother quips time and again, whatever good there are in General Santos City now owe something to Kagawad Osting and the others who have honestly served the city in the past. I guess only a handful knows. Even fewer will remember.

Our Philips takes a bow

2010-01-31T19:03:00.058+08:00

Philips TV Model 14GX8510/71R. Google it and most probably you get pointed to sites that provide service manuals or schematics or remote control replacements for it. For this is an old TV. Fifteen (15) years since it was bought; by my ex-girlfriend a year before we tied the knot (formally, that is). Since the day when it became my TV set too (thanks to the absence of a pre-nup) this 14" has been my constant source of news, movie re-runs and other TV entertainment crap. Since that day up until about a week ago.

I am always of the opinion that a small television set is enough (if not a better option) for a family that lives in a small house. By small house I mean no more than like those in most low-cost housing where living rooms (yes, we always place our TV in the sala) measure just around 3x4 meters. I always find them funny finding gigantic TV sets competing for space against giant sofas and other equally enormous muebles in the tight salas of households that I visit; not to mention seeing children's faces glued to these sets just inches away quite literally. Annoyingly funny.

This thought is shared by my family. That is why the last 15 years we have never thought of replacing our Philips 14" color TV. Why, it has never failed us. Except for the battered remote control and a broken indoor aerial (which became useless when we moved in where we are now in this part of the world, really), every button on the thing is still working like the way it was when it was brand new. The quality of its picture and sound has diminished very little. A small TV for a small family (although we now live in a house with a bigger living room); it's all we need.

Until one day a few months ago when a former househelp paid us a visit and amusingly exclaimed to herself and to her kid daughter upon entering our sala "Ay, kaliit pa rin ng TV nila!" (roughly: "Wow, they still have their small TV!"). Now we know why our other previous guests would glance at the same TV every now and then with a similar though more suppressed bemusement; even in times when the set was turned off. Ah, we could almost hear the thing screaming, embarrassed by the unwanted attention: "Please get me inside the bedroom!"

We had to respond to the silent revolt.

Our Philips with its successor in the background

Our Philips' replacement is a larger Samsung (21") TV but is nowhere near the quality of its predecessor, pound for pound, that is. It's the cheapest in the market, and no one seems to be selling a Philips brand in these parts. We bought it through credit so what more can we ask. We just wanted our Philips to retire. A way of saying thanks to it for virtually bringing the world into our sala through the years.

Coca-Cola Tigers' one-miss-you-die and Brian Viloria

2010-01-24T14:03:00.009+08:00

I got reminded when I opened today's Sunday Inquirer. Two local sports news that matter; at least to some of us including me.

One is about boxer Brian Viloria's hospitalization after losing his title yesterday to Colombian light-fly Carlos Tamara.

I was able to catch the second half of the fight over Solar TV's delayed telecast yesterday. I was prompted to do so after seeing a real-time bulletin in another channel that announced his defeat. I was not surprised of the flash bulletin knowing Viloria's tendency to lose big fights (announce his retirement and come back winning again). But I wanted to know how he lost this time.

I caught up with the fight midway (Round 6) and all the more I got intrigued about the turnout as it was Viloria I saw pounding his opponent. And the mauling (of Tamara) went on for another 2 rounds. The commentators were flashing their scorecard showing a sweep by Viloria since round one.

It was on the ninth round when the wind suddenly swept reverse. Viloria went like a freshly drenched pulp while Tamara looked as if he had just guzzled a gallon of Cobra energy drink. It was all downhill for Viloria from then on. Made me scratch my scalp: what's happening, did the Colombian Mafia made a call to either camp expressing its disagreement of how things were turning out in the first half?

Viloria could still have won the fight (on points) had he survived the final round. But we all should thank referee Bruce McTavish for saving the Fil-Am's life. The fight had to be halted as all Viloria could do in the final minute was to act like a worn-out punching bag to Tamara.

Now, Viloria is undergoing observation at the Makati Medical Center where he was brought after he collapsed in the dressing room after the fight. His CT scan results reportedly showed negative of any alarming injuries. Thank God.

The other news is Philippine basketball's (PBA) own knockout games tonight. A double-header at that. Rain or Shine vs. Sta. Lucia and Coca-Cola vs. Burger King. Will watch the latter game on TV.

No, I am not back to my old PBA-fanatic self once again like I used to when Alvin (Patrimonio) and Jolas (Jojo Lastimosa) were still leading Purefoods. It's just that I have grown some affinity with the present Coca-Cola Tigers after watching them play live three posts ago.

Ok, I know it must be because I have kababayans in the team. On the other hand though, you have to give it to the Tigers. They were on the brink when I last saw them play, 1-11, but now are 6-12. If my math is right, that's five games won against a single loss since then. Truly they have made good so far with their promise that 2010 is going to be the year of the Tigers.

An interesting dimension to Coca-Cola's do or die game tonight is they are facing the team (Burger King) whom they have recently traded key players with. It will be a curious thing to see how Alex Cabagnot (G) and Wesley Gonzales (F) will work towards eliminating their former colleagues.

The winners of tonight's double-header will face each other on Wednesday for another KO game.

-ooOoo-

UPDATE: The Tigers won, 118-112, after a scare - squandering a 21-point lead in the final quarter. Had they lost, they would have clearly deserved it. They will face Rain or Shine on Wednesday.

photos above by Pat Roque/AP and www.pba.com respectively

Photojournalism Workshop 2009: It's the person behind, not the camera...

2010-01-21T14:17:00.165+08:00

My first post for 2010, and it is about an event of a year ago (and I mean it only because it happened in 2009!)

It was on December 21, 2009 (a month ago today) when bloggers from all over Soccsksargen gathered to do mainly two things: (1) take lessons on basic photo-journalism and (2) exchange Christmas gifts.

The event was initiated by world-famous Gensan blogger Avel Manansala and was made possible through the benevolence of Orman Manansala of Asia United Bank and the inspired contributions of other Gensan bloggers like Sheng Dumalay and Sir Gilbert Tan.

The Farm @ Carpenter Hill, a hotel-resto garden resort in Koronadal City, provided the food and venue for the 1-day event; and served as an excellent subject and backdrop for the blogger-participants' practicum during the photojournalism workshop.

The workshop (which intentionally did not delve into the technical side of photography) was handled by veteran and renowned photojournalist Jojie Alcantara who ably provided input on several key guiding theories and principles on taking good photos (e.g. rule of thirds, looking for patterns and leading lines, using perspectives, etc.). With Ms. Jojie were co-photography artists Joyce Mariscal and Bogsy San Juan.

Here are some of the blogger-participants' raw photos taken during the workshop (mind you, only two of these photos were taken using a DSLR, the others were shot from a point-&-shoot cam, a China phone, and an early P&S model with a 16MB memory card):

by Hecky Minoza

by Van Almeria

by Remo Aguilar

by Kristan Franco

by Rabsky Villanueva

The above output along with the gigabytes of other photos brought home by the participants after the workshop once again has reaffirmed the perpetual photographers' dictum "It's not the camera, it's the person behind the lens..."

The Farm's Asst. Manager Mr. Jovic Ferrer

I got a coffee mug and a t-shirt as Christmas gifts :)

The Pax

AVATAR: Poorly Written, Visually Stunning. Go Watch It

2009-12-22T21:11:00.020+08:00

There should be two or more agenda for a visit to Gensan to proceed; I remember sharing this personal carbon footprint-lessening policy in a previous post. I am happy to note that the policy is holding. This morning, I and my small family went to Gensan to grace my inaanak's (godson) birthday. We had another purpose: watch the movie Avatar.

My 10-yo kid Anakin, who is not a fan of watching movies in theaters (he'd rather watch videos at home), was not at first keen on the idea. But two hours and forty-five minutes later, like us he came out of Robinsons Movieworld mesmerized; overjoyed by the visual feast he just went through.

Technically speaking, Avatar is a movie like no other that I have seen. To say that the visuals were outstanding is an understatement. I have heard that cutting-edge visual effects/cgi technology was employed to make this movie, ushering in a new era in film-making. I am reminded of the pioneering sci-fi's of the likes of Spielberg and Lucas in the 1970s and 80s (Star Wars trilogy, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, etc.); the ooohhs and the aaahhs of the audience awed by the never-before-seen visual FX, never mind the tunog-lata (tinny) sound reproduction of the local moviehouse.

But Avatar is no Bladerunner, the Ridley Scott masterpiece which in 1982 provided us both award-winning visual production and good narrative. Avatar's plot is just so over-simplistic. Well, I know it's simply a fantasy film, a fiction; and the bad narrative might have served the film well -- the audience gets to focus more on the enormous visual canvas, gets a thrill ride and goes out of the moviehouse smiling (even coming back the next day to watch the movie again).

But I also heard Director James Cameron and company confirming Avatar's discernible desire to get an anti-war and pro-environment message across. It would have elevated the movie some notches higher on the billboard of appreciation if the plot approximated the real stories of current advocacies in the area of peace and environment. Because these stories do not usually have happy endings.

The concept of the avatar program, I like. I appreciate the parallelism of the avatars (more that of Grace, etal than Jake's) to the development workers of the real world. The latter (well, at least some of them; sometimes called community facilitators or community relations officers) are usually employed by institutions like government and private companies and deployed in the front lines to clear the way (diplomatically, that is) for "development" projects on the ground. They immerse with the communities, establish cordial relationships with the people, and help find alternatives for those that may be displaced by the "projects". In mining companies, they are usually the most sincere in as far as goodwill and the promise of genuine upliftment for the communities are concerned; and like in Avatar, they usually become sacrificial pawns in the arena of development aggression.

In the movie, aggression comes in the form of direct military invasion; as management of the mining company becomes impatient over the "slow" progress of diplomacy and integration as espoused by Jake, Grace, etal. This is where the movie becomes OA. The love affair between the Na'vi's Neytiri and Jake (or his avatar for that matter) is more believable than the portrayal of aggression as the unleashing of military hardware. In the real world, the more telling aggressions on the environment are done subtly and discreetly: hiding records, undervaluing compensation, legal compromises, etc. like what big business did (or tried to do) in Erin Brockovich (2000); and classic in the Philippine context, paying off people.

But I do agree that development aggression, especially that done in behalf of business, is planned; its planning based not on the preparedness of communities but dictated by markets. In Avatar, you have a "little gray rock that sells 20 million a kilo" (I presume "million" here is in dollars), what business sense is there to wait for diplomacy to fully work before you mine?

The central character of Jake Sully is lame. It does not even help that the character itself is played out as a paraphlegic marine. For why is a paraphlegic still sitting on a wheelchair in a world where technology can already make humans travel from Kansas to Pandora? Nonoy Zuniga already got his prosthetics during Marcos' time! Cameron should have built on the character of Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and her team, if Cameron indeed wants to deliver a statement on the environment. The story of many development workers on the ground tasked to mediate between and among communities, government and private entities is represented by Grace in the movie. It is a story that does not always end happily but one that poses challenges to old premises in environmental and development advocacies.

Well maybe Sigourney Weaver already had her time with Gorillas In The Mist (1988).

Meanwhile, Jake Sully is only incidental to the whole plot. He accepts the challenge to serve in Pandora in honor of his dead brother; finds himself addicted to his avatar who can walk unlike him; is lost in the jungle while in his avatar and rescued by a Na'vi princess; immerses and learns the ways of the Na'vi people in the service of military intelligence; falls in love with the princess; changes heart and rallies the people against the establishment; eventually calls to Pandora's deity Eywa for help, which the latter heeded. The classic outsider-becomes-hero saves the day for the entire village. Corny.

But forget about the story, for Pete's sake. We all know better that war and conquest do not justify any end, and that nature does fight back when pushed to its limits; though its own viperwolves, titanotheres and thanators do not specify particular villains but rather target all humanity.

Go watch the movie for the visual carnival. To enjoy it more, watch it if you can in a top-notch theatre that offers 3D or at least a qualified surround sound. Robinsons Movieworld in Gensan is not one (at least, as of this writing).

If you work for a mining company, all the more you should go watch it... please.

Coca-Cola Tigers vs. Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters in Gensan Live!

2009-12-03T08:39:00.026+08:00

A live PBA game in Gensan! This is certainly an early Christmas gift not only for the Generals but for the residents of the entire SOCCSKSARGEN region as well. Thanks to the General Santos Local Government and Paper View Office and School Supplies, the Coca-Cola Tigers and Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters will slug it out at the General Santos Gym in Lagao, General Santos City this Saturday, December 5, 2009 beginning at 5:00 p.m. This event is part of the official roster of big events of PASKO sa Gensan 2009.

This excites me. I have watched live PBA games back in the 1990's when I was still Metro Manila-based and there's nothing like watching in the flesh one's favorite hoop players on the hardcourt. I have since resettled back to my hometown and have completely missed all other provincial sorties of the PBA in Gensan (and in nearby cities). But I am going to make this time an exception.

What's in store for us in a Tigers vs. Tropang Texters game? Complete thrill and excitement!

One, Coca-Cola's back is against the wall. With only one won game in 10 outings so far, there's no other option for the Tigers but to shed more blood for this game.

Two, Coca-Cola may be kulelat, but the local crowd will be on its side, not only because of the Filipinos' noted penchant for the underdog, but owing mainly to the presence of local kababayans among the Tigers. Bariles of GenSan News Online Mag informs us that besides coach Kenneth Duremdes whom everybody knows to be a native of Koronadal, there's also rookie small forward/offguard Francis Allera who is a General himself; and of course, assistant coach Dolreich "Bo" Perasol who hails from Lagao, Gensan. Now, here's a sidebar to this: Coach Kenneth has just been promoted as Coca-Cola's alternate board governor so Bo is taking over as head coach for the Tigers this Saturday and onwards.

Three, Talk 'n Text is the defending Philippine Cup champion. With prolific playmaker and shooter, Finals MVP, and current scoring leader Mark Cardona leading the team, expect a run-and-gun game from the Tropang Texters who are out to improve its current 6-4 win loss record.

Ha! I am not only going to watch Coca-Cola Tigers vs. Talk n' Text Tropang Texters in Gensan, I am going to be at courtside with my 10-year old kid Anakin, who is an NBA fanatic and who is doubly thrilled by the prospect of watching his first live professional basketball game. It's the next best thing to being at the Staples Center in LA, he says.

Manny Pacquiao: More than Firepower... Speed!

2009-11-15T15:18:00.017+08:00

When and where was it that I last pointed to speed as fast becoming a crucial if not the most important factor in professional boxing? It was here.

You needed more proof? You should have watched the latest fight of Manny Pacquiao - probably the biggest epitome of speed in the world of professional boxing - as you should have watched all the fights of his career.

And if you are among those who were horrified by the turnout of the first three rounds of his fight against Miguel Cotto, then you are probably among the converts now joining the ranks of believers in the philosophy that speed means everything in boxing.

I predicted the fight would end in 3 rounds but I was horrified too because it was Cotto who was unexpectedly displaying the speed that I anticipated would end the fight early in favor of my countryman.

Speed, and his inherent power, Cotto was at his best in the opening round; my 10-year old kid was covering his face with throw pillow fearing the worst. The heavy downpour outside did not help any; it was as if the heavens were saying it was going to be a bad day.

By the fourth round, however, it became apparent that speed is not a weapon that can be wielded by just any ordinary mortal inside the ring; Cotto could not anymore sustain it while Manny was just about to shift to higher gear. The fight was over by the time the Puerto Rican was floored the second time towards the end of the round.

Manny's next opponent should be someone who can employ sustained speed and power. Otherwise, consider his next fight's outcome done. Floyd Mayweather, Jr.? Yes, perfect boxer. The only problem with Pretty Boy, that makes him a unworthy opponent for Pacquiao, is he also makes use of his speed in running around the ring. Well, nothing definite on that matchup yet; we have time to train our voice boxes for those round and loud "booos" to use at fight night.

Meanwhile, what's your take about Chavit and Che?

photo above courtesy of yan2malagu

MBS3: Changing Mindanao

2009-10-28T21:29:00.075+08:00

What is consistently good about participating in big gatherings of bloggers is that one always comes out from them feeling reinvigorated and re-inspired to go on blogging.

The Mindanao Bloggers Summit, the third edition of this annual convention of bloggers of/from Mindanao, had just concluded over the weekend in Cagayan De Oro City; and along with it came renewed blogging energy brought home by the close to a hundred new media practitioners who had participated, including myself.

The event was graced by the presence of various local and national personalities who took turns in delivering their respective messages drawn from the summit's overall theme of "Mindanao: Bag-uhon ang Panan-aw" (Changing the way people see Mindanao). Among the guests were CDO City Mayor Tinnex Jaraula, Agusan Representative Rodolfo "Ompong" Plaza, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) President Atty. Adel Tamano, and U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Ms. Leslie Bassett. U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney, a blogger herself, delivered her message for the Mindanao bloggers thru video; so did Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and former Bukidnon Representative Nereus Acosta.

The whole programme was ably emceed by Migs Hipolito.

Among the more inspiring points in the summit, at least for me, was when Atty. Tamano shared his experience in overhauling the old decrepit system that once governed the PLM university he now heads. He then went on to challenge the blogger-participants to go beyond changing the people's perception of Mindanao and strive to change Mindanao itself.

Leading movers of the blogging community in the country were also on hand to share input on areas most important to both newbie bloggers and old-timers. Google-Philippines' Aileen Apollo shared Blogging for Beginners; Janette Toral, e-Commerce guru and noted author of the blogger-must-have book Blogging from Home, lectured on Blog Advertising; and Davao blogger-nurse Lyle Santos talked about what is perhaps the most anticipated topic of the event - Making Money Online.

Also among the highlights were the presentation of updates (activities past and planned) from major blogging communities in Mindanao. Presentors were Jaime Haw Jr for the Davao Bloggers' update; Avel Manansala for the Gensan and Soccsksargen Bloggers; and Ryan Elumba for the Zamboanga Peninsula bloggers. This part was particularly interesting as every one was made to realize that bloggers do organize themselves and engage in other common activities both for purpose and pleasure, besides blogging. The bloggers of Cagayan De Oro also presented updates about their side through a report by Edu Ragpala.

For all the success that the 3rd Mindanao Bloggers Summit has achieved, one can rightfully claim that among the things that have been further underscored during the event is that blogging is fast becoming a potent tool in media; and that bloggers are a rapidly growing community that need to be reckoned with when we talk about technology growth and social transformation especially here in Mindanao.

Our hats off to the CDO Bloggers led by Chiq Montes for a successful MBS3. We sure did go home with happy memories.

Our gratitude also to the sponsors: Nokia OVI, Smart Communications, Make Your Own Havaianas, Ultracraft, 1st Rafting Adventures, OLX.com - free classified ads, Syntactics, Majesty Sales Center, Clara's Shoppe, MakatiAve.com, Asterisk Event and Communications, Loretos Bar and Grill, Rep. Klarex Uy, and the Cagayan De Oro City Government.

Towards the end of the program, Blogie Robillo, chief initiator of the Mindanao blogging community, announced the next Summit would be hosted by the Zamboanga bloggers sometime in October next year.

Kita-kita ta sa Zambo pohon!

Asia's Titanic

2009-09-05T21:41:00.239+08:00

I have just watched a rerun of Asia's Titanic on the National Geographic Channel. It's a documentary about the tragedy of the MV Doña Paz, the Philippine passenger ship which sank off Mindoro Island on the night of December 20, 1987, after colliding with the oil/fuel tanker MT Vector.

I have watched the documentary's earlier run on NGC middle of last week, but I was still moved to view it again this afternoon; this after I learned that Asia's Titanic was in fact a Filipino production. The first instance, the only "Filipino" I felt about it was its subject and the familiar voice of actor Joonee Gamboa narrating the story. (My penchant to miss the opening and closing credits did not serve me well). I came to know later that the documentary was directed by award-winning Filipino film director Yam Laranas; its pre-production, specifically the research was done by Filipinos; its production cast and crew all Filipinos; and "even the special effects and computer graphics... are proudly Philippine-made" [PDI]. Asia's Titanic is the first major collaborative work between National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) and a Filipino production group.

Of course, the bigger motivation to watch the docu once and over again is the story itself. Asia's Titanic is about the world's worst disaster at sea in peacetime. The world's worst in terms of loss of lives on a single ship - about 4,300 souls; and perhaps the world's most atrocious given the circumstances that surrounded the tragedy.

Five days before Christmas. Nightime but clear weather. An oil/fuel tanker zigzag-ing its way because of a defective steering rudder; carrying no Coast Guard inspection papers, and sailing (under)manned by unqualified personnel. More than 4,000 passengers in a ship built for 1,500. Party on board which left the question "Who was manning the bridge?" unanswered. Raging inferno at sea. A rescue operation hatched almost half a day later. Only 24 survivors.

Asia's Titanic is told through the eyes and words of some of the survivors who have continued to struggle transcending the trauma of the nightmare of 20 years ago. Sidebars to the narrative include original footage of interviews and proceedings that dealt with the legal wranglings that followed the accident. These parts show how callous can some people get just to escape responsibility. The two times I have watched the documentary I wanted to puke on the Sulpicio Lines' (owner of MV Doña Paz) denial that their ship was overloaded. I wanted to puke on the Philippine Coast Guard's insistence that they have done actual headcount and the count was no more than 1,500 passengers. I wanted to puke more than when I saw the graphic original footage of the retrieval of some of the bloated, decomposing bodies of the dead.

As Director Yam Laranas put it, the story of the MV Doña Paz "is a very sad story, but one that needs to be told. It should not be forgotten." [PDI}

Asia's Titanic will run again on the 28th and 29th of September 2009 on the National Geographic Channel.

photo above courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/pages/Asias-Titanic/110856587881

Dial 117 for Directory Assistance

2009-08-18T22:30:00.012+08:00

I have just arrived home from a trip to Gensan. I have to insert this post amidst my blog reconstruction.

I was with my ex-GF a while ago and were on our way home when we passed by this terrible road accident along the highway in Tupi. I had witnessed more gory road mishaps in the past but this one was terrible enough for me, if only because of the "117" experience I associate it with.

I caught a glimpse of what looked a wrecked passenger van resting snugly under the rear end of a ten-wheeler. I decided to stop and take a look especially after noticing people were still rushing towards the scene, which to me indicated that the accident had just happened. I just thought maybe I could help. The sky had just turned dark and we were in an unlighted section of the highway (most parts are anyway). It became a good thing that traffic was gathering as curious headlights actually provided lighting.

People were screaming about some people still pinned down under the wreckage. A mob had gathered around it and started pulling the van out using their own brute strength; to no avail.

Looking for my own place in the whole "rescue operation", I pulled out my cellphone and dialled 117, the only emergency number I could instinctively recall at that moment.

The first hint that made me think outright that it was the wrong number to dial was the very passive reception of the person at the other end of the line. I was expecting I would be systematically guided into providing all the necessary information (about the emergency at hand) that needed to be relayed; much like 911 in the U.S. (or at least by what I see and hear about it on TV). But it was disappointingly not so.

So I was forced to describe the incident by myself, after which the worse thing happened: The operator gave me a landline number to call! I could not help but blurt out a big "ha?"; and as if the situation (117 instructing me to call a different number) was not hilariously outrageous enough, the operator even "explained" the landline was the right number to call because, in her own words, "it is the number of Emergency 117-Cotabato"!

There was not much time to argue further. I dialled the number (I had to rely on my old brain cells to make the numbers stick because there was no way to jot them down); and all I got was a busy tone.

Meanwhile, people were actually dying. And if you think this was the worst thing that can happen in an emergency, think again: Having been unable to contact the "Emergency 117 number of Cotabato", I dialled 117 once again and talked to the same operator. I demanded she herself contact all the numbers she thought would be able to respond to the emergency. She replied, "Okay," and hang up on me.

photos of the accident
(viewer discretion is advised)
The van's driver is clearly seen here pinned down on his seat

People are seen here trying to pull out
the van using a small truck and a rope.

Under reconstruction

2009-08-11T07:50:00.006+08:00

This blog is undergoing renovation... its author retooling...

Five days of "Cory 101"

2009-08-05T21:55:00.008+08:00

I was about to post some nice (and happy)-looking photos in Facebook the morning of Saturday when greeted by the very sad news about President Cory's passing. I admit I still had to let it sink in for a while - Cory is gone. Though the worst had been expected since terrible news began leaking out from her latest hospitalization, one cannot really prepare completely for such a moment. I had to postpone the posting of the photos.

If you are wondering where the profound grief is coming from, then I conclude that either (1) you were not around in the 1980s, (2) you were but were simply a disinterested person (3) you have not been reading your history, or (4) you have been locking yourself up inside your media-less room the last five days, or in times you were out, have been walking with ears plugged and head stooped, your eyes oblivious to the yellowed environs. The last five days saw the most comprehensive (and free) lecture series about President Cory (and the ideals she stood for) and you just missed it.

I remember exactly a week ago when a neighbor approached and asked while we (my family) were wheeling into our garage, what's with the yellow ribbons (tied to your gate and car)? We greeted him with a smile while my wife responded, it's for Cory. We did not seriously put malice on (the innocence of) his query. I just thought then, it won't be long, you will know why.

I myself would want to know more, why.

I am not a super avid fan of Cory Aquino for me to be a good source of discourse that can fully qualify the anguish of her passing and justify the adoration and honor bestowed on her. Well, I know her to be the first sitting president I saw in person. I will never forget the image of her visiting the wake of another equally consummate freedom-fighter Lean Alejandro whom I also adore but who was murdered in 1987. That image conveyed to me a lot about the sincerity of the once "grieving widow" who was now the leader of the country.

That must be the closest window I have had to knowing Cory's persona. The rest I happened to know only as it had been demonstrated in the way she courageously took up the challenge to lead the campaign against Marcos in 1985-86 and in her precarious but unwavering 6-year leadership of a country which was trying to recover from the ravages of dictatorship while continuously being besieged by extremists.

I have to admit too that I was among those who ended their romance with Cory's administration early: The unsolved double-murder of labor leader Ka Lando Olalia and Leonor Alay-ay right in the first year of Cory's reign; the massacre of farmers at Mendiola in January 1987 and its associated issue of the watered-down agrarian reform program; the retention of the American military bases; Lean's murder and the seeming baby treatment of military right-wingers. I was far less liberal; the disillusionment was overwhelming. [But I did advocate a critical YES to the 1987 Constitution; if only to show I was still hoping against hope].

Yet I was among the "early grievers" who began feeling the pain of the prospect of losing a leader whose virtues we sorely miss in these dire times, when news about her ailment came out. Yet I am among those deeply saddened by her eventual demise.

I was sure there were more things about Cory that I only knew of subconsciously which somehow made me mourn affectingly her loss. And I can only thank those who helped me confirm these through their personal testimonies given throughout the last five days - from the day she died; through her wake at La Salle and the Manila Cathedral; until her interment just a few moments ago - and broadcasted via the different media.

Yes, Cory's selflessness, her unwavering faith and purity of heart [Arevalo, 2009]. Virtues that served as the very foundation of her legacy of freedom and democracy to us Filipinos; a legacy now constantly being threatened by the continuing degradation of the very same virtues that founded it.

I can only thank Cory's family, colleagues, friends (and even foes) for sharing to us who really Cory was. The last five days was a much needed refresher, an enlightenment most wanted. I am sure our neighbor knows a lot better now. The people know a lot better now.

Good reads:

"We give her back to You, with grateful but breaking hearts" by Catalino Arevalo, SJ [video version here]

Cory Aquino and our Magical Democracy by Sheila Coronel

The Cory I Know by Paulynn P. Sicam

Presidentita vs the Brat Pack by Malou Mangahas

Who President Cory was to this martial-law baby by Veronica Uy

One Good Person by Conrado de Quiros

Our better selves - EMOTIONAL WEATHER REPORT by Jessica Zafra

Teddy Locsin's Eulogy for President Cory Aquino

The Day They Buried Cory Aquino by Virginia M. Moncrieff

Beyond Aquino's contradictory legacies by Herbert Docena

Celebrate what Cory truly represents by Emmanuel M. Hizon

SONA 2009: PGMA in the zone but missing the point

2009-07-27T17:51:00.004+08:00

I give the President's latest SONA a rating of 1 on a scale of 1-10. The piece was poorly written; the delivery more pathetic; its content unwanted.

I know a SONA traditionally follows an expected format. To borrow from UP professor Alex Magno, a SONA is basically a technical report (of accomplishments and broad plans) delivered by the country's chief executive to its board (which is Congress).

No one reports a grim picture to the board. And indeed much like in previous SONAs it went that PGMA delivered her latest filled with graphs of climbing bars and arrows and pictures of smiling faces of people. It was even supplemented by live exhibits well positioned in the gallery, among them the now world-renowned Manny Pacquiao (just about the only thing that lent credibility to the whole oral exhibition even if the Pacman's own accomplishments has got nothing to do with PGMA's administration at all).

PGMA may have succeeded in eliciting rounds of applause from her own bunch of eunuchs and harems. But for the nth time she again missed the whole point of truly reporting to the people upon whom is rested the whole rationale of her presidency (or the government for that matter). Perhaps, she thought she only needed to report to her harem and eunuchs.

The people do not need figures and pictures. They used to but not anymore. They have all the right senses working at ground level to tell them if the country is doing good or not. In a SONA, they now need to see, hear or feel something else beyond the numbers and graphs; something more reassuring.

This afternoon I chose to watch the SONA over doing Farm Town in Facebook; not in order to know how many roadges have been built but to try to peek through the eyes of the person and find out if the sincerity and truthfulness that were once lost among the words "I am sorry" (and "I will not run" before that) have eventually found their way back to her soul in this final stretch of her reign. I failed.

Maybe my eyes were blinded by the weak signal of ANC channel on my cable TV so that the genuineness I was looking for went by unnoticed. Maybe I should indeed blame the said TV Network for showing rushes of former President Cory Aquino's own ultimate SONA in 1991 beforehand; for these raised the standards of sincerity so well for any level of it to be found in PGMA's speech.

The basics of sincerity, truthfulness and all the other associated virtues of credibility, integrity, honesty, transparency, and delicadeza in governance, have been ravaged down to its smallest fabric by this dispensation since it began in 2001. Yet again the latest SONA reported nothing on the status of the nation along these criteria.

After listening to the SONA, perhaps some of you have asked yourselves the same question that I had asked myself: "If everything in our country is doing ok, then what's our problem?"

GMA, period.

But hey, maybe there's hope. With elections in the horizon, the President actually hit the point with a hue of sincerity when she advised her critics to "stop saying bad words in public". It was like saying, "be more discreet and use the phone; just be sure the lines are not tapped... right, Garci?"

ASD: Episode V

2009-07-19T13:30:00.007+08:00

[Episode IV here]

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my second birthday. No, I am not turning two today. I meant today is my "other" birthday. Although, yes, indeed I am turning two today on this "other" birthday of mine. At about this time two years ago, I began feeling the first sensations of life once again after a warped journey into complete blankness. I began hearing voices: "Sir, gising na po kayo. Okey na po".

Earlier that morning at about 6:00 a.m., some hospital orderly wheeled me out of my room at PGH into the hospital's surgery room. Now I reckon that period was the time when I was at my most relaxed state in this whole story of my atrial septal defect. It helped that my doctors much earlier had oft-repeatedly described, albeit in general terms, what was going to happen once I get inside the operating room. My surgeon, in his usual jovial self, had likened the proceedings as "gagawin ka lang namang Christmas tree, sasabitan ng kung anu-ano". Most importantly it helped that by that time, I had already built my Faith at its sturdiest level (at least to my mortal mind and spirit) in the run up towards that nodal point of my life.

The experience inside the operating room was nothing short of the surreal. I now realize I have watched too many movies and TV. I expected the OR to be some shiny place like those in House or E.R. It turned out to be just a little up-step than St. Elsewhere. That did nothing to bother me nonetheless; I have always believed of the proof of the pudding being in the... cooking!

Indeed, doctors and aides (couldn't figure who's who since they all looked alike in their scrubs) began decorating me like Christmas tree: "Sir, tagilid ko lang kayo ng konti ha? Kabit lang natin 'to"... "Sir inject na po natin ang anesthesia, dito lang po sa I.V. natin idadaan..." The hustle went on for about 15 minutes. Then I opted to close my eyes lest I began seeing scythe-wielding hooded figures. Then came what would become the fastest 5-6 hours in my mortal existence, I was transported into a post-surgery scenario in less than a nanosecond. Everything went from "Sir, relax lang po idadaan lang po natin sa swero nyo yung anesthesia..." to "Sir, okey na po. Tapos na, gising na po kayo. Ililipat na po namin kayo sa recovery room..."

Five to six hours of deep dark slumber minus the dream. Five to six hours of life with virtually no record of it in any neuron; not a single byte. Five to six hours of... death; all contained in a split moment. If there was proof that everything runs fast in God's time, that was it.

Indeed it was for me a second birth (or probably a third as I have been trying to reconstruct a near-fatal accident I got into when I was still this small; but that would be another story). I had everything to thank for when I woke up about this time two years ago. Family, friends and kins; medicine and science; The Almighty.

[Episode VI coming soon]

Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts

2009-07-02T10:23:00.002+08:00

Thank you Michael Joseph Jackson for sharing your
gift of music to the world!

video courtesy of jwcfree

Blog on!

2009-06-27T21:59:00.003+08:00

Capturing Vietnam

2009-06-27T00:07:00.003+08:00

This is an accidental photo. I was on a bus moving along a freeway in the outskirts of Hanoi going to the airport when I took this shot. I am not even sure what this image is that I had captured. It looks like a woman with an open umbrella in a shed waiting to catch a ride. But, sitting on what seems to be a rounded steel bar? Must have been very uncomfortable. What this image is, it's anyone's guess.

Again, the photo was taken by accident. I was desperately trying to capture a different thing - an image of a farmer working on his/her field in Vietnam; a scene I wanted so much to capture but had not been able to since day one of my trip to Vietnam. And it was already the day of my return trip back to homeland.

The trip to the airport unexpectedly presented itself as a good, albeit my last, chance to finally capture the image. The freeway was lined on both sides by greenery -- farms planted to rice, vegetables and various other crops; and the fields were replete with workers tending to their land and crops.

But while I was presented the chance, the actual photo-shoot was not easy. The bus was moving at warp speed (as to why is another story) and I was seated along the aisle. I had a P&S equipment that could zoom-in 10x but could not do continuous shooting (if I miss a moment, that's it). Most significantly, I was torn between holding up my camera playing cat-and-mouse with my desired image and just relaxing and relishing with my own eyes what could be my last view of Vietnam. Nostalgia was also setting in. This particular trip was like cruising along the South Luzon Expressway going towards the province of Laguna- prior to the 90's, that is, before housing began replacing the green farmlands.

Needless to say, the desire to click away won. After a series of hits-and-misses (producing a collection of both sensible and "abtract" images, if I may say, including the photo above), I was able to capture this photo:

click to view larger image

This is an image of a Vietnamese farmer (người nông dân). Here, she is a chị nông dân or a female farmer (only women wear the ubiquitous non la or conical hat). Here she tends to her farm of rice; rice that may eventually find its way atop the Filipino family's dining table. (The Philippines' yearly rice imports of 1.5-2.0 million tons mostly come from Vietnam).

My trip to Vietnam would only have been partially-made had I not been able to capture this image. This photo is my way of paying tribute to this feeder of Filipino families.

CON-ASS_ _ _ ES!

2009-06-05T12:31:00.003+08:00

These are the people in the House who voted for the Con-Ass! (source: Alex Rizada)

ABANTE, BIENVENIDO M. "BENNY"
6TH District Pandacan

ABLAN, ROQUE R. JR,
Ilocos Norte, 1st District

AGBAYANI, VICTOR AGUEDO E.
Pangasinan, 2nd District

AGYAO, MANUEL, S
Kalinga Province

ALBANO (III), RODOLFO T.
Isabela, 1st District

ALFELOR, FELIX R. JR.
4th District, Camarines Sur

ALMARIO, THELMA Z.
Davao Oriental, 2nd District

ALVAREZ, ANTONIO C.
Palawan 1st District

ALVAREZ, GENARO RAFAEL M. JR.
Negros Occidental, 6th District

AMANTE, EDELMIRO A.
Agusan Del Norte, 2nd District

AMATONG, ROMMEL C.
Compostela Valley, 2nd District

ANGPING, MARIA ZENAIDA B.
Manila, 3rd District

ANTONINO, RODOLFO W.
Nueva Ecija, 4th District

APOSTOL, TRINIDAD G.
Leyte, 2nd District

AQUINO, JOSE S. (II)
1st District Agusan del Norte

ARAGO, MARIA EVITA R.
3rd district, Laguna

ARBISON, A MUNIR M.
Sulu 2nd District

ARENAS, MA. RACHEL J.
Pangasinan, 3rd District

ARROYO, DIOSDADO M.
Camarines Sur, 1st District

ARROYO, IGNACIO T.
5th district Negros Occidental

ARROYO, JUAN MIGUEL M.
2nd District of Pampanga

BAGATSING, AMADO S.
Manila 5th district

BALINDONG, PANGALIAN M.
Lanao del Sur, 2nd District

BARZAGA, ELPIDIO F. JR.
Cavite, 2nd District

BAUTISTA, FRANKLIN P.
Davao Del Sur, 2nd District

BELMONTE, VICENTE F. JR.
Lanao del Norte, 1st District

BICHARA, AL FRANCIS C.
Albay, 2nd District

BIRON, FERJENEL G.
Iloilo, 4th District

BONDOC, ANNA YORK P.
Pampanga 4th District

BONOAN-DAVID, MA. THERESA B.
Manila, 4th District

BRAVO, NARCISO R. JR.
Masbate, 1st District

BRIONES, NICANOR M.
AGAP Party list

BUHAIN, EILEEN ERMITA
Batangas, 1st District

BULUT, ELIAS C. JR.
Apayao Lone District

CAGAS (IV), MARC DOUGLAS C.
Davao Del Sur, 1st District

CAJAYON, MARY MITZI L.
Caloocan, 2nd District

CAJES, ROBERTO C.
Bohol, 2nd District

CARI, CARMEN L.
Leyte, 5th District

CASTRO, FREDENIL H.
Capiz, 2nd District

CELESTE, ARTHUR F.
Pangasinan, 1st District

CERILLES, ANTONIO H.
Zamboanga Del Sur, 2nd District

CHATTO, EDGARDO M.
Bohol, 1st District

CHONG, GLENN A.
Biliran, Lone District

CHUNG-LAO, SOLOMON R.
Ifugao, Lone District

CLARETE, MARINA C.
Misamis Occidental, 1st District

CODILLA, EUFROCINO M. SR.
Leyte, 4th District

COJUANCO, MARK O.
Pangasinan, 5th District

COQUILA, TEODULO M.
Eastern Samar, Lone District

CRISOLOGO, VINCENT P.
Quezon City, 1st District

CUA, JUNIE E.
Quirino, Lone District

CUENCO, ANTONIO V.
Cebu City, 2nd District

DANGWA, SAMUEL M.
Benguet, Lone District

DATUMANONG, SIMEON A.
Maguindanao, Lone District

Dayanghirang, Nelson L.
Davao Oriental, 1st District

DAZA, NANETTE C.
Quezon City, 4th District

DAZA, PAUL R.
Northern Samar, 1st District

DE GUZMAN, DEL R.
Marikina City, 2nd District

DEFENSOR, ARTHUR D. SR.
Iloilo, 3rd District

DEFENSOR, MATIAS V. JR.
Quezon City, 3rd District

DEL MAR, RAUL V.
Cebu City, 1st District

DIASNES, CARLO OLIVER D. (MD)
Batanes, Lone District

DIMAPORO, ABDULLAH D.
Lanao Del Norte, 2nd District

DOMOGAN, MAURICIO G.
Baguio, Lone District

DUAVIT, MICHAEL JOHN R.
Rizal, 1st District

DUENAS, HENRY M. JR.
Taguig, 2nd District (2nd Councilor District)

DUMARPA, FAYSAH MRP.
Lanao del Sur, 1st District

DUMPIT, THOMAS L. JR.
La Union, 2nd District

DURANO (IV), RAMON H.
5th District, Cebu

ECLEO, GLENDA B.
Dinagat Islands, Lone District

EMANO, YEVGENY VICENTE B.
Misamis Oriental, 2nd District

ENVERGA, WILFRIDO MARK M.
Quezon, 1st District

ESTRELLA, CONRADO M. (III)
Pangasinan, 6th District

ESTRELLA, ROBERT RAYMUND M.
ABONO Party List

FERRER, JEFFREY P.
Negros Occidental, 4th District

GARAY, FLORENCIO C.
Surigao Del Sur, 2nd District

GARCIA, ALBERT S.
Bataan, 2nd District.

GARCIA, PABLO JOHN F.
Cebu, 3rd District

GARCIA, PABLO P.
Cebu, 2nd District

GARCIA, VINCENT J.
Davao City, 2nd District

GARIN, JANETTE L.
Iloilo, 1st District

GATCHALIAN, REXLON T.
Valenzuela City, 1st District

GATLABAYAN, ANGELITO C.
Antipolo City, 2nd District

GO, ARNULFO F.
Sultan Kudarat, 2nd District

GONZALES, AURELIO D. JR.
Pampanga 3rd District

GONZALES, RAUL T. JR.
Ilo ilo City

GULLAS, EDUARDO R.
Cebu, 1st District

GUNIGUNDO, MAGTANGGOL T.
Valenzuela City 2nd District

HOFER, DULCE ANN K.
Zamboanga Sibugay, 2nd District

JAAFAR, NUR G.
Tawi-Tawi, Lone District

JALA, ADAM RELSON L.
Bohol, 3rd District

JALOSJOS, CESAR G.
Zamboanga del Norte, 3rd District

JALOSJOS-CARREON, CECILIA G.
Zamboanga del Norte, 1st District

JIKIRI, YUSOP H.
Sulu, 1st District

KHO, ANTONIO T.
Masbate, 2nd District

LABADLABAD, ROSENDO S.
Zamboanga del Norte, 2nd District

LACSON, JOSE CARLOS V.
Negros Occidental, 3rd District

LAGDAMEO, ANTONIO F. JR.
Davao del Norte, 2nd District

LAPUS, JECI A.
Tarlac, 3rd District

LAZATIN, CARMELO F.
Pampanga, 1st District

LIM, RENO G.
Albay, 3rd District

LOPEZ, JAIME C.
Manila, 2nd District

MADRONA, ELEANORA JESUS F.
Romblon, Lone District

MAGSAYSAY, MARIA MILAGROS H.
Zambales, 1st District

MALAPITAN, OSCAR G.
Caloocan, 1st District

MAMBA, MANUEL N.
Cagayan, 3rd District

MANGUDADATU, DATU PAKUNG S.
Sultan Kudarat,

MARANON, ALFREDO D. III
Negros Occidental, 2nd District

MATUGAS, FRANCISCO T.
Surigao del Norte, 1st District

MENDOZA, MARK LEANDRO L.
Batangas, 4th District

MERCADO, ROGER G.
Southern Leyte, Lone District

MIRAFLORES, FLORENCIO T.
Aklan, Lone District

NAVA, JOAQUIN CARLOS RAHMAN A. (MD)
Guimaras, Lone District

NICOLAS, REYLINA G.
Bulacan, 4th District

NOGRALES, PROSPERO C.
Davao City, 1st District

OLAñO, ARREL R.
Davao Del Norte, 1st District

ONG, EMIL L.
Northern Samar, 2nd District

ORTEGA, VICTOR FRANCISCO C.
La Union, 1st District

PABLO, ERNESTO C.
APEC Party List

PANCHO, PEDRO M.
Bulacan, 2nd District

PANCRUDO, CANDIDO P. JR.
Bukidnon, 1st District

PICHAY, PHILIP A.
Surigao Del Sur, 1st District

PIñOL, BERNARDO F. JR.
North Cotabato, 2nd District

PUNO, ROBERTO V.
Antipolo City, 1st District

RAMIRO, HERMINIA M.
Misamis Occidental, 2nd District

REMULLA, JESUS CRISPIN C.
Cavite, 3rd District

REYES, CARMELITA O.
Marinduque, Lone District

REYES, VICTORIA H.
Batangas, 3rd District

ROBES, ARTURO G.
San Jose Del Monte City, Lone District

Rodriguez-Zaldarriaga, Adelina
Rizal, 2nd District

ROMAN, HERMINIA B.
Bataan, 1st District

ROMARATE, GUILLERMO A. JR.
Surigao del Norte, 2nd District

ROMUALDEZ, FERDINAND MARTIN G.
Leyte, 1st District

ROMUALDO, PEDRO
Camiguin, Lone District

ROMULO, ROMAN T.
Pasig City, Lone District

ROXAS, JOSE ANTONIO F.
Pasay City

SALIMBANGON, BENHUR L.
Cebu, 4th District

SALVACION JR., ANDRES D.
Leyte, 3rd District

SAN LUIS, EDGAR S.
Laguna, 4th District

SANDOVAL, ALVIN S.
Malabon-Navotas, Lone District

SANTIAGO, JOSEPH A.
Catanduanes, Lone District

SANTIAGO, NARCISO D. (III)
ARC Party List

SEACHON-LANETE, RIZALINA L.
3rd district of Masbate

SEARES-LUNA, CECILIA M.
Abra, Lone District

SILVERIO, LORNA C.
Bulacan, 3rd District

SINGSON, ERIC D.
Ilocos Sur, 2nd District

SINGSON, RONALD V.
Ilocos Sur, 1st District

SOLIS, JOSE G.
Sorsogon, 2nd District

SOON-RUIZ, NERISSA CORAZON
Cebu, 6th District

SUAREZ, DANILO E.
Quezon, 3rd District

SUSANO, MARY ANN L.
Quezon City, 2nd District

SY-ALVARADO, MA. VICTORIA R.
Bulacan, 1st District

SYJUCO, JUDY J.
2nd Dsitrict, Iloilo

TALINO-MENDOZA, EMMYLOU J.
North Cotabato, 1st District

TAN, SHAREE ANN T.
Samar, 2nd District

TEODORO, MARCELINO R.
Marikina City, 1st District

TEODORO, MONICA LOUISSE PRIETO
Tarlac, 1st District

TEVES, PRYDE HENRY A.
Negros Oriental, 3rd District

TUPAS, NEIL C. JR.
Iloilo, 5th District

UNGAB, ISIDRO T.
Davao City, 3rd District

UY, EDWIN C.
Isabela, 2nd District

UY, REYNALDO S.
Samar, 1st District

UY, ROLANDO A.
Cagayan De Oro City, Lone District

VALDEZ, EDGAR L.
APEC Party List

VALENCIA, RODOLFO G.
Oriental Mindoro, 1st District

VARGAS, FLORENCIO L.
Cagayan, 2nd District

VILLAFUERTE, LUIS R.
Camarines Sur, 2nd District

VILLAROSA, MA. AMELITA C.
Occidental Mindoro, Lone District

VIOLAGO, JOSEPH GILBERT F.
Nueva Ecija, 2nd District

YAP, JOSE V.
Tarlac, 2nd District

YU, VICTOR J.
Zamboanga Del Sur, 1st District

ZAMORA, MANUEL E.
1st District, Compostela Valley

ZIALCITA, EDUARDO C.
Parañaque, 1st District

Now you know what to do.

Loaded Dervish

2009-05-27T00:33:00.003+08:00

I am in the middle of writing my latest post(s). Believe me. Long overdue.

But let me take a break and share with you the video below. For me, there are two things in this video that I call excellent - the longboarders' skills and the video capture and editing. Well, a third may be YouTube itself- arguably this generation's greatest invention.

Don't miss the video's epilogue. Enjoy.

video courtesy of LoadedNewsletter

DReAM Children Update: Advocacy for public libraries resumes

2009-04-17T10:22:00.005+08:00

The DReAM Children project (see related posts) is resuming the advocacy for public libraries and reader development. The project hit a speed bump late last year when one of its main partners abruptly and inexplicably pulled out of the partnership. One partner's folly, however, cannot (and should not) stifle a good advocacy. So, after almost 7 months of laying low while regrouping, reflecting and re-prospecting, volunteers and other partners have picked up the pieces and are now taking steps, small as they are, to continue an endeavor that can help turn the tide for literacy in this region.

Lately, advocates began touring public libraries (including barangay reading centers) hoping to get a grounded glimpse of the latter's status in the Soccsksargen region, and arm themselves with telling information to help push for compliance of Republic Act 7743 (mandating establishment and support for public libraries). The visit to public libraries is being led by Mindanao Librarian who is about to deliver a case paper on the DReAM Children project at the CONSAL XIV General Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. The visit to two municipal public libraries so far have already provided inspiration for the rekindling of the advocacy.

These old and dilapidated books, found in one of Soccsksargen's
public libraries, represent how real and big the challenges are for
the mainstreaming of public libraries in the region.

As I write this, partners in the community of Tampakan (CDIC, Municipal Library, and LGUs) are busying themselves preparing for a one-day Children's Summer Reading Festival which is set to happen late May 2009.

Other than this, advocates have sought audience with the South Cotabato Sangguniang Panlalawigan Education Committee chair Atty. Rene B. Jumilla in early May for an exploratory discussion about mainstreaming the public libraries in the province.

Elsewhere in the country, good stories [Iriga (more photos here), Cebu] have continued to come out, proving once again that a public library is still among the best options a community can have if it wants to free itself from the bondage of ignorance.

It is the hope and goal of the advocates who are behind DReAM Children that a similar good story will eventually come out from among the local communities of Soccsksargen.

Pooh-K is coming to town!

2009-04-12T00:05:00.003+08:00

When is Pooh coming to town? April 19th! And I don't mean Pooh, the lovable bear of children's fare, but our very own Pacman's alter ego -- (say it with a booming voice ala Michael Buffer) Mannnnny... Poooooh-kyaw!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, damas y caballeros, men and women of all ages, people of General Santos and neighboring towns, get ready to... laugh til you drop!

Pooh and the equally talented and hilarious K Brosas are coming and, in tandem, will be bringing with them to town what is arguably this generation's best standup comedy!

In a show fittingly titled, yes you read it right, LAUGH TIL U DROP! Pooh & K will treat everyone with the same if not more riotous homegrown wits, skits and humor that have made the two pack places in Metro Manila like Punchline, Laffline, Metro Bar, and The Library everytime.

This is going to happen at the Lagao Gymnasium in General Santos City this coming April 19th beginning 8:30 p.m.

So don't wait for the rains, go get a front row seat now! or any of the following tickets by contacting 0920-207 8888 or 0905-822 2220 or call the Gensan City Mayor's Office at (083) 554-4214 and look for Haydee:

Platinum - Php 600 (reserve seats, court area)

Gold - P400 (Free seating, court area)

Silver - P250 (free seating, lower bleacher, black seats)

Bronze - P150 (free seating, upper bleacher)

You may also visit Bariles' www.gensantos.com for more info and update.

My first plurkfiesta; Orange Bistro in Gensan

2009-04-08T22:05:00.003+08:00

About two weeks ago, I had the rare chance of meeting up with the fabulous bloggers of Gensan. I say rare because it counts as my first eyeball with the group after the successful 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit in October of last year during which I saw for the first-time a co-blogger in the flesh.

The Gensan bloggers have been holding meet-ups called "plurkfiestas" in different (mostly food) venues in General Santos City. (A Plurkfiesta is so called because most of the attendees are themselves plurkers or have signed-up to the social networking site plurk.com). Gensan's Bariles, Kuya Avel Manansala has always made it a point to invite me to every plurkfiesta and I have always tried to find the perfect timing. It has not been easy finding the chance; I may be a true blue General but I now reside an hour away in Koronadal. There should be two or more agenda for a visit to Gensan to proceed; that's a carbon footprint-lessening policy I now try (take note, try) to impose on myself and my household... [canned applause!]

I finally was able to catch-up with the plurkers during their sortie at the Orange Bistro in Lagao, General Santos City, the afternoon of March 28. There were Ikang, Gheltac, Jes, Tanchi, Sheng and Kyawster, Rammyboi, Cindy, Sir Gilbert, Sir Hecky, Iceah, my MSU-High classmate Jinky, and the invaluable kuya of bloggers from this part of the world Avel Manansala. It was not hard to make out the faces (and match them with their screennames at least) as these plurkers own blogs that I happen to visit every now and then; though it somehow felt kind of funny introducing myself to people who I already call friends in the blogosphere. Later came Tammy, Rosilie and Arnel and reigning Miss Gensan Ivy Cunanan who is vying for the Reyna ng Aliwan title in the upcoming Aliwan Fiesta 2009 Battle of Philippine festivals. I apologize now if I have missed out on anyone.

It was my first plurkfiesta; and when Orange Bistro began dishing out the food that afternoon, not only did I realize what I've been missing. I also realized I made a very big mistake of eating late lunch before coming over to the venue. It was literally a fiesta! And I could only nibble on the nachos and chicharong bulaklak!

(photos courtesy of Tanchi)

Orange Bistro is one perfect venue to hold a plurkfiesta, or anyone's dining date for that matter. It has good food of a wide variety; provides choices of ambience (e.g. indoor, outdoor, and closed venues) to suit a diner's preference; offers services that cater to a range of dining needs - from the simple and intimate to the more elaborate group events; has among the most polite and hospitable service crew in town; and most of all, a very important thing for bloggers/plurkers, it has Wi-Fi!

For those Generals who have been away for some time now, this Orange Bistro is the very same Teng family-owned cafe which used to occupy a smaller place along Pioneer Avenue. It has since moved to its current and substantially larger location along J. Catolico Sr. Ave (Lagao Road) at the corner of Geronimo Street in Lagao. The restaurant can be reached through +63 (083) 3010992 or +63 (083) 3015555 for inquiries and special arrangements.

The plurkfiesta at Orange Bistro was made extra special by the presence of Davao-based IT consultant and blogger Blogie Robillo. Blogie is among the primemovers of the group Mindanao Bloggers, and is a leading advocate of responsible blogging for/of Mindanao.

The meetup was a relatively short one for me, as I had to proceed to the second item on my agenda in visiting Gensan; but it was nonetheless a discovery experience that is going to make me strive more to be able to join more plurkfiestas in the future.

The next time, I will starve myself half a day prior.

A win-win proposition for the coal power plant debate in Sarangani

2009-03-29T10:24:00.003+08:00

I originally posted this as a comment to one of the blogs I encountered a couple of days ago. But somehow my comment got lost along the way and never got itself published, so I might as well just put it in my own blog. The comment, of course, was a lot shorter than this.

The context was the frequent brownouts (power curtailments) this region of Mindanao is currently experiencing. Some sectors are forecasting dire times ahead as the energy needs of Mindanao are climbing rapidly for power supply to catchup; hence the need for more investments in power infrastructures -- e.g. power plants.

Now, we all know that a coal-fired power plant is to be put up in Barangay Kamanga in the town of Maasim, Sarangani Province. Project proponent Conal Holdings Corp. (a company partly owned by the local Alcantara Group), in trying to allay fears of environmental havoc, has been assuring the public that a cleaner technology will be utilized for the plant's operations. Environmentalists and their allies, of course, are not about to buy the idea. Needless to say, two opposing sectors are currently slugging it out to win the hearts and minds of the public and the government who, in the final analysis, have the final say whether the power plant pushes through or not.

Last Sunday, I came across a feature article in the Inquirer Mindanao section of PDI, which contained one of the most interesting and witty proposals which, for me, can finally end the debate. This came from one Chris Dearne, an English conservationist based in General Santos City, who was quoted in the article as having "...dared the company (Conal Holdings) to put up the facility (coal power plant) side by side with the sprawling aquamarine farms of the Alcantara family in Alabel if it believes that it is really environmentally safe." (A. Zonio. "Saving Sarangani Bay's coral reefs" Philippine Daily Inquirer, 24(104): A19, March 22, 2009).

I know the above proposition may have been thrown in sarcasm, but don't you think it's a fairly brilliant idea?

Blue Haven in Banga, South Cotabato

2009-03-16T21:06:00.003+08:00

Two weeks ago, I and my household decided to escape the early summer heat and have our Sunday lunch out. It was easy for me to decide which place to go. Having already tried many places within the city, I thought, why not revisit Blue Haven Resort and Durian Park in the town of Banga? It's been a while since the last time.

Blue Haven is not your typical pretentious resort. Its beauty is in its simplicity; its sprawling grounds being located in a very idyllic setting -- in the middle of vast ricefields just outside Banga proper, its surroundings lined with durian and other fruit and wood trees.

The resort has a picnic area with kiosks that can accommodate groups of varied sizes, and a mid-sized irregularly shaped pool in the middle mainly for the use of kids. On one side is a canopied space for wedding and baptismal receptions and similar parties; and on the other is a covered and raised pavilion for the more serious stuff like meetings and conferences.

But if one wants a more serene atmosphere, he or she can always retreat to one of three lodging cabins, two of which offer a good green (or golden, depending on the season) view of the surrounding ricefields from the shared veranda. The cabins are a new feature of Blue Haven which was absent during my last visit to the place. According to Ms. Gemma Young-Paciente, the other half of the couple who owns the place (the other being Mr. Armand G. Paciente), they hope to add more lodging space in the near future to accommodate growing demand for it.

Blue Haven's front desk hall houses the restaurant where patrons can indulge on food and drinks while sitting and dining on exquisitely designed hardwood chairs and tables.

My family, being less adventurous than I am, was not up to tasting some of the unique food that the restaurant has to offer. For lunch, we just opted for the common yet nonetheless satisfying chopsuey and fried chicken. We also did not pass up the chance to feast on the "native chicken" tinola, a kind of food which one cannot always have in the city. (Piece of advice: to fully enjoy this dish you may have to request for a longer cooking time as native chicken, as we all know, has meat that's very "hard to please".)

The resort's menu, however, lists food that can face up to the challenge of patrons with more discriminating tastes. The inihaw na hito (grilled catfish), pritong kokak (fried toad) and some quail and rabbit dishes are just some which can make one's visit in Blue Haven a great food trip.

The fresh durian fruit was missed however as it was not season. Blessing in disguise, as the refreshing durian shake proved to be a worthy substitute.

Blue Haven Resort and Durian Park is located at Barangay Liwanay (Barrio Uno), Banga, South Cotabato. If you are going westward along the Allah Valley highway, you can't miss its signage to your right just before you exit Banga towards the town of Surallah. For reservations and other inquiries, you may call Gemma or Armand at (083) 239-2616.

You can't talk peace and have a gun

2009-03-09T00:05:00.003+08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, once again I give you... Francis M.

video remix by icespaceonline

So many faces, so many races
Different voices, different choices
Some are mad, while others laugh
Some live alone with no better half
Others grieve while others curse
And others mourn behind a big black hearse
Some are pure and some half-bred
Some are sober and some are wasted
Some are rich because of fate and
Some are poor with no food on their plate
Some stand out while others blend
Some are fat and stout while some are thin
Some are friends and some are foes
Some have some while some have most

Every color and every hue
Is represented by me and you
Take a slide in the slope
Take a look in the kaleidoscope
Spinnin’ round, make it twirl
In this kaleidoscope world

Some are great and some are few
Others lie while some tell the truth
Some say poems and some do sing
Others sing through their guitar strings
Some know it all while some act dumb
Let the bassline strum to the bang of the drum
Some can swim while some will sink
And some will find their minds and think
Others walk while others run
You can’t talk peace and have a gun
Some are hurt and start to cry
Don’t ask me how don’t ask me why
Some are friends and some are foes
Some have some while some have most

Kaleidoscope world
In this kaleidoscope world

I am a fan.

Thank you, sister!

2009-03-08T00:01:00.003+08:00

My friend Gaynor emailed me the following prose. She says it's not her original. The author is a woman, that's for sure. But I am forwarding it myself nonetheless. Not all women that matter to me have their email and postal addresses in my directory, so I am re-printing this in my blog as my own way of sending my message of gratitude to all of you Sisters who have helped made my life meaningful. Happy Women's Day to you!

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

"Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass.

"They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters.

Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.

"Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too.

"You'll need other women. Women always do."

'What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought.

'Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT.........

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you.

Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead.

Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still.

Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful.

Some people have been hibernating

2009-03-06T11:51:00.003+08:00

This happened a few moments ago in the TV game show Pilipinas Game Ka Na Ba?:

Question: Saang lalawigan makikita ang pandaigdigang paliparan ng Heneral Santos?

The first contestant was quick to the draw.

Contestant 1: Buzzzz!....Cebu?

Edu (Host): Wrong!... Steal!

Contestant 2 did not even bother to wait for the question (and the choices of answers) to be reiterated by Edu.

Contestant 2: Buzzzz!... Davao?

Grrr... Some people have been hibernating.

A Valentine postscript

2009-02-28T14:26:00.003+08:00

When everyone else has consumed their annual dose of Valentine indulgence and is now on their way to full recovery (if not, has already fully recovered) from the consequent hangover, I am posting a piece as my own remembrance of this 'love month' which is about to end in a few hours (at least for 2009).

The period leading to February 14th about a month ago, I thought of writing about Valentine's Day or about the things that the day wanted to celebrate (or commemorate!), or about things that relate to it one way or another. The motivations were there to do so -- it was my first V-Day since becoming a blogger (if I may say); and there was Bariles' blog contest which promised a dinner feast and free Valentine concert tickets to the winners. The push was not enough, though. For some reasons, I chose to hold back.

Now here I am, trying to make up. Perhaps, the love month of February does not deserve my snub. After all, it was in this month way back in 1986 when Filipinos demonstrated their love for their fellow so much as to prevent tanks from rolling over their countrymen and to make a dictator flee.

I asked myself ''what is my ultimate love song?". It was not difficult for me to know. Here is a video of it with along with its lyrics:

ang buhay ko ay isang ilog
umaagos tungo sa laot
sa pagdaloy ay lumiliku-liko
nguni’t dagat pa rin ang inaabot

ang buhay mo ay isang ilog
umagos tungo sa laot
sa pagdaloy tayo’y nagkatagpo
at ngayon tayo’y magkaisang tungo

lilikha tayo ng bagong daan
uukitin sa bato ang kasaysayan
at walang hadlang na ‘di malalagusan
habang tayo ay magkaisang-tunay

This song is a Joey Ayala original. The one embedded here, as indicated, is a version by Rico Blanco (Rivermaya) and Kitchie Nadal. Of course, the original is always better. The rendition by Joey A. has a more personal touch in it. Maybe because it was done with single vocal and a very simple instrumentation. There is a slight variation in the arrangement in this version of Blanco and Nadal which I assume was done by the said artists themselves. There was even an alteration of at least a word in the lyrics. The new version though has more kilig that's more attuned to the present.

Much as I wanted to post the original, I could not find one online for free. I do not think pareng Joey will also like it if I post and share an illegally cracked Ilog which I have stored in my hard drive.

When the song first came out in the late 1980's (or at least when I first heard it), it was contained in a very GND (grim and determined) casette tape album of Ayala titled Magkabilaan. The album also included the melancholic but sweet Walang Hanggang Paalam which was very popular then among political activists because... well, it's their song. Back then, lovebirds particularly among this group would argue off which was a better love song and henceforth deserved to become their "theme song": Ilog or WHP? (So now you still think activists are not that mushy?)

For my girlfriend then, the choice was hands down. Ilog even spawned a very romantic (and naturally mushy!) verse which she wrote for the two of us during one of those, you know... rough times. For me now, as I look back, this love song is really the ultimate. My girlfriend became my ex-GF and we've been blazing trails and carving history in stone together since.

Yummy bibingka at Jim's Place

2009-02-13T22:04:00.003+08:00

These are among the most delicious bibingkas (rice cakes) I have ever tasted.

Well, I am not even sure if I can call any of these a bibingka because there is something in it that is different from what we traditionally know as bibingka. Many of the latter come in smaller sizes than this one.

This particular bibingka is kind of a cross between a traditional bibingka and a... Kenny Rogers Roasters muffin!... and that's even downplaying the true merits of this comfort food.

Now, I am not really good at describing food in writing; so may I just invite you to take a bite of this bibingka at Jim's Place in Koronadal City. At P16 each, you will be wasting money on the shrinking dunkin' donut than on this one.

Jim's Place is near the corner of Gensan Drive and Zulueta Street (a.k.a. One-Way); a little past the roundball (rotunda) if you are coming in from Gen. Santos City.

If you are a native of Tacurong City, then it is of no wonder for you why such a yummy bibingka can come from a thing called Jim's Place. It is the very same Jim's Place that has brought you good food for many years back in your own hometown. The branch in Koronadal opened sometime in November last year and has since provided a good alternative to the other food venues in the South Cotabato capital.

Jim's Place is both a bakeshop and a restaurant. Food in its restaurant is served either by fastfood or a la carte. The place is Wi-Fi connected and is open 24 hours.

Jim's Place is open all day and night

The restaurant area in the interior is Wi-Fi connected

Various types of bread, cakes and pastries are sold 24/7 at the bakeshop

Sta. Lucia Realty seeks Sales Managers for Gensan project

2009-02-07T19:38:00.003+08:00

With permission from the author, Mr. Alfredo "Bronx" Hebrona, I am reprinting below his email-announcement about Sta. Lucia Realty's imminent entry into the realty business in Gensan. Jobs for sales managers are now open. You have to hurry though as the first batch of job applications ends February 11.

Hi Guys,

Sta. Lucia Realty (that one with a PBA team) is launching its first residential development project in Gensan, called Colinas Verdes, soon. They are also opening a local branch for more projects.

The project location is just beside Socsargen County Hospital and across the soon-to-open Robinsons Place. It's at most 5 mins away from the most important facilities (market, malls, churches, schools, gov't offices, business centers, etc.) It is positioned as a residential area for those in the bracket B to upper bracket B market. It will have 24x7 security with amenities (club house, swimming pool, sports facilities) not yet present in any local subdivision.

Orchard Properties, a subsidiary of Sta. Lucia Realty, is now looking for Sales Managers, who shall be reporting to the Sales Director for the project. The Sales Managers shall be working full-time and will be trained to get Property Consultants, who can be part-timers. For clients, Sta. Lucia has in-house financing with different options that cater to different situations. No need for credit investigation.

If you know someone (including yourself) who may be qualified (no particular course preferred), they may send an application letter, resume and contact details to: Sta. Lucia Realty c/o Binex GVC, P.O. Box 46444 Gen. Santos City, or email those to binexglobal@ gmail.com with the subject "Application for Sales Manager".

The first batch of Sales Managers shall need to attend a seminar by Orchard Properties, a subsidiary of Sta. Lucia Realty, on 18-20 Feb., 2009. Questions about the company and the project will be entertained and addressed during the seminar. The exact venue will be announced to the pre-qualified applicants whose applications are received before 11 Feb. Applications received after 11 Feb. shall be considered for the next batch, to be announced at a later date.

Thanks.

Bronx

A different tune

2009-02-05T19:45:00.003+08:00

Sometimes it takes a knock on the pate (ok, I was trying to find nicer English for kailangang batukan) for some rusting brain to wake up and work even for just a while.

The following link leads to a news article in the Cebu Daily News about the acting Cebu City mayor's change of tune as to the reported closure of the city's public library:

Rama ‘won’t eject public library’

So the Rizal Memorial Library of Cebu is staying after all.

In the first place, why would we be closing a city public library when all the world is even moving mountains trying to open one?

Why would we be substituting a city public library with "satellite libraries in several barangays"? We have been mandated to build both since 1993 (R.A. 7743)!

And library hubs? The National Library is correct, these are warehouses not libraries; as we all should have known since the time the concept paper of library hubs was first drafted!

They say we should do it (satellite libraries) "similar to Singapore". Well, Singapore has community libraries dispersed all over the city-state and one big National Library in the middle!

Others contend the Cebu's Rizal Memorial Library is in a sad, old, decrepit state that it's indeed one bound for the museum. Well then go ahead, put it in a museum; but build a new one!

That would seem to be what the acting LCE of Cebu City is saying this time. He intends to have the city public library re-opened once renovation of the building is done. But without him giving a clear timeframe and cost of renovation, who knows baka binibilog lang ni mayor ang ulo natin. Huwag naman sana.

Cebu City Public Library, R.I.P.

2009-01-30T18:12:00.003+08:00

The Cebu City Public Library (aka Rizal Memorial Library), 69, is dead.

All because of the skewed perspective of some of our officials and so-called education consultants.

Before the distorted perspective (e.g. putting up a museum, library hubs, and satellite libraries as "alternatives" to the city library) came the lame excuse for the closure of the city library: resources have been dwindling and users have become scarce. This alibi is simply outrageous. If Naga City can modernize its city library; if Butuan City can invest in a new building and triple its public library's visitors and users; if Davao City can develop an outstanding learning space that is its public library; I do not see why the proud Queen City of the South can not.

Fellow blogger Mindanao Librarian scores further the absurdity of such decision to close down Cebu City's public library. I am sure other librarians and reader development advocates share her lamentations. I am also sure others, not to mention a good section of Cebu City's community, are even more outraged by this development.

I echo the same grief and indignation. But I fear more the immediate repercussions. I cross my fingers (and toes!) other LGU's (especially in my own locality) will not look up to the folly of their counterparts in Cebu City and take this as an example of good governance.

Gas is way cheaper in Davao!

2009-01-26T22:53:00.004+08:00

Don't ask me why. Fuel is way cheaper in Davao City. I was there just this weekend and diesel costs only P26-P27 a liter. In Gensan, the same would cost around P30/L and in Koronadal P31/L. I've read somewhere that diesel in Metro Manila costs between P28-P30/L.

I forgot to take note of the prices of the other fuel products but I am sure these are lower as well. So if you are from anywhere near (e.g. Soccsksargen) and are planning to go to Davao in your car, load up just enough to get you to the city. If your car has a 60-liter fuel tank, you can save a lot when you gas up full on your return trip.

If you are coming in from Manila... take the plane :)

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POSTSCRIPT: Fellow Soccsksargen blogger Donna Mae says gas is even cheaper in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan!

Lamenting a Margarito vs. Pacquiao

2009-01-26T08:52:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, American "Sugar" Shane Mosley pounded Antonio Margarito of Mexico all through eight rounds (of a scheduled 12) and 43 seconds of boxing and wrested the world (WBA) welterweight title in a stunning upset of "El Tornado de Tijuana".

Again, after Dec 7th of last year, except for the extra (ceremonial) 43 seconds this time, a world boxing championship fight ended in the eighth round.

Again, less than two months after Dec 7th, another boxing crowd went home counting their tears instead of their money. Margarito was the overwhelming favorite of the boxing fans who watched the fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.

Again, it was speed that did it for the winner; adding credence to the philosophy of some sportspeople who firmly (or are beginning to) believe that the sport of boxing is all about speed.

Our very own Manny Pacquiao almost did the same thing when he mauled into submission world boxing hero Oscar De La Hoya last December.

Manny, in increasing demonstration during his last nine fights, has shown the world that a power punch can turn into an atomic bomb inside the ring if trained and used with speed. Shane Mosley has just said "ditto".

That's why I would have wanted Manny to fight Margarito after DLH. I wanted Manny to formally tuck-in a world welterweight belt -- his fifth weight division title (excl. The Ring Magazine featherweight) -- from the more prestigious World Boxing Association.

Well, I knew then that such a matchup was not going to happen in the immediate because Mosley was already slated to fight the Mexican. But some analyst said it was not going to happen at any time simply because of the difference in size between the two (and this was right after a super-featherweight Pacquiao demolished a lightweight Diaz and a super-welterweight/light-middleweight DLH in quick succession!)

Margarito was ripe for the picking for Manny. The former had just earned his own prestigious place in boxing history after a sensational dethroning of the equally amazing Miguel Angel Cotto of Puerto Rico. He is of the same age as Manny (30) and has fought almost as many professional fights as DLH (44). He is big -- almost the same bodily dimensions as that of Oscar. And yes, he is Mexican -- just like all of Manny's recent trophies. Quick and strong as he is, I saw Margarito as just too slow for Manny. It's just sad that it is Shane Mosley who was able to prove this.

During the post-fight yesterday, ringside commentators pondered on what's next for both Margarito and Mosley. They were one in saying a Margarito-Pacquiao is an interesting fight to see; and even toyed on a long-shot Mosley-Pacquiao.

For me though, both scenarios are now long-shots. There is no more stake for Manny to fight Margarito; and Mosley would be better off fighting next Miguel Cotto in a grudge rematch and then retire (his age was beginning to show in his last fight). Besides, both prospects will not give Manny the money he wants (or needs) in a match. Manny would rather fight IBO champ Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. , and then hang up his gloves for good. The buzz is that Manny will be guaranteed at least $12 million in his fight against The Hitman on May 2. It does not take a boxing pundit to infer a Pacman-Pretty Boy bout next will be double the financial fun.

Manny will breeze by Hatton in May. He is going to get his fifth world title in as many weight divisions (despite IBO being a relatively obscure sanctioning body). He will then give Pretty Boy Mayweather a pretty good fight and, win or loose, will retire as one of the world's greatest fighters in the square ring.

I will continue to lament the fact that Manny chose to embrace a different philosophy in capturing boxing greatness. Manny did not care about "defending his title the longest", "winning unification bouts", or even "gaining multi-division titles". For him, these have become mere incidentals in a quest that is more defined by his vision of becoming a more relevant hero in the eyes (and stomach, if I may say) of his countrymen.

Manny himself has long admitted (since beating Barrera in 2003, I reckon) he is already a "made" man in boxing -- his dreams as a professional boxer already fulfilled. He is on to some grander mission. For Manny, it is not enough that his rags-to-riches story is already an inspiration to many. He wants to be in the Philippine Congress by 2010 because he wants to "serve his kababayans more". He has in fact switched battlegrounds (from the Gensan-South Cotabato 1st District to the lone district of Sarangani) to improve his chances; and, in what seems to be part of a contingency, his lawyer (Atty. Jeng Gacal) is reportedly throwing himself back into the political arena once again and has trained his eyes towards the 1st congressional district.

Manny and his team will certainly need all the cash he can muster now and from his next two fights if he wants to break through the current political dynasties' foothold in his hometown. These dynasties themselves are built on wealth and are made formidable by strong influence and patronage politics.

If he will be successful this time in this quest and things will eventually turn out for the better for Manny's hometown and for this country, I wouldn't mind if a Margarito versus Pacquiao and similar matchups for Manny will never happen in history.

Back(b)logs

2009-01-24T00:05:00.003+08:00

My ex-girlfriend is frustrated; why has there not been any movement in my blog posts for some time now. Knowing she is the most loyal follower of this blog, I do not think I can afford to just ignore her disappointment. I owe her an explanation.

I am sure another soul or two among the few readers of this blog are also feeling the same way; exasperated over the deprivation of their regular dose of catharses derived from reading Redeemed Spirit. I am not about to let go of these avid fans.

[canned laughter... again]

Seriously now. The past month or so, I have been suffering from a serious case of this sickness that also afflicts many Filipinos; called procrastination. I would like to assume though that mine is a mild case; because apart from my blogging functions, my other normal tasks (like my regular exercise regimen and my photo-shooting) have not been quite affected.

The past month I have been writing blog posts but did not care to finish and publish them. Believe it or not (and humility aside) besides those currently posted, I have written over a dozen entries to my blog since early December of last year. These have all remained in draft status as I have yet to write 30 to all of them. Most will no longer have the chance to "see the light of day"; their subjects are already passe to merit publication. The rest will have to be revised, infused with more and updated information (and more wisdom and less emo).

Here are a few samples of the subjects (and gist of how I intended to tackle them) that have been "gathering fungi" in the drafts section of my blog:

Karylle (Tatlong Hari)'s "splendid" (if you know what I mean) Lupang Hinirang performance during the Pacquiao-Dela Hoya fight opening ceremony; and the hypocrisy that came after: "Ang galing-galing ni Karylle!". OMG! Please spare us.
Karylle (again!)'s smiling gimmick when asked about Marian Rivera's alleged pregnancy. It was pure and simple cheap dirty gimmick hatched by ABS-CBN/The Buzz and everyone fell for it.
DReAM Children Project's sad Christmas as its major partner, the Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI), has inexplicably suspended its support for the project. A company's folly, however, should not get in the way of a good advocacy. DReAM Children deserves a more committed partner.
(A blog contest entry of mine that did not beat the deadline) A song only has to have good music (acoustic, rhythm, with emphasis on the guitar sound) to become my favorite. Sometimes it only has to have good lyrics. That's why I have many favorite songs. Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid is among them.
All those noise and riotous revelry are understandable during New Year's eve. But firecrackers (and gunfire) on the supposedly silent and holy night of Christmas?
I and my family met our first good souls of the new year. They are Eugene Pascual and Alfonso Gonzaga. Eugene is a neighbor who offered his ride and helped us find an open shop (in the dead calm new year's morning) at the other end of town to have our spent car battery re-charged. Mang Alfonso, on the other hand, is a tricycle driver who delivered us back home and helped us hard-start our car (a pickup truck) when our "newly charged" battery proved to be a fluke. Good souls, good sign.
It is only now that I have come to know that polar bears and penguins, in their natural existence, never meet. Polar bears are natives of the northern polar regions while the penguins are found only in the southern hemisphere. Source: my son Ivan.
(Video Post) Koronadal's LCE Hon. Fernando Q. Miguel leads in the promotion of the city's forthcoming Hinugyaw Festival by appearing in a TV commercial inviting everyone to join in the fun. The honorable mayor excitedly enumerates the kinds of festivities and other pertinent info about the festival, except for one crucial thing: when is the festival going to happen.

Here's my (Chinese) New Year's resolution: I will cleanse the drafts section of my blog in the coming week, and will never again leave an unfinished post in it.

Images of Hugpong 2008

2008-12-30T22:55:00.002+08:00

Hugpong 2008 was an all-batches get-together organized by the Mindanao State University-GSC High School Alumni Federation "to celebrate 41 years of dedicated community service of the MSU-GSC High School Department". It was held last Saturday, December 27th and featured many activities highlighted by a convention of the alumni federation and a tribute to all high school teachers.

Parang Kailan Lang

2008-12-29T22:57:00.002+08:00

I recorded this video during the Hugpong 2008 celebration two nights ago. The subject was one of the highlights of the whole-day (and night) affair held at the MSU-GSC High School campus: the alumni paying tribute to their teachers.

Prior to this scene, all teachers young and old (at least those who are still breathing) of the then Mindanao State University-GSC High School (now MSU-CETD) since the late 60's, were called on stage one by one to be awarded a simple memento from the alumni; after which all the alumni were given the chance to personally thank their mentors.

To say that it was a very touching scene is an understatement. People were thanking, hugging and cheek-kissing their teachers; some were giving flowers; and some (teachers and alumni) hardly holding back their tears (of joy, I am almost sure).

The mass singing of Florante's Handog (more famously known as Parang Kailan Lang) did not help restrain the deep sentimentality of the moment. I myself did not shed tears, but I have to admit the awesome feeling I felt raised my body hair all throughout. I did not hug and kiss my teachers, but truly I was moved so much I wanted to put my teachers in my pocket and take them home. I did not give any flower to any one; there was not a material thing that could even approximate the immensity of gratitude I wanted to reward my teachers.

Well, I did hold my camera and capture them and the moment on video! Forgive me if this was not enough.

Parang kailan lang. It did seem to feel like only yesterday when I last faced our teachers in class. Yes, they were not perfect teachers. Some made us sell food and softdrinks at the cafeteria in exchange for grades in our electives. Some made us read Rizal's Noli and Fili without teaching what these novels were all about. Some played favorites (i.e. you just felt they dislike you more than your other classmates for no apparent reason).

But these shortcomings easily become negligible when one views the sacrifices of our teachers -- working in a not so well-endowed time and environment, MSU being a public school -- as collective testimony of their genuine desire to be our main sources of information and molders of good values outside the household.

I have always regarded all teachers as second parents; and parents are hardly perfect. There might not be another opportune time to say 'Thank You'... Daghang salamat kaninyo, Mam ug Ser.

Sprite in can

2008-12-12T20:41:00.002+08:00

This restaurant in Gensan famous for its pancit malabon was about to close down for the night when I and my wife went in. Needless to say, there were no more dine-in and its specialty was not available anymore so my partner had to settle for one order of the common arroz caldo, take out. Fine.

I just had my full dinner so for myself I went for a softdrink (soda) and specifically asked for Sprite. The cashier loudly asked her staff if Sprite was still available and got a equally loud "wala na" ("no more") from one of the ladies at the food counter. So I asked what other sodas are available. A resounding "Coke lang" ("just Coke") was heard all over the place. Good enough.

I got my Coke while we waited for our arroz caldo; and was halfway through it when I noticed a phalanx of glistening ice cold Sprites-in-can inside the glass-paneled fridge. I naturally asked the charming (sic) lady who a while ago had just declared all Sprites "dead", "Bakit sabi mo wala nang Sprite?" at the same time nose-pointing the row of green cans inside the ref.

To which, with all natural grace, she fabulously replied, "Hindi nyo naman sinabing 'in can'..."

[canned laughter]

An engineer for a moment

2008-12-01T07:57:00.002+08:00

I was an engineer for a moment; and it felt wonderful. This happened a little more than a week ago when I got to present the DReAM Children project during the annual congress of the Philippine Librarians' Association, Inc. (PLAI) held at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City.

DReAM Children was presented within Prof. Corazon M. Nera’s lecture on Promoters of Multi-cultural Librarianship. Prof. Nera is the current chair of the PRC’s Board for Librarians. She was the chief examiner for the latest licensure examination for professional librarians where some 23% of examinees passed. I heard it is the lowest passing percentage in the history of the said examination. This development, I know, will have its implications but I leave it to the experts and professionals to discuss them.

Prior to my presentation, Prof. Nera introduced me to the audience as a "librarian by affinity" -- my ex-girlfriend Fraulein being a professional librarian -- and titled me an "Engineer". The first tag was 100% true; the title of "Engineer" was off but nonetheless very complimentary. Perhaps to the professor I sounded like one when we first met just a couple of months before; when I initially described how we were able to assemble local stakeholders to build a strong partnership in reader development.

I remember I did once flirt with the idea of becoming an engineer for one semester in college when I took some Math electives in my hasty decision to shift course. I wound up dropping a subject (imposingly described then as Algebra with Trigonometry made meaner by a very impersonal teacher) and ended up taking a course in community development. The rest of the story is now part of a very fulfilling history. I did not turn out to be an engineer but have since “re-engineered” myself to becoming an instrument for "social progress".

In a way, community development is like engineering, it also "builds structures". Its strong adherence to the philosophical concept of praxis can be likened to engineering's constant blending of scientific knowledge, natural laws and physical resources to produce structures and processes for the ultimate benefit of humankind.

A Short Love Story In Stop Motion

2008-11-30T00:20:00.002+08:00

A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION from Carlos Lascano on Vimeo.

Primitive primates

2008-11-20T20:40:00.003+08:00

Tiny, long lost primate rediscovered in Indonesia, read the title of a news article published in Yahoo! News the other day. The news item, written by Will Durham and reported by Reuters, was bannered by a colored photo of what looked like a tarsier, a species of animal known to many Filipinos as the smallest monkey in the world. Indeed the news' subject was about a tarsier found by scientists in the island of Sulawesi that was purportedly last seen alive 80 years ago.

The article was instantly met by a barrage of negative comments from readers - mostly Filipinos - who complained of the seeming inaccuracy of the news. Filipinos, including I, are very familiar with the tarsier. We are taught about it in school and the animal is a regular fare in Philippine tourism. So, wonder of wonders why the tarsier would be rediscovered in Indonesia; when almost all tourists of Bohol (Filipinos and all) have had pictures of them with the primate clinging to their heads and shoulders?

The first few hundreds of comments to the news item did not only raise the same question but downright lambasted its author, Reuters, and even Yahoo for coming out with a story that's a big lie; the scientists themselves who were featured in the same article as the "rediscoverers" of the tarsier were branded as incompetent and ignorant. The Philippines was insulted big time, they said. The country of Indonesia was even criticized for allegedly orchestrating everything -- fabricating a sensational story with the ultimate aim of promoting its own tourism.

Wow.

Then came the comments that began pointing out the errant judgment of many readers. The news after all was not referring to the same tarsier species as that found in the Philippines! Both monkeys' physical features may have looked the same but the article was in fact referring to the one called the pygmy tarsier. The pygmy tarsier is Tarsius pumilus while the Philippine tarsier is Tarsius syrichta; and there are about 6 other known species of the tarsier.

I could almost hear most of the article's critics simultaneously blurting very eye-opening uh-oh's. Well, I cannot blame them. Filipinos, who were the most vocal in raising a howl over the article, they are very nationalistic; sometimes to a fault and sometimes at the wrong time. They know many things about their country; and so at the slightest sign of misinformation they take it as a challenge to their own intelligence and dignity as Filipinos. I myself found the article inadequately written. Just about the only reference to the fact that there were other tarsiers in other places and that the news was not about them was this line: "The handful of tarsier species live on various Asian islands." An article of the same subject as reported by FOXNews.com was more informative.

But then again, have we all not been reminded time and again to be more discerning about everything that we see, read and hear in the internet?

The Philippine Tarsier
[photo by: Ingrid Park]

Garbage blues

2008-11-16T14:49:00.002+08:00

Just came from a barangay (meaning, village) meeting. The meeting was called by village officials to clarify issues arising from the "sudden" collection of garbage fees (meaning, money that residents have to pay before their garbage get hauled by government dump trucks).

It was not as if the meeting was called to hear opposition to the "new" policy and for the barangay (meaning, the village government) to retract the same. It hardly works that way. I myself went to the meeting primarily to become more familiar with the workings of my new local government, its faces and dynamics. To get immersed in the forensics about garbage was secondary, if it was in my mind at all.

Indeed, during the meeting it was impressed upon the audience that the local ordinance pertaining to the matter of garbage (and garbage fee) collection was already in place 3 years ago. It had undergone the whole consultative process and had gotten the approval of a "general assembly" of barangay residents. Sorry me, I and my household came to this village only in March this year. Even so, had I been here before, I would not have raised a whisper to oppose the policy. It would be nearly futile; I would just be going against a governance mindset that's long been ingrained among most local officials; a mind set that has continually borrowed durability from the prevailing political economy of this country -- no revenue, no service. The concept of "revenue" here goes beyond the more usual community tax, withholding tax, business tax and VAT. That is why we have this thing called "garbage collection fee".

Yes, the government, or to be more precise, the State, will always counter that this one is different; the garbage fee's concept is more borrowed from the concept of paying for the environmental cost of having one's wastes thrown back to earth.

Well, that's why I said arguing against the State is futile most of the time. There will always be excuses, the most brilliant of which is contained in the phrase "it does not work that way".

I once did peacefully confront an official of the purok (meaning, smaller village) where I used to live, when she came to my front door to remind me of my household's overdue garbage fee; I offered her a proposal. You see, days before, I did some calculations of the total taxes that I and my family pay the State each year by way of income and community taxes, goods and services purchased, etcetera; and came up with a general figure that can pay for some of the things that our purok badly needed for happy living. So I proposed to pay for the monthly salaries of two (2) security guards or to donate multi-colored (for the needed segregation) large garbage bins (with repair and replacement warranty to boot) to each household in our purok. In turn, the State (also popularly known as government) exempts me from all taxes.

I just thought it was a fairly great thing to have my community directly benefit from the taxes that I pay instead of "uploading" the latter and wait for the services to trickle down. If ever they trickle down. Well, sometimes in some places they do trickle down in the form of overpriced fertilizers.

Who would have disagreed with my proposal? Not my neighbors I was sure. But our purok official was an exception. She politely declined my proposal. "It just doesn't work that way," she said.

Fine.

Pvt S. Ryan, Dog Green Sector, Omaha Beach

2008-11-14T17:42:00.003+08:00

Pvt S. Ryan, Dog Green Sector, Omaha Beach
Originally uploaded by Ariel Marco

I am trying out a new (or shall I say, a newly-found) feature of Flickr , which supposedly allows me to blog about a photo in my own photostream and have the post fed directly into my site in Blogger.

So let me share something about the photo posted here. [I think the photo is going to be posted above this text, if I am not mistaken].

This was taken from a famous beach resort in Samal Island, Davao. It is an original (as opposed to a Photoshopped) black and white digital photo I took using a point-and-shoot Canon. I took the opportunity to play with my cam and shoot while waiting for our swim as there was a four-hour low tide ahead of us when we visited the resort.

The photo shows my 9-year old kid Ivan playing out his fantasy as an Allied soldier in World War II; this time as a fallen US Army Ranger in Omaha Beach during the 1944 invasion of Normandy. Ivan himself titled the photo. If you have seen Spielberg's masterpiece Saving Private Ryan, then you know who Private S. Ryan is. No, he is not the one played by Matt Damon in the movie.

The prop that is a GI helmet in the foreground is an authentic Korean War-vintage; given to Ivan as a gift by his Ninong Lom Barranco. On our way to Samal, two Korean tourists took notice of the headgear and, when told of its history, one readily wore it and posed for a photo with Ivan. The Korean then smilingly told us he is from the North of the 38th parallel.

Thank you, America

2008-11-06T02:33:00.002+08:00

My earliest recall of having seen a black American president was when I watched the movie Deep Impact (1998) the first time. In fact the curiosity of seeing actor Morgan Freeman play the role of an American president was among which compelled me to watch the movie; a friend told me it was an interesting sight to behold. In the movie, Mr. Freeman was at his usual best lending the much needed dignity and humanity to a character faced with the dilemma of saving and, at the same time, sacrificing millions of American lives, in the face of the inevitable collision of earth and comet. Watching the movie back then it didn't take much knowledge of American history to discern that the character of President Tom Beck was far more fantastic (as in, far-fetched) than the movie's plot itself.

Fast forward to ten years. November 5, 2008, about noon (Philippine time). America has just chosen its first African-American president. It is hard not to get teary-eyed seeing for the first time a black American First Family walk on stage (this kind of scene doesn't come around so often); and when Senator Barack Obama finally uttered his first words as President-elect of the United States of America, I don't know about you, but I had to ask this question in thankful silence: America, what have you done?

Political pundits from around the globe have offered their own pieces of thought to dignify the above question; and it may well take another ten, twenty, or a hundred years before the rest of humankind is able to ascertain what indeed have the Americans done on that fateful day of November 4th, 2008. That's how it is. It is only history (or, in the more spiritual sense, the Maker) that can tell; and history does not happen overnight.

While waiting, I may just have to get back to my own reality as a Filipino in this small corner of the world and continue with my own little struggle -- eking out a living while doing my best to make this country of mine a better place to live.

Meanwhile, thank you, America.

DReAM Children at the PLAI Congress

2008-11-04T13:09:00.002+08:00

It's a few hours before the American presidential elections as I write this post. But no, I am not going to write about it anymore, lest this blog be misconstrued as socialist; that's how Obama is desperately being portrayed by the conservatives at the homestretch of the campaign, hoping to scare the centrists among the American populace into McCain's fold.

Let me instead share the news that is making me more upbeat and excited for two weeks now (i.e. besides the MBS2 euphoria). Last October 22nd , I received an email from Prof. Corazon M. Nera, Chairperson of the Professional Regulatory Commission's (PRC) Board for Librarians, requesting for a presentation of the DReAM Children project during her own talk at the annual congress of the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI). The presentation is going to happen come November 22nd in Davao City where PLAI will hold its gathering for this year.

Prof. Nera actually addressed her email-invitation to both me and Ms. Fraulein A. Oclarit, herself a professional librarian and a co-consultant at Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) and an active volunteer of DReAM Children. The latter was most instrumental in providing me and DReAM the opportunity to initially talk to the professor about the project during my last networking activity in Metro Manila.

When we (Ms. Oclarit and I) visited Prof. Nera at the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Manila (she is also its Director of Libraries), I was only then able to show her photos of the various activities and a general overview of the SMI-sponsored reader development project; but she nonetheless expressed keen interest on its prospects.

I have to admit I kind of least expected that Prof Nera's enthusiasm was that deep to have me get invited to PLAI's annual congress. PLAI is a big, if not the biggest, organization of licensed professional librarians in the country. The prospect of delivering in front of this group excites me a lot as it will certainly provide huge opportunities for DReAM Children and the overall advocacy towards reader development in the region.

This year's PLAI congress is themed The Multicultural Landscape of Philippine Librarianship.

-ooOoo-

Photos of the Sotero H. Laurel Library of the LPU
[click on photo to view larger image]

Change we can; change I did

2008-11-01T08:23:00.003+08:00

Blame it on Barack Obama; his charisma so affecting it made a non-American like me imbibe his campaign slogan (A Change We Can Believe In) very literally. Blame it on the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers' Summit; wanting to apply my learnings from the event, I just thought changing my blog's title should be on top of the must-do list.

And what timing is more perfect than re-titling my blog Redeemed Spirit on the day when we, the living, annually redeem the spirits of our dead. Never mind if All Souls Day actually falls on November 2nd. The mix-up is forgivable; there is no telling of the difference anyway. I wish Congress will just legislate for Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day to be collectively known as The Days of the Dead (and perhaps declare this a holiday for all ghost employees of government). The Mexicans, they call this very same period "Los Dias de los Muertos".

Back to the blog re-titling case. Well, blame nothing. It simply occurred to me when I was writing my take (excerpts appended here) on the just-concluded grand eyeball of Mindanao bloggers. After all, being a newbie in blogging I have been constantly experimenting on the look and content of my blog, so why not change the title as well; see if it "fits" better. It is not much of a change anyway as Daxi Weida remains as its main author.

It also helped that a fellow blogger whom I've met for the first time at MBS2 (despite her being my co-alumni of UP Kutang Bato), also changed her primary blog's name after the summit. I share her reluctance in attributing the move to MBS2's influence, but I have to admit there are values that I hold that were "redeemed" as a result of my participation in the Summit.

These are just a few of the realizations (for a newbie like me, there are many) I learned from the Summit:

There is a need to counter-balance all the negative publicity Mindanao has been getting from traditional media; and the Mindanao bloggers are among our best options.

A blogger does not have to showcase all that are bright and beautiful about Mindanao to let everyone know that many things are indeed bright and beautiful in Mindanao. This one has always been a position of mine. I am happy that this was reaffirmed during the Summit. The overarching need to blog about the good side of Mindanao was qualified as blogging aggressively, truthfully and responsibly. We do not deny that there is war, but there is more to war than the exchange of bullets and mortar fires; "there are stories of resilience, stories of hope, stories of dreams, stories of humanity" that come out of evacuation sites [Walter Balane]. We also do not deny that besides war there are issues that we face on poverty, hunger, corruption and (mis) governance, environmental concerns and even traffic problems. Which for me make Mindanao no different from the rest of society for other people, local and foreign, to avoid. And by objectively blogging about these Brooklyn side of Mindanao, a blogger in fact is furthering the advocacy for the eventual fulfillment of progress this land has been promised eons ago.

Blogging the Mindanao consciousness means blogging truthfully and objectively on any thing that matter for a blogger from/of Mindanao.

I finally was able put living faces to many of the Mindanao bloggers whom i only got to read in the blogosphere; most of these faces are young; and these bloggers got talent!

One can actually make a living out of blogging; and I am not just talking here of entrepreneurial blogs.

There are limits to the extent where digital photos should be enhanced (read: Photoshopped) and posted to portray a real, actual, or true situation. This realization I had after a short chat with noted Mindanao photo-journalist Bobby Timonera. Prior to our little exchange, I wanted to bring to the floor the question about the "ethics" of Photoshop-ing or digitally enhancing photos. This question, and all others that relate to it, has always nagged me every time I get to see astoundingly beautiful pictures in magazines or in the internet. I found the question timely to ask after Bobby talked about photo-blogging and related how he "shifted" from being a sensationalist to becoming a photographer of the good, the beautiful, and real side of Mindanao. It was rather unfortunate that the question never did get to the floor (the moderator had to traffic forum time), for Bobby himself admitted it was a very interesting subject matter to discuss.

To borrow from my friend Jinky: "Everyday is a learning. . . sometimes we fail, sometimes we succeed! What's important is, we continue to emerge as a learned individual. I came out from MBS2 a learned individual". When we learn, we change. Change we can; change I did. Welcome once again to Redeemed Spirit.

Paaman:

View from my seat at the Summit

2008-10-28T02:05:00.003+08:00

Took my own share of souls, too :)

Soultakers at MBS2

2008-10-26T13:19:00.003+08:00

Following is a small collection of photos of photo/videographers during the recently-held 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit (MBS2) in General Santos City. Legends have it that when photographers take pictures, they actually take the souls of their subjects. Perhaps, they really did take ours during the Summit... for posterity, that is :)

More afraid for Obama

2008-10-16T10:46:00.003+08:00

I have just watched the last of the US Presidential election debates. It was halfway through when I caught it on CNN. Among the first things that interested me during the debate telecast was that while the two American presidentiables exchanged fiery notes on the most pressing election issues, breaking news were being flashed on screen about markets all over the world tumbling one after the other. The bulletins were reporting mostly Asian markets including the Philippines, as these parts of the world were going through their first hours of trading while the presidential debate was going on. The tumbling of markets would later follow daylight as it moves around the globe.

No, the negative trading was not caused by the presidential debate; but by a larger paranoia about worldwide recession. Why the paranoia? Beats me.

But I can tell you my own paranoia after watching the final Obama-McCain head-to-head tussle. I have become more afraid for Senator Barack Obama. Yes, for Obama, not of. The Democratic candidate won the debate, again. And by the looks of it -- polls, both US and global, would indicate -- he is poised, now better than ever, to become the next president of the most powerful nation in the known universe.

Now, if you are a Republican, an ultra-Republican at that, say a member of NRA (yes, the National Rifle Association, descendants of the Ku Klux Klan who burned colored people at the stakes), or an ultra-rightist super-Conservative who, throughout the election campaign, has thrown every nasty thing into the campaign arena and has branded Obama a communist and a terrorist; what would you do? Dig deeper into your campaign kitty (read: kaban ng bayan), say "Hello, Garci" and buy 1 million votes?

Have I been watching too many Hollywood movies? Call me paranoid. I am.

MSU-HIGH Now

2008-10-13T10:26:00.002+08:00

This slideshow I particularly dedicate to my classmates in MSU-High School, Class of 1984; most especially [do I sound like an FM radio?] to those who have been away for a while now. May we all see each other on the 27th of December at the campus grounds for the HUGPONG 2008, a celebration of 41 years of MSU-High!

Re: Rizal's novels for free

2008-10-02T20:22:00.006+08:00

I would like to thank fellow Mindanao blogger Gilbert Yap Tan for re-posting a piece by historian Ambeth Ocampo originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, titled Rizal's novels for free. I am reminded of my recent venture at the Manila International Book Fair where I personally observed the Noli, the Fili, and other works of Rizal as among the least handled books in the exhibit.

Among the very few booths I saw that displayed the said items was that of the National Historical Institute (NHI). I am sure why Rizal's works attracted only a few souls has got nothing to do with NHI's booth not being extravagantly made over (read: boring) unlike those which exhibited colorful children's books and techie materials. There were other more monotonously dressed up booths yet there were more patrons flipping through the pages of their displays.

It did not matter if the patrons' curiosities actually led to the eventual takeout of the books they were browsing. But I am almost sure of the reason why they snubbed Noli and Fili. It is the same reason I had why I just took photos instead of putting my hands on either: I am already done with it. Yes, I have been required by law to read Rizal. I did, not just once but twice; and I am done with it. The words of the student who once emailed Ambeth Ocampo could have been my words also. I began appreciating the Noli and the Fili only after the second time I got to read them. I am not about to say "no thanks" to my high school teachers. I did learn some drama techniques in class we were made to act out selected chapters of Rizal's novels; and I do appreciate the many other things outside of the Noli and the Fili I've learned from my high school teachers. But I have to say "many thanks" to my college mentor, the revolutionary (don't raise your eyebrows now) Reuel Molina Aguila, who made me finally enjoy Rizal's masterpieces reading through the English translations of Leon Ma. Guerrero.

It was the intent of R.A. 1425 to make us read and enjoy Rizal's works. The law was successful in me and probably that student of Mr. Ocampo, and was to some degree successful in all of those who passed their exams and quizzes in P.I. 100, Soc. Sci. 1-something and other differently-named Rizal courses. But that's just about it.

As the law (promulgated in 1956) continues to struggle to fulfill its other pertinent provisions (e.g. Section 3), a question runs parallel: are the great majority of the country's citizenry even up to the task of wanting to read and understand Rizal, much more, live his ideals?

As I wrote this post, I called up half a dozen people -- all working class -- and ask each one his/her recollection of the stories of either the Noli and Fili. None of them remembered. I am afraid the answer to the question above leans on the negative.

But perhaps, there is still hope. All of them remembered the novels were written by Jose Rizal, our national hero.

A Stateside Taste of "Buloy"

2008-09-26T22:30:00.002+08:00

Atty. Rocker-Biker forwarded to me a link to a very heartwarming video. Here it is sourced from the site Nikko Taytay Photography. Happy watching and listening :)

The 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit

2008-09-24T10:52:00.004+08:00

The second edition of the biggest gathering of webloggers of/from Mindanao is on, and it's going to happen on October 25-26 this year in General Santos City.

Why am I going to the SUMMIT?

Because it's there...

Daghang Salamat. Ayo-ayo. Kitakits

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mindanawon, Paminawon Intawon:
Blogging the Mindanao Consciousness

Thank you to the following for making 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit possible:

CO-PRESENTERS:
City Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr.
Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio
NOKIA
Department of Tourism XII
ABS-CBN Regional Network Group
Bariles Republic
Gen. Santos City Tourism Association
SOCCSKSARGEN Bloggers

GOLD SPONSORS:
Friendster
Globe
AMA Computer Learning Center
Grab A Crab Restaurant and Coffee Club 101
Gregoria Printing Press

SILVER SPONSORS:
Nokiahost.Com
Asia United Bank
Family Country Hotel & Convention Center
East Asia Royale Hotel
Fine Pixel Advertising
IDEAS

BRONZE SPONSORS
GenSan Sale.Com
Blogging from Home Book
Pacific Seas Seafood Market
Generals Logimark Exponent
Prints and You
Writing Edge.Com
Forest Lake San Carlos Park
Rolee Bakery & Cafe
Jehzlau Concepts
Techykid.Com
Jaypee Online.Net
Blue Media Communications
International Container Terminal Services, Inc
Shalom Wizard Academy
Dreamworld Travel and Tours
Sta. Cruz Seafoods, Inc.
Dellosa Design Build Services
Kristan Bookstore
DOLE Philippines
Husky Bus Lines
Shakey's Pizza
Family Brand Sardines
Gaisano Mall of GenSan
Chowking - KCC
Jollibee National Highway
Procter & Gamble Philis., Inc
Mega Sardines

Books!Books!Books! Uso pa ba?

2008-09-17T20:14:00.003+08:00

I was at the 29th Manila International Book Fair over the last weekend as part of my continuing networking activities for the DReAM Children* project. The trip was paid for by Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) a major project partner.

Every once in a while, I get confronted by people (of all ages, gender, income, profession and culture) with the eerie question "Uso pa ba ang mga libro?". This mostly happens when I get to present the concept of the DReAM Children as a project that intends to facilitate putting-up public libraries by helping the latter get books and reading resources from local and foreign sources.

The following are some images taken during my 2-day visit to the MIBF exhibit at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. These will undoubtedly answer the question and hopefully will put it to rest.

Scenes of MIBF 2008

The SMX main lobby just outside the main entrances to the exhibit

Could have been a single title

Dream, child, dream...

Storybooks from Indonesia and Malaysia

Materials from China and Singapore

Know what's right...

... and what are not.

Among the crowd-favorites

Fair Warnings

Beautiful friendly reminder

I peeked inside to see if there were K-F-R people or some dirty old white male joining in the meeting... Thank God, there were none :)

Meeting People

During the two-day swim and dip into the 10,000 sq. meter-pool that is the MIBF exhibit, I got to meet publishers, booksellers, writers, book and reading advocates, and friends.

Ms. Shiela A. Barcelona of IBC Infotech. A good source of highly-illustrated kid's books in Math, English and Science.

Mr. Rey Ignes of A-Z Direct Marketing. He has Reader's Digest, Catholic Digest, Discovery Channel Magazine, National Geographic/NG Kids, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes, Financial Times, FE Economic Review, etc. Among his best deals is TIME Magazine at P51.00/copy for a 1-year subscription.

Ms. Jeanne Fontelera of REX Publishing which brings to the Philippines California's Teacher Created Materials (TCM) through the program Building Fluency through Reader's Theater!

[ That's free advertisement for you, guys! :) ]

Among the most fruitful, albeit brief, encounters I had during the MIBF were those with reading and literacy advocate Ms. Zarah Grace Gagatiga; and Ms. Lily Pahilanga of the National Book Development Board.

After a very avid and animated chat with Ms. Pahilanga at the NBDB booth, I and NBDB's executive director Atty. Ma. Andrea Pasion-Flores were able to talk over the phone and further discussed areas of partnership between DReAM Children and NBDB. Voila! Prospects are bright for a tie-up for some major training activity/ies before the year ends.

Ms. Zarah's immediate smiling assessment of DReAM Children: "Wow, ambitious kayo, ha?" But readily pledged support to the reader development initiative. Ms. Zarah is the librarians' sector representative to the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY).

At the UP PRESS Booth

L-R: DReAM volunteer Fraulein Oclarit [herself networking for her Community Resource Center (CRC) project], me, Ms. Zarah Gagatiga, and doctor-writer Luis Gatmaitan. Dr. Gatmaitan sits at the PBBY as the writers' sector representative.

Eli R. Guieb III -- multi-awarded writer, filmmaker, development worker, biker, mountaineer, and friend -- signs off my copy of PAMILYA: Mga Katha [an anthology about contemporary Filipino families and relationships].

Me and my PAMILYA; Eli Guieb and his.

And a big (literally) surprise: Koronadal's own, Mr. Bien Manzares.

Yes, uso pa ang mga libro!... and they are here to stay.

*DReAM Children is Democratizing Reading Among Mindanaoan Children. It is a partnership-driven reader development project which aims to help build libraries, school-based learning resource centers, and community reading centers within the KITACO (Kiblawan, Tampakan and Columbio) and adjacent regions. Its current partners are the Department of Education, the Local Governments (Municipal and Barangay), Sagittarius Mines, Inc., and a host of other local professional, academic and socio-civic organizations and individuals.

New eating venues in Koronadal

2008-09-07T23:54:00.002+08:00

Tiana's Cafe & Bar is located along Alunan Avenue, where the office of SOCOTECO I was once located. It professes to have the best fried chicken in town. It is where one finds what are probably the largest plates served among food venues in the region.

Below is a branch of Pritong Manok inside the Fit Mart Mall of Marbel. It's probably just a couple of days old as it has yet to serve some of the items in the menu. You have to check very carefully the integrity of its chicken macaroni salad.

BJE: Bangsamoro Jambo-Jumbo Encore

2008-08-07T21:06:00.002+08:00

Tam bo li de say de moi ya
Hey Jambo Jumbo
Way to parti o we're goin'
O, Jambali
Tam bo li de say de moi ya
Yeah, Jambo Jumbo!
[All Night Long, Lionel Richie]

We were going to party all night long, or so we thought. Or did i really hope i was going to party? No, not really.

During my recent stop at General Santos City, I randomly picked two kababayans and asked them of their (brief) thoughts about the BJE or Bangsa Moro Juridical Entity (and the buzz that surrounds it). I got two contrasting responses which i honestly kind of expected: one expressed optimism about the BJE as a small but significant step towards real autonomy for the Muslims in Mindanao; while the other easily lambasted its basic premises and denounced the outcome of the GRP-MILF talks as a sellout. One was a Muslim whom I last met 8 years ago; the other a non-Muslim (not sure if he was Christian) who works at a Gensan-based regional government office.

It would matter very little who of the two said what. What is clear is that this recent brouhaha about the BJE, ancestral domain, etc. has again demonstrated the division among Filipinos especially Mindanaoans on questions that relate to peace in Mindanao and the Moro (Filipino Muslim) struggle for self-determination in this part of the country.

It is understandable when wounds have been inflicted deep into the marrow and spirit. These wounds do not heal, not in the next century. And as if the religious and cultural differences (of the peoples in this part of the world) are not enough, add to these the insensitivity and paranoia that are expressed to one another either brought about by sheer ignorance of history or borne out of the itch to display misplaced bravado (i.e. kinsay isog?!)

It does not help when some ambiguously ludicrous "MOA on ancestral domain" suddenly pops out of the talks between government and the armed Moros; and government letting the scoop-hungry media do the briefing for the public.

It does not help when national politicians (some have been to Mindanao only during the election campaigns) suddenly carp about national integrity being undermined as if there is integrity at all in this part of the country in its current state. The ARMM region continues to be among the country's poorest, and is where democracy gets its biggest insults during elections.

It does not help when local warlords suddenly cry foul about a development they themselves admit they do not completely understand; and irresponsibly rally people around a war-mongering cause.

It does not help when one talks peace and holds a gun. Need we remind our self-proclaimed peacemakers (again for the second twice!) about the validity of such oft-repeated dichotomy? Like now that seemingly the MOA on the BJE and Ancestral Domain is on its way into the trashcan, expect the same rampage by the warring sectors like what happened in 2001 and in many other times before that.

It's back to square one for the poor Mindanaoan.

Some Recent Lasquachas

2008-07-29T20:25:00.006+08:00

July 20th. Had a quick tour of the barracks of the Philippine Marines at Fort Bonifacio. The tour was courtesy of a Marines officer who requested not to be identified for [in]security reasons :) With me in the photos below is my MSU-High classmate Peter Awayan.

Remember Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Pearl Harbor"? This is NOT how he did it when he shot down a Zero in the early goings of the Japanese surprise attack. [Gooding played the role of PO3 Doris Miller, an African-American cook on one of the US battleships, who received the US Navy Cross for gallantry]

"Comrade, stop ka muna, photo ops muna tayo, 'pre"

Reminds me of the gallantry and heroism of our very own Filipino people at EDSA in February of 1986. Diesel fuel then cost just about PhP3.00 per liter!

You say you want a revolution...
... All I can tell you is
brother you have to wait.
[Revolution, Lennon/McCartney]

July 28th. At Mr. Baay's T'boli Museum in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. I am holding a hegalung, a 2-stringed lute-like musical instrument of the T'bolis made more famous by alternative artists like Joey Ayala. Anakin is holding (wrongly perhaps) a single-stringed violin-like instrument. (right)

(left) Anakin insists he found Frostmourne (see: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos)

It's my first time to be in Lake Sebu in three years. My last visit was in 2005 with two of my MSU-High classmates (Filipino-Texan Reynaldo Jope and Polomolok Fire Chief Maysael Wenceslao) where we stayed at Mountain Log, a resort owned by UP Gamma Sigman Jojo Sanchez and his family. Photo above was taken from the restaurant of Punta Isla Resort, where they serve all the tilapia dishes you can imagine.

ASD: Episode IV

2008-07-18T21:01:00.016+08:00

“Ang bangka ni Juan, may butas sa gilid...”

I was in a hospital bed at this time exactly a year ago. No, I was not sick. The doctors did not call what I had an “ailment” but rather had a more definitive term for it – atrial septal defect or simply ASD. There was a hole inside my heart in that part where the atriums (or atria?) [WARNING: SCIENCE CONTENT!!!] are divided by the septum. The hole needed to be plugged up to get rid of the chance of me dying because of it; the probability of which can occur anywhere between the next second and the next 20 or years or so. When that probability was presented to me by one of the doctors during earlier checkups, I readily threw out the window the option of me taking my chances. I did not want to die now (early); or to be less candid about it, I did not want to live my next 20 years of life thinking I was going to die any second.

So there I was, in a hospital bed at PGH at this time exactly a year ago. I was not sick. I had ASD and was about to be operated on the next morning. It was not as if I was having a sleepless night. I was already over that at that time. I felt worse 5-6 months earlier during those sequences of checkups to confirm which-caused-what. In between these checkups were sporadic occasions of heart palpitations that made me think I was having a heart attack. As if I knew what a heart attack was.

The worst feeling was when the ASD was confirmed.

How could that be? Been snorkeling, diving (once stayed 15 minutes 15 feet underwater in a discovery-scuba dive), climbing mountains (both as hobby and work), biking (once traversed Bulacan province to and from Quezon City on a mountain bike), and bowling (had a tenpin “career” high of 248) all my life; and was once even a Quiz Bee national finalist and a WW2BAM winner (toink!)! And now, you tell me I have a hole in my heart?

It was by means of a procedure called transesophageal echo-cardiogram or TEE that the doctors finally found the hole. (If one is keen in the area of word-formation - etymology? - it is not that difficult to discern how a TEE procedure is done). The TEE also showed telling info on how the hole in my heart was making some of my blood flow in the wrong direction; which in turn made my heart work harder and grow abnormally bigger. (I used to think having a big heart means something good).

ASD’s are congenital, I was told. Mine I had it since the day I was born – in 1968. So it did not really matter if I was a multi-awarded action-drama movie star. One doctor even theorized the highly-physical activities that I used to do might even have made my condition worse. Though he was quick to assure me that my being able to do all those things despite my physical defect was one good indicator I could survive an open-heart surgery.

And so there I was, a year ago at this time, in a hospital bed at the PGH. After watching the late night news on TV, I went to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be one helluva day.

[Episode V here]

Knowledge vs. Ignorance

2008-06-28T11:17:00.003+08:00

The following article was first published in the Tampakan Update, the official publication of the Municipality of Tampakan. The author is a development worker since the early 1990's and currently a consultant of SMI for the DReAM Children Project.

(Photos are courtesy of CDIC-Tampakan)

------------

KNOWLEDGE VS. IGNORANCE
by: Ariel Marco T. Oclarit

If you think knowledge is expensive, try ignorance.

This was among the words of wisdom, originally quoted from renowned writer Mark Twain, which Prof. Arturo Barbosa imparted to the participants during a recently-held seminar in Tampakan. The professor, who himself is a distinguished academician-librarian in the region, was giving a lecture on Library Management; and, in sharing Twain’s wisdom, he wanted to underscore the importance of collection-building (acquisition of library materials) as among the priority activities of managers of libraries and reading centers.

The lecture was given during the Seminar-Workshop on Basic Library Skills and Management held on April 17-18, 2008 at the Municipal Conference Hall of Tampakan. The seminar was attended by some some 37 individuals – all Barangay officials and personnel of Barangay Development Information Centers (BDICs) which directly oversee the village-level reading centers all throughout Tampakan.

The holding of the activity was a concerted effort of the Local Government of Tampakan through its Municipal Library, the Community Development Information Council (CDIC), and the Sagittarius Mines, Inc (SMI).These entities, incidentally, are among the collaborators of the DReAM Children Project, a partnership-driven reader development project initiated by SMI which aims to help build libraries, school-based learning resource centers, and community reading centers within and around the company’s copper-gold project.

Need over Want

During his lecture, Prof. Barbosa, imparted guiding principles to follow in the procurement of resources (collection) for the library or reading center. “NEED over WANT; if it’s cheap and you need it, then buy it; if it’s expensive but you need it, then buy it; if it’s not needed, it be expensive or free, do not get it.”

Knowledge (or information) – with all the physical (and social) infrastructures needed to gather and manage it – indeed, does not come by cheap. Local governments are mandated to build public libraries and reading centers (R.A. 7743) but “limited or absence of funds” would normally be stated as among the reasons why these infrastructures are not prioritized by most municipalities and barangays.

In the case of Tampakan, the advocacy for the establishment and meaningful operation of its own public library system is continuing and is not without its own hardships. One thing going for it is that the advocacy was started way back and, today, Tampakan’s constituents are already beginning to reap the fruits of the labor of Sir Butch (Barroso; current Municipal Administrator and CDIC adviser) and Sir Efren (Villarina; Community Affairs Officer), among others; their labor characterized by innovativeness and perseverance.

In his inspirational address during the opening program of the seminar-workshop, Sir Butch remembered how in the early 1990s they had to wring their minds for creative ways to set up the library and put resources into it. There were virtually no funds, but to choose ignorance was out of the question. He and his colleagues initiated a “Mutya” fund-raising contest where instead of the Peso, the winner would have to raise “books”. After the contest, the Tampakan Municipal Library had its first "sacks" of books.

Tampakan knew its need for a public library. It was just a matter of thinking ways to go around the barriers.

LGU Support

Today, Tampakan is among the few, if not the only one among the municipalities of South Cotabato, which has strong, operational programs for both the Municipal Library and the barangay reading centers.

In his own opening talk during the seminar-workshop, Hon. Relly Leysa, acting Municipal Vice-Mayor, happily announced that the local government through the Sangguniang Bayan has just approved fund allocation (PhP50,000.00) for the current year for the further improvement of the municipal library.

The amount of financial support may be far from the ideal to fully cover the needs the Municipal Library much more those of the barangay reading centers; but it can already go a long way, especially in providing for the municipal library’s current identified need for more bookshelves and repainting of its interior. This amount may also be utilized as leverage for any assistance and support sought from the outside.

During the topic Cataloging and Classifying Library or Reading Center Materials, as delivered by Prof. Marissa Montaño of the Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU), it was noted that classification tools (e.g. Sears List of Subject-Headings, DDC System, etc) which one cannot do without in organizing the collection of libraries or reading centers, now cost no less than PhP 75,000.00 to acquire. The Municipal Library currently has none. There maybe a need to acquire one (1) set for its principal use and for the secondary use of the barangay reading centers.

Learning Spaces

Another resource person-lecturer during the seminar-workshop, Ms. Fraulein A. Oclarit, a professional librarian and a DReAM Children volunteer, also gave emphasis on the importance of looking beyond the traditional definitions of “libraries” as physical places and see their relevance based on the what their own communities need.

Ms. Oclarit pointed out that more than a space and a collection, the development of strong library-based programs for children and the creation of other learning spaces to explore knowledge other than from reading are essential components in the success of this initiative. She emphasized that the library can host programs that encourage voluntary reading (as opposed to reading as a requirement to earn credit in school), learning through play, conversation and discovery. This way, the library now becomes more children and experience-focused. She emphasized that these programs need to be attuned with the context by which these children are now living and growing.

Continuing Partnership

Besides the individual learnings from the different topics discussed during the seminar-workshop, the activity brought forth other important realizations which are themselves significant output in the continuing advocacy towards reader development. Among these is the addition of two more individual supporters from among the professional sector who have expressed willingness to extend more time and talent to help cater to the needs at the community level.

Professors Barbosa and Montaño are among the few, unfortunately, in the librarianship profession who possess the same big heart for the community as they have brilliant minds for the craft of librarianship; which all the more make their commitment more meaningful.

Barring any hitches in the schedule, there will be a second conduct of the same Seminar-Workshop on Basic Library Skills and Management in the first week of June 2008. This time, the participants will be all Principals/TICs & SLRCs-in-charge of the different elementary and high schools of Tampakan.

All current DReAM Children project partners in Tampakan – the Municipal and Barangay local governments, the Department of Education, the Municipal Library, the CDIC, the Rotary Club, and Sagittarius Mines, as well as the individual volunteers from the academe – have began a movement for literacy in Tampakan. The direction is all forward.

Between knowledge and ignorance, for these partners, the choice is clear enough.

Daxi Weida at Blogger

2008-06-27T21:59:00.004+08:00

Now, I have another edition of my blog, this time hosted by Blogger. Hopefully, this will play better than the first one hosted by another.

Hello there, this is my first post. So what am I going to say? Perhaps explain why I have to put up this blog? Maraming dahilan; but it may not be that necessary to list down and essay the reasons right here right now. When you get to read the posts as we go along, you yourself will realize why.

This blog’s name is Daxi Weida, such a weird name perhaps for most of you but its literal meaning you can easily google. And why make it the title? Well, perhaps because after googling about Daxi Weida, I just wanted this blog to represent that same kind of redemption of the spirit happening at the end of an idealistic yet atrociously dogmatic journey. Lalim ba? Ano raw? :)

In any case, whatever the konek, I wish everyone a happy reading. Do post your comments. Fear not. As my friend Prince Feyesper would like to assure us, everything here is autosophical.

UPDATE (Nov 1): I have changed this blog's title to Redeemed Spirit