Disregard for the Safety of Others

The crew of Maalala Mo Kaya has been at it since 6:00 am setting up and getting ready for this afternoon's shoot. They chose the house of one of my neighbors as the setting for one of their episodes. I can understand the need for huge generator trucks and everything, and that's okay. What really got me reeling was how they parked these big bulky vehicles. One of them chose to park diagonally at the corner of St. Therese and St. Rita. Now all cars going out of St. Rita don't know if a speeding car is on a head-on collission since the truck is blocking the view and, more importantly, half the street. I am concerned since this is the usual route of 3 school buses. I asked for the driver so he can move it, but no one seemed to care. I am disappointed that this show -- produced by ABS-CBN who claims to be on the up-and-up when it comes to following rules-- has shown little respect for the safety of others.

TATANG ORLY: A TRIBUTE ON HIS 3RD DEATH ANNIVERSARY

I am writing this as tribute to Orly Punzalan, mentor, friend, veteran broadcaster and second father, who marked his 3rd Death Anniversary on January 7, 2008. Photos by Lourdes Valerie Handumon

In our lives, there are people who will definitely leave a mark in our hearts and minds. One such person is Orly Punzalan.

I will never forget the first time I met Orly Punzalan. Our Dean, Doctor Amelita Gaerlan told us that our Broadcasting Professor was waiting for us at the conference hall. Being a member of She told us to be very nice because our professor was the famous Orly Punzalan. Of course i knew who Orly was, but my classmates didn't. They only know him as the father of actress Princess Punzalan. Orly Punzalan, or Tatang, as we fondly call him, was more than that.

Tatang was one of the original Radyo Patrol reporters during a time when radio was more popular than television. He was a trained radio man, he has one of the most sought-after voices on radio at the time, and he was the manager of Radio Veritas Asia as well as the domestic news director of Radio Vertias Philippines during the pre- and post- Martial law era. He was also the first person to broadcast freely over Channel 4 during the EDSA revolution. He had a calm but solid voice and he talked very clearly during our lessons with him. He directed our first news program at the newly constructed Television Studio of Angelicum College.

Tatang was very encouraging as well. When i was offered by the Rector of Angelicum to be acting head of their PR office (I was in second or third year college then), I asked him if i should take on such a big responsibility. He told me to go for it. He said that, after all, i practically ran the office when my former boss went AWOL. He was the one who told me not to be afraid of taking on big responsibilities. Because of his encouragement, i became head of the PR Office of Angelicum and remained so for 8 years. From then on, it was in my office where we held most of our classes (we were a small class and my office's conference table was big enough to accommodate us).

For the rest of the school year, we got to know Tatang's family as well. We used to have lunch at their cantina near Siena College in Quezon City. and it was there that we met his wife Tita Baby and daughter Meg. Meg was then studying at the Collegio de Santa Rosa in Makati. Tatang's family was very accommodating, so we didin't pass up on his invitation to visit their home in Cavite. It was well worth the trip. We were received very warmly and we stayed until the wee hours. This, I think, solidified our friendship and admiration for Tatang and his family.

Tatang also had a radio program on Radyo Vertias then. Some of his students, including myself, were fortunate to have been "regular guests" of his show "Touching Lives". I remember that during the Edsa Tres march towards Malacanang, my friend Nigel and I were reporting for Veritas over the phone about the happenings in Mendiola. This was a couple of hours before the mayhem began.

Years passed, and our ties with Tatang and his family remained strong. The time he had a heart attack came as a shock to us. I had lost my father to lung cancer just months before Tatang passed away on January 7, 2005. Both Tatang and my father died at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. We went to his wake and we delivered our eulogies. Tatang was like a second father to most of our barkada, and his passing has left us with a void in our hearts.

To this day, I cannot forget the day Tatang came and touched our lives. He was more than just a great professor, but he was more importantly a good father to his children, a loving husband to his wife, and a patient mentor to all of us. I remain in touch with his family because they are now a part of mine. Tatang, wherever you are, Salamat, Maraming Salamat.

>Click here< for sa feature on Tatang Orly in "The Lance" (Letran Publications)

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Orly Punzalan signs off; 70.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Marinel R. Cruz

VETERAN broadcast journalist Orlando "Orly" Punzalan, father of dramatic actress Princess, died of cardiac arrest on Friday at the National Kidney Institute. He was 70.

Punzalan was brought to the hospital on Jan. 6 after he complained of severe chest pains the night before, according to his son Paolo.

"It turned out he had minor heart attacks days before," Paolo told the Inquirer in a phone interview. "He probably didn't notice, or just ignored them. The doctor said a blockage in his arteries had caused the attacks."

One such attack on Thursday was particularly damaging, said Paolo. "This enlarged his heart, and caused two-thirds of it to stop functioning."

The last one, yesterday at 11:55 a.m., killed Punzalan.

Paolo and Princess were Punzalan's children with the late broadcaster and actress Helen Vela.

Punzalan's remains lie at the Loyola Chapel in Guadalupe, Makati.

Interment will be on Tuesday at the Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque City.

Unfair provision in cheaper medicines bill

I am not anti-poor. I am all for this cheaper medicines bill. I am all for cheaper medicines. What i object to, and what the PMA objects to, is the provision that prevents doctors from prescribing particular brands of medicine to patients.. This last-minute provision to the Cheaper Medicine Bills is playing with the health of millions of Filipinos. Generics may be okay for simple coughs. But in cases like pneumonia which is not easy to cure, simple generics might not be the solution, according to Dr. Jose Sabili, president of the Philippine Medical Association.
Branded medicines from the USA undergo numerous testings before they even get the nod of the US FDA. To simply come up with generic equivalents of these medicines and say this is good enough without the needed research is reckless. Doctors should have a say on what they think will be the best medicine for their patients. Sure, they can include the generic name of the said medicine so the patient has the option to choose, but let us not prvent them from recommending brands that have been tried and tested. We cannot play God with the lives of our citizens just so some activist congresswoman can look good on television 2 years before elections. I feel that if this bill is not properly reviewed, this will cause more harm than good. Again, let me make it clear that i am not against the Bill, just the provision that prohibits doctors from prescribing paritcular brands.

I join the Phil. Medical Association against proviison to CMB

I am not anti-poor. I am all for this cheaper medicines bill. I am all for cheaper medicines. What i object to, and what the PMA objects to, is the provision that prevents doctors from prescribing particular brands of medicine, as the new provision to the Cheaper Medicine Bills state, is playing with the health of millions of Filipinos. Generics may be okay for simple coughs. But in cases like pneumonia which is not easy to cure, simple generics might not be the solution, according to Dr. Jose Sabili, president of the Philippine Medical Association.
Branded medicines have underwent and passed numerous testing. To simply come up with generic equivalents of these medicines without the needed research is reckless. Doctors should have a say on what they think will be the best medicine for their patients. Sure, they can include the generic name of the said medicine so the patient has the option to choose, but let us not prvent them from recommending rbands that have been tried and tested. We cannot play God with the lives of our citizens just so some congressmen can look good on Television 2 years before elections. I feel that if this bill is not properly reviewed, this will cause more harm than good. Again, let me make it clear that i am not against the Bill, just the provision that prohibits doctors from prescribing paritcular brands.

CLOVERFIELD: A MUST SEE MOVIE

This is one movie you definitely have to see.

Missing Person

I was told by my niece about this story and i am reposting it here on mapangurirat to help the family of Mackoy who has been missing since Jan. 3. If you have seen this person (photo can be found below), please send me a message or contact 0920 4185353.

Here is the blog from Kat, Mackoy's friend, in full:

Mackoy’s parents and uncles were here during the weekend. Jang and I met with them last Saturday. They told us that the SM Baguio security group allowed them to see the surveillance tape recordings taken last January 3, at the time when Mackoy supposedly withdrawed from his ATM account.

They saw Mackoy in one of the tapes.

It was him.

He was in SM Baguio last January 3.

This gives us hope that he is okay here somewhere. They say he had a haircut (so it’s not anymore wavy), was wearing a new shirt (grey) and shoes, faded denim pants, and watch (presumably new also, because he doesn’t usually wear one), he was carrying a small black bag, and he had a red folder tucked beneath an arm. They say he looked like he was looking for a job.

This narrows down our search, but at the same time we are confused all the more.

Why isn’t he contacting his family and friends? His parents just want to know if he is okay, why all of a sudden he goes missing. As of January 3, Mackoy is alive and well. His parents said that it didn’t look like he was in any trouble.

This Jan 23 was supposed to be his final interview for a promotion at Starbucks. We are puzzled why he would throw away an opportunity which he worked hard for. As of now, Starbucks says that if he doesn’t show up soon, he will lose his job. But if he does, and if he has a valid reason for disappearing, then he will retain his job.

When we last saw each other (around September), he told me that if ever he decides to visit Baguio, that he will contact me. So far, nada. I don’t know if he knows any one else here. When I was still working at the coffee shop, and was telling him of my plans to move here, he said (repeatedly) that he also wants to transfer here. He is also fascinated by the place, though he said that he might also move to Sagada eventually.

I worked with Mackoy for seven months at Starbucks Metrowalk (Pasig City). He was one of those whom I spent a considerable amount of time with (during and after work), so he was one of the few Metrowalk baristas who I got to know quite well.

Mackoy is the eldest of three boys. We know him to be a very responsible son and brother. He’s an easy-going guy who can also be serious when you need him to be. He is a loyal friend, fiercely protective especially to us girls.

If he has a problem, you will easily notice it as he becomes quiet and pensive, but surely there were more times when he used his being “kenkoy” to mask his real feelings. So, right now we are also considering the possibility that we can’t find him because he simply doesn’t want to be found.

But we are puzzled as to why he isn’t contacting his parents yet, Mackoy is not the type who would make his parents worry to this extent.

We don’t exactly know where he is now (we hope he is still here in Baguio), why he is missing, and who would think of doing something bad to him.

The police advised us to check the morgues, worst case scenario, they said. And so I asked Jang to call the morgues, and we found out that there are NO unidentified bodies in either of the two Baguio morgues. But there are still many what ifs.

We are still to check the hospitals, and it’s going to be scary, but we (Mackoy’s family and his friends) are going to do whatever it takes to find a lead on where he is right now. His parents say that photos of him are already plastered in the Mandaluyong, Pasig, and Manila areas. We posted a missing person notice in the most prominent Baguio newspaper, and we also posted blotters at the Baguio, San Fernando (La Union), and Isabela police. ABS-CBN is helping out the family, and we are working the radio circuits. A number of friends had also volunteered to help.

We are asking for your prayers. Thank you.

This is how he looks like with short hair, and the other photo shows the red hat he usually wears.

Jose P. Laurel Sr.

When one hears the name Jose P. Laurel Sr., one thinks of the puppet president of the Philippines during the japanese occupation. I feel sorry that former President Laurel is such a misunderstood figure in philippine history. I read the late President Laurel's memoirs which he wrote while encarcerated in Tokyo after the surrender of the empire of Japan. Laurel was no such person. He was a witty, intelligent and loving person. If I may summarize:

Prior to his entry into government service, Jose P. Laurel was a professor at the University of the Philippines. He was Secretary to the Interior under the cabinet of Leonard Wood, the american governor-general of the philippines, and during the administration of Manuel Quezon he served as Secretary of Justice and acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

When the threat of invasion from Japan was imminent, McArthur convinced Quezon to move his government to Corregidor Island where they would be better protected. Among the people Quezon wanted to go with him to the former Spanish island fortress was Laurel. When they were already at the pier, Quezon changed his mind and said that Laurel must stay behind to act as the representative of the government once the Japanese enter the City. This way, there will be a peaceful transfer of administration. What Quezon said Laurel must not ever do under any circumstance was to colaborate with the Japanese forces. This was a task easier said than done. When one faced with the might of General Homma and the entire imperial force of Japan, one must wigh his options carefully. Laurel placed the interest of the people before his own. He could have escaped with the guerillas when the Japanese entered the City of Manila, but he chose to face them, if only to save the peopl from unwarranted acts of violence.

Laurel was forced, along with the father of Ninoy Auqino, to set up a government structure. This was the Japanese's way of trying to give normalcy to an abnormal situation. In the end, Laurel was nominated as President and he had no choice but to accept.

Laurel made most of his "power" as president to extend help to the people, although the people saw him as nothing but a traitor. One time when he was playing golf at WacWac, an unidentified man shot him. Laurel forgave the man later on. As the war continued in the country, Laurel felt more and more like a prisoner of the Japanese forces.

At the end of the war, Laurel and his family were forced to move at night from the Malacanang to the Mansion House in Baguio City. It took them several days to reach the summer capital. Laurel and his family spent sleepless nights in Baguio, for the Americans bombed the City day and night. The Mansion's sprawling lawn looked like collander when seen feom above. Shortly before Japan surrendered, Laurel and his family were flown to Japan, where they awaited their arrest by McArthur's soldiers.

Laurel, although branded a traitor by many, including the Americans, believed that if he had the opportunity to do the things he did, he will do it all over again, for the greater good of his fellow men.

In a letter to his son Sotero Laurel, Manuel Quezon (shortly before his death) said that he believed that JP Laurel was not a traitor and was merely acting upon his (Quezon's) wishes, and was saddened that things turned out the way they did.

Laurel was given amnesty under the Amnesty Proclamation of President Manuel Roxas. Laurel went on to serve under Ramon Magsaysay as The Guy's Chief Negotiator, Senator of the Philippines from 1951-1953 and 1954-1957. He was also named Chairman of the Economic Mission to the United States in 1954 and the foudner of the Lyceum of the Philippines


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The writer's mother, Edita, is related to Jose P. Laurel Sr.'s wife from the Hidalgo Side.