jalwyn's journal

Dinner with our Aussie friend

2007-05-27T03:48:00.000+08:00

Tasting Vigan at the LCP organic market...

2007-05-17T04:43:00.000+08:00

Lessons to learn

2007-04-25T17:48:00.000+08:00

As a graduate of the Union High School of Manila (Batch 85), my heart is heavy with the revelation that some of its sports officials and student athletes have cheated, resulting in the one year suspension of the Philippine Christian University or PCU from the NCAA for the coming school year.

The NCAA Policy Board, chaired by this year's president Vincent Fabella of Jose Rizal University, found damning evidence that some PCU high school sports officials orchestrated elaborate schemes for some athletes to take on the identities of other students or people who were ineligible, otherwise to play for the NCAA High School edition. In effect, 4 Baby Dolphins, namely JP Importante, James and Cesar Degano and Victor Miguel Oliveros faked their school records to get into the lineup.

(According to newspaper accounts, the identity switch was not clearly explained; some sources were saying that the players apparently submitted the school records of either a brother or a cousin to meet the 18-year age limit for high school cagers.)

The suspension resulted in having all four players ordered banned from the NCAA. The Baby Dolphins were also asked to return their second-place trophy together with the individual awards and had to forfeit PCU’s third place overall trophy in the high school division. The university was allowed to keep its over-all championship for the seniors division though.

PCU President Oscar Suarez apparently did not contest the NCAA's decision, which was announced this Monday, April 23, 2007. Suarez, as quoted from broadcast news sources that day and print sources yesterday Tuesday said that “this is a lesson learned... Just because of some erring personnel and athletes our school was gravely affected.”

Suarez had also instructed Fred Olano, PCU’s representative to the management committee to fire the coaching staff of the junior squad headed by Bong Sales.

The suspension comes in the wake of the victory of two Lady Dolphin spikers who won a hard fought battle in a beach volleyball tournament just this weekend, a victory that was clearly overshadowed by Monday's announcement.

PCU alumni all over are just coming to terms with this shameful and painful event, much like a crash from the exhilirating highs that the school's sports program had taken through the years since its entry into the NCAA less than a decade ago.

PCU's erring officials and athletes clearly did not learn anything from the equally painful and shameful experience of DLSU last year as well as the other experiences in the national level.

What is sad though is that I know for a fact that Union High School students are taught Christian values and discipline that allows them to be persons for Jesus Christ, as befits the largest Protestant university in Metro Manila.

Back in my time, sports victories were few and far between; the high school (now renamed to be the Union Integrated Science High School) pursued and were more successful in academic and spiritual pursuits.

Sadly I don't get to hear them excel in academics these days even as they racked up sports victories one after the other. But look where it got itself now - a suspension for the whole university due to corruption at the high school level! It seems to me that corruption is being started early in my beloved alma mater. That really hurts and it makes me angry as hell...

I will definitely follow up on this sad story as soon as I get to talk to the right people.

2007 Earth Day Jam

2007-04-23T02:55:00.000+08:00

At the Earth Day Jam

2007-04-21T01:48:00.001+08:00

Just split up from my friends Ailyne, Leo and Francis. The Earth Day Jam still rages on a few paces away from where I am blogging now beside Baang Coffee. Such a huge crowd tonight especially at the stage at the junction of Ratsky's, Baang and Chili's.

Orange and Lemons was the band already playing so it was an easy decision to ditch listening to them in favor of making this entry, with apologies to Nancy my friend and PCU classmate who is the band's publicist. Had to ditch meeting up with her and her friend Candy too at Starbucks 6750; just didn't have the energy to take a cab and get all over to the other side of the metro to Makati at this time.

The Earth Day jam was a cool concept - more than 3 dozen bands playing all night to a closed T. Morato. I just didn't understand the band lineup though or the mix of musical genre's - one moment it was Noel Cabangon and Session Road, the next it was Paolo Santos and then Orange and Lemons. That band Paramata and 6Cycle sounded good though. Oh well, I guess that's diversity for you...

Too bad I was too shy in asking to have my photo's taken with the few singers that I admired though. I wanted to run after Noel Cabangon but held back... And right next to our table were Jett Pangan and Buddy Zabala... Oh well, next time???

If there were turn-offs in the whole event these were the environmental plugs shown in between the gigs and the inglesera hosts. The VTR plug's were packaged by foreign productions and used foreign hosts and concepts - The organizers could have made new ones and contextualized it in the local milieu. The hosts were simply too snobbish for comfort and didn't seem to connect to the crowd at all.

But the production aspect of the concert was very good - great sound and lights, very good set-up and efficient looking staff, engineers et al. Kudo's to the organizers whom I understand to be from rocker Lou Bonnevie's company. And boy did she sound so good still, after all this years! Lou should keep on rocking and teach those upstart wannabe rocker chicks how it is to really rock and roll. I had to resist the urge to go up to her and ask how her sister Angie was doing; she was my classmate and good friend in Union High School in Manila in the 80's and was also my schoolmate in UST.

In retrospect, the crowd was well behave and were mostly younger people; a whole slew of punk rockers showed up and camped on Manoling Morato's spacious parking spaces. I noticed that the tables and chairs of established outlets placed on the streets were not patronized though - probably due to their overpriced food and drinks? It was a good thing that some joints sold Pale Pilsen, San Mig Lights and my favorite Red Horse at an affordable range of between 20 to 30 pesos... As usual, over at the media area, reporters covering the event enjoyed free booze and food.

My first glimpse of the concert at about 8pm was at the stage beside Kopi Roti; I had dinner at Brothers Burgers where I enjoyed my grilled chicken burger and lemonade over a view to a kill of the stage. Cynthia Alexander and Bayang Barrios were kicking up a storm them and that was one priceless moment - good music, good food (I always love Bros. Burgers grilled chicken with its delicious cilantro sauce - it was simply a good healthy food that was value for money; the lemonade was so-so though and terribly overpriced). I left though when some bossa nova chick duo took control of the stage and did some lame music.

Too bad that my former producer Hannah was too tired to join me in tonight's activities; she used to be Bayang's first manager and I was just surprised she passed up on attending the Earth Day jam tonight. Also missed were Bombi and Jeng, who used to jam with Session Road and other bands making good music at the concert outside. I only saw Mike and his new lady love with their friends too (which I forget their names; all I remembered was that they used to work for my network too until they resigned to pursue their dreams of becoming indie filmmakers like Mike. Truly admirable people...).

I'll see them next time though. For now, I'm writing this entry for lack of something more creative to do. Later when I get home I'll finish the 2nd season of the compelling Prisonbreak series. This is my 2nd time to log in the Internet tonight. Earlier, I checked my emails at this Internet cafe's rival - Station 168 on top of Starbucks T. Morato where I was surprised to find a reply from Julia Campbell's sister (which I promptly informed my producer and co-editors'; we eventually got an exclusive phone patch interview with the family - more from this in my next post).

Meanwhile at the Earth Day Jam, The Dawn just wrapped up their set. Then the crowd just went wild and I just had to leave my station for a while to check out the next band. No wonder, it was the likeable Itchyworms belting out their fave Beer song... Too bad Cathy was not around with me to enjoy the concert...

My pictures from the jam will be uploaded tomorrow.

Off to Coron, Palawan

2007-04-18T23:44:00.000+08:00

One weekend at the mall...

2007-04-04T02:53:00.000+08:00

Let's do the Pasig...

2007-04-02T01:57:00.000+08:00

Of calloused indifference...

2007-03-22T20:38:00.000+08:00

Since becoming semi-active in this blog, I've vowed to stay apolitical, since for me there are more edifying pursuits, however simple, than politics.

But some things really gets one's goat, so to speak. The following story, for me, is the height of the indifference and haughtiness of the nation's top leader, who I believe is an anomaly primarily to her gender and to everything that she stands for. Does she even know how it is to be hungry, just as millions of Filipinos do?:

Arroyo:'I'm a hunger victim, too'

Article posted March 22, 2007 - 07:25 PM
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Thursday said that if simply missing a meal would qualify a person as having experienced hunger, then she, too, is a victim of hunger.

In an interview after a roundtable discussion at Malacañang, Mrs Arroyo said the way the question was posed among respondents could have been a factor why the hunger incidence reached a record high of 19 percent.

"Kasi iyun naman ang question ng hunger (It?s because of the way they posed the question), do you miss one meal during the last three months? Pati naman ako (me, too), I?ve missed one meal in the last three months," she said.

The nationwide Social Weather Stations survey conducted from February 24 to 27 showed that the hunger figure remained at 19 percent though there had been a recorded worsening in Metro Manila from 17.7 percent in November 2006 to 20.7 percent in February 2007, and in Luzon from 17.7 percent in November to 18.3 percent in February.

The President, however, admitted that insufficient income could be one of the factors why some families have missed a meal. She said most of those who missed a meal belong to families of coconut farmers. "That's why we want to spend as much as possible the coco levy on increasing the income of the farmers," she said.

The President said there are also cases when one of the parents or a family member has vices, like drinking. She said they spend the money buying liquor instead of food.

Mrs Arroyo said this is why her administration will try to educate families by teaching students about the right ?spending habits" to ensure that the family income is spent on basic necessities like food.

She said teaching parents about responsible parenthood and family planning methods would help poor families save more money, which they can spend on food.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza Cabral said a family spends about P2,000 for infant formula every month, which can be used to buy food.

The President said aside from saving money, breastfeeding is also a good family planning method.

Mrs Arroyo and Cabral also traced the high incidence of hunger to the removal of the ?food for school" program in the supplemental budget sought by the administration in 2006.

Cabral said the DSWD food-for-school program, where each daycare school children gets a kilo of rice daily for 120 days, had been scrapped and replaced with milk feeding and hot meals. The same program is offered by the Department of Education for younger elementary pupils. - GMANews.TV

The Pirates are back!

2007-03-21T02:30:00.000+08:00

I just saw the 2 minute plus trailer of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and man... I'm hooked! It's simply fantastic and I can't wait. Check this youtube entry. Better yet, here's the official site.

Intimations of Mortality redux

2007-03-07T01:53:00.000+08:00

Without dwelling too much on the what should be and might be's, I hopped on a decrepit bus off to Baguio, right after attending a media conference in Holiday Inn @ Clark Pampanga. The bus left Dau around 930pm that Saturday night. Five hours later, I arrived in Baguio and I was simply the happiest person on earth.

The air was as fresh and as cold as I wanted it to be and the city was just as... well, sleepy and quiet as I expected it to be. I just didn't expect many people to still mill around Session Road at that hour, mostly the young ones.

Without any sense of urgency, I spent the next two hours in finding a suitable lodging. But being the height of the festival, naturally all the rooms were booked, even the sleazy ones in the City's nooks and crannies (don't ask me how I knew that). But nothing daunted me --- I was even prepared to sleep on Session Road, like the many I saw that dawn, never mind the cold.

A kindly taxi driver, among Baguio's truly gentle souls, helped me find some place to stay but in the end I contented myself in bunking on a 5-in-a-room dormitory at Baden Powell. Before managing to sleep around 430am, I made a mental note to wake up a few hours later to catch the Flower Festival parade...

Unfortunately, the flesh was weak (and tired from all the travelling) --- I woke up late at 1030am, hurriedly dressed, ate the Baden Powell's free but uninspired breakfast and hurried off to Session Road a few meters away to catch the parade.

I did manage to catch its last 30 minutes though, but the best parts were all gone already. Still, this did not stop me from sporting a crazy grin while walking around my favorite Session road, which just disappeared in a sea of people.

I managed to find a suitable transient room (with my own bathroom and cable tv at that) within walking distance to the city center. I savored the cold water of my first Baguio bath and soon after was off to hang out and pound away on my trusty laptop and finish my writing backlogs.

In Baguio, there are several places for me to stay while working on my stories, articles or simply just pouring out my mind --- the Figaro @ the Filling Station @ the Camp John Hay's entrance, the Starbucks at the Camp's Baguio Country Club end, the Figaro at SM Baguio's 4th level, @ the Tamawan Village, @ the Zola Cafe @ Session Road and my old time favorite, @ Cafe by the Ruins.

But hanging out in the places I mentioned do not come cheap though... But then again, no place is cheap anymore these days, especially in Baguio during Panagbenga.

Still I had a good time, was able to write a lot of stuff and caught up on my cable viewing too. I was extremely happy to catch Hotel Rwanda on HBO and watch the underrated but superb Don Cheadle.

So I just spent my time in Baguio doing simple things --- I wrote a lot, walked a lot, slept a lot and watched cable tv a lot. Surprisingly, I had a mild appetite --- I contented myself in eating street fare I would normally shun in Metro Manila, like my favorite one day old chick (3 pieces for 18 pesos, deep-fried with their bile taken out) at the Burnham Park area. I also attempted to check out the Mabuhay wag-wagan area but simply gave up after an hour --- I never did have the patience to do ukay-ukay shopping.

What I did not fail to do while in Baguio though was to have coffee at every imaginable cafe and surf the internet at ridiculously low rates --- part of the city's discount giving spree due to the festival.

I especially tried to cram a lot of mundane activities as the time for me to leave the city came near. Eventually, I reluctantly left at a very late 230am on Tuesday morning, with my class obligations to start 8 hours away, with a 6hour trip to make and two more to get to school.

Oh well, what's the use in living if you can't feel you're alive, right?

Intimations of Mortality

2007-03-06T13:40:00.000+08:00

If you were given only one day more to live, what will you do?

Me? I would simply roam the streets of my favorite mountain city --- Baguio.

I did just that, as if it was my last day on Earth. And yes, I was alone at a time when the Panagbenga or Flower Festival was in full bloom. What better way to hide my isolation in a sea of people?

Retreat to Mountain City

2007-03-02T20:49:00.000+08:00

Just when I thought my sanity would leave me, I went up to my favorite retreat place, the mountain city of Baguio. And what good timing it was as the Panagbenga or Flower Festival was in progress. I still had two days remaining for last year's VL so I cashed it in by going up after my two day media conference in Clark Pampanga.

The full story of my retreat and adventures on my next post. Meanwhile, here are some pictures of that memorable time.

Crunch time

2007-03-02T20:34:00.000+08:00

It seems like I am always catching up on something whose deadline was like ages ago. And now I've run out of excuses not to do the things I've put off for so long. And so slowly but surely, I'm reclaiming my life by finishing important tasks, personal and professional. I only hope that it's not too late for me though. But in case I get penalized for defaulting on my deadlines, I guess it only serves me right...

Movin' on

2007-02-14T15:57:00.000+08:00

Serving as inspiration lately for me is this simple song by who for me should have been last year's American Idol - the incomparable Elliot Yamin (watch out for his first CD soon to come out next month - this is the awesome first single, Movin' On).

Since the New Year kicked in, I've spent more time dealing with things that have weighed me down. Then there was the medical scare of my life - thank God it turned out to be only a warning. But I'm taking heed now of the warnings and prescriptions of Dr. O (my cardiologist from St. Luke's) and Dr. E (Letran College's resident physician).

There's nothing like a medical scare to make you sit up and take stock of what's important or not in one's life. But now I've made my choices. And I'm doing moves to achieve them.

I've given myself until the end of the month to get rid of all my 2006 backlog so that before the start of the end of the year's 3rd quarter, I'll be off and running to fulfill my hopes for the year.

"I don't want anything other than me..."

New Year

2007-01-01T23:57:00.000+08:00

December went by in a blur. November too. Now its January. Yesterday was New Year. And now I feel so old.

Its really impossible to keep up with doing this blog. I have a renewed sense of purpose though for this year with this. Me and Chingbee are even planning to launch our Project Apollo on the web soon.

I look forward to the New Year. So many possibilities and exciting challenges ahead. The question is, how to deal with them in ways beneficial to one's interests and well-being...

Welcome 2007!!!

Tagaytay Seminar

2006-11-02T23:38:00.000+08:00

I was among the 52 young professionals invited for the U.S. Embassy’s 2006 Tagaytay Seminar held at the Taal Vista Hotel last weekend.

The seminar, with the theme, “It Starts With Me: Civic Action and the Fight Against Corruption”, was the embassy’s latest gathering of the country’s emerging leaders, representing eight sectors – the academe, business, civil society, church, government, media, professionals and the youth.

The seminar kicked off with a digital videoconference at the embassy’s Public Affairs audio-visual room, with Indian national Arvind Kejriwal, the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Emergent Leadership talking from Texas, USA (where he was for a study leave), on how they were able to fight corruption in his country.

After a brief lunch, U.S. Embassy Public Affairs officials herded all the delegates to a big bus and van for the 1 ½ hour trip to Tagaytay.

Friday ended with a preview of “Kubrador”/The Bet Collector, the award-winning digital independent film by Jeffrey Jeturian, starring Gina Pareño. The presence of the film’s scriptwriter and supervising writer, Ralston Jover and Armando Lao, respectively, ensured a lively and stimulating open forum after the showing (more about this in another post).

Saturday’s sessions kicked off with an inspiring keynote address by Ms. Pura Sumangil, the chairperson of the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government or CCAGG, a non-governmental organization that monitors government projects in the Abra region of the country. The rest of the day saw all 52 delegates divided into 5 breakout groups for specific discussions on how such sectors can fight corruption through civic action: academe/youth, business/professionals, civil society/church, government and media.

Sunday saw the resource persons for each breakout group presenting the results of the discussions. Presenting for the Media group was award-winning journalist, ex-PCIJ member and my ACFJ classmate Luz Rimban. Columnist/TV Host Rudy Romero moderated the wrap-up session before the seminar closed.

We left Tagaytay City just after lunch with inspired spirits from the seminar’s proceedings. But what really made the whole experience truly unforgettable was the delegates and the social activities that happened right after the seminar sessions. More about these in my next posts.

New beginnings

2006-10-31T23:43:00.000+08:00

Love the new look for blogger. Hope to post more these coming days.

I am thanking the Lord of the following blessings: the A that Sharon S. gave me for our Reporting on Conflict and Peace class, for finishing my MP draft on time, for being able to attend the US Embassy's Tagaytay Seminar and meeting a lot of wonderful new friends there.

Twin goals that I'm praying really hard for the coming days: to be able to find a suitable new home and have a new lease in my career.

I hope the last two months will be better; I had to postpone taking the Diploma in Photojournalism at the ACFJ, to concentrate on my twin goals for now.

It feels like I'm on a crossroads again, having officially finished my MA. New look, new hope, new beginning... I'm leaving it all up to the Big Guy up there to give His blessings and pray for the best.

Sudoku crazy

2006-10-31T23:06:00.000+08:00

Finally, I've caught on the sudoku craze. I tried to solve my first number place puzzle last Friday while at my hotel room in Tagaytay City (I was attending a seminar on anti-corruption sponsored by the US Embassy - details in my next post).

Soon after the delegation arrived at Taal Vista Hotel, we repaired to our own rooms to prepare for dinner and the evening session. While trying to catch a quick nap, I browsed the day's paper and chanced upon the Sudoku puzzle.

Since I was not feeling sleepy anyway, I simply plunged into solving it, not minding its level 5 difficulty rating. Naturally I failed to solve it. My MA classmate Jude, a co-delegate and who is a Mensa member who writes sudoku puzzles for fun, commiserated with my fortune. He did not fail to give me the lowdown on sudoku's origins either, being the genuis that he is.

Anyway, I solved my next attempt - a level 1. The feeling of accomplishment was quite zen-like. Now I'm hooked and on a roll already. Aside from my favorite newspaper, I get my daily fix from this generous site.

Some things hurt more...

2006-10-03T23:22:00.000+08:00

than Cars and Girls... or so Paddy wrote and sang in "Cars and Girls".

Paddy is Paddy McAloon of the superb 80's British band Prefab Sprout and thanks to YouTube.com, I've been seeing a lot of them lately these days. And like all honest to goodness music, which PS plays superbly (which is something greatly missed these days), it is healing and lifting my spirit.

Hearing Paddy sing again and seeing their rare videos brought good memories of growing up in a music-filled atmosphere. I discovered Prefab Sprout at about the same time I joined two choirs in the 80's - one in high school and the other in church. Suffice it to say I had a bit of formal training as a tenor in both choirs; I learned how to read notes, blend voices as well as sing solo. I remember having good times with my fellow choir members going as far as Baguio City to sing for churches there. We also took part in church Cantatas and university music festivals.

It's no wonder that music is among my passions. If there was one arena I would have wanted to succeed, it would have been in it; deep inside, I've always been a frustrated musician or rockstar if you will. Now, I only get to sing in the occassional videoke sessions either with my ACFJ classmates or with other good friends (because only good friends tolerate one's less than professional singing hahaha).

But I digress now - see how Prefab Sprout brought up good memories through their music? There is really nothing like to listening to good music - it just triggers a flood of good memories. In this case, I was in double heaven, for I was seeing music videos of again this little known band; I remembered complaining before that their videos rarely received considerable play on MTV.

Now, lo and behold, there they were in YouTube.com in all their 80's glory...

In my book, Prefab Sprout is one of the greatest yet underrated British bands to come out that from glorious musical decade of the 80's (many say THE musical decade and I agree). But while PS was critically acclaimed they only received moderate commercial success. But as Paddy sang, some things hurt more than cars and girls, like too much fame and fortune. Just look at Boy George and George Michael - all 80's icons too (what's with the name George and the slide from fame?).

I couldn't forget the band's line-up. While frontman Paddy McAloon wrote puzzling lyrics, for me he is a great songwriter, singer and guitar and keyboard player. His brother Marty McAloon played bass while childhood buddy Nick Conti played drums. Another friend Wendy Smith provided backup and I must say, hauntingly ephemeral vocals. In some of these YouTube videos, only Paddy and Marty sing, especially in the music festival that they joined in Ireland in 2000; I learned later that Wendy was giving birth hence her absence. Nick reportedly plays with them from time to time. Paddy looked a far cry from his movie star looks these days but his voice remains absolutely youthful and powerful.

The good news is, PS is still performing; I heard they have a new reunion album in the works. Judging from the comments in the youTube videos, I am not alone in wanting the group to come back to perform regularly again and I hope they do.

My all time favorite song by the band, which I consider to be their greatest song is When Love Breaks Down ; this was also their highest rating song which went to number two in the US charts. Paddy's lyrics in this song really hit a homer for me when I first heard it way back:

"...When love breaks down

The lies we tell,
They only serve to fool ourselves,
When love breaks down
The things you do
To stop the truth from hurting you
When love breaks down
You join the wrecks
Who leave their hearts for easy sex..."

There are several other immortal Prefab Sound songs; the following are my favorites:
- The Sound of Crying (haunting and gets better each time you hear it)
- The King of Rock and Roll (with PS' scarcely seen video)
- Appetite (the first PS song that got me hooked to the group)
- Cars and Girls (featuring Wendy's haunting back-up vocals)
- Goodbye Lucille (with Paddy's signature singing)
- Life of Surprises (great video; even greater lyrics = ..."never let your conscience be harmful to your health...")

Actually, all PS songs are classics. Rediscovering Prefab Sprout this time was absolutely providential. Now I'm consumed by the need to store these immortal songs in my walkman phone soon. You know, when the blues hits you, you just tune in to Prefab Sprout and everything turns out fine somehow.

For now, thank you YouTube for having these music videos, I am truly grateful.

To Prefab Sprout - thank you for the music. I am indebted forever.

Win or lose

2006-10-02T21:36:00.000+08:00

Congratulations are in order to UST for winning the 69th UAAP Basketball championships tonight. It has been 10 years since they've last won... The university will surely go all out in celebrating their hard-earned victory. I've yet to confirm whether the UST Tigresses also won the women's basketball crown; if it's true it could be a double celebration for UST, who is considered an athletic powerhouse in the country.

Two of my sisters were athletes here; C used to be with the athletis varsity team while M is now a reserve for the volleyball varsity. M is probably going home late tonight what with the university's celebrations.

Too bad for Ateneo though; this makes it the 2nd or 3rd time for it to be the bridesmaid, with an absent DLSU at that. At any rate, the Blue Eagles will have to console with celebrating the win of the Juniors basketball team last week.

I'm just happy that the UAAP is providing such good sportsmanship for students; the cloud over the cheating scandal last year is slowly being eased out like a bad memory or a disastrous oil slick.

My 2 year stint in college in UST before plus a semester of teaching at the Faculty of Arts and Letters for a semester in 2000 and my current 2 year MA studies in Ateneo make me a proud product of both universities. So win or lose, I still come out privileged for having been associated with either institution. In my book, both schools are winners in their own right.

(It's just too bad that the UAAP site is not updated for people like me who were not able to watch the game live or on TV. Although the site indeed looked very promising).

Pedestrian Photos

2006-09-29T08:20:00.000+08:00

Pedestrian

2006-09-29T03:52:00.000+08:00

More than two years after it was constructed in time for the 2004 elections, the pedestrian overpass in Commonwealth corner Tandang Sora Avenues, was finally finished sometime last month.

Surprisingly, unlike usual government projects, no billboard plastered with a politician's face is proudly claiming credit for the long-overdue project. So knowing how much it actually cost will be daunting...

The project is a blight in the eye no matter what perspective you look at it; it has added to the aesthetic degradation of the area - I still remember seeing the mountains of Bulacan upon the descent from the INC area into the intersection - I was already traversing the highway in the early 80's when I lived with my grandmother in Fairview and went to school in Pasay City.

I've been living in the area for ten years now eversince I was employed in a tv network in the area. I've been witness since then to the area's metamorphosis from being ugly to now being very ugly...

Aside for marring the horizon, the pedestrian project's steel structure is flawed in every aspect. The ladder from the Old Balara side, which is on the right side going to Fairview from Philcoa, was constructed in front of the KFC entrance and runs directly into power and phone lines. The lines even cut the center aisle while other wires dangle just beside the railings. On the Culiat side, two transformers dangle right beside the railings too.

What is even worse, the ladder for the Culiat side, the one beside the 7-11 branch which is also constructed in front of another foodmart, goes down precariously to a narrow step just beside a deep trench that is a driveway of a private property.

When I took these pictures, the whole pedestrian overpass was very slippery because puddles of water were collecting all over the elevated walkway since the whole project has simply no roof. You have to build a project like this, you have to complete it as it is only logical to do so.

But then again, that may be too much of a stretch for the honorable politician who sponsored the project. Considering how long it took to get done, most of the funds would have been used up then, leaving insufficient money for building the roof as well as the proper ladder landings for the pedestrians.

It only goes to show how the MMDA gives importance to the plight of Filipino pedestrians. Surprisingly, the MMDA has expended more time, money and effort for the hideous wire fences along portions of Commonwealth and Tandang Sora Avenues, rather than completing or putting finishing touches to the equally hideous pedestrian overpass.

I admit though that using it beats having to play the deadly dodge game everyday with the murderous buses and jeepneys who ply the busy intersection. But a host of accidents waiting to happen also awaits the hapless pedestrian who uses the pedestrian overpass.

I can only shake my head in disbelief at the turn of events in this area I've called my home for the last ten years, ever since I got employed in Broadcast City.

In the past decade, I've seen the area go through countless changes in terms of road-related projects. This area is a politician's paradise - I've lost count how many times the pedestrian islands here have been shaped and reshaped (now they're all gone) and how the narrow two-lane avenue connecting Tandang Sora up until Katipunan Avenue has been dug up and reworked etc...

But the typical pedestrian's basic needs here are not even met. Sidewalks are barely navigable; what's left are eaten up as parking space by waiting tricycles or are obstructed by unscrupulous homeowners or business establishments. There are no decent waiting sheds; pedestrians waiting for transport on either side of Commonwealth Avenue or Tandang Sora get soaked especially during bad weather. As Tandang Sora Avenue is a conduit to C5 via Katipunan Avenue, deadly trucks lord over the narrow street posing a danger to pedestrians here (many have met gruesome accidents here courtesy of these killer trucks).

The glaring lack of the government's attention to these little details only mean the welfare of pedestrians are not important to those running the country. Just imagine that this situation is replicated in varying degrees in countless other intersections all over the country. Until when do we hapless pedestrians suffer from this cursed fate only time can tell. Such is our lot for being proletariats in this banana republic earning third world rates with first world aspirations.

Bruno and Me

2006-09-26T21:22:00.000+08:00

If you happen to be at the Manila Diamond Hotel, check out on Bruno at the front lobby security area. He is one of the hotel’s resident K9 and while he looks menacing, he is as tame as, well, a pet dog. Just make sure to ask his handler’s permission first before petting him.

I didn’t have much time to dig into Bruno’s past or circumstances when I met him that May 1 night last summer. I was in a party mode that night, being at the hotel to take part in the ceremony that changed the name of the Konrad Adenauer Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University, into the Konrad Adenauer ASIAN Center for Journalism.

It was just after the ceremony when my group of ACFJ Fellows were about to step out the hotel to cross Roxas Boulevard over to the Baywalk that I spotted Bruno. I couldn’t resist petting the forlorn looking animal, who looked tired and plain sad. I wondered then how long he had been working already that day as it was close to 9 o’clock when I saw him. Do dogs have minimum hours too when they work? Are they fed and rested well enough too? I wonder what PAWS would say on these matters, which struck me as thoroughly very First World concerns.

At any rate, it seemed a topic worthy of a story someday. At least me and Bruno had a picture as souvenir. What a pair of handsome fellows don't you agree?

Back for good

2006-09-24T00:14:00.000+08:00

I'm back to blogging here, which was where I started maintaining one since early last year. I've since experimented with other sites but the first proved to be more effective because it was the simplest. So I've turn full circle and come back to Blogger.

But I will still maintain my paid site, www.jalwynalburo.com , which I'll try to develop into a more professional blog. I have another, which is more multimedia in nature - www.jalwynsjournal.multiply.com.

I'll be uploading posts I've made offline and never uploaded yet in my other blogs. For the a long time, I've had this writer's block which kept me from active blogging. But I've already ran out of excuses not to do this anymore. As my tagline says it, I simply "live to write (and) write to live."
I'm particularly proud of the flickr badge which I was able to make, finally, with some help from TPP (thanks Tina)! By the way, almost all of the pictures there were taken from my new toy, the just awesome W810i Walkman Phone from Sony Ericcson; however, it is still at the shop these days (more on this in another post) :(

So much to say, so little time... At any rate, its good to be back.

Of phobias and deadlines

2005-10-15T15:56:00.000+08:00

I'm scrambling to beat a deadline in my Master's class which is looming fast and nothing scares me most than not making it. I don't know if it's already a phobia but however allergic I am to deadlines I strangely thrive on them. Someone even called me the King of Photo Finish.

Well not anymore (I hope) because it's really scary to beat deadlines. And that's what I'm doing today, now, this minute - finishing the finals paper for our media law class due midnight tomorrow. Attending to my blog is relaxing me a bit, albeit momentarily. Trix, I hope you are doing fine as we beat our deadline (hoping too that our other classmates are doing fine as well). After tomorrow, we can hopefully move on with other, equally important matters in life, like love and blogging, among other things...

Meanwhile, here is a different phobia - blogophobia that is. Here's a list of companies and organizations who are allergic to blogs and bloggers... I hope your company and mine will not make it here, now and forever.

A job to die for

2005-09-13T04:07:00.000+08:00

I'm not normally an envious person. But reading an AFP news report this morning nearly made me die in envy. Someone has a job to die for and it's not mine aaarrrggghh.
Check out this url about veteran war correspondent Kevin Sites and how Yahoo got him to report and churn out video, audio and daily blog entries on what Yahoo says are "the world's most important, yet under-reported" stories to a website called "Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone" that it will launch on September 26, 2005. Simply put, Kevin will report on every single armed conflict in the planet. Now isn't that a job that can literally get you killed? But what the heck, Kevin epitomizes the kind of people that I admire - people who like to live on the edge... Why not? After all, I live in one of the places tagged by Yahoo and Kevin as among the world's hot spots - The Philippines.
Kevin is a veteran and multi-awarded multimedia journalist; he also maintains a personal blog about his journalistic exploits.
What Kevin and Yahoo will do will definitely change the way we cover the news in the future. Kevin is a SoJo - a solo journalist equipped with the latest technology to deliver the news anytime, anywhere. This is definitely a far cry from the bulky news teams we have now where ego-tripping reporters think they are the story and where they work with underpaid but overworked news crew. I only wish I would experience what Kevin Sites is experiencing now, in this lifetime.

The Best Thing

2005-09-05T01:32:00.000+08:00

What's the best thing that happened to you lately?
For me, bar none, was going back to school after I was accepted as one of the nine new fellows of the Ateneo's Center for Journalism MA in Journalism program this school year.
The program is something like 70 percent online learning and 30 percent on-campus. We started the online classes last June 14 and it was some experience. But the bext thing yet happened on August 8. On that rainy Monday morning, I finally came face to face with my classmates when we took part in the on-campus component of our masters' class, in Ateneo's SocSci building. Imagine putting a face to the name I only encountered online (although I already met my batch days earlier on August 5; we had our orientation and entrance examination that rainy Saturday). This was the special part of the whole experience - meeting my classmates majority of whom are practicing journalists in the country as well as from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma/Thailand.
What followed was two weeks of tough classroom sessions, hurdling through thick readings, doing assignments and group reports and bonding with classmates after class.
The close of the campus sessions was tough - it was hard to part ways with people that I felt I've known for a long time. After taking a two week leave for the campus sessions, I return to work feeling reinvigorated yet sad after the whole experience. Here is a link courtesy of my classmate from Singapore - Trix, to some pictures she took of our classmates and class. Also, here is another link to another classmate's site - Chingbee's . These photos are but only a few of those taken of the wonderful people that I had for company. Look them all up and see what a wonderful time we all had. (Attending to school matters was what also took my time away from blogging that's why it's only now that I'm able to post again here).

Plastic in my Paradise

2005-08-01T04:27:00.000+08:00

I will always treasure the memories from my 1 week research, location hunt and shoot for child crewmembers of muro ami ships in Palawan's Calamianes Group of Islands in August 2003.
My cameraman, assistant and I stayed at the edge of paradise - Divelink in Uson Island, 5 minutes off Coron town in Busuanga (the group's main/biggest island).
We met and made a lot of good friends there; the biggest bonus was undoubtedly when we explored the many islands of the group - all white sand, ringed with corals and crystal-clear water, mostly deserted, teeming with underwater life and all blessed with clear sunny skies (except when it rained which it did a lot).
I was always in my boardshorts and sandals, my wallet and cellphone in an aquapak and my snorkel set ready everytime we traveled to the islands, in search of our elusive subjects. Everytime we docked to any island (and after checking out for our elusive subjects), I would then dive and swim to my heart's content, until I'm exhausted or until when we have to eat...
Food would always be the fresh catch from the sea (but cooked earlier); and whether it was prepared/cooked by Divelink or Ate Carol, it was always a simple but satisfying feast (I gained weight during that shoot).
We encountered sharks, hostile islanders, sunken ships and a twister. We attended a debut by the beach, ate grilled fresh oysters on our banca and enjoyed unlimited rum cokes and videoke... (too bad all my pictures were destroyed in my camera phone - I would blog about that useless K700i next time). We only found some ex-muro ami crewmembers but none of them were minors; the episode was eventually shelved and we moved on to another topic. Still, I found paradise and was happy enough.
About the only downer in finding paradise was encountering plastic in it. I saw it when I was snorkeling, in the powder-white beaches of secluded islands and in the waterways in and around the islands. And I thought, Palawan is the last frontier of the country (I was hoping plastic would have spared it but then this was a naive thought)...
What triggered these wonderful memories was when I read this enviromental blog on the successful imposition of the tax system of plastic bags in Ireland.
I hope this will be adopted soon too in my country before it's too late for the environment here, especially in paradise.

Life's like that

2005-07-31T23:43:00.000+08:00

Busy week. Lots of readings for grad class. Equally lots of rewrites to get that elusive A+. Slept mostly in whatever free time that I had. Barely had time to log in. Finishing my articles though; hope to pass it today as promised.

The good news is I finished my first Jasper Fforde novel - Something Rotten. And now I can't get enough... Good thing I saw a copy of the first one, The Eyre Affair over at Fully Booked at the Gateway Mall (plus the 2nd Lost in a Good Book and the 3rd Well of Lost Plots; also saw The Big Over Easy, Fforde's new novel on Humpty Dumpty's fall and who was behind it).

Finally saw that HAMLET dvd w/ Mel Gibson. Glenn Close and Helena Bonham Carter were good as always; Gibson was convincing but Ralph Fiennes should have been Hamlet. Also saw CRASH - pretty good movie, I totally liked it (full review about this later).

Only had time to open my email tonight. One item caught my eye from my gmail. It's a cautionary tale for bloggers like me, although the author is an anonymous blogger unlike me. The short of it is, she got fired after her employers found out about her blog; the worst thing is, she also got fired from her next job after finding out what happened to her. Well now that she's fired, she's now blogging openly. Check it out: Jolie in NYC and beware or at least learn how not to end up like her (and still blog on what the h**l)!

Bonjour Août

2005-07-28T13:51:00.000+08:00

You notice how time flies lately? In a few days we will be saying hello to August - Bonjour Août as the French say. In a few months, it will be Christmas... Oh crap, its gonna be 2006 soon after. Oh well, c'est la vie eh mes amis?
July has been a very trying month personally and work-wise. Here's hoping that August will be better. It usually is though, it's my month of birth after all hehehe. For all August celebrants out there, a Happy Birthday to all!
It's been days since my last post - been busy with grad school requirements that I had to take time off from work in the middle of the week. Online classes are very tricky - you'd think you'll have more time managing it but in the end you still cram ugh. Although August is campus time, I think it's going to be more manageable once I take a leave at work.
Speaking of work, that's where I have to do a lot of catching up - admin stuff that is. Have to pysch myself though; its not easy to work almost 24/7 and then have your paycheck withheld from you just because some functionary bungled on their job.
Hope to get a holiday soon also. Maybe after the campus meeting in August. Definitely the beach... it's about time.

Lost in translation - Star Wars 3

2005-07-27T23:30:00.000+08:00

A classmate from Singapore notified me of a blog by a dude named Jeremy in Bangkok, about his experience in watching a pirated dvd of Star Wars 3. Purists of George Lucas' obra maestra may be horrified about the mangling of his work. But in this region where pirated dvd's are manna from heaven - not by choice, but by circumstance, unexpected bonuses due to cases of "lost in translation" in the copying process usually happens.
Read on from Jeremy's blog, I guarantee that you'll enjoy it immensely - I did. Thanks Jeremy for this. Here's the link star wars 3. Thanks a million Trix - I distracted myself silly when I opened this during our class chat earlier. This really made my night!!!

Lucky 7

2005-07-25T23:55:00.000+08:00

Wow!!! That's all I can say for idol Lance Armstrong's 7th consecutive Tour de France win. Monsieur Armstrong, truly you're an inspiration!
I sure need one these days given the situation here in my country and my plight in the workplace. More of this in the next post...

Cool Carabana night

2005-07-24T03:47:00.000+08:00

Had fun last night (last Saturday evening or was it early morning already?) - connecting with old friends, meeting new ones and listening to cool music while drinking ice cold beer.
Met up with good friends Jeng, Bombi & Roence at Kaffe Carabana. Roence staged Saturday's event at the bar (owned by actress Judy Ann Santos; the bar has good food, ice-cold beer, reasonable prices and good-mannered staff); Jeng and Bombi invited me around for some downtime.
The two were with the Bacolod indie mafia - direk Lau and his sweet girlfriend (Lau has an entry in the Cinemalaya shorts, a piece titled "Cultado"; Bombi promised to let me watch a tape about it since its run in UP Diliman ended yesterday).
Kaffe Carabana looked really chic & cool, cozy yet classy & with understated elegance. It was jamming night that night; caught the ending wails of the lead of Sundown Muse just as I reached the bar (had to wrap up a meeting with some friends first re Monday's SONA).
Jeng and Bombi are my good friends from way back in our RJTV 29 days ten years ago. God was it really that long ago now guys? Who would have thought we'd go this far in our lives huh?
I met Roence when the RJ TV 29 group had already dispersed and were working for different productions across the media industry. At one point, she was my researcher for a documentary that I segment produced.
Now, both Jeng and Roence are mothers to pretty little carbon copies of themselves. Jeng teaches pre-school in her home-cum-preschool while Roence dabbles in acting in tv & stage and staging events for bars & restos, among others. Bombi also dabbles in acting in tv and stage and does commercials on the side; he is also an accomplished stage and tv director...
It was just a good time tro catch up with the gang, as well as talking about the others in the group who were not with us (just about everybody for that matter. The roll call now (don't kill me guys if I forget someone) - Mike, Blanche, Eliza, Ervin, Dennis, Cocoy, Dan, Alvin and of course Hannah). As usual, Roence and Bombi jammed it up with the great house band... Roence still has that vocals that would give local recording artists a run for their money.
Bombi jammed it up until the next band, which blew my mind away. The group was named "The Brew" and its lead singer - the one with the Jamiroquai-looking hat, had a deep voice belying his thin & small frame (catch this group every Saturday at Kaffe Carabana). Now I know what band to recommend to Cara my friend, who owns a bar and resto over in Taytay.
At least I'll have good memories and melodies to last me this week, just as I go into another round of bad news that has been quite normal in our daily, pathetic, Filipino life...
It's nights like these that break the monotony in working for the news. Thanks guys and until next time...

This present darkness

2005-07-22T04:59:00.000+08:00

The mood of the country as it goes into the weekend, feels just like the calm before the storm. Despite being busy with our puny, miserable lives, people everywhere wait with bated breathe on how PGMA’s 5th SONA will affect us all.

Personally, I feel as if we are, as the renowned Christian author Frank Peretti says, in “this present darkness”. And how we get out of it is the greatest challenge facing us all right now.

It’s no surprise that I remembered Peretti’s book given our situation these days. Peretti’s “This Present Darkness” (here's a good link for a review) is about how a small, unassuming town in middle America becomes the battleground between the forces of good and evil. Its principal human characters are a veteran & skeptical newspaper journalist and a young passionate Christian pastor who are up against promoters of a New Age plot to take over the world. Our heroes are backed up by their guardian angels who slug it out against the evil spirits guarding the villains.

The scenarios may be markedly different but many of those who read it would agree that there are many parallel situations that mirror the country’s present situation, especially from the Born-Again Christian’s point of view.

I read the book in less than 3 days. I’ve read it many times since, until it burned down in the fire that hit my friend Garry’s house years ago.

I first came upon it after my Economics class wrapped up for the day in our Ellinwood campus during college twelve years ago. I remembered I was the last to leave the room when I spied upon the book under a chair. Instinct told me to return it immediately; that is until I saw it had no name on it. Since I had a vacant period up next and I had nothing of worth to do, I just simply started skimming through the book.

An hour later I was hooked. Even after I finished the book I tried to ask around who lost it, especially before, during or after our Economics’ class but without success. It was as if the book was left there for me to find out and read. I lent it then to my buddy Garry, whom I shared a lot of similar interests in novels, comics, graphic books and movies.

Sadly, his house burned down, along with his extensive comics and graphic book collection. I still recall that day when we heard the sirens of the firetrucks rushing to the scene. We were at school just shooting the breeze in our favorite corner. When Garry saw thick smoke coming from the direction of Sta. Ana, he instinctively rushed home; we even dissuaded him, saying the fire could not possibly affect them. I ate my words a few days later when he told me the fire did burn their house down. But in no time though, Garry and his family got back on their feet and rebuild their lives. His comics’ collection is now as extensive as ever. But Peretti’s book remains only a memory.

There were lessons learned from what happened that time. But what I vividly recall is the book and how its brave heroes triumphed over its “present darkness”. I just don’t know if we will in ours today.

Of good intentions

2005-07-21T02:34:00.000+08:00

I read something lately that reminded me of the cliche "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". It was some sort of a feedback article to the historic Live 8 concert some weeks back. I wrote about the concert in a previous blog (dated July 2 & 3) after staying up all night watching it. As we know by now, Live 8 was simply meant to make poverty in Africa, history.

But some Africans beg to differ. An African himself, Jean-Claude Chanda Tonme of the New York Times, wrote a searing article in the International Herald Tribune's July 16 edition titled "Let us Africans do the talking" that analyzed and questioned Live 8.

The author's contention is that Africans know what the problem is, therefore no one else should speak in their name. Tonme says "Don't insult Africa, this continent so rich yet so badly led. Instead, insult its leaders, who have ruined everything. Our anger is all the greater because despite all the presidents for life, despite all the evidence of genocide, we didn't hear anyone at Live 8 raise a cry for democracy in Africa: ...

Read on and understand...

On Supreme Sacrifices

2005-07-20T18:38:00.000+08:00

Got this from the mail box this week from a lawyer friend and thought it has its merits so I'm posting it here. It would be nice to trace it's original author though; I'd love to assign this as a story. The look of those named here when we get their reactions would be a reward in itself.

***
One of the many articles that are going through cyberspace re: politics in the Philippines.
One call we often hear today, when people ask President Arroyo to resign, is the call to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the country. Now that is a call that we can endorse. No, not the call for the President to resign, but the call for everyone, not just her, to make sacrifices for the good of the nation.
* Loren Legarda: you are challenging the legitimacy of Vice President de Castro. If and when the President does resign, de Castro will ascend to the Presidency. That is the constitutional process. Your continuing proclamation of his illegitimacy can become destabilizing. Can you make the sacrifice of withdrawing your suit and just allowing him to sit as President?
* The 10 Cabinet members who resigned: many of you are known for integrity. Let your record speak for itself. Can you make the sacrifice of just shutting up now and not defending yourselves, for this contributes to further instability?
* Frank Drilon: your salivating for the Vice Presidency leaves a bad taste in the mouth. You manifested extreme hypocrisy and political opportunism in extolling GMA to high heavens and then stabbing her in the back, within the space of one week. Can you make the sacrifice of stopping all moves, including those of your Liberal Party cohorts, of political maneuvering?
* All traditional politicians: kayo ang tunay na salot ng bayan. Can you make the sacrifice of resigning your posts and fading into complete oblivion?
* Activist bishops and clergy of the Catholic Church: we appreciate your concern for the good of our people, but we do not appreciate your being at the forefront of political activism. Can you make the sacrifice of sticking to your pastoral duties of ministering to the spiritual needs of the flock and leave the political posturing to the lay people?
* Brother Eddie Villanueva: God has blessed you by giving you a big flock to take care of. That is your calling. While many disagree with your entry into politics, we leave that between you and God. But what is difficult to take is your insistence, and that of your apologists, that you won the Presidential elections. For goodness sake, you were number five! If you were cheated, it was not only GMA who did so but Fernando Poe and the others as well. Can you make the sacrifice of leaving partisan politics entirely and focusing on the Father's business?
* Imee Marcos, Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito: is it not enough that your parents plundered the nation and you were part of that, and now you have not only kept all your loot but are also back in power? Can you make the sacrifice of removing yourselves from the limelight? In reality, you are a major reason why the middle forces are not responding positively to the call to a change in government.
* Nene Pimentel: Make the ultimate sacrifice to SHUT UP! old man. You have ruined your integrity. You have shown the real you, a bitter old man of politics who never achieved what you have always dreamed of.
* Activists: Isn't it enough that you are being tolerated despite the fact that you have never contributed any tax for this country? despite the fact that your existence is based on fault-finding? despite the fact that the "bourgeois" that you are so against of are the very people who support your existence?
* Big business: many of you really just care about having a positive environment where your businesses will thrive. Can you make the sacrifice of some of your profits to give more to the poor?
* The poor: we understand that, sapagkat kayo ay kapit sa patalim, you allow yourselves to be exploited and brought to rallies of unscrupulous politicians. Can you make the sacrifice of a few pesos, of bearing with your hunger, and not allow yourselves to be exploited, so that you maintain your dignity and you help sow the seed for true liberation and well-being, in God's time?
* Cory Aquino: Isn't it enough that you have become President of this country and you will go down in history as the one who gave the Filipinos hope after the Marcos dictatorship? Isn't Kris, your daughter, enough for you to handle? How can you have the heart to call for supreme sacrifice when you cannot even manage to call for the same sacrifice from your daughter who has never given this country something to be proud of? On the country, she is the epitome of bratness and low morals.
ALL OF YOU, STOP BEING HYPOCRITES!
The call to sacrifice is a wonderful call. God himself showed us the way.
Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross in order to win our salvation. Such a call is pure, noble, worthy of emulation. Let us not use it for selfish motives. Let us not prostitute its purity by polluting it with the filth in our hearts.
"For to me life is Christ, and death is gain." (Phil 1:21)
Seek to serve not to be served. #

Remembering Srebrenica

2005-07-19T23:33:00.000+08:00

My heart is heavy as I type these words. I just finished watching a 6 minute video of soldiers executing 6 unarmed prisoners in cold blood.

No, this did not happen anywhere in the Philippines. It happened in Bosnia 10 years ago, where Serbian soldiers massacred 7,000 Bosnian men and teenage boys, a tragedy now known as the Srebrenica massacre.

How do you kill that many men and boys? And Why?

In the video it was done in cold blood – they were shot behind their backs, four men first then the last two. I wonder how the last two felt, seeing how their comrades were shot, knowing that the cold guns that killed the others may be used against them too shortly (they were indeed shot at, after being told to haul off the dead bodies first to an abandoned building).

I’ve stared at the end of an M-16 barrel but I never knew how it would be to die from it, unlike these men (the soldiers were using Russian Kalashnikov’s, which a friend told me was the pattern used by the American makers of the M-16). This tragedy has become timely for the current discussion of our grad class on race reporting (more about that later).

I join in mourning those who lost loved ones in that tragedy. I ask forgiveness that many have forgotten it too. I join the prayers of those who thank that this video got out and is now being used as primary evidence in the war crimes trial against those who started the Srebrenica Massacre. And I hope the soldiers who did these burn in hell for all eternity.

Note: I saw the video after I opened my Gmail account and got an update from the Poynter Institute’s E-Media Tidbits (http://www.poynter.org/) which alerted me to a posting about the video. E-Media Tidbit’s Steve Outing linked pointed to the website of the PBS investigative program Frontline World, which posted the video on its website (link here: Srebrenica: The Video of a Wartime Atrocity). Series Editor Stephen Talbot says the video has never been released on American TV (but I think we had it on the wires earlier). They also posted a warning of the gruesome nature of the video.

Is the end really near for beat reporters?

2005-07-19T04:00:00.000+08:00

I was exploring my profile page when I got curious on the communication / media link that I opened up. One of the blogs there is from a New York-based media practitioner/professor and he has some interesting posts nyiou50k.blogspot.com/. One of them is about an article he read by Stephen Baker in Businessweek.Com, titled "End of the beat reporter."
For a former beat reporter like me, this is pretty interesting. Although, here in this 3rd world country (with 1st world pretensions), I'll give or take about years yet before it will indeed be the end of the beat reporter (that overworked yet underpaid specie, apart from the desk editor, etc - sorry, couldn't resist adding it).

Finally blogging to cool music

2005-07-19T03:43:00.000+08:00

I've come full circle this time. This was my first blog host and now I'm back, where it's simpler and more effective (publishing one's blog at blogger is just 3 steps away after all).

It's been 5 days since I last posted... Now, I'm blogging again after moving some of my posts from my old blog. The moment I knocked off work from the newsdesk I set to the task of reconstructing my blog.

I had a bit of inspiration though; I'd like to thank the music from Yahoo's LaunchCast Internet Radio, specifically the Cool as Folk station. Twas serendipitous to hear former Crowded House lead, Neil Finn, singing Driving Me Mad from his One All album (at 2:32am); next up I heard a cool song by Mathew Jay at 3:05am, called Let your shoulder fall from his 2001 Draw album (if I'm not mistaken, this was from the Smallville OST too). A few minutes while writing this post I heard Coldplay's Don't Panic from its earlier album, Parachute (around 3:50am)...

Nothing like good music to keep one company. I kept the volume low so as not to distract my fellow desk editors M & M, but they welcomed the cool music as well.

Well, back to my blog. In time, the rest of my stuff from my previous blog will move here. The thing now is to move on. And on to the business of blogging. Now the fun begins...

Wish list

2005-07-13T00:01:00.000+08:00

Like many others, I have been frustrated at what's been happenning here at home - in our country. After much reflection in my sickbed, my thoughts turned to outside, to concerns that are beyond my capacity to witness except through the internet. Such is the beauty of technology that allows us to be united with the world and its citizens, in concerns other than the immediate issues that hound you day to day. And so, here are the things that I wish and hope for too:

That my hero Lance Armstong may win his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory (after having been abandoned in the last stage by his teammates, he recaptured the overall leader's yellow jersey by blowing away his main rivals Tuesday on this year's first Alpine stage - this is from Yahoo News, thanks). But if he will not win this Tour, he will still be the best in the books for me.

That London will recover from the Underground Bomb Attacks, its victims may heal and the suspects arrested and brought to justice. And that cities and countries may be prepared next time for attacks such as these since it's not likely going to stop.

That Paris and its officials change their mind and bid again for the 2016 Olympics... That Germany will host a trouble-free 2006 World Cup as well as Beijing in the 2008 Olympics and other global sports events...

That the perpretrators of Europe's worst atrocity since World War II be brought to justice and the families of the victims of the 8,000 Bosnian Muslims massacred in Srebrenica's be healed, given closure and allowed to move on; (Time's Belgrade stringer Dejan Anastasijevic says "... although the (10th - July 11) anniversary finds most of Serbia, in whose name it was committed, still avoiding a true accounting of what was perpetrated at Srebrenica and by whom, there are encouraging signs that the façade of denial may have suffered irreparable cracks.")

That the Group of Eight powers meeting in Scotland heed the call of Live 8 - to make poverty history in Africa (and hoping too, also in Asia and other regions). And that they not only say it but act decisively on the issues they discuss in the meetings, like the issue on global warming (CNN quoting a Reuters report, says that the G8 nations have "declared Friday that global warming required urgent action, but set no measurable targets for reducing the greenhouse gases that trigger it.")

Well, that's it for my international wishlist. These are like prayers too and I hope someone reciprocrates for we know that our country needs all the prayers that it needs. For now, it's time to crash back to mother earth in the Philippines and confront the far bigger and pressing issues here.

Time out

2005-07-12T23:49:00.000+08:00

The successive super sneezes I let go Sunday afternoon were probably the warning signs. It was inevitable that the body would crash after working double shifts and sleepless nights since last week. And so after the coast was clear, so to speak in the news, I got off the circus and just had to recuperate.

It's been a full 24hours that I haven't had news of anything at all. In between sleeping double shifts since last night, I've managed to just relax in bed, watch that thriller starring the delicious Halle Berry, finish that Artemis Fowl novel, catch up on my class readings and start a draft of the assignment due tomorrow. Pretty productive huh!

I only got out of the house early this morning due to a mishap in my assignment submission last night (thanks Luz for the tip); had to disturb my colleague in the newsroom and ask her to forward my back-up copy in my folder, retrieve it in an internet cafe near the house and email it to the prof.

It's been two days since I last posted anything here. Now that I'm semi-recharged (once you feel a full night's sleep you can never get enough right?), I'm ready to take on the newsroom and the (virtual) classroom tomorrow. So many things to do, so little time...

A rush of events

2005-07-10T00:00:00.000+08:00

It has been a whirlwind of events since my last blog entry, that of PGMA's speech made Thursday night, which I posted Friday morning, along with a commentary (see past two entries).

The chain of events alone on Friday was enough material to fire up any blogger but then there's my day job (or in this case, my night job, since I'm usually on board the newsdesk from 4pm until 12midnight, or until morning lately, what with the current situation).

Just before I slept at lunchtime, I got a text from our English language newcast producer Kuya R. saying we were already on war alert and that we would be the standby crew (in case a newscast is mounted anywhere after the last main newscast at night and the next which is the following day's news bulletin).

I managed to sleep for 4 hours and immediately rushed back to the newsroom. The moment I stepped inside, the adrenaline was palpable, the situation energized. The newsroom has indeed changed into a war room, on a scale similar to last year's election.

As expected the main newscast stretched to one hour and a half, what with the live interviews in the studio and the remote sites of the reporters. For the first time too in many months, I got a long shopping list of things to do for the next main newscast, the late night one; we were airing a full hour newscast, unlike the usual compact 30 minutes edition.

i just noticed though that it got harder for us to get the concerned cast of characters for the latest political crisis right after the newscast. Most if not all either turned off their cellphones or diverted calls where they won't be bothered. It seemed too that Metro Manila was a beehive of meetings Friday night.

Because of the red alert situation, two dinners that the newsdesk personnel were supposed to attend Friday night were cancelled.

Now you would think our job would be downhill from there after the late newscast huh?

On the contrary, we were all the more on standby mode in case anything happens anywhere & anytime.

It was a good thing that management stocked up on food for the newsroom (they always do on red alert days like these; the difference being the improvement of food choices. I got to taste real pesto this time and other choice pasta dishes, not just the usual Jollibee or Carlos Pizza fare that we usually have).

We were monitoring a lot of things Friday night until Saturday dawn. Chief of these were PGMA's movements (rumors were rife she was leaving for Cebu), the opposition, the resigned officials, Noli, Susan, Erap, the AFP/PNP (we were especially on the alert for troop movements)

Just before daybreak, our cable connection was cut-off as the AFP chief was set to deliver a statement on its radio station. But the AFP Chief's statement turned out just to be a reiteration to their duties amd responibilities to the President in these time of crisis.

Everybody's defintiely on a wait and see attitude, espcially the President. Everything now depends on what the CBCP Bishops will say Sunday after lunch.

God help the country and its people!

PGMA Statement

2005-07-08T09:48:00.000+08:00

STATEMENT of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, delivered over Radyo ng Bayan July 7, 2005:

"Mga minamahal kong kababayan.

When I was young and my late father Diosdado Macapagal was President of our country, I thought of him as the “good guy” and his political opponents on the other side were the “bad guys”.

Because of my Father’s influence, I had always thought of myself as on the side of the good. Thus it is very painful for me to know that among many of our countrymen today, I have been demonized as the “bad guy”. This is unfair, but it is a cross that God in his wisdom has given me to bear, so I will bear it. I have never questioned God’s ways before and I will not do so now.

When I first entered politics in 1992, little did I know that within a decade, I would become President of our country. And little did I expect that within another five years, there would be calls from civil society for my resignation from office or for the formation of a “truth commission” regarding some of my political actuations.

When I spoke before the nation some two weeks ago, I did so against the advice of my legal counsel. But I thought that speaking before you, the Filipino people, was the right thing to do. Shameless people have peddled the lie that I confessed to cheating. What I disclosed was that I talked to an election official, but that this had taken place after the certificates of canvass had already been used to proclaim the winning senators, and it was those same certificates of canvass that showed that I won around a million votes. That is the truth.

Indeed it is right for our country to confront the truth. But if we do so, let’s confront the biggest, most painful political truth. The big truth that we are aware of deep in our hearts but that we collectively sweep under the rug. The big truth whose debilitating effects on our country, year after year, decade after decade, have developed into feelings of disgust, hopelessness and even despair among large segments of our society.

The truth that I discovered from my beginnings as a neophyte politician in 1992, rising to become a veteran politician through the years is this: over the years, our political system has degenerated to such an extent that it is very difficult to live within the system with hands totally untainted. That is the truth. In addition, our system has degenerated to such an extent that more often than not, it is political agenda first and national interest last. For example, we have endless investigations and scandals in aid of politics and media projection, rather than in aid of legislation or executive action. That is the truth. Because of this system of politics, our country has been left behind by other countries in the region, and our best and brightest, the cream of our youth, are voting with their feet to leave the country. That is the truth.

I do not blame any individual or political block for this sad state of affairs. It is simply the truth that the political system that I am part of has degenerated to the point that it needs fundamental change. We are collectively to blame, so we must collectively be the solution. Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. To those who feel that they cannot cast the first stone, I invite you to help in the solution.

My proposed approach to reform our system of politics and governance is something that I had wanted to bring forth during the upcoming state of the nation address. However, because our country is hungry for a resolution to the political uncertainties that have plagued us these past few weeks, I will bring it up now.

First of all, I am not resigning my office. To do so under circumstances that connote an EDSA 3 would condemn any successor to the possibility of an EDSA 4, then an EDSA 5, and so on, unless our political system were first reformed to make it more responsive to the people’s will, such that changes in leadership come about in an orderly and stable manner.

The world embraced EDSA 1 in 1986. The world tolerated EDSA 2 in 2001. The world will not forgive an EDSA in 2005 but would instead condemn the Philippines as a country, whose political system is hopelessly unstable, and the Filipinos as among the finest people in the world, but who always shoot themselves in the foot. Under those circumstances, who would invest money in the Philippines? How would we weather the difficulties arising from the price of crude oil being at its highest in history?

What I intend to do is work with legislators and civil society groups who believe that changes in the fundamental law of the land are necessary in order to confront such basic issues as federalism, the character of our legislative process, reducing red tape in government processes, running for public office under a true party system and with less need to raise campaign funds, modernizing the economic provisions of our constitution and so forth.

At the same time, I will restructure and strengthen the cabinet, giving it a free hand to meanwhile reform and manage our day to day governance with as little political interference as possible, even from me.

This is how we will proceed.

First, I’m asking my entire cabinet to tender their resignations in order to give the executive a free hand to reorganize itself. I’ll ask our sectors to give names of candidates that we can invite to replace those who will not return to the cabinet, or even to help out at other levels of the executive.

Second, the cabinet will be given a free hand on governance, while I focus on the fundamental changes that we need to put in place.

Third, I will begin to reach out to the political and civil sectors that have an interest in the various advocacies that are relevant to our constitution. Federalism, for example, is an advocacy that I had espoused long ago.

This is neither political ploy not gimmick. I believe that this process will quickly lay the foundation for deep reforms in our society, including reforms in our political way of life. This would be a legacy that our generation of politicians and citizens could collectively be proud of. I now have grandchildren to play with and to help bring up. Like all of you, I want our children to grow up in a better Philippines. I have prayed on this, and I hope that I have discerned God’s will properly.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. "

Sheer denial

2005-07-08T09:44:00.000+08:00

The bottom line of President Arroyo’s speech:

- If you’re not with her, then you’re against her – from her childhood concept of good guys versus bad guys- She did a huge favor to the Filipino people when she issued her apology 10 days ago; but naively did not realize that “shameless people” will use it against her- Everyone (i.e. the system and the people in it) are to blame except HER- She was supposed to bare her solutions to the country’s woes in her State of the Nation Address but because she is being pestered by the people now, she’s doing everybody a service by giving this statement- She will not resign but her CABINET will so that reforms and compensate for her insincerity and intellectual dishonesty that shows through?

Nowhere does PGMA exhibit sheer denial than in the paragraph where she blames the system for everything that is wrong in the country today.

She conveniently forgets that it is exactly leaders like her that sink the country deeper into the quagmire of disgrace and dishonor who forget to take accountability for their actions and words and instead blames everyone except themselves.

And because she has already lost the moral high ground to impose her will on the people and the nation, she shamelessly blackmails us with the Christian tenet of “he who has no sin cast the first stone”… As if to dare that whatever she has done is just as worse as what anybody did. How in denial can you get than that?

At any rate, one wonders why she came out with the statement at the eve of the CBCP's pronouncement on the country's political situation today. If one will gauge Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales' statement two days ago, the CBCP will likely call for her resignation too. Did you wonder too why she gave her statement over the radio and not in TV? Is it maybe because the viewers know that no amount of positive imagery that PGMA projects will

Some Ateneans

2005-07-07T03:33:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I got a tip that Ateneo was releasing a statement on PGMA. When I read the statement and press release, I noticed that the signatory was very particular - from Concerned Faculty, Professionals and Staff of the Ateneo de Manila University. Specifically, they only numbered 180 out of the estimated 1,000 fulltime/part time Faculty and Professionals and Staff (the estimate came from the office of the Vice President of the Loyola Schools).

If one were to read both the statement and the press release, one can see that the group behind it never claimed that they represent the whole of the University System, hence their distinction (Concerned Faculty...). Nevertheless, the stand of the group is consistently admirable and follows the earlier anti-PGMA stand of the Ateneo Employees Union and Staff (who did a noise barrage rally last week) as well as that of the Ateneo Law School. They add to the growing number of schools, institutions, professional groups and middle class who have called upon PGMA to step down; the group also specifies its call to reforms. With permission from the group, I am reprinting both the press release and the statement here:

Concerned Ateneo faculty and staff ask for GMA's resignation and call for reforms

Concerned members of the Ateneo de Manila University community called on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down "to defend the institution of the presidency and our fragile democracy."

The concerned faculty, professionals, and staff of the university said, "We pray that she would set the example of the kind of humility and self-sacrifice needed to confront our national crisis, by voluntarily giving up power."

In a statement released to the press yesterday, 180 members of the Ateneo community pointed out that the crisis faced by the nation today goes beyond the "'Garci tapes' and the charges of electoral fraud."

There is a fundamental "crisis of trust" that "threatens not only the President herself but a whole range of our institutions."

"We believe that the President should be made personally accountable for her actions, particularly as the country's highest official on whom the people place so much of their trust. But we also recognize that the charges against her point to much deeper problems in our electoral process, political structure and cultural system of which she is only one, albeit a central part," the statement said.

They called for a revamp of the Comelec, enjoining the chair and commissioners to resign as a step towards "wider electoral reforms." They also said the process of constitutional reform should be worked out in the political transition to clarify mechanisms for a "Constitutional Convention that will revise the charter, rework the country's political institutions and provide for democratic elections."

Consistent with the position of the Church, the concerned members of the Ateneo community called on the President to begin the process of healing by "paving the way for an orderly political transition within the framework of the Constitution." They reminded the President of her speech on Dec. 30, 2002 when she said that she "would be an instrument of unity and reform rather than of division."

Political Science chair Benjamin Tolosa explained this means following the order of succession provided for in the Constitution. Because a mere change of personalities will not solve the nation's problems, the concerned members of the Ateneo called for the creation of an independent "Truth, Reform and Reconciliation Commission". The vital task of the Commission-more than pinpointing legal culpability-is to aid the process of "cleansing and healing in our society." The process will be political rather than judicial. In the short term, rebuilding trust and renewing hope especially among the most disadvantaged requires immediate governance reforms that will address urgent and pervasive problems of "corruption, lack of transparency and efficiency in the delivery of services, tax evasion, and poor education, housing and health services," the statement said.

*** statement ***

A Call to National Healing in a Time of CrisisThe crisis we currently face presents us with extremely difficult dilemmas and choices as a people.We believe that the President should be made personally accountable for her actions, particularly as the country's highest official on whom the people place so much of their trust. But we also recognize that the charges against her point to much deeper problems in our electoral process, political structure and cultural system of which she is only one, albeit a central part.We see the need to defend and strengthen our very fragile institutions, especially our constitutional system and the rule of law. But we also recognize that part of their present crisis of legitimacy comes from their unresponsiveness to the majority and the crying need for fundamental institutional transformation.We realize that the country needs precious breathing space from political turmoil and division which prevent the government from addressing the urgent concerns of the poorest, and from pursuing its various reform programs. But we also know that a government cannot simply "move on with the business of governing" without moral legitimacy and authority to rule.We know that the present crisis requires swift and decisive action lest it lead to a prolonged stalemate that could in the end bring about greater polarization and violence. But we also discern that our cultural divisions and social wounds run very deep, and bringing about unity, healing and renewed hope will require much time, dedicated action, personal sacrifice and profound conversion.We, concerned faculty, professionals and staff of the Ateneo de Manila University call on the President to begin the process of healing by paving the way for an orderly political transition within the framework of the Constitution. We appeal to the generosity of spirit she expressed in her December 30, 2002 speech, when after deep discernment she said that she would be an instrument of unity and reform rather than of division. We pray that she would set the example of the kind of humility and self-sacrifice needed to confront our national crisis, by voluntarily giving up power. The crisis of authority we face today goes beyond the "Garci tapes" and the charges of electoral fraud. There is a fundamental crisis of trust which we fear threatens not only the President herself but a whole range of our institutions. We call on her to make this personal sacrifice in order to defend the institution of the presidency and our fragile democracy. We ask her to step down.Because we believe that our problems do not come solely from the President, and thuscannot be solved by a mere change of personalities, we also call for a formal process of "truth telling" through the setting up of an independent Truth, Reform and Reconciliation Commission along the South African model. The mandate of this commission will no longer be primarily the investigation of the "Garci issue" although it may form part of the agenda to bring into the open the nature of our electoral system. The process will be political rather than judicial. The objective is not to pinpoint the legal culpability of individuals, especially of witnesses, who will be protected from self-incrimination. The aim is to uncover our deep wounds of social resentment, division, oppression and injustice as a people, in the hope that by exposing them, we can begin a process of cleansing and healing in our society. Part of the task of the commission will be to identify areas of reform that can be addressed at various levels and through different mechanisms.But in order to rebuild trust and renew hope in our people, especially among those whoare always the most severely affected by crises, there is a need to effect immediatelygovernance reforms aimed at addressing urgent issues such as corruption, lack of transparency and efficiency in the delivery of services, tax evasion, and poor education, housing and health services.It is also imperative that the COMELEC be revamped. We join the call for the COMELEC chair and commissioners to resign as a crucial step towards wider electoral reforms. Finally, the process of constitutional reform should also be worked out in the political transition, so that there are clear mechanisms for a Constitutional Convention that will revise the charter, rework the country's political institutions and provide for democratic elections under this new framework.It is clear that we all need to be personally accountable for the immense and seeminglyinsurmountable problems plaguing our country. Solving our national crisis demands that we transcend our frustrations, disillusionment and cynicism, and summon our inner strengths as a people to become politically involved. In making these radical proposals, we are putting our hope and trust in the deep reserve of human dignity, goodness, energy and wisdom in our society that will allow us, with God's grace, to reimagine and rebuild our national community.

Concerned Faculty, Professionals and StaffAteneo de Manila University5 July 2005

Middle of the week funk

2005-07-07T02:54:00.000+08:00

For some strange reason, I'm experiencing the blues in the middle of the week. As I took a hurried break from my primetime desk work, I analyzed long and hard why this was so. But I had to snap out of it just as I began my analysis. The list of reasons giving me the blues was, well, growing horrifyingly longer by the minute and I wasn't liking it.

(I started to list down the reasons, mostly material woes but then it probably wouldn't be proper)... Welcome to the world of the overworked and underpaid. I haven't included my school woes yet. While my family and friends were supportive about my decision to take up graduate studies, some were saying I was plain stupid and suicidal to do it. After all, I was in the news industry which is notorious for its unpredictable work schedules. And now I've been missing deadlines and getting delayed in my readings and recitations in some of my subjects.

What's probably the saving grace in the program for me is that it's a revolutionary one as it is offered online, with a couple of weeks of on-campus classes next month. All I needed to do to keep up with school work is to get that elusive laptop or desktop.

But for now, they're beyond my budget what with my starvation wages. I have no luck yet with the damn lotto and I'm already thinking of leaving everything behind and work abroad as an ofw just to tide things over.

In the middle of this negative exercise, I suddenly realized that everything was getting hopeless. Wallowing in self-pity, that is. Ultimately, one tends to go deeper and deeper and deeper until one gets mired in nothing but negative thinking.

Luckily, I'm one of those who only needs a tiny spark of inspiration or hope to get out of the rut of negative thinking, self-pity and middle of the week blues.

This time, I got it from watching CNN when IOC President Jacques Rogge announced London as the winning candidate to host the XXX Olympics in 2012. Although I was rooting for New York first and Paris second (see my blog entry two or three days ago), I agree London was a good choice as well. I have been interested months before on who would win because I made a vow to see the 2012 games. You see, I'm pretty confident that 7 years from now, I would be at least be financially secured to be able to afford to see it (my earlier plans were to see the 2006 World Cup in Germany - too soon and the 2008 Beijing Olympics - too near, would've love to see and go to Europe instead).

Oh well. Soaking in all the foreign news about London as the site of the 2012 Olympiad distracted me enough to make me forget why I was in a middle of the week funk. Until I had to focus again on things I needed to assemble for the producer of our late newscast. And that got me back to reality.

From feeling the blues to getting elated, I now felt rage at what's happening to us and our country. I can't help but feel angry because while we struggle for survival in a world of nothing but rising prices and shrinking wallets, we are being governed and suckered up by a morally corrupt and intellectually dishonest President who does not think twice when she lies through her teeth while she protects her gambling lords of a First Gentleman and son-Congressman.

I was always taught to count my blessings because the Good Book teaches in Sunday School that God is a generous being. But I also believed that the God I love is a just God who will deliver us from all evil here on Earth and beyond, in His time and grace!

Final Countdown

2005-07-06T01:57:00.000+08:00

I don't know about you but I believe a countdown to the end of the PGMA presidency has already begun. Unconfirmed reports are saying that PGMA and her Cabinet are just waiting for the CBCP's official statement at the end of this week before they will act accordingly. This open letter of Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales, issued late afternoon of July 5/Tuesday, can give us an idea of what the CBCP's official statement will be:

"Once again, we Filipinos, find ourselves going through very hard times. Many are poor, hungry, searching for a better life for themselves and their families. If only we would just focus our minds and hearts, and work together to find solutions to the poverty that has not ceased to plague us, we might find ourselves moving forward as a nation.

Instead, our national attention and energies are taken up by division and altercations. Serious charges have been made against our leaders and officials. Despite expressions of regret, many remain angry, confused, hurt.

In this situation, as your shepherd and pastor, I wish to call to mind fundamental principles that should govern our search for solutions to our present crisis

First, let us remember that the offended cannot simply be consoled by expressions of regret. Forgiveness does not eliminate the need for justice, nor should it block the search for truth. Genuine forgiveness demands more than an apology, and those who seek forgiveness should be ready to be called to accountability.

Second, the pursuit of truth regarding the grave charges against leaders and officials should be conducted within the provisions of our Constitution and should respect the laws of the land. Any proposition that disregards our Constitution and legal systems weakens our institutions and paves the way for a graver instability that can cause more profound suffering to our people.

Third, any proposed solution to our present situation that rellies on or leads to violence is unacceptbale. violence harms the innocent and inflicts wounds so deep that will take generations to heal.

Fourth, we ask our leaders to give our people hope, by giving immediate attention to authenticate reform. Political systems that are prone to corruption must be swiftly and decisively reformed, and institutions built that can effectively respond to the aspirations of our people for a better life.

Finally, in these confusing times when people are easily swayed by emotions and led astray by quick-fix solutions, may cooler heads prevail. Let true lovers of the Filipino people come together to discern carefully before God, what is truly for the immediate and long-run good of our country. Let us not fall easy prey to those self-seeking politicians from all the different political parties, who have held the country's future hostage to their own ambitions, and have brought us to where we sadly find ourselves today."

New York/Paris or Bust (in 2012)

2005-07-05T07:37:00.000+08:00

It has been easier for me to write more about topics other than about what's happening home - home being the Philippines. But I know I'll eventually have to deal with what's happening here.

For now, let me indulge in another story abroad. In Singapore, the IOC is set to finalize its decision on who will host the XXX Olympics in 2012, from among Moscow, Madrid, London, Paris and New York.

3 out of the 5 candidate cities have hosted the Olympics: Moscow in 1980, London in 1908 and 1948 and Paris in 1900 and 1924.

The list was trimmed from last year's 9 contenders - Leipzig, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul and Havana didn't make the final cut.

According to CNN.com, "geography would appear to favor a European city after the 2008 Summer Games in Asia -- Beijing -- and the 2010 Winter Games in North America -- Vancouver".

So for me, its Paris for 2012. This will give me time to save so I can watch the Olympics there.

But I'd like New York to win as host city. If and when it does get chosen, the 2012 NY Olympics will be held just a decade after the painful 9/11. By 2012, I hope that the new structures over the former Twin Towers will be up and running. It's the least that I can wish for my favorite city - the first mainland city in the U.S. that I ever got to visit way back in November 2001, 3 months after 9/11. (I hope to post my pictures of that visit soon.)

So for me, its New York or Paris in 2012. Or bust!!!

Amanpour in Ethopia

2005-07-04T07:02:00.000+08:00

Watch out for CNN Senior Correspondent Christianne Amanpour's "Amanpour in Ethopia" (it aired starting July 2).

Amanpour's report is part of the CNN's series on its AFRICA AT RISK special report, complementing the LIVE 8 concerts to make Poverty History in Africa.

Watching Amanpour's piece on the kids who gather sand to give them to their fathers who were helping build additional classrooms for their school was especially touching.

I was equally moved by the last segment where Amanpour's African colleague spent 4 weeks in a very poor family in an Ethopian mountain village and shared what meager food and resources they had...

What struck me was that the Ethopians were gentle souls in the face of extreme hunger. They had dignity intact and were really just simple folk living in unlucky circumstances. Amanpour's team told their story simply and let the video speak for itself - hunger was palpable in it, flies buzzed everywhere, even in the mouths, nose and ears of the children and adults had dazed looks among them.

While their land was so barren, the beauty its land was very evident; the landscape, however bleak was majestic...

Amanpour's story humbled me and made me realize we have far more blessings in our country than we ever give the Good Lord thanks for.

I hope something good comes out of Live 8 - while help is greatly needed too in our country and continent, I think Africa needs it more than us.

I hope you signed up for Live 8 - they don't really need your money, just your voice/support...

Sweet Dreams (are made of these)

2005-07-03T03:32:00.000+08:00

Watching Live 8 was one adrenaline booster - seeing and hearing all those big music acts in several stages across major world capitals was nothing short of awesome. And for such a noble purpose this time...

Live 8 was also one big happy trip down memory lane. (Music tops everything else for me when recalling good or bad memories - but I remember mostly the good only; it's healthier that way). While I welcome watching the new and current acts (Linkin Park - the best band so far!!! Green Day [good versions of Queen's hits] Keane, Muse in Paris, Good Charlotte,Robbie Williams, ALicia Keys) in the global music scene, watching old favorites like Duran Duran (their singing "Ordinary World" in Rome gave me goosebumps), Sting, Petshop Boys, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, U2, REM, etc simply made my night. And wow I heard my most liked group back then - AHA! They sang in the Berlin stage and boy, was I transported back in time to those days when I would only play nothing but AHA tapes on my walkman... Through the years I wondered what happened to them that's why hearing them onstage singing Take on Me was really something special! Madonna's set was likewise electrifying - I liked her Ray of Light and Music numbers - she really made the point well in "Music - makes the people, come together...". But what really took my breathe away was when Annie Lennox went on stage and sang my all-time favorite and their first international superhit - Sweet Dreams (are made of this). She also gave her two cents worth of opinion on Live 8 and its goal of making poverty history. Man, is she very good and still very sexy... She can give all those young singers hell onstage; her voice has become more powerful, she plays good piano and has electrifying stage presence. I wish I can see her one of these days in concert in person...

Thanks to all the organizers of Live 8... Thanks to www.live8live.com for such a good site. MANY THANKS too for local channel ABC 5 for showing Live 8, even on a slightly delayed basis - a lot of us in the newsroom really appreciate what you did for us. I hope the G-8 leaders do listen up and listen good! Let's make poverty history! (I wonder if we can ask their help to make PGMA history too. But then that's another blog I guess...)

Live 8 Rules!!!

2005-07-02T23:46:00.000+08:00

I watched the Band Aid and Live Aid concerts 20 years ago, back when MTV was just starting. Musical showcases like these make me wish sometimes that I was in the First World, just to enjoy these bands. At any rate, technology has made it easier for us to watch these things. So from the website http://www.live8live.com/, check this out:

TODAY IS THE DAY

Every single day, 30,000 children die, needlessly, of extreme poverty.

On July 6th, we finally have the opportunity to stop that shameful statistic.

8 world leaders, gathered in Scotland for the G8 summit, will be presented with a workable plan to double aid, drop the debt and make the trade laws fair. If these 8 men agree, then we will become the generation that made poverty history.

But they'll only do it if enough people tell them to.

That's why we're staging LIVE 8. 10 concerts, 100 artists, a million spectators, 2 billion viewers, and 1 message... To get those 8 men, in that 1 room, to stop 30,000 children dying every single day of extreme poverty.

We don't want your money - we want you!

WATCH IT

Join the global experience: watch the LIVE 8 concerts live and on demand, only on:
www.aolmusic.com
www.aol.co.uk
www.aol.fr
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Live 8, the biggest music show on Earth, to kick off in Japan

TOKYO, July 2 (AFP) - Japan on Saturday was to launch the biggest music show on Earth, the same-day series of Live 8 concerts by the world's top musicians aiming to pressure G8 leaders to eradicate African poverty. At 2:00 pm (0500 GMT), Japanese band Rize was to sound the first notes in the extravaganza by some 1,000 artists performing at 10 gigs across the Group of Eight economically most powerful nations, and South Africa. Mega-stars, from industry legends Madonna, Paul McCartney and U2 to younger crowd pullers Coldplay, Beyonce and Robbie Williams, will play in same-day gigs in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Philadelphia, and Toronto plus an Africa-themed event in southwest England. Organizers led by rocker-turned-activist Bob Geldof, who was behind the Live Aid fund-raising charity concerts for Africa in 1985, hope the event will focus a huge global effort into pressuring the G8 leaders to strike a deal on debt, aid and trade for Africa. The leaders are meeting at a summit in Scotland on Thursday and Friday. "The whole point of this is to bring people to action," Live 8 spokesman Bernard Doherty told AFP. "It is a political statement, it is not a fund raiser. It is to get people focused on those eight men sitting in that room in Edinburgh starting on July 6 and we want people to join the long walk to justice," Doherty said. Scheduled to take the Tokyo stage after Rize were other Japanese performers including Dreams Come True and Def Tech, Icelandic star Bjork, British rockers McFly and American band Good Charlotte. Organizers said the event would be broadcast to a potential television audience of 5.5 billion viewers, though coverage in Japan and most of Asia will be limited to pay TV or satellite channels with limited audiences. A record crowd of more than 200,000 were expected in London's Hyde Park for Live 8's main event featuring a dream cast including pop-rock giants Coldplay along with Ms Dynamite, Snoop Dogg, Dido and legends led by McCartney along with Madonna, Annie Lennox, Sting, The Who, U2, REM and a special reunion of psychedelic rockers Pink Floyd, among others. Youssou N'Dour, Craig David, Placebo and Shakira were among the stars scheduled to shake the Paris stage. In Philadelphia, eight hours after the Tokyo concert begins, Beyonce and Destiny's Child along with Will Smith were to headline another lineup loaded with stars including Stevie Wonder and Bon Jovi. To press home the message about Africa, each concert was expected to fall silent for a period while artists and fans clicked their fingers at three-second intervals to symbolise the fact that a child dies due to extreme poverty every three seconds. Critics in Britain have argued Live 8 will simply serve to boost the profile and sales of pop stars and their record labels while the lineup featured relatively few black acts. G8 organisers have given permission for Geldof and his delegation to attend the summit, although it remained to be seen what specific role they would play besides delivering the message -- make poverty history. Geldof hoped the event will raise awareness of African aid issues, although he and other activists have admitted doubts over whether the G8 leaders will meet their demands to cancel debt, double aid and facilitate a fairer trade system for Africa. G8 finance ministers meeting in London earlier in June agreed to a landmark deal to immediately write off all multilateral debt owed by 18 countries, 14 of them in Africa.

ADIK ka ba?

2005-07-02T06:31:00.001+08:00

We three writers for the network's international newscast had a great time bonding early dawn of July 2.

It started when Rosetti dragged me and Dave to Congo Grille in Bohol Avenue to hear her former acoustic band's gig. We were not disappointed with what we saw and heard.

Rosetti's former band, dubbed UTI clearly rocked the house! Yup, you read it right, UTI. Or Under Tones Incorporated... hence UTI!

They play during Thursdays and Fridays at Congo Grille in Bohol Avenue for this month; from then on, they play Thursdays at the bar adjacent to Congo Grille (forgot the name at the moment).

When I first saw them, I immediately thought mga ADIK 'ata ang mga ito.

Maingay sila for an acoustic band. At masyadong malikot ang frontman nila na si James. He is a field producer by day in one of the rival network's news vans. That day when I met him, he just produced the live news for his network in Ayala Avenue. So I was definitely amazed that he still had energy to do his thing at 1:30am... His group specializes in dishing new arrangements to rock songs and some old songs... We caught his version of Van Halen's Jump and WOW they blew us away!

I can only imagine what the group would have been if Rosetti was still playing and singing in it - she plays the violin folks, so just imagine 3 guitars and a violin plus some percussion and viola!

Anyway folks, if you happen to be around the Bohol Avenue area on Thursday and Friday nights for this month, do please drop by and hear out UTI! You will not be disappointed!

EVAT ka ng ina mo!

2005-07-02T06:03:00.000+08:00

Opposition congressman, Francis "Chiz" Escudero summed it all up when he said that the Supreme Court's TRO on the EVAT was basically a "tagumpay ng sambayanan...napatunayan lang ng TRO na dagdag pasakit lamang ang evat at tama ang pagsalungat nila dito... hinihiling din nila na ideklarang unconstitutional ang e-vat at gawin ng permanente ang injunction against dito...umaasa rin si Cong. Escudero na magsisimula ng magroll back ang mga presyo ng bilihin lalo na sa petrolyo ngayong may tro na laban sa evat."

The Supreme Court's decision to indefinitely suspend the implementation of the EVAT is definitely commendable. This only proves there is still justice in this banana republic of ours. Its certainly makes one hopeful to know that there are still patriots among the SC justices, 13 to be exact, who voted to implement the TRO. Sad to say and baffling as well were the 2 dissenting opinions against it: Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. himself as well as Justice Reynato Puno.

"The Court further resolved, by a vote of 13 - 2, to issue a TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER, effective immediately and contuining until further orders from this Court, enjoining respondents Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita, Secretary of Finance Cesar Purisima and Commission on Internal Revenue Guillermo Parayno Jr., from enforcing and implementing Republic Act No. 9337, otherwise known as the "Expanded Value-Added Tax Act of 2005", Revenue Regulation No. 14-2005 and/or any such other implementing rules and regulations."

I can only picture the happy response of the public for now.

What's unbelievable was the reaction from the Palace through Department of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima:

"We are very disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision to suspend the implementation of the vat. It is one that caught us by surprise. Rest assured the executive branch will work for the immediate removal of the suspension. This law is of great importance to our fiscal reform program. The tro will cost the government P 4-5 billion monthly (P130 to 165 million daily) in lost revenues which can result to a serious setback in our fiscal consolidation program. We are going to appeal this with the Supreme Court first thing monday morning."

Imagine the temerity of this guy to even threaten us on what will happen just because the EVAT was stopped. I hope karma will get this guy and his ilk someday. Tha'ts just about the nicest thing that I can say about this official...

Numb

2005-07-01T02:46:00.000+08:00

I'm still numb from monitoring the Joint Congress hearing on the wiretapped tapes. I felt so relieved but drained when Cong. Remulla declared the hearing adjourned minutes past 12 midnight - an 11-hour marathon.

At least after 9 days since the hearing started, the tapes were finally played and heard by Congress and the public, despite may attempts to stall its playback by mostly pro-PGMA solons.

But as everybody saw on national tv Thursday night, instead of listening intently on the audio of the cd being played, some congressmen were chatting idly with neighbors, others were texting away, and a few where loitering around while only a handfull seemed to actually bother listening to the recordings.

Earlier, FG scooted out for Hongkong for his self -exile (I suspect he'll go on to the US). As I'm encoding this, the EVAT has taken effect and higher prices of gasoline and other commodities are now being adjusted.

Now I wonder how all these will turn out. How will this story end... Will we just forget all these ever happened? And then do we get ready again to face the next crisis and scandal? And so on and so forth until we are numb beyond hope...

The Beginning of the End?

2005-06-30T15:28:00.000+08:00

It was just too bad that the noble gestures of the union workers staging their noise barrage at the Ateneo gate 3 were not captured by network cameras and even by photographers. I saw no one documenting these brave folk when they sacrificed their lunch period just to ventilate their beliefs against that corrupt president by the Pasig River.

I hope to load the photo that I took of them with my handy Motorola V620 as soon as I get to solve the kinks in my cell-to-pc connection - they were truly a sight. I just finished my chat session in my elective Creative Writing and was rushing to the campus when I saw them across the street.

I felt goosebumps when I heard the dozens of cars honking their horns in solidarity with the union members' anti-PGMA protest.

As to why we were not able to cover this event, I can only surmise that there were logistical problems - with so many things happening today, our teams may have been spread out too thinly. (But I would know the answer when I report for work later).

It felt good though that the Ateneo community is making a stand, following on the heels of the other big universities in Metro Manila - UP, DLSU etc... But I heard from a lady activist whom I befriended yesterday at UP Diliman's Laban ng Masa assembly at the Bahay Alumni, that the Ateneo will just be releasing its official stand on the gloriagate scandal et al. soon.

Is the middle class now awake and ready to take the cudgels again for this long-suffering nation? Are the daily protests now a portent of things to come? Is this really it? Is this the beginning of the end? What do you think?...

NEWSFLASH: Ateneo Workers Union Join Anti-Gloria Protests

2005-06-30T14:01:00.000+08:00

Around 30 members of the Ateneo de Manila University's Employees and Workers Union staged a noise barrage against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in solidarity with militant groups behind today's National Day of Protest.

Armed with banners, pans, cans and other noise-making materials, the university's union members vigorously staged their colorful and noisy protest rally just before the Ateneo's gate 3 area in busy Katipunan Avenue.

Motorists likewise honked their car horns in support of the group as they passed through the union members' area.

Traffic slowed to a crawl as motorists and pedestrians absorbed the more than usual situation.

Organizers said today's noise barrage is just the beginning of several activities to pressure President Arroyo to step down amid allegations of election fraud, which she has repeatedly denied.#

Back in business

2005-06-30T00:03:00.000+08:00

I've been experiencing difficulties with my blog. But this time I'm determined to succeed in doing this at least every other day for the time being.

I'd like to thank Angelo Racoma from i.ph for patiently helping me through my difficulties in the past days.

These are anxious times and it's as good as any time to blog religiously. I've also accumulated a lot of topics, issues and memories that I want to put here. I'm done planning what to do here; this time, I'm just gonna do it.

In the words of my favorite Beatle, the immortal John Lennon:

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

Good or Evil

2005-06-22T01:00:00.000+08:00

It's supposed to be my day-off today Tuesday (technically, its already Wednesday morning) but I was prevailed by my boss to come in due to to the House Hearing on the wiretapped tapes...

I was tasked to monitor and help track the hearing's proceedings and complement whatever our teams in Congress were getting, the reason being that I was at least familiar with it, having gone through the Senate Impeachment hearings in 2000.

I was already at the office by 12.20pm; with only water and boy bawang to get me going, I hunkered down behind the workstation of my boss and proceeded to do my task.

And so it came to pass, that from 1pm to 6pm, I tapped on the keyboard as fast as I can and tried to get the gist of everything covered in the so-called joint hearing of the 5 House committees. Every suspension of the session allowed me just enough time to upload my monitoring to the Avstar and prompt Tex for what was big tackled during the hearing.

It was in the course of doing my task when I realized that there was indeed a bigger purpose for us in life (mind you this is the nth time that I was struck with renewed inspiration as to the purpose for my being)... I quickly thought of my blog, which I have been neglecting for the past month or so... Now I realized that it has a purpose other than being the repository of my mundane musings in life... and no longer will I be neglecting it as before while balancing work, school, family and lovelife.

So back to the hearing... As I tried to keep up with its proceedings which was going crazier by the minute, I was also struck with inspiration from it, for this blog, for my career and my life. Call it a renewed sense of purpose or a sudden flash of divine perspective but I was immediately reminded of a famous quote that sums up what would happen to me or to us, if we remain contented with our petty lives.

It may be a little cliche but it was the only appropriate quote that I recalled in the situation - ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’ (with apologies and thanks to William Burke, the 18th century British Statesman readily credited to author this quotation).

For the hearing plainly showcased not just the usual political showdown between the opposition and the administration in Congress. It also turned out to be a battle between good and evil, between truth and falsehood, dark and light etc...

The hearing was after all intended to establish whether or not it was really GMA and Garcillano on the cd's; and if they where, did GMA cheated or not in the past elections?

Now having covered and witnessed the Impeachment proceedings I was more than sad to watch and hear Congressmen Zubiri and Baterina to filibuster and stall over mundane and inconsequential matters like venue and procedural rules. They sounded so puny and trivial now when they were brave and invincible then when they were Davids as against Erap's Goliath during the Impeachment trials.

I was surprised though with Congressmen Golez and Cayetano, I thought they were pro-admin; but in the hearing, they shone and helped enlighten and moved forward the proceedings with their statements and questions...

I saw Congressmen Remulla and Locsin both in a new light here; Remulla especially was smooth in handling the situation, not bad for a former broadcast journalist.

I also saw Cong. Paras, my kababayan, also in a new light; he was biting and to the point in his arguments that moved the hearing to its rightful purpose despite the stonewalling of the administration solons.

Party-List Cong. Casino shone as well; his Q and A with Bunye was painful to watch and hear; it was as if Bunye was never a Congressman to be singlehandedly upstaged by a neophyte solon...Cong. Etta Rosales taking on Zubiri was good as well; I anticipate the lady solon to lock horns with other administration solons in future hearings which I'm sure she will win.

And what of the stonewallers, the clear as sight Malacanang lackeys? Congressmen Pichay, Javier, Datumanong, Libanan, Domogan, Solis, the lady solon from Pasay, etc - you guys better try your luck next time. You are now in the same boats as that of Erap's legislators during the impeachment trial but much is the disappointment in you people because the battle now is bigger than ever and sad to say, you are all in the losing side.

How about Cong. Escudero? He was good and he will continue to shine. While the opposition has an agenda, I hope Chiz goes beyond their agenda and sees this through for what it really is - a battle to redeem the souls of the Filipino people who are being fucked all over by the very people they chose to be its leaders.

Now about Bunye... I don't know if you were just simply naive or plainly moronic but your answers sucked big time and boy were you really dumb (also Wycoco but then, he's from the NBI). You Bunye, are truly are fit for your job as Presidential Spokesman. And you had the temerity to drag my buddy Jove Francisco's name into the fray as well as the Malacanang Press Corp. I hope the MPC eats you alive for breakfast because you deserve to be roasted in hell for being a bad liar unlike your boss.

I could go on and on but I have a good DVD in line and I still have 59 pages of reading material for my elective so I'll stop for now. In the words of the famous Ahnuld - "I'll be back" to whip your asses good.

I don't know about you folks but it feels good to be alive and kicking ass(es) these days. Evil ass(es), that is.

What have I done to deserve this?

2005-06-03T03:32:00.000+08:00

First off, I miss doing this blog - it has been frustrating and challenging as well. It seemed like an eternity since I last attended to this and as my colleague said, inaamag na nga daw ito.

What's funny is that every waking moment, I always write down something that I plan to upload later in the blog... but I never get around to doing it when I'm in front of my workstation at work. First, I have no business slacking off during my busy shift anyway... After the last newscast of the day kasi bangag na ako from the adrenaline of it all and I just want to sleep it off until my next shift...

And so it has been this way since my last post until the teambuilding seminar that the Newsroom had in Clark last weekend.

Pero ganun talaga sa trabaho na pinili ko... It keeps me young and alive anyway...

But some days are pure bliss though, despite the downsides sa trabaho, which I guess are normal ...

These days I'm simply happy for want of a stronger word. It's been a week to this day since I got news that I got accepted to the CFJ Fellowships at the AdMU's Department of Communication.

And so it came to pass that 10 years after I last attended formal schooling... I'm again attending one. I finished my registration at the Ateneo campus Thursday afternoon and I'm looking forward to everything that the academe will give to me this time... Maybe to atone for the slacker in me when I last attended school.

But then again the question of my program director still echoes... "why do I want to go back to the university when I'm already working in the number 1 network?"

Hmmm, that would be the subject of another post, definitely. As it is, I am still in awe and disbelief with the turn of events, considering that the Ateneo grant will definitely turn my life around from now on.

I can only thank the Good God above in every waking moment even as I ask what ever have I done to deserve all this...

What a weekend!

2005-05-16T23:56:00.000+08:00

Had a good weekend!

The 1st half of the 13th month bonus was probably the reason for it hehehe.

Had drinks with regular drinking buddies Al and Eugene - for the first time in many months this time at Off the Grill. Had good pulutan there - oysters and grilled pusit!

Slept all day saturday - I needed that - and went out for some window shopping in Shangrila and SM Megamall...

Siyempre went to my fave haunts - Tower Records in Shang and Powerbooks in Mega.

Saw some prospective buys there.

Had drinks w/ Wilson & wife at Greenhouse in Matalino - puno ang Treehouse w/ Singles for Christ people. Saw JJ and another producer there... Reminds me to take JJ for a drink w/ red wine this week.

And then Sunday - Weng's wedding at Paco Park. 2nd time ko na umatend ng wedding doon and first at 8am in the hot Sunday morning... Reception was at the Old Swiss Inn - masarap ang sausage platter nila the best. Weng had a smooth wedding - nice giveaways na bagay sa weather - mga pamaypay and the coffee w/ personalized sleeves - panalo Wenggay!

After the wedding I had time to kill before my 4pm duty so I went to SM North and watched a period movie starring Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz and Stuart Townsend. Although I forgot the title, the movie was fairly ok. More on this next post...

Have a good week people!

Liberation is at hand

2005-05-14T01:28:00.000+08:00

Two nights to go and I'm free.

On May 16, I'll have my freedom back - well, that of a 5-day a week drone anyway - as compared to my 6-day workweek since November 2004.

To say that the almost past 6 months was an ordeal is an understatement. I'm just looking forward to getting back my normal life (or what passes for it anyway).

So, another day has passed and I'm slowly getting my rythm in maintaining this blog. Ang hirap palang disiplinahin ang sarali nang magsulat ng regular - lalo na't di ako nasanay sabihin ang totoong nasa isip ko hehehe. Well, here goes nothing.

Sa ngayon, I'm still narrowing down my list of what I'll cover in this blog, in case someone wants to know why I put this up in the first place.

I'd like to think of myself as a storyteller first and journalist second...

And so because people make the best subjects for stories, this blog will be about those whom I've met in my lifetime. I guess, first of all, I would make this blog a shrine to all the good and nice people that I've met in this world... Come to think of it, I'll even include the not so nice or even downright evil - just to dissect what makes them tick hehehe.

Next, I'll talk about the places that I've been and the places that I want to go.... Then maybe I'll cover the holy trinity that makes me tick - books, music and cinema.

I'll also talk about fitness and health, which is what I'm currently interested in - after losing weight and keeping fit for the past year already (this started after I quit smoking 6 years ago).

I'll surely talk about my wonderful family and workmates/employer too.

Maybe I'll talk about my pet too, although at the state that Princess - my 1 & 1/2 year old labrador bitch - is in, I'm probably a failing in keeping a pet (she is not eating well and has developed rashes all over her body; I've not exercised her in ages and not brought her to the vet in like months...)

One reason why I got a pet was to start having a responsibility again that won't talk back or nag and ask for my whereabouts through the cel in every freakin' minute. In short, prinapraktis ko uli magkaroon ng responsibilidad the way having a girlfriend would be.

Nope, I'm not a pervert or wierdo or something... Just your average guy who got burned from a relationship (that I may or may not have any fault at all for its failure). I figured that if I succeed in nurturing my pet, then I'm ready to go have another girlfriend, again, probably for keeps... Hmmm, let's see.

So, there you have it. This blog is basically meant to hook that elusive girl hehehe. This blog is meant to seek out that girl whom I'll be making as my empress in my universe. To this girl, I'll tell her that I'm a renaissance kind of guy who can rescue her from her oppressors and defend her from the scums in this world or something and still be a wellrounded guy whom she can be proud enough to show of to her parents despite my minimum salary and empty back account.

Okay... Gawd so I'm probably not making sense so I'm just gonna end this entry and catch up with my buddies out drinking in Off the Grill.

Until next time... Have a great weekend.

Moving on

2005-05-13T00:15:00.000+08:00

This was forwarded by a friend back when I needed it. It was one of those rare forwards that I did not deleted because it hit me in the bullseye. It helped me a lot to move on - this blog is now the sum total of that moving on... I hope it helps you too.

***

Here's something from the same guy who wrote "The Alchemist." But it isn't fiction, and it isn't something that the imagination conjures up. It's real, in fact, so real, that I guess a lot of people will relate to this essay.

If you have time, read through the entire thing slowly, and realize why we sometimes really have to let go...

Closing CyclesBy Paolo Coelho

One always has to know when a stage comes to an end.If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose thehappiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through.Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapterswhatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished.

Did you lose your job? Has a loving relationship come to an end?Did you leave your parents' house? Gone to live abroad? Has a long-lasting friendship ended all of a sudden?

You can spend a long time wondering why this has happened. You can tell yourself you won't take another step until youfind out why certain things thatwere so important and so solid in your life have turned into dust, just like that.

But such an attitude will be awfully stressing for everyone involved: your parents, your husband or wife, your friends, your children, your sister,everyone will be finishing chapters, turning over new leaves, getting on with life, and they will all feel bad seeing you at a standstill.

None of us can be in the present and the past at the same time, not even when we try to understand the things that happen to us. What has passed will not return: we cannot forever be children,late adolescents, sons that feel guilt or rancor towards our parents,lovers who day and night relive an affair with someone who has gone away and has not the least intention of coming back.

Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away.That is why it is so important (however painful it maybe!) to destroy souvenirs, move, give lots of things away to orphanages, sell or donate the books you have at home. Everything in this visible world is a manifestation of the invisible world, of what is going on in our hearts andgetting rid of certain memories also means making some room for othermemories to take their place.

Let things go. Release them. Detach yourself from them. Nobody plays this life with marked cards, so sometimes we win andsometimes we lose.Do not expect anything in return, do not expect your efforts to be appreciated, your genius to be discovered, your love to be understood.Stop turning on your emotional television to watch the same program over and over again, the one that shows how much you suffered from a certain loss: that is only poisoning you, nothing else.

Nothing is more dangerous than not accepting love relationships that arebroken off, work that is promised but there is no starting date,decisions that are always put off waiting for the ideal moment.Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished: tell yourself that what has passed will never come back.

Remember that there was a time when you could live without that thing orthat person nothing is irreplaceable, a habit is not a need. This may sound so obvious, it may even be difficult, but it is very important.

Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because that no longer fits your life. Shut the door, change the record,clean the house, shake off the dust. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are.

Search for something amazing

2005-05-11T14:07:00.000+08:00

There's one scene in The Incredibles that clearly sums up what I'm feeling lately. This was when Bob's little neighbor - a boy blowing a bubble gum and riding a bike saw him about to hurl his car in frustration. Bob asked the boy what he was waiting for and the boy answered something like -

I dunno, maybe something amazing

... And then Bob says,

me too kid, me too

...

That was the best part for me in The Incredibles, among the best scenes that littered that really incredible movie.

I guess it sums up my sentiments these days - waiting for something amazing to really happen to me, to my family and to my country... waiting for something or someone even, a hero perhaps to amaze us and more...

I remember growing up in sleepy Dumaguete City and searching for heroes to emulate and look up to. And was I so frustrated... That's why I think I'm still searching for one until a friend told me this may be futile, unless I don't mind the celluloid, literary and comic books variety. He then told me na baka naman, the hero that I was searching for was myself. Or rather, I may have to be my own hero for others to be emulated and looked up to.

Wow hebi pre... And so it came to pass that I had to lay off from my friend's deep thoughts that time...

But it has not stop me from thinking about it since then. Maybe, after all, we are our own heroes and we just don't know it yet.

Or maybe we're just doomed to search for that something amazing for all eternity...

So here goes nothing... and meanwhile, have patience with me for I'm still birthing this blog...

here goes nothing...

2005-02-16T15:48:00.000+08:00

After agonizing for so long, I've finally taken the plunge... and opened this portal into my madness. Bahala na...