GMA News is still and forever will be the news organization in the country that has a balanced newscast. Its credibility is unquestionable and untainted. One reason is that they are not protecting a person, business or interest. If you notice their slogan ‘Walang Kinikilingan, Serbisyon totoo lang’.
Contrary to GMA News, ABS CBN who prided themselves of having Maria Ressa as the head of their News and Current Affairs Group are endorsing the candidacy of Abnoynoy Aquino. People are asking why ABS CBN wants to support Aquinos candidacy but isn’t it obvious enough? The reason is that it’s payback time. The then President Cory Aquino returned ABS CBN to the Lopezes. Kahit singkong dulign walang binayad ang mga Lopezes sa gobyerno. Aside from that, Abnoynoy Aquino’s running mate, the man who could swear like hell, Mar Roxas is the husband of Kurtina Sanchez. As you all know, Kurtina Sanchez is a news anchor of ABS CBN. Actually, I had a bad feeling that Mar Roxas only married Kurtina Sanchez because of publicity and buzz that Kurtina Sanchez could bring to his candidacy.
ABS CBN News, should never endorse a candidate but their reports are always for Abnoynoy. They openly support him. In fact, the show where Abnoynoy’s sister hosted is now renamed from SNN (Showbiz News Ngayon) to NNN (Noynoy News Ngayon) because its contents are all about Abnoynoy and the Aquino family. Of course, in order to generate money from paid Ads, you can see Manny Villar’s commercial but in terms of being mentioned in the newscast, it’s always the Abnoynoy and Mar’s tandem that often gets the headlines.
If you watch the newscast of GMA and ABS CBN simultaneously you’ll differentiate how the story is being reported. ABS CBN is so fond of demonizing PGMA. Their newscasts are often biased and malicious. In fact, they’ve been involved in several attempts to unseat PGMA. ABS CBN and its news arms I guess just want to play as a king maker. They enjoyed being the kingmaker for Erap but they were frustrated when they could not hold PGMAs neck. That’s when Oligarchs throw false accusations and lies in order to get back at PGMA and to those that they can’t bribe.
Ilonggo sa Desyerto (Ilonggo in the Desert) – A blog containing insights, opinion and analysis by the author on life, work, religion and events he personally experienced.
30 January 2010
Can she appoint the New SC Chief Justice?
Can PGMA appoint the New SC Chief Justice? That’s the question that should be answered by our hollier than thou priest and nuns and the obstructionist oppositions who time and again refuse all the drives for charter change. The conflicting provisions of the 1987 Constitution only waged a national debate. Of course, knowing the oppositions and considering that it’s an election season, they’ll do whatever they could in order to throw all the garbage they can think of against the PGMA regime.
As we all know, the 1987 Constitution otherwise known as Cory Constitution was harried. In fact, Cory Aquino appointed the delegates. It was not written by ConCon or ConAs delegates. She just felt that appointing the people to seat in it. That’s one of the reasons why it has so many loopholes and conflicting provisions. It can never even be revised because people would then fill up the EDSA for another rally.
Now, one of the people who should take the blame of having a defective constitution, Fr. Bernas could not even make up his mind on PGMAs position. The conflicting provisions lead to confusion. The least that he could do really is to take all the blame why we’re in this situation. Kasi isa siya sa mga framers ng 1987 constitution. Ngayon, ito ginagamit na naman ng mga obstructionist opposition itong confusion na ito para mapa pangit na naman ang imahe ni PGMA. Well, at least they’d tried but they have to accept the fact that PGMA is staying until her term ends on June 30.
I’ve even heard PGMA critics saying that out of delicadeza, she should let the next President appoint the SC Chief Justice. Well, ang masasabi ko lang, it’s the president’s prerogative. Sige nga, sabihin ninyong hindi kasi iyon talaga ang gagawin niya. Baka mag rally na naman kayo sa inis niyan. You’ve known PGMA for almost a decade and she often do what her critics asked her not to. An iba pa nga nagsasabi let Noynoy appoint the next SC Chief Justice. That’s so assuming kasi bakit mananalo ba siya? pang survey lang naman siya ah. Baka he’ll find himself sobbing when later he’ll realize that talo pala siya sa election. Noynoy could not even attend a forum or debate kasi natatakot siya na malaman ng tao na his brain is empty.
As we all know, the 1987 Constitution otherwise known as Cory Constitution was harried. In fact, Cory Aquino appointed the delegates. It was not written by ConCon or ConAs delegates. She just felt that appointing the people to seat in it. That’s one of the reasons why it has so many loopholes and conflicting provisions. It can never even be revised because people would then fill up the EDSA for another rally.
Now, one of the people who should take the blame of having a defective constitution, Fr. Bernas could not even make up his mind on PGMAs position. The conflicting provisions lead to confusion. The least that he could do really is to take all the blame why we’re in this situation. Kasi isa siya sa mga framers ng 1987 constitution. Ngayon, ito ginagamit na naman ng mga obstructionist opposition itong confusion na ito para mapa pangit na naman ang imahe ni PGMA. Well, at least they’d tried but they have to accept the fact that PGMA is staying until her term ends on June 30.
I’ve even heard PGMA critics saying that out of delicadeza, she should let the next President appoint the SC Chief Justice. Well, ang masasabi ko lang, it’s the president’s prerogative. Sige nga, sabihin ninyong hindi kasi iyon talaga ang gagawin niya. Baka mag rally na naman kayo sa inis niyan. You’ve known PGMA for almost a decade and she often do what her critics asked her not to. An iba pa nga nagsasabi let Noynoy appoint the next SC Chief Justice. That’s so assuming kasi bakit mananalo ba siya? pang survey lang naman siya ah. Baka he’ll find himself sobbing when later he’ll realize that talo pala siya sa election. Noynoy could not even attend a forum or debate kasi natatakot siya na malaman ng tao na his brain is empty.
Blair on the Hot Seat
When former US President George W. Bush declared to invade Iraq on the premise that Iraq has the weapons of Mass Destruction, Tony Blair of UK jumped into the bandwagon and supported the US without question. Actually, it is not only Blair who supported that war but almost all of the countries allied to the US. Sabi nga ni George Bush then, if you’re not with us, you’re with them, referring to the group that the US labeled to as terrorist. Years on, both Blair and Bush are no longer in power and Iraq was never the same. It is still a warzone and people are dying everywhere because of the senseless war that George W. Bush waged.
If you asked the Iraqis 100% of them would say that life with Saddam is way better than what the Americans brought them. Alright, Saddam was accused of being a tyrant but all of those are just accusations without any basis. Americans fabricated all the evidences in order to pin down Saddam. They successfully hanged him but it never ends the bloodsheds in that country.
Yesterday while I was scanning all my channels to look for an interesting program, I chance upon the BBC Coverage of the Iraq Inquiry. Tony Blair was being investigated by a committee on his involvement on the waging of the war on Iraq. Blair was blamed because he knowingly participated in a war that America waged. He knows that the reasons for the invasion are just fabricated yet he risks the lives of the young British soldiers in the battlefield. Aside from that, he tricked the institution that he is serving in order to get his own way. It’s too early to tell whether Blair will be cleared of all the charges. The response and sentiments of the public is that he’s going to pay for what he did.
I just wish that the Americans, the Imperialistic Americans could one day subject the evil George W. Bush in an inquiry. They should also include the neocons and people serving the George W. Bush administration. I doubt it though. Because even today, Americans still believe that the war is justifiable even if their government’s reason to wage it was proven to be fabricated.
If you asked the Iraqis 100% of them would say that life with Saddam is way better than what the Americans brought them. Alright, Saddam was accused of being a tyrant but all of those are just accusations without any basis. Americans fabricated all the evidences in order to pin down Saddam. They successfully hanged him but it never ends the bloodsheds in that country.
Yesterday while I was scanning all my channels to look for an interesting program, I chance upon the BBC Coverage of the Iraq Inquiry. Tony Blair was being investigated by a committee on his involvement on the waging of the war on Iraq. Blair was blamed because he knowingly participated in a war that America waged. He knows that the reasons for the invasion are just fabricated yet he risks the lives of the young British soldiers in the battlefield. Aside from that, he tricked the institution that he is serving in order to get his own way. It’s too early to tell whether Blair will be cleared of all the charges. The response and sentiments of the public is that he’s going to pay for what he did.
I just wish that the Americans, the Imperialistic Americans could one day subject the evil George W. Bush in an inquiry. They should also include the neocons and people serving the George W. Bush administration. I doubt it though. Because even today, Americans still believe that the war is justifiable even if their government’s reason to wage it was proven to be fabricated.
Ja Jollibee kami, Jo Join Kayo?
Ja Jollibee Kami, Jo Join Kayo? That’s the current buzzword of all kabayan in Al Khobar. Pero knowing me, I’m not really fond of queuing. Sorry sa inyo na lang iyang pilahan na iyan. I would not fall in line just to eat at Jollibee. I’ve had enough Jollibees to last a lifetime!
But seriously, I’m a true blooded Jollibee Kid. It’s not that I hate their food but I just don’t like the taste. The portion size is also very small and yes … there’s no value for money. If you’re in the Pinas, you’ll notice that the chicken they’re using is so malnourished! Hahaahah.. grabe super liit talaga. Promise, If you eat the chicken joy, hindi ka talaga mabubusog kasi hanggang sa liig mo lang ang kinain mo.
I’ve started working part time with Jollibee practically after graduating High School. I’ve worked with several stores and could really say that I’ve imbibed the culture. I could even say with certainty that I wasn’t hired at a Management Trainee by another major food chain if I hadn’t worked with Jollibee.
Yon na nga! Last Wednesday, my friend D called me up at around 10PM and asked me what I want from Jollibee. Ang loko pumila na pala doon. At hindi lang iyon, he’d been there since the store opened! Siguro it took him an hour before he reached our building and he gave me the famous spaghetti and jolly hotdog. I ate the spaghetti right away and I was just disappointed because the sauce could not even coat the pasta. The taste.. ewwwhhhh… mas masarap pa ang niluluto ko! I would normally buy a readymade Italian pasta sauce in Farm 9 and it taste good na. D was so shocked when I told him that I’m putting ketchup in the Jollibee Spaghetti that he gave me. Grabe super sub standard talaga! But I ended up eating the spaghetti since I don’t want to offend my friend D. As for the jolly hotdog naman…well, the hotdog bun is OLD. Alam mo naman siguro kung luma na ang bun ano? Eh suki at fan kaya ako sa hotdog bun ng Farm 9. I can really tell kung luma or hindi ang bun. At sa nasabi ko na nga, I’ve worked with Jollibee for 5 years to know their standards.
I’m giving Jollibee’s pilahan 3-4 months. Hindi iyan magsu sustain kung ganyan lang at hindi maka compete ang kanilang product sa ibang international food chains. They have to change their menu if they really want to last longer.
But seriously, I’m a true blooded Jollibee Kid. It’s not that I hate their food but I just don’t like the taste. The portion size is also very small and yes … there’s no value for money. If you’re in the Pinas, you’ll notice that the chicken they’re using is so malnourished! Hahaahah.. grabe super liit talaga. Promise, If you eat the chicken joy, hindi ka talaga mabubusog kasi hanggang sa liig mo lang ang kinain mo.
I’ve started working part time with Jollibee practically after graduating High School. I’ve worked with several stores and could really say that I’ve imbibed the culture. I could even say with certainty that I wasn’t hired at a Management Trainee by another major food chain if I hadn’t worked with Jollibee.
Yon na nga! Last Wednesday, my friend D called me up at around 10PM and asked me what I want from Jollibee. Ang loko pumila na pala doon. At hindi lang iyon, he’d been there since the store opened! Siguro it took him an hour before he reached our building and he gave me the famous spaghetti and jolly hotdog. I ate the spaghetti right away and I was just disappointed because the sauce could not even coat the pasta. The taste.. ewwwhhhh… mas masarap pa ang niluluto ko! I would normally buy a readymade Italian pasta sauce in Farm 9 and it taste good na. D was so shocked when I told him that I’m putting ketchup in the Jollibee Spaghetti that he gave me. Grabe super sub standard talaga! But I ended up eating the spaghetti since I don’t want to offend my friend D. As for the jolly hotdog naman…well, the hotdog bun is OLD. Alam mo naman siguro kung luma na ang bun ano? Eh suki at fan kaya ako sa hotdog bun ng Farm 9. I can really tell kung luma or hindi ang bun. At sa nasabi ko na nga, I’ve worked with Jollibee for 5 years to know their standards.
I’m giving Jollibee’s pilahan 3-4 months. Hindi iyan magsu sustain kung ganyan lang at hindi maka compete ang kanilang product sa ibang international food chains. They have to change their menu if they really want to last longer.
18 January 2010
My Lord and my God
The Highest Court of Malaysia, truly Asia released a ruling that allows non Muslims to call their God Allah. It sparks a violent protest as Muslim extremist burned down churches and religious. Religious leaders in Malaysia are saying that allowing non Muslims to call their God ‘Allah’ will diminish and erode people’s faith.
I really don’t agree that allowing Christians and Non-Muslims to call their God ‘Allah’ will erode the faith of our Muslims brothers. Our faith is within us regardless of our religion. If we’re really true to our religion, nobody could really influence us to change our hearts.
Malaysia is one of the most diversely populated countries in the World. I think that extremist individuals are just using the issue to divide this beautiful nation that withstood a number of sectarian violence in the past. It’s really up to their people on what road they want to take in the future.
In passing, a friend of mine asked me if I would want to call my God ‘Allah’. I told him that I’ll just call him my Lord and my God. I believe that there is only one God. No matter what our Catholic faith has thought us, I believe that there’s only one GOD. It is obviously contrary to the teachings of Catholics that believes in 3-in-1 (trinity) God.
---- oo0 ----
When I was still in High School, my English teacher Mrs. Sonia Galila stressed that the G in God should always be capitalized. It’s a general rule in English she said.
I really don’t agree that allowing Christians and Non-Muslims to call their God ‘Allah’ will erode the faith of our Muslims brothers. Our faith is within us regardless of our religion. If we’re really true to our religion, nobody could really influence us to change our hearts.
Malaysia is one of the most diversely populated countries in the World. I think that extremist individuals are just using the issue to divide this beautiful nation that withstood a number of sectarian violence in the past. It’s really up to their people on what road they want to take in the future.
In passing, a friend of mine asked me if I would want to call my God ‘Allah’. I told him that I’ll just call him my Lord and my God. I believe that there is only one God. No matter what our Catholic faith has thought us, I believe that there’s only one GOD. It is obviously contrary to the teachings of Catholics that believes in 3-in-1 (trinity) God.
---- oo0 ----
When I was still in High School, my English teacher Mrs. Sonia Galila stressed that the G in God should always be capitalized. It’s a general rule in English she said.
Family Businesses in Saudi
I was so busy with a lot of tasks in the office for the past few weeks. I had single handedly arranged the ‘Family Business Sustainability Forum’ which is sponsored by our company. Well, single handedly is such a big word ha ha ha ha… I had to admit that my boss also played a very large part in that event. The good thing with my boss is that he knows a lot of people and he has a lot of connections. We can negotiate a deal without any glitch. That’s why in some of the business dealings, we really need the Arabs. They have a unique culture that the westerners and other cultures don’t have. These guys would just kiss each others cheeks and wallah! .. the deal is signed.
Most of the businesses in the Kingdom of the Sands are family owned. Family owned businesses flourished in the 70s when the Saudi government decided to diversify its economy. One of the best examples of those companies is Olayan. According to my boss, the Olayan’s are five times richer than the Zed’s. They also owned five percent (5%) of the American Express. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages of family owned businesses. Let’s leave it up to Peter Leach and Dr. Ben Harper (our speakers) to discuss those things. I think the most important point in their discussion is that family businesses have more compassion. It’s not like in the Public Companies where if a manager fail, they’ll fire him right away. If you are working in a family owned business like ours, you’ll notice that the Managing Directors or Presidents are look up to as the father of the employees. The owners look up to their subordinates as sons. The patriarchal values are absent to the publicly listed companies where everyone is geared towards profit. The dog eat dog word doesn’t exist in the family owned companies.
The speakers said that the first generation who established the business toiled hard. The second generation grows the business. The third generation, born in golden spoons squandered the business. That’s a proven fact since most of the case studies presented during the forum showed how some of the Italian family businesses were destroyed because of the infighting.
The purpose of the forum was to guide the families to professionalize their companies. We’re getting there but professionalizing the family owned companies, particularly our company is a very big word. We’ll leave it up to strategy people to take the first few steps. To me, the future of our company is in the hands of our future leaders … the Zed future Leaders who will one day run our company.
---- oo0oo ----
Before the forum I had to visit Mövenpick Hotel to look at the venue and finalize all the arrangements. I must admit that the structure, interior and the façade are impressive. My only disappointment is their food. For me, nothing really beats Carlton Hotel when it comes to food. They have the best food in Eastern Province.
---- oo0oo ----
Our event is a gathering of all the wealthy families in the Kingdom of the Sands. You’ll literally be rubbing elbows with Saudi’s rich and famous. My boss estimated the total assets of the participants to reach more than 100 Billion USD. I don’t know if that’s accurate though. I just wish that one day, like them, I’ll be attending this sort of gathering for the rich and famous.
Most of the businesses in the Kingdom of the Sands are family owned. Family owned businesses flourished in the 70s when the Saudi government decided to diversify its economy. One of the best examples of those companies is Olayan. According to my boss, the Olayan’s are five times richer than the Zed’s. They also owned five percent (5%) of the American Express. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages of family owned businesses. Let’s leave it up to Peter Leach and Dr. Ben Harper (our speakers) to discuss those things. I think the most important point in their discussion is that family businesses have more compassion. It’s not like in the Public Companies where if a manager fail, they’ll fire him right away. If you are working in a family owned business like ours, you’ll notice that the Managing Directors or Presidents are look up to as the father of the employees. The owners look up to their subordinates as sons. The patriarchal values are absent to the publicly listed companies where everyone is geared towards profit. The dog eat dog word doesn’t exist in the family owned companies.
The speakers said that the first generation who established the business toiled hard. The second generation grows the business. The third generation, born in golden spoons squandered the business. That’s a proven fact since most of the case studies presented during the forum showed how some of the Italian family businesses were destroyed because of the infighting.
The purpose of the forum was to guide the families to professionalize their companies. We’re getting there but professionalizing the family owned companies, particularly our company is a very big word. We’ll leave it up to strategy people to take the first few steps. To me, the future of our company is in the hands of our future leaders … the Zed future Leaders who will one day run our company.
---- oo0oo ----
Before the forum I had to visit Mövenpick Hotel to look at the venue and finalize all the arrangements. I must admit that the structure, interior and the façade are impressive. My only disappointment is their food. For me, nothing really beats Carlton Hotel when it comes to food. They have the best food in Eastern Province.
---- oo0oo ----
Our event is a gathering of all the wealthy families in the Kingdom of the Sands. You’ll literally be rubbing elbows with Saudi’s rich and famous. My boss estimated the total assets of the participants to reach more than 100 Billion USD. I don’t know if that’s accurate though. I just wish that one day, like them, I’ll be attending this sort of gathering for the rich and famous.
16 January 2010
God bless Haiti
I was speechless with the devastation that the earthquake brought to the impoverished country. The stench of death is everywhere and people are really hopeless and hungry. The series of political upheavals, hurricanes and now the killer earthquake made the BBC called Haiti as the most unlucky country in the world. Are the Haitians really that unlucky? Does it have to do with the name of their country? Can the Feng Shui experts turn this country around?
I think that what happened to Haiti is God’s way of reminding us that we’re insignificant. We’ve proven that during the series of disasters in the Philippines. It’s also a way to upset the population explosions in the world. Somebody has to die somehow, yes? That also explains why regardless how advanced our technology nowadays, doctors and scientists could still not find the fountain of immortality.
Going back to Haiti, disasters like this also brings out the best of humanity. People and countries the world over are helping each other. Tons of food and drugs are shipped to Haiti so that people there will suffer less. The United Nation, who have several casualties with the collapse of the UN Structure in Haiti also pledge several peace keeping forces and aid.
In trying times like this, we could only hope for the best. God bless Haiti.
I think that what happened to Haiti is God’s way of reminding us that we’re insignificant. We’ve proven that during the series of disasters in the Philippines. It’s also a way to upset the population explosions in the world. Somebody has to die somehow, yes? That also explains why regardless how advanced our technology nowadays, doctors and scientists could still not find the fountain of immortality.
Going back to Haiti, disasters like this also brings out the best of humanity. People and countries the world over are helping each other. Tons of food and drugs are shipped to Haiti so that people there will suffer less. The United Nation, who have several casualties with the collapse of the UN Structure in Haiti also pledge several peace keeping forces and aid.
In trying times like this, we could only hope for the best. God bless Haiti.
Feeling good after a good fight
I’m no Manny Pacquiao so I’m not really saying that I’m good in boxing. What I can relate with the rest of the male species though is the thrill and fun of the boxing match. About 2 Wednesdays ago, my friend and I were walking near Ramah Supermarket when an Arab guy started to followed us. I would normally ignore it but he kept on saying something unintelligible. I was so irritated that I really want to do something but my friend was holding me. My patience was tried when he got closer to us. I throw my bag at him and throw him an upward punch. Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t able to anticipate his retaliation. He punched me and then runs away from us. I was hurt, yeah but it’s alright. At least I thought that guy a lesson.
In my almost a decade here in the Kingdom of Sands, I’ve punched several people who got into my way. In Al Khobar alone, I think I’ve punched around 5-6 Arabs. The rest were in random and mostly happened in Dammam. The thing with the Arabs is that they don’t really know how to fight. I mean, fight using their fists. I’ve witnessed several fighting between Arabs or between Indians and all they do is call each other names. Fighting Filipino style is totally different. Suntokan, tadyakan at matirang matibay. The good thing with Filipino fight is that you’ll feel good right after. Kahit na duguan ka pa o nasaktan ka, masarap ang pakiramdam. I think it’s the testosterone that makes us feel good after a good fight. Kaya nga siguro Filipino people are really fond of boxing.
When I look back at what happened last Wednesday, I just could not understand why Arabs lost their respect to us (Filipinos). We’ve really tried our best to work hard here yet we still could not gain the respect that we deserved. May kinalaman ba ito sa mga extracurricular activities that our kabayans do? I’ve heard several unpleasant stories about our kabayans but I don’t want to be judgmental. The only problem with having those extracurricular activities is that it will affect our fellow kabayans. It would be alright kung ang mababastos ay iyong mga salarin din. Ang kaso, yong mga wala namang kaalam alam ang nadadamay.
Ang sa akin lang, just as long as these Arabs would not irritate me, I’ll just stay calm. Kung hindi basi masumbagan ko naman sila!
In my almost a decade here in the Kingdom of Sands, I’ve punched several people who got into my way. In Al Khobar alone, I think I’ve punched around 5-6 Arabs. The rest were in random and mostly happened in Dammam. The thing with the Arabs is that they don’t really know how to fight. I mean, fight using their fists. I’ve witnessed several fighting between Arabs or between Indians and all they do is call each other names. Fighting Filipino style is totally different. Suntokan, tadyakan at matirang matibay. The good thing with Filipino fight is that you’ll feel good right after. Kahit na duguan ka pa o nasaktan ka, masarap ang pakiramdam. I think it’s the testosterone that makes us feel good after a good fight. Kaya nga siguro Filipino people are really fond of boxing.
When I look back at what happened last Wednesday, I just could not understand why Arabs lost their respect to us (Filipinos). We’ve really tried our best to work hard here yet we still could not gain the respect that we deserved. May kinalaman ba ito sa mga extracurricular activities that our kabayans do? I’ve heard several unpleasant stories about our kabayans but I don’t want to be judgmental. The only problem with having those extracurricular activities is that it will affect our fellow kabayans. It would be alright kung ang mababastos ay iyong mga salarin din. Ang kaso, yong mga wala namang kaalam alam ang nadadamay.
Ang sa akin lang, just as long as these Arabs would not irritate me, I’ll just stay calm. Kung hindi basi masumbagan ko naman sila!
Dinagyang 2010
It’s has been a decade since I last witnessed the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City. I admit that it’s one of the events that I missed most. The Dinagyang Festival is celebrated every fourth Sunday of January. It’s supposed to be celebrated every 3rd Sunday of January in honor of the patron saint Senior Santo Niño of Cebu. However, by tradition, the Santo Niño of Cebu has to grace the Dinagyang Festival. The priests of the Order of San Agustin have to delay it for one week for logistic reasons.
Based from the write ups and the firsthand account of my friends and family, Dinagyang has become one of the most awaited tourism events in the country. What Dinagyang sets apart from its rival festivals in the country is its superb performance, world class choreography and colorful costumes. Dinagyang Festival also has several events before the proper Dinagyang Festival such as the Food Fest, and the Kasadyahan Festival.
As you all know, Ilonggos love to eat so the Food Festival is one of the most awaited event in Iloilo. Baw kanamit guid. My sister also told me that most of the bands that play in Dinagyang nowadays are Manila based.
The Kasadyahan Festival on the other hand is a pre Ati-Ati event. It consists of dancing and themed performances. It’s even said that the Kasadyahan Festival cannot even be compared to Cebu’s Sinulog, Davao’s Kadayawan or Bacolod’s Masskara.
I really missed the Dinagyang Festival. I missed the merry making and the food festival. I promised myself that I’ll be in the future Dinagyang Festivals. To my fellow Ilonggos from the world over to enjoy the Dinagyang Festival. Hala Bira!
Based from the write ups and the firsthand account of my friends and family, Dinagyang has become one of the most awaited tourism events in the country. What Dinagyang sets apart from its rival festivals in the country is its superb performance, world class choreography and colorful costumes. Dinagyang Festival also has several events before the proper Dinagyang Festival such as the Food Fest, and the Kasadyahan Festival.
As you all know, Ilonggos love to eat so the Food Festival is one of the most awaited event in Iloilo. Baw kanamit guid. My sister also told me that most of the bands that play in Dinagyang nowadays are Manila based.
The Kasadyahan Festival on the other hand is a pre Ati-Ati event. It consists of dancing and themed performances. It’s even said that the Kasadyahan Festival cannot even be compared to Cebu’s Sinulog, Davao’s Kadayawan or Bacolod’s Masskara.
I really missed the Dinagyang Festival. I missed the merry making and the food festival. I promised myself that I’ll be in the future Dinagyang Festivals. To my fellow Ilonggos from the world over to enjoy the Dinagyang Festival. Hala Bira!
03 January 2010
….. on Climate Change
I am not really comfortable writing about the climate change phenomenon. The reason being is that I am not an environmentalist. I am one of the millions of people who pollute our mother earth. I would really like to mend my ways but in the Kingdom of the Sands (and in the Philippines), there’s no opportunity for well meaning people to change. I know that change comes from within and everyone of us has the capacity to effect change. It would however be very difficult if there’s no support especially from the government or community.
The present problem of climate change did not just come to us overnight. It’s from the years of abuse and neglect on our part. We never realized that the carbon emissions that our factories and vehicles emit will cause a very disturbing effect on our surroundings. We are left to cope with the consequences of global warming. The polar ice caps are melting very fast and that leads to flooding and submerging of low lying land masses. The erratic and unpredictable weather are felt everywhere. We are cutting the trees, our only hope in offsetting carbon emissions. The humankind’s insatiable greed will destroy our planet. Actually, it already did.
Now we have the Copenhagen Accord sponsored by none other than the United States, the world’s number one polluter. The United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol but now wants to police the world with their so called Copenhagen Accord. I’ve watched Vandana Shiva’s interview at Al Jazeera and was so impressed in the depth of her knowledge on Climate Change. What the Copenhagen Accord Ms. Shiva said is undoing all the good initiatives that the Kyoto Protocol created. The good talker US President even claimed at the Copenhagen that it is the first initiative that the world created on climate change. Hello!! The world did not revolve after the election of Barack Obama. The world in 1992 already raised this issue followed by the Kyoto Protocol. The beauty of Kyoto Protocol is it’s a binding treaty and almost all the countries ratified it except for the United States.
The United States almost always have a hidden agenda. I think that sponsoring the Copenhagen Accord is their way of avoiding the carbon emission limit. Ang kakapal ng mukha! They’re the reason why the world is suffering climate change. The most affected pa naman in this case are the third world countries. Kaya nga daw outsourcing was introduced in China and India so that those developing countries will bear the carbon footprints of the United States and other highly industrialized countries. They’re not only outsourcing manpower but also the carbon emissions. Oo nga naman. If the factory is in China, naturally the carbon emissions would come from China. The United States and other highly developed countries on the other hand are spared with carbon emissions.
The present problem of climate change did not just come to us overnight. It’s from the years of abuse and neglect on our part. We never realized that the carbon emissions that our factories and vehicles emit will cause a very disturbing effect on our surroundings. We are left to cope with the consequences of global warming. The polar ice caps are melting very fast and that leads to flooding and submerging of low lying land masses. The erratic and unpredictable weather are felt everywhere. We are cutting the trees, our only hope in offsetting carbon emissions. The humankind’s insatiable greed will destroy our planet. Actually, it already did.
Now we have the Copenhagen Accord sponsored by none other than the United States, the world’s number one polluter. The United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol but now wants to police the world with their so called Copenhagen Accord. I’ve watched Vandana Shiva’s interview at Al Jazeera and was so impressed in the depth of her knowledge on Climate Change. What the Copenhagen Accord Ms. Shiva said is undoing all the good initiatives that the Kyoto Protocol created. The good talker US President even claimed at the Copenhagen that it is the first initiative that the world created on climate change. Hello!! The world did not revolve after the election of Barack Obama. The world in 1992 already raised this issue followed by the Kyoto Protocol. The beauty of Kyoto Protocol is it’s a binding treaty and almost all the countries ratified it except for the United States.
The United States almost always have a hidden agenda. I think that sponsoring the Copenhagen Accord is their way of avoiding the carbon emission limit. Ang kakapal ng mukha! They’re the reason why the world is suffering climate change. The most affected pa naman in this case are the third world countries. Kaya nga daw outsourcing was introduced in China and India so that those developing countries will bear the carbon footprints of the United States and other highly industrialized countries. They’re not only outsourcing manpower but also the carbon emissions. Oo nga naman. If the factory is in China, naturally the carbon emissions would come from China. The United States and other highly developed countries on the other hand are spared with carbon emissions.
02 January 2010
It’s 2010
I still could not believe that it’s already 2010. Grabe! Time flies nga talaga. This is the nth times that I celebrated New Year away from my family. I actually can’t remember the last time I celebrated New Year with them anymore! Good God!
New Year calls for cleansing. You don’t only have to clean your house but your body too. We need to cleanse our body because admit it, we indulged our bodies into the not so healthy foods during the holidays.
I’m very lucky that I have a very small house so that restricts me from accumulating unnecessary stuffs. It’s also easy for me to clean it. This is my 4th house in Saudi Arabia in 8 years. This is also the first time that I did not fit my apartment floor with a carpet. The floor is easier to clean because I just have to wipe it with a damp cloth. The only disadvantage is during the winter season. You have to wear a rubber slippers kay grabe ka tugnaw (it’s so cold) and salug.
And speaking of cleaning, the first week of January is the perfect time for us to review our relationships with people around us. You don’t know you’re hoarding garbage with you. I’m talking about bad people you are surrounding yourself with. You have to throw them away. Ang iba would say, paano? Well, bad relationships and bad people will not end or leave you unless you decide to throw them away. Para lang iyang mga gamit. If you don’t need them, throw them away. You’ll notice that you won’t miss them. You’ll be surprised pa nga kung mare realize mo na umaliwalas ang iyong bahay.
New Year calls for cleansing. You don’t only have to clean your house but your body too. We need to cleanse our body because admit it, we indulged our bodies into the not so healthy foods during the holidays.
I’m very lucky that I have a very small house so that restricts me from accumulating unnecessary stuffs. It’s also easy for me to clean it. This is my 4th house in Saudi Arabia in 8 years. This is also the first time that I did not fit my apartment floor with a carpet. The floor is easier to clean because I just have to wipe it with a damp cloth. The only disadvantage is during the winter season. You have to wear a rubber slippers kay grabe ka tugnaw (it’s so cold) and salug.
And speaking of cleaning, the first week of January is the perfect time for us to review our relationships with people around us. You don’t know you’re hoarding garbage with you. I’m talking about bad people you are surrounding yourself with. You have to throw them away. Ang iba would say, paano? Well, bad relationships and bad people will not end or leave you unless you decide to throw them away. Para lang iyang mga gamit. If you don’t need them, throw them away. You’ll notice that you won’t miss them. You’ll be surprised pa nga kung mare realize mo na umaliwalas ang iyong bahay.
Look who’s talking?
Have you heard of what happened just recently? They call themselves as the mavericks in Politics, identified closely to Noynoy Aquino’s camp are actually losers. I’m referring to Grace Padaca (Isabela) and Among Ed Panlilio (Pampanga) who in the latest COMELEC count actually lost in the 2007 election. Ang siste, these two are hailed as political reformers. Padaca toppled the Dy’s while Among Ed won in a very slim margin against Penida. Yon pala, talo naman pala sa election. The sad thing is, there’s barely 6 months left for the legitimate winners of the election to seat.
By now, alam ninyo na siguro kung ano ang sinisigaw ng mga ito. For sure, they’ll once again blame PGMA for the results. As you all know, lahat naman na nangyayari sa Pilipinas, si PGMA ang may kasalanan! Di ba mga militante? Do not be surprised if during the political rally, the LP camp will once again peddle the baseless conspiracy theories. We have to give credit to Grace Padaca though, she once and for all said that there’s no conspiracy theory and that PGMA has nothing to do with the COMELEC ruling. She’s smart enough not relent to her political handlers in the Opposition Party.
But she and Panlilio has to step down so that justice can be served. It’s unfair enough for the true winners to wait for 2.5 years to get their justice. The COMELEC should not wait for more motions and delays filed by Padaca and Panlilio’s lawyer. If they’re really honest and true as they claim to be, they should step down. As they say, justice delayed is justice denied.
By now, alam ninyo na siguro kung ano ang sinisigaw ng mga ito. For sure, they’ll once again blame PGMA for the results. As you all know, lahat naman na nangyayari sa Pilipinas, si PGMA ang may kasalanan! Di ba mga militante? Do not be surprised if during the political rally, the LP camp will once again peddle the baseless conspiracy theories. We have to give credit to Grace Padaca though, she once and for all said that there’s no conspiracy theory and that PGMA has nothing to do with the COMELEC ruling. She’s smart enough not relent to her political handlers in the Opposition Party.
But she and Panlilio has to step down so that justice can be served. It’s unfair enough for the true winners to wait for 2.5 years to get their justice. The COMELEC should not wait for more motions and delays filed by Padaca and Panlilio’s lawyer. If they’re really honest and true as they claim to be, they should step down. As they say, justice delayed is justice denied.
Term Limit for LGU Officials
The term limit for Local Government Units (LGUs) officials will forever be a hot issue. For a good Mayor, 3 years (1 term) or 9 years (3 terms) is too short. On the other hand, 3 years (1 term) or 9 years (3 terms) is too long for a bad Mayor.
In Manila and if you have Atienza as Mayor, you’ll probably want to put him in the office forever. No doubt, Atienza did everything he could to re-invent and beautify Manila. When Alfredo Lim took the reins of the premier city, he practically destroyed all the beautification projects that Mayor Atienza made for the city. He also splurged (spent) all the surpluses (worth billions of pesos) accumulated during the Atienza era.
Manila is the microcosm of the Philippines. Unfair it may seem but for foreigners, what they see in Manila is the Philippines in itself. Nakakapanghinayang that the city that once hold a promise of revival was damaged by Lim’s inability to lead. Mas inuuna niya pa ang pamumulitika. In fact, he sends all Barangay Officials allied to him to an R&R in a major city in Asia (Of course, courtesy of the City of Manila’s treasury).
The same is true with Iloilo City. It only takes a Jerry Treñas to make Iloilo what it is today. Well, he really needs more years actually but because of term restrictions, he has to bow down. I’m not really saying that he’s the best thing that really happen to Iloilo (not even the next big thing). There were allegations before that he wanted to eliminate Adonis Manzan, a local critic. It’s still an allegation but Sheila Manzan, Adonis’ sister was horrified when a group of armed men open fire at the Manzan residence in Calumpang.
I’m sure that you guys have good and bad things to say against your local officials. The best thing is that, you have the power to vote who is best for our community. Just vote for someone who truly represents you. If he fails to perform, you just have to wait for another 3 years, and vote for the more deserving one.
I admire the intentions of the framers of the Local Government Code. They specifically designed a law that won’t allow a Local Official to remain in the office forever. However, as with all the laws, it should be reviewed to adapt to a changing times.
In Manila and if you have Atienza as Mayor, you’ll probably want to put him in the office forever. No doubt, Atienza did everything he could to re-invent and beautify Manila. When Alfredo Lim took the reins of the premier city, he practically destroyed all the beautification projects that Mayor Atienza made for the city. He also splurged (spent) all the surpluses (worth billions of pesos) accumulated during the Atienza era.
Manila is the microcosm of the Philippines. Unfair it may seem but for foreigners, what they see in Manila is the Philippines in itself. Nakakapanghinayang that the city that once hold a promise of revival was damaged by Lim’s inability to lead. Mas inuuna niya pa ang pamumulitika. In fact, he sends all Barangay Officials allied to him to an R&R in a major city in Asia (Of course, courtesy of the City of Manila’s treasury).
The same is true with Iloilo City. It only takes a Jerry Treñas to make Iloilo what it is today. Well, he really needs more years actually but because of term restrictions, he has to bow down. I’m not really saying that he’s the best thing that really happen to Iloilo (not even the next big thing). There were allegations before that he wanted to eliminate Adonis Manzan, a local critic. It’s still an allegation but Sheila Manzan, Adonis’ sister was horrified when a group of armed men open fire at the Manzan residence in Calumpang.
I’m sure that you guys have good and bad things to say against your local officials. The best thing is that, you have the power to vote who is best for our community. Just vote for someone who truly represents you. If he fails to perform, you just have to wait for another 3 years, and vote for the more deserving one.
I admire the intentions of the framers of the Local Government Code. They specifically designed a law that won’t allow a Local Official to remain in the office forever. However, as with all the laws, it should be reviewed to adapt to a changing times.
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