The Philippines is not worth it anymore

Bring it on. I don't care anymore. They are not afraid of burning in hell. They just want hell for all of us. Thank you your honors, mr. president, mr. speaker and honorable gentleman and ladies. Thank you for hell on earth.

LUANG PRABANG

It's not an Asian thing. Going to that remote old Laotian capital in the middle of the Mekong river may just be the adventure I needed to speed me back to my groove. There's actually 26 days to left.

Sad Day

They wanted to make it appear that the 47 just disappeared so they buried the vehicles with the bodies. The sad thing is how no matter how gruesome the massacre is, the police and military cannot point to anybody as responsible for the crime.

Thank you N

It finally ended on a warm balmy night.
When he finally left us, the rain poured.
Maybe he left me earlier when I was not looking
Or was not minding that he tip toed out of that room
and finally was freed from all the pain and suffering.
That was what I was afraid of,
That I didn't see him.
I was looking hard.
But I didn't see him.
I wished I looked at him for soul and spirit.
Not just body and function.
But he was bigger than me in terms of soul.
I know that because he is on my mind and I am crying.
I did not conquer him but he conquered me.
For so little a body he had so much soul and spirit.
I grope for reasons why it is so hard to get what you want.
But the present has no reasons and answers.
The reasons and answers will just come in time.

Thank you N for coming into my life.

Bonds shared by mortal men last longer than time.

Pity the Church

Long ago I would believe what my priest tells me during sermons because I believed that they have stood for what is right all the time. But after they have loose their moral credibility during the Garci scandal, I have lost my trust. I still have my faith, but them men in robes do not have integrity for me anymore. And so in these calls by the church in Bicol against mining and casino plans, I pity the priests involve. They have lost moral credibility so how can they call for such now.

Baha sa Boracay; The new Venice of Asia,

This picture was taken around 10 am while sipping avocado mango shake at Jonah's and watching tourist wade through seawater which reached the railings of the juice bar. You can see Willy's rock in a distance.


In an uncontrolled growth spurt, the resort island is finding itself sinking with the new influx of building frenzy of luxury hotels at the station one, beach side. There is always a price for progress. But hey, did we really want progress to wind its darkside into paradise.

Locals have complained that during the feast of St. John the Baptist, seawater reached the road, flooding the establishments on the beach. Slowly mother nature is reclaiming the paradise it has given the Filipinos. All because we do not know how to take care of it. I believe a little bit of planning and thinking and conscience could avert the looming catastrophe. This is my first visit to the island when I was not able to walk the whole stretch of beach from Diniwid to station 3. I even noticed that there were new rock formations near Diniwid beach but sadly it was because the cliff gave in during one of the storms.

Tourists have to wade through seawater where the beach were once. The resorts along station one built seawalls. Ha ha ha. This is the end of Boracay as I know it.

May they rest in peace

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Singing the Song of Angry Men

For all of us.

PGMAs 3,400% increase in income

Supposing it's really from the stock market increasing your income from 7 million to 155 million in eight years is phenomenal. I just hope the president actully tipped all of us which stocks to buy para sana ganun din ang increase ng income natin. Alin kaya ang stock na magandang bilhin? If that's how much money can be made in the Philippine Stock market, then why are there no investors?

How Dare We Complain!

I am disgusted of people who talk of hoping to come back to martial law days. I am appalled when they say it was better during those days. I think it was better for them, but not for me. Do they really mean deep in their hearts what they are hoping for?

Orphans of Democracy

Even in her death President Aquino gave us the lesson on how to unite Filipinos. It is not lofty ideals or principles but rather the simple and the correct. Yesterday's necrological service had orators extolling hte virtues of our president. The standouts of course were Bro Armin Luistro, Paul Cabral and to my surprise and definite amazement, Conrado de Quiros. Instantly I became a de Quiros fan. His eulogy was like Robert Frost's "Birches".

Today's mass was solemn and fitting. Songs were sung by Filipino artists. Standouts were Zsa zsa Padilla's "Hindi Kita Malilimutan" and Regine and Martin's "The Prayer". Lea Salonga sang "Bayan Ko" but she was too theatrical to sing a song in Filipino, It would have been better if Regine did the song.

A sea of humanity followed the cortege from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial Park. And although there were akward moments and some protocol breeched, it was a people's funeral for a people's president.

Cory was our Mother Teresa, our Pope John Paul, our Diana, our Michael Jackson. She gave us back democracy. Even if everyone around her was expecting a return to the traditional corrupt politics after the revolution, she ruled with the "right things in mind." No matter how painful it was, she stood by the truth and what is right. And this made her great. My only regret was we did not rally behind her and helped her after the revolution. We expected she will make everything better for us without us helping her. We gave her the task, but we never accepted that we too have our responsibilities in making this nation great.

Now we have laid her to rest. We are now democracy's orphans. But in God's time as Bro. Armin said, we will eventually heal and move on and with the lessons of history never forgetting them again, rise up and become a great nation.

Below is a link to Conrado de Quiros column in the Inquirer of his eulogy for Cory.

One good person - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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Remembrance:Cory Aquino

Paalam mahal naming lahat

Cory Aquino Dead at 76, one of the last true Filipino

In true Filipino style, our beloved tita Cory passed away while the fifth sorrowful mystery was being recited at her bedside, on the glorious Saturday of the first day of the month her husband was assasinated. She died at 3:18 am this morning as confirmed by his only son, Noynoy. I was trying to find sense among all the condolences from prominent people on the three different channels on tv. But it was not until GMA 7 run clips of her much applauded speech at the US Congress where she said "I now I come back to you as a president of a free nation." that I remembered her importance. Then at the end a clip from Jessica Soho's interview, "Nagpapasalamat ako sa Diyos na ginawa nya akong Filipino katulad ninyo." It was at that time that I cried.


No other death of a prominent Filipino since Ninoy's death broke my heart. I guess no other will after her. To Cory Aquino, maraming salamat po.

New National Artists Philippines

It was a shoutout on facebook that heralded the news of the seven new national artist. Manuel Conde for cinema. Carlo J Caparas for comics. Cecille Alvarez for theater. Pitoy Moreno for fashion. Alcuaz for visual arts. Manosa for Architecture. And one for literature somebody I haven't read but hopefully deserves to be a national artist.

I don't know what the criteria is for being chosen as one. Before this I have high regards for the national artists like Eddie Romero, Nick Joaquin, Orosa and Lumbrera. But proclaiming seven at one time, seems to have degraded the award to a mere citation and nothing else sort of being a sense of pride for Filipinos. Of the seven, it's actually not Carlo J Caparas which irked me. it was Cecille Alvarez's award which shocked me. I hope that the criteria includes the pprolificness of the awardees works. I have yet to see an original work of Alvarez that truly deserves the citation.

Forgotten Manila

I was searching the LUXE sets of asian city guides and to my consternation and subsequent disappointment, Manila was singed out. Imagine having guides for Cambodia and even Laos while the ever loyal and noble city of Manila does not merit to have one. Understandably, when all the historic places in the city are left to fend for themselves the city does not have a soul now.
It is a city where officials are given lee way to desecrate the Manila Bay the most beautiful in the entire world for the name of corruption. Where old monuments go down for tacky bronze figures of men forgotten by history while the national hero remains forgotten in his languid post at km 0. Where hotels that line the bay are on their twilight years hopelessly praying for refurbishment. The grand Manila Hotel have lost its grandeur to musty carpets and old furnishings. Manila is desperately forgotten. And like our country, we have just succeeded in making our country so insignificant that nobody really bothers about our insignificance even ourselves. I just opened itunes and they have a vietnam store while the Philippines has none. So what more proof do I need.

Paseo del Mar Zamboanga

I don't want to pass judgement on the opening of the new park near Fort Pilar. Molded after the Manila Baywalk with lights that I believe cost half a million each and paved walks, its opening has been long overdue. It was opened to the public a week ago with very little funfare maybe because the weather did not permit such. a thunderstorm raged during the opening night with text messages of bomb threats and traffic around the city. The next day still saw the mayor visiting the promanade with a band playing before a fifteen minute fireworks show.

Now for the nitty gritty of things. The area is still bare. The restaurants offer mostly the usual fare donuts, grilled chicken and barbeque. the crowd are the usual suspects. I presume its the same ones coming from the Boulevard. Now that Cawacawa is under renovation of monstrous proportion, they see the paseo as an alternative. A week after the opening, friday night, not too much came to visit. There were nothing to do there anyway. Nothing unusual to see. Maybe they can put up free cultural shows there. Or a tiangge. Or a concert. I don't know what will work best, but I hope the opportunity to make Zamboanga proud of something won't go to waste.

GE Engstorm Carestation versus Drager Babylog review

Having been raised in the tradition of Sechrist, Bearcub Newport and VIP bird. Two hospitals have bought different mechanical ventilators recently. After using them in five patients each, here are my outcomes: GE carestation survival rate ZERO while Drager survival rate 75%.

Dragers vents are very user friendly. There are very few knobs to manipulate. The alarms sets in for a purpose.

The GE Carestation neonatal vent is part for a 3 in 1 machine that uses a software to convert the settings to a pressure vent. Its marketed as a ventilator needing no humidifier and uses only one size of tubings both from neonates to adults. It is so sophisticated that nobody could use it without setting off an alarm. My initial concern was really the tubings that are too big and is marketed as being able to compensate for the compliance of a neonates lung. its also marketed as a humidifier free respirator, eventually all my patients developed ET plugs. The alarms goes off for leaks that changes from10 to 60%, for a module that should be removed, for minute expiratory volumes. After reading the manual, the vent has settings that are not really possible when you are using the ventilator on a patient. take for example the RR, the brochure sets it from 3 to 120 but when I used it and wanted an RR of 70, the machine could not advance further for that setting even if you try to adjust the default. Maybe the carestation is a good adult ventilator, but as a ventilator for neonates, it still has to a lot to prove to me. Maybe it needs a good training program for end users because what is a sophisticated ventilator when nobody can use it.

Hands down its Drager.

Sex Scandal and ConAss

Both involved asses.

Madaling araw nang ipinasa ng kongreso ang resolusyon 1109. At sa pagkakahimbing ng tulog ni Juan de la Cruz, nalusutan na naman sya ng mga sakim at mapanlinglang.

Sa Pilipinas wala naman talagang pagbabago. Hindi na talaga tayo uunlad. At matagal ko nang natanggap na tayong mga Pilipino likas na tamad at nagpapaloko. Mabuti na lamang at may mga taong hindi napapagod na makipaglaban para sa katotohanan at ang pag-asang sana ay kahit papano ay magising muli ang sambayanang Pilipino. Mga bagong Juan Baustita.

Ganito rin siguro noong panahon bago mag martial law. Ang mga tao walang pakialam na unti-unting nasupil ang kanilang mga kalayaan at nagising na lamng silang wala nang natira sa kanila na pati kaluluwa ng bawat isang Pilipino ay nakasanla sa mga dayuhan para sa kapakanan ng iilan.

Masaya rin naman ako na kung sakaling magiging mapanupil ang rehimeng ng makabagong diktaturya, magliliab na naman ang kagitingan ng mga artista, direktor, ang hanay ng mga manunulat, magkakaron ng mga bagong tula, awit at nobela at makasaysayang pelikula ng bagong henerasyon ng rebolusyon sa landas ng paghahanap natin ng ating pagiging Pilipino.

Maligayang araw ng kalayaan sa kuko ng nagbabadyang diktaturya.

Easy Virtue, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Frozen Flower

Pirated DVDs galore from the night market of Cagayan de Oro over the weekend. Its a piece of Quiapo transplanted in the middle of Plaza Rizal in CDO's Divisoria. It has the vibe of Khao San Raod, the plaza coated in smoked from barbecue grills and rows of vendors selling ukay-kay clothes to plastic toys and kitchenwares. Outside the barricades are unpretentious upscale restaurants. We had dinner at La Tegola. The interiors is Italian but the lamps are so country inspired. The food needs a bit more work. The Bruschettas were dripping in olive oil. I wondered why the restaurants has to scrimp on good lettuce leaves when they are so near the farms of Bukidnon. The Quattro formaggio pizza has blue chees on it nice, but the crust was a bit too thick. And the pasta was ordinary. I suggest go look for other places to eat when in town. Check the nearby Gazebo or Centro which I haven't really tried yet.

Going back to the DVD galore. Among the three which I bought from the girl in turong at the plaza, it was the Miss Pettigrew movie which was original and surprisingly entertaining. The story of a last resort governess who took a job as a social secretary to a starlet eventually both finding their true loves is a heartwarming movie. Easy virtue may have been a good movie but it dragged on too long and aside from the good performance by Kirstin Scott thomas, everybody else especially Jessica Biel acted at their worst including Colin firth. The plot was so contrived and at one point I was thinking that the director just finished the movie for the sake of finishing it. A Frozen Flower is a Korean film a whole 4 hours of film. It was exciting at the start but the film has to drag longer to have an ending. Tragic ending that is.

If you have nothing else to do then go down CDO at night and drown yourself in DVDs.

Boulevard

Twilight

Late into the next movie installment, I have just decided to read the book by Stephenie Myers two days ago. The trouble is I am having nightmares the past few nights. Is it because the Cullens are actually on my case leaving Forks, to kill their next prey in a humid, unbearably sunny tropical island. Anyway, if I hadn't seen the movie, I think I would be bored to death by the book. If it were not a vampire story set in fog forsaken place near the north pole, it would be a novel straight out of the mils and boons collection.

My take, see the movie. The book sucks blood.

Katrina and Hayden Brouhaha

It was good copy. A sexy star with a illicit video circulating in the internet. Filmed secretly by a celebrity doctor whose claim to fame is being a boytoy of the owner of thecountry's leading plastic surgery clinic. After viewing the video clip, I could not hardly make-out the face of the woman straddling on top of the doctor with so much video noise, she could actually deny that she is the one on the video.

As of this writing, the issue seemed to have simmered down after a senate investigation, an NBI investigation and a PDEA investigation. I suppose if people didn't actually stop other agencies will follow suit and the issue will drag on and on like the telenovellas we Pinoys love.

So what's my take on this? It could have been a private matter between all the women the doctor taped during their sexual tryst. It could have been settled among matured grown ups without dragging the precious money taxpayers pay to the Senators and others agencies, when who knows what the end of this will be. We could have dealt with other issues like the still lost Italian ICRC worker, or the computerization of the next polls, the other issues of graft and corruption pending is all their venues. But we choose such matters which in my view are petty enough to be discussed in a showbiz talk show.

I pity Katrina because as of now I think she is loosing steam and her acting is not convincing enough to gain the sympathy of most. I pity Hayden because in the end it's still his fault that he took all those footages. I pity Bong Revilla because he does not know how to transfer videos and pictures from a dig cam to the computer and he is a senator. I pity the Filipinos that includes me because once again we got hooked into crazy, useless, mundane issue that actually will not change our lives for the better.

It's Kris Allen

This is the only American Idol season when I didn't care who would win. Either way I would still be happy. I love Adam Lambert. I could still see his performances in my mind long after the show. His first take on Mad World blew me off. And the Track of my Tears performance was so classic. This he again brought to fore in yesterdays A Change is Gonna Come. I love his performances, but the blogs are right, a lot of poeple may not be in to these things like screaming and rock and roll. Adam is a visual delight.

Kris on the other hand is more listenable. I could never recall any of his performances except for Heartless which was last week. But I do like his songs when I listen to my ipod. I guess it boils down to how still conservative America is. No matter how far we are into the twenty-first century, it's still the conservative straight guy next door who wins.

Saranggola ni Pepe

I could not make sense of the lyrics. I thought I understood it when I was young. But looking back, it doesn't mean anything. My friend told me it was supposed to be a protest song against the Marcoses. I wonder.

Highly Recommended National Museum Tour John Silva

The thing that I liked about it was when it was all over, I really felt proud I am a Filipino.

Siargao

It's the surfing capital of the Philippines. It maybe difficult to get there but braving the two hour ferry ride is well worth it.

Carlos Celdran Tours Review

I was in Carlos Celdran's "If these walls could talk" tour of Intramuros last Sunday. It was actually not a tour but a theatrical act, history lesson and social commentary rolled into an apology. Maybe it was wrong for me to expect otherwise. I was expecting a tour like John Silva's of the National Museum. I was expecting a fresh take on the common and often neglected Manila.

Instead, it was a monologue of apologies which I would appreciate also ( and I would gladly pay also) if I watch it inside a theater with the airconditioning rather than tramping over ruins under the heat of the sun at 3 in the afternoon.

The tour starts with the National Anthem. Followed by a quick lesson in origins of Filipino words. Words pertaining to the body are malay in origin like tao or langit. Those pertaining to things of trade are spanish in origin like lampara or lapis. While the recent inventions are american like kodak.

Then came the first apology. An explanation why we don't have an Angkor Wat or a Borubodur. Under the shade of the Manila Cathedral as he turned off the recorder playing tinikling, he showed pictures of old buildings damaged by past earthquakes. The lowly adobe or volcanic ash cannot be used for making monuments on these islands that sits on crisscrossing tectonic plates.

Then came apology number two. the King of Spain wanted to dispose of the islands. There was no gold here. Instead Carlos said the ones who actually benefitted are the friars. theocracy. Old news. So Rizal. What I would have wanted was an explanation fo why they hold on to these islands. Why on earth did they stay here for three hundred years?

We walked on to the ruins of the Ateneo. A quick explanation of the Philippine revolution and Rizal. Under the heat, we trudged to San Agustin had chocnut for a break.

Carlos then proceeded with his spiel on the American period between two american flags hanging on the walls of the San Agustin. He explained the Treaty of Paris. It was actually a buy 1 take 5 islands. How the americans converted Manila into their image. In thirty years, Manila became a cosmopolitan city with many of Asia's first.

Then inside the crypts of the San Agustin, he did his World War II spiel. Between two lighted candles, he explained the folly of Douglas McArthur. How MacArthur actually thought that the Japs won't try to attack Manila and didn't heed the warnings of Pearl Harbor. How he should have headed to Japan to make them surrender but returned to the Philippines instead for showbiz reasons (that of fulfilling the promise to return) and had to pose for the Leyte landing pictures three times. Endangering the citizens of Manila. The Japs went on a rampage killing everyone in sight. This prompted the Americans to bomb the City. And nobody seemed to care that the second worst city destroyed in WWII was actually bombed by the Americans. Here, Celdran was at his finest. I must admit I was on verge of tears.

We proceed to the courtyard and he explained why the San Agustin survived. It was a red cross station and was thus spared from bombing. He explained the architecture of the San Agustin as distinctively Filipino. Not Spanish baroque with chinese gargoyles in the front door. The columns do not hold anything. The inside motifs were not stone carvings but drawings made by a milan opera scene painter. We lighted candles inside the church.

In the courtyard of the Casa Manila, Carlos echoed his sentiments on Filipino architecture. That it is hodge-podge of decorations that do not have any purpose place inside a box. On top of the staicase with a very nice view of the Manila Cathedral'S dome, Carlos explained that everything inside the museum are original courtesy of the then First Lady Imelda Marcos who got them as "donations" from the rich. Like the jeepney and the halo-halo, the culture of the Filipinos is actually a mixture of all the influences tailored to the availablility and taste of the people.

Over halo-halo, Carlos then made his take on the current tsinoycracy of the Philippine society- the dominance of the Filipino Chinese elite. He apologized for the lack of a true Filipino cuisine. He said we lacked it because we do not have royalty. Asking the Australians, what their cuisine was, they too could actually not answer. Is it not kangaroo steak?

Maybe I was not satisfied because I was expecting something else. But overall the ambiance added authenticity to what Carlos was saying. I was glad that these ideas (ideas I was actually taught at the beloved University of the Philippines Diliman) have found their way out of the classrooms and the finally to the streets of Intramuros. So if you're up for a tour you may want to consider Carlos'.

Here we go again or Waiting for the Abus to Cut.

At the time of writing, its sixteen hour before the deadline set by the Abus before they behead one of their captives. It's been how many times since they have threatened to behead their victims. I have heard stories more brutal than beheading. There are locals who get kidnapped and get split into two if no ransom is paid. So I just have to see what will become of this. Diplomacy does not win this war against people who chose not to understand.

Earth Hour Sucks

It was 8:30 in the evening and the lights suddenly came puft. Earth hour a move to save a little bit of energy and a lot of the earth from the threat of global warming. But as my friend said, they took away our right to vote. The electric companies shut down the power supply. What I know is you turn your with off if you want to to send the message to everyone that you support the earth hours objectives. Pero yan na naman ang mga nagmamagaling na politiko just to make a statement they made a big hullabaloo of the affair. To the extent of ordering power plants to shut downfor an hour. I was deprived of my vote. Maybe others didn't feel that way but I did. I wanted to turn off my switch myself.

Malacca: Surprising

Maybe the Johor bahru experience was really off off a Malaysian experience. This time after crossing the causeway we were greeted by good roads leading to palm tree plantations galore until we reached the fabled straits of Malacca. I wondered what would have been the fuzz over that place during the spice trade years. anyway the place was like an emerging Singapore and would you believe I am saying this a bit like Zamboanga.

Singapore: Hello Again

Well you really can't put down a classic. Beyond the usual, are the vibe at Holland village, the National Geographic store at Vivo City and the Luge and Songs of the Sea at Sentosa and the walking tour of Kampong Glam.

Hanoi: Of Shophouses and Pagodas

The cold weather and the overcast sky may not have made this a glorious sunny holiday, but the old quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the water puppets and Halong Bay were vivid images that made this country leave an imprint in my memory.

One Night in Bangkok

Images of Bangkok including the famous Khao san Road and Soi Rambutri. Trying to be backpackers but failing miserably. Imagine pulling roller luggages at Rambutri at 3 in the morning. so not in fashion.

Dangerous Zamboanga City

I have not felt this paranoid since I arrived here four years ago. There are news of kidnapping everyday in the city. Last week there were three teachers abducted in Sakol island. There were text messages being passed around containing plate numbers of white vans that supposedly are the kidnappers. There was an Ateneo student abducted in broad daylight released two days after giving a ransom of 10,000 pesos. Yesterday a teacher was abducted while trying to ride a tricycle. There are text messages now regarding 48 armed MILF men ready to abduct medical personnel to treat their troops.

Amid all these, the mayor said there is nothing to fear and even berated an official of the Department of Education whose comment made it to the headlines that Zamboanga City is not safe for the reason that it will deter tourist and investors.

This city and its people seemed to have gotten used to the idea that kidnapping is just a normal thing and a necessary part of life. It goes away for sometime and then like lightning it strikes suddenly and it strikes anywhere. In the past the victims were just the rich elite but recently they can be anyone. The texters seem to know the kidnapers how come the police and the military cannot get them?

This culture has got to stop. The city is covered with fear and everyone is paranoid. This city has lived too long in the dark ages that the little rays of light of progress are extinguished as soon as it lands on its soil. I hope this situation gets in control soon.

Slumdog Millionaire

It would be easy to protest that the movie does not respond to our Hollywood sensibilities. Exactly because it is not. I successfully bring us to the magical world of India with the compulsory dance routine in the end. I was amazed not by the story but by the images and shoots and the colors. I suppose the shoots and sequences are staple fares of Bollywood movies. But this time its fast paced and like a good thriller it keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting more.

Jamal won 20 million rupees which for an uneducated call center assistant is a tall order. during a police inquiry he explained how he was able to know all the answers to the questions. We saw how he and his brother grew up from the slums of India to modern Mumbai. Each segment explaining how he got to answer the gameshow questions. My favorite was how he outwit his brother by jumping into the squat toilet, drenched in shit, he walked toward the famous Indian actor as he alight a helicopter to get his autograph. Other memorable scens:
1. The required dance routine.
2. Taj mahal
3. Aerial shot of the slums with all the colors of India
4. The scene when his brother helped Jamal escape the beggar syndicate
5. The train station scene when Jamal was on the balcony and Latika just arrived and eventually taken back by the bad guys lead by his brother.

It is a breath of fresh air from the monotony of Hollywood films. If this wins the best picture in the Oscars, I will never contest it.