Hermosa and Mt. Samat: Leg 3 of the Mapangurirat Summer Bonanza

First there was Boso-Boso, Rizal, then it was the Mapangurirat Summerfest at Provident, Marikina. The 3rd leg of the Mapangurirat Summer Bonanza kicked off with the invitation of our friend Poppo to visit Hermosa, Bataan. So, Mapangurirat, along with Ate Rose, niece Karla, Friends Jack, Poppo and Noel left Manila for Bataan. The trip took us about 3 hours from Manila since we had to join thousands of other vehicles on their way to their own northern vacation havens. We arrived in Hermosa around lunch time and were greeted to a sumptuous lunch of Bataan-style Pinakbet, lots of fried tilapia and burong hipon, courtesy of our host and prepared by Ate Nenet. The kids later took to swimming in the oversized kiddie pool that Jack and Poppo brought along.

After lunch and while the kids were busy in their kiddie pool, Ate Rose and Jackie decided to catch up on the latest hit series in the US, Heroes....

...while us boys took the Trooper and went to the next town, Orani, to check out the market and to buy food for our dinner....

...This is part of the Orani Public Market. Note that a separate building is dedicated solely for Carinderias. This place has it all -- Igado, Menudo, Adobo -- name it, they have it there....

On our way back, we encountered several penitents flogging themselves with improvised whips. They were infront of the Orani Lumber Store and had their faces covered with cloth.


When we arrived from our trip to the Orani Public Market, we had just enough sun to allow us to take pics of our "tambayan" kubo (made by Poppo and his crew). The sunset provided a breathtaking backdrop to our first succesful day in Hermosa on the third leg of our Mapangurirat Summer Bonanza.

...And here is our "tamabayan" backdropped by a reddish sunset. The hut is barely over a year old and i am a living witness to the dedication of our friend poppo and his crew who built the hut from scratch from the ground up.

Before we started our first night drinking spree, we (Poppo, Noel and I) went out of the house to take pictures of the sunset.

Early the next day, we set off for our Mt. Jolo Adventure. Poppo's family has a homestead in the mountains, and we all packed the Trooper to brave the rough roads of Mt. Jolo for a little mountain experience.

That's us inside the airconditioned haven that is the Trooper. Luckily we didn't pursue our plan to travel by open-aired jeep, otherwise we would have been bathed in inch-thick dust. See how dusty the road looks?

Before we reached the homestead, we passed by this house, notorious in this part of Mt. Jolo as being haunted. Built in the 1980s, the owners inexpicably failed to occupy the house and several caretakers have reportedly left the house in the dead of night in fear of something unseen. Now, the caretaker stays only during the day and leaves before nightfall. According to residents, the house has 13 rooms and has a dungeon-like room.

After the drive, we arrived ta the homestead and immediately, Jessie, our companion, went to prepare a savory dish of Sinampalukang Manok.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the homestead, Mang Luis (the caretaker) and Bong (one of our companions there) took turns watching over the inihaw na baboy.

After a hearty lunch of Inihaw na baboy, sinampalukang manok, fresh alamang Bagoong and shrimp, i decided to give their rifle a test fire. That's me with the modified Cal. .22 rifle with silencer. The gun is there for protection against wild animals who sometimes wander into the homestead and kill their domesticated animals.

the mother and son tandem of Jack and Zach decided to give Beauty a tesy drive. "Beauty" is the name of the white horse and the brown one is "Negra".

That's me with Mang Luis in the back, holding "Negra". No, i didn't ride the horse, so you can let out a sigh of relief!

The tropa taking refuge in the cool shade of this quonset hut at the height of the mid-afternnon sun's heat.

We left the homestead shortly before 3 pm and headed back to Hermosa. that night we had another drinking spree which lasted til around midnight. The following day, we readied ourselves for the last adventure before heading back to the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila. Around 2:30 pm of Saturday, we left Hermosa for Mount Samat. The trip itself is not quite that long, but put a lot of strain on the vehilce we were riding since the road to the Dambana ng Kagitingan in Mount Samat is quite steep. Along the way, we saw signs of preparation for Monday's Araw ng Kagitingan which will be comemorated at Mt. Samat led by PGMA.

We arrived shortly before 3 pm and made our way to the giant cross. Too bad we weren't able to go to the top of the cross (the viewing deck) because the place was jampacked with people.

Here is the marker commemorating the ceremonial cornerstone laying of the giant Cross on Mt. Samat called Dambana ng Kagitingan. Literally translated, it means Monument to Heroism.

The giant cross of the Dambana ng Kagitingan is so big that i felt dizzy just staring up at it.

This is the base of the giant cross and has larger than life cement reliefs of turining points in Philippine History.
That's me with the base of the giant cross on the background. There were lots of tourists so we didn't really get the chance to tour the entire memorial.

That's the mapangurirat cres posing before the foot of the giant cross. (L-R) Ate Rose, Karla, Jack, Noel, Zach and Poppo.

We had lots of fun on Mt. Samat, and we had a great time looking for the obscure monuments ot fallen japanese soldiers along the road. After Samat, we called it quits and headed back to Manila... but not before another hours-long drinking spree!

More pictures on my Multiply account.

Ave Maria

I recently came across a video of my all time favorite song, Be My Love, by Mario Lanza. A couple of years back, i was fortunate enough to have come across an audio CD of Mr. Lanza in Baguio City. This time, i found a video of AVE MARIA, also by Mario Lanza in YouTube. This video of AVE MARIA by Mario Lanza is appropriate since it is holy week and i wanted to share with you the intensity of the singing prowess of Mario Lanza.

God's Servant, a Light to the Nations

I believe there is nothing lovelier, deeper, more sympathetic, and more perfect than the Savior; there is in the world only one figure of absolute beauty: Christ. - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Isaiah 42:1-9

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM

John 12:1, 12-33

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Laz'arus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on an ass's colt!" His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Laz'arus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. The Pharisees then said to one another, "You see that you can do nothing; look, the world has gone after him." Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Beth-sa'ida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him. "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show by what death he was to die.

From the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

Opposition Plays the Blame Game on Ducat Hostage Drama

The opposition is setting a bad example by putting all the blame on the Ducat hostage taking on the government. The ooposition maliciously insinuated that the administration of PGMA has done nothing to alleviate poverty, thereby encouraging people like Ducat to go on the edge. But in reality, is this really the government's fault? Should a single administration be solely blamed on the sins of past adminsitrations? The problem of education has been prevalent since the time of Marcos. From Marcos, the plight of education continued to slide. But i find it funny that former education secretary and turncoat Florencio Abad should blame the government of PGMA. It says quite clearly that during his term as DECS Secretary, he has done nothing to help improve quality of education in the country, so he should also be blamed. Erap should also be blamed for not addressing this problem, and so does Ramos and Cory. If the past administrations and former DECS officials did their jobs during their terms of office, then the PGMA administration shouldn't even be having this type of problem. How ignorant can we be to point the finger on only one person or administration and not look back on the sins of the past officials? What kind of people have we become, to actually believe that this is solely Gloria's fault and no one elses? Abad should also answer for this crisis. What has he done during his term as DECS Secretary to exempt him from blame? Can he really be holier-than-thou? Or in this case, should other past officials be equally exonorated from blame? And yet we see Balot (JV Estrada) and his cohorts happily calling a press conference and putting the blame on the administration and even PRAISING Ducat for his guts! Now I know the shit has really hit the fan! Ducat's a hero for holding kids hostage? No wonder foreign investors are pulling out of this God-forsdaken nation! With this kind of mentality, who wouldn't? And yet, the accumulated faults of these past officials bear heavy on the present administration -- and yet the opposition expects it to be addressed at the flick of a wrist? Are we really that stupid, or have we swallowed the media cock-and-bull story for so long that we actually believe all the crap they spew out of their foul mouths? Look at ABS-CBN! ANC's reportage is not only unbalanced but downright biased! Stories regarding the administration get only about 5 to 10 seconds of clips, while opposition remarks against the government were played in its entirety! Were is the supposed Balanced programming and other such fantiasies that this oligarch-run outfit so arrogantly projects? They balme the police for being lax in handling the hostage taking, yet the media themselves showed laxity by milling just three steps away from the bus! It's a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. And here comes Ted Failon strutting around like he's the hero of the hostage taking! The king of gab and hot air himself! Come on people ! We're being made to eat shit and we're eating it like its a f----ng fillet mignon! Wake up and smell the coffee.

Do Not Glamorize Jun Ducat's Actions

Watching the various news programs covering the Ducat hostage taking involving students of his very own daycare center, and listening to the comments of candidates from the opposition and Ducat's neighbors, you'd think that Ducat was a hero for "bringing the plight of education in the open". My God, what a load of bull droppings! When did a person holding 32 children hostage become a hero in anyone's eyes? And as usual, the opposition is having a field day and using this scenario to their advantage. What kind of heart do these people have, using a tragic event such as this to suit their own agenda? In my point of view, children should never be used for anyone's agenda, whether it is for the children's benefit or not. In the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Children, it clearly states in Principle 9 that "The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation". Ducat, in pushing for educational reforms, exploited the children when he pretended to take them on a field trip to Tagaytay when in fact he already planned to hold them hostage. The UN Declaration also states in Princilple 7 that "The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance". In this case, Ducat, being the owner of the daycare center, violated Principle 7 by not acting on the childrens' best interests. Some will argue that he only did it so the children can have a better future. Granted. But can you really correct a mistake by committing another mistake? Can the children he held hostage really understand his "noble intentions"? Is it noble to carry an uzi sub-machine gun, 2 hand guns and live hand grenades within sight of this children, where a minute mistake an cause them their precious little lives? How noble can one be if he knowingly planned to use these children to push for his own agenda, no matter how noble it may seem? Feeble-minded people will think only in terms of his intention, but what about the psychological effect that this has on the kids? In this case, no one should be thinking of his intention -- everyone should be thinking about the children. Principle 10 of the Delcaration also states that the child "shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men. " Has Jun Ducat shown understanding, tolerance and friendship when he betrayed the trust and friendship of the children and their parents, trusting him with the lives of their children, and then suddenly and without warning holding them hostage? Many will argue that he did not harm them. Are we really sure? Only time will tell if the children suffered any real psychological damage. I say Ducat and his actions should not be glamorized EVER. To glamourize such actions only encourage worms to come out of the woodwork. DFucat is not a man, or a gentlemen as his children so ignorantly point out. He is a monster who has exploited the children who trusted him, endangering their lives and putting them in a situation which could have turned sour. Jun Ducat should rot in jail if only to prove that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Children is being followed in this country. DUCAT A HERO? WHAT IF IT WAS YOUR CHILD HE HELD HOSTAGE? WOULD YOU STILL THINK SO?

First Summer Outing

We officially began summer with the first outing of the season. Packed with lots of San Mig Light, fried chicken, pansit and softdrinks, we left Provident shortly before lunchtime and headed to Boso-Boso, Rizal. It was my first time to drive to this place, and it turned out to be quite a pleasant drive, what with the well-maintained road from Gate 2 of Cogeo all the way to Boso-Boso Highlands which made travel time a short 30 minutes. When we arrived, we noticed that there were very few people, being a weekday. when we arrived, we were met greeted by cousin Ricky who went earlier with the kids. Macai, who is visiting from Dubai, had invited some of her friends over, so we had to get two huts to accomodate us all, but we did have fun! We began with lunch, then we allowed ourselves a few bottle of beers before heading to the adult pool which was about 6 to 7 feet deep. The water was fairly cold, which was a good thing since the sun was at its searing best that noon. The view was breathtaking! In the distance, one could catch a glimpse of a white steepled church atop a cliff. Too bad i noticed it just as the sun was about to go down, so the pictures are a bit dark. Before leaving, we decided to try out their videoke machine. As we were driving home, we got a message from Ricky that Macai wanted to have pizza, so we drove to Blue Wave to buy pizzas at Yellow Cab, then went to our house in Provident where we had the pizzas for dinner. All in all, it was a very enjoyable outing. Hope to visit that place again soon!

Note: This blog was written on Multiply and cross-posted with my Mapanguriat Blog on Blogger. For the benefit of my Blogger viewers (thank you, loyal readers!), you may access the pictures of our outing at Boso-Boso by clicking here.

Also visit my global village blog at www.myglobalvillage.bravelog.com.

Remembering Anastasia and the Romanovs

Nothing captures the imagination more than a tragic story of death at the hands of the enemy. Yet, one must contend that the escape of one from the hands of her captors is also quite exciting to many. This is how many would describe the tragic story of the Imperial Russian Family, the Romanovs. I searched various websites dedicated to the Romanovs, and i found an interesting one which carried not only the biographies of each of the the Romanovs but also an album full of pictures of the Royal Family. (click here to go the site). Incidentally, i also learned that Prince Charles' father, Prince Philip of Edinburgh, is related to the Romanovs on both sides of his family. His relation to the Romanovs finally closed a chapter on the history of the Romanovs, as the Prince gave DNA samples which proved that the skeletal remains found in a Russian mine were indeed that of the executed Romanov family.

There was a movie years ago called Anastasia, based on the story of Princess Anastasia's supposed escape from his family's executioners. as a backgrounder, here is what Jane Kuo, owner of the site "The Romanovs: A Royal Family" wrote on Princess Anastasia:

Anastasia, born on June 5, 1901, was the youngest daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra. She had brown hair and blue eyes and was the jokester of the family who liked to play pranks on people and was the enfant terrible of the family.

Anastasia and her older sister, Maria, were known in the household as the "Little Pair", being the younger sisters. As well as their older sisters, they shared a bedroom and Anastasia dominated her older sister with her energy and enthusiam.

She was very short and thin but during the family's captivity, she became plumper and her mental development had slowed down. Even though she was living through a horrible time, she still managed to entertain her family during a performance. Anastasia took the male lead and she was supposed to turn her back and open her dressing gown. The tail of the gown went up to her back, showing her wearing her father's underwear.

Most people believe that Anastasia died with her family on July 16/17, 1918 but there have been claims that she had survived. The most famous was Anna Anderson, who claimed to be Anastasia. It was later proved that Anna wasn't the Grand Duchess. Anastasia would have been 17 years old when she died.

The bloodline of the Romanovs still survive. As i mentioned earlier, Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II is a relative of the Romanovs. It is sad to note that the massacre might have been prevented had Tsar Nicolas' cousin, King George V of England, given the family safe haven in Britain.

As a postscript, in 1998, the remians of the "massacred" Romanov Family were finally laid to rest at the St. Peter and Paul church in St. Petersberg. Though the Russian Orthodox church refused to accept the scientific findings, then russian president Boris Yeltsin did attend the funeral rites and said that the burial should finally put an end to russia's bloody past.

The Plight of the True OPM

Let's face it. The art of kundiman is a dying art. Kundiman (If it not be so) is a unique form of expression renderred in music. I myself have written several poems which i planned to render into music, but it never progressed, mainly, I guess, because most of the people i know who can put the melody to the words i made don't have an inkling of what kundiman music is. Sadly, kundiman music in the past decade has been relegated as "funeral" accompaniment. Classics which used to make women swoon like Mutya ng Pasig, Sa Lumang Simbahan, Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Marupok na Sumpa, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal and other classics have found themselves gathering dust, with only a handful of stations giving them much-needed airtime. In the FM Band, the only station that does play kundiman music is 104.3 Business Radio, a government-run station. Nakakalungkot. Kundiman music is part of our rich and colourful culture as a people. singers like Ric Manrique, Cenon Lagman, Diomedes Maturan and others are no longer emmulated. If only there was a way to preserve these masterpieces to show future generations that the origins of true original filipino music are monuments to the triumph of the filipino musician.

Here is a sample of a popular kundiman song, "Sa Sulyap Man Lang:

Ang mga sulyap ko giliw
kung iyong madarama
ay mababatid mong tunay

na minamahal kita.

Nguint di batid man lamang
ang wagas na pagsinta

kung kaya't sa pagsuyo
ang puso ko ay nagdurusa.

Ang awit kong ito
kung iyong maririnig
sa iyo'y maghahatid ng pagi-ibig.
Pagka't sa labi ko ko
ay hindi masambit
sa sulyap na lang sinta

ay aking ipadama.

---
also visit www.filipinokundiman.blogspot.com

"I do the things I Hate"

Romans 7:13-25

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

New additions to Mapangurirat

I've recently made new additions to the mapangurirat blog. I've added an NBA scoreboard at the bottom sidebar, as well as readings from the Holy Scripture, Health Tips, as well as a countdown timer for my birthday this July. hehehehehe. Also, for those with multiply accounts, please add me. My url is rodelbanares.multiply.com. Thanks!

Do Not give way to Sin

Romans 6:12-23

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Magbalik Ka Na Mahal

Although i'm not really that familiar with the hit 80's musical "Rama Hari", i am familiar with its "remake", Rama+Sita, which played for weeks at the UP Theater. How can i forget that musical? I love the songs that Mr. Ryan Caybyab did! Yesterday, as i was surfing the net, i came across a site that actually carried one of the songs from both "Rama Hari" and "Rama+Sita". It's a song sung originally by Kuh Ledesma and then by Lani Misalucha. It's called "Magbalik ka na, Mahal". I took the liberty of posting the lyrics for those familiar with the song.

MAGBALIK KA NA MAHAL

Bawat patak man ng ulang masinsin
Ay lagyan ng talimAko ay sasayi'
Di ko iindahin Ang ulos at hiwa
Ng mumunting patalim
Ang iyong kalinga ay kanlungang matibay
Lilim nito ay langit na aking tanggulan
'Pag ito'y natiklop, lalantahin ng araw
Lulunurin ng unos Ang marupok kong buhay
Aking hihintayin ang iyong pasabing
Magbalik ka na mahal.

(Bridge)

Ang iyong kalinga ay kanlungang matibay
Lilim nito ay langit na aking tanggulan
'Pag ito'y natiklop, lalantahin ng araw
Lulunurin ng unos Ang marupok kong buhay
Aking hihintayin ang iyong pasabing Magbalik ka na mahal.

A Prayer by Max Ehrmann

Let me do my work each day; and if the darkened hours of despair
overcome me, may I not forget the strength that comforted me
in the desolation of other times. May I still remember the bright hours that found me
walking over the silent hills of my childhood, or dreaming on the margin of a quietriver,
when a light glowed within me, and I promised my early God
to have courage amid the tempests of the changing years. Spare me from bitterness
and from the sharp passions of unguarded moments.
May I not forget that poverty and riches are of the spirit.
Though the world knows me not, may my thoughts and actions be
such as shall keep me friendly with myself. Lift up my eyes from the earth,
and let me not forget the uses of thestars. Forbid that I should judge others lest I condemn myself.
Let me not follow the clamor of the world, but walk calmly in mypath.
Give me a few friends who will love me for what I am; and keep ever
burning before my vagrant steps the kindly light of hope.
And though age and infirmity overtake me, and I come not within
sight of the castle of my dreams, teach me still to be thankful for
life, and for time's olden memories that are good and sweet; and
may the evening's twilight find me gentle still.

Max Ehrmann is the author of "Desiderata"

Considering a priestly vocation

I don't know how it happened but i suddenly found myself in the website of the Jesuit Brothers and i ended up inquiring about the brotherly vocation. I have given this a long, hard thought and i have come to the conclusion that there may be something to this vocation that calls to me. although i'm pretty sure my friends would not take me seriously, i have considered the possibility (mind you, it's the possibility, not the vocation, that i am considering) of joining the vocation. I have looked into the prenoviciate, noviciate and apostolate programs of the Camillans, the Jesuits and the Brothers of Charity and I have found all of them to have good charisms. This, i am sure, will extract quite a reaction from my friends in the Dominican Province. Oh well, i need time to discern things before making a decision. I'm not going to rush into any decisions for now.

Manila Travels: HIMLAYANG PILIPINO

My friend and I went looking for a car he wanted to buy. After visiting the various car lots in Marikina and Quezon City, we decided to head to Himlayang Pilipino so he can continue with his driving lessons. I also decided to visit my grandmother Rosing's mausoleum in the said memorial park. Himlayang Pilipino lies at the end of Himlayan Road. It is surrounded by walls meant to mimic the famous walls of Intramuros. far from just being a memorial park, Himlayang Pilipino offers the visitor a tranquil place of solace where one can meditate and be at peace with nature.

The monument dedicated to Tandang Sora (Melchora Aquino),
Grand Old Lady of the Katipunan

The Himlayang Pilipino chapel

The final resting place of Tandang Sora

Monument dedicated to Gregorio Del Pilar and the Battle
of Tirad Pass, where he was slain

Full view of the Tandang Sora Monument. Behind this sculpture
is her tomb where an eternal flame is lit.

A wishing well below the hill where the monument
of Gregorio Del Pilar is situated.

The arrest of Tandang Sora. This sculpture is on the
other side of her tomb.

The Himlayang Pilipino Gazeo. This gazebo overlooks
a man-made lagoon with a stuatue of Malakas and Maganda.

A close-up of the statue of Malakas and Maganda
with the Sarimanok that opened their bamboo.

A tomb overlooking the lagoon. I believe this is the tomb of
the owner of Himlayang Pilipino, but i'm not sure.

IDENTITY THEFT (parts 3 and 4)

for part 3 and 4 of my series on identity theft, please visit my other blog at:
www.myglobalvillage.bravelog.com. Thanks! -- Rodel

IDENTITY THEFT (2nd of a series)

After discussing the story of Miss Leslie Carlos, we go deeper into identity theft. So waht is dentity theft?

Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years and thousands of dollars cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of a good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities, be refused loans for education, housing, or cars, and even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit. Humiliation, anger, and frustration are among the feelings victims experience as they navigate the process of rescuing their identity. (FTC For the Consumer).

So how does one's identity get stolen? According to the United States Federal Trade Commission:

How identity thieves get your personal information:

They get information from businesses or other institutions by:

-stealing records or information while they're on the job
-bribing an employee who has access to these records
-hacking these records
-conning information out of employees
-They may steal your mail, including bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new -checks, and tax information.
-They may rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public trash dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving."
-They may get your credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to them, or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to access your report.
-They may steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing the information in a data storage device in a practice known as "skimming." They may swipe your card for an actual purchase, or attach the device to an ATM machine where you may enter or swipe your card.
-They may steal your wallet or purse.
-They may complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.
-They may steal personal information they find in your home.
-They may steal personal information from you through email or phone by posing as legitimate companies and claiming that you have a problem with your account. This practice is known as "phishing" online, or pretexting by phone.
-How identity thieves use your personal information:
-They may call your credit card issuer to change the billing address on your credit card account. -The imposter then runs up charges on your account. Because your bills are being sent to a different address, it may be some time before you realize there's a problem.
-They may open new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the credit cards and don't pay the bills, the delinquent accounts are reported on your credit report.
-They may establish phone or wireless service in your name.
-They may open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.
-They may counterfeit checks or credit or debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers in your name, and drain your bank account.
-They may file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they've incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction.
-They may buy a car by taking out an auto loan in your name.
-They may get identification such as a driver's license issued with their picture, in your name.
-They may get a job or file fraudulent tax returns in your name.
-They may give your name to the police during an arrest. If they don't show up for their court date, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.

Though the thought of someone using your SSS number or license number to steal your identity sounds farfetched for Filipinos now, there are other ways filipinos can be victimized by these thieves. In the Philippines, it has recently been discovered that there are unscrupulous individuals who have learned the art of stealing credit card info using a gadget with a magnetic strip reader. Although i'm not sure how many people have been victimized here in the Philippines, there have been reports on TV about one pinoy being victimized on E-Bay, no less. So if ever you're paying your bill using your credit card, make sure that your credit card is visible to you at all times!

We've seen movies where identities are stolen and all hell breaks loose for the protagonists. Though i havent heard of anyone doing a Harrison Ford just yet, but hey, who knows what tomorrow might bring, right?

So now, we've discussed credit card info theft as part of the bigger identity theft and the case of leslie carlos who is also a victim of "identity theft". In part 3, we'll get to know what experts have to say about identity theft.

Media: Oppressed or oppresor?

The media has been crying harassment over several libel cases filed by the First Gentleman regarding several articles written by the said media people. Why are the media people crying harassment? Isn't a libel suit the proper venue for the first gentleman to air his grievance as a citizen? Isn't it unfair that the media can callously destroy the credibility of a person then claim immunity in the name of press freedom? Who is the oppressor and who is the oppressed? The media has callously used press freedom as an avenue to destroy their enemies and yet they claim to protect the masang pilipino? who the shall protect us from our "protectors"? If they can do it to someone as Mike Arroyo, then we should be fearful for the media can do this to anyone. Media has gone from being a responsible vehicle of truth to a demolition-derby vehicle of blackmail and corruption. Media has loosely used its power in the name of profit and ratings! Look how media has reared its ugly head! Just look at the way Karen Davila asks questions, as if she is a holier-than-thou angel of enlightenment! The media is not being oppressed as it likes to portray. If this is true, then how come there are many anti-government reporters on TV, Radio and print? How come hindi pa sila pinapasara ng gobyerno? Media should take a long hard look in the mirror and try to see who is the real oppressor. They might be surprised to see their face on the mirror!

Much ado about nothing

There has been much "excitement" in the media yesterday about a blog supposedly written by a "scorned ex-lover" of the First Gentleman who is pushing for his disbarment over "immorality" and "deceit". Don't you think it's funny when a msitress (she knows FG is married) usddenly files a case of immorality against an ex-lover? After all, it takes two to tango and this woman apparently knows her "place" in their relationship. Deceit? Why? Was she promised marriage? Come on! This is the oldest trick of lovers to mistresses. Now the media is having a field day. Probably because yesterday was a slow news day for them and this'll definitely get ratings. Hello! News Flash, media people! Napakaraming may mistresses sa media and even in public office, and yet we chose to feature the mistress of a non-official (the post of first-gentleman or first lady is technically a civilian psot, not a public one). We choose to criticize this shortcoming of the first gentleman and yet we trivialize the womanizing of Senator Revilla Senior! What a crazy world we live in! Does our rating as a thrid-world country change with this expose? Do the lives of the people below the poverty line change with this "expose"? No! So why make such a fuzz over something that's a non-issue? No one's making a blog about being Erap's mistress (mistresses, plural pala), or Bong Revilla's alleged extra-marital liasons. SOh well, sabi nga nila, hell hath no fury as a woman scorned.

P.S. I will appeal to blogger.com to ban the blog. Blogger and blogs should not be used for unsubstantiated mudslinging. This belong in the proper forum, such as the courts or the IBP.

IDENTITY THEFT (First of a series)

Identity theft can take many forms, especially in the world wide wide web. If you're popular, or beautiful, or cool, or even just plain interesting to the eyes of someone else, chances are that someone will grab a photo of you from one of your websites, and then claim to be you. This is prevalent especially in sites such as friendster, myspace, and other similar websites. In a blog I wrote a couple of days ago, I discussed about a certain Amelia Pauline Ng (hereinafter referred to as Amelia). Amelia was the topic in one of the forums I chanced upon a few days back. Many forum members were talking about her and she was referred to as an impostor more than once in the said forum. It turns out that Amelia has a friendster account wherein she uses pictures that don't belong to her. Since the pictures are in her friendster account, many would assume that the girl in the pictures on her friendster account is Amelia. This however is farthest from the truth. In reality, the girl whose picture Amelia is using is actually the picture of Miss Leslie Carlos. I checked Amelia's friendster account and true enough, a picture belonging to Leslie Carlos was her main photo in the said account. According to what i gathered from the forums, Amelia uses the pictures as a sort of come-on for would-be victims. According one of the forum members, she would ask for cellphone load in exchange for SOP (sex on the phone) or the promise of a sex eyeball.

So, phase 2, i decided to look for ms. Carlos and found her. In her site, I found out that she has already found out about Amelia, and the girl is not happy about it at all. and who would be? So I sent Ms.Carlos an email and asked permission to write about it in my various blogs.

There is another rather controversial issue in one of the forums i entered. This time it involves a young woman by the name of Ria Sacasas (I am not sure if this is eher real name). There have been much debate about whether miss Sacasas is a real person or not. Sure, there are lots of photos of her, but the big question in the forums is: Is the girl in the picture the same person as Ria Sacasas? In friendster, there are at least 2 accounts bearing the picture of Ria Sacasas, but with different names. One claims to be a Josiebel Lim of UA&P and another claims to be the real Ria. I say "claim" because since the practice of "identity theft" is becoming rampant, we can never really be sure who is who. Mind you, this is a more familiar occurence for celebrities. Type in the name of Bea Alonzo in the friendster search engine and I'm pretty sure you'll get many hits, not all of them authentic. Sadly, there is no clear indication that this practice will let up soon. (I'll be discussing the Ria Sacasas mystery in a separate blog soon, i promise).
Be warned! No one is safe from impostors (I refer to them as identity thieves). As for Leslie Carlos, I am thankful she has agreed for me to write about her experience as warning to others who might fall prey to this kind of identity theft. Thank You.

Many would take a cynical viewpoint about this issue and take it in stride -- but can we really afford to just take it in stride? In the case of Leslie Carlos, don't you think that it is extremely unfair for Leslie to suffer the embarrasment and humiliation just because someone thought it would be "cool" to post Leslie's pic in a friendster account and use it to their advantage? If this happened to you, would you take it sitting down? hmmppph. I didn't think so.

Victimized by impostors posing to be you on the web? Send me an email with details and we'll include them in my series about identity theft and impostors on the web. send them to rodel.banares@gmail.com.

More on this issue soon! This article has been posted in "Random Thoughts of a Mapangurirat", Mapangurirat (Blogger), and My Global Village.

The Marikina Adventure (Episode 1)

It was such a beautiful afternoon that i thought i'd take my sister, neice and friend for a drive to the much-talked about riverside park of Marikina city. We've been living in Marikina for almost a year and we still have not been able to really visit the river park. So we hopped into old rusty junior (the name of my car, the junior of my old 1978 Mitsubishi Lancer) and headed for the park. We arrived just before 4:00 pm. There were a few people in the park, and we didn't have a hard time finding a nice parking spot near the Roman Gardens.

While we were strolling along the riverside park path, we noticed that one of the trees
had some monkeys playing in its branches (they were cement monkeys, of course!)

also along the path, there was a cute penguin statie that looks suspiciously a
lot like Happy feet's "bida"

This is a weird, confused statue. Is it supposed to be a christmas snowman
or a valentine's day tribute? You decide. for me though, it's a decapitated
snowman with golden cherubs playing with the body. (yuck!)


A statue of a lion with a very stiff neck

This is my favorite photo of our trip: Si adan, si eba at ang sawa!
Kulang na lang ang mansanas!

Drugs are dangerous! Look at these wide-eyed ... ewan...
mga moose ba `yan or reindeer? hmmmmm??

The path is lined with wild bamboo ....
My sister Rose and niece Karla posing before the Roman Garden Gazebo.
The gazebo was built by the Zoroasts society of Marikina and marks the spot where
a miraculous image of the child jesus was allegedly found.



This is yours truly, being attacked by a huge, ugly python which
found its way up a light post. (wink, wink!)

That ends part 1 of our adventures in Marikina. I'll be bringing you more fun places in Marikina to visit... until next time!

Onesimo S. Banares 1929-2004

Today marks the 3rd death anniversary of my father, Onesimo Salazar Lim Banares. He was born in 1929 in a small coastal town called Bacacay nestled at the foot of Mount Mayon in Albay. He was 6th in a brood of 15 children. He ran away to Manila with his brother to study. He studied High School at Cosmopolitan College in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Because he couldn't pay for his tuition fee, he worked as janitor for the school. After graduating, he took up political science at Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU). Again, he worked as janitor part-time to cover for his tuition. He graduated in 1956 with a degree in Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) in 1956. He passed the bar the next year and worked for the legal department of the Bureau of public works. In between studying and working, he managed to buy a house and get married. He then worked for Mantrade, then went on to First United Bank (FUB) as a legal officer. this is where he met Don Pepe Cojuangco, owner of the bank.

After FUB became UCPB, he was made manager of the legal dept. and was instrumental in the creation of the bank's Blue Book, which carried his signature for quite some time. He has won every case he handled, and to my eyes he was the nation's, if not the world's greatest lawyer, which is why it was painful for me to see him deteriorate physically. He was always a vigorous man, choosing to walk when others would ride, and he was a great orator and debater. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, we were devastated. He took it bravely, even asking the doctor if he would make it to his 75th birthday in 2004. The doctor of course said yes. True enough, he was able to live long enough to see his 75th birthday. That was feb. 16, 2004. He was also able to celebrate their wedding 47th wedding anniversary at the hospital on Feb. 29, and my neice's birthday on March 1. He passed away the next day.He was such a great influence to me.

He was the reason i wanted to become a lawyer, and the reason i took up political science. In my heart, he will always be the world's greatest lawyer, and the world's greatest father. He will be missed not just by me, but my siblings, relatives, friends and the many lives he managed to touch in the 75 years of his existence on this earth.

Papa, I miss you.

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.”
-Pope Paul VI 1897-1978

JOIN THE KINDNESS REVOLUTION

I've promoted many orgs in my various blogs before, but this one really takes the cake. The Kindness Revolution is a fund raising project meant to benefit the volunteers of the Global Xchange Programme. They are a group of multi-cultural youth volunteers that really want to make a difference and make contributions to developing communities, etc. (Find out more about them by clicking here).

what's fun about this project is that you get to buy coupons (in denominations of P100, P300, P500 and P1000), and they will match it with a good deed. My niece Miel, a volunteer for the group, once di groceries for a week for a donor (or coupon buyer or whaever they call 'em).
By purchasing these coupons, you not only get to help finance the volunteers but also get to help our less fortunate brethren. How many groups do you know offer these incentives for donating? So dig deep into your pockets, guys, and start buying those coupons and do your share!

This blog will be posted in all my sites and my weekly column in the clan website. Visit them at:
www.maqpangurirat.blogspot.com
www.rodelbanares.bravelog.com
www.banares.bravehost.com/opinion.html

And, if its not too much trouble, fellow bloggers, do your share as well and provide links for this group. Their URL is http://www.thekindnessrevolution.blogspot.com/
What are you waiting for? Join the kindness revolution and let kindness be your religion!
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AN OPEN LETTER TO MR. HARVEY KEH

Dear Mr. Keh,

We are thanklful for your genuine service to your fellow filipinos through your various civic works. However, your letter of appeal to filipinos citing 7 reasons that would make you leave the Philippines is short of shallow, if I am allowed my opinion.
Yes, for the record, you sited the following 7 scenarios that would make you think of leaving our beloved motherland, to wit:

1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of HelloGarci fame wins in his bid to become Congressman ofBukidnon...seeking to replace a good man no less in incumbentCong. Neric Acosta... We would really be the laughing stock ofthe whole world if we allow a man with the reputation of Garcito be one of our so called "Honorable Gentlemen".

2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino Oreta reclaims her seat at theSenate... I hope that all of us would still remember that dancethat she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after theyvoted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Davide...let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senateagain.

3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a senator... what does he know aboutmaking laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and LitoLapid in the Senate and their performance or lack of it would bereason enough not to elect another actor who has no priorexperience in government to the distinguished halls of theSenate.

4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again.... have we not learned ourlesson? I cannot believe that just because someone is charismaticthen we will just elect him to become one of our senators despitethe fact that he has time and again caused so much instability inour country... if we want a military junta similar to that ofThailand ... then lets all vote for this guy....

5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes Congressman of General SantosCity... everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ but Manny theLawmaker? Lets be realistic here, Manny is our Hero alright but Ithink it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire toserve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help upliftthe lives of the many Filipinos who live in Poverty.

6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of Makati City... I don't likeJojo Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country'sfinance and business center?!?! And do you really think he isfrom Makati and has good plans for the city? The Arroyos askingsomeone like him to run just goes to show you how much love andconcern this government has for our country.

7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a Senator, Illegal Gambling =Chavit... enough said.

Wouldn't it be more patriotic for you to remain in this country should these seven scenarios happen? You mean to say that you are willing to abandon the Philippines just because of 7 people? Is that patriotism? Sure, your achievements count for something, but if you threaten to leave because of these 7 people, what does that make you? Our heroes Rizal and Ninoy, exiled though they were, chose to return home to face danger while you threaten to do the opposite! Your intention is commendable, inspiring and calling on the voting public not to vote for these people (I certainly won't vote for these 7 people, trust me).

We are still a free country. People can vote for whomever they please. We cannot blame the masang pilipino for voting for these 7 people, much less teach them to vote wisely by threatening to abandon them. I said this before, it takes time to educate voters. It will take generations before we can come up with true intelligent electorates. This, i think, is all the more reason for you to stay if the 7 people are elected. It is up to people like you and me to set the stage for a thinking electorate. Trust me, we won't even live to see that day come, but at least we know we have done the right thing and stayed when others chose to leave.

Do not abandon the country because of these 7 people. They are only 7 reasons for you to leave, as opposed to millions of reasons to stay.

If by May, heaven forbid, these 7 people do get elected and you decide to abandon ship, so to say, then good luck. There will be many more willing to pick up where you left off. Those who chose to stay against apparent insurmountable odds. These are the true patriots of the motherland.

RODEL BANARES

----------
Here is the complete text of Mr. Keh's letter:
Dear Fellow Filipino,Good day to all of you! Before I begin my letter... just adisclaimer, for people who know me they know that I love thePhilippines very much and I am not really one who rants andcomplaints to high heavens about what is happening to our countryand does nothing about it, in fact, I feel that at my relativelyyoung age of 27, I have done much service to the Philippines bysetting up Pathways to Higher Education which has sent more than500 poor but deserving students to college and AHON Foundationwhich has already built two public elementary school librariesthat have benefitted more than 3,500 students. Yet, after seeinghow events in our nation have transpired the past few weeks andtalking with some friends, I feel the urge to share with you myown thoughts and feelings.Over the weekend, we saw the completion of two major politicalalliances for this coming Senate Elections that has just beganhere in the Philippines . Now we have two political forces withfamiliar faces nonetheless on opposite sides of the fences. Onone end, you have Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta who were twomajor stalwarts of the opposition and the FPJ Campaign in 2004hobnobbing with the woman (Pres. GMA) whom they claimed to havecheated FPJ in the last Presidential Elections.On the other sideof the fence, you see Manny Villar, the former house speaker whowas actually responsible for impeaching Erap now part of theUnited Opposition who is led by no less than... Erap himself. Nowif you don't see anything wrong with this picture then you mustbe one of the many Filipinos who have accepted this very sadreality that there is indeed no permanent ideals that our government leaders stand up for but rather they just go wherethere self-interests can best be served. It is this kind ofpolitics why I no longer wonder why good people like RamonMagsaysay Awardee Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City or outstandingBulacan Governor Josie Dela Cruz will find it hard or worse,never be elected to national positions.It is with these in mind that I'd like to share with you what areevents this coming May elections that will make me considerleaving the Philippines :

1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of HelloGarci fame wins in his bid to become Congressman ofBukidnon...seeking to replace a good man no less in incumbentCong. Neric Acosta... We would really be the laughing stock ofthe whole world if we allow a man with the reputation of Garcito be one of our so called "Honorable Gentlemen".

2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino Oreta reclaims her seat at theSenate... I hope that all of us would still remember that dancethat she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after theyvoted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Davide...let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senateagain.

3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a senator... what does he know aboutmaking laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and LitoLapid in the Senate and their performance or lack of it would bereason enough not to elect another actor who has no priorexperience in government to the distinguished halls of theSenate.

4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again.... have we not learned ourlesson? I cannot believe that just because someone is charismaticthen we will just elect him to become one of our senators despitethe fact that he has time and again caused so much instability inour country... if we want a military junta similar to that ofThailand ... then lets all vote for this guy....

5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes Congressman of General SantosCity... everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ but Manny theLawmaker? Lets be realistic here, Manny is our Hero alright but Ithink it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire toserve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help upliftthe lives of the many Filipinos who live in Poverty.

6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of Makati City... I don't likeJojo Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country'sfinance and business center?!?! And do you really think he isfrom Makati and has good plans for the city? The Arroyos askingsomeone like him to run just goes to show you how much love andconcern this government has for our country.

7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a Senator, Illegal Gambling =Chavit... enough said.

Now if all of these 7 things happen during this coming electionsthen don't be surprised if I decide to leave this country that Ilove dearly. Like I said during the first part of my letter, Ifeel that I have done much for this country but I think its timethat Filipinos become more vigilant and critical in selectingour leaders for the sake of our future and the generations thatwill go beyond us. So I appeal to every Filipino who asks whatcan I actually do for my country... Choose and vote for the rightpeople this coming elections, huwag na tayong magpaloko sa mgakandidatong maganda lang ang jingle o gwapo lang sa mga poster.Let us choose leaders who have a good track record for serviceand who are genuinely committed towards serving our country.Manindigan naman tayong lahat para sa ating Kinabukasan at parasa Kapakanan ng ating Bayan!Thank you very much for your time in reading this letter.Sincerely,Harvey S. Keh

My Global Village

I've recently opened my new blog site, www.myglobalvillage.bravelog.com (or alternately, you can use the URL www.rodelbanares.bravejournal.com). You can view my other musings there, as well as other features as well. There'll soon be a forum for those visiting my web log. Of course, this service is hosted by Bravenet.

Milestones

Today marks the 50th Wedding Anniversary of my dearly departed parents Onesimo and Edita Banares. They were married on Feb. 29, a leap year, so we celebrate their anniversary on the 28th during non-leap years. My parents were so looking forward to this milestone in their lives, but unfortunately they were called early to that big ballroom in the sky. Two dys from now, our family will also be marking the 3rd death anniversary of my father Onesimo, and tomorrow we will be marking my neice Karla's 17th birthday.

My Reaction to the Korean Essay

Mabuti pa ang Koreano, may pagmamahal sa Pilipinas.

Truly a wonderful essay. It is true that Korea once looked upon the Philippines as its model nation. Now, Korea has overtaken us. It is sad to note, but true, that we filipinos lack love for our country. We have become too jaded. I have been active in various organizations involved with uplifiting the plight of our citizens, but the sad fact, which was so aptly said in that essay is that filipinos have long lost interest in its country and its fellow filipinos. We have built walls around us and we became concerned only with ourselves. The past decades, we have battled foreign aggresors, fought dictators, fought corrpution... but we have lost. We lost because we became complacent with the fact that we filipinos have the power within us to remove people who do not serve our needs. This is the bad side of what we came to know as people power. We ourselves have become to drunk with power (whether we'd like to admit it or not) that we have lost focus... we have lost sight of our true objective. We believed that everything began and ended with EDSA. But the revolution is far from over. I am not talking about ousting the government, but a true revolution.. the one that Korea did, the one that elevated them to the status they now enjoy... the status we once enjoyed... The Koreans didn't stop with just achieving their ideal status. they went far beyond their target. They have a vision. They have true patriotism. They were willing to receive paltry salaries in exchange for a better Korea. who among us can say that we too can do the same? I truly admire our batchmates who, inspite of the big salaries they earn abroad, have decided to return home and help the country.

A Korean Essay about the Philippines

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption inthe Philippines . Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines ? I do notthink so. I strongly believe that the problem isthe lack of love for the Philippines .Let me first talk about my country, Korea . It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was oneof the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country wasdestroyed after the Korean War, and we had nonatural resources.Koreans used to talk about the Philippines , forFilipinos were very rich in Asia . We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off likeFilipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still verycorrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea wasable to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heartburning with patriotism.Koreans did not work just for themselves but alsofor their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism. 40 years ago, President Park took over thegovernment to reform Korea . He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get aloan and attract a foreign investment because theeconomic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so thatthey could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrowmoney. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they sawthe President Park . They asked to him, "President,when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried withthem and promised them that Korea would be welloff if everyone works hard for Korea , and the President of Germany got the strong impression on themand lent money to Korea . So, President Park wasable to build many factories in Korea . He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USAcame back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did theirbest for Korea . They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.My parents always brought me to the places wherepoor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that wehave to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for thePhilippines ? I have cried for my country severaltimes. I also cried for the Philippines because of so manypoor people. I have been to the New Bilibidprison. What made me sad in the prison were theprisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They prayeveryday. However, they do not love the Philippines . Italked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave thePhilippines right after they are released from theprison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines .Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so thatwe were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees couldbuy what they needed and saved money for thefuture and their children.When I was in Korea , I had a very strong faith andwanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines ,I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievablesituations in the Philippines . Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia , but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing hasbeen changed.My parents came to the Philippines last week andsaw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when theywere young. They are so sorry that there are somany beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat becauseit would fun. However, they were not happy aftertaking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat
again because they were sympathized theboatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had asmall frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it.But, my parents did not enjoy it because of lovefor them.My mother who has been working for Catholic Churchsince I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are notCatholic indeed. Faith should come with action.She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love theirneighborhood and country as much as they love Godso that the Philippines will be well off.I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinosshould remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a s mall scale and have to grow. A lot ofthings happen if we open up to love. Let's put awayour prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.I discover that every person is worthy to beloved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love yourneighborhood and country.Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others wedo to Him. In the Philippines , there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines . Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

The smell of burning palay

I don't know about you, but whenever my family and i travel to bicol by car, there's a certain place near iriga that i really look forward to. It's a big rice field by the highway, and every time we pass by (usually about 4 pm, because we usually leave manila around 4 am) i cannot help but feel a certain kind of tranquility. The field itself is quite big, with a clear backdrop of a hill, and lots and lots of trees. But i really look forward to the smell of burning palay. It's a semll i really really love. Every time i get a whiff of that particular smell, it reminds of that field. It brings me peace and tranquility beyond imagination. I really look forward to it when we visit this Holy Week.

IS PEOPLE POWER STILL RELEVANT TODAY?

Many public affairs programs on television and radio today have been discussing the relevance of people power in today's generation. we have been subjected to two such outward expression of unity and show of force (Edsa 1 and Edsa 2). I thought i'd throw my hat into the ring adn give my two cents worth on the subject.

People power (for me, that is) has lost its mystic, its magic, its relevance to today's generation. The tendency of pinoys to abuse what they think is a good thing has caused our culture some serious damage. This scenario is prevalent in almost all aspects of pinoy life. In music and television, there is over-exposure. Look at tha song Hawak Kamay. Initially, the song really was good, but pinoys over-exposed the song and now some, if not most people find themselves close to puking whenver they hear the song. This goes with tv (look at the phenomenon pinoy big brother). Sadly, this cultural flaw has been seen in people power as well. People no longer see "people power" as a force for good, but an instrument of politics that is sadly overused by those in the opposition. They tried it many times. Edsa Tres, the Malacanang Siege, and even in the failed Oakwood Mutiny where they tried to muster people to rally behind coup plotters. It is no wonder that people are fed up with the so-called people power.

there is no dictator to oust now. Freedoms are still protected (even if Allan peter Cayetano and the rest of the opposition believe otherwise). The opposition claim that people pwoer is needed because freedom is being threatened. But the mere fact that they can say this out load in the tri-media is a perfect example that no freedom or right has been curtailed. Sadly, people are fed up by false or imagined scenarios by the opposition. Before 2004, Erap's cohorts have already been "warning" the people that Gloria will declare Martial Law. Aba! Its been 3 years since 2004, nasaan na ang martial law?

Let's face it. No decent filipino in their right mind would join another call for people power. The personalities, for one, are long gone or forgotten. Cardinal Sin is dead and no one seems to even take a backward glance at his contributions to society, Ramos is not the power broker he used to be or protray to be, Cory has lost the support of the people who once elevated her to the presidency. In fact, People power proved to be a failure for most filipinos. Why? The people we ousted are still weilding their Marcoses are back in politics, Erap and his family are still around as well, and most of Marocs' cronies are still weilding power in the corporate world. So people power must be a failure. There was no real change from Marcos to Aquino. The tenant farmers are still tenant farmers, regardless of the so-called Comprehensive Agrarian reform program of Cory. Hacienda Luisita is still Hacienda Luisita. These oligarchial family once argued that if we give the tenant farmers land, they won't have money to maintain the land. Sure, but at least the land is still theirs. They enjoy the fruits of their hardwork and not some paltry token of thanks from the oligarchy.

People power is not only irrelevant now, but is plain dead. We have overused people power, and now people power is being shunned as a political tool -- lacking in sincerity and lacking in genuine unity.

This blog also appears on my column "Random thoughts of a Mapangurirat" at

www.banares.bravehost.com/opinion.html

Until next week. Happy Panadbenga!

Random Thoughts

This blog also appears on my weekly opinion column in our Clan Website entitled "Random Thoughts of a Mapangurirat". Visit it at www.banares.bravehost.com/opinion.html.


It's funny how the world works. What is true now may not be true in the future. Take for example the two battling political camps: The Administration and the Opposition. During the impeachment of deposed president Erap, Loren Legarda was one of those who displayed true animosity towards then administration cohorts Tessie Aquino Oretta et al who refused to allow the opening of the second envelope. Now, Loren is aligned with the Erap camp (whether they like to admit it or not, the United Opposition or Genuine Opposition is still an Erap-controlled group). The former crying lady of the senate is now a happy, smiling buddy of the former actor-turned-president-turned-arrestee. Then there is Tito Sotto who used to bash La Gloria with all his night, as if all his hatred has been channeled towards one person alone. Now, he is with the president's camp! The same goes for Tessie Aquino Oretta. Manny villar, on the other hand, who was the main player in the transmission of the complaint of the impeachment of Erap to the Senate, is now an ally of the very person he tried to impeach! What a strange world we live in.

I didn't vote last election. Because of this, some argue that i forfeited my right to be active in politics by not voting. I countered that part of my rights as a Filipino citizen is not just being able to vote (or the right to suffrage), but also by exercising my right NOT to vote as a form of expression. I stand by my contention: Choosing not to exercise one's right is not an encompassing act of forfeiture of my other rights. Not exercising one's right to suffrage does not diminish one's enjoyment of his OTHER rights. I liken this scenario to the flag law of the US. In the United states of America, people are fiercely protective of their rights under their Constitution's Bill of Rights. To burn the flag is illegal, according to the Flag Law. However, each American is empowered by the Right to Freedom of Expression. The contention of the Civil Rights Activists is that the Flag of America should not just be a symbol of the nation, but a symbol to be used by its citizens in protest, meaning, burning the flag as a sign of protest should be covered by the Bill of Rights, which is higher than the Flag Law, for the Constitution is the foundation of American legal jurisprudence. So it is with voting: Voting should not just be an exercise of choosing officials. Refusing to vote is also an exercise in freedom of expression, which does not limit, stunt, diminish or impugn his other rights. This is the TRUE essence of democracy. Exercising one's right to vote OR exercising one's right NOT to vote. Both are rights which are protected by the very constitution we all uphold and revere.

I have been following the senatorial line up of both the opposition and administration (they go by the names Team Unity and Genuine Opposition now). Sadly for the administration line-up, it is a poorly thought-of line-up. I mean, Cesar Montano for senator? What the hell were they thinking??? I'm not too dandy about the other candidates as well, like Chavit, Ed Angara, Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino Oretta, for the obvious reason that they were all once so rock-hard anti-Gloria.

Nursing Leakage Backlash

I said this before in my previous blogs, here and in my other sites. Those opposing the retake of the nursing licensure examinations last year will suffer the penalty of not being able to take the foreign licensure exams and other gateway examinations to work in other countries. This is exactly what happened with the CGFNS. If you were the US, you'd do the same thing. Sure, not all the takers of the exams cheated, but let's face it. The tests have been tainted, and everyone who took it, cheater or not, will have to deal with the same tainted image as all of the other takers. Now that the shit has hit the fan, these people who are still adamant about refusing to retake the exams are actually blaming the PRC for one reason or another (the best reason i can think of is "shit, i made a mistake! i must blame the goverment for it!" -- common pinoy escapeist reasoning). O, ano na ngayon? What will happen to your stance? You think the president will help you? Of course not! That's stupid thinking. And if she doesn't help you, i'm sure you'll blame her as well. Might as well blame her for everyting, including why we still haven't inhabitted the moon, while you're at it! Serves you right for playing hardball. You should have taken the retake exams!

The Queen

I recently saw the critically-acclamied movie "The Queen" starring Helen Mirren. At first i thought it was a boring bio-flick about the Queen of England, but it turned out to be a more interesting look at the Queen, particularly during the death of Princess Diana. The guy portraying Tony Blair gets my two thumbs up for being very "Blair-like". If you have time, do watch it. It'll give you a new perspective on the royal family and the house of windsor.

Sims 1

I recently got re-acquainted with The Sims 1, a game i learned from Jackie and Poppo's computer shop in Project 6 a few years back. I used to play The Sims 1 a lot, but whe my old PC went "kerplunk" i never got the chance to re-install it. I recently tried to install it in the laptop i'm using, and, lo and behold, it worked! And now i'm hooked again! If you're into designing houses and garden plots, then The Sims 1 is for you. Sure, there's a lot of hype about The Sims 2 and how realistic the characters are, and they've got great objects downlaods, i'm sure, but i'm still with The Sims 1. I just love to design houses there. There's a forum i recently joined which concur with the assesment that though the new sims game is more realistic in terms of character interphases and all that techie hulabaloo, the Sims 1 gets Top A rating for great designer usage and easy-to-install items. Hey, i might even try the transmogrifier sometime!

check out the Sims it www.thesims.com or www.thesimsresource.com.

Friendster Hoax

I've received so many forwarded messages on my friendster account saying that a certain Allen Smith from Friendster says that friendster is congested and that it is closing soon. I checked with the FAQs section of Friendster recently and this supposed Allen Smith turns out to be a fictional character, and that message that friendster is closing is actually a hoax perpetrated by some people a few years back. According to friendster, friendster is not closing soon, as is the contention of the hoax. So guys, let's stop passing this message around.

Impressive Photos

I was surfing the net when i stumbled upon my friend's photos at http://www.photo.net/photos/LizMateo. I know for a fact that she's an avid photo buff, but she takes unbelievably stunning pictures! Words aren't good enough to describe the intensity of her photos, and i don't say this because she's my friend, but because the photos are truly beautiful. I didn't think it would be fair to copy the pics and show them here, so just click on the link i mentioned above. Believe me, it's worth your time to see her photos. Liz, like i said in my offline message, truly impressive! More Power!

Bataan Fiesta

This is long overdue. I was supposed to write about our recent trip to Hermosa in Bataan, upon the invitation of our friend of seven years, Poppo and wife-to-be Jhackie, but never got around to writing it here on Blogger. We left Manila January 29 right after lunch. We were fetched by Philip (he's more than a driver, but also a trusted confidante of our hosts and a very entertaining guy to boot!). We arrived in Hermosa after about and hour and a half. The 29th was the eve of the Fiesta in Hermosa (technically, it's the fiesta of the Barangay where our hosts live). When we arrived at Poppo's family residence in Hermosa, the place was buzzing with people, preparing for the big feast the next day. Tia Teri, their over-all cook-in-charge of the fiesta was busy directing the people on how to cut, dice or slice the different meat parts, vegetables and other condiments that will go into the feast on the morrow. That night, our hosts served us with truly exotic fare, and everything was delicious! The adobong Sawa (native Reticulated Python), the inihaw na itlog ng sawa, and the adobong itik tasted fanstastic! Of course, it wouldn't be a bisperas without the singing. Poppo, Ater Rose, Jhackie, yours truly, Jesse, Philip and Joel got around to belting out a few songs over three cases of Sann Mig Light and a big bottle of tequila.

The next day, we got to help with the preparations by stuffing the relyenong bangus. You wouldn't believe the effort that goes into that particular piece of savory dish. All in all, with all the preparations that went into the fiesta, the guests of the fiesta were served with an unending array of dishes: fired-chicken in gata marinade, crabs, shrimp, lechon, relyenong bangus, morcon, menudo, igadillo, dinuguan, lots of talaba and many, many more! Truly, the fiesta in Hermosa is one that you will want keep going back to, if only for the food. But it isnt just the food that makes this particular fiesta an enjoyable event. It is the warmth and friendly gait of the people of Hermosa and the family of our gracious hosts that made this trip truly a remarkable one.

By the way, you can also read the alter-ego of this blog (random thoughts of a mapangurirat) at our clan website. The URL is www.banares.bravehost.com/opinion.html . It's my personal column in the clan website.

Also, watch out for the Cacanindin family website. More to come next mapangurirat! Adios muchachos y muchachas! ariba!

Arcade Games

I remember the days when i used to go to a small house near our hosue to play arcade games like Pacman. Hey, i'm not that old. But i do remember those great arcade games and there are times when i really miss them. When my brother gave us the dvd player with the built-in arcade games, i was in heaven! But i found out a way to share these games with my readers of mapangurirat. Well, its not the original.. its actually a clone of the original, but im sure you'll enjoy this game as well! More games to share with you soon!

Bataan Fiesta

The fiesta of Hermosa, Bataan was an enjoyable one. Like last year, we were invited to this year's fiesta by our friend Poppo and Jhackie. My sister and i left with Poppo and Jhackie on the 29th of January and we arrived right at the heart of preparations for the feast on the 30th. Poppo's mom and sister were already there, supervising the preparations. Their cook, Tiang Teri, prepared a sumptuous cavalcade of food that could satisfy even the most satisfying of palates. Relyenong Bangus, Morcon Hamonado, Igadillo, Menudo, Fried Chicken in coconut milk marinade, lechon baboy, lots and lots of talaba and shrimp, dinuguan, putong galapong and other succulent delicacies were laid out before the guests. We were happy to have been asked to help with the stuffing of the relyenong bangus. Mind you, if you think stuffing relyenong bangus is easy, think again! It's a daunting task that takes a lot of getting used to. Thanks to Poppo and Jhackie and Poppo's wonderful family for an enjoyable fiesta!