Refreshing Service in a Restaurant

I found a new wifi site! And they have great service (the kind I look for in a prospective tambayan)!

Today I have a meeting later at 3:00pm here in the city. In my confusion, I thought the meeting was at 1:30pm. So here I was, rushing from my morning meeting with my van association (which was right after mass) to ride a van to come to the city, just to learn that I was an hour and a half early.

Oh well, no worries.. I can have a late lunch and enjoy some wifi while waiting.

Our meeting is to be held at THAI ME UP Restaurant along Capistrano St., CDO City. I order the Beef Noodle Soup (cut down on rice again) and their bottomless Lemon Grass Iced Tea and I settle down to use the internet... BUT... I forgot to bring my plug adaptor! Arrrggghh!

I don't usually ask this of the restaurant I surf in but I asked (if they have) to borrow their adaptor. I didn't expect them to have one, but lo and behold! They did! It took a few minutes and the waiter kept asking what kind of adaptor I needed, but they were able to find one. Now that's what I call service! Plus, the food arrived just minutes before the item was brought to me, so I am now enjoying this simple meal of soup and surf. (Btw, the soup is delicious, with tender beef slices and an abundance of bokchoy and mongo sprouts mixed in with white rice noodles. The iced tea is chilled with just a mild flavor of lemon grass. Healthy!)

Try it! (the food, I mean... Bring your own adaptor. =))

NEWS FLASH: Flying Gecko Aerial Adventure

"We regret to inform our flying enthusiasts that the FLYING GECKO AERIAL ADVENTURE is temporarily UNAVAILABLE until further notice." (Facebook Post by ISLANDS WANDERLUST)

The owner of the aircraft, Mr. Cal Frias, has encountered some technical difficulties. At the same time it was decided this is the best time to upgrade the business and to further ensure the safety of the flying enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the decision also included halting operations until everything has been ironed out and finalized. Hopefully the Flying Gecko will be up in the air again by January 2011.

We are truly sorry to disappoint those who have made their bookings already.
*-*

From Bukidnon to the World

Did you know that one of the best coffees (if not THE best) I've tasted is produced and roasted right here in the mountains of Bukidnon? That's right, MONK'S BLEND, a flavorful combination of robusta and arabica coffee beans, is grown by none other than the Benedictine Monks of the Monastery of Transfiguration, located just 20 minutes from the City of Malaybalay.

The Monastery was built 27 years ago and was designed by National Artist for Architecture, Leandro Locsin. It has long been a must-see attraction for tourists coming to the province and only recently (early 90s) did they begin producing their famous coffee for public consumption.

Well, according to my friend Bukidnon Online, Monk's Blend is now an export commodity to Macau!!!

See link: http://www.bukidnononline.com/2010/11/16/monks-blend-coffee-hits-macau/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BukidnonOnline+%28Bukidnon+Online+|+Bukidnon+News+and+Updates+|+Kaamulan+Festival%29

Would you look at that? People from all over are already flocking to Bukidnon just to see the breath taking views, visit the chapel and feel the serenity of the place (and of course, smell the aroma of the coffee beans being roasted), but now, their products are being brought to the world. My heart swells with pride!

Before I end, another bit of trivia: Did you know that Selecta's Coffee Crumble Ice Cream uses Monk's Blend Coffee? =)

Was It Ever A Doubt?

I remember writing about the Pacquiao-Cotto fight last March as being the event when I became a Pacman fan. Why it had to be the 7th Belt Championship we will never know but "Better Late Than Never" I always say. (I took pictures on my phone but there's something wrong with my transfer system again, so those will have to wait til next blog. LitB)

As the days leading up to this bout with Margarito neared, I was regretful that I would not be able to watch the fight live, as I was supposed to go to Malaybalay with a group of tour guides for a familiarity tour. Up until yesterday at 4:00 pm, my mindset was still on the tour and my greatest worry was how I was going to react when I heard of the outcome (whatever it would be) when I got back. One thing I was sure of though, there was never a doubt in my mind that Manny would win.

Anyway, by 5:00 pm yesterday, it was clear the God was reading my mind. I did not pray that the tour be cancelled but it just so happened that only three people texted to confirm their attendance (1) and absence (2) so I decided that it would be easier on all of us to just cancel the whole thing. So it was only last night when I got home that I realized what it all meant -- I would be watching the Pacquiao-Margarito Fight LIVE at the new St. Jude Parish Convent Conference Room!

The tickets cost P500 with free lunch. Of course we could have watched it for cheaper (it was shown at the Phillips Social Hall for only P10, no lunch) but we agreed that it made a good fundraiser for the unfinished Convent.

There were 12 rounds, but it was clear from the start that Manny had the upper hand (uppercut?). It was never a doubt that he wouldn't come out of this victorious.. except in the 9th (or was it 10th) round when he looked kinda tired or groggy. But I guess that's also Manny's style. Like what he did during the Cotto fight, he really went out of his way to make the show entertaining. And it also seemed that he didn't want Margarito to go down in a knock-out, because after he loaded the Mexican with punches, he let him make some sort of comeback in the next round, and then jabbed the air in front of Margarito's face to make it look like he was boxing in the last round.

So what happens next? I heard that Manny was thinking of retiring after this. His mother has declared that she will prohibit him from accepting another fight. And his wife always looks like she'll die if anything happens to him because of boxing. Just after the 9th round, when Margarito had pinned Pacquiao to the ropes, it occurred to me that getting knocked out in this fight would not only look bad on his record, but also it would be embarrassing because of all his championship matches, Margarito was certainly not his strongest opponent. Obviously Someone was listening to my silent ramblings.

Well, whatever happens, whatever the future holds for Manny Pacquiao -- be it in boxing or in the world of politics -- there will be no doubt in my mind that he will win the next fight.

God Bless you, Manny! And God Bless the Philippines which you so proudly represent!

Backlog and the Age of Technology

Have you ever come back to work after a vacation to find your desk or inbox filled with assignments and job orders which should have been completed if you had been working at them everyday? Or maybe you've been so concentrated on a particular project that you somehow neglected to pay attention to the other aspects of your busy life? Or perhaps the internet connection to your workplace malfunctioned for a week and you had difficulty finding the same speed quality elsewhere?

Me! All the above!

You'd think with all this new technology -- computers, laptops, touch phones, bluetooth, internet, blogging, etc. -- life would be a lot easier than it was maybe, 10, 20 or even 30 years ago? Na-uh! It's actually more complicated than you think!

Coz now, there's Farmville on Facebook, Tweeting on Twitter, Surfing on Google, Questions on Yahoo and Online Shopping Carts. There's so much you can do while sitting in front of a PC -- you can write a letter, compute a table of formulas, make a movie, develop a website, chat with friends and challenge the world to a card game... All at the same time!

So if you decide to take a break, even for a day; or burn the midnight oil to finish a project; or are suddenly cut off from the world through no fault of your own... All hell breaks loose, because when you sit back down in front of the computer, the whole world asks, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???"

... humbly signing back in after 9 days of home-based internet blackout

Writing the Wrong

I have to apologize for not writing for almost two months. It wasn't for lack of something to write; it was more like for the confusion of how to categorize what I wanted to write. So much has happened in the last 54 days:

September
- I got a new camera (Canon PowerShot D10) - it's WATERPROOF up to 10m or 33ft and it looks like a tiny submarine.
- My cousin's 6-month-old baby died; the medical term is "intususception" or the incidence of the small intestine going into the big intestine and causing a blockage in the digestive system.

October
- I handled a school tour for Lourdes College; just around the city but it was a very interesting experience.
- The guides of GAMA (Giya Amihanag Mindanao Association) went on more familiarity tours of Cagayan de Oro City; we "discovered" where the first settlement may have been located; what a sight!
- The grandmother of my cousins passed away and her body was transported from the US to Agusan Canyon, Manolo Fortich where she was laid to rest, as was her dying wish.
- I was invited to offer tours at a national convention held in Cagayan de Oro; it was good experience for future conventions.
- After the convention, I went to the mall to unwind and chanced upon an exhibit for DOST, where my alma mater (Philippine Science High School - Diliman Campus) had a booth.
- My brother-in-law got married at a Mass Wedding held for the Fiesta of St. Jude Thaddeus (Damilag, Manolo Fortich).
- On October 28, 2010, St. Jude Thaddeus Chapel was proclaimed a new Sub-Parish! Our priest is Father Bobby Cena and he will be with us until March 2012.

It shouldn't have been a problem, if I were the kind of person who would just write and not categorize. But I'm not, and I finally came to a point when I decided to do what another blogger I know did: she started several blogs. So, later this month, WATCH OUT/ABANGAN! I'll be announcing the birth of a new blog, one which will talk mostly about my travels and the places I've been to -- for work and on our days off. This one "Life in the Bukids" will talk about family and life in the bukid of Bukidnon.

It's all a work in progress..

21st Philippine Travel Mart: September 3-5, 2010

Says Cesar Cruz, PHILTOA president, “The 21st Philippine Travel Mart is the perfect venue for Filipinos to be aware of (the) endless tourist attractions and destinations the country has to offer.”

This annual event showcases the best attractions, the best deals and the tour operators that offer these services. As a tour operator myself, I always try to make it a point to attend this affair, because it gives me a sense of belonging. I've always, always enjoyed traveling, seeing new places, and what better place to get all the information I need than the Philippine Travel Mart?

And this time, I am preparing to introduce myself to the association that is bringing this major event to life each year. The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) "is the single largest association of registered tour operators in the Philippines that exclusively promotes in-bound and domestic tourism." (http://www.philtoa.org) Maybe get a chance to join them, if they'll accept my application.

This year also, it's a double hit for me, because my high school Alma Mater (Philippine Science High School) is holding its 44th Annual Homecoming this Saturday, September 4, and my batch (1990) will be celebrating its 20th year (wow, it's been that long already???).

See you at the Mart!

Note to the President

After having watched the live footage, listened when people talked and read the comments on the internet, I came up with my own version of a commentary and a solution. I have never given any unsolicited advice to the new Philippine President anywhere (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and I didn't plan on doing it now because I don’t know if he will get the chance to read this—I’m sure he’s been reading all sorts of reactions and advice as of late and wouldn’t know where to start, if he is thinking of starting to find a solution at all. I just need to get this off my chest and move on. So be prepared for a long read.

But first, I have a question: How much does the average policeman in the US (or Australia or even Hongkong) earn in a month?

In the aftermath of Monday's hostage-taking drama in Manila, the subject has been thoroughly discussed and ruminated on. You can't open your inbox or Facebook account or Google site without seeing a note that refers back to it. There are also so many links on how the tragedy could have been avoided being posted on every social networking site that it’s difficult to ignore. So if you're a generally optimistic person (which I am), you'd be experiencing a relatively depressed emotion right about now (which I do).

But this melancholy didn't happen all at once. It started with disgust when the hostage-taker-- a policeman trained to protect the lives of innocent people-- shot his innocent hostages in the end and got himself killed by a sharpshooter. (If he was so sharp, how come he couldn’t have done it sooner? But that’s another story.) It didn’t help that the entire episode was televised live for over 10 hours and that the whole world was watching with breath drawn and hearts pounding. It didn’t help that the first people off the bus were the Filipino tour guide (released as negotiating point) and driver (fled the scene after escaping out the window), leaving their hapless foreign guests to the mercy of the armed man. It didn’t help to watch the growing number of policemen, S.W.A.T. and media standing around, reporting the incident, running back and forth… in essence, DOING NOTHING to help neutralize the situation. Yep, I was disgusted and irritated that I had to get up intermittently because it was chafing to watch.

My antipathy grew when noted that none of our newly-elected political figures, except for the vice mayor of Manila (who, by the way, I commend for at least trying to show that he was doing his duty but who wouldn’t really know what to do in situations like this), were present, not even virtually, not even a phone call. If this had happened in the province somewhere in the boondocks, then yes, maybe it would be understandable to say they couldn’t get there on time. But this happened in the Capital City of Manila, in a parking lot big enough to hold a helicopter or two. What happened? They didn’t think the situation didn’t require their immediate attention? They thought the local police could handle it themselves? Anyway, I don’t get it.

My anguish grew when, after reading some articles and theories and stories behind the case, I was shocked to learn that the policeman involved—a senior inspector or captain and a well-decorated one at that—was only earning about P19,000-20,000 a month! He was a highly skilled government employee, permitted to carry a weapon and use it in the efficient performance of his duty, and he put his life on the line EVERYDAY. And yet I earn more than he did by simply sitting in front of a computer and occasionally going out and telling visitors about the beauty of my country. No wonder he went crazy when his only source of income as well as all future benefits that would come from his retirement was abruptly taken away.

Upset slowly set in when the world condemned the Philippines as a whole because of the lack of training and equipment in a highly-specialized field of law- enforcement. Travel advisories (Hong Kong has blacklisted us) were declared against our country, cautioning their citizens to be wary when traveling around here (France). Filipinos abroad, in Hong Kong especially, are today being looked upon as the lowest beings on earth (if not already). News reports about Filipinos being maltreated BECAUSE OF what happened are filtering in. In an article on Tuesday about the incident (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/08/24/bloomberg1376-L7NB8M6TTDS501-2UQKD4Q7O0QACV35AOVTARVN6B.DTL#ixzz0xaqQVnMB), the Philippines is ranked #130 out of 149 countries with the worst peace and order management evaluation (Global Peace Index).

All this, because an underpaid, overworked, upstanding citizen, sworn to protect and serve his country, was removed from active duty for something he claimed not to have done (the case is still under investigation, I hope). And it all boils down to the fact that the illegal act of extortion would not have become such a controversially public issue (it’s done out in the open and without shame on the part of the authorities) if our law-enforcement agencies were being properly compensated for the skill and training they go through in their line of duty. I mean, is the pork barrel absolutely necessary? Can any of our politicians honestly say that the wage they earn is not enough that they have to be reimbursed many times over for projects they think up for the country they are elected to serve? Can’t some of it be budgeted for a long-overdue salary increase for all those men and women who have to resort to harassing the ordinary citizen to be able to pay for things such as basic needs?

As I see it, we are at the lowest point in all history of modern-day Philippines. I believe the challenge is not just to President Noy, but also to the Filipinos as a whole. All of us. Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad today should do it. Now. Change the image. Change the process. Change ourselves. Is that too much to ask?

This video was posted on Youtube and Facebok and was made by, of all people, a Korean, someone who is a visitor to our country and has decided to settle here because they saw it was a good place to live… until now.

To Filipinos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpiaLQOB4zo

MOJO: Proudly Philippine-Made

How is one supposed to act when people find out you are related to royalty?

Me, I've always known someone in my family would become famous.  True enough, my eldest brother is the first Filipino Vice President of Sony-Columbia Pictures (in California), and even tried his hand at producing not one, but TWO full-length movies, the first of which won numerous nominations and awards in several film festivals in the US.  My eldest sister is a self-proclaimed tourism adviser and is actively promoting Philippine tourism to foreigners abroad.  My second sister is a high-ranking executive of Boeing, the makers of the longest running commercial airplane in the world.  She gets sent to Europe on business, and her husband gets to go with her for free!

But the subject of this blog is my second brother, who, at the young age of 12, was already dabbling in business and investments.  He started with selling bread in his dormitory in high school.  Today, he is in the process of expanding his footwear enterprise (better known as MOJO) from Manila to all over the country.  In fact he has outlets in almost every major mall, including SM, Ayala and Robinsons, and in the local malls like Gaisano (CDO).

Last June 2010, the brand was awarded Brand of the Month by Robinsons Pioneer in Mandaluyong City, having sold more than P100,000 in a single month.  Fantastic!  Then, just recently, he and his business partner successfully completed an interview with several marketing applicants in Cebu.  Interestingly, they will conduct another set of interviews in Davao later this year.  Awesome!  And to think, their products are made from pure Philippine rubber (found in Bukidnon), unlike the competition which still import their materials.

So what does one say when asked how they're related to Joey Cuerdo, president and general manager of MOJO Enterprises, makers of quality outdoor slippers and sandals (and soon to come, apparel)?  Me, I just say, "He's my brother," and smile.

MYFP (Make Your Family Proud)!!!

spotted at the Philippine Airlines (NAIA 2) 
pre-departure area on June 15, 2010;  
the logo is blurred but only 
one brand of sandals can be that simple

Rooms of Comfort

Have you noticed the great improvement in the quality of restaurant comfort rooms/washrooms lately?  Sometimes it's not the restaurant I evaluate for the standard I promote but the comfort room.  And it's not just the inside I'm talking about, but also the outside.  Coz when you have an interesting exterior, the interior will just be icing on the cake:

@ Sentro 1850, CDO City

(inside, you really feel like a prinsipe and prinsesa)

@  Max Restaurant, Cubao, Quezon City 

(cluck, cluck!)

@  Loboc River, Bohol

(eyh?  there's WiFi inside the comfort room?)

Continuing the Search...

Ports of Air

I have spent more time in airports this year than any other year in my life.  First, I went to Manila in June with Mama, to visit Joey and his kids (return 11 days later).  Then I flew from Cebu to Manila last July 24, so that I could attend Joey's first witness hearing and early July 28, I returned to Cagayan.  Then next month, I'll be in Manila September 3-6; and again in December 27-30.  Oh, did I mention that my Cebu-Manila flight was diverted temporarily to Clark Airbase due to bad weather?  Instead of arriving Manila at 1:30pm, it arrived at 4:30pm.

Arrival Area, NAIA 2

 Main Check-in Lobby, Cebu Mactan International Airport

View from the airplane, NAIA 3

 Welcome to Cagayan de Oro Airport

My observation and personal opinion:  it is more tiring to fly than to drive.  ;)

My Trip Up North (last part)

Our drive back to Manila took roughly 12 hours.  Mama wanted to stop over somewhere like La Union of Pangasinan and stay the night so that the drive wouldn't be so tiring, but Joey insisted to going all the way in one go, because he had a meeting the next morning at 10:00am.  It was dark and we were hungry when we reached San Fernando, La Union and so we stopped by this unique-looking restaurant called Riverfarm, a fishpond complex turned restaurant, which served fresh seafood and vegetables.  The smaller kids liked it because there was a TV near the kitchen and Spongebob Squarepants was on.

After dinner, we all piled back into the car and continued on to Manila.  Needless to say, when we reached my brother's house in Marikina at around 5:30am, we were tired to the bone and had to take a couple of hours rest before proceeding to our hotel.

It was a loooong road trip, but I'd do it again if only to be able to visit new places with my family.

Mabuhay ang Turistang Pilipino!

My Trip Up North (part 4)

Vigan Calesa Tour...

One other thing I liked about Vigan (other than the preservation of history) was the Calesa Tour.  Calesas are the horse-drawn carriages that people used as their main form of transportation way back in the Spanish times.  It's amazing how many of these old-fashioned vehicles are still in operation... as tourist rides.  For only P150 per hour, we were given a very interesting and pleasant tour of the city.  Now why can't something like this be done here as well?

So ended our tour in Vigan, where old traditions became a way of life...  (one part left)

My Trip Up North (3rd of 5 parts)

Vigan... The City That Time Forgot... but is catching up.

We arrived in the city center at around 3:00pm and found a quaint little inn that was a throwback to the early 1900s.  Grandpa's Inn & Restaurant was actually an ancestral home during the Spanish time until it was sold in the middle of the century.  As soon as you enter what looks like a small hallway, you are literally sucked into a world that screams HISTORY.  The inn owner kept everything -- from telephones, typewriters, pianos, furniture, to even the calesas that still plied the cobbled streets outside.

Outside, it was like the present had all but been absorbed by the past... there was nothing in between.  Old buildings were surrounded by electric wires and cable satellite dishes.  Monuments and houses, though preserved for their historical value, had been turned into money-making commercial spaces.  It was amusing to note that the new restaurants and hotels had been designed with cobblestones and bricks, but inside, it was all modern.

And of course, there was Calle Crisologo.  One of the few remaining cobbled streets in the country, where only bicycles and horse-drawn carriages are allowed to pass, Calle Crisologo shows signs of wear and tear but also of efforts to at least make it look inviting for tourists to visit.  Then again, tourists really go there to visit and to buy and to bargain and to buy.  For this street is where all the souvenir shops are found.

  

... to be continued...

My Trip Up North (second of 5 parts)

The Hotel was called Sea & Sky Hotel & Restaurant.  It is an old hotel, with the typical design of hotels constructed in the late 70s and early 80s.  It had an old-fashioned restaurant, with stained tablecloths and curtains just beyond the reception lobby and a rectangle-shaped swimming pool at the basement.  Cleaned regularly with a high concentration of chlorine, no less.

What I liked about the hotel was the family room they gave us.  It had two queen-size beds each with a roll-away cushion underneath it.  There was enough space to do the tango in and my brother's two small kids made full use of it by sprawling out while watching TV.  There was a terrace which afforded us a fantastic view of the La Union Bay and sunset.  Lastly, it had a bathroom fitted with a marble bathtub, and whose bath area also looked out onto the bay.  One could see the efforts of the hotel management to modernize by covering the old concrete walls with tiles.

That night, we had dinner at the downstairs restaurant.  Having psyched myself to the small proportions as seen in Manila restaurants, I kinda got carried away with ordering and we ended up with one dish too many.  We had fried chicken, sinigang na baboy, pinakbet, mushroom soup and pancit guisado.  Anyway, it was alright with the restaurant for us to bring the pancit upstairs, so that we could have it for breakfast.

 So after staying there one night, we were on our way to Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

My Trip Up North (first of 5 parts)

Last June 1, my mom and I flew to Manila to be with my brother and his kids.  We were in Luzon for 11 days.  Our activity there included a road trip to Vigan, Ilocos Sur (farthest point), a day trip to Bulacan to visit a soon-to-be resort which my brother was hired to develop, a day out with my best friend, Ning, at the SM Mall of Asia, and last but not least, a four-day stay at a new budget hotel called Go Hotels, in Mandaluyong City.

So where do I start?  At the beginning, of course!  The trip actually started at 3:00pm on June 2, so Mama and I had the whole day June 1 and the following morning to buy any last-minute necessities and to play with the kids.  As I browsed the aisles of snack food (however did 'junk food' become a nickname???), I discovered so many new manufacturers of local chichiria, like Marty's (by Oishi).  So I bought at least one big pack each to cover our long drive to the north.  Little did I know that my brother also picked up a load of chocolates and drinks that his children would really love as well.  In the end, we'd spent about P2,000 just on snacks.  Well, what would you expect with three adults (one senior citizen), one teenager and two growing children?

The trip to La Union took about seven hours.  My brother took care of all the room arrangements and we were finally sleeping in air-conditioned nipa houses at this resort called SeBay (pronounced sea bay).  The next morning, I found out why he had chosen this particular resort-- it was situated at the mouth of a popular surfing site and where he was like "The King" of surfing events organizers. 

We stayed there for two nights.  Supposedly only one night but the waves were really good (even to my untrained eye) and too good to miss, so my brother said.  We transferred to a hotel in San Fernando, La Union for the third night of our trip.

... to be continued...

... And We're Back in Business!

Hello!  Hello!  Hallelluia!  We have a new (reconnected) internet connection and it's faster than ever!  Hehe, just don't ask me what the speed is, coz I still haven't figured out where to find it.  But one thing I can tell you is that it's a great improvement from the frustrating putol-putol and pawala-wala that we had to go through over the last six months.  What company is this?  Just our old SOTELCO telephone connection. 

Apparently, when things were the bleakest (I had the connection cut last February because of poor service) I was not the only one who upped and left.  Also, this was the time when other companies like Globelines and DEARBC (local cable operator) were expanding their coverages, so those who were immediately touched by these expansions didn't think twice.  Unfortunately for us here, we still live in the middle of nowhere and our only connection to the outside (inside) world is by telephone.  Este... we do have cable but for some reason, internet doesn't come with it.

So... we got connected this morning and I'm almost back to becoming an internet junkie like before.  Just have to make up for the months of backlog and we'll be back in major business!

Go! Go! Go!

Bukidlife's Resto Choice: BFB

The problem with not having any internet at home is that I can't maintain my blog regularly.  As a result, my topics pile up and I get really behind in my news.  In the end, when I do chance upon great internet connection, I have to choose which, among the different good ideas, is the best one to talk about.

So today, I'm sitting in one of our (new) favorite restaurants in Cagayan de Oro - called BFB or Big Flat Bread - taking advantage of their free wifi service and enjoying their delicious pizzas and appetizers.

Big Flat Bread or BFB, is located at Rosario Arcade, Limketkai Center, between Bourbon Street and Candy's.  It is relatively new (not yet a year old) but has already made a name for itself and is known for is big, bigger and biggest pizza sizes.  To give you an idea, 'Big' is already 12 inches in diameter.

Their menu consists of unusually named thin-crust pizzas (like The Godfather and The Big Pacific Catch), pasta (like Penne Arabiata), appetizers (like Big Flat Fried Chicken) and dessert (like Warm Brownie Bowl-- has a surprise inside!).  The drink I like is their Big Flat Cooler which is a mix of natural orange juice, watermelon juice and apple juice, topped with slices of the said fruits all in the pitcher.

The place is a great place for friends to get together, families to eat together or for singles or couples to have a little bit of privacy.

Have some BFB, my friend!

Iligan City, the City of Majestic Waterfalls

If I weren't in Tourism and you told me you were coming to Mindanao just to see the Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City, I would have said, "Are you crazy?  You'll spend almost P10,000 in airfare, hotel and transportation just to gape at and take pictures of flowing water???  Then what?"

Even before, in the early stages of our foundling career, I was reluctant to offer tours of Iligan, simply because I didn't think the trip was worth all that money.  Then recently, last September 2009 to be exact, I was on a tour with some government employees from MWSS and they insisted on going to Iligan to see THE falls.  And this is what we arrived at:

It was the first time I'd seen her in all her glory... and I understood.  Unfortunately, we haven't been able to catch her like this since then because of the searing drought that began in February and is only letting up now.  In any case, if you want to try your chances, we recommend taking your trip on a Saturday at around 9:00ish (am), because that's when NAPOCOR opens both floodgates.

Of course, you will be needing private transportation to get there...  ;)

Lake of My (Childhood) Dreams

Remember when you were a child and the world was your playground?  Where the trees and the flowers were your imaginary friends and nothing could go wrong?

When I was a kid, I was left to my own devices a lot.  Circumstances had it that though three and a half years separated me from my brother he was already in high school by the time I reached grade 3.  Also my family was living in the exclusive housing community for the executives of Del Monte and there were not many children of my age.  For four years of my primary schooling, there were only two of us in the class.. and my one and only (classmate) lived in Bugo, Cagayan de Oro.

So my love for everything green and flowing developed.  In particular, fresh bodies of water-- whether they be lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds...  There was a man-made lake just across my house.  All it took was five minutes brisk walking or 10 minutes strolling straight across three fairways of the Del Monte Golf Course.  There my imagination flourished.  One day I'd be a ballerina accepting flowers from an adoring fan; the next I'd be an Olympic swimmer winning the gold; on another I'd win an all-expense paid trip to England to meet my favorite band (at the time) Duran Duran.  It was also at the lake where I learned how to prepare a fish hook with live worms and fill my bare hands with mud in search for mudfish.  It was here I learned to to enjoy the feel of fresh, cold, flowing water as it tumbled over my dirty fingers from playing.  Then one rainy summer afternoon, when my brother was home and there was nothing to do, a group of us varied-aged kids dared to be adventurous.  What was the adventure?  Who was brave enough to swim in the lake?

In the first place, the mere act was prohibited by our parents, for the reason that it was dangerous (there was no lifeguard so we could drown, get caught in the weeds and drown, get caught in the mud and drown).  Secondly, nobody had done it before and it was like we would be making history.  So the bigger kids went ahead and the younger ones tagged along, excited yet hesitant to even think of breaking the rules. My brother and Susan (an American varsity student, also home for the holidays) dove right in and dared each other in a race to the dock at the far end.  Some of the boys jumped in and splashed around near the shore, dunking each other and enjoying some rough play.  The younger girls, myself included, tentatively let ourselves in, feeling the mud squish between our little toes.

Ah, memories...

 

Misamis Oriental: Images of Repetition

What can one see in Misamis Oriental?  A river, a coastline, a cave... Same old, same old, right?  Wrong! 

It was only when I came into the business of tourism that I began to appreciate my surroundings.  Biro mo, I had already been traveling during my elementary school years because my dad enjoyed bringing us around but I never really took the time to see the views.  Today I travel to Cagayan de Oro almost every other day.  I ride a van, bus or jeepney over the same route each time.  Any other person would find that boring.  I know many commuters think so, which is why they drop off to sleep the moment the vehicle leaves the terminal.  But me, no.  I try to make it a point to see something new each time.

Jagged coastline of Eastern Misamis Oriental

New Balete tree growing inside a dead one in Initao

 Cagayan River during the drought (outside Makahambus Cave)

Mansion off in the distance (the owner bought the whole hill)

And being an Accredited Tour Guide of DOT-X (yes, it's true!), I know that each picture has a story behind it, even if it's only a one-liner.

So what will you do?  Will you take your God-given sight for granted?  Or will you enjoy the wonders that He has painted and be grateful that our world is still green, blue and fresh?

Life is too short.  Open your eyes and take it all in!

Manila: A Crowded Break

I've lived in Bukidnon permanently since 1996.  That's 14 years almost to the day.  That's four more years than my academic life in Manila and twice the number of years I've been married.  Though living in a province far away from Manila is enjoyable, sometimes I still get that itch to return to the big city.  Why? 

 The Fort Skyline

 Metro Rail Transit along EDSA

 SM Megamall

 EDSA Shrine with Robinsons Galleria and Ortigas Center Skyscrapers

Which is why I try to make it a habit to come at least once a year, even for just a few days.  Sort of like a break.  A crowded break.

Live with constant change!

Wacky Kids

You've seen them happy. 
You've heard their jokes. 
Now you'll see them candid, wacky and cute!

One is growing up so fast she can leave you behind if you don't try to catch up.  It's a good thing her only vanity (so far) is eye liner and nail polish. One is so sweet she'll surprise you with a hug and kiss on the cheek, or she'll pick a flower and give it to you.  Her main concern is that her dad gets the right amount of sleep and that he takes a bath and brushes his teeth before sleeping. The little boy is, well, the youngest.  He hates getting scolded and runs away to make "tampo".  Even though you've thought nothing of it, he will turn it over and over in his mind and feel worse for it.  But once you say it's okay, he will stop, too.

The eldest has learned to love her younger siblings like a junior mother but still wants her privacy.  The middle child acts like she's the oldest and bosses everyone around.  The youngest copies everything his older sister (the middle child) does and teases her no end.

What will happen when the end result of all this activity comes around?  I hope and pray that the three children will never be separated and that they will be provided the opportunity to know their father's family down to the very roots.  Because, literally, it's the only real family they've got to fall back on.

Praying for a Silver Lining!

Kids at Play

I just love having a camera phone.  It's so convenient to have especially when we're on a trip and there are kids around.  You see, when we are young, we don't think about what we do, we just do it.  Therefore, there are no second takes or repetitions.  All actions are fresh, spontaneous and never premeditated.  Take a look at these choice picks:

Soon these smiling young faces will become wrinkled with frowns, worries and what have you.  "Soon" will come all too quickly and I want to preserve these moments for as long as possible.

Stay Young!

Kids' Funnies

Kitkat asked:  What do you call a longganisa that isn't long?
Tita Gina said:  What?
Kitkat answered:  A shortganisa!
---
Kobe and Kitkat were watching Cartoon Network in the hotel room.  Frankie was waiting for Lola Vacion to come out of the bathroom, coz she REALLY had to go.  So I told her, use the bathroom downstairs in the lobby, and out she goes.  Then all of a sudden, the lights went out.  Brownout!  Kobe said, "Yay!  We can go swimming now!"  And Kitkat said, "Yes!  I want to go, too!  Where are my swimming clothes?"  As the kids looked for their wet stuff, the lights came back on.  Of course, the TV came back on, too.  Then Kitkat said, "Aww, I wanna watch TV.  I know, Kobe can go swimming and I'll stay here and watch TV!"  Kobe then said, "Oh, never mind, I'll just stay here and wait for Kitkat."


Meanwhile, Frankie was having her own paranormal experience in the lobby bathroom.  As she sat down to contemplate her fate, the lights went out.  And she thought, "Oh, dear!  Lord, please protect me from any evil spirits.  Please help me through this difficult time and guide me to a better way of thinking."  So she completed her business in darkness and just as she was exiting the bathroom, the lights came back on.  "Oh, great timing, Lord," she chided.
---
Frankie's Joke of the Day:

The ship was sinking and the passengers had to throw out what they had too much of.  The American threw out money, saying, "We have too much money in our country!"  The Japanese threw out his cellphones, laptops, cameras and iPods, bragging, "We have too much technology in our country!"  The Korean threw out her blouses, her pants, her shoes and her hats, regretting, "We have too much clothing, they won't fit into our wardrobes!"  The Filipino threw off the Korean.  The American and the Japanese asked, "Why did you throw out the Korean???"  The Filipino answered, shaking his head, "Too many Koreans in Philippines!"

Peace to all Koreans!

La Union: Sand and Waves

As early as 6:00 am, Joey was out on the waves.  Of course, we really didn't know what time he left the rooms, because the rest of us got up at around 8, hehe.  It's difficult to listen to your body clock when no sunshine enters the room in the morning.  

There isn't much to do at the resort unless you're a surfer, though Mama and I were able to get good ideas for a (proposed) resort.  Fortunately, the kids liked playing in the sand and waves and were able to fill their time while waiting for their dad to come back to shore.

Bukidlife's Resto Choice: Jay-J's Inasal

On our way to the Northern parts of the Philippines, we found ourselves feeling hungry for authentic Filipino food, with that touch of Ilokano fare.  We didn't want to go into SM because it was a mall, and the whole point in taking the roadtrip was to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  We found this impressive place instead:

Jay-J's Inasal: The Filipino Restaraunt, located at Rosales City Highway, Pangasinan

We had been on the road for four hours and were very hungry with a capital H.  Our order of pork barbecue, chicken inasal, the famous Ilokanong pinakbet and free soup made short work and we went away knowing we'd just had a good meal.  I highly recommend this restaurant, not only for it's delicious cuisine, but also for their attentive service.

Keep on tasting!

Only in the Philippines: Prayer for Tourists

We found this prayer at the entrance of a resort in Camiguin.  It rings true for tourists worldwide but only in the Philippines will it be written out and posted in a public place for everyone to see!

Happy Traveling!

Poverty and the OFW

Yesterday, my mom and I arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 (Philippine Airlines) at exactly 1:15pm, right on schedule.  Unfortunately, due to a misinterpretation of our travel documents, my brother thought we were arriving at 3:00pm.  So to pass the time, we headed for the Jollibee kiosk located on the upper level, just outside the Departure Area.

The waiting area was packed with people, waiting for their flight to be called, waiting for their loved ones to pick them up (like us), waiting for whatever or whoever they had to wait for.  After ordering two hamburgers and two bottles of water (a total payment of P208), I brought the food over to Mama who was seated in the only remaining space next to where I had parked our baggage cart.  She was listening in to the conversation of the group of Visayan women waiting for their flight to be called for Qatar. When they left, they were replaced by another family.

At first glance, one could already see that the most important person in the group was the young man, dressed in a new blue collared shirt, clean jeans, and spotlessly shiny black shoes.  Dressed to impress, ika nga.  His companions were his lola (a not-so-old woman dressed only in a faded house dress or duster), his younger sister and several cousins or house members (all wearing short-shorts and house clothes and slippers).  Also, one could instantly make out a natural Tagalog accent.

The young man was a 22-year-old high school graduate whose family could not afford to send him to college, so he was going to try his luck as a mechanic's assistant in Riyadh.  He had relatives already there so it was easy for him to process his application.  Now they just had to wait for his licensing officer with the last of his travel documents, and then he was ready to go.  His luggage consisted of one suitcase, obviously new and bought just for this purpose.

I remember a Manilena friend once asked what kind of lifestyle the OFWs from Bukidnon had.  Her query was specific: were they as poor and hard-up as the OFWs from the squatter areas in Manila?  My reaction at the time was defensive.  I know several people who are working abroad in search of greener pastures (three of my brothers-in-law in particular) and none of them come from poverty-stricken lifestyles.  In fact, they had had somewhat comfortable lives here in the Philippines and had only gone abroad because they felt they could feed their families faster with the bigger incomes they could generate there.

Then I realized that my friend, who had been born, raised and lived in Manila all her life, was no different from many citizens of Luzon, who still believe that Mindanaoans are less fortunate than they and that becoming an OFW was the only way to survive in our kind of wilderness.  It was right about that moment when we began passing several houses with Dream satellite cable connections and I was pressed to point out that even on top of a mountain, people could afford to buy their own satellite dishes.

So what makes a Filipino decide to leave his family to work abroad?  Is it because he is poor?  Is it because he is dissatisfied with the way he is treated here?  Is it because he sees no future for his family here?

Whatever the reason, it is the same whether he is from Manila, Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao.  One cannot generalize for any island group, for we are one country, one race.  If only we could stand together, as one, then maybe we could change the world.

God Speed, OFW!

Malas or Positive Attitude?

A new century, a new millennium...  But did anything change?  Nuh-uh.  If anything, it got worse.  Isn't there a saying "History repeats itself"?  In our case, Philippine history repeats itself every election year.  When election results are in, many of the citizens who want change (myself included) have to sigh in frustration because people don't seem to learn from their mistakes.  They vote for the highest bidder and then complain when they don't get what they want.  So why are we still here?  Well, because there is still a chance, even though it's only 10%, it's still possible.

----- 

2001. More catastrophies! The peso plummeted to a horrifying US$1 to P51. The Abu Sayyaf (extremist ideologues? Or mindless barbarians) were into kidnapping and terrorism, gaining worldwide notoriety.. Businesses are still closing shop. Thousands of workers are being retrenched. Prices of food and gasoline are very high. (Galunggong is P80 per kilo!) Our streets became permanent garbage dumps. Maggots multiply to spread disease. Our communities stink.

Again, the whole nation was witnessing sickening crimes attributed to people in the government. Talo na naman! We are now 75 million people but the gap between the rich, 30% (middle-class and rich), 70% (lower-class and rural/urban poor) remains the same for one century.

When will this end? It's been more than 350 years since Lapu's- Lapu's victory, 100 years since Rizal martyrdom and we're nowhere as a people, as a nation. Malas pa rin!

Some wise guy said the Filipino is a damaged culture. Bully! And what do you call other foreigners. They used slaves in their plantations, and landgrabbed from the natives! What should we call such culture? Predatory Culture? Bully Culture? What about another country? How many countries did it put under the barrel of its gunships, so they could gloat that the sun never sets on their empire?" What shall we call this culture? Sahib culture? Gunga Din culture? C'mon, give us a break!

We Filipinos have strengths and endearing values. We are Christians, God-fearing, and peace-loving. We are patient and tolerant (matiisin to a fault). We are musical. We sing our blues away. We have a sense of humor. (We concoct and text Imelda hyperboles and Erap malapropism) . We learn fast because we are bilingual and highly educated.. We've got thousands of MBA's and PhD's in economics and management from AIM, WHARTON, HARVARD, UCLA, etc (most of them now overseas).

We've got a surplus of technocrats for nation-building.. We want to work if there are vacancies. We want to go into business if we have the capital. We want to obey the law if the law is being enforced.  We want to live and die here, if there is peace and order.

But, but, and but. We have many shortcomings. We are immature in our politics. Given a choice on whom to elect: a handsome pabling movie star or an honest and brilliant political scientist, we'll vote for the movie star.

No brainer tayo dito. Talo! We have many stupidities. Like dogs, we pee (Bawal umihi dito) on walls and tires. Our driving is suicidal. Our service quality is inferior.

Clerks at City Hall act arrogantly. Sales ladies at department stores don't know their product features. No exchange No return even if it is defective, you have to argue for it. Tourists get mugged by thugs in uniform. Police lay traps so they can catch you and ask for bribes. What's wrong with us? We don't have a great leader. And good governance. (In Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew did it. The constituency profile is similar to Filipinos.) Admittedly, this country is impossible, tiresome, and frustrating.

But it's the only country we've got. We live and die here.. Will we ever see the dawn?

Dios na mahabagin, Kailan pa kaya? Ubos na ang aming luha. Katog na ang aming mga tuhod. Tuyot na ang aming utak. Hingal na ang aming puso.
Dios na mahabagin, isalba Mo po kami. Hindi po kami talunan. At lalo pong hindi kami tanga. Sunod-sunod lang po ang malas.

NOTE:
Dati Kastila, Amerikano, Insik, Hapon at ngayon may Koreano pa.

Mahabagin Diyos, Nasaan Ka PINOY ??

The End

Malas with Eyes Wide Open

I remember this era.  Real estate was booming, multilevel marketing was in and it seemed like everyone had money.  Then the bottom fell out.  And people, grasping at straws, caught this charismatically eccentric man named Erap, which is the word "pare" spelled backwards, another idiosyncracy known only in the Philippines.  Another problem was born.  Can you see my eyebrows rising?

-----

In 1997, the Asian economic crises struck, triggered by a balloon burst of the hyper-speculative Bangkok economy. The financial debacle created a disastrous effect in the investment institutions of Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Taiwan. All the Ramos gains evaporated into thin air. Malas na naman! The poor, specially Mang Pandoy, were poorer than ever.


1998 was showbiz time! The Erap para sa mahirap show opened to the chagrin of Makati Business Club.. Pasensya na po kayo, mga elitists. Democracy is also weird. The choice of the masa must be respected.


Catastrophe! Chavit Singson exploded jueteng bombs! For days on end, a nation sick in the stomach, sat through primetime TV aghast at watching the bizarre drama of alleged bribery, gambling, drunkenness, womanizing, deceit, and corruption. A lantern-jawed witness and a sexy intelligence "asset" hogged the witness stand.


Viewing the scandals on TV was like watching dogs mating in the public square. It's embarrassing but you can't take your eyes off them.


The impeachment trial serialized on TV was riveting. The defense lawyers, some wearing a canine sneer (ngiting aso) insulted our intelligence often. (Lokohin n'yo ang lelang n'yo). The whole country was stinking to high heavens.. The prosecution produced its own witnesses - Clarissa Ocampo, Emma Lim, Carmencita Itchon and many others.


Idols with feet of clay fell crashing into the dust. Those who voted against opening the envelope were legalese, procedural, and sounding intellectually brilliant. Also heartless and thick-skinned. They couldn't fathom the heartbeat of the nation. Cardinal Sin, aging and sickly, called the people again.. It was People Power II!


Same humongous and collective umbrage, same brinkmanship, and same staccato prayers! Generals Reyes and Villanueva simply joined the mammoth EDSA crowd. No US jets from Clark this time. Erap was out! Gloria was in!


Hope springs eternal. Malacañang regained its honor and dignity. Protocol was observed. Absurdity was gone. Grammatical English was back. Now the first gentleman should have been named Mr. Pakyao, he has the monopoly of the graft behind Gloria's back.

(to be continued)

Malas Anew

This was the era when I was introduced to the "outside world", my innocent mind not comprehending that the Philippines had just experienced a major catalyst.  I guess I was fortunate to have had Cory as President because she was so passive that her pace suited my indoctrination to Manila life.  And then Ramos -who happens to be a distant relative of my husband- gets elected, does a relatively good job, but is not allowed to run for a second term.  Sigh...

In 1983, Ninoy Aquino, Marcos' exiled arch rival, was assassinated upon his return. Push came to shove. Cardinal Sin engaged on the people on to protest. Outrage, self- pity, shame and fury raged and rumbled like a tidal wave, culminating in the incredible People Power Revolution. The very sick and obstinate Marcos fled (hijacked by Americans from Clark) to Hawaii (sounds like Paoay) where he died. His alleged millions of stolen dollars intact and unresolved.. Up to now... Peso to dollar exchange is now US$1 to P20.

But People Power was our shining glory! The whole world applauded our saintly courage, our dignified defiance, our bloodless solution to expel a dictator. We were the toast of all freedom-loving countries, the envy of all oppressed people. In 1986, we placed Cory Aquino, Ninoy's widow, in Malacañang. She was virtuous, sincere and full of good intentions for the country. But what happens under Cory?

An endless brown out and living in portable generators is a must and monopolized by Cory's relatives who threw out her Energy Department down the Pasig River. The land reform she professed and promised was going good at first, but after she found out her Hacienda Luisita will be greatly affected, that program went down the Pasig River too!. No wonder that river is so polluted.

Coup attempts by Honasan, power struggle, political squabbles, and the infighting for juicy deals harassed the amateur Cory presidency. So nothing happened. No progress took place. The economy was still bad. The poor suffered more and more. Sure we got democracy back on its feet.. But the Filipino resolve didn't happen. People Power pala was "ningas cogon" power.

Sayang na sayang! The gap between the rich and the poor remained at 30% (middle-class and rich), 70% (lower-class and rural/urban poor). Exchange rate was US$1 to P25. We were 55 million people.

In 1992, Cory's choice, Fidel Ramos, West Pointer, soldier, and hero of the People Power won the presidency. He had the bearing, the single-mindedness and the vision to bring the country to a tiger economy status.. Ramos was a terrific salesman of the Philippines to the world. He was able to hype a climate of an economic ground. He removed barriers to progress. He was an apostle of privatization. His mantra was, less government, more private sector! Fidel hit the right note and the economy went on a roll. Fidel wanted to run for reelection but failed to swing the cha-cha (an idiotic acronym for Constitutional Change) so he could run again.

-to be continued-

Malas in Reconstruction

Sorry for the long break.  Unfortunately, our authorities must have forgotten that they were supposed to be unreliable and remembered just in time, by breaking an almost two full weeks of continuous electricity with two consecutive nights of brownouts.  Sigh...


But there was still no peace from 1947 to 1966. A widespread communist rebellion led by Taruc, the Lava brothers, and its armed guerillas called Hukbalahap (Supposed to be Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon) waged bloody war with government troops and turned out to be nothing but bandits in disguise. Filipinos killed kapwa Filipinos. Malas na naman!

Our politicians and bureaucrats learned to engage in graft and corruption (What are we in power for?) - such as the war surplus bribery, the Tambobong wheeler-dealing and the Namarco scam. Talo nanaman!

Six presidents were elected to manage the country from 1947 to 1972, under the democratic system. They were Presidents Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay, Garcia, Macapagal, and Marcos.

Economists looked back to the decades of the 50s and 60s as the best years of the Philippine economy, surpassing Asian countries. The nostalgia was naiveté, a useless ego-tripping. The gap between the rich and the poor remained big. 30% middle-class and rich, 70% low- class, rural and urban poor. We were 27 million people. US$1 was to P4.

During the late 60's, the Maoist communists led by Commander Dante intensified its drive to overthrow the government.. Marcos added fuel to the fire by creating a communist spook. Violence and mayhem rule the streets. The youth went up in arms! Martial Law was declared in 1972 and Marcos became dictator. Freedom of assembly and expression went out of the window..

What followed were years of dictatorial abuse, crony capitalism, shackled free enterprise, near economic collapse and a demoralized middle class. The gap between the rich (30%) and poor (70%) remained in a quagmire. Pareho rin pala ang situation.

Our population was 40 million. Exchange rate was US$1 to P7.. Kawawang kawawa! Malas na malas! 

Malas in Depth

Notice the detail?  The author must have given this piece of work much thought before posting it on the internet.  Either he/she is a good researcher or he/she is a historian with a sense of humor.  This particular section is my favorite because for some reason, World War II is the part of Philippine History that is closest to my heart.  Probably because that's when the Philippines gained true independence, but didn't know it.  Too bad.

During the Commonwealth period (1901-1941), which followed, there were lots of learning on democratic principles, its structure and governance. Technology transfers were done on Constitutional Rights, Public Education, Transportation, Health, International Trade and Industrialization. The Americans turned out to be good tutors. Filipinos also went crazy over American brand products like Libby's corned beef and Portola sardines, Hershey's Kisses and Wrigley's chewing gum, Camel cigarettes and Model T Ford for the hacienderos of Pampanga and Iloilo .

Hollywood films made Pinoy males fantasize on Jean Harlow, Betty Grable, and Mae West. Thus, Filipino colonial mentality began. We fondly called this period Peace Time.. By the way, American troops massacred innocent people in Balangiga. Mga hayop din pala!

1941. Disaster! World War II! After attacking Pearl Harbor , the Japanese army invaded our country defeating the combined American and Filipino forces (USAFFE). General MacArthur, the proud and handsome Army chief, fled to Australia at the height of the battle. Then the Filipinos marched to Bataan as the prisoners in the Death March.

For four miserable years we suffered the sadism of the Japanese militarists rule. Torture, famine, and death were for us the order of the day.. Kawawa. Malas na malas!

The American forces returned in 1945 to liberate the country. MacArthur, General superiority complex himself, sporting Ray Ban sunglasses corncob pipe swaggered back to Manila . Piqued at his humiliation in 1941, MacArthur ordered the bombing and shelling of Manila till kingdom come. So he can get back at Japs for wrecking his R&R place in Asia. Malas na naman.

The whole-wide expanse South of Pasig - from Post Office to Vito Cruz, including all of Intramuros - was pulverized. Manila was the most destroyed city of World War II next to Tokyo. Our culture, our heritage, and historical assets (seven beautiful churches in Intramuros, hundreds of elegant Art Deco and neo-classical architecture in Paco) were sacrificed recklessly and completely erased from the face of the earth. Sayang na sayang!

In 1946, we gained our Independence from the Americans. We were a free nation at last! A true Independence day for us, July 4th 1946 not the June 12th that Aguinaldo declared and Marcos celebrated. We had enough exposure and lessons on how to govern a democratic country, the first in Asia . Our population was 17 million. The dollar exchange was US$1 to P2.

(to be continued, God willing...)

Malas vs Suwerte

If you are a Filipino citizen, you are either born to Filipino parents, or you are born in the Philippines to either a Filipino mother or a Filipino father, or you have been naturalized.  Another way of looking at it is if you grew up in the Philippines, you're as much a Filipino as all the rest (whether you're white, black or brown).

Why?  What make Filipinos different?  Is it because the Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia?  Is it because our language is easily influenced and is therefore always changing?  Or is it because we believe everything we hear that our lives are filled with sayings and verses and luck (bad luck?) that we cannot get by a day without first consulting one or another form of fortune telling?

I came across an article through the mail called "History of the MALAS Nation."  Below is part of it; the rest will be posted in the next few days.  I just want to warn you that the writer (unknown) was being sarcastic.  I'm sure a lot of us have thought of our history in this point of view, have even discussed it at length with friends while downing some interesting drinks.  Don't get me wrong...  I love my country.  I love the country I grew up in.  I will probably stay here until the day I die.  So why am I posting the article?  Well, because it's funny... and true.  And that, at the end, we should realize that it is time to change.

Subject: History of the "MALAS" Nation - Panahon na para baguhin

"There is a lot of truth on this. Don't know the "Historian" Author:
This brief history of the Philippines, told by a philosopher of the streets, is probably closest to the truth about ourselves.

WHAT'S the big deal when Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan in 1521? Nothing much really. During Lapu-Lapu's time, Mactan was strictly tribal. Think small, gid. There were no big ideas such as nationalism or geopolitics.

Lapu-Lapu was simply, the local siga-siga and Magellan was the culture-shocked Westerner, a native first-timer in the exotic east. We lionize Lapu-Lapu as a hero and nationalist. Ang totoo, mayabang lang si Lapu-Lapu. But this defeat of a foreign invader, did not make a Filipino nation. The timing was wrong. And don't you believe that bull that Spanish explorers came to find spices of the East to improve the taste of their bland cuisine.. Their hidden agenda was to spread their kingdom through colonization, the euphemism for land grabbing.

During the 333 years of Spanish rule (1565-1898), hundreds of rebellions were waged by native firebrands in many parts of the archipelago. Not one succeeded. Our rebels were either caught, garotted, or simply ignored by the Commandante as nuisances. Puro malas!

The execution of Rizal in 1896 was a traumatic experience for Filipinos. Those who read Rizal's Fili and Noli were incensed by the abuses of the church and state regime of the Spaniards. Emotions ran high, from Aparri to Jolo. The critical mass needed for nationhood was formed. At last we could rebel as a people, as a nation.

The Katipunan did their battle heroics, originally led by the firebrand Bonifacio and later on by the crafty Aguinaldo. With more Katipunan charges (Sugod mga Kapatid), freedom seemed possible. Between 1897 and 1899, stealth, betrayal, and skullduggery bedeviled our prospect for independence.. The Aguinaldo and Bonifacio factions engaged in an ugly infighting (the talangka mentality) resulting in the execution of Bonifacio.

Meantime, an American Admiral named Dewey entered Manila Bay and defeated a luckluster Spanish navy. Aguinaldo reneged on the pact of Biak na Bato. He resumed the revolution by proclaiming the Philippine Independence in Kawit. June 12. From whom? We were still under the Americans & Spaniards at that time.

Meanwhile, American and Spanish soldiers held a "moromoro" battle in Intramuros with the Spaniards surrendering. Aguinaldo's republic and his KKK patriots were left out and ignored. Naisahan tayo... Minalas na naman.

The Filipino-American War broke out. Tall American soldiers looking like Clark Gable chased and battled the outlawed Filipino revolutionaries, ending in the capture of Aguinaldo in Isabela. Thanks to the mercenaries from Macabebe. This was the second time those Macabebe turned on their own kind first with the Spaniards. This was the mother of all kamalasan..

At that time, our population was 8 million. The gap between the rich and the poor was estimated at 30% middle-class and rich, 70% low-class and rural poor.
(to be continued, God willing...)