Twisted Grooves

A New Blessing

2011-06-08T23:22:00.000+08:00

A Beginning of Something Wonderful

2011-03-14T15:58:00.002+08:00

togetherness counter

2011-02-27T11:49:00.000+08:00

i was there

2009-10-14T08:38:00.001+08:00

U2 360 Tour stop in Dallas, Texas.

the best there ever was, the best there ever will be

2009-09-12T02:44:00.000+08:00

My personal tribute to my childhood hero on the day that he enters the basketball hall-of-fame.

of what the oceans should look like

2009-08-19T16:19:00.000+08:00

too bad this is just a big aquarium and not the real thing. i'm still hoping there won't be a need for a place like this in the future. i want my kids to see God's wonderful creations out where they belong and what they should be-FREE!

A Traveler's Gift

2009-05-12T15:06:00.003+08:00

Happy Birthday to my GG or God's Gift as we say in Singles For Christ. I gave her this story book of our first trip together. :)

front and back cover

pages 1-2

pages 3-4

pages 5-6

pages 7-8

pages 9-10

spidey's back in boracay

2009-03-29T06:54:00.002+08:00

check out the rest of the pics here:
http://twistedgrooves.multiply.com/photos/album/47/boracay_2009

sd 550 met an accident

2009-03-24T18:27:00.000+08:00

my everyday shooter had an accident. i can still turn it on and off and view, delete, etc. the problem is the zoom lens, it's now misaligned so i can't shoot anymore. i'm taking her to canon's emergency room asap.

5dmkII video

2009-03-22T16:30:00.000+08:00

astig! our country's best videographers working together for this project.
The First All Canon EOS 5D Mk. II Wedding Video Shoot in the World from Mayad Studios on Vimeo.

rest in peace papapipopu

2009-03-07T03:21:00.000+08:00

the only time i had an encounter with "the man from manila" was during the days of zach and joey in the morning. Pia or pkarroyo, his wife, was active in the group and quite a few times francis would join the ym conferences. i got to chat with papapipopu a few times and we usually talked about photography as we were both new then on the hobby. it was a starstruck moment for me as i grew up watching and listening to this guy. too bad i didn't get to meet him in person even after stalking their house in antipolo hehe.

anyway, i'm really sad but i'm sure he's in a better place. we lost him here on earth but heaven gained another soul to make music for all the angels and saints.

rest in peace papapipopu.

Best balls ever in Bantayan

2009-03-01T12:31:00.000+08:00

Post notes of my cebu trip (my first).

1. The place is mini Manila - there's traffic, pollution and hawkers; there are big malls and hotels; the downtown area is similar to Cubao, Recto and Divisoria; the street food is dangerously full of oil haha. But I didn't see squatters, hmmm.

2. CNT Lechon is NOT the only litsunan in Cebu, so you better try the lesser known ones like the ones infront of Prince Warehouse club because they taste better. I had 4 meals of lechon in 5 days and i didn't even get to the famous Talisay and Carcar towns. I must go back for more pork adventures.

3. Bantayan island is a must for weary souls. It's not the most beautiful and not the next Boracay (thank God) but it's charming, quiet and mysterious. If you've been to General Luna in Siargao, that's where I can compare it to.

4. Check out the homemade balls (shrimp or fish) infront of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, a 16th century church in Bantayan town. If Anthony Bourdain says that Cebu lechon is the "best pig...ever", these shrimp balls for me is the "the best balls...ever".

5. I just read Ivan Dy's blog and now I hate myself for not trying the buffet dinner at D' Jungle restau in Bantayan. 30 courses with bottom less iced tea for 245 pesos and I let it pass. GRRRRRR!!!

6. Other highlights - seeing the candle sellers/praying women at Magellan's cross and Basilica (this is where the Sinulog dance originated from); eating at SNT and a sutukil type restau; seeing the Cebu night scape; riding the habal-habal 11 kms to Bantayan market and another 11 kms back to Sta Fe town with all the seafood, liempo and pandesal that we bought; catching two magnificent sunsets at the beach; and finally praising and worshipping God with my GG and 7,000 other Singles for Christ brothers and sisters.

That sums up my 5 days in Cebu and I hope to be back soon to explore the other islands like Malapascua, Olango and Camotes. I would also love to have some more foodie outings when I go back. Photos to follow. :)

the live birth abortion case

2009-02-07T13:43:00.000+08:00

got this from cnn...this is the future of the Philippines once that bill gets passed. it's a pity that people sugar coat everything as "freedom" and "choice".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Doctor loses license in live birth abortion case

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A doctor's license was revoked Friday in the case of a teenager who planned to have an abortion but instead gave birth to a baby she says was killed when clinic staffers put it into a plastic bag and threw it in the trash.

Pierre Jean-Jacques Renelique, right, and his attorney, Joseph Harrison, at the hearing.

The doctor, Pierre Jean-Jacques Renelique, also is the subject of a criminal investigation. Renelique was not present when the baby was born, but the Florida Medical Board upheld Department of Health allegations that he falsified medical records, inappropriately delegated tasks to unlicensed personnel and committed malpractice.

Joseph Harrison, the attorney representing Renelique at the license revocation hearing in Tampa, said Renelique has not decided whether to appeal.

The state attorney's office, meanwhile, said its criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing and no charges have been filed. A fetus born alive cannot be put to death even if its mother intended to have an abortion, police said when the incident occurred in 2006.

The baby's mother, Sycloria Williams, sued Renelique, the clinic and its staff in January, seeking damages.

She alleges in her suit that "she witnessed the murder of her daughter" and said she "sustained severe emotional distress, shock and psychic trauma which have resulted in discernible bodily injury."

"This is not about a pot of gold," said Tom Pennekamp, her attorney. "What this is about is right and wrong and making a statement, making sure it doesn't happen to other young women."

According to the suit, Williams, then 18, discovered while being treated for a fall that she was 23 weeks pregnant. She went to a clinic to get an abortion on the morning of July 20, 2006, after receiving medication and instructions the previous day.

Renelique was not at the clinic, however, and Williams was told to wait for him. She was given two pills and told they would make her ill. When she complained of feeling ill, clinic staff members gave her a robe and told her to lie down in a patient room, the suit says.

Renelique was still not present when Williams "felt a large pain" and delivered a baby girl, according to the suit.

"The staff began screaming and pandemonium ensued. Sycloria watched in horror and shock as her baby writhed with her chest rising and falling as she breathed."

A clinic co-owner entered the room and used a pair of shears to cut the baby's umbilical cord, the suit said. She "then scooped up the baby and placed the live baby, placenta and afterbirth in a red plastic biohazard bag, which she sealed, and then threw bag and the baby in a trash can."

Staff at the clinic did not call 911 or seek medical assistance for Williams or the baby, the suit said.

Renelique arrived at the clinic about an hour later and gave Williams a shot to put her to sleep. "She awoke after the procedure and was sent home still in complete shock," the suit said.

Police were notified of the incident by an anonymous caller who told them the baby was born alive and disposed of.

"The complainant [Williams] observed the baby moving and gasping for air for approximately five minutes," according to a police affidavit requesting a search warrant for the clinic.

Two search warrants found nothing, but officers executing a third warrant "found the decomposing body of a baby in a cardboard box in a closet," the suit said.

The baby was linked to Williams through DNA testing, the lawsuit said. An autopsy showed it had filled its lungs with air prior to death. Documents from the state Department of Health said its cause of death was determined to be "extreme prematurity."

Fewer than 1 percent of babies are born at less than 28 weeks, according to the March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization aimed at reducing premature births, birth defects and infant mortality.

Infants born at that stage may survive, but require treatment with oxygen, other medical help and mechanical assistance to help them breathe. They are too immature to suck or swallow and so must be fed intravenously.

Babies born before about 32 weeks of gestation face the highest risk of health problems, the March of Dimes said.

Williams' lawsuit seeks damages from Renelique, the clinic and its staff. It claims that clinic records were falsified to say only that Williams underwent an abortion. Williams filed the suit individually and "as personal representative of the estate of Shanice Denise Osbourne, deceased," the suit said.

The medical board's action Friday came at the request of the Florida Department of Health, which filed an order in February 2007 seeking emergency restrictions on Renelique's license. Department documents list many of the same allegations as Williams' lawsuit.

"Dr. Renelique's failure to practice medicine with that level of care, skill and treatment that is recognized as being acceptable, as well as his willingness to falsify medical records, poses a serious and immediate danger to the public," the health department said.

Renelique did not respond to the health department or dispute the facts it alleged, department spokeswoman Eulinda Jackson said Friday.

Williams has declined to speak publicly about the case, said Pennekamp, her attorney. She suffers from post-traumatic stress because of the experience, he said.

going solar

2009-01-30T01:37:00.000+08:00

i want one

Solar Electric Vehicles in California makes a roof-mounted solar panel for a standard Toyota Prius.

Toyota's third-generation Prius, due at dealerships this spring, will have an optional solar panel on its roof. The panel will power a ventilation system that can cool the car without help from the engine, Toyota says.

The world has gone crazy.

2008-12-29T03:41:00.000+08:00

just in case you're too busy. here's something to breakup the Christmas spirit. really, really disgusting!!!

http://vicissitude-decidido.blogspot.com/2008/12/world-is-fucked-up.html

Friday, December 26, 2008

The world has gone crazy.

So, I just had the worst day of my life.

At around 1:30 PM today, at Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo City, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr., Mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur, his father, Secretary Nasser Pangandaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and company, beat my defenseless 56-year-old dad and my 14-year-old brother to a pulp because of some stupid misunderstanding on the golf course.

This is a golf course. I have been a golfer all my life, and I have never seen anything like this. NOTHING. This is hard to comprehend. And it happened to my own father and my own brother too. Right in front of my eyes.

My brother and I were playing golf at the South Course of Valley. We were on the 3rd hole, and we see two golf carts going past us, overtaking our flight, and setting up to tee off on the next hole. My dad goes up to them and asks them why they would do that, why they would overtake us without even asking for our permission. Golf etiquette 101. One of the guys says that they're with the flight in front of us. (So what? That doesn't give them the right to just pass us WITHOUT asking.) So, we go to the 5th hole. The flight behind us catches up with us, and asks us what caused the hold up. We said that this flight just slipped in front of our flight. So we complained to the marshall. We play the 5th hole and walk towards the next hole, where there is a teehouse, and both the flights in front of us were there, talking with the marshall. The mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur talks with my dad. Things get heated up. Voices were raised. But never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine that someone would pull out a punch. Apparently not. He attacks my father. His flightmates, maybe 2 or 3 of them, rush to his aid and beat up my father. My 56-year-old father. My younger brother and I could not just watch. We rushed to break the fight. My younger brother pleads to the mayor to please stop it. To not hurt my dad. To just stop. His words still ring through my head..."Sorry na po, sorry na po...tama na...tama na po..." With his hands in front of his chest in a praying position. PLEADING. The mayor socks him in the face. My brother defended himself. My dad is still on the ground getting clobbered. My brother is the same way. I try to stop the fight, but all I can do is stop one person. There were 4 or 5 of them attacking now.

Someone breaks up the fight. I thought it was all over. The mayor shouts to his caddy: "Hindi nila kami kilala! Sabihin mo nga sa kanila kung sino ako!" And believe me, I had no idea who this person was. But now I know. He's the person who, with 4 other men, beat up my 56-year-old father and my 14-year-old brother. He's the person who sacks a pleading 14-year-old kid in the face. He's a person who, I am sure, is gonna rot in hell.

I lash out, but my dad held me back. I was screaming my lungs out, shouting to this mayor, telling him about what he had done. I said: "Nakakahiya kayo. Singkwenta'y sais anyos ang tatay ko. And kapatid ko kakatorse anyos. Anong ilalaban nila sayo?"

The mayor looks at my brother, point to his face, and says, "Tatandaan kita!" And he tells me that my brother has a bad attitude and that I need to watch him. WHAT THE HELL?! So, my brother's bad for defending his father?!

We leave. We walk to the clubhouse to file a complaint. My brother asks for a doctor. My dad could barely walk. Their group comes to the clubhouse, sees my brother. Once again my brother pleads, says sorry, and is crying. He was CRYING, for crissakes. But no. The relentless mayor still punches him in the face, and then sees my dad and goes after my dad again. Him and his friend pull my dad to the ground, pulls at his feet, and steps on him like he's dirt. I run to him and try to hold him back, holding him back by his shirt, while this other guy and this girl tries to stop me. She tells me to just stop it. I scream in her face "they're beating my father up and you want me to stop?!" I pull at his shirt--I don't let go. All I can see was my dad being trampled on. I didn't even see my brother getting beat up.

People pull them away. I get my dad, and I saw my brother. His right ear was bleeding. I freaked out. I told the receptionists to bring my brother to the clinic. I pull my dad away. People were separating us.

My mom and my older brother come. I tell her Bino's right ear is bleeding. They both look like they could kill. My dad holds my brother off, I hold off my mom. When I finally got my mom under control, my older brother gets away and I hold him off. Two of the mayor's bodyguards pull out guns. I embraced my brother from the back, just holding him back, crying. The receptionists came to us, crying, hugging me, my dad, and my mom, whispering to us to just leave. "Maam, umalis na po kayo, may mga baril sila...Maam...umalis na po kayo please..."

I am pretty sure the Secretary of DAR did not take part in the fight, but he just watched all this happen. He watched two of his sons, as we figured out, the other guy was his son, too, beat up my father and my 14-year-old brother. He didn't do anything to stop it. And this person is what now? A cabinet member. A politician.

Sounds like something out of a movie, doesn't it? But this is what happened. TODAY. The day after Christmas. To my family. And all I ask for is JUSTICE. The people at Valley Golf did not seem to want to help us. None of the security guards even tried to stop the fight. Right in the clubhouse. I came back after the fight was over and talked to the receptionists. They say they did not see anything. The general manager of Valley Golf would not give us the names of the men who made my brother's ear bleed. It took him an hour. Maybe even more than that. He seemed to not want to help us. Because, we were against the SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM and the MAYOR OF MASIU CITY, LANAO DEL SUR. They were all scared.

The world has gone crazy. Two politicians beat up a defenseless 56-year-old father and his 14-year-old son. At a golf course. I swear to God, I thought golfers were decent people. You would think politicians were decent people. I guess not. I guess they gang up on 56-year-old men and beat up pleading 14-year-old kids.

Please pray for my dad, my brother and for my whole family. Please pray that we get JUSTICE. Oh God, please, give these people what they deserve.

CIS Reunion for a Cause

2008-12-20T12:54:00.000+08:00

December 13, 2008
The Substation
Meralco Center, Pasig City
Photo Courtesy of Pat Te Seng

The group came together primarily to raise funds for Ms. Luth's medical treatment but it did more than that-it also brought back memories of those years we spent with probably the most important IT company in the Philippines. The stuff of legends as they say. :)

heart of worship

2008-12-20T06:23:00.000+08:00

29 ADs newest CD album features songs from their concert last June 2008.

A perfect gift to your friends this Christmas.

Proceeds of the sales will be for the medical treatment of our fellow musicionary, Jazz de Guzman and baby Lucas Morales.

Some of the cd's inlay photos are by yours truly. Check them out :)

ulaaaaannnn

2008-10-10T15:35:00.000+08:00

4 in the afternoon...malapit na uwian...magtri-train dapat ako para sa gk-adidas king of the road...sumilip ako sa labas ng bintana namin....wow ang ganda ng view...kakainis bagong linis ang kotse. :P

agent zero in manila (and GK)

2008-07-19T17:56:00.000+08:00

A couple of days before Agent Zero came to Manila, he sealed a deal with the Washington Wizards for a contract extension for six years for $111 M. Nothing unexpected since he is the King Wizard but what is amazing is his willingness not to take the maximum salary he could get. He was offered the maximum of $127 M but he opted for a lower salary so the team can beef up their line-up and challenge for an NBA crown. How many on this earth will do that? (not the eheads of course hehe)

I got this from his blog on NBA.com. Looks like he had a blast with all the attention he got from the Pinoy fans. He also got a taste of how people here are trying to change the wrongs of the past by building new communities full of hope and love.

Pictures from http://sandroparedes.multiply.com

Manila

Then we stopped in Manila. It was a different world. I’ve never seen fans like that in my life. These pictures can’t even do justice to what was going on out there. I had a reception at a small, little venue to welcome me to the city and there were 200 people there.

One thing I want to say about Filipinos: they’re very warm people, very good-hearted people. Like, everybody was nice. You know, you meet nice people, but a whole country of nice, genuine, warm-hearted people was unbelievable. These are diehard fans.

I really didn’t know if I was in Game 7 of a playoff series, I couldn’t tell the difference. Everywhere I went it was just bananas.

I also want to give a shout out to my man from Maryland who flew from MD to the Philippines and told me the reason he flew all the way out there was to get autographs from me because he knew I was going to be there at that date and time.

I did a couple mall tours. I also helped a kid with his wish. It was in one of the poverty areas in Manila and there’s a group called GK that builds homes for people all over the world. They helped this community out by putting people in homes. I guess a couple weeks before we got there, a hurricane hit and destroyed their community and GK helped build it back up.

One little kid who lived there wanted a basketball court for his community so all the kids could play so I donated – with the help of GK and adidas – a basketball court to that community and the kid was very happy.

You have to look at the Agent Zero posters they had out there. They put me in a cape at one of my last events in Manila. It was at one of their biggest malls and they were predicting it was going to be crowded. I mean, crowded to me is a Saturday afternoon at the mall where you have to wait in line for 10 minutes to pay for your jeans. Their crowded was probably four or five thousand people in the mall. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and I’ve seen crazy fans all over the world. It was like Golden State against the Dallas Mavericks with Game 3 back in Oakland. It was that type of atmosphere in the mall.

I was stunned.

They made me feel like an NBA star.

Any NBA players out there: If you’re having a bad day, or you’re having a bad career, go to Manila. They’ll bring your spirits up, trust me.

I felt like I just won the NBA championship, to be for real.

After we left the mall we were looking at pictures from the event a couple days later and we were telling ourselves, "Man, that was unreal!"

Plus, with the security I had, I felt like I was the President. I felt like I was Obama. I really felt like I was running in the presidential election, especially when I got to meet the U.S. ambassador out in the Philippines. We had a great time talking to each other.

We actually went to a college basketball game together. Their college game would be like if it was Duke and Maryland playing each other and you split the crowd in half, 50-50. One side of their gym was blue and one side of their gym was green and everybody was just yelling.

Backstage I met Manny Pacquiao, he’s the town hero. I have to be honest, they made me feel even bigger than him at the moment. I talked to him and he invited me to his November fight, so if I have time and depending on if we have a day off, I might go see that. Oh, I also met Jet Li in Shanghai, can’t leave him out.

On top of everything else in Manila, I stayed at the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at – The Peninsula. I was in the mack daddy “El Presidente” suite and was like the Fresh Prince with Geoffrey – I had a live-in butler.

One more note on Manila, just so you guys can get a picture of what kind of people they are and how much they adore and love entertainers and the NBA. Think about this: If you’ve ever been to a Beyoncé concert, or anybody’s concert in the states really, if they sell out an arena it will be 20,000 fans. Last year in Beyoncé’s hometown, Houston, she pulled in 12,000 people to her show. D.C. was her biggest sell, she put 18,000 people in the seats. Meanwhile, she was in Manila for two days to do two concerts and she had 85,000 people, two nights straight.

She couldn’t even do it in the arena, she had to do it on the lawn. Like, “Everybody, y’all just get in the grass, I’m going to perform.”

That’s how the people are out there.

I want to be a good catholic

2008-07-06T16:18:00.000+08:00

i've always said this-i don't think i would have stayed with a charismatic community like CFC-SFC if not for GK. i wouldn't want to spend my days just praying and listening to talks over and over again without living a true Christian life. this lecture he gave a few days ago sums up a lot of things that's in the hearts of thousands if not millions of GK believers and DOERS. Tito Tony did not start GK, he is not the founder but he is our inspiration. Nobody can take that away from him.

I want to be a good catholic
By Antonio Meloto
Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Theology Class Public Lecture
Ateneo de Manila University
July 1, 2008

There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. Tonight is the first time that I will speak publicly about the upheaval that rocked Couples for Christ.

For over a year, I chose to keep quiet out of respect for long cherished friendships and refrained from adding fuel to the fire while emotions were high. What was an internal leadership transition within an organization I felt should not have been made into a public issue and prudence should have been taken not to drag the Catholic Church into the conflict. I must admit that it was tempting at times for me to speak out and defend myself but I listened to the voice within my heart that kept telling me “keep still, I will defend those who defend the poor.”

Now I understand how God shielded me by making me computer illiterate. The fight for control over CFC was being waged in the internet, while the struggle to ease human suffering was happening in the GK communities. During the most difficult moments, I went to the poor for consolation. It became clear to me that the poor are oftentimes the victim when there is conflict among leaders. When politicians fight, it is the poor who suffer. Ironically, when religious leaders fight it is also the poor who suffer, just like the CFC controversy where Gawad Kalinga became the central issue. My stand on this is clear; I will always be on the side of the poor. As a Christian, I believe that this is also the stand of Jesus. I have remained with CFC that is building the church of the poor.

As I turn the page to start a new chapter in my life, I want to make one thing clear. Contrary to allegations, I have not veered away from the Catholic Church and set aside my faith for social work. I have put my social work inside my faith.

It is my personal conviction that I am not a good Catholic if I do not love my country or if I allow my countrymen to remain poor even if I live a devout and decent life. Within our context, where 85 percent of our population profess to be Catholic, faith and patriotism must go together to address the twin sisters of underdevelopment — poverty and corruption.

Bishop Francisco Claver, SJ., comments on the reluctance before of the Church to address this issue in his new book The Making of a Local Church. “Economics, so the charge went, is outside of the Church’s competence. Not so much now. It is readily seen that if, faithful to Christ’s concern for the least of his brothers and sisters, we must feed the hungry, teach the ignorant, heal the sick, we can and must do something about the causes, not just the symptoms, of their hunger, their ignorance, their sicknesses.” When addressing corruption, which is a moral issue, the Church is also being accused by the powerful and those with vested interests, “of meddling in politics.”

Central to my being Catholic is Jesus’ love for the poor. He saw the world through their eyes. His world-view was from the bottom up. His value system was always skewed in their favor — the last shall be first, the lowest shall be raised to the highest. The challenge for me is to care for them in a manner that will help them rise to their highest potential. My piety and pity alone will not save them; the squatters need land, not alms… justice, not dole-out. Without land, they cannot build homes or produce food. Without decent homes, they have no dreams. Without dreams, they have no desire to study or work. It is terribly unchristian for Filipinos to be squatters in a country where there is so much land in the possession of a few.

One interesting issue raised about me was that I was talking too much about nation-building when I should be preaching about Kingdom-building. For me, there is no dualism: nation-building is Kingdom-building. We need to make every Filipino passionate nation builders. Our country needs more builders, not just more preachers. The Jesus of history that I know, before he became the transcendent Christ to us, was a carpenter and the builder of both a physical and a spiritual kingdom. His disciples followed his example and built the early Christian communities where believers shared their resources with one another and no one was in need. This was the inspiration to start the first Gawad Kalinga village in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. Building sustainable GK communities is about values as well as economics. It is also about politics. It is our antidote to corruption by promoting servant leadership. Our slogan for leaders is “Una sa serbisyo, huli sa benepisyo” (First to serve, last to benefit! ).

What happened to us?

At the heart of Christianity is social justice anchored on Jesus’ love for the oppressed and the spirit of democracy is equality for all but looking at the vast social inequity in wealth and opportunity in our country clearly shows that we have been unfaithful to our core values and belief systems.

God is not about structures and rituals but about caring. Nation is not about politics but patriotism. Politics is competition for power; patriotism is giving up our lust for power, sharing our wealth and making heroic sacrifices for the weak to build our collective strength as a people.

We have not invested enough in building the church of the poor. We missed Jesus’ point of view and wisdom when he spoke about leaving family as a condition for discipleship. The poor not only deserve our attention but investing in them will catalyze economic activities, create opportunities, and build a safer environment for our children. Our greatest asset, our biggest market — the poor — are just waiting to be mentored, empowered, and harnessed as our engine for growth. The stones that were rejected will become the cornerstone for nation-building.

Knowing this, how do we face the future as Catholics in a country of immense potential but mired in poverty of spirit and body?

My personal response is simple: Gawad Kalinga — the Filipino expression of integral evangelization that seeks to build good citizenship on earth as it is in heaven. Being Catholic is my choice that demands conviction and action from me.

1. This is my anchor: faith in God, love for family, and pride in being Filipino.

2. This is my compass: Christ as the core of my conscience, my model of citizenship, and the source of commonsense. He is my navigator through controversy and conflict, the mirror to my soul, my companion and consolation.

3. I go to Church for mass and communion every Sunday but I strive daily to be in communion with the masses and those who want to see their lives improve. To many, going to church is an end. For me, being Catholic begins the moment I step out of the church.

4. To build solidarity, I am guided by Pope Benedict’s spirit of ecumenism in this country divided by religious intolerance and partisan politics. For me, Catholic fundamentalism is just as bad as fundamentalism that we deplore in other religion. Hypocrisy and bigotry in any language and form are unacceptable to me as a Catholic as they were to Jesus.

5. With all our imperfections, I am proud to be Catholic and I want to bring passion in the Church to serve God by serving the poor. There are rumors that I am doing all of these because I will run for public office. To set the record straight, this is not my desire or calling. I value the freedom to serve more than the authority to rule. To gain freedom, I will not seek political power or personal profit from business. Real power is in not wanting it. True wealth is in not loving money but sharing it with those deprived of a dignified life due to lack of it. To be free is not to put a price tag to one’s soul. To end, let me share with you my wish before I die. I want to see the Philippines as the first Catholic nation in Asia that will rise from third-world poverty and corruption. I will not rest until we put Fr. Damaso and Dona Victorina finally to rest.

Finish the Race

2008-06-20T17:16:00.000+08:00

Caramoan Peninsula 2003

2008-05-10T14:48:00.000+08:00

It looks like our little secret is out. I got a chance to visit these island 5 years ago with my mountaineer friends. Back then, it was relatively unknown except for a small entry in Lonely Planet which we used to get to this place. Now, with the latest news about Caramoan being the site of the latest Survivor France and plans of Hollywood movies being shot there, everyone seems to be getting interested on this place. I just hope the provincial government and the tourism authorities who will facilitate its development make sure that it is a sustainable one.

I'm reposting here an old entry I had on another website.

May 23-25, 2003

The remotest places usually offers us travelers the grandest adventures.

Enduring 9 hours on a bus, another on a van, another on a bangka, a jeepney ride and finally a 2 kilometer hike, we finally arrived at our destination. Crystal clear waters, powdery white sand, amazing limestone formations, secret lagoons, bat-filled caves, pesky jellyfishes and the friendliest people you'll ever meet. This is the Caramoan Peninsula in Camarines Sur. One of the less traveled destinations of Bicol. It is a travel destination where you won't hear blaring hip-hop beats or find large corporate posters-a rare scene these days. This place offers you a semi-castaway experience-you sleep on a tent, buy food from the fishermen's daily catch, cook them then eat on banana leaves "kamayan" style.

Some sad note though. The old harmful fishing practices took a toll on these seas. As evident on the lack of live corals around. The deterioration may continue as unsustainable development comes in. Though after speaking with the local barangay officials, my pessimistic mind was somewhat changed. They expressed concern and the desire to preserve the natural beauty of the peninsula. They truly care for their treasures but they need outside help. Not from the greedy politicians nor the moneymaking travel agents, but from people who genuinely believes that this earth is worth saving.

laiya coco grove

2008-05-04T17:36:00.002+08:00

i just got back from another beach outing. this time we went to laiya coco grove in san juan, batangas. here are some pics from my ixus point and shoot.

too much social work?

2008-04-28T17:55:00.000+08:00

Q: "How in God's name is it possible for anyone to do too much social work in this country?" - Conrado de Quiros

A. beats me!

batanes in pictures

2008-04-26T14:43:00.001+08:00

Places and Things

People

Fisheye

B&W LCA

a piece of heaven on earth

2008-04-13T20:41:00.003+08:00

it's been almost a week since we left Batanes. here are some cute souvenirs i got-a "bahay na bato" with two ivatans. these are great souvenirs but nothing compares to the experience of really being there. the place is just so amazing...God is the greatest artist and Batanes is one of His masterpieces. :)

hillsong united in manila

2008-03-29T05:10:00.000+08:00

" And I'll sing, sing I love You so
And I'll sing
Because the world can't take away Your love"

kita-kits sa praisefest :)

visita iglesia

2008-03-24T21:35:00.000+08:00

cavite march 9, 2008
rizal and laguna march 20, 2008

The past couple of weeks brought me to 14 churches in 14 towns around Cavite, Rizal and Laguna provinces. It was an experience like no other. I am in awe how a small country like ours is so rich in faith and so abundant with treasures. The churches we visited and the traditions that we’ve preserved are God’s greatest gift to all of us Filipinos. We should all be grateful that in the face of the many trials and many distractions around the world, we remain to be His people. As such, let us all be loyal stewards of these gifts by preserving them and sharing to others His word and His unconditional love.

(you can read more about visita iglesia in the Philippines on this website:
http://www.ivanhenares.com/2007/04/visita-iglesia-routes-for-holy-thursday.html
http://www.ivanhenares.com/2008/03/visita-iglesia-to-our-heritage-churches.html)

the new champions down under

2008-01-27T15:42:00.000+08:00

"Champions take chances, and pressure is a privilege."
- Billie Jean King

my new toys arrived today

2008-01-02T15:55:00.000+08:00

i'm like a kid opening my belated Christmas presents haha! i'm so so excited. well they're not exactly gifts but for all the effort i'd like to thank melissa jo for bringing my holga home from the states and to ms lef for trying to talk to non-english speaking sales people in hong kong to get me my fisheye 2.

here they are. i took a pic using my ixus (bad, bad digital) and photoshopped it to get a lomo effect. (pwede naman pala eh bat bumili pa ako ng lomo hehe)

nirvana dvd

2007-12-28T12:13:00.000+08:00

Finally out on DVD!!! I want this for my birthday. wink, wink ;)

happy holidays

2007-12-22T08:48:00.001+08:00

land for the landless

2007-12-18T12:56:00.000+08:00

Palace restores Sumilao land to agricultural use

‘From here on, we’re with you’--Bunye to farmers

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang on Tuesday revoked a conversion order on a disputed 144-hectare property in Sumilao, Bukidnon, paving the way for the return of the land to the ownership of farmers who marched 1,700 kilometers for two months from Mindanao to Metro Manila to dramatize their demand.

The order, signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, was personally delivered at around 1:30 p.m. by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye to the 55 members of the Higaonon tribe who had camped out at the College of the Holy Spirit in Mendiola since Monday, when their representatives met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang.

The farmers had been awarded the land under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) but then executive secretary Ruben Torres had approved the property’s conversion into agro-industrial use, sparking the years-long agrarian conflict that grabbed the limelight recently when the farmers embarked on their long march.

“Simula ngayon, asahan niyo na saan man makarating ang kaso na ito, ay kasama niyo na kami kahit sa korte [From now on, rest assured that wherever this case reaches, you will have us with you, even in court],” Bunye told the farmers after handing over the order.

The order said Arroyo “agrees with the findings and recommendations” of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to cancel the conversion order for the property, once owned by the Quisumbing family but since sold to San Miguel Foods Inc., which planned to convert it into a hog farm.

“Wherefore premises considered and as recommended by DAR, the petition for cancellation and/or revocation of the conversion order covering 144 hectares of land…is hereby granted,” the Palace order said.

The DAR recommendation, also dated December 18, said the “unilateral development of the landholding into a hog farm” by San Miguel Foods violated the original conversion order for the land because it “is not one of the purposes for which the conversion had been issued.”

“This clearly deviates from and constitutes a violation of the conversion order issued to” the development corporation set up by the Quisumbings, the DAR said.

Earlier in the day, chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol, who first confirmed that the order would be issued, said the land would still be subjected to a “process” before it can be finally distributed to the farmers.

Apostol was among the officials who drafted the decision.

Marlon Manuel, one of the farmers’ lawyers, also said earlier that the decision would mean San Miguel Foods will be treated as a landowner and will need to be paid the current value of the property before the land can be distributed to the farmers.

Originally posted at 11:22am

Santa Chef Cookie

2007-12-05T15:02:00.000+08:00

My sister won first place for dallas morning news' holiday cookie contest. She won the judges' hearts with her entry featuring a very detailed Santa chef cookie. Last time i checked she was also leading the on-line balloting-probably because of our Filipino family and friends haha. She recently graduated culinary arts and is also teaching cake decorating. She's on leave from her day job in one of the top auditing firms in the US just to join these contests haha. Her cooking and baking story should be an inspiration to all housewives wanting to cook for their husbands and kids. I remember back in high school even our dogs won't touch what she was cooking and baking. That's how bad it was. Haha. Anyway, check out the video here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spe/2007/cookie_contest/ click on winner #1.

Take the Sunday Train

2007-12-05T04:57:00.000+08:00

On its third year run, ROCK THE RILES is happening again.

Transforming eight (8) Metro Rail Transit stations into eight performance spaces, Rock Ed Philippines makes it a point to take a visible stand for Human Rights. Rock the Riles (pronounced reeh-les, Filipino for train tracks) gathers musicians, artists, photographers to simultaneously hold performances throughout the stretch of EDSA’s main vein –the MRT.

Come join us on Dec 9, take the train from 2-7pm. Stop in any of these stations:

1. Taft – Hip Hop artists from LockedDown Productions

2. Ayala - Terno Recordings artists, Radioactive Sago Project, UpdharmaDown, Swissy, Musical O, Sleepwalk Circus, Giniling Festival, Ang Bandang Shirley, Juan Pablo Dream, Dr. Mindbender, Sugarfree.

3. Buendia – c/o www.rakista.com, too late the hero, peacepipe, 18th issue, Maryzark, Neruda, Reklamo.

4. Boni – Fig, Happy Happy Joy Joy, Blue Ketchup, Analog, Bagetsafonik, Chillitees, and the Venus poets.

5. Shaw – Chicosci, Noel Cabangon, Salindiwa, Sound, Peryodiko, Angulo, Julianne, Nyko Maca, Area 5

6. Cubao – Phil Violators, The Wuds, Jeepney Joyride, Drip, Typecast, Toyo, FMD, Datu’s Tribe

7. Quezon Ave - a photo show and acoustic performances by a group called Kolektib. LomoManila, Geek Chorus combines.

8. North Edsa – a group of photographers will have a dynamic slide show of photos, a showcase of large format photos on tarps plus music from DJs.

This year’s ROCK THE RILES is a Human Rights stand for the farmers struggle for land. Jobs for all. And the right to quality education for all children.

why not?

2007-11-07T14:12:00.000+08:00

The WhyNot? Forum, according to founders Mark Ruiz and Bam Aquino, is a "smorgasboard of great, brave ideas—an open-source innovation soup that will hopefully inspire other Filipinos all over to connect adjunct thoughts, take impactful action, and weave together new breakthrough ideas." Inspired by the TEDTalks of the United States (www.ted.com), it is based on the simple idea of gathering some of the best minds in the country to share their respective ideas for 15 minutes each. By asking The Question and challenging outmoded assumptions, it is hoped that WhyNot? Forum will spark a thought revolution that will encourage people to "think new thoughts, share big dreams, do brave things." - why not forum

GANG BADOY of rocked philippines-one of my idol speakers. listen to her one great idea. visit also other short to talks at why not forum

alternative educator part 1

alternative educator part 2

run for love

2007-10-27T20:31:00.000+08:00

book it! my first ever marathon. though it was just a 10 km run and not the full 40 km of a full marathon, i'm still proud of what i achieved. i realized that it's a fun activity and a good cross training for other sports i engage in, so i plan to do it regularly. i also plan to seriously train next time and see if i can improve my time.

run for love is part of the GK 1 World, the 4th year anniversary celebration of Couples for Christ's Gawad Kalinga. Read more of it here: http://www.gawadkalinga.org

before the start

xCIS runners@the end of the run

i just wanted to jump and tap the 10k marker hehe. 1 hour and 20 mins-something that needs improvement

@the expo. click here for more pics

a 'gnarly' lifestyle

2007-10-03T11:14:00.000+08:00

i was in Siargao for the 2nd time last Sept 29 to Oct 1. more pics on my multiply.

foot bridge going to the reef breaks

the real deal-the sun setting in an overly saturated fashion

walking on the foot bridge

group shot

competition shot from billabong

the crazy ones

2007-09-24T08:16:00.000+08:00

"the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world,
Are the ones who do"

I love this old Apple Computers ad. It speaks volumes of the many "crazy" people who lived their lives against the flow of things in society and yet became the ones who changed it.

The introductory message of the ad:

Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
And while some see them as the crazy ones,
We see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world,
Are the ones who do.

the day the kids were out at night

2007-09-22T21:03:00.000+08:00

not so long ago, school kids were very much into boy bands and britney pretenders. not so long ago, you hardly see a rock band setting foot on the Philippines to stage a show. time flies and the pop globe turned around to make emo punk as the genre of choice for most school kids. this phenom lifted the chris carrabbas and pete wentzs into stardom slash rock stars of this young generation. two nights of fall out boy at the araneta coliseum seemed so impossible but it happened. and judging by the number of parents going with their kids (yes kids...elementary and high school kids) to watch definitely made this tour score a lot. it was an entertaining night because of these kids who knew every single word of every single song except covers which separated the young crowd from the old spies in the arena (that includes me) who sang along more on the michale jackson and green day covers.

despite the excitement from all these, the only failure was the band itself. not lacking in energy but in the talent to sing live an original song. blame it on the band or the crew but it was disappointing set.

the kids were out, and i'm out just as well.

it maks you have big musuls

2007-09-19T17:35:00.000+08:00

warning to all dads,moms and future parents. i got this email from Zoe:

"Sharing my 5-year old nephew Jason's letter to his Dad, my brother who always had a slender (thin) frame. Funny...hehe"

switchfoot's daily foot

2007-09-15T20:06:00.000+08:00

got this from switchfoot's official blog telling their manila story. it's kinda funny especially on the "a walk to remember" comment. hahaha :))

9.10 Manila, Philippines.

we had been speculating as to whether jerome would be welcomed into his homeland either in a limo or with a giant parade saluting all that is fontamillas, but instead, we were greeted with an easy time through customs, which is easily just as welcomed.

we woke up early and went to a historic site in manila where a filipino revolutionary named jose rizal was jailed. in jail he wrote some books that helped lead to the independence of the philippines under their spanish rule. it was educational and awesome. we then went to this mall so that we could catch a ride back to the venue it what is called a jeepney. it's basically this old school long jeep with a bunch of crazy decorations inside and out. it was equally bumpy as it was awesome. we then got back to the venue and the guys did soundcheck and some interviews, and then we hung out until the mayhem began.

jon made the claim early on in the day, before the show even started, that he thought tonight would be one of his favorite shows ever, and i don't think it disappointed. tonight was nuts. i have never heard a crowd flip out more. one of the best things i have ever seen is when jon went around and introduced everyone, leaving romey for last. jon basically just turned in romey's direction, and the crowd just went insane. then he got on the mic and said some stuff in tagalog and everyone freaked out again. after that, in a show of true filipino love, some of the guys on stage ate something known as balut. just typing it kind of makes my stomach turn a bit, so i'll let you go wikipedia that one rather than me describe it to you. needless to say, it's gross.

one of the musical highlights from tonight is when the guys came out with an encore of a full band version of 'only hope'. 'a walk to remember' is the highest grossing movie of all time here, so when jon started into the song, there was a whole lot more flipping out. the whole day and night seriously were amazing, and it was such a high point to end this little tour on. see you back in the states. peace out.

dared to move

2007-09-11T15:11:00.001+08:00

switchfoot were great live, sounding even better than on their albums. there wasn't any dull moment, not even on some unfamilar songs for me. i guess i got caught up with their charisma and the energy of the crowd. switchfoot is a band not lacking on principles, has a lot of conscience and who are not afraid to be labeled as Christians-real rockers and punks in that sense.

it would be a dishonor to Switchfoot not to mention the beneficiary of their concert here in Manila. The International Justice Mission is an NGO working on the plight of people who are victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery, and oppression. Go check out their website and see how you can be of help to the cause.

btw, the keyboardist is Pinoy. he surprised everyone by having the band gorge on balut on stage. now that's rock 'n roll!!! :D

surfing: check

2007-08-27T22:08:00.000+08:00

i'm now a certified ex-surfing virgin. hahaha! i now have the right to wear boardshorts and rash guards!!! let's go shopping...rip curl, billabong, volcom, quiksilver, speedo (NOT!). yes, i got to stand on the board and ride the waves of la union several times. well, that's after at least a gallon of water passed thru my nose and into my stomach, wiping out on my first three tries to "padul" and "tayo".

thanks to jun and tikoy for organizing the trip. thanks to the rest of the soluziona ultimate "warriors" (NOT ulit!) for the alcohol and "what is the capital" tournament. we're not just disc raiders after all. until next time.

check out more pics on my multiply

a different kind of surfing

2007-08-22T07:02:00.000+08:00

on fire

2007-08-19T20:29:00.000+08:00

On Fire
By Switchfoot

Tell you where you need to go
Tell you what you need to leave
Tell you what you need to know
Tell you who you need to be
Everything inside you know there's more than what you hear
So much more than empty conversation filled with empty words

And you're on fire when He's near you
You're on fire when He speaks
You're on fire, burning at these mysteries

Give me one more time around
Give me one more chance to see
Give me everything you are
Give me one more chance to be

Everything inside me looks like everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change, You are the only chance I'll take

When I'm on fire when You're near me
I'm on fire when You speak
I'm on fire burning down these mysteries
These mysteries

I've been standing on the edge of me
standing on the edge of me
standing on the edge of me
standing on the edge of me
standing on the edge of everything I've never been before
And I've been standing on the edge of me
standing on the edge

And I'm on fire when You're near me
I'm on fire when You speak
I'm on fire burning at these misteries

I was listening to this song and it just struck me hard with its lyrics and great melody. You can always think of it as a love song but Switchfoot being a Christian band, you're almost always sure that it speaks about God. For me this song talks about one's relationship with Jesus and how He affects each individual who truly believes and tries to follow Him. I'm sure everyone who has experience His unconditional love understands the magnificent feeling one gets when He speaks to us. His embrace and his total commitment to be by our side in times of doubt, pain and misery ignites the fire in all of us.

Personally, this song is a reminder for me that everything that's happening right now that makes me miserable has a purpose. For the past couple of weeks there's been a series of events that made me question Him. I want to just give up on things that God asked me to pursue but He always has an answer. In the end, He alone knows what's ahead. I just have to be hopeful and faithful.

Lord God, "You are the hope I have for change, You are the only chance I'll take."

bisyo

2007-08-18T20:11:00.000+08:00

how much of the Philippines have you visited

2007-08-07T16:54:00.000+08:00

you guys should check this out and see how you'll fair. i really thought i would have a high mark on this one, but sad to say, i only got a C+. dayuhan pa rin ako sa sarili kong bayan. there's just too much to see in the Philippines. i haven't been to batanes, bacolod, bohol, cebu and several other provinces that are rich in natural beauty and cultural heritage. before i begin thinking of even setting foot on europe i have to see and experience these national treasures. tara na, biyahe tayo!!!

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

i am meant to live

2007-08-04T10:05:00.001+08:00

click here for concert details
yeh...switchfoot is coming to manila. with all the crap that's happening around us, a major shot of positivism is very much welcome. we have our tickets so see you in the moshpit!!!

CLP Talk 1: God's Love

2007-08-03T14:18:00.000+08:00

flying in the rain

2007-07-31T13:48:00.000+08:00

guaranteed

2007-07-29T23:39:00.000+08:00

"...I will be their God, and they shall be my people..."

Baruch 2:35

SFC Metro Manila Conference. Balanga, Bataan

plug: Christian Life Program at Meralco

2007-07-17T08:49:00.000+08:00

Singles for Christ Meralco Chapter invites you to its Christian Life Program. Orientation is on August 1, Wednesday at the Lineman's Training Center, Meralco Compound, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City. For other details just click on the poster below. See you :)

subic 2007

2007-07-09T20:57:00.000+08:00

Subic trip with Chale, Jun, Jac, Reena, Gem and Naomi.

more than meets the eye

2007-07-01T07:55:00.000+08:00

it's been a while since a film comes along and simply blows you away! add to that the nostalgia for the 80s kid who followed every battle of these robots who transformed into cars, planes, cassette players, etc. i am still amazed by how the producers made this fan favorite cartoon into a film that stayed true to its roots and multiplied the action and the visuals a hundred times over. you can't say anything bad about it except not seeing bumble bee in his original beetle form. but hey, the hot chick makes up for it. haha!!! got to watch it a few times more!!!

caylabne

2007-06-03T21:20:00.000+08:00

it's time to celebrate

2007-05-20T19:54:00.000+08:00

1st asean women to climb everest.
1st women to traverse everest.

you ladies should be in the headlines and not the election circus. congratulations. you made us proud to be pinoy!!!

man, i miss climbing!!!

visit pinays on everest blog for more news on our pinay mountaineers.

jeje and jaja

2007-05-18T22:48:00.000+08:00

galak na galak na dating mag-syuta.

mga alalay ng galak na galak na dating mag-syuta.

there's hope after all

2007-05-18T21:33:00.000+08:00

election is over, canvassing is on-going, cheating took/is taking place, killings and harrassments were not unusual sights. pinoys are used to such circus, however bloody and appalling they are. we always get the feeling that all is lost for this country of ours. that is why millions of people took it upon themselves to simply leave the country and look for better opportunities outside. who can blame them anyway?! never mind the ridiculous taxes and equally ridiculous infrastructure and red tape, never mind that. just watch at how sessions in congress are and you would wish you were not born a filipino. the quality (or the lack of it) of legislators and local officials is so bad that no one respects their position anymore. we all know that they're not there to serve us but to serve themselves.

i've got news though. there's hope. yes there is. look at how the election results are shaping up.

1. my boxing idol lost - good for him. good for boxing in general. you can have a heart for the people but are your brains ready for it? idol, you were used and now you know it. they even took your money. wake-up and drop a 1-2-3 combi on these lowlife people.

2. the stars lost - star power suffered a brownout. i can't imagine these guys becoming senators without even any experience of lawmaking or in any elected position in that matter. and my God, where you able to watch those interviews on tv? i don't know why those guys think they can be good legislators.

3. a good machinery doesn't guarantee a win - not if you're facing a horde of supporters who volunteered their three Ts (time,treasure,talent) for a priest who was an alternative to dirty politics.

there's hope, all is not lost. there's a long way to go before we can clean-up everything. maybe not in our lifetime but we can't stop on hoping and dreaming. we can't give-up, we just have to continue moving forward.

singapura

2007-05-04T22:38:00.000+08:00

more pictures @ my multiply

makinig, matuto, makilahok

2007-04-25T20:41:00.001+08:00

http://rockedradio.blogspot.com

para sa mga taong may kwenta,
pero walang magawang may kwenta tuwing linggo ng gabi.
para sa mga taong may paki-alam,
gustong maki-alam at galit sa walang paki-alam.
para sa mga taong walang kwenta at walang paki-alam
...makinig, matuto, makilahok sa...

ROCK ED RADIO > Linggo 8 ng gabi sa NU107

telenovela in a french country house

2007-04-15T23:05:00.000+08:00

it felt like we were in the middle of europe, in the middle of spring. not that i've experienced a real european setting but what the heck. it was one fine day spent with the most beautiful people this side of our community. haha! as they say "masaya mag-SFC" - not all of your days are spent praying, discussing, organizing, praising and serving. actually most of it is bonding with your friends who share your passion and faith.

thanks cacay and the ka-big brother housemates!

visita iglesia

2007-04-05T22:03:00.000+08:00

This was the 2nd time SFC-Meralco went on a Visita Iglesia. We listed several routes for this trip. The first choice was to go to MTQ, EDSA Shrine, Christ the King, St. Claire, Ateneo, Dela Strada and UP. That would have taken only a couple of hours and a lot more convenient since we can ride our cars and there's less traffic. But wee decided to go on a more traditional but harder route-that meant taking public transpo and walking a lot.

The Manila route proved to be very interesting especially for first timers-a Visita Iglesia cum cultural tour plus the additional food stops at Binondo and Malacañang area. It turned that a lot of the "pilgrims" I was with were first timers in most of the churches so they had a lot of wishes to make. Too bad, my only "first time"
church was St. Jude, so I was entitled to only one wish. Haha.

We planned to visit 7 Manila Churches, tracing 2 Stations of the Cross for each Church. Our itinerary was UST, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin, Sta. Cruz, Binondo, San Sebastian and St. Jude but we ended up with 8. It turned out San Beda was also open so we went it and marvelled at the magnificent architecture and art work.

This early I'm planning on taking a trip to Laguna or Pampanga. They say that those are routes worth visiting. We definitely want to do another pilgrimage because just seeing the many devotees and learning a lot about our rich history made our day very rewarding. We were definitely enriched spiritually and culturally.
----------------------------
Visita Iglesia

The custom goes back to the early Church when Christians would visit the seven great basilicas in Rome for adoration of the blessed sacrament after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The sacramentary, the official altar book of the Church, says that after this Mass, "The faithful should be encouraged to continue adoration before the blessed sacrament for a suitable period of time during the night, according to local circumstances, but there should be no solemn adoration after midnight."

Visita Iglesia is a practice in cities, where there are many churches, in countries as diverse as Malta, Poland, Ireland and The Philippines. Filipinos have brought it to places in North America that never had it before.

- Source: The Catholic Herald

finding art in my photography

2007-04-04T13:00:00.000+08:00

in this day and age of the internet and digital cameras when everyone's hobby is photography and everyone's a 'photographer', the craft that was once difficult and expensive to master is now within reach. there's an explotion of interest and while film sales is taking a nose dive, digital camera and accessories sale is skyrocketing. dozens of photo sharing sites are mushrooming all over the net faster than you say 'cheese'.

while the revolution is an on-going phenomenon, much of the character of this craft has suffered. gone is the anticipation and the excitement of going to your favorite lab and waiting for your film to be developed while half wishing you got the exposures right. darkroom afficionados misses the smell of the chemical and the trial and error messiness of developing their own film. people rarely hone their skills by joining camera clubs, working as an apprentice or having their work critiqued by their peers. in other words, the hard work and labor of love was replaced by quick fixes and complacency. now, when people talk about photography, gear talk dominates the exchanges. it's more of the brand and the megapixels and less of the technique and the discipline. many would rather shoot (and shoot a lot), view, delete or photoshop later. at the end of all these the art in each photograph is lost. i look at on-line galleries and nine of the ten times i open one, i find nothing interesting. incredible landscapes, beautiful faces but sadly without a heart.

i once had an interesting conversation with one of the senior artists of tam-awan village in baguio. in the middle of it, i asked him if he considered photography as an art. he said 'yes'. it was the answer i wanted to hear because i always thought that in general, photography was considered as a lesser art form than say painting and sculpting. some even don't consider it as an art. thinking that way made me feel a little inferior from those who can draw and paint because just as i loved visual art, i myself can't even create a decent figure on the canvass.

i took up photography to at least be able to create something from my imagination or capture a moment or a scene that's beautiful to the eye. i've been (or still am) that kind of photographer, the kind who would settle for a postcard shot instead of seeing beyond the obvious and understanding the true fabric of the place or the event. while it is still a bliss to see the images i captured displayed on other people's desktop wallpapers, friendster galleries and house walls, somehow there's a sense of longing for me to create something unique. i want people to be affected, to move, to think, to interpret, to question, to debate after viewing the images. until that time arrives, i can't call myself an artist or at the very least a photographer.

march madness

2007-04-01T20:45:00.003+08:00

nope, i'm not going to talk about the ncaa season ender. but just to vent out a little frustration, duke university, my team, was ousted in the first round. talk about rubbing salt on one of the worst seasons for this "everybody hates them" team.

anyway, it's been a really mad month for me. my sister and bro-in-law were home for a one month vacation. there was no weekend and almost no night that i wasn't driving for the family. we got to visit tagaytay, pangasinan and the usual balikbayan stops around the metro mostly trying on new restaus and tambayans. partly tiring but mostly an emotional high since it's rare these days that our family is complete. plus i got some freebies from them of course haha!

i went to puerto princesa, palawan with team miszono. wohoo! that was one great highlight for march. the place is great. so far the most tourist friendly city in the philippines that i've been to. i never felt any form of stress despite the long and bumpy rides. the guides were very well trained and educated. you can see in their eyes and in how they talk about the sites how proud they are of their place talking about it with passion and pride. in arranging for transpo, you don't have to worry in haggling because the rates are standard when renting vans, riding a trike or an outrigger

(better known as bangka, hehe). plus they have a receipt. now that's something unique from the rest of the philippines. hahaha! i already miss the beach and the incredible marine life of puerto princesa. and of course i won't forget the sumptous meals we had at kalui and viet vill and some other pig out places. balik tayo mga freesbie buddies!!!

finally, i got news that i'll be handling a new project and a different role in the office in the coming months. there'll be more work and bigger responsibilities to take on but i'm not complaining. i actually wanted this and it just fell on my lap at the most unexpected time.

quite a ride it was but it's just a beginning. i just checked my sched and it seems i'll be totally booked until the first weeks of june. hahaha! talk about getting you're life back to normal. mukhang malabo pa ata sa ngayon. :P

nature's freedom park

2007-03-14T10:50:00.000+08:00

a successful ecotourism in a country that is considered by many as the most corrupt in Asia would sound a bit out of place. balancing out such issues as sustainable development and political survival would make an ordinary local official cringe and just go with flow, opting for the latter. but i guess there's something special about puerto princesa's local government for the past couple of decades. this city has withstood the temptation of selling their souls to the highest bidder and instead chose to keep what they have and protect it for their children. they probably read the old saying that goes "the earth was not inherited from our parents, it was borrowed from our children" and took it by heart.

garden of healthy living

2007-03-05T13:16:00.000+08:00

my family had a quick trip to sonya's garden last sunday. it was my third visit to this heavenly garden getaway and each time i'm here there's always something new to see and experience. it seems like the place is getting bigger every year. everywhere i look there's a new structure or some construction going on. the food and ambience though is basically the same plus they now have fish for your protein fix so you should feel a bit fuller now. i would love to try the bed and breakfast next time.

reality catching up on a dream

2007-02-25T22:52:00.000+08:00

I woke up early sunday morning, checked my email, checked on the nba schedule then typed in "inquirer.net". The browser window refreshed its content and in a matter of seconds the big bold words "Gawad Kalinga Goes Worldwide" were displayed on screen. I clicked on the front page image link and there it was-Gawad Kalinga is the headline of the Philippines' most read daily. The timing was perfect. It was the anniversary of the original people power, the bloodless revolution that introduced us to the world. And just like People Power, Gawad Kalinga may one day inspire other nations to follow the unbeaten track of attacking head on injustice and poverty.

MANILA, Philippines -- Hope and a better life are the latest Filipino exports. Poor as it is, the Philippines would not be left behind in the sharing department.

Gawad Kalinga (GK), the highly successful housing and development project for the poor, is going global to improve the lives of the countless poor in other countries. This major step means familiar GK key people will have to be moved and new faces will emerge. That is all there is to it.

read the complete article

an early summer

2007-02-20T08:05:00.000+08:00

an old pier in talikud island with mt. apo in the background.

one of the most beautiful resorts i've seen.
the lunch buffet was an evil treat for our stomachs but we loved it. :D

my second time to ride the rapids of cdo.

i thought less water meant a smoother ride. man i was wrong

there goes my hero

2007-02-08T12:28:00.000+08:00

“I have not yet decided on what position to aspire for, but I’m definitely running in the elections,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN.

first the promotional contract foul-up, then this one. sayang ka idol, sayang!

dead cat bounce and another way to get rich

2007-02-06T16:49:00.000+08:00

this image and post represents my entry into the world of high risk investments. i've always dreamt of being a player in stock trading. i was one of those who watched and salivated while young entrepreneurs were getting rich during the internet revolution. they were mere mortals with thick glasses, creepy fashion sense and i don't-know-what hairdos but they invested in stocks and/or created websites-some with killer applications, some with bubble heads that eventually burst. but still, the ferraris, the mansions and the hot chicks (hehe) that goes with being a millionaire stuck in my head. sounds like i'm this materialistic/worldly dude haha! well maybe i have that evil side of me but Jesus won't mind if i get those cars and real estate, right? ok the hot chicks should be Xed out. :D

the past couple of weeks there was a sudden upswing of interest for me because of the "better than good" news in the economy. i started to read the business page and began talking to people who shared the same interest. one thing led to another and i was already trying to decipher what resistance and support levels meant. a new found friend of mine who was a stock analyst and now an active trader was sending me technical reports that had such terms like buy on rally, breakout, breakdown, consolidation. those are the simpler ones, wait till you get to the ascending triangle, dead cat bounce, tweezers bottoms and tops. haha! i didn't expect this to be so mind-boggling but after reaping some hard cash, i proclaimed that i'm now a believer. i'm still in that big learning curve studying my next little steps so wish me luck :)

piktyur! piktyur!

2007-02-01T17:21:00.000+08:00

i'm selling these photography shirts @ 180 pesos each. Email me for orders: gmdauz@yahoo.com

falling in love with ultimate

2007-01-27T22:08:00.000+08:00

it's hard to compete when you have 30 year old legs and you run against fresh college grads. haha! well i'm getting old but i feel my legs are fresher these days. you see there's a new sport that my co-employees are taking on. it's called ultimate, better known as frisbee.

You (Us)

2007-01-01T12:59:00.000+08:00

"Who are these people? Seriously, who actually sits down after a long day at work and says, I'm not going to watch Lost tonight. I'm going to turn on my compuer and make a movie starrring my pet iguana? I'm going to mash up 50 Cent's vocals with Queen's instrumentals? I'm going to blog about my state of mind or state of the nation or the steak-frites at the new bistro down the street? who has that time and that energy and that passion?"

-Time (dec 25, 2006/jan 1, 2007)

I've always been interested with the internet, with what's new, with what's in. I read pop culture news, sometimes going with the bandwagon that comes along with it but most of the time just hanging around the sidelines watching people do their thing, enjoy themselves and be entertained.

Being entertained by what other people are doing and actually trying them out yourself are totally different experiences. I started an on-line journal, posted a few videos on YouTube and for a number of years now maintained picture sites. This time, actually contributing to web content was my focus. And while traffic to my sites aren't really that big, I still was able to receive feedback from ordinary surfers who might have gone to the same place I did, liked my pictures or simply just wanted to drop a note. These sort of interactions makes missing the highlights of SportsCenter and just spending your free hours at night to go on-line worth it. Anyway, whatever you missed on cable can be easily accessed on YouTube.

Here's to more of Web 2.0 next year! Cheers!

not again

2006-12-03T17:05:00.000+08:00

Everybody knows what the news was last thursday and friday- it was another super typhoon punishing most of bicol and its nearby provinces. Since I was always out, I didn't know how destructive it was until Saturday night when I got to watch the horrifying scenes captured by Jessica Soho's team. I couldn't believe it. Just a few months after typhoon Milenyo, and here's another one. The frequency and the strength of these typhoons keeps on increasing year after year. I just don't know why people are still saying that climate change is not the reason for these disturbing weather conditions.

The death toll is fast rising but many who died may never be found considering the amount of lahar that buried the villages. We can point fingers at each other like what some of the mayors have been doing now. But that won't bring back anything. I'm not saying we should not dig deeper on the possible causes of the flash flood. Right now, we should just focus our attention on retrieval or possibly rescue. But the bigger focus must be given to the survivors who lost their loved ones, their houses and their livelihood. Trying to lessen their pain and helping them build their lives again, that's a fine Christmas gift for them.

Anyone who reads this and has an idea where to bring donations to the flood victims, please post a comment. Thanks and God bless the Philippines!

too much

2006-11-20T09:10:00.000+08:00

our hero was just too strong and too quick. it was too much for an old warrior trying to save face.

panahon na naman

2006-11-18T23:39:00.000+08:00

mabuhay ang mga bagong kasal!!!

si raids sa kanyang kasal sa katipunan.

si randell at christie. isang pinoy at isang vietcong sa kanilang pagiisang dibdib sa los angeles.

team miSZono in tagaytay

2006-11-11T21:18:00.000+08:00

playing ultimate frisbee four times last week made our muscles sore and bodies tired but we still had time for a short trip to tagaytay to have a late lunch at leslie's and afternoon coffee in amadeo. actually, tagaytay was just a stopover for our visit to the wake of coach robin's dad. our condolences coach.

introducing team miSZono: jac, reena, joy, derik and myself.

in pull position

in stack position

after the rain

2006-11-10T10:14:00.000+08:00

a view of the eastwood area from our office building. another nice view to end my day in the office. :)

graffiti on the wall

2006-11-10T08:32:00.000+08:00

i stumbled upon this font site that instantly reminded me of those days in high school and college when we were beginning to discover music. we became so addicted with most of these bands that all we can think of are their songs and logos. we would draw their band logos on notebooks, walls, blackboards and even on self-produced shirts. very punk!

you can download all these fonts for free plus other "id only" fonts like the most famous ones in my time-metallica, nirvana and guns n roses.

check out the site and download your favorite band's font then try it out for your corporate presentations. let's see if your bosses were as punk as you. haha!

funny signs

2006-10-27T10:16:00.000+08:00

posted on a restroom cubicle door in my office

i guess i have to stop thinking that i have a decent blog. hahaha! just for laughs...check this link fowarded by june->sign off

now, i want to start my own collection. :D

this used to be my playground

2006-10-21T19:13:00.000+08:00

i volunteered this village for sfc-meralco's gk tour.

i am always amazed by how God created the world and i also wonder why i was chosen to be a Filipino. He gave me a wonderful country full of kind-hearted people and an unending array of colored landscapes to see. as a traveller, i seek these "normal" tourist destinations to view and experience what they have to offer. and so far they were all journeys that far exceeded my expectations.

keeping beautiful experiences to myself is hard for me, that's probably why i have an online journal for the whole world to see. when i discovered this gawad kalinga village just a few hundred steps away from our place, i immediately sent word to my friends. as the song goes, "this used to be my playground", what was just a barren riverbank where we had our picnics and dragonfly catching sessions is now a relocation site for the poor of marikina. i wanted everyone to catch a glimpse of this little paradise i discovered.

far from being the usual relocation site, it's not an unwanted piece of land far away from concrete roads and decent job opportunities. this is not the relocation site where the government traditionally transfers squatters to so the unending squat-demolish-relocate-sell-squat cycle may not happen here as you would have expected.

the camacho relocation site in marikina sits on the banks of the marikina river just across the exclusive ayala heights subdivision of quezon city. there's electricity, there's water, roads are paved, jobs are provided and the kids go to school. the rich and poor share the same view and breathe the same air. the only difference is that people in camacho have smiles prettier than the rest of the world. you should see them first hand to understand what i'm talking about.

tumayo kami

2006-10-16T17:16:00.000+08:00

tumayo kami laban sa kahirapan. tumayo kami laban sa kawalan ng hustisya.
tumayo kami dahil sawa na kami sa turuan. sawa na kami sa sisihan.
ayaw na namin ng lamangan. ayaw na namin ng kanya-kanya.

tama na ang paikot-ikot at walang saysay na bangayan.
kikilos na lang kami...sasama ka ba?

http://www.millenniumcampaign.ph
http://www.rockedphilippines.org

royale

2006-10-12T08:44:00.000+08:00

these are photos i took from soluziona's 11th anniversary party at club filipino. i'm getting used to partying and dressing up to the theme. hehe.

he's waiting for you

2006-10-09T08:07:00.000+08:00

24

2006-10-08T19:19:00.000+08:00

paborito kong series yung 24. sa dinami-dami ng pinagkakaguluhang dibidi ng mga tao ngayon. eto lang yung ginusto kong i-marathon tuwing may bagong season na pinapalabas. ano nga ba ang pakiramdam ng taong gising ng bente-quatro oras tulad ni agent jack bauer? sa dami ng ginagawa niya sa series na yun di na rin kapani-paniwala na may lakas pa siya tuwing natatabunan siya ng kung anu-anong problema. kahit siguro naka-droga ka pa, di mo kakayanin yung ganun. anyway, kaya nga palabas eh. di naman kailangang realistic. mahusay yung 24. keeps you on the edge of your seat kumbaga. bawal kumurap.

o siya. intro lang yun. medyo naka-24 oras kasi akong gising nung sabado (at linggo). kaya ko na-relate.

nagising ako bandang alas-singko. luto ng umagahan-knorr beef noodles,itlog, tinapay at istarbuks na brewed coffee. nood ng tv. ayun talo ang new yankees ko sa game 3 ng division series. di ko ma-imagine na 2000 pa yung last na world series title ng pinakamahal na baseball team sa buong mundo. may mga pinanood pa akong ibang palabas pero di ko na maalala. excited na ako sa araw na 'to.

bandang alas-diyes nagpunta ako sa gk camacho village. nakita ko si tito eric na nagbalita sa akin na sinisimulan na yung xCIS houses na inisponsor namin. pinakilala rin niya ako sa mga beneficiaries. ang isa ay di nakakakita. meron siyang asawa at apat na anak. nakakatuwang isipin na siya mismo ay tumutulong sa paghuhukay sa kanyang bahay. tignan mo nga naman yung kumpleto ang katawan ay tatamad-tamad pero etong mamang 'to, sinusubukan niyang itaguyod ang pamilya kahit may kapansanan. nakita ko ring tapos na ang sibol school na ipinatayo ng meralco. nagkwentuhan kami ni tito eric sa mga naging problema sa site. sa huli ay nandun pa rin yung pangarap at pag-asa namin na malulutasan lahat ng dinadaanan nila ngayon. nagsabi akong babalik kami sa mga susunod na weekend para tumulong sa build. natuwa naman si tito eric.

alas-dos ng hapon umalis na ako ng bahay. pumunta akong christ the king sa may greenmeadows. kasal kasi ni noby at che. sa wakas, sa simbahan rin nag-end-up ang mga kaibigan kong 'to. pagkatapos ng ligawan, awayan at madaming kadramahan sa love life nila, ihaharap na ni noby sa simbahan si che. masaya. una kong nakita si boss cho at ms luth. ninong at ninang siyempre. si boss cho ay dati naming boss ni noby sa cis. pero more of barkada namin siya than boss. sumunod kong nakita ang pink na buhok ni mike. ang bilis at pagrabe ng pagrabe talaga ang hairstyle ni mike. ganun din siya magpalit ng kotse. haha! hi mike. hehe. kasama niya si buntis na claire. anniv ng kasal nila kinabukasan kaya may kainan kami ulit sa gabi.

as usual. pag kasalan, parang reunion ng mga dating magkaka-opisina at mga di madalas makitang barkada. the usual questions. may asawa ka na? nasan na si ano? tsismisan kaliwat kanan. masarap din pumunta sa kasalan, kasi marami kang nakikitang bagong mukha. di na ako magsisinungaling pero babe watching din ang kasal.

nagsimula ng magmartsa ang entourage. ang pogi siyempre ng groom. matagal tagal ding nagpapayat 'to. kaya dapat imention ko na pogi siya. hehe. si howie at manny, as usual ganun pa rin. di ko na i-describe. peace folks! haha. si kato tuwang-tuwa sa kanyang suot. may kabastusan sa kanyang mga mata. wala akong dslr na camerang dala kasi nasira siya sa isang prenup shoot kaya nagvideo na lang ako nung bridal march ni che. pag kasal mo raw ikaw pinakamaganda sa buong mundo. exag! pero totoo ang ganda ni che. emotional si che. umiiyak pero pinipilit mag-smile. si noby rin. parang wala sa kartada niya. pero ganun siguro pag ganitong events. lalabas ang tunay mong katauhan. damn drama. haha :))

may isang highlight si howie. yung veil ay kinakabit niya sa ulo ni noby. nagtawanan ang mga tao. at nasisi pa ako na di ko daw tinuruan si howie. pero ok lang. pamapasaya. sikat ka na naman howa! natapos ang kasal at dumating na sa kiss the bride. ewan ko kay noby, di niya tinaas na basta-basta lang ang veil. ni-rolyo niya ito pataas kaya ang tagal. tanong nung iba kung nahulog kaya yun, iro-rolyo niya ulit? ewan ko. basta natapos ang kiss the bride at nagpunta na kami sa reception.

katabi ko mga tropa. mga kabatch ko sa cis at mga ampon namin. andun din si jo. isa sa mga close friends ko. matagal din kaming di nagkita kasi na-assign siya sa australia. at di rin magtatagal sa san fo na siya mag-base. kwentuhan. picture-an. di nagtagal kumain na rin kami. diet mode kuno ako, pero sa totoo lang inihahanda ko lang yung tiyan ko sa anniversary party ni mike at claire. pagkakain ay umalis na rin kami agad ng ibang mga invited sa other party. di na ako nakapag-paalam sa lahat ng tao. i feel rushed.

nasa summer palace, shangri-la ako bandang 7:30. andun na ang karamihan sa bisita. may kasabay akong pumasok na magandang babae. siya pala yung may ari ng bizu. sinalubong ako ni "pink-haired" mike at ang buntis na si claire. andun na rin ang mga kasama kong abay sa kasal at iba pang family and friends. pag upo ko, may mga printed pictures sa mesa. bawat isang guest may stack of prints ng mga pictures nila nung wedding. ayos ah. first page pala yung nilay-out kong pics ng mag-asawa. di ko kuha 'tong mga litrato. kuha ng mentor kong si mel cortez. sa wall din naka-project yung set ng orange and lemons na naging houseband nung kasal. dumating na ang ibang guests. sinimulan na rin ang paghain ng pagkain lauriat style. sa totoo lang di ko na naenjoy ang pagkain. nabusog na ako agad. matapos ang mga kulitan nagyaya na rin akong umalis. nag-aantay na rin kasi yung mga sasabay sa akin papuntang gk expo.

medyo natraffic kami sa edsa. dumating kami sa mall of asia ng mga 10 pm. karamihan sa mga cfc at sfc-meralco ay nakauwi na. at marami na rin ang pauwi na. tapos na ang martsa, tapos na rin ang mga talumpati. kumanta na si gary v at sarah geronimo, tumugtog na rin ang bamboo. ang sabi nila dapat daw may bayad ang mga artists na 'to. pero mukhang napakiusapang maging pro bono na rin matapos ang pagka-swept away ng mga gk houses at tents sa expo site nung bumagyo. wala ng budget. galing talaga ng gk. nakakahawa ang kagandahang loob ng mga tao.

tamang-tama inabutan namin ang "rocked set." si gang ang naghost. bilib ako kay gang. matindi ang energy. ok ang humor. may laman ang bitaw ng bawat salita. bagay siya sa gk. buti na lang kakampi na namin siya. ok, hindi dapat kakampi. kasi pag sinabi mong may kakampi ka, ibig sabihin may kaaway. walang kaaway ang gk. lahat kasama-mayaman, mahirap, kristiyano, muslim, kaliwa, kanan, pro-gloria, anti-gloria, la salista, atenista, iskolar ng bayan, tomasino (tama ba ang order? good better best at best of the best? hehe pag bigyan niyo na ako. champion naman kami ng uaap eh at blog ko 'to!).

panggabi ang toka namin sa gk expo. rock-rakan. puyatan. hindi ako bagay sa puyatan. pero no choice. di pwedeng di ko mapuntahan ang mga events na ganito. unang tumugtog ang dicta license. mahusay yung vocalist nito. lumalayo na siya sa zach dela rocha comparison. buti naman. magaling siya. yfc pa! chicosci at imago ang ilan sa mga sumunod na banda. sobrang pop na ang imago. nami-miss ko ang dati nilang tunog. pero ok lang. yun ang trip nila eh. tara let's, tara let's! ano daw???

magaling ang mga pinoy na banda. pinoy na pinoy. o ha?! may natutunan ako sa kwento ni gang. may nagtanong daw sa kanya kung "sino yung kumakanta." sabi niya "si ziti (tama ba spelling?)." "pinoy?", "oo!," sagot ng nagtanong "ang galing ah parang foreigner." engggg. mali ata yun. dapat magaling kasi pinoy. napaka-negative natin noh? foreigner lang ba ang pwedeng maging magaling? minsan na-stuck tayo sa pag-iisip na third world country tayo. kaya akala natin puro mediocrity lang tayo. di pwedeng maging first class. dapat pag may narinig kang magaling na banda tulad ng coldplay, ang dapat sabihin mo, "ang galing nila ah, parang pinoy."

ikot kami ng expo site. walang bahid ng bagyo. parang di ginawa 'to ng ilang araw lang. ang bilis magtawag ng volunteers ng gk. at mas matindi yung dagsa ng tulong kung kani-kanino. nakita niyo ba yung "pako" commercial? yun yung gumawa sila ng model house gamit ang pako. ang galing nun. worth 26 million daw yun. pero walang binayaran ang gk, lahat libre. marami talagang nagmamahal sa bayan na 'to. sa pag-ikot sa expo grounds nakita namin si rj. isa siya sa proponents ng tambayani project. siguro eto yung katumbas ng sibol schools, pero eto naman para sa mga teenagers. dito balak turuan ng arts, math, i.t., atbp ang mga siga ng mga gk sites. may ginagawa ng ganito ang soluziona (kumpanya ko) sa buwayang bato sa mandaluyong. pwede rin ang rocked dito ah. gang, beng, aggie, pag-isipan natin 'to. alam niyo ba si gang tinawagan dati ni bono??? si bono kasi ang isa sa nagtataguyod ng "one" at "make poverty history." kaya nagkaroon ng connection sa rocked. masarap talaga pag may puso ka para sa mga tao. dumadating ang blessings kung saan-saan. nakakainggit ka gang. di kami close ni gang. pero she knows i exist. na-visit na niya 'tong blog ko. sikat na rin ba ako? haha!

antok na ako ng mga panahong ito. pinipilit ko pang dumilat pero di ko na kinaya. natulog kami ni cheq at geh sa kotse. gumising kami ni cheq bandang alas-tres. the dawn na kasi. nasa may stage na ang marami sa mga tao. pero maganda, disiplinado pa rin. walang nag-attempt na punasan ng pawis si jett pangan. kakabilib ang energy ng mga tao. alas-tres na pero nagsisitalon pa rin. na-record ko 'to sa ixus ko. sabi nga ni jett, ang titibay ng mga tao. huling banda na ang the dawn. akala ko misa na agad. pero may humirit pang isang hip-hop group. nag-rap sila. dapat ko pala isingit dun sa "...mayaman, mahirap..." yung "hip-hop, metal..." hehe. naka-dalawang may relevance na kanta sila. kanta nga ba tawag dun? hmmm. ayos naman. medyo nagpapaka-slang. pero yun nga, may relevance naman ang titik eh.

nagkaroon ng worship pagkatapos ng dalawang hip-hop songs. sige na nga songs na rin yun. pasado alas-kwatro, nagsimula na ang mass. makikita mong nagkukunwaring gising na ang mga hyper na yfc at sfc. marami ang tulog sa homily. mga ala-sais nasa jollibee blue wave na kami. kumain ng almusal. longganisa meal ang order ko plus hot choco. pag bukas sa libreng philippine star, cover pa si gloria at tito tony. sa loob may gk article rin. nakakatuwa. 3 years ago masaya ka na pag may nakita kang maliit na gk article sa maliliit na diyaryo. pero ngayon-tv commercials, full page ads ng mga malalaking kumpanya, front-page pictures, editorials, magsaysay award, haydee yorac award at kung anu-ano pa. mahigit pa ata sa domino effect at multi-level marketing 'tong nangyayari. sabagay kung dekada ka nga namang nasa madilim na lugar, inaapak-apakan at nawawalan ng pag-asa, pag may nakita kang isang ilaw na maliwanag di ba susundan mo rin yung ilaw?

umuwi na kami. alas-syete ng umaga nasa bahay na ako. sobra sa 24 oras na ang nakalipas. masaya ako kahit pagod at medyo sinisipon. marami akong napuntahan at nagawa. marami akong nakita at naexperience. minsan kulang ang isang araw para magawa mo ang lahat ng gusto mong gawin sa buhay mo. sana nakapag-stay pa ako ng mas matagal sa kasal ni noby at che. di ko man lang nakausap si boss cho. miss na rin kita bossing. di ko pa nasoli merallica dvd mo. meron pa akong ibang hindi nakausap o nakilala man lang. hehe. sa susunod na lang. di ko rin natikman yung dessert sa summer palace. pero mike and claire yearly na naman di ba? :p di rin ako naka-attend ng march sa gk. balita ko sobrang dami ng sumali dito. sana ganun rin kadami ang manpower pag may kailangang gawin sa mga gk sites. bitin talaga! baduy mang sabihin, time is gold talaga. it's so cliche ba?

7:30 natulog ako sa sofa. di na ako ginising nga nanay at tatay ko nung tanghali. 1:30 ng gumising ako. nood agad ng tv. si wowie napanood ko sa gameplan. a few hours ago lang nakita ko siya ng personal sa expo. teka-teka sobra na sa 24 hours 'tong kwento ko. wala ng relevance yung title ko.

Walk the Talk

2006-10-04T23:24:00.000+08:00

Awarding Ceremonies of the 1st Gawad Haydee Yorac Award to Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga at the Meralco Theater

it's alright to dream

2006-10-03T20:45:00.000+08:00

at one point we were cellar dwellers. 2 wins and 4 losses. the press thought this was it. a young team. an inexperienced coach. injuries. heartbreaks. suddenly a resurgence. we clawed the "invincible". scratched the other warriors. aiming the no. 4 spot, we got the no. 3. faced a twice to beat disadvantage. we nailed the wins and got the 2nd finals spot. a heart breaking game 1. we were young. a learning experience. we had to move on. we showed class on game 2. still believing. then on the last day of the season. we were there. hanged tough. never gave up. pure heart. we just wanted to deliver. our dream was not about to be brought down. not just yet. another 5 minutes. missed free throws. mental lapses. more heart. more will. we wanted it more. we fought hard and until the end we did. it's ours. 10 years man. 10 years. we won't let another decade pass. our dreams. yes our dreams. finally it's again a reality.

go uste!!! go uste!!! go go go!!!

a twister in the metro

2006-09-29T05:19:00.000+08:00

it's been 11 years. long enough for us to forget what it was like seeing our city come to a stand still-classes in all levels suspended, work in all government offices suspended, train operations cancelled. you would have thought that it was a national holiday if not for the winds howling like a hundred dogs, the trees bowing until its leaves reach the pavement and debris flying everywhere.

working in a utility company required us to go to work. but it seemed that loyalty to the song lyrics that said "umulan man o bumagyo" wasn't the wisest thing to do. we deliver electricity but our own building didn't have one. we had nothing to do except watch from our windows where the trees were falling, hoping that our cars wouldn't be hit by one. for several hours we were trapped.

finally, the storm passed and we had a chance to see the damage. i took some videos and pictures for documentation. i felt bad about the trees. these trees were a welcome site in an urban jungle. and i can't imagine Christmas in meralco with lesser lights hanging on trees brightening up and setting the tone for chilly december nights.

for the next couple of days we'll see the exact toll of this storm. as i was browsing the on-line news there were some lives lost aside from the expected destruction and lost of property. we'll suffer a lot-physically and economically but i believe in the Filipino spirit always rising after being down. let's begin rebuilding!!!

i'm a traveller and nature is my playground

2006-09-19T12:40:00.000+08:00

watch out for more stories and pictures in the days ahead :)

act now, save guimaras!

2006-08-27T10:27:00.000+08:00

We all know Guimaras as the source of the best mangoes in the world while it's rustic towns and pristine, relatively untouched beaches rival the best in the Visayas area. Just across it, Iloilo boasts of the best seafood trip you can ever imagine with the famous Tatoy's and Marina just waiting for the hungry traveller. These "WOW Philippines" destinations are now threatened because of the incompetence and negligence of two companies that spilled millions of litres of oil. While there's an effort by Petron to clean-up their mess, they have not fully accepted the responsibility and instead put the blame on Solar 1. I plead everyone to support the effort to pressure Petron to accept it's legal and moral responsibility to the people of Guimaras and it's surrounding provinces. Let's act together and save Guimaras before it becomes just another one of those victims left for dead by the greedy businessman.

A group of local fisherman from Brgy Tando Village collect oil from beaches by hand. The oil spilled from the Petron-chartered single hull vessel oil tanker in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras Island Philippines which sank on Friday 11th August spilling 2.1 million litres of fuel oil causing a huge slick

What you can do?

1. Boycott Petron. Stop gassing up at Petron.
2. Sign a petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/guimaras/petition.html

modern day heroes

2006-08-22T23:48:00.000+08:00

Meralco's CEO Manolo Lopez gave Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga a surprise party for his Ramon Magsaysay award. During cocktails, Mr. Lopez also announced that the first ever Gawad Haydee Yorac award will be bestowed on him on Oct. 4. Incidentally, Oct. 4 is also the anniversary of Gawad Kalinga. What a fitting tribute to the man, who's face and life represents the revolutionizing heroism sweeping the country today.

the afterglow

2006-08-16T21:13:00.000+08:00

dinner at santi's.drive was fast to cubao.inxs live @ the araneta center.mig ayesa and the dawn fronting.great 80s crowd dancing new wave.mig singing his rockstar tunes.especially loved "baby i love your way".the dawn fresh from a best movie cinemalaya award.the dawn playing for mig.jett and mig singing pride in the name of love.not so filled araneta.jd a younger version of michael hutchence.voice quality and musicianship excellent.jd freestyling.jd doing i don't know what.mixed the new inxs with the old inxs songs.was up on our feet the whole time.had fun dancing and singing and talking.coffee at starbucks.great company.excellent body guard :P.drive was fast to pasig and to marikina.satisfied.had to sleep at once.the night was out
can't wait for another ride :)

(tamad lang magcompose ng matino. pagtiyagaan niyo na. haha!)

rock+orchestra

2006-08-13T15:01:00.000+08:00

it's been done so many times before-combining two totally different genres of music into one rebellious and cutting edge sound. they say that classical music was the rock music in the times of mozart and beethoven so the combination isn't really that weird. it has been provent to be an effective style in adding a layer to the music of some of the world's contemporary groups such as radiohead, metallica, oasis and U2. and now that pinoy rock is experiencing another resurgence, it's about time that we add more diversity to the already inventive scene.

coexist

2006-08-08T21:48:00.000+08:00

Jesus, Jew, Mohammed...all sons of Abraham

more than an award

2006-08-04T22:40:00.000+08:00

"In electing the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation and its family of donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries to receive the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, the board of trustees recognizes their harnessing the faith and generosity of Filipinos the world over to confront poverty in their homeland and to provide every Filipino the dignity of a decent home and neighborhood."
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation

More than the awards, the praises and the media spots that GK has been getting here and there, it's the number of lives being changed that makes us want to continue the work. Whoever thought that the small youth program in Bagong Silang would grow up and spread this fast to other towns and even other countries. We set the bar so high that we felt that we have too little time and too little resources. But look where we are now. It seems that we no longer have control on this beautiful disease, the disease of loving our country. So to all the people involved in GK, we should never stop dreaming and not only to simply dream, but to dream BIG!

IN eXceSs

2006-07-30T09:38:00.000+08:00

YES! I'm watching :)

my iron lung

2006-07-28T12:45:00.000+08:00

watching the past few weeks of rockstar supernova made me realize how great the first batch of rockers were. this new batch really lacked the spunk and the "ka-astigan" of their predecessors. i can see a few flashes of brilliance here and there but nothing really that made my hair stand up. and then came yesterday's elimination show were patrice was caught in the bottom three. she had to save herself from elimination, and she did! she rocked the hell out of this radiohead song, sending shivers through my spine!!! supernova obviously saw a different side of patrice. and it's the first time that i actually noticed her. you gotta watch it to see how passionate she was doing this song.

the song is said to be a reaction to the popularity of "Creep". Thom Yorke introduced it this way: "This is a song about turning out the same old shit to make money." it's about selling out and forgetting about creating art. Creep was hugely popular that people who watch their shows kept on requesting it, and forgetting that this band's albums are on top of most "best album of all-time" lists. as a reaction they made this song and refuse to play Creep on their live sets.

not justified

2006-07-18T18:10:00.000+08:00

An Israeli soldier walks through a pool of blood on the railway platform in Haifa.

I have never been in a war before, but I have seen famine and death. I was asking (myself), 'What do they feel when they do this?' I don't understand it. They are all children of God. Why do they do it? I don't understand.
-Mother Teresa,Beirut 1982

nothing justifies any war. not any death. not any pain. not any child losing a father. not any human being losing a home. religion wasn't supposed to be the cause of conflict. it was supposed to be our way to salvation. but as long as there's no respect. as long as there's no heart in every person's body and soul...religion will continue to cause wars that are NOT JUSTIFIED.

supernova listen

2006-07-09T10:16:00.000+08:00

these 3 are my bets so far. let's see after 3 months, if anyone comes out on top :)

for the 2nd straight year, my wednesday and thursday nights will be rockstar nights. gimiks are definite no nos on these days :D