toink girl's views

Dumping garbage--old habits die hard

2012-01-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

Philippine Pres. Noynoy Aquino passed by this area on Jan. 6, 2012. This is at corner of San Miguel St. and Aramis St. in Villa Corrina, Barangay Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora district, Quezon City, Philippines. Aquino was on his way to the venue where ceremonies were to be held to celebrate the 200th birthday of Melchora Aquino, better known as "Tandang Sora," one of the Philippines's heroes. A day before and on the day itself that Pres. Aquino (no relation to Melchora, I suppose) was to pass by Visayas Ave., Tandang Sora Ave., San Miguel St., Aramis St., Himlayan Rd., etc., on his way to the venue, streetsweepers made this area and surrounding streets sparkling clean. I've never seen the streets so clean before (pity I wasn't able to take photographs of that).

Tarpaulin streamers were even hung on the lightposts leading up to the venue, with inspiring words like "Tandang Sora--Katapatan (Loyalty)," etc., all extolling virtues pertaining to the hero. Well, now, as you can see, things are back to normal at those streets mentioned. Old habits die hard for the residents, it seems. It's really more fun and easy to dump garbage at the sidewalks. And this photo was taken just a day after the garbage truck passed by on its regular schedule. Which is another matter I don't understand. The garbage truck regularly comes on schedule in our neighborhood--Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Although Wednesdays are supposed to be for picking up only recyclable trash. Yet, despite this regular schedule, residents are still impatient and can't wait to get their trash off of their houses. What are sidewalks for anyway? Old habits really die hard. Not even after supertyphoons "Ondoy" and "Sendong" with all the deadly floods that they brought to the Philippines. And not even after just celebrating the birthday of the hero after whom the place was named.

PAWS, a Philippines animal shelter, seeks help

2012-01-08T22:44:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) seeks help from the public for pitbulls it has recently rescued from a dogfight raid in Cavite, Philippines. PAWS needs cleaning agents (towels, soap, mops, and similar items) for the dogs. Of course, PAWS will also welcome other forms of assistance for the pitbulls and other animals that it cares for. Those who want to help can contact PAWS staff Ana +63917831597o or Charlene +639177931097.

Dragon Fireworks a dud

2012-01-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

The Philippines is now seriously considering a total fireworks ban because of the increasing number of casualties (injuries and deaths) and amount of pollution happening with each New Year's Eve celebration in the country. I'm all for the total ban, even I myself love fireworks (the beautiful colored ones that light the sky, not the noisy firecrackers). In fact, I have downgraded my purchase and use of fireworks in every passing year, although I'm not really one of those people who spend so much for pyrotechnics. I just enjoy watching in the sky how much money they've burned :)

In New Year's Eve to usher in 2012, I was down to one pack of sparklers with long handles (10 or 12 pieces in a pack) and a fountain. I bought them from a stall of Dragon Fireworks in a mall. Each one cost more than a hundred pesos. Dragon has always been my choice of fireworks. I've trusted no other fireworks manufacturer for beauty and safety. In fact, I almost bought from another fireworks manufacturer in the same mall just for the thought of trying out something different. But I still bought from Dragon in the end.

Well, it was a waste of money certainly. The fountain was alright, although I wished that its lights would have went a bit higher. But the sparklers were a dud! For the first time in years that I've been using Dragon sparklers, only about three or four pieces in the pack lighted up. My mother and sister were certainly disappointed because sparklers were the only ones that they've been lighting up in the past years.

Dragon Fireworks, made in Bulacan province in the Philippines, touts itself as one of the best, if not the best, in the industry. But it really let me down. Because of the fact that I really know I wasted precious money on Dragon's non-lighting sparklers and my guilt that I contribute to pollution however little fireworks I light up, I've decided that this will be the end of my "fireworks days."

New Year's Eve 2013, I'll be a noisy as I can be with various noisemakers, and will bring out bottles of bubble to do some serious bubble-making with the electric fan full blast.

Happy New Year!

Job opening: FAD looks for Project Coordinator, Manila

2012-01-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

The Foundation for Adolescent Development (FAD) is looking for a Project Coordinator for its "School Symposium Project" in Metro Manila that will commence in January and end December 31,2012.

They need someone with these qualifications:

1. Graduate of any degree program preferably Psychology, Sociology, Mass Communication, Advertising.
2. Aged 20-30 years old.
3. Excellent communication skills, both in verbal and written form.
4. Organized, resourceful, diligent and passionate in meeting the requirements of the project
5. Personable, can ably represent the organization during meetings.
6. Skilled in the use of the following program applications: MS Word, Excel, Power point.

Those interested, please your CV to:

Ms. Cecilia C. Villa
Executive Director, Foundation for Adolescent Development Inc.
1066 Remedios corner San Bartolome St., Malate,Manila 1004
Telephone: 525-0428; 400-1827,
E-mail: fadinc@pldtdsl.net; besvilla@yahoo.com,
Mobile: 0917-821-5193

The gift of music--for my Dad

2011-12-29T08:39:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, we gave our Dad a portable electronic keyboard. Things like this don't come cheap, but we had to invest on it because Dad's 86-year-old memory has deteriorated a bit more lately. He's been grunting or moaning almost continuously, and our bit of research showed that the grunting could be one of the signs of more memory loss. Especially when the thinking faculties aren't used that much anymore, or something like that, our research showed. And since my Dad really doesn't do much these days, or can't move as much as he did before (he was a tennis player and a sportsfisher in his younger days), I thought then that we were racing against time--to not lose more of his memory on the succeeding days. So I convinced some siblings of mine that we should get a portable keyboard for Dad so that he could be busy with something that he really loves. And listening to or creating music is one of the things he loves. He plays the piano by ear (as seen in the video below that I took early this year when he was 85 years old) and also plays the guitar. So as soon as my siblings and I made the decision to buy the portable keyboard, I hurriedly went to the mall one day to purchase it, braving the horrible traffic and the throng of holiday shoppers at the mall.

Now, Dad is slowly enjoying to play his new toy, as I place it on the dining table where he usually sits. At least now he can play tunes on the keys, as he is slowly remembering the tunes he used to play on the piano. Sometimes, we need to coax him or encourage him by clapping or nodding our heads to him to play the new portable keyboard, and play some more. And he does, slowly but surely. This is a good development because it's become quite hard lately for us to guide him to sit on the stool of our piano that's on one end of the living room. And making him leave the piano stool to go to the dining table for dinner is another long story--not only of his slow movements but also because sometimes he doesn't easily understand anymore what's being said to him.

But, curiously, I've observed that my Dad has so far played the new portable keyboard only with his right hand. Could it be that he doesn't quite remember anymore how to use his left hand? Because even in eating, he rarely uses his left hand. But we're happy to note that his grunts or moans have now turned to hums. There's melody already to most of his grunts. Maybe because he can now play more (although still quite slow but with tone) his favorite tunes on the keyboard and, hopefully, his memory is improving. In fact, for at least two nights now (he sleeps very late), I could hear him (I sleep quite late, too) also playing his guitar in his room already with a tone or melody. This is also good because just a few weeks ago, he seemed to have forgotten already how to play the guitar because he was just plucking it without producing a strong melody.

Having said all this, my profound conclusion is that: Music is really good--and for the enjoyment of everyone, especially of senior citizens :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg8y8KIqIoM

Merry Christmas 2011--and a disappointment at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Project 6, Quezon City

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all! Hope you enjoy celebrating this big day with your loved ones. And also with other people who may need cheering up on Christmas Day.

And let's always remember that on Christmas we celebrate the birthday of Jesus. Christmas isn't really all about the nice trimmings and the fabulous gifts, the great food and fantastic parties. Christmas is a level playing field for the rich, the not-so-rich, and the poor. We're all meant to celebrate the big day of the Big Boss, the One who choose to be born in a simple manger despite His stature, whatever is our status in life. It's as if to say, hey, material things, especially an extravagance of material things, don't make a Christmas celebration. All we need is LOVE. :)

Sometimes, it makes me a bit sad that people seem to be so caught up on all the stressful external preparation for Christmas that we forget the internal preparation of ourselves for the celebration of His birthday. Perhaps, there may be even times that we forget for whom Christmas is really.

This afternoon, I went to Christmas Mass at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Project 6, Quezon City, Philippines. After the priest gave the final blessing to the Mass goers, the choir sang "Happy Birthday" for, of course, Jesus's birthday. I was greatly shocked when my fellow Mass goers didn't stop from leaving the pews to go home while the choir sang the birthday song. Only a handful of us remained in our pews to sing along, in honor of Jesus. Maybe just two or three of us? And it is a big church, mind you.

I'm now trying to ask myself why most of the people in the church this afternoon didn't even stop to sing along with the birthday song. They weren't even singing as they walked along the aisle to the church's door on their way out. Did they think that the choir was singing the birthday song for someone celebrating his or her birthday from among the choir or maybe from among the Mass goers this afternoon? Hence, maybe they thought they didn't have to stop to sing "Happy Birthday" for that person because they didn't know him or her anyway? Or, maybe, they had forgotten that Christmas is Christmas because it's Jesus's birthday, thus they failed to realize that the choir's birthday song was FOR Him. Or, perhaps, those people were hurrying to go to their next Christmas party, thus they had to hurriedly get out of the church. No time any birthday song, sorry. Indeed, has Christmas for those people in the church this afternoon them become a mere ritual, or perhaps an excuse to go on a partying binge and exchange gifts throughout the season?

But I would like to give the benefit of the doubt to my fellow Mass goers at this afternoon's Mass. I still hope that perhaps that my fellow Mass goers at church today only had a temporary lapse when they didn't join in singing the birthday song for Jesus. I hope that deep in their hearts, they still know what Christmas is all about.

Happy Birthday, Jesus! :)

Relief for victims of Typhoon Sendong that kills hundreds, displaces many in Mindanao, Philippines

2011-12-18T23:24:00.000-08:00

For those who want to help the victims of the strong typhoon Sendong that hit the Mindanao region of the Philippines just a few days back this 2011, please direct them to the following organizations. These groups are making sure that your donations will be sent to the right needy victims in Mindanao (particularly Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities). More than 400 people have been reportedly killed and many more are now without food and shelter. For more details about this calamity, please see http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/113849/flood-hit-mindanao-residents-prepare-to-bury-dead
Donations can be in cash or in kind (ready-to-eat food, clothes, water, milk, hygiene products, etc.)

1. News5 Action Center (tv and radio network)
cash donations accepted at Banco de Oro (BDO) Peso Account (Philippines)
Account name: TV5 Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account No. 005310-410164

OR

Bank of the Philippines (BPI) Peso Account
Account name: TV5 Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account No. 1443-05333-2

2. GMA Network (tv and radio network)
Send donations in kind to GMA Kapuso Foundation
2/F Kapuso Center, GMA 7, EDSA Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

3. ABS-CBN Network (tv and radio network)
Cash donations to: Banco de Oro (BDO) Peso Account (Philippines)
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39301-14199
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

OR

Philippine National Bank (PNB) Peso Account (Philippines)
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 419-539-5000-13
Swift Code: PNBMPHMMBPI Peso Account

4. Gawad-Kalinga (Philippines)
Cash donations to Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) (Philippines)
Philippine Peso Current Account # 3101 0977
56 BPI EDSA Greenhills at Gawad Kalinga

OR

US$ Savings Account # 3104 0162 34
BPI EDSA Greenhills Swift code: BOPIPHMM

5. Philippine Red Cross (PRC)
Cash donations:
THROUGH SMS AND G-CASH

SMS
Text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart)

G-Cash
Text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882

You can donate the following denominations:
Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1,000
Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1,000

Deposits can also be made to the PRC’s Banco De Oro peso account 00-453-0018647, dollar 10-453-0039482;
Bank of the Philippine Islands peso account 4991-0036-52, dollar account 004994-0103-15;
Metrobank account 151-3-041631228, dollar account 151-2-15100218-2;
Philippine National Bank peso account 3752 8350 0034, dollar account 3752 8350 0042; Unionbank of the Philippines peso account 1015 4000 0201; dollar account 1315 4000 0090.

6. Philippine Daily Inquirer (newspaper, internet, and radio network)

Drop off donations in-kind at the Inquirer office, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. at Mascardo and Yague Streets, Makati City, Philippines.

Cash donations may be deposited in the Inquirer Help Fund account, which is the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) current account No. 4951-0067-56, under the name Philippine Daily Inquirer Inc. For inquiries, call PDI corporate affairs at 8978808, and ask for Bianca Kasilag or Connie Kalagayan.

7. LBC Foundation

IN-KIND DONATIONS

LBC will deliver goods for free to the hardest-hit cities and provinces. Donations may be dropped off at any LBC branch nationwide.

For inquiries, call the LBC hotline at (632) 8585-999.

8. One for Iligan

CASH DONATIONS
Name: Iliganons Sa Manila Inc.
Account Number: Checking Acct 5308004019 Asia-Tower Paseo Branch
Bank: Banco de Oro

9 *Iligan Bloggers Society
3553 Durango St., Palanan, Makati City 1235. For inquiries, contact Migz at 09065777812 or 09227130006 or 6-D Cypress Gardens Condo 112 VA Rufino St., Makati City, and look for Meikah Delid.

Berkeley Residences, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. For inquiries, contact Jamie Steffani Mijares at 09157744244

Madison Square Condominium, Taft Avenue, Manila, right in front of De La Salle University, beside Kenny Rogers . For inquiries, contact Roden Lim at 09228446777

10 Xavier Science Foundation with Xavier University

Account Name: Xavier Science Foundation, Inc.
Account Number: 2041-0394-45
Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands, Main Branch, Velez St., CDO

Account Name: Xavier University
Account Number: 9331-0133-63
Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands, Divisoria Branch, CDO

For those who wish to seek an official receipt for their contribution, you may email a copy of the deposit slip at xsf@xu.edu.ph or fax to (088) 858-8062 / 858-3116 local 3100 and specify the details of your remittance (name of donor, contact information). You may also call (08822) 72-7701.

12. Dela Salle University

Account Name: La Salle Academy Iligan
Account No. 0820-016221-030.
Bank: Development Bank of the Philippines

Donations in cash may also be received at Gate 2 of La Salle Green Hills at 343 Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550. You may also call any of the following telephone numbers for further inquiries: Aluimni Office — 721-2729, 722-7750, 725-4720; GS Principal at 721-2482; HS Principal at 721-8914; Buildings and Grounds Office at 721-8904 (Telefax)
La Sallian Mission Office at 726-5851 (Telefax)

13. Akbayan
Cash or in-kind donations:
Madasalin St. Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
4336933 for more details.

PLEASE HELP!

Philippines's 2012 holidays listed

2011-12-01T06:34:00.000-08:00

According to news site inquirer.net, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has declared a total of 16 official holidays for 2012. The following are the holidays in the Philippines next year. Take note especially if you plan to visit my beautiful country to enjoy the wonderful beaches, food, and hospitality of the people :)

A. Regular Holidays
New Year’s Day: January 1 (Sunday)
Maundy Thursday: April 5
Good Friday: April 6
Araw ng Kagitingan: April 9 (Monday)

Labor Day: May 1 (Tuesday)
Independence Day: June 12 (Tuesday)
National Heroes Day: August 27 (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day: November 30 (Friday)
Christmas Day: December 25 (Tuesday)
Rizal Day: December 30 (Sunday)

B. Special (Non-Working) Days
Chinese New Year: January 23 (Monday)
Ninoy Aquino Day: August 21 (Tuesday)
All Saints Day: November 1 (Thursday)
Additional special (non-working) day: November 2 (Friday)
Last Day of the Year: December 31 (Monday

C. Special Holiday (for all schools)
EDSA Revolution Anniversary: February 25 (Saturday)

The proclamations declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha will be issued after it is determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar.

Far Eastern University (FEU), Manila, Philippines, hosts General Alumni Homecoming--Dec. 10, 2011

2011-11-21T21:28:00.001-08:00

See FEU's official poster for details.

100 Days to Heaven nears end--Kuha mo?!

2011-11-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

"100 Days to Heaven" is a primetime drama series on Philippines's ABS-CBN Channel 2. The series started in May 2011 and will end this week. It's airing nightly Monday to Friday. When the series ends, it will be much missed by its viewers who've been touched in many ways not only but its wonderful storyline but also by the great acting of its lead actors. Connie Reyes and Xyriel Manabat are among the actors in this series that have hooked with their acting chops the viewers who've lovingly watched this series from start to finish (and that includes me and my family!). Connie plays the character "Madam Anna Manalastas," a successful but much-feared businessperson who was murdered (killer unknown). When she dies, she's sent back to Earth by a character, presumably St. Peter, to have a chance to make up for the bad she did while still alive. This arrangement was to save Anna from hell to which she was supposedly destined to because of being a "bad person" in her lifetime. But the hitch is that Anna is sent back as an adult in the form of a child (actually how Anna supposedly looked like when she was small), played to perfection by cute seven-year-old Xyriel Manabat. Big Anna has the habit of retorting to people "Kuha mo?" (or "Get it?") in her high-pitched voice. Of course, in her teeny high-pitched voice, little Anna (but actually adult Anna) shared the same habit. And one of Anna's mistakes-to-correct-on-Earth is finding and making up with her child Trisha. Anna gave up Trisha for adoption after giving birth to her as a teenage single parent. And, as the storyline goes, Trisha turned out to be Sophia, who was part of the family that "adopted" Anna when she came back to Earth as a child. (Sophia doesn't know at the start that she's adopted by the family that she's known for so long and that Anna's her real mom. In fact, she doesn't know that she's the heir of rich Anna.)

Clever dialogues, credible and creative storyline, many lessons in life to pick up from many episodes, memorable scenes, good acting by the main cast and also the guest actors every week, a beautiful theme song ("Mahiwaga," a classic Filipino song) and more factors conspired together to make this series one of the best that a local TV network has produced. Hopefully in the years to come, Philippines's TV networks will produce more such good shows. These good shows make staying home and watching them with the family a great time for bonding.

Poster of "100 Days to Heaven," featuring adult Anna (Connie Reyes), and Anna as a child (Xyriel Manabat). (Photo source: Internet)

In this promo photo, Anna as a child (Xyriel Manabat) bonding with her daughter Sophia/Trisha (Jodie Sta. Maria). (Photo source: Internet)

In this promo photo, big Anna and little Anna pose at a shooting break with Anna's long-lost Mom played by Susan Roces. Susan was only one of the many popular actors who guested in the series. These actors played characters that have, in one way or another, been part of Anna's life when she was alive and to which she had to correct some not-so-good thing she'd done to them. (Photo source: Internet)

This the appearance of the cast of "100 Days to Heaven" on November 6, 2011 on TV show "ASAP Rocks," prior to their last week of airing. Fatima Soriano leads the singing of the series theme song "Mahiwaga" (literally meaning "magical," "a source of wonder." (Youtube source: channel owner PIWeLoveSarahG)..

Ramona Revilla allegedly flies to HK--sign of guilt or what?

2011-11-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

Some people say that when someone accused of a wrongdoing (e.g., a crime) takes flight, it's a sign of guilt. Well, I just saw a breaking news tonight on TV that Ramona Revilla, one of those being implicated as a suspect in the recent murder of her brother (Ram) and attempted murder on Ram's girlfriend a few nights ago in a plush village south of Manila, has supposedly just flown to Hong Kong (HK) through the Manila airport.

The large and rich Revilla clan is well-known in the Philippines's showbusiness and political circles. Actors and politicians make up this clan. The events in the past days involving the murder of Ram and the subsequent tagging by the police of Ramona and another brother as main suspects in the murder has inevitably captured the attention of every Filipino. The accusations have also rocked the Revilla family into a frenzy of denials about their kins' involvement. Ramona, after giving an initial statement to the police on her version of what happened, couldn't be found for a few days after the crime. Earlier today, she suddenly surfaced to deny the accusations and retract her previous statement given to the police. But with her surprising alleged flight tonight to HK amid her and her family's denials of her and her brother's involvement in the grisly crime, more questions are raised and begged to be answered.

The brother also being tagged as a suspect (and co-mastermind of Ramona, in fact) is, by the way, already being held by the police. But his lawyer is accusing the police of illegal detention or a similar case. Ram's girlfriend is still being hospitalized for the serious wounds she got when she and Ram were attacked. Her version on how the attack happened and whom she saw as their attackers would be really be interesting to hear.

The plot thickens as this real-life telenovela unfolds with more surprises and revelations, and accusations and denials, every day.

Yolanda's Eatery in Tacloban, Leyte (Philippines) beckons

2011-11-01T02:13:00.000-07:00

If ever you’ll come to Leyte, a province in the Visayas region of the Philippines (that’s about in the middle part of the country), be sure to get your fill of the wonderful food at Yolanda’s.

Yolanda’s is a seaside eatery in Barangay San Jose in Tacloban City, the capital of Leyte. (Barangay is a small village or community.) A meal at Yolanda’s will definitely help make your stay in beautiful Leyte even more memorable. This eatery is just a few minutes away from Tacloban City’s airport. It's also not far from your next possible stop after Yolanda’s for a photo op, which would be the “Leyte Landing Memorial Park” in Palo town, also known as “MacArthur Park.” The Park features big bronze statues immortalizing the team of high-ranking soldiers led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur as it waded its way to the beach, fulfilling MacArthur’s “Second World War” promise to the Philippines that he will return to help liberate the country from the Japanese forces.

Back to Yolanda’s. You see in the photos here (which I took when I had lunch there on a recent trip to Leyte with some friends) that the place is low-maintenance inside and, more so, outside. Even its signboard seems to have fallen off. But anyone wanting to savor what Yolanda’s has to offer wouldn’t have a hard time getting directions on going there because this restaurant is famous in the locality not for its looks but for its delicious food. The eatery is like a "well-kept open secret" for the townsfolk. (But then, the simple seaside ambiance of Yolanda’s could be a come-on for people who would want a countryside [or seaside] feel while having their meal.)

Yes, Yolanda’s sits on the beachfront but don’t expect a whitesand beach. But you’ll have a nice picturesque view of the wide sea from your seat as you partake of your freshly cooked food. And expect refreshing seabreeze wafting through Yolanda’s dining hall throughout your lunch or dinner. While at Yolanda’s, you can also get a glimpse of the life of the community in Yolanda’s neighborhood. Small fishing boats (bancas) with outriggers are resting on the beach; newly washed clothes are hanging from the nearby houses’ clotheslines, fences, and boats' outriggers; and the residents are busy going here and there for their chores or sitting around for some chit-chat.

Yolanda’s may be simple in looks, and its servers are also simple folks. But you’ll be there expecting good food, and that’s what you’ll get. This eatery’s menu is basically what’s found in a regular Filipino home, and you can choose from seafoods, chicken, pork and beef meat, and vegetable viands. You can go to Yolanda’s kitchen to choose from its stock and discuss with the server or the cook the way you want your food to be done. Of course, you should also take the cook’s (and even the server’s) suggestions on cooking your food (they are Yolanda’s experts, after all). When my friends and I were there, the cook was a man, whom we later met when we were about to leave the place. I just don’t know if he’s also the cook for dinner time.

A meal at Yolanda's is worth the bit of waiting for it to be served to you. Your discriminating taste buds and grumbling stomach will truly be happy with the wonderful taste of the fish cooked in hot broth (fish tinola); prawns fried in ginger (among other ingredients); and grilled fish. My group didn’t quite understand what the names of the fish were in the local dialect, but we were too busy enjoying our food to ask more questions. On our table were condiments like vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and small lemons (calamansi) for anyone who wants to mix some dip or sauce (sawsawan) for her or his food. Bottled drinks are available at Yolanda's. After finishing off your food, you can refresh yourself at the eatery's washroom where there's plenty of water.

Among Yolanda’s many specialties, the fish tinola, fried prawns, and grilled fish were the ones that my friends and I enjoyed that lunch time. And I hope you, too, will experience Yolanda's in your trip to Leyte, someday. Hopefully, soon.

And, by the way, finding out at Yolanda’s that prawns fried in ginger could be tasty was quite a discovery for me! That led me to do some experimentation upon going home to Manila. After adding ginger to my own version of fried prawns, it then seemed to me that ginger WAS the missing ingredient in my prawn dish! Yummy! I’ll tell you about that in another blog entry soon.

The main difference between an iPad and a printed magazine or newspaper is--

2011-10-18T02:49:00.000-07:00

--you can swat a fly or mosquito with a printed magazine or newspaper but not with an iPad! Not even with an iPad2 or if there's more iPad versions to come out. And, oh yeah, your doggie or lovebirds can't also pooh on your iPad.

Planking, Flunking, and Plunking

2011-10-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

When you lie down on a street or any location you fancy, that's "planking."

When you fail in class because you spend more time planking with your gang than studying, that's "flunking."

And when you cry out in the street because you failed in school and your parents bawl out at you at home because of your mischief, that's...ahh..umm... "plunking."

:)

Relief needed for typhoon victims in Philippines

2011-10-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

My country the Philippines had just been through two devastating typhoons that came almost within the same week. Typhoons Pedring and Quiel hit provinces in the Luzon island of the Philippines. Many people are now in evacuation centers as they lost their homes, or their homes (and their villages) are still submerged in floodwaters.

Various groups are mobilizing rescue and relief operations. Many groups are asking for and accepting donations for various necessities to be sent to the affected families. One such group is the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippines's leading newspaper, which announced just today that it is accepting donations for flood victims at its office in Makati City, Philippines.

The Inquirer will be accepting donations for canned goods, noodles, rice, water and medicines at its office in 1098 Chino Roces Ave., corner Yague and Mascado Streets, Makati City, Philippines. Inquiries can be directed to the Inquirer's corporate affairs office, (632) 899-4426 or (632) 897-8808 (look for Connie Kalagayan or Bianca Kasilag).

UPDATE as of Oct. 3, 2011: For cash donations, please deposit to Inquirer Help Fund Current Account No. 4951-0067-56 Philippine Daily Inquirer Inc. with Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Intramuros, Manila, Philippines; or Corporate Network for Disaster Response, Account No. 0031-0654-02 (BPI) or 004640030358 (Banco de Oro).

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/69229/inquirer-relief-drive

Residents use boat to navigate a flooded street in Calumpit, Bulacan, Philippines due to typhoon Pedring. Photo by ARNOLD ALMACEN/Inquirer. From inquirer.net

The rooftop serves as veritable Noah’s Ark of a few animals—cats, dogs, chickens,
ducks and a pigeon—after the owners abandoned the submerged house in Gugo
village, Calumpit, Bulacan, in the Philippines. Unfortunately, rescue workers
could only evacuate humans. Photo by LYN RILLON. From inquirer.net

No classes in Metro Manila, Philippines, Sept. 26, 2011

2011-09-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

Classes in private and public schools (preschoo, elementary, high school) have been suspended starting 12NN today (Sept. 26) in the Philippines's Metro Manila region (comprising several cities and municipalities, including capital city Manila). Authorities have issued the suspension because of typhoon "Pedring" that the weather bureau says will bring in more rains this afternoon. Well, it's already raining hard this morning. I hope this afternoon's predicted heavy rains will not bring in much floods and destruction. Especially since today marks the "anniversary" of 2009's typhoon "Ondoy" that brought in much devastation and deaths to the Philippines.

Aquellos Ojos Verdes--The Green Eyes

2011-09-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite music pieces, Aquellos Ojos Verdes or The Green Eyes. I think this was composed in the 1920s, years before I was born. The melody is so beautiful. But for years I didn't know its title. I don't remember anymore how I came to finally know what it's called. But then I forgot the title again after that, silly me. The only thing I could remember about this musical piece, aside from the melody of course, was that the title started with "Aqua," or "Aquo," or something. Finally, after long periods of trying to find this music on YouTube, I finally found it. Yes!

And I'd like to share it with you, courtesy of Luiz1948's YouTube channel.

Photo contest in Asia-Pacific region--for APEC

2011-09-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

DFA invites photographers to

join APEC contest

09/17/2011 | 02:32 PM

Photographers from the Asia-Pacific region are invited to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) photo contest seeking to highlight the regional grouping’s key thrusts, the Philippines's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has announced.

The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers in all APEC economies.

The DFA said contestants may submit photos inspired by three categories: (1) strengthening regional economic integration and expanding trade; (2) promoting green growth, and (30 advancing regulatory convergence and cooperation.

"The contest's themes reflect the policy priorities that APEC set for 2011," the DFA said.

APEC Secretariat Executive Director Ambassador Muhamad Noor said the photographic inputs will help inform the decisions the APEC makes as it moves its agenda forward.

"We recognize the challenge that we have put before the contestants but we know that the region's innovative spirit will produce photographs that capture a compelling visual narrative," he added.

Mechanics

Winners will be selected based on the quality of photograph, composition, overall impact, and artistic merit, as well as how well it represents the three themes.

Submitted photos must be the photographer's original work. Those who wish to enter the competition should fill in a form and send their entries to contest@apec.org.

Contestants can submit up to three photos during the submission period, which closes on October 10.

Over SG $5,000 in prizes will be awarded to the winners.

The three winning entries will be chosen by a panel of international judges including including AFP Photo Editor-in-Chief (Worldwide) Eric Baradat, AFP Photo Editor-in-Chief (North America) Mladen Antonov, Reportage by Getty Images Photographer Palani Mohan, Ambassador Noor and US APEC Senior Official Ambassador Kurt Tong.

Winning entries will be announced in Honolulu in November during the lead-up to the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
— ELR/LBG, gmanews.tv

Music and sound FX for your multimedia presentations

2011-09-17T00:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some Internet websites where you can download usually free music, sound effects, or other accessories to use in your audiovideo presentations, podcasts, and similar media to be created.

1. themusicase.com
2. royaltyfreemusic.com
3. beatsuite.com
4. danosongs.com
5. loopsound.com
6. partnersinrhyme.com
7. royaltyfreeclassicalmusic.co.uk
8. magnatune.com
9. soundclick.com
10. royaltyfreemusicclips.com
11. ccmixter.org
12. podsafeaudio.com

Online or printed?

2011-09-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

I read an article in the website of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, my favorite newspaper in the Philippines, that said that a recent survey (done by Synovate) in the country found out that since 2007, more consumers in urban areas are getting their media and entertainment fix from the Internet. The survey also pointed out that a decline in readership of print media (mainly newspapers) noted in a survey before the current one seems to have recovered somehow, with 30 percent of those now surveyed still reading printed materials. Well, this survey said that 30 percent is an improvement from the number obtained in recent past years.

Actually, I believe that despite the fantastic popularity of online media and the greater accessibility of people to more gadgets that make going online as easy as eating biscuits, print media will always be around in the Philippines or, at least, will take several generations before it loses mass appeal. And this is because of the geographical and economic make-up of the country where print media is still the most attractive, most accessible, and most informative reading material for many Filipinos who, in great numbers, live in places where electricity is not constantly available and who also, because of their state in life, will prioritize food over buying electronic information technology gadgets.

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

To Mama Mary :)

When the doctors are suddenly out...

2011-09-08T07:34:00.001-07:00

My mom had two recent unfortunate incidents with two doctors. Last week, I went with her to a surgeon for a 10 A.M. appointment where the doctor was supposed to see a small lump on her buttocks. We waited for like an hour-and-a-half at the hospital's waiting area before one the women in the receiving area had the brilliant idea of looking for the doctor. After making a few phone calls, the woman said to us that the doctor wasn't available after all because he was in the operating room with a patient and would be available in the afternoon yet. She asked us if the doctor really knew we had an appointment with him. I said of course he did, he was even asked by the person I was talking to over the phone two days before that, and I heard him say that yes, he was available at 10 A.M. that day. Anyway, maybe the operation he was doing when we came in was an emergency. Maybe he didn't really forget our appointment with him. We didn't anymore return that afternoon. But I took pity on Mom because she wasn't really feeling well, and we had to sit it out for more than an hour in the hospital for a doctor who never was to come anyway.

Today, since my Mom had been sneezing and coughing for over two weeks already, she decided to see a pulmonoligist referred by a friend of hers. The doctor was supposed to have a clinic from 11 AM - 1 PM (in the same hospital we went to last week). I called up the doctor's secretary at 10 AM to ask if the doctor was coming. The secretary said yes. My brother came with my Mom to the hospital this time. A few minutes past 11 AM, my brother called me up to say that the doctor wasn't coming because she had to go to a burial (I hope the dead person wasn't her patient!). I wondered how long it took for the doctor to decide or to know that she was to attend a burial that morning. Her clinic was supposed to open at 11 AM. She could've at least advised her secretary a bit earlier that morning that she wasn't be going to have patients that day to avoid inconveniencing patients, especially the older ones. Poor mother of mine again didn't have a luck with her doctor today.

Heavy, heavy rain in Metro Manila today!

2011-08-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Philippines had just finished a long weekend (holiday on Monday and Tuesday). There was a storm then, and many provinces of Luzon island of the country were soaked in floods and even had landslides. Metro Manila, also in Luzon island, had its share of rains but not that strong. But, curiously, today, just when people are back to school, to work, and to their other regular routine, rains are pouring hard in Metro Manila. Hopefully, the flash floods now happening in some roads will not hamper many people. Hopefully also, that the rains will not last beyond noontime.

Laborer’s son opts to stay, work in the Philippines

2011-08-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

Laborer’s son opts to stay, work in the Philippines

David Foster hunting for new Filipino singing talents

2011-08-23T00:08:00.000-07:00

David Foster hunting for new Filipino singing talents

Where's Fr. Ramon Eloriaga at the Landmark Department Store Mass?

2011-08-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

I've been missing Fr. Ramon Eloriaga who, until a little over a month ago, used to be the regular priest presiding at the Sunday Mass in Landmark Department Store in Trinoma Mall, Quezon City, Philippines. Fr. Ramon has been celebrating this Mass in Landmark ever since it started at the Mall since like over a year ago. He has been rarely absent, and if he were to be absent for quite a while, he would advise the Mass goers. And many of these Mass goers were a regular presence in Fr. Ramon's Masses. And that includes me because I learn a lot about being a Catholic from his homilies. Thus before I do my weekly groceries in Landmark, I go first to its Mass on the upper floor of the grocery section. (Although I still go sometimes to the Mass in my local parish church because Fr. Ramon reminds the mall Mass goers to not forget to still go to the Masses in their parish.)

It so happens that Fr. Ramon's homilies give deep learning from and understanding of the Bible combined with lessons from contemporary happenings. And he delivers his homilies in a manner that is not boring or has no sense of direction. His homilies are always endearing with a lesson or lessons to impart. He also manages to deliver a punch line or two in his homilies.

I hope Fr. Ramon soon returns to the Masses in Landmark. Otherwise, I might have to seek out his Masses at his parish homebase, the St. Rita de Cascia Parish in Philam Homes Subdivision in Quezon City (which is quite a distance from my own parish). With due respect to the two priests who have taken on alternate basis Fr. Ramon's place at the Landmark Mass, I really miss his homilies and the learning I get from them. I hope he returns soon. :)

Padre Pio's image on Baclayon Church post?

2011-08-10T07:52:00.001-07:00

A relative of mine showed me last night a picture of seemingly the image of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, canonized in 2002, that appears in a post of Baclayon Church in Tagbilaran town, Bohol Province, Philippines. The church, according to an Internet website, is one of the oldest church buildings in the Philippines, and also the oldest Catholic stone building in the country. It was constructed during the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, and the first Spanish missionaries settled in the area in the late 15th century. Its formal name is "The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception."

I don't know if the Catholic church has already authenticated this image that appears on the Church's post, but seen side-by-side with a photo of Padre Pio, it surely looks like him. I searched for something about this in the Internet and saw a video uploaded to YouTube. Here's the video by channel owner Leophilippines. You can decide for yourself if, indeed, it's Padre Pio's image. Well, I think it really looks like him.

Janella Lelis--brave patriotic girl

2011-08-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

The photo below by Francisco Pena Lozano caught my eye when it appeared a few days ago at the inquirer.net (website of the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper). The Philippines has been ravaged by rather strong typhoons in the past days, bringing floods especially in the northern Philippines area.

Janella Lelis, the 12-year-old girl in the photo, is from Albay province, one of the hardest hit provinces of the typhoons in recent days. But strong rains and deep floods didn't stop Janella from saving from ruin a Philippine flag. I salute Janella for her patriotism, and her family and teachers who've brought her up well.

Concert at the Landmark foodcenter in Trinoma

2011-07-17T20:24:00.001-07:00

Many years ago, my family and I used to watch on the boob tube the "Concert at the Park" that showcased various musical talents onstage at the Luneta Park in Manila. It was shown live in the afternoon on the government's television station, while hundreds of people also watched at the Luneta. Another live concert, also shown on television (but usually on delayed telecast) was the "Paco Park Presents" that featured musical talents in Paco Park, also in Manila. Paco Park was a smaller venue compared to Luneta, hence fewer people watched it live at the park. But the good quality of musical talents featured in Paco Park was at par as that in Luneta Park.

Anyway, nowadays, I don't know if these two venues still host these free concerts or shows. But for the past few months, people doing their Sunday malling in Trinoma mall in Quezon City have been enjoying themselves at the Landmark Department Store foodcenter area (basement), where a brass band (from Bulacan province, I heard) is seated at the center and plays music. The band regales foodcenter customers with past and current hits at certain hours of the day. Music with fast tempo is a hit with children enjoying meals with their elders. The kids stomp their feet and clap their hands in tune to the fast music. The adults take in everything from disco to ballads (of course, the kids must have been enjoying listening to the ballads, too).

Sometimes, Landmark also has a string ensemble somewhere in its store.

My thanks to Landmark for making the effort to relax stressed souls with live music on Sundays.

Bad service at French Baker--SM North Edsa branch

2011-07-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

I was not a regular customer before of French Baker (FB), even if this bakeshop has many branches in Metro Manila. I found FB products too sweet and the product line rather limited. But, lately, its products seemed to have improved in quality and quantity (in terms of choices for the customer). And I have found myself recently quite usually going back for FB's mocha walnut muffin and fresh sandwich (the latter product I discovered at FB only two weeks ago).

Usually, I bought FB's goodies at its branch inside Landmark supermarket in Trinoma Mall, Quezon City, on Sundays when I do my groceries. Yesterday, though, I bought FB's muffins at the bakeshop's newly renovated branch at the main building of SM North Edsa Mall, which is just in front of Trinoma (FB has another branch in the annex building of this SM Mall). It wasn't a very good experience for me buying at the SM North branch.

The FB staff (who was at the other side of the display counter) that I requested to give me two mocha walnut muffins seemed to be pouting while I was talking to her. As if I disturbed her walking as she seemed to be going somewhere when I had chanced upon her. After she had left my muffins near the cashier's box so that my purchase could be transacted, I had to stand in line at the cashier for many precious minutes (I was in a hurry that time, actually) because the cashier and two foreign customers were arguing a bit about the latter's change for their payment. The two customers were insisting they had no smaller bill to pay the cashier, and they were complaining why a big store like FB would run out of change for customers. Finally, the cashier had to go inside their office to get some cash for change, and it took a while for here to return to her post. Meanwhile, the two foreigners already sat down at the nearby table to begin eating their pastries while waiting for their change.

While I was waiting for the same cashier to come back and attend to me (and my muffins were still waiting in line at my right, near the cashier's box), a lady customer came up to my left side and ordered another FB staff to give her some bread that she pointed to at the display counter. The FB staff was holding a mop (her duty obviously at that time, it was late morning, was to clean up). Answering the lady customers's request, the FB staff put aside her mop, letting it stand on the nearby wall, and proceeded to put the bread on a plastic bag. The FB staff didn't even bother to wipe her hands first. Yes, she used a tong or a small plastic bag to get the bread, but still I believe she should've wiped or washed her hands first because she WAS handling a mop and doing some cleaning before handling the food. Does the manager of this FB branch even talk to his or her staff about sanitation and food handling?

Then, after this FB staff had put the bread on the plastic bag, she put it next to the cashier's box which was not the correct queue, and which was far (and at the other end) from my muffin bag which should be the first priority of the still-missing-cashier when she comes back to her post. I was too lazy to ask the cleaning-lady-FB staff to not put there the other client's bread bag because that wasn't the correct queue for the cashier. I just thought to myself how insensitive this staff was because she should've noticed me having stood there for sometime already with a paper bill in hand, and she should've noticed, too, that my muffin bag was lined up already at the PROPER side. Well, just as I thought, the cashier, when she did come back and after attending to the money change of the two foreigner clients, picked up first the other lady customer's bread bag for transaction.

Of course, I had to say something already, also because the other customer didn't even remark that maybe I should be the first one to be attended to by the cashier since I was already lined up before she came. That lady customer couldn't have not seen me when she came near the display counter right beside the cashier's box. So, I asked the cashier in an irritated voice (while pointing to my muffin bag) that I've been standing there for so long already so she should attend to me first.

And the muffins I bought from this branch is another story. When we ate them at home the same day, they didn't taste as fresh as the ones I usually bought at the Landmark branch. They also weighed lighter. They tasted kind of different. The walnuts on top of the muffins were also fewer and less crunchier. The muffins, therefore, seemed old and were almost bad. We were really disappointed since those muffins didn't come cheap, and to think I had to go through some trouble and wasted some minutes of my time just to buy them.

Well, one thing for sure, I'm not going back to the French Baker branch in SM North Edsa Mall. I'll stick to the branch in Landmark in Trinoma Mall. The FB staff in the Landmark branch are more attentive and courteous to customers, and their products taste fresh and good.

Sky Flakes and catfood for theater actors--says Rafael Santos

2011-06-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

This guy named "Rafael Santos," a first-time director in the Philippines specializing in independently produced films (or "indie films), is now in hot water. A few days ago, he was interviewed on local television to promote his film to be shown in a local film festival (Cinemalaya). I guess not too many people saw the interview (at least not from among theater actors concerned), and no one complained at that time of what he said in that interview. But when the same interview was recently uploaded by someone to YouTube, Filipino actors, especially theater actors, finally came to know of what Santos said there. Santos, in reply to the host's question to him on his experience of working with theater actors in his first-ever directed film, said that he found it better working with theater actors. Okay, that's good of him to say that. But then Santos didn't stop there. He continued to say that the reason that he works better with theater actors is because "they don't complain, you can feed them Sky Flakes (a brand of biscuit) three meals a day, and pay them in catfood, basically."

Link below of interview of Santos from Peparazzo's YouTube account:

Expectedly, Filipino actors and directors are now up in arms against Santos because they deem his words an insult to them. And I agree with the sentiment of these people. Santos has issued a quick apology (albeit e-mailed to the organizers of the film festival, if I understand correctly news reports up to a few hours ago, in which his film is an entry). Santos said in his apology that he didn't exactly mean what he said, that he was joking, and that he actually has high respect for these actors, especially theater actors, who sacrifice a lot just to pursue their craft in the best possible way.

Well, if you ask me, if he really respects these people as he now says, he should have chosen his words well during his interview on television. He could have said it just straightforwardly how he does respect his peers in the industry. But in his attempt to be witty and cool in describing how theater actors work hard to pursue their craft and are willing to undergo sacrifices in the process, he ended up saying rather insulting words. His words insinuated that there's no need for film producers to spend for full meals when they hire theater actors because these people will be happy even if they are fed only with biscuits during shootings (and the biscuit brand that Santos mentioned--Sky Flakes--is just about one of the lower-priced biscuits in the Philippines) and by giving them catfood (presumably to take home to their cats). What adds to the insult is that he was saying those things in indirect comparison to film and television actors who, as every showbiz fan in the Philippines knows, are pampered by film producers and television networks, especially the most popular actors.

As it is now, Santos's film-making career just picking up might just take an abrupt detour to perhaps another career where he won't have to bump into these people he has offended. Aside from his e-mailed apology to the film festival organizers, a televised apology from him is being demanded by an organization of theater actors in the Philippines.

Santos should move quickly and humbly if he still wants to save his career. Or, does he still have a career?

Facebook killer!

2011-06-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

In the news yesterday in the Philippines--a local actor-director named Ricky Rivero suffered more than 10 stab wounds in the chest and stomach in the early morning of June 13, 2011, and drove himself to a hospital near his place in Quezon City district. His alleged assailant was another man whom he befriended through Facebook just about only five months ago, the report said. Rivero was said to have invited this man to sleepover at his apartment on the 12th. The following early morning, Rivero and the man allegedly had an argument because the latter was asking for money. Rivero's guest was said to have become enraged during the argument hence the stabbing, and left the bloodied Rivero in his apartment in a jiffy.

Miraculously, Rivero was still able to drive himself to the hospital despite his wounds. He's still in the hospital now but there's no update as to his condition.

His alleged assailant was caught by village officials when he came to Rivero's apartment just moments after the attack, presumably to get some of Rivero's things. The village officials were alerted by Rivero's neighbors who were roused by the commotion.

If the real would-be murderer is really Rivero's Facebook friend (and Rivero already identified the guy as his assailant when police had presented the man to him at the hospital), this is another lesson for us all to be careful of persons we meet via the Net, especially for those who have the habit of eyeballing their Net friends. I've heard or read of other frightful stories (in the Philippines and abroad) where people have been victimized by their online "friends" whom they meet face-to-face and turn out to be criminals. Of course, these stories are not that many. I guess there are more kind people in the Net than there are bad people. But, it wouldn't hurt to be careful in the Net as we should also be in "real" life.

Rain! Rain! Rain!

2011-06-07T18:42:00.001-07:00

Me, happy! Because, finally, after days of sweating it out in very warm weather in a supposedly rainy season in the Philippines, we've been getting some pretty strong rains today, since this early morning (at least in Metro Manila). Not that I wish that the rains would get stronger because that could mean floods, but thank God for some respite from the past hot days where one could've definitely gotten a heat stroke if she or he isn't too careful. I hope more rains will come in this rainy season (which started in late May), but not too strong since the Philippines is really flood-prone.

Sungha Jung plays his guitar like no other

2011-05-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

On a hot summer day where I'm located, listening to (and viewing) this kid named Sungha Jung play on his guitar brings a refreshing feeling to me. Luv it! :)

Thanks to the jwcfree Youtube account for the link!

Osama Bin Laden is DEAD!

2011-05-01T21:10:00.001-07:00

Yup, US President Obama himself confirmed it on national TV---that man above (source of photo: Internet) is gone, kaput, zapped, deep down in a Pakistani hide-out, thanks to a team of US warriors.

Now, with Bin Laden dead, he who was the chief architect of the September 11, 2001 attack of the US, and other terrorist activities around the globe, the world becomes safer, more peaceful, and happier.

A beautiful article about the Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

I'm taking the liberty of reproducing below an article about the wedding yesterday of Prince William, son of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Kate Middleton, in London. This article is so beautifully written that it made me cry. And maybe it was beautifully written because the topic itself is beautiful--about a son's love for his (deceased) mother, and how this mother has endeared herself to millions because of her charitable works, despite of her unhappiness in her marriage.

People like Diana, like Mother Teresa, who loved others above themselves, make this Earth a better place to live in, despite all our troubles. Perhaps, it was part of God's plan that these two beautiful people--Diana and Mother Teresa--would meet each other in their lifetime. Seeing them together in photographs is a treasure. And I think that it wasn't at all coincidental that God took both of them home in the same year, a few days apart. Maybe this world wasn't good enough for their beautiful souls.

Prince William and Kate Middleton honor Diana’s memory

By Piper Weiss Yahoo! Shine staff Thu, Apr 28, 2011 5:06 PM GMT+00:00

(original article appearing in http://royalwedding.yahoo.com/blogs/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-honor-dianas-memory-7037#)

Five months ago, when Prince William first announced to the world he’d given a ring to Kate Middleton, he made it clear that only one other woman mattered as much to him. "It's my mother's engagement ring,” he told the press of the sapphire and diamond engagement heirloom. “Obviously she's not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all -- this was my way of keeping her close to it all."

During every step of their path down the aisle, Kate and William have made a point to keep Lady Diana’s memory alive. Today’s wedding was no exception. They recited their vows at the Westminster Abbey, the historic church where Diana’s memorial was held for 3 million mourners in 1997. Then, William was just a teenager, and his solemn march behind his mother’s coffin was in stark contrast to the beaming stride he took down the aisle today.

But the church itself wasn't the only reminder of Diana's parting. Bishop of London Richard Chartres, who also spoke at Diana's memorial, gave the wedding sermon. And during the musical portion of the ceremony, the first hymn sung was "Guide Me Thou, O Great Redeemer," the same song that concluded Di's funeral service and memorial service, 10 years after her death.

The focus wasn't only on Di's absence, but on the memory of her vibrant life. As Kate walked down the aisle in Alexander McQueen , every bit the breathtaking bride her mother-in-law was in 1981, she clutched a bouquet of Sweet William dotted with Lily of the Valley, a staple of Diana's wedding bouquet. And when it was time to say her vows, she again summoned Di’s independent spirit, by omitting the term “obey”. It was the one battle Diana Spencer picked when she agreed to marry Prince Charles. At the time, the break in tradition caused outrage among royal-watchers. Today it’s a testament to Di’s courage and trail-blazing choices.

Perhaps the biggest homage to Di’s legacy has been the subtle nods to lessons she taught both her immediate family and the royalty she’d forever be linked to. Diana’s tragic death, often blamed on a stalking paparazzi, may have influenced the couple and the royal court to keep their guard up with both paps and press during the wedding planning. When Di’s bridal dressmaker was announced, reporters famously rifled through the designer’s dumpsters hunting for information. Lesson learned, Kate kept her dress a secret despite pressure from media outlets and with souvenir factories at a standstill. It helped to have the firm backing of Clarence House, the royal press office, which closely guarded information in accordance to Will and Kate’s wishes. They’ve also accommodated the couple’s desire to have Diana’s favorite fashion photographer, Mario Testino, snap their engagement photo.

For Diana, whose outspoken voice was sometimes muffled by royal etiquette, fashion as a way to communicate with the public. Today, Carole, Kate's mother, stood in solidarity with her fellow mother-in-law. Her sky blue shantung dress was designed for the occasion by the house of Catherine Walker, Di's favorite designer. Walker, who died last year, designed at least 1,000 looks that defined Diana's style in her lifetime, including the black dress she was buried in.

Just skidding off of her teenage years, Diana became a figurehead the instant she said her vows. “At the age of 20 she has renounced forever spontaneity and privacy, freedom and independence, her red Mini Metro and her Chelsea apartment, past friendships and future intimacies other than those deemed appropriate for royal confidences,” a reporter wrote in the New York Times, the day after her July 29 nuptials. Both William and Kate, nearing the end of their 20s, were able to come into their own as individuals before they settle down with children, as they’re swiftly expected to do upon marriage. Their decision to wait, and to forge a 10-year bond, was no doubt a reaction to young Diana’s marital struggles which she claimed in Andrew Morton’s biography, started by “day two.”

For her wedding in 1981 Diana had little say in the guest list. But after her divorce, the people’s princess kept herself surrounded with a close-knit circle, some of them in attendance today, including dear friends Tessa Green and Elton John, who refashioned his song Candle in the Wind in her memory. John, along with over 1,000 other official guests, were asked by the couple to make charitable donations in lieu of gifts. Of all the bricks that built Diana’s legacy, her humanitarian work was a cornerstone.

Nine days ago, while the rest of the world fixated on every last detail of their impending nuptials, Will and Kate took a boat to his mother’s final resting place. The couple spent a quiet day at Lady Di’s remote burial site, and walking the grounds of the nearby arboretum where Will and Harry planted trees alongside their mother as boys. “It was very important for William to take Kate to visit his mum just before their wedding day," a royal insider told the Daily Mirror. “Diana is still a huge part of her boys' everyday life and always will be." This was particularly true today, as William bit his lip nervously, standing at the altar with his bride, just as his mother did on her wedding day. It was a reminder to the millions of viewers who've watched the prince become a man, he's still his mother's son.

Three O'Clock (Divine Mercy) Prayer

2011-04-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Skyethur's account in YouTube for this link to the Three O'Clock Prayer (Divine Mercy Prayer) as I share it here on this blog. In about eight minutes today, Good Friday, I hope many people all over the world will be strengthened by this prayer. This prayer has never failed me. The Good Lord truly answers prayers--in His time, in His way.

Earth Hour...harmful power surge after?

2011-04-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

A week ago, Planet Earth celebrated "Earth Hour," putting off electricity, mostly lights, from 8.30PM to 9.30PM. From all accounts over the news, the event was a success. From Australia (where's it's said the first-ever Earth Hour celebration began) to all over the world, the news videos showed famous landmarks and not-so-famous ones darkening with the putting off of their numerous lights. Malls, departments stores, billboards, houses--all joined in. And people in almost every country were shown lighting up candles and doing some merry-making in the background as their surroundings became so dark. I was happy that many complied as I'm all for taking care of our one and only Earth.

But what I saw on the news videos of what happened after the ending of Earth Hour got me into thinking--how much electricity or energy is generated right after 9.30PM, that is, when all previously darkened lights are simultaneously put on to resume "normal" life for everybody. Is there a power surge right after Earth Hour like, for example, when a big mall resumes its normal operations by opening all its bright outdoor lights and indoor lights. In the Philippines, for instance, malls usually close at 10.00PM, and some malls and even restaurants/bars even close even later during weekends. So these establishments have to open again their bright lights after Earth Hour to make their patrons aware that they are back in business (though they really didn't close shop during Earth Hour).

I hope the Earth Hour organizers can make a study on if, indeed, there's a power surge right after Earth Hour, and if this power surge (anywhere in the world) is too much such that it could undermine the benefits gained during the celebration of Earth Hour. And if adjustments are needed to make Earth Hour even more relevant and power-saving, I hope these adjustments can be made in Earth Hour 2012.

Earth Hour 2011 in advance? :)

2011-03-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

There's a big promo ongoing for tonight's commemoration of Earth Hour in the Philippines. Lights out from 8.30PM to 9.30PM, for Planet Earth's sake. But it seems Metro Manila's electric company MERALCO is super-eager to get it going. There was a power outage for a little over an hour this afternoon in our neighborhood. We at home were joking that maybe MERALCO thought it's an Eight Hour not Earth Hour thing. Well, anyway, power is now back, hence I'm blogging. Thank goodness because it's sooo summer-hot this day, and without our electric fans going, we were all ready to melt! :)

Happy Earth Hour tonight!

Impeaching an Ombudsman!

2011-03-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

The seemingly impossible has happened in the Philippines. Last night, or very early Tuesday morning, after months of preliminary hearings and long debates that lasted up to yesterday's proceedings, the Philippines's House of Representatives approved the articles of impeachment that will enable a trial at the Philippine Senate for current Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. The Ombudsman, who is supposed to see to it that erring Filipino government officials will have to answer to the law, is herself accused of betraying the public trust.

The Congress Representatives voted in this manner: 212 said Yes to the impeachment, 46 said No, and 4 abstained. There were at least two Congress Representatives absent. The number of Yes votes was surprising but welcomed. The Congress Representatives (particulary members of the House Committee on Justice) who sought Gutierrez's impeachment thought they could get only the minimum of 92 or 95 votes up to about 140 to 150 votes for Yes. But it seems that together with having a new Philippine President who assumed office May last year and vowed to cleanse the Philippines of corruption, the Philippine Congress is now also populated with more officials who care more for their country than their own selves.

In the past years, Filipinos have had low regard for their lawmakers, seeing them as a bunch of goons or even as crocodiles ready to pounce on any and every income-earning opportunity for themselves. It didn't help that recent past presidents of the Philippines, especially the immediate past President, have had their own big share of accusations of graft and corruption. Which is, in fact, the very reason why Ombudsman Gutierrez is now feeling the heat.

With the overwhelming Yes vote this Tuesday morning to House Justice Committee Report No. 778 as contained in House Resolution 1089 stating the articles of impeachment against the Ombudsman, the Congress Representatives affirmed that she could be liable for the very low conviction rate during her term and that she slept on several high-profile investigations or cases, which because of the involvement of high-ranking government officials , including the alleged involvement of a former Philippine President, raises suspicions against her that she deliberately acted slowly or acted wrongly on these cases in order to save the asses of these officials.

Now that the House of Representatives has affirmed the impeachment of Ombudsman Gutierrez, they will turn over the reins to the Philippine Senate that will conduct her trial, together with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Filipino people very much await the trial that will unfold. Everyone is saying that her trial will open the long-shut can containing the worms, err, the names that she has been protecting, even after they have alleged to have pocketed for themselves billions of the Filipinos' hard-earned money.

May the Lord bless the Senators who will sit as judges. Like the Congress Representatives who have crossed party lines in overwhelmingly voting Yes to Gutierrez's impeachment, may these Senators also put country first before their own political parties and selves.

Photo of Gutierrez below from inquirer.net

Lord, please heal Japan...

2011-03-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

I offer the song "Lord, Heal Our Land" to our sisters and brothers in Japan, whose lives were devastated by the recent earthquake and tsunami. I don't know exactly the composer of this song, but the version I'm posting here from YouTube is by singer Jamie Rivera.

Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/jamie_rivera/heal_our_land.html

If my people will humble themselves

Humble themselves and pray

If they seek my face and humble themselves

And turn from their wicked ways

[REFRAIN 1]

I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins

I will hear from heaven and heal their land

[CHORUS]

Lord, heal our land

Father, heal our land

Hear our cry and turn our nation back to You

Lord, heal our land

Hear us oh, Lord, and heal our land

Forgive our sin and heal our broken land

Lord, we vow our knee, we humble ourselves

Humble ourselves and pray

Lord, we seek your face and humble ourselves

And turn from my wicked ways

[REFRAIN 2]

Father in Your mercy, forgive our sins

Father in Your mercy, come heal our land

[Repeat CHORUS twice]

[CODA]

(Lord, heal our land

Father, heal our land)

Hear our cry and heal our broken land

From YouTube account of "pasawaybabe"

maria aragon sings born this way by lady gaga

2011-02-19T17:08:00.001-08:00

10-year-old Maria Aragon, a Canadian of Filipino bloodline, captures Lady Gaga's heart and makes the supercelebrity tweet about how this kid made her cry with her rendition of the latter's hit song. Maria also gains instant virtual fans around the globe as her self-uploaded YouTube video with her singing Born This Way by Lady Gaga now has more than 6M hits.

I'm not Lady Gaga's fan, but how this little kid from Winnipeg plays the piano AND sings without missing a beat is truly great! At least, Maria's rendition of the song made me like its melody. And I saw another YouTube video yesterday where a radio station in Canada hooked up Maria with Lady Gaga through phone. Actually, it was quite touching how Lady Gaga reached out to her little fan just over the phone. It was like seeing another (very personal) side to big celebrity like Lady Gaga.

I do hope the best for this little girl who just seemed to have wanted a little fun but has now started to gain some fame. May her obvious talent bring her to places while her feet remain planted on the ground.

Video taken from Maria's YouTube channel.

I pray for Egpyt

2011-02-05T00:36:00.000-08:00

Egypt needs everyone's prayers these days. May the many days of uncertainty, near violence, and the massing of people on the streets have a peaceful resolution.

I remember my own country the Philippines's "people power" revolution in 1986 when hundreds of thousands to millions of Filipinos congregated on major roads of the country in a show of force to the dictator President Marcos. People simply got fed up with the alleged excesses of his government for so many years, highlighted in the latter years by the killing of his chief critic then former Senator Aquino, followed by a snap presidential election that pitted Marcos against Aquino's wife Cory. After the believed widespread rigging of the election (and the televised walkout of computer personnel from the national counting being done then where the results were being said to be manipulated), everything went awry, and in the end, Marcos and family flew out to Hawaii, where the former strongman finally met his Creator. (But now his family is pretty much back in power, and much of their "hidden wealth" is still hidden, but that's another story).

But now I pray that God will bless the people power being done by the Egyptians, and with His mighty wisdom, He will see to it that justice will finally be achieved by these people. I hope that Shahira, an Egyptian I met in the early 1990s, and her family are safe.

My highschool's 30th reunion

2011-01-15T06:25:00.000-08:00

In 2006, my highschool had its 25th reunion party. This January 8, 2011, we had our 30th reunion party. This was for the Far Eastern University (FEU) Girls High and Boys School batch 1981, which was the last segregated (girls and boys) high school of FEU. As it was in the 2006, I was in the organizing team of this year's reunion and, as usual, it was a hard, tiring job to do.

But seeing how happy the alumni were at the reunion was worth it. I also saw some friends I haven't seen for 30 years, especially some who couldn't make it to our 25th and vowed to be present in this 30th. We held the party in a rented venue--with lots of food, games, raffles, and a live band--that lasted from 5PM to 1AM in Quezon City. It took almost a year to prepare for that. Some 150 alumni came, including many from abroad. We were joined by eight teachers. Some other teachers couldn't join because of previous commitments or, sadly, because they were sick.

The previous day to our reunion party, we held a campus tour of our school, which is located in a busy area of Manila, the Philippines's capital city. After the morning tour, we went to the Holy Mass that we sponsored at the chapel inside the campus. To me, aside from the Holy Mass, the highlight of our homecoming to our school was when one of our batchmates jammed with the FEU Bamboo Band at the start of our tour. Good thing that an angel inspired me to ask the FEU Alumni Office (and Mr. Martin Lopez of that office with whom we coordinated the tour) if it could arrange for the Band to play for us that day. Janette, my batchmate who is among those in our alumni who were former members of the Band (when we were still students), was able to play one piece of music with the Band since, luckily, the instrument that she used to handle was available that morning. Seeing Janette play with the current student-members of the FEU Bamboo Band sent chills down my spine. Mr. Victor Toledo is the original creator of the FEU Bamboo Band, but he is now retired. In fact, we invited him to be among our guest-teachers in our reunion party on January 8, but he's not in the best of health right now, according to his daughter who's also one of our batchmates. God bless him.

Anyway, below are some pictures of our tour and reunion party. I still have to get my hands on some pictures of Janette playing with the Band and the Mass. Below, I'm with my classmates (4-1 girls, of whom many were absent that night though), and a photo with the teachers who made it to our party (except that girls on the leftmost who's actually my classmate but sat along with the teachers during the photo op). The 4-1 boys joined us in the photo with the teachers.

HAPPY NEW YEAR--this girl needs help

2011-01-04T04:22:00.000-08:00

Girl with rare disease seeks aid

By Santiago Alcantara
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:01:00 01/04/2011

MANILA, Philippines—Mary Patrice Nicole Siaboc has been diagnosed to be suffering from Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a rare disease among children. Medical records show that only one in every 100,000 children is afflicted with the ailment.

The 4-year-old daughter of Liezel Siaboc of Bangkal, Makati City, is undergoing chemotherapy at Philippine General Hospital. Doctors say her treatment should last for 54 weeks.

“We don’t know where to get the PhP14,647 we need to spend per session because my husband Rogelio works as a janitor at a gasoline station in Quezon City,” Siaboc told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in Filipino.

Those who want to help the Siabocs can contact them at 0909-3923661 or deposit their donations in Rogelio Siaboc’s bank account at Allied Bank (Philippines) (account number 0316007965).

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T17:16:00.001-08:00

...to all of humanity, may each person celebrate Christmas the genuine way because it is, simply, the birth of Jesus.

Maligayang Pasko (as we say it in the Philippines).

Charice goes jingle bell rockin'

2010-12-01T18:05:00.001-08:00

It's only a few days to go before Christmas Day. And here's a wonderful Christmas song (one of my favorites) from wonderful singer Charice, when she graced the recent Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center in New York, USA. (from Raytatlo's Youtube channel)

How to rob a footbridge!

2010-11-14T20:44:00.001-08:00

If this almost a year-and-a-half footbridge can talk, it will scream "I've been robbed!" But it can't talk and can't say who took out its lights (and all things attached to the lights) that illuminate its path on dark nights when people use it, especially students from a nearby school. Streetlights near the bridge aren't always functioning at night thus people tend to still cross busy Mindanao Avenue on street level than risk meeting someone with dark motives up there on the dark and dreary footbridge. The footbridge stands on Mindanao Avenue near corner Road 3, in Project 6, Quezon City, Philippines.

Did anyone love this dog before?

2010-10-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've come to call him "Brownie, the Dog Wanderer" because since late last year, I've always seen him wandering around our neighborhood, usually around the intersection of Corrina Avenue and Aramis Street in Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora district, Quezon City, Philippines. And he's always been sleeping--rain or shine, if not walking around--rain or shine, on the sidewalk in front of the gate of a house there. Thus I suppose that Brownie used to live there. Maybe his human, his dog parent, in that house used to love him, and Brownie loved him or her back. That is, until maybe Brownie's dog parent kicked him out because he or she couldn't stand anymore or didn't want to do something about his wounds and nasty smell. Just a thought.

But if Brownie's not sleeping on that sidewalk, he just walks around the vicinity of the said streets, silently eyeing passersby and looking at vehicles zooming by. Having taken pity on Brownie, I would take some leftover food with me if I knew I will be passing by the area where I usually see him (I live nearby where his territory is). He has come to recognize me (or maybe my "smell" since, I think, he can barely see now) whenever I approach him, waiting for me to give him something to eat. Sometimes, he follows me even several meters away, looking at me with his pitiful eyes, if I pass by him and I don't happen to have food with me to give him. But there've been instances, too, that I bring him food, but I don't find him in his usual place. That's the time he's off wandering somewhere. Perhaps looking for food and water. Or, perhaps following another neighbor who's taken to dropping Brownie some food, too, as he or she passes by this friendly-looking dog. Brownie still had brown fur when I first saw him wandering around (late last year). And I was able to take his photograph in December 2009. Now, he's lost much of his hair, exposing his gray scalp (if that's what's it's called in a dog), and has more wounds. But I still call him "Brownie." And...he responds to that name, too! Or, maybe he just smells the food am carrying for him, that's why he stands up when I call him Brownie. Or, maybe, he just didn't have a name at all and has come to like being called Brownie. I took more photographs of Brownie just the other day. And he gamely posed. I've not seen him since then. I hope he's okay. Sometimes, I can't but wonder about Brownie, the wanderer.

CHARICE on GLEE

2010-09-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

My fellow Filipino "Charice," a great singer, conquers GLEE, a famous TV show airing from the USA. Charice plays a foreign exchange student named "Sunshine Corazon" from sunny (except when there are typhoons, of course, which we get plenty of) Philippines! Showing starting today!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcWhiu3D5Mw

thanks to Journey4AP9 for the video.

The police officer's "jealousy"

2010-09-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

Last night on TV news, a Filipino police officer was interviewed about a gang that had broken into an establishment, carting away valuables in the dead of the night. Describing how the gang entered the place it robbed, he said something like “Nakapasok sila dahil tinanggal nila yong jealousy (They were able to enter because they removed the jealousy).” Mr. Police Officer (Mr. PO) was referring of course to “jalousie,” which, according to dictionary.com is “a window made of glass slats or louvers of a similar nature.” Well, jealousy and jalousie do sound alike, and I indeed have heard in the past a few other people interchanging using those words, including my late grandmother. But when I heard Mr. PO say “jealousy” and not “jalousie” on TV news, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud (LOL!) because he said the word in all seriousness and conviction. And to think that it was police officer interchanging those two words, he who would have had some experience writing a police report involving perhaps a similar crime in the past. Especially because this sort of crime has become a staple already in the news (e.g., the “Akyat-Bahay Gang is always in the news—that band of thieves that is able to enter homes to rob using seemingly unimaginable methods and at unimaginable hours). Well, I hope Mr. PO's superiors saw his glorious interview last night and have by now inspired him to turn his jealousy into jalousie.

Mayor Herbert Bautista, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Councilor Winnie Castelo of Quezon City--three weeks!

2010-09-08T03:21:00.001-07:00

It's been a little over three weeks now since the time that I had called up the office of Mayor Bautista of Quezon City to report that the campaign streamers used by him,Vice Mayor Belmonte, and Councilor Castelo (they all belong to the same political party) during the May 2010 elections in the Philippines are still hanging about on Himlayan Road near corner Aramis Street in Quezon City. The tattered remains of the streamers cling on wooden frames hanging precariously on some aerial cables, just waiting to fall on unsuspecting passersby or vehicles.

The lady who answered my two calls to Bautista's office told me that she will report and had reported already the matter to some "EPWD" section of the Mayor's office, and they should already be going to the place to remove 'em streamers. I also told her that their people should clean up the drainage in those roads because some already fallen parts of the streamers had clogged up the canals, and mosquitoes were feasting on the stagnant water (which is really quite dangerous since dengue fever is still rampant in the city).

Well, lucky me, three weeks hence and still no action from the Mayor's EPWD. Not even the local barangay (village) Chair Marivic Co-Pilar (Barangay Pasong Tamo) seemed to have the time to go around this part of her territory and noticed the junk up above and on the street level, not to mention the poor condition of the street itself which is traversed by hundreds of vehicles everyday. Or maybe she's busy preparing for the next village elections scheduled sometime this year. Well, good luck!!!

Belmonte and Bautista photo below from philstar.com

Mass for hostage victims, Quirino Grandstand, Aug. 31, 2010

2010-08-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has announced that Filipino and Chinese priests will co-preside in a Mass to be held 8AM (Manila time), Aug. 31, 2010 (Tuesday) for the victims of the hostage-taking that happened Aug. 23, 2010 in the same place. A number of Hong Kong tourists perished in the said incident, along with their captor, a dismissed Filipino police officer. The Mass will mark the ninth day after the incident, where eight Hong Kong tourists onboard a tourist bus were killed along with their hostage-taker. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo will lead the Mass with Bishops Deogracias Iñiguez Jr. (Caloocan) and Honesto Ongtioco (Cubao) as concelebrants. Even as the instigator of the hostage-taking has perished, investigation in Manila is ongoing, amid protests that have arisen in Hong Kong following the bloody incident. The bodies of the victims have been airlifted to their homeland.

Blessed Teresa's 100th

2010-08-26T05:30:00.001-07:00

Today is the 100th birthday of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. She who inspired and continues to inspire people with her genuine love for people and for God. Blessed Teresa's image from motherteresa.excerptsofinri.com

Not to miss--Sonny Camarillo and Lea Salonga

2010-08-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

At the Cinema Level of Trinoma Mall, North Avenue, Quezon City, until August 23, 2010: well-known Filipino photographer Sonny Camarillo's splendid images ranging from the time of the assassination (1983) of Philippines Sen. Ninoy Aquino from the People Power Revolution (1986) that catapulted Ninoy's widow Cory to the presidency replacing dictator Ferdinand Marcos, to the last moments of Cory with the people, a few months before her death in 2009, and to her funeral march that equalled the length and breadth of her husband's own funeral. A photo-exhibit, being held in honor of Ninoy and Cory's death anniversaries both in August, not to miss for its historical and artistic value.

At the Cultural Center of the Philippines (or CCP, which is incidentally, a structure put up under the regime of Marcos) in Roxas Blvd, Pasay City, until August 22, 2010: CATS, the musical play with music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, with "Memory" as probably the most famous song in this play. This version of the play has mostly an Australian cast, but Filipino international actor and singer Tony-winner Lea Salonga (as "Grizabella") gets the honor of bringing this song to life in this play at the CCP, with her beautiful, strong, and soulful rendition. They have afternoon and evening shows, everyday.

A standing ovation to Sonny Camarillo and Lea Salonga--great artists both.

Shocking news almost everyday...

2010-08-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Almost everyday, I read of shocking news happening anywhere in the world. The Internet has made it possible for reporters to file their news quickly and for readers to immediately get hold of these articles. Who hasn't heard of the mother (in the USA, I think) who's been found out recently to have killed her babies right after she gave birth to them? Or of another mother who kept her dying babies (or left them to die) in a suitcase (also in the USA, I believe)?

Indeed, the shocking news becomes even more shocking when kids or young children are the victims. One can just wonder these how helpless young ones could be made to suffer pain and agony, sometimes leading to their demise.

Just the other day, I read also in the Internet of a five-year-old girl in a province in the Philippines, who died after being beaten up by her brothers aged about 9 and 10. She was already dying when her mother got home, and was buried immediately the next day, according to the news account. The police report mentioned that the victim's mother was always beaten up by the father (who became missing after the child's death) in full view of the children. The police report also said that the brothers beat up their poor sister after she refused to do an errand for them but that they didn't intend to kill her. For me, it's obvious that the brothers imbibed their father's beating habits after seeing him doing this to their mother.

I pray for the soul of the young girl. I also pray that the violence running in her family will be stemmed out.

RHINESTONE--your ATM card is in the BDO office

2010-08-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, passing by a row of ATMs (automated teller machines) in Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, I saw an ATM card sticking out of the slot of one of the machines. The card belonged to one named "Rhinestone." I forgot his or her surname written on the ATM card. It was a Banco de Oro (BDO) card, but Rhinestone inserted and left it on the slot of another bank's machine, perhaps because BDO's machine next to it had a long line of people waiting to use it. Two men on the line of BDO's ATM said to me that a man in green jacket had just left that machine I was standing by, so they presumed he was Rhinestone. I waited for a few minutes for any person to come looking for a card on the machine, but no one did. I decided to keep the ATM card I found and planned to pass by the BDO branch office on Congressional Avenue, a few minutes away from my home, after I did my groceries in Trinoma.

Thus carrying my heavy bags of groceries, I alighted off the taxi in front of the BDO-Congressional branch and approached the BDO counter staff. I fished from my bag the the ATM card I found and told the two women on the counter that I found it in their bank's machine in Trinoma. The other woman mumbled something upon seeing the card and proceeded to punch on her computer's keyboard, perhaps to trace the card's branch. She seemed unmindful that I was still sitting in front of her, waiting for her to say something like she was going to take care of it, etc. I had to ask her if it was okay for me to go already. She said it was, and I stood up to leave. Well, she didn't even thank me for bringing over the card. Not that I was waiting for her to say that to me, her reason maybe being that it wasn't her own card anyway. But after all the effort I made in going to their bank to turn over the card, rushing as I were to get to the bank before it closed in 30 minutes, amid the heat of the afternoon sun (it wasn't cool inside the taxi), and my expense in having to get another taxi after going to the bank, I think at least a smile from the poker-faced BDO staff would have been nice to see that hot afternoon. But, of course, the bank's staff didn't know what I had to go through in turning over that ATM card to them. I just consoled myself with the thought that, hopefully, Rhinestone was immediately contacted by the bank that his or her card was already safe with them, so that my effort would not have been useless.

This wasn't the first time that I've had some incident with an ATM machine. In fact, this was the fourth time. First time was when I chanced upon a little over a thousand pesos hidden by a plastic thing placed over the ATM money slot by some petty criminals whose racket was to cover the slot to capture the money of unknowing people who would use the machine. I saw the money while I was withdrawing some money of my own, which got stuck inside the plastic cover and made me wonder where it all went. (It was a weekend when I took home the captured money. When I talked to the bank manager that Monday over the phone, she thanked me profusely for keeping the money to turn over to them. She sent someone to me to pick it up). Second and third times, I chanced upon the ATM slot spewing some money while the owners (two separate occasions) were walking away, forgetting for some reason that they had just withdrawn money!

Oh, well, so much for stories about the ATM!

President Aquino's SONA--his first

2010-07-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

Today, July 26, 2010, newly minted Philippine President Benigno Aquino III (more popularly known as Noynoy) delivered his first-ever "State of the Nation Address" or SONA at the Opening Session of the Congress of the Philippines, in Quezon City, Philippines. Aquino won the presidential election in May 2010. He ran after the death of his popular mother former President Cory convinced many Filipinos that he was the best candidate to pit against other presidential wannabees who didn't exactly fit the Filipinos' image of the change they wanted to have in government. He ended the nine-year reign of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said to be one of the most unpopular presidents that the Philippines has ever had. In the congressional election also held in May 2010, Arroyo ran and won a seat in Congress representing her home province Pampanga. Curiously, Arroyo didn't attend today's Congress opening, and was reported to have left for Hongkong to accompany her husband to a medical check-up. And so she didn't get to hear first hand the enumeration by Aquino of some of the alleged cases of corruption said to be done during her term of office, which are reported to have been uncovered by Aquino's new cabinet. Although many people have already heard of and suspected these graft and corruption issues in the past Administration, which have been mostly denied by that Administration, it was still different to hear them directly said by the new head of state. Many Filipinos now hope for the best that with a new President, who happens to be the son of two Filipinos considered heroes because of their sacrifices for the country, the Philippines will be on its way to capturing the long-elusive real peace and development that it truly deserves. (Note: A bit of trivia. Also present in this day's Congress session and listening to Aquino's speech were Congresswoman (and former First Lady) Imelda Marcos, her son Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (now Senator), and her daughter Imee Marcos (now Governor of Ilocos Norte province). Also present were Senate President was Juan Ponce Enrile and former Philippine President Fidel Ramos. The Marcoses, Enrile, and Ramos have infamous ties to Aquino's family history, especially to his parents.)

Below is the SONA of Aquino, in Pilipino and English versions, both versions from his media bureau. (Aquino image from gmanews.tv)

State of the Nation Address of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Philippines

to the Congress of the Philippines, Session Hall of the House of Representatives

July 26, 2010

[Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City]

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government;

(Pilipino version)

Mga minamahal kong kababayan:

Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan.

Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; ang pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan.

Sa kabilang banda ay ang pag-una sa pansariling interes. Ang pagpapaalipin sa pulitikal na konsiderasyon, at pagsasakripisyo ng kapakanan ng taumbayan. Ito po ang baluktot na daan.

Matagal pong naligaw ang pamahalaan sa daang baluktot. Araw-araw po, lalong lumilinaw sa akin ang lawak ng problemang ating namana. Damang-dama ko ang bigat ng aking responsibilidad.

Sa unang tatlong linggo ng aming panunungkulan, marami po kaming natuklasan. Nais ko pong ipahayag sa inyo ang iilan lamang sa mga namana nating suliranin at ang ginagawa naming hakbang para lutasin ang mga ito.

Sulyap lamang po ito; hindi pa ito ang lahat ng problemang haharapin natin. Inilihim at sadyang iniligaw ang sambayanan sa totoong kalagayan ng ating bansa.

Sa unang anim na buwan ng taon, mas malaki ang ginastos ng gobyerno kaysa sa pumasok na kita. Lalong lumaki ang deficit natin, na umakyat na sa 196.7 billion pesos. Sa target na kuleksyon, kinapos tayo ng 23.8 billion pesos; ang tinataya namang gastos, nalagpasan natin ng 45.1 billion pesos.

Ang budget po sa 2010 ay 1.54 trillion pesos.

Nasa isandaang bilyong piso o anim at kalahating porsyento na lang ng kabuuan ang malaya nating magagamit para sa nalalabing anim na buwan ng taong ito.

Halos isang porsyento na lang po ng kabuuang budget ang natitira para sa bawat buwan.

Saan naman po dinala ang pera?

Naglaan ng dalawang bilyong piso na Calamity Fund bilang paghahanda para sa mga kalamidad na hindi pa nangyayari. Napakaliit na nga po ng pondong ito, ngunit kapapasok pa lang natin sa panahon ng baha at bagyo, 1.4 billion pesos o sitenta porsyento na ang nagastos.

Sa kabuuan ng 108 million pesos para sa lalawigan ng Pampanga, 105 million pesos nito ay napunta sa iisang distrito lamang. Samantala, ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan na sinalanta ng Pepeng ay nakatanggap ng limang milyong piso lamang para sa pinsalang idinulot ng bagyong Cosme, na nangyari noong 2008 pa.

Ibinigay po ang pondo ng Pampanga sa buwan ng eleksyon, pitong buwan pagkatapos ng Ondoy at Pepeng. Paano kung bumagyo bukas? Inubos na ang pondo nito para sa bagyong nangyari noong isang taon pa. Pagbabayaran ng kinabukasan ang kasakiman ng nakaraan.

Ganyan din po ang nangyari sa pondo ng MWSS. Kamakailan lamang, pumipila ang mga tao para lang makakuha ng tubig. Sa kabila nito, minabuti pa ng liderato ng MWSS na magbigay ng gantimpala sa sarili kahit hindi pa nababayaran ang pensyon ng mga retiradong empleyado.

Noong 2009, ang buong payroll ng MWSS ay 51.4 million pesos. Pero hindi lang naman po ito ang sahod nila; may mga additional allowances at benefits pa sila na aabot sa 160.1 million pesos. Sa madaling sabi, nakatanggap sila ng 211.5 million pesos noong nakaraang taon. Beinte-kuwatro porsyento lang nito ang normal na sahod, at sitenta’y sais porsyento ang dagdag.

Ang karaniwang manggagawa hanggang 13th month pay plus cash gift lang ang nakukuha. Sa MWSS, aabot sa katumbas ng mahigit sa tatlumpung buwan ang sahod kasama na ang lahat ng mga bonuses at allowances na nakuha nila.

Mas matindi po ang natuklasan natin sa pasahod ng kanilang Board of Trustees. Tingnan po natin ang mga allowances na tinatanggap nila:

Umupo ka lang sa Board of Trustees at Board Committee meeting, katorse mil na. Aabot ng nobenta’y otso mil ito kada buwan. May grocery incentive pa sila na otsenta mil kada taon.

Hindi lang iyon: may mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, at Financial Assistance. May Christmas bonus na, may Additional Christmas Package pa. Kada isa sa mga ito, nobenta’y otso mil.

Sa suma total po, aabot ang lahat ng dalawa’t kalahating milyong piso kada taon sa bawat miyembro ng Board maliban sa pakotse, technical assistance, at pautang. Uulitin ko po. Lahat ng ito ay ibinibigay nila sa kanilang mga sarili habang hindi pa nababayaran ang mga pensyon ng kanilang mga retirees.

Pati po ang La Mesa Watershed ay hindi nila pinatawad. Para magkaroon ng tamang supply ng tubig, kailangang alagaan ang mga watershed. Sa watershed, puno ang kailangan. Pati po iyon na dapat puno ang nakatayo, tinayuan nila ng bahay para sa matataas na opisyal ng MWSS.

Hindi naman sila agad maaalis sa puwesto dahil kabilang sila sa mga Midnight Appointees ni dating Pangulong Arroyo. Iniimbestigahan na natin ang lahat nang ito. Kung mayroon pa silang kahit kaunting hiya na natitira – sana kusa na lang silang magbitiw sa puwesto.

Pag-usapan naman po natin ang pondo para sa imprastruktura. Tumukoy ang DPWH ng dalawandaan apatnapu’t anim na priority safety projects na popondohan ng Motor Vehicle Users Charge. Mangangailangan po ito ng budget na 425 million pesos.

Ang pinondohan po, dalawampu’t walong proyekto lang. Kinalimutan po ang dalawandaan at labing walong proyekto at pinalitan ng pitumpung proyekto na wala naman sa plano. Ang hininging 425 million pesos, naging 480 million pesos pa, lumaki lalo dahil sa mga proyektong sa piling-piling mga benepisyaryo lang napunta.

Mga proyekto po itong walang saysay, hindi pinag-aralan at hindi pinaghandaan, kaya parang kabuteng sumusulpot.

Tapos na po ang panahon para dito. Sa administrasyon po natin, walang kota-kota, walang tongpats, ang pera ng taumbayan ay gagastusin para sa taumbayan lamang.

Meron pa po tayong natuklasan. Limang araw bago matapos ang termino ng nakaraang administrasyon, nagpautos silang maglabas ng 3.5 billion pesos para sa rehabilitasyon ng mga nasalanta nina Ondoy at Pepeng.

Walumpu’t anim na proyekto ang paglalaanan dapat nito na hindi na sana idadaan sa public bidding. Labingsiyam sa mga ito na nagkakahalaga ng 981 million pesos ang muntik nang makalusot. Hindi pa nailalabas ang Special Allotment Release Order ay pirmado na ang mga kontrata.

Buti na lang po ay natuklasan at pinigilan ito ni Secretary Rogelio Singson ng DPWH. Ngayon po ay dadaan na ang kabuuan ng 3.5 billion pesos sa tapat na bidding, at magagamit na ang pondo na ito sa pagbibigay ng lingap sa mga nawalan ng tahanan dahil kina Ondoy at Pepeng.

Pag-usapan naman natin ang nangyari sa NAPOCOR. Noong 2001 hanggang 2004, pinilit ng gobyerno ang NAPOCOR na magbenta ng kuryente nang palugi para hindi tumaas ang presyo. Tila ang dahilan: pinaghahandaan na nila ang eleksyon.

Dahil dito, noong 2004, sumagad ang pagkakabaon sa utang ng NAPOCOR. Napilitan ang pambansang gobyerno na sagutin ang dalawandaang bilyong pisong utang nito.

Ang inakala ng taumbayan na natipid nila sa kuryente ay binabayaran din natin mula sa kaban ng bayan. May gastos na tayo sa kuryente, binabayaran pa natin ang dagdag na pagkakautang ng gobyerno.

Kung naging matino ang pag-utang, sana’y nadagdagan ang ating kasiguruhan sa supply ng kuryente. Pero ang desisyon ay ibinatay sa maling pulitika, at hindi sa pangangailangan ng taumbayan. Ang taumbayan, matapos pinagsakripisyo ay lalo pang pinahirapan.

Ganito rin po ang nangyari sa MRT. Sinubukan na namang bilhin ang ating pagmamahal. Pinilit ang operator na panatilihing mababa ang pamasahe.

Hindi tuloy nagampanan ang garantiyang ibinigay sa operator na mababawi nila ang kanilang puhunan. Dahil dito, inutusan ang Landbank at Development Bank of the Philippines na bilhin ang MRT.

Ang pera ng taumbayan, ipinagpalit sa isang naluluging operasyon.

Dumako naman po tayo sa pondo ng NFA.

Noong 2004: 117,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply ng Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 900,000 metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit pitong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra pa rin ang binili nila.

Noong 2007: 589,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply sa Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 1.827 million metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit tatlong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra na naman ang binili nila.

Ang masakit nito, dahil sobra-sobra ang binibili nila taun-taon, nabubulok lang pala sa mga kamalig ang bigas, kagaya ng nangyari noong 2008.

Hindi po ba krimen ito, na hinahayaan nilang mabulok ang bigas, sa kabila ng apat na milyong Pilipinong hindi kumakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw?

Ang resulta nito, umabot na sa 171.6 billion pesos ang utang ng NFA noong Mayo ng taong ito.

Ang tinapon na ito, halos puwede na sanang pondohan ang mga sumusunod:

Ang budget ng buong Hudikatura, na 12.7 billion pesos sa taong ito.

Ang Conditional Cash Transfers para sa susunod na taon, na nagkakahalaga ng 29.6 billion pesos.

Ang lahat ng classroom na kailangan ng ating bansa, na nagkakahalaga ng 130 billion pesos.

Kasuklam-suklam ang kalakarang ito. Pera na, naging bato pa.

Narinig po ninyo kung paano nilustay ang kaban ng bayan. Ang malinaw po sa ngayon: ang anumang pagbabago ay magmumula sa pagsiguro natin na magwawakas na ang pagiging maluho at pagwawaldas.

Kaya nga po mula ngayon: ititigil na natin ang paglulustay sa salapi ng bayan. Tatanggalin natin ang mga proyektong mali.

Ito po ang punto ng tinatawag nating zero-based approach sa ating budget. Ang naging kalakaran po, taun-taon ay inuulit lamang ang budget na puno ng tagas. Dadagdagan lang nang konti, puwede na.

Sa susunod na buwan ay maghahain tayo ng budget na kumikilala nang tama sa mga problema, at magtutuon din ng pansin sa tamang solusyon.

Ilan lang ito sa mga natuklasan nating problema. Heto naman po ang ilang halimbawa ng mga hakbang na ginagawa natin.

Nandiyan po ang kaso ng isang may-ari ng sanglaan. Bumili siya ng sasakyang tinatayang nasa dalawampu’t anim na milyong piso ang halaga.

Kung kaya mong bumili ng Lamborghini, bakit hindi mo kayang magbayad ng buwis?

Nasampahan na po ito ng kaso. Sa pangunguna nina Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares at Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, bawat linggo po ay may bago tayong kasong isinasampa kontra sa mga smuggler at sa mga hindi nagbabayad ng tamang buwis.

Natukoy na rin po ang salarin sa mga kaso nina Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio at Miguel Belen, tatlo sa anim na insidente ng extralegal killings mula nang umupo tayo.

Singkuwenta porsyento po ng mga insidente ng extralegal killings ang patungo na sa kanilang resolusyon.

Ang natitira pong kalahati ay hindi natin tatantanan ang pag-usig hanggang makamit ang katarungan.

Pananagutin natin ang mga mamamatay-tao. Pananagutin din natin ang mga corrupt sa gobyerno.

Nagsimula nang mabuo ang ating Truth Commission, sa pangunguna ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide. Hahanapin natin ang katotohanan sa mga nangyari diumanong katiwalian noong nakaraang siyam na taon.

Sa loob ng linggong ito, pipirmahan ko ang kauna-unahang Executive Order na nagtatalaga sa pagbuo nitong Truth Commission.

Kung ang sagot sa kawalan ng katarungan ay pananagutan, ang sagot naman sa kakulangan natin sa pondo ay mga makabago at malikhaing paraan para tugunan ang mga pagkatagal-tagal nang problema.

Napakarami po ng ating pangangailangan: mula sa edukasyon, imprastruktura, pangkalusugan, pangangailangan ng militar at kapulisan, at marami pang iba. Hindi kakasya ang pondo para mapunan ang lahat ng ito.

Kahit gaano po kalaki ang kakulangan para mapunan ang mga listahan ng ating pangangailangan, ganado pa rin ako dahil marami nang nagpakita ng panibagong interes at kumpyansa sa Pilipinas.

Ito ang magiging solusyon: mga Public-Private Partnerships. Kahit wala pa pong pirmahang nangyayari dito, masasabi kong maganda ang magiging bunga ng maraming usapin ukol dito.

May mga nagpakita na po ng interes, gustong magtayo ng expressway na mula Maynila, tatahak ng Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, hanggang sa dulo ng Cagayan Valley nang hindi gugugol ang estado kahit na po piso.

Sa larangan ng ating Sandatahang Lakas:

Mayroon po tayong 36,000 nautical miles ng baybayin. Ang mayroon lamang tayo: tatlumpu’t dalawang barko. Itong mga barkong ito, panahon pa ni MacArthur.

May nagmungkahi sa atin, ito ang proposisyon: uupahan po nila ang headquarters ng Navy sa Roxas Boulevard at ang Naval Station sa Fort Bonifacio.

Sagot po nila ang paglipat ng Navy Headquarters sa Camp Aguinaldo. Agaran, bibigyan tayo ng isandaang milyong dolyar. At dagdag pa sa lahat nang iyan, magsusubi pa sila sa atin ng kita mula sa mga negosyong itatayo nila sa uupahan nilang lupa.

Sa madali pong sabi: Makukuha natin ang kailangan natin, hindi tatayo gagastos, kikita pa tayo.

Marami na pong nag-alok at nagmungkahi sa atin, mula lokal hanggang dayuhang negosyante, na magpuno ng iba’t ibang pangangailangan.

Mula sa mga public-private partnerships na ito, lalago ang ating ekonomiya, at bawat Pilipino makikinabang. Napakaraming sektor na matutulungan nito.

Maipapatayo na po ang imprastrukturang kailangan natin para palaguin ang turismo.

Sa agrikultura, makapagtatayo na tayo ng mga grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, maayos na road networks at post-harvest facilities.

Kung maisasaayos natin ang ating food supply chain sa tulong ng pribadong sektor, sa halip na mag-angkat tayo ay maari na sana tayong mangarap na mag-supply sa pandaigdigang merkado.

Kung maitatayo ang minumungkahi sa ating railway system, bababa ang presyo ng bilihin. Mas mura, mas mabilis, mas maginhawa, at makakaiwas pa sa kotong cops at mga kumokotong na rebelde ang mga bumibiyahe.

Paalala lang po: una sa ating plataporma ang paglikha ng mga trabaho, at nanggagaling ang trabaho sa paglago ng industriya. Lalago lamang ang industriya kung gagawin nating mas malinis, mas mabilis, at mas maginhawa ang proseso para sa mga gustong magnegosyo.

Pabibilisin natin ang proseso ng mga proyektong sumasailalim sa Build-Operate-Transfer. Sa tulong ng lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno at ng mga mamamayan, pabababain natin sa anim na buwan ang proseso na noon ay inaabot ng taon kung hindi dekada.

May mga hakbang na rin pong sinisimulan ang DTI, sa pamumuno ni Secretary Gregory Domingo:

Ang walang-katapusang pabalik-balik sa proseso ng pagrehistro ng pangalan ng kumpanya, na kada dalaw ay umaabot ng apat hanggang walong oras, ibababa na natin sa labinlimang minuto.

Ang dating listahan ng tatlumpu’t anim na dokumento, ibababa natin sa anim. Ang dating walong pahinang application form, ibababa natin sa isang pahina.

Nananawagan ako sa ating mga LGUs. Habang naghahanap tayo ng paraan para gawing mas mabilis ang pagbubukas ng mga negosyo, pag-aralan din sana nila ang kanilang mga proseso. Kailangan itong gawing mas mabilis, at kailangan itong itugma sa mga sinisumulan nating reporma.

Negosyante, sundalo, rebelde, at karaniwang Pilipino, lahat po makikinabang dito. Basta po hindi dehado ang Pilipino, papasukin po natin lahat iyan. Kailangan na po nating simulan ang pagtutulungan para makamit ito. Huwag nating pahirapan ang isa’t isa.

Parating na po ang panahon na hindi na natin kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng seguridad ng ating mamamayan o sa kinabukasan ng inyong mga anak.

Oras na maipatupad ang public-private partnerships na ito, mapopondohan ang mga serbisyong panlipunan, alinsunod sa ating plataporma.

Magkakapondo na po para maipatupad ang mga plano natin sa edukasyon.

Mapapalawak natin ang basic education cycle mula sa napakaikling sampung taon tungo sa global standard na labindalawang taon.

Madadagdagan natin ang mga classroom. Mapopondohan natin ang service contracting sa ilalim ng GASTPE.

Pati ang conditional cash transfers, na magbabawas ng pabigat sa bulsa ng mga pamilya, madadagdan na rin ng pondo.

Maipapatupad ang plano natin sa PhilHealth.

Una, tutukuyin natin ang tunay na bilang ng mga nangangailangan nito. Sa ngayon, hindi magkakatugma ang datos. Sabi ng PhilHealth sa isang bibig, walumpu’t pitong porsyento na raw ang merong coverage. Sa kabilang bibig naman, singkuwenta’y tres porsyento naman. Ayon naman sa National Statistics Office, tatlumpu’t walong porsyento ang may coverage.

Ngayon pa lang, kumikilos na si Secretary Dinky Soliman at ang DSWD upang ipatupad ang National Household Targetting System, na magtutukoy sa mga pamilyang higit na nagangailangan ng tulong. Tinatayang siyam na bilyon ang kailangan para mabigyan ng PhilHealth ang limang milyong pinakamaralitang pamilyang Pilipino.

Napakaganda po ng hinaharap natin. Kasama na po natin ang pribadong sektor, at kasama na rin natin ang League of Provinces, sa pangunguna nina Governor Alfonso Umali kasama sina Governor L-Ray Villafuerte at Governor Icot Petilla. Handa na pong makipagtulungan para makibahagi sa pagtustos ng mga gastusin. Alam ko rin pong hindi magpapahuli ang League of Cities sa pangunguna ni Mayor Oscar Rodriguez.

Kung ang mga gobyernong lokal ay nakikiramay na sa ating mga adhikain, ang Kongreso namang pinanggalingan ko, siguro naman maasahan ko din.

Nagpakitang-gilas na po ang gabinete sa pagtukoy ng ating mga problema at sa paglulunsad ng mga solusyon sa loob lamang ng tatlong linggo.

Nang bagyo pong Basyang, ang sabi sa atin ng mga may prangkisa sa kuryente, apat na araw na walang kuryente. Dahil sa mabilis na pagkilos ni Secretary Rene Almendras at ng Department of Energy, naibalik ang kuryente sa halos lahat sa loob lamang ng beinte-kwatro oras.

Ito pong sinasabing kakulangan sa tubig sa Metro Manila, kinilusan agad ni Secretary Rogelio Singson at ng DPWH. Hindi na siya naghintay ng utos, kaya nabawasan ang perwisyo.

Nakita na rin natin ang gilas ng mga hinirang nating makatulong sa Gabinete. Makatuwiran naman po sigurong umasa na hindi na sila padadaanin sa butas ng karayom para makumpirma ng Commission on Appointments. Kung mangyayari po ito, marami pa sa mga mahuhusay na Pilipino ang maeengganyong magsilbi sa gobyerno.

Sa lalong madaling panahon po, uupo na tayo sa LEDAC at pag-uusapan ang mga mahahalagang batas na kailangan nating ipasa. Makakaasa kayo na mananatiling bukas ang aking isipan, at ang ating ugnayan ay mananatiling tapat.

Isinusulong po natin ang Fiscal Responsibility Bill, kung saan hindi tayo magpapasa ng batas na mangangailangan ng pondo kung hindi pa natukoy ang panggagalingan nito. May 104.1 billion pesos tayong kailangan para pondohan ang mga batas na naipasa na, ngunit hindi maipatupad.

Kailangan din nating isaayos ang mga insentibong piskal na ibinigay noong nakaraan. Ngayong naghihigpit tayo ng sinturon, kailangang balikan kung alin sa mga ito ang dapat manatili at kung ano ang dapat nang itigil.

Huwag po tayong pumayag na magkaroon ng isa pang NBN-ZTE. Sa lokal man o dayuhan manggagaling ang pondo, dapat dumaan ito sa tamang proseso. Hinihingi ko po ang tulong ninyo upang amiyendahan ang ating Procurement Law.

Ayon po sa Saligang Batas, tungkulin ng estado ang siguruhing walang lamangan sa merkado. Bawal ang monopolya, bawal ang mga cartel na sasakal sa kumpetisyon. Kailangan po natin ng isang Anti-Trust Law na magbibigay-buhay sa mga prinsipyong ito. Ito ang magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mga Small- at Medium-scale Enterprises na makilahok at tumulong sa paglago ng ating ekonomiya.

Ipasa na po natin ang National Land Use Bill.

Una rin pong naging batas ng Commonwealth ang National Defense Act, na ipinasa noon pang 1935. Kailangan nang palitan ito ng batas na tutugon sa pangangailangan ng pambansang seguridad sa kasalukuyan.

Nakikiusap po akong isulong ang Whistleblower’s Bill upang patuloy nang iwaksi ang kultura ng takot at pananahimik.

Palalakasin pa lalo ang Witness Protection Program. Alalahanin po natin na noong taong 2009 hanggang 2010, may nahatulan sa 95% ng mga kaso kung saan may witness na sumailalim sa programang ito.

Kailangang repasuhin ang ating mga batas. Nanawagan po akong umpisahan na ang rekodipikasyon ng ating mga batas, upang siguruhing magkakatugma sila at hindi salu-salungat.

Ito pong mga batas na ito ang batayan ng kaayusan, ngunit ang pundasyon ng lahat ng ginagawa natin ay ang prinsipyong wala tayong mararating kung walang kapayapaan at katahimikan.

Dalawa ang hinaharap nating suliranin sa usapin ng kapayapaan: ang situwasyon sa Mindanao, at ang patuloy na pag-aaklas ng CPP-NPA-NDF.

Tungkol sa situwasyon sa Mindanao: Hindi po nagbabago ang ating pananaw. Mararating lamang ang kapayapaan at katahimikan kung mag-uusap ang lahat ng apektado: Moro, Lumad, at Kristiyano. Inatasan na natin si Dean Marvic Leonen na mangasiwa sa ginagawa nating pakikipag-usap sa MILF.

Iiwasan natin ang mga pagkakamaling nangyari sa nakaraang administrasyon, kung saan binulaga na lang ang mga mamamayan ng Mindanao. Hindi tayo puwedeng magbulag-bulagan sa mga dudang may kulay ng pulitika ang proseso, at hindi ang kapakanan ng taumbayan ang tanging interes.

Kinikilala natin ang mga hakbang na ginagawa ng MILF sa pamamagitan ng pagdidisplina sa kanilang hanay. Inaasahan natin na muling magsisimula ang negosasyon pagkatapos ng Ramadan.

Tungkol naman po sa CPP-NPA-NDF: handa na ba kayong maglaan ng kongkretong mungkahi, sa halip na pawang batikos lamang?

Kung kapayapaan din ang hangad ninyo, handa po kami sa malawakang tigil-putukan. Mag-usap tayo.

Mahirap magsimula ang usapan habang mayroon pang amoy ng pulbura sa hangin. Nananawagan ako: huwag po natin hayaang masayang ang napakagandang pagkakataong ito upang magtipon sa ilalim ng iisang adhikain.

Kapayapaan at katahimikan po ang pundasyon ng kaunlaran. Habang nagpapatuloy ang barilan, patuloy din ang pagkakagapos natin sa kahirapan.

Dapat din po nating mabatid: ito ay panahon ng sakripisyo. At ang sakripisyong ito ay magiging puhunan para sa ating kinabukasan. Kaakibat ng ating mga karapatan at kalayaan ay ang tungkulin natin sa kapwa at sa bayan.

Inaasahan ko po ang ating mga kaibigan sa media, lalo na sa radyo at sa print, sa mga nagbablock-time, at sa community newspapers, kayo na po mismo ang magbantay sa inyong hanay.

Mabigyang-buhay sana ang mga batayang prinsipyo ng inyong bokasyon: ang magbigay-linaw sa mahahalagang isyu; ang maging patas at makatotohanan, at ang itaas ang antas ng pampublikong diskurso.

Tungkulin po ng bawat Pilipino na tutukan ang mga pinunong tayo rin naman ang nagluklok sa puwesto. Humakbang mula sa pakikialam tungo sa pakikilahok. Dahil ang nakikialam, walang-hanggan ang reklamo. Ang nakikilahok, nakikibahagi sa solusyon.

Napakatagal na pong namamayani ang pananaw na ang susi sa asenso ay ang intindihin ang sarili kaysa intindihin ang kapwa. Malinaw po sa akin: paano tayo aasenso habang nilalamangan ang kapwa?

Ang hindi nabigyan ng pagkakataong mag-aral, paanong makakakuha ng trabaho? Kung walang trabaho, paanong magiging konsumer? Paanong mag-iimpok sa bangko?

Ngunit kung babaliktarin natin ang pananaw—kung iisipin nating “Dadagdagan ko ang kakayahan ng aking kapwa"—magbubunga po ito, at ang lahat ay magkakaroon ng pagkakataon.

Maganda na po ang nasimulan natin. At mas lalong maganda po ang mararating natin. Ngunit huwag nating kalimutan na mayroong mga nagnanasang hindi tayo magtagumpay. Dahil kapag hindi tayo nagtagumpay, makakabalik na naman sila sa kapangyarihan, at sa pagsasamantala sa taumbayan.

Akin pong paniwala na Diyos at taumbayan ang nagdala sa ating kinalalagyan ngayon. Habang nakatutok tayo sa kapakanan ng ating kapwa, bendisyon at patnubay ay tiyak na maaasahan natin sa Poong Maykapal. At kapag nanalig tayo na ang kasangga natin ay ang Diyos, mayroon ba tayong hindi kakayanin?

Ang mandato nating nakuha sa huling eleksyon ay patunay na umaasa pa rin ang Pilipino sa pagbabago. Iba na talaga ang situwasyon. Puwede na muling mangarap. Tayo nang tumungo sa katuparan ng ating mga pinangarap.

Maraming salamat po.

(English version)

Our administration is facing a forked road. On one direction, decisions are made to protect the welfare of our people; to look after the interest of the majority; to have a firm grip on principles; and to be faithful to the public servant’s sworn oath to serve the country honestly.

This is the straight path.

On the other side, personal interest is the priority, and where one becomes a slave to political considerations to the detriment of our nation.

This is the crooked path.

For a long time, our country lost its way in the crooked path. As days go by (since I became President), the massive scope of the problems we have inherited becomes much clearer. I could almost feel the weight of my responsibilities.

In the first three weeks of our administration, we discovered many things, and I will report to you some of the problems we have uncovered, and the steps we are taking to solve them.

This report is merely a glimpse of our situation. It is not the entire picture of the crises we are facing. The reality was hidden from our people, who seem to have been deliberately obfuscated on the real state of our nation.

In the first six years of this year, government expenditure exceeded our revenues. Our deficit further increased to PhP196.7 billion. Our collection targets, which lack PhP23.8 billion, were not fully met, while we went beyond our spending by PhP45.1 billion.

Our budget for 2010 is PhP1.54 trillion. Of this, only PhP100 billion - or 6.5% of the total budget – can be used for the remaining six months of the current year. Roughly 1% of the total budget is left for each of the remaining month.

Where did the funds go?

A calamity fund worth PhP2 billion was reserved in preparation for anticipated calamities. Of this already miniscule amount, at a time when the rainy season has yet to set in, PhP1.4 billion or 70% was already spent.

The entire province of Pampanga received PhP108 million. Of this, PhP105 million went to only one district. On the other hand, the province of Pangasinan, which was severely affected by Typhoon Pepeng, received a mere PhP5 million, which had to be used to fix damages inflicted not even by Pepeng, but by a previous typhoon, Cosme.

The funds were released on election month, which was seven months after the typhoon. What will happen if a typhoon arrives tomorrow? The fund has been used up to repair damage from typhoons that hit us last year. Our future will pay for the greed of yesterday.

This is also what happened to the funds of the MWSS. Just recently, people lined up for water while the leadership of the MWSS rewarded itself even though the pensions of retired employees remain unpaid.

The entire payroll of the MWSS amounts to 51.4 million pesos annually. But this isn’t the full extent of what they receive: they receive additional allowances and benefits amounting to 81.1 million pesos. In short, they receive 211.5 million pesos annually. Twenty four percent of this is for normal salaries, and sixty six percent is added on.

The average worker receives up to 13th month pay plus a cash gift. In the MWSS, they receive the equivalent of over thirty months pay if you include all their additional bonuses and allowances.

What we discovered in the case of the salaries of their board of trustees is even more shocking. Let’s take a look at the allowances they receive:

Attending board of trustees and board committee meetings, and you get fourteen thousands pesos. This totals ninety eight thousand pesos a month. They also get an annual grocery incentive of eighty thousand pesos.

And that’s not all. They get a mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, and financial assistance. They not only get a Christmas bonus, but an additional Christmas package as well. Each of these amounts to eighty thousand pesos. All in all, each member of the board receives two and a half million pesos a year exclusive of car service, technical assistance, and loans. Let me repeat. They award themselves all of these while being in arrears for the pensions of their retired employees.

Even the La Mesa watershed wasn’t spared. In order to ensure an adequate supply of water, we need to protect our watersheds. In watersheds, trees are needed. Where there should be trees, they built homes for the top officials of the MWSS.

We cannot remove them from their positions quickly because they are among the midnight appointees of former president Arroyo. We are investigating all of these things. But if they have any shame left, they should voluntarily relinquish their positions.

Now let’s discuss funds for infrastructure. The DPWH identified two hundred forty six priority safety projects to be funded by the motor vehicle user’s charge. This needs a budget of 425 million pesos. What they ended up funding were only 28 projects. They disregarded 218 projects and replaced these with seventy projects that weren’t in the plans. The 425 million pesos originally asked for became 480 million pesos, increasing because of projects allocated for a favored few.

These projects make no sense: unstudied and unprepared for, sprouting like mushrooms.

The era of such projects is at an end. Under our administration, there will be no quotas, there will be no overpricing, the funds of the people will be spent for the people.

There’s more. Five days before the term of the previous administration ended, they ordered 3.5 billion pesos to be released for the rehabilitation of those affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. This was supposed to fund eighty-nine projects. But nineteen of these projects amounting to 981 million pesos didn’t go through public bidding. Special Allotment Release Orders hadn’t even been released and yet the contracts were already signed. It’s a good thing Secretary Rogelio Singson spotted and stopped them. Instead, they will all go through the proper bidding, and the funds will be used to provide relief to those who lost their homes due to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

Let’s discuss what happened in Napocor. From 2001 to 2004, the government forced Napocor to sell electricity at a loss to prevent increases in electricity rates. The real motivation for this is that they were preparing for the election.

As a result, in 2004, NAPOCOR slumped deeply in debt. The government was obligated to shoulder the 200 billion pesos it owed.

What the public thought they saved from electricity, we are now paying for using public coffers. Not only are we paying for the cost of electricity; we are also paying for the interest arising from the debt.

If the money we borrowed was used properly, then there would be added assurance that constant supply of electricity is available. However, this decision was based on bad politics, not on the true needs of the people. The people, after having to sacrifice, suffered even more.

This is also what happened to the MRT. The government tried again to buy the people’s love. The operator was forced to keep the rates low.

In effect, the guarantee given to the operator that he will still be able to recoup his investment was not fulfilled. Because of this, Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines were ordered to purchase the MRT.

The money of the people was used in exchange for an operation that was losing money.

Let us now move on to the funds of the National Food Authority (NFA).

In 2004: 117,000 metric tons (of rice) was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they (the government) bought were 900,000 metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than seven times the amount of shortage, they still bought more than what was needed.

In 2007: 589,000 metric tons was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they bought were 1.827 million metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than three times the amount of shortage, they again bought more than what was needed.

What hurts is, because they keep purchasing more than what they need year after year, the excess rice that had to be stored in warehouses ended up rotting, just like what happened in 2008.

Is this not a crime, letting rice rot, despite the fact that there are 4 million Filipinos who do not eat three times a day?

The result is NFA’s current debt of 177 billion pesos.

This money that was wasted could have funded the following:

- The budget of the entire judiciary, which is at 12.7 billion pesos this year.

- The Conditional Cash Transfers for the following year, which cost 29.6 billion pesos.

- All the classrooms that our country needs, which cost 130 billion pesos.

This way of doing things is revolting. Money was there only to be wasted.

You have heard how the public coffers were squandered. This is what is clear to me now: change can only come from our determination to stamp out this extravagance and profligacy.

That is why starting now: we will stop the wasteful use of government funds. We will eradicate projects that are wrong.

This is the point of what we call the zero-based approach in our budget. What used to be the norm was every year, the budget merely gets re-enacted without plugging the holes.

Next month we will be submitting a budget that accurately identifies the problem and gives much attention on the right solution.

Those that I have mentioned were only some of the problems we have discovered. Here now are examples of the steps we are undertaking to solve them.

There is a case of one pawnshop owner. He purchased a vehicle at an estimated cost of 26 million pesos.

If he can afford to buy a Lamborghini, why can’t he pay his taxes?

A case has already been filed against him. Through the leadership of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, every week we have new cases filed against smugglers and against those who do not pay the right taxes.

We have also already identified the suspects of the cases of Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio and Miguel Belen, 3 of the 6 incidents of extralegal killings since we assumed the Presidency.

Fifty percent (50%) of these incidents of extralegal killings are now on their way to being resolved.

We will not stop the pursuit of the remaining half of these killings until justice has been achieved.

We will hold murderers accountable. We will also hold those who are corrupt that work in government accountable for their actions.

We have begun forming our Truth Commission, through the leadership of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide. We will search for the truth on the alleged wrongdoing committed in the last nine years.

This week, I will sign the first ever Executive Order on the formation of this Truth Commission.

If the answer to justice is accountability, the answer to the dearth in funds is a new and creative approach to our long-standing problems.

We have so many needs: from education, infrastructure, health, military, police and more. Our funds will not be enough to meet them.

No matter how massive the deficit is that may keep us from paying for this list of needs, I am heartened because many have already expressed renewed interest and confidence in the Philippines.

Our solution: public-private partnerships. Although no contract has been signed yet, I can say that ongoing talks with interested investors will yield fruitful outcomes.

There are some who have already shown interest and want to build an expressway from Manila that will pass through Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, until the end of Cagayan Valley, without the government having to spend a single peso.

On national defense:

We have 36,000 nautical miles of shoreline, but we only have 32 boats. These boats are as old as the time of (US General Douglas) MacArthur.

Some had this proposition: they will rent the Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard and the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio.

They will take care of the funding necessary to transfer the Navy Headquarters to Camp Aguinaldo. Immediately, we will be given 100 million dollars. Furthermore, they will give us a portion of their profits from their businesses that would occupy the land they will rent.

In short, we will meet our needs without spending, and we will also earn.

There have already been many proposals from local to foreign investors to provide for our various needs.

From these public-private partnerships, our economy will grow and every Filipino will be the beneficiary. There are so many sectors that could benefit from this.

We will be able to construct the needed infrastructure in order to help tourism grow.

In agriculture, we will be able to have access to grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, orderly road networks and post-harvest facilities.

If we can fix out food supply chain with the help of the private sector, instead of importing, we will hopefully be able to supply for the needs of the global market.

The prices of commodities will go down if we are able to make this efficient railway system a reality. It will be cheaper and faster, and it will be easier for travelers to avoid crooked cops and rebels.

A reminder to all: creating jobs is foremost on our agenda, and the creation of jobs will come from the growth of our industries. Growth will only be possible if we streamline processes to make them predictable, reliable and efficient for those who want to invest.

We make sure that the Build-Operate-and-Transfer projects will undergo quick and efficient processes. With the help of all government agencies concerned and the people, a process that used to take as short as a year and as long as a decade will now only take six months.

The Department of Trade and Industry has already taken steps to effect this change, under the leadership of Secretary Gregory Domingo:

The never-ending horror story of registering business names, which used to take a minimum of four to eight hours depending on the day, will be cut down drastically to fifteen minutes.

What used to be a check list of thirty-six documents will be shortened to a list of six, and the old eight-page application form will be whittled down to one page.

I call on our local government units to review its own procedures. While we look for more ways to streamline our processes to make business start-ups easier, I hope the LGUs can also find ways to implement reforms that will be consistent with the ones we have already started.

All will certainly benefit from this streamlining -- be it businessmen, soldiers, rebels and ordinary Filipinos. As long as the interests of Filipinos will not be jeopardized, we will explore all available avenues to make this a reality. We must start now, and we should all help achieve this and not stand in each other’s way.

The time when we will no longer be made to choose between our people’s security and the future of our children is upon us now.

Once we implement these public-private partnerships, we will be able to fund public service in accordance with our platform.

This will enable us to fund our plans for education.

We will be able to expand our basic education cycle from seven years to the global standard of twelve years.

We can build more classrooms, and we will fund service contracting under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Program (GASTPE).

Conditional cash transfers that aim to lessen the burden of education on parents will also be funded if this partnership becomes a reality.

Our plans for improving PhilHealth can now be within reach.

First, we will identify the correct number of Filipinos who sorely need PhilHealth coverage, as current data is conflicting on this matter. On one hand, PhilHealth says that eighty-seven percent (87%) of Filipinos are covered, then lowers the number to only fifty-three percent (53%). On the other hand, the National Statistics Office says that only thirty-eight percent (38%) of Filipinos are covered by Philhealth.

Even as we speak, Secretary Dinky Soliman and the Department of Social Welfare and Development are moving to implement the National Household Targeting System that will identify the families that most urgently need assistance. An estimated 9 billion pesos is needed in order to provide coverage for five million poor Filipinos.

Our country is beginning to see better days ahead. The private sector, the League of Provinces headed by Governor Alfonso Umali, together with Governors L-Ray Villafuerte and Icot Petilla, are now ready to do their share when it comes to shouldering the financial burden. I know that the League of Cities under the leadership of Mayor Oscar Rodriguez will not be far behind.

If the local governments share in our goals, I know that I can surely count on Congress, the institution where I began public service, to push for our agenda for change.

Our Cabinet has already showed it skill by identifying not just problems but also proposing solutions in a matter of three weeks.

In the aftermath of Typhoon Basyang, we were told by those in the power sector that we would be without electricity for four days. The quick action of Secretary Rene Almendras and the Department of Energy resulted in the restoration of power to almost all those affected within twenty-four hours.

The so-called water shortage in Metro Manila was quickly attended to by Secretary Rogelio Singson and the Department of Public Works and Highways. Secretary Singson did it without prodding, which alleviated the suffering of those affected.

We also witnessed the competence and initiative of those we appointed to be part of our Cabinet. It is but just that they not be forced to go through the eye of a needle to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. Should this happen, competent Filipinos will be encouraged to help our country by becoming public servants.

In the soonest possible time, we will convene the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to discuss the important bills that need to be addressed. Rest assured that I will keep an open mind and treat you honorably.

We will push for the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, which will limit spending bills only for appropriations that have identified a source of funding. We need 104.1 billion pesos to fund those laws already passed but whose implementation remains pending because of lack of funds.

We will re-evaluate fiscal incentives given in the past. Now that we are tightening our purse strings, we need to identify those incentives that will remain and those that need to be done away with.

We will not allow another NBN-ZTE scandal to happen again. Whether from local or foreign sources, all proposed contracts must undergo the scrutiny of correct procedures. I now ask for your help with amending our Procurement Law.

According to our Constitution, it is the government’s duty to ensure that the market is fair for all. No monopolies, no cartels that kill competition. We need an Anti-Trust Law that will give life to these principles, to afford Small- and Medium-Scale Enterprises the opportunity to participate in the growth of our economy.

Let us pass into law the National Land Use Bill.

It was in 1935, during the Commonwealth, that the National Defense Act was passed. There is a need to amend for a new law that is more responsive to the current needs of national security.

I appeal to our legislators to pass the Whistleblower’s Bill to eradicate the prevalent culture of fear and silence that has hounded our system.

We will strengthen the Witness Protection Program. We must remember that from 2009 to 2010 alone, cases which involved the participation of witnesses under the program resulted in a ninety-five percent conviction.

There is a need to review our laws. I call on our lawmakers to begin a re-codification of our laws to ensure harmony in legislation and eliminate contradictions.

These laws serve as the basis of order in our land, but the foundation of all rests on the principle that we cannot grow without peace and order.

We face two obstacles on our road to peace: the situation in Mindanao and the continued revolt of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Our view has not changed when it comes to the situation in Mindanao. We will only achieve lasting peace if all stakeholders engage in an honest dialogue: may they be Moro, Lumad, or Christian. We have asked Dean Marvic Leonen to head our efforts to talk to the MILF.

We will learn from the mistakes of the past administration, that suddenly announced an agreement reached without consultations from all concerned. We are not blind to the fact that it was done with political motivation, and that the interest behind it was not that of the people.

We recognize the efforts of the MILF to discipline those within its ranks. We are hopeful that the negotiations will begin after Ramadan.

To the CPP-NPA-NDF: are you prepared to put forth concrete solutions rather than pure criticism and finger-pointing?

If it is peace you truly desire, then we are ready for an immediate cease-fire. Let us go back to the table and begin talking again.

It is difficult to begin discussions in earnest if the smell of gun powder still hangs in the air. I call on everyone concerned not to waste a good opportunity to rally behind our common aspiration for peace.

Our foundation for growth is peace. We will continue to be shackled by poverty if the crossfire persists.

We must understand that now is a time for sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that will pave the way for a better future. With our freedom comes our responsibility to do good unto our fellows and to our country.

To our friends in media, especially those in radio and print, to the block-timers and those in our community newspapers, I trust that you will take up the cudgels to police your own ranks.

May you give new meaning to the principles of your vocation: to provide clarity to pressing issues; to be fair and truthful in your reporting, and to raise the level of public discourse.

It is every Filipino’s duty to closely watch the leaders that you have elected. I encourage everyone to take a step towards participation rather than fault-finding. The former takes part in finding a solution; from the latter, never-ending complaints.

We have always known that the key to growth is putting the interest of others beyond one’s own. One thing is clear: how do we move forward if we keep putting others down?

How will those without education secure quality jobs? How will the unemployed become consumers? How will they save money for their future needs?

If we change all this, if we prioritize enabling others, we will open a world of opportunities not just for ourselves but for those who direly need it.

We have already begun the process of change, and we are now able to dream of better things for our country. Let us not forget that there are those who wish us to fail, so that they will once again reclaim power to do as they please at the expense of our people.

My firm belief is that our fate is in the hands of God and our people. While we focus on uplifting the lives of our fellow men, I have an unshakeable faith that Almighty God will give us His blessings and support. If we remain firm in our belief that God is on our side, is there anything impossible for us to achieve?

The mandate we received last May 10 is testament to the fact that the Filipino continues to hope for true change. The situation is not what it was before; we can all dream again. Let us all become one in achieving a fulfilment of our hopes and aspirations for our country.

Thank you very much!

From crib to arms to frying pan...

2010-07-07T08:46:00.001-07:00

Some horrifying news about children that I read today on the Internet and saw on television:

A seven-month-old infant slipped from the arms of her mother while she was busy cooking. From the mother’s arms to the frying pan, the baby suffered severe burns in her face and body, and is being treated in a hospital. This happened in a province in the Philippines.

A three-year-old boy was allegedly kidnapped from his home by a person who pretended to the househelp that he (or she) was a sibling of the boy’s mother. The parents had left the boy with the househelp while they were out for the day. The househelp was hired by the family only about two months ago. In a later statement to the police, the househelp said that she entrusted the child to the person who had pretended to be the mother’s sibling because that person supposedly just wanted to take the child to a nearby store. Interviewed later on TV news, the kid’s mother was understandably frantic and was tearfully appealing for help for the return of the child. She really looked and sounded devastated because aside from suffering from the kidnapping of her child, she said that she was still grieving from the death of her other child (younger than the missing one) just about a year ago. This happened in a city in the Philippines.

Noynoy, the new President--Charice sings the Anthem

2010-07-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

At 12NN, June 30, 2010, the Philippines finally got a new President—Benigno Simeon C.Aquino III, nicknamed Noynoy. He is the son of Ninoy and Cory, the husband-and-wife icons of democracy of the Philippines. He won by a huge margin over his rivals in the May 2010 elections in

the country. With his oath-taking on that day at the historic Rizal Park in Manila, Aquino ended the nine-year reign of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who had become, in her last years of office, one of the most unpopular, if not THE most unpopular ever, presidents that the country has ever had. Her pummeling ratings on performance/populari

ty surveys reflected the people's lack of confidence in her as President amid many accusations of corruption against her Administration. Although Filipinos will not see the last of Arroyo because she will now sit in the country’s House of Repres

entatives as a Congresswoman (having run and won a seat in Congress also in the May elections which, undoubtedly, raised eyebrows everywhere), there is a least a collective sigh of relief that she is not the president anymore. (A side story to that is that her move to Congress is suspected of being just a ploy for her to escape corruption charges, and also for her to continue perpetuating herself in power by aiming for the top spot in the House as Speaker, and maybe even more.)

Anyway, the memorable inaugural of Noynoy and also new Vice President Jejomar Binay on June 30 was started by the awesome rendition of “Lupang Hinirang,” the Philippines’s national anthem, sung by Charice. Charice is a talented Filipino singer who has now become an international recording artist, after years of being locally based. What makes Charice’s singing of the Anthem even more memorable is that she sung it the way it should really be sung (as a march tempo). Previous renditions of the Anthem by equally Filipino singers in public events in the country and abroad have raised objections because of changed arrangements and over-acting singing styles that sought attention to the artist and not to the Anthem. The Anthem is a beautiful song whose lyrics seek to fire up every Filipino's love for the beloved country (lupang hinirang). Below is a YouTube clip (from ebsteebee channel) of Charice singing of the Philippines’s national anthem in Noynoy's inaugural.

Google honors 112th Philippines Independence Day

2010-06-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

The Philippines's Google page honors the my country's Independence Day today, June 12, by featuring the Philippine flag's colors and symbols on the page's logo, instead of the usual Google logo. Nice, warm gesture, Google. Maraming salamat! (Thanks very much!)

Youngest mobile texter ever!

2010-06-03T02:31:00.000-07:00

Indeed, that’s what I’d call the one-and-a-half-year old grandkid of a friend of mine who was toying with her mobile phone at the time that I texted her last Sunday. I got two blank replies from my friend right after I texted her. The replies came seconds apart. And I wondered if the blank messages meant that my friend acknowledged that she got my text, or there was something wrong with her phone, which was unlikely. The next day when I got to talk to my friend, she amusingly recalled that around the time that I texted her, she was talking to her mother-in-law and she did notice through her peripheral vision that her grandkid who was playing on the floor behind here got her phone which was on the back of her seat. But she didn’t mind that because she knew that her phone was locked. But she also recalled that after a while, her grandkid was looking at her from time to time while toying with her phone, while still slumped on the phone. And that must have been the time that the child was “answering” my text. True enough, we confirmed the incident by recalling the time of that moment, which was about 6PM, the time that I texted her.