Chicken has probably the most edible part (second to pigs | hogs) easily available in the market, much less ordinary food stalls and barbeque stands. The sight of chicken heads, wings, thigh, legs down to chicken feet (called adidas) in sticks are among the nightly ordinary menu of an ordinary barbeque stand. Frozen chicken blood cut in cubes also forms part of the mighty chicken menu repertoire which also includes chicken intestines or Isaw.
Isaw is a street food from the Philippines made from barbecued chicken intestines. The intestines are cleaned several times, turned inside out, and cleaned again and repeating the process several times until the chicken part has been thoroughly cleaned. After this preliminary process, the intestines are boiled then grilled on sticks for the masses to enjoy. Isaw has taken tremendous popularity in the Philippines especially now that feasting on a whole chicken at a dining table has become a privilege for the few, at least in the village where I came from.
A chicken’s intestine is probably about plus or minus two (2) feet long, this means one chicken accounts for about plus or minus three (3) barbequed Isaw sticks. Doing the math for the thousands of Isaw vendors all over the country, it is safe to assume that there are about over a million chickens being slaughtered everyday for food in the Philippines which eventually addresses the demand for everyday Isaw. It makes me wonder where in the world do these chickens came from? But then looking at United States consumption of chicken per day, it is said that in that part of the world, about twenty-six (26) million chickens are being slaughtered each day. Now do the math on how many barbequed Isaw could that possibly make!
Isaw has been one of my favorite “pulutan” back in college. My boardmates, classmates, friends and I would drop by downtown area after class to take out our favorite Isaw in one of the many Isaw stalls lined near the plaza. With every shot of Gin and an Isaw bite come endless stories of our daily exploits and misadventures told in a more exciting manner. Old stories and jokes sounded like new near midnights when sticks are what’s left of the delectable barbequed Isaw. Back then, Gin and Isaw are perfect combination for an in-house overnight drinking spree. While we knew that there’s still a class tomorrow, the gathering sometimes became extensions for classroom deliberations which Isaw even more intellectually useful.
My youngest daughter, Maria Theresa, loves Isaw at her early age. I didn’t know she was eating this exotic street food until her mother told me she saw her lined up in the barbeque stand next to the sari-sari store across the street. Her ate and kuya must have influenced her to try this bizarre delicacy. I would want to stop her from engaging in barbequed Isaw yet I don’t want to deprive her of the experience shared by millions of ordinary Filipinos. This early, I wanted Motet to remember the taste of Isaw. Isaw for me is not just an exotic food; it is a vivid representation of our state as a struggling country and a precise symbol of Filipino resiliency.
Go Motet, take as many Isaw as you want then in time I hope you’ll realize that Isaw is not the best tasting part of a chicken. The best tasting part of a chicken is the part you will give me in the future when I can no longer give you one.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
To Motet on her 6th Birthday
Fathers would normally want to be just outside the delivery room eagerly waiting for their new born baby to come out. Then by instinct, he would accompany the nurses to the nursery, making sure that during that first encounter and short glimpse of his newly born baby, he would try to remember as much angelic features possible to ensure that the baby would be tagged correctly and won’t get lost in the crowded nursery of angels. That’s the generally common scenario but it was not the story on the night you were born.
As I have told you over and over again in one of those daughter and father story time, I had consumed my paternity leave days prior to your birth. Me and your mother must have been equally excited to see you that during that week I was on leave to welcome you to the family, you didn’t come, just yet. It was after I went back to work that I got news of how beautiful you were on that night your mother and aunties heard you cry. I must have scheduled my leaves to early and too late to take it back. Whatever it was, the truth of the matter is I waited eagerly more than any father would do and my spirit was just outside the delivery room so close to you.
I may not be physically present on the night you were born but I clearly remember that you were born on a Monday night. I remembered it because I left Naga on a Sunday evening to report back to work the following day. While at the office that day, your auntie texted me that your mother was about to gave birth to you so I spent the last few hours at the office thinking and praying that both of you be just fine. Before midnight I got the news that you were born so your Aunt Ruth spent the next hours describing your features to me thru text messages and I would paint pictures of you based on her descriptions in my mind.
Just like your brother and sister, we never really had the chance to see each other every day but I knew that you knew somewhere under the stars at night, there is a father not so far away missing half of his life having not to spend more time with you. The digital photos taken from the old sliding Nokia phone were the significant reminder of the bond that we and your ate and kuya share. Your first three (3) tender years were highlighted by your birthday get together and I have personally blocked the 23rds of November each year just to be with you. Just like your ate and kuya, you hold a special place in our hearts and you reminded me of hope, of faith and of God’s plan for us.
Today reminded me of the time (day) you were born. Ironically, now that I am just an hour-drive away from you, I got home tonight too late to catch you awake. For the second time, I wasn’t there to celebrate this wonderful day of our lives. You must have been too tired for the mini school party or simply got tired waiting for me, but just the same, while doing the last part of our planning session today, my spirit is home celebrating today with you. You are the “Princess” in the family and I fervently wish that you remain true to the meaning of that word in the years to come. In doing so, you are making the rest of us in the family Prince, Princes, Queen’s and King’s at our own right.
We love you Princess Maria Theressa!
As I have told you over and over again in one of those daughter and father story time, I had consumed my paternity leave days prior to your birth. Me and your mother must have been equally excited to see you that during that week I was on leave to welcome you to the family, you didn’t come, just yet. It was after I went back to work that I got news of how beautiful you were on that night your mother and aunties heard you cry. I must have scheduled my leaves to early and too late to take it back. Whatever it was, the truth of the matter is I waited eagerly more than any father would do and my spirit was just outside the delivery room so close to you.
I may not be physically present on the night you were born but I clearly remember that you were born on a Monday night. I remembered it because I left Naga on a Sunday evening to report back to work the following day. While at the office that day, your auntie texted me that your mother was about to gave birth to you so I spent the last few hours at the office thinking and praying that both of you be just fine. Before midnight I got the news that you were born so your Aunt Ruth spent the next hours describing your features to me thru text messages and I would paint pictures of you based on her descriptions in my mind.
Just like your brother and sister, we never really had the chance to see each other every day but I knew that you knew somewhere under the stars at night, there is a father not so far away missing half of his life having not to spend more time with you. The digital photos taken from the old sliding Nokia phone were the significant reminder of the bond that we and your ate and kuya share. Your first three (3) tender years were highlighted by your birthday get together and I have personally blocked the 23rds of November each year just to be with you. Just like your ate and kuya, you hold a special place in our hearts and you reminded me of hope, of faith and of God’s plan for us.
Today reminded me of the time (day) you were born. Ironically, now that I am just an hour-drive away from you, I got home tonight too late to catch you awake. For the second time, I wasn’t there to celebrate this wonderful day of our lives. You must have been too tired for the mini school party or simply got tired waiting for me, but just the same, while doing the last part of our planning session today, my spirit is home celebrating today with you. You are the “Princess” in the family and I fervently wish that you remain true to the meaning of that word in the years to come. In doing so, you are making the rest of us in the family Prince, Princes, Queen’s and King’s at our own right.
We love you Princess Maria Theressa!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Ice Cold Miami Heat
Much has been written about the Miami Heat from forcing to organize a group of overnight basketball champions at the expense of another franchise to having three talented players not knowing how to play with each other. The announcement of LeBron James in the offseason over live television of his plan on taking his talent to South Beach (I don’t even know where that is before, never been there) and from Paul Pierce’s Tweet of sharing his pleasure of bringing his talent to South Beach after his Celtics defeated the Heat twice in a row in the regular season has brought added color to the brewing rivalry of Boston’s Big Three and Miami’s Superstar Trio.
The two (2) consecutive losses were heartbreaking and ranking fifth (5th) this early in the Eastern Conference doesn’t justify the entry of Chris Bosh and LeBron James in the Miami Heat line up. The team was a consistent fifth (5th) placer last year with Dwyane Wade alone and judging from their early showing, it looked like James and Bosh were bunch of substandard investments for the Miami franchise. Can LeBron and Chris tow Miami for their second franchise championship ring or at the very least a finals appearance? Nothing can be said of the finals today but for as long as the Heat continues to loss games the way they did against Boston, Utah and New Orleans, they are only as good as the old Miami Heat squad.
So what went wrong with the Miami Heat in their first nine (9) games? Ironically, the glaring mistake which caused the team to loss against Boston, Utah and New Orleans are the very same guys they invested on to hand carry the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy back to Miami. Yes, LeBron, Chris and Dwyane did nothing to prevent the three teams from snatching the win from them. All they did was to rebound, pass and shoot the basketball. But hey, these are the best things to do to win basketball games why blame the trio? Well it’s simple, rebounds, passes and shoots doesn’t always guarantee a “W” especially if you’re playing against an equally talented squad!
Lebron, Chris and Dwyane are obviously confused of their roles in the team. They are not organized for an All-Star Games and therefore they should stop playing as if they are on an All-Star Game. Enough of the fancy passes and acrobatic shots, degree of difficulty in a shot doesn’t count double in a regular game. Why go for a difficult shot when you or your teammate can score for an easy, uncontested and high-percentage basket? The point is simple, piling up individual statistics in any department doesn’t really matter each time you loss a basketball game, statistics matters most in games won! So what if LeBron scored 35 against the Celtics and Wade 39 against the Jazz? The fact is that they lost the game and their efforts are futile!
How can they therefore start winning in a convincing fashion? First, the Superstar Trio should be able to define their individual roles in the team and accept them as it is. Wade doesn’t need to score 39 points only if he can share the basketball to open teammates more. With his brand of play, Wade can surely attract multiple defenders leaving one or two teammates wide open for an easy basket. In his first nine (9) games this season, Wade is averaging 3.3 assist per game and 3.7 turnovers, that’s close to saying he doesn’t share the ball that often and would rather go for a violation. He is the original star of the Heat but if they continue with their losing ways this season, he will soon be one of the countless blind stars of the NBA.
Second, LeBron James’ game is built to pull the trigger and unleash the killer punch. With his athleticism and skills, he is the most lethal player on the floor in close games. In the four (4) games lost by the Heat, LeBron was standing at the sidelines and never had the chance to touch the ball as time was winding down. Averaging 22.2 points in his first nine (9) games with the Heat is unacceptable for a king who never went below an average of 27.2 points in his last six (6) seasons prior to joining the Heat. Yes he shared the ball much more often now that never before, but he needs to be involved more in scoring for his team to gain more “Ws”. This can only happen if Wade starts sharing the ball the way he used to and setup the king to score.
Third, Chris Bosh should engage the boards much more often and collect more rebounds. His average of 6.0 in his first nine (9) games with the Heat is nothing compared to his average of 10.8 rebounds per game with the Raptors. Scoring in double figures will come as a bonus but scattering more rebounds is a must for Bosh. The Heat is one of the worst rebounding team early in the 2010-11 NBA Season and this only shows that Chris is not doing his homework. More rebounds basically means more ball possessions and more chances of scoring a basket.
So what went wrong with the Miami Heat in their first nine (9) games? Now it can be told in three basic basketball figures. First, the Heat simply just failed to score more basket than the opponent because the star (LeBron) who is expected to take care of burning the hoops has reluctantly pulled his trigger. Second, the star (Wade) who’s in the strategic position to share the ball more simply refused to trust his teammates and opted to gather turnovers instead. Third, the star (Chris) tasked to manage the boards allowed opponents to impose their will against his. They lost because they scored less, share the ball less and rebounded less than their foes. In their wins and losses entering their first ten (10) games of the season, they are the Ice Cold Miami Heat. Let’s just hope that the superstar trio live up to their team name called Heat before ice freezes over them.
The two (2) consecutive losses were heartbreaking and ranking fifth (5th) this early in the Eastern Conference doesn’t justify the entry of Chris Bosh and LeBron James in the Miami Heat line up. The team was a consistent fifth (5th) placer last year with Dwyane Wade alone and judging from their early showing, it looked like James and Bosh were bunch of substandard investments for the Miami franchise. Can LeBron and Chris tow Miami for their second franchise championship ring or at the very least a finals appearance? Nothing can be said of the finals today but for as long as the Heat continues to loss games the way they did against Boston, Utah and New Orleans, they are only as good as the old Miami Heat squad.
So what went wrong with the Miami Heat in their first nine (9) games? Ironically, the glaring mistake which caused the team to loss against Boston, Utah and New Orleans are the very same guys they invested on to hand carry the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy back to Miami. Yes, LeBron, Chris and Dwyane did nothing to prevent the three teams from snatching the win from them. All they did was to rebound, pass and shoot the basketball. But hey, these are the best things to do to win basketball games why blame the trio? Well it’s simple, rebounds, passes and shoots doesn’t always guarantee a “W” especially if you’re playing against an equally talented squad!
Lebron, Chris and Dwyane are obviously confused of their roles in the team. They are not organized for an All-Star Games and therefore they should stop playing as if they are on an All-Star Game. Enough of the fancy passes and acrobatic shots, degree of difficulty in a shot doesn’t count double in a regular game. Why go for a difficult shot when you or your teammate can score for an easy, uncontested and high-percentage basket? The point is simple, piling up individual statistics in any department doesn’t really matter each time you loss a basketball game, statistics matters most in games won! So what if LeBron scored 35 against the Celtics and Wade 39 against the Jazz? The fact is that they lost the game and their efforts are futile!
How can they therefore start winning in a convincing fashion? First, the Superstar Trio should be able to define their individual roles in the team and accept them as it is. Wade doesn’t need to score 39 points only if he can share the basketball to open teammates more. With his brand of play, Wade can surely attract multiple defenders leaving one or two teammates wide open for an easy basket. In his first nine (9) games this season, Wade is averaging 3.3 assist per game and 3.7 turnovers, that’s close to saying he doesn’t share the ball that often and would rather go for a violation. He is the original star of the Heat but if they continue with their losing ways this season, he will soon be one of the countless blind stars of the NBA.
Second, LeBron James’ game is built to pull the trigger and unleash the killer punch. With his athleticism and skills, he is the most lethal player on the floor in close games. In the four (4) games lost by the Heat, LeBron was standing at the sidelines and never had the chance to touch the ball as time was winding down. Averaging 22.2 points in his first nine (9) games with the Heat is unacceptable for a king who never went below an average of 27.2 points in his last six (6) seasons prior to joining the Heat. Yes he shared the ball much more often now that never before, but he needs to be involved more in scoring for his team to gain more “Ws”. This can only happen if Wade starts sharing the ball the way he used to and setup the king to score.
Third, Chris Bosh should engage the boards much more often and collect more rebounds. His average of 6.0 in his first nine (9) games with the Heat is nothing compared to his average of 10.8 rebounds per game with the Raptors. Scoring in double figures will come as a bonus but scattering more rebounds is a must for Bosh. The Heat is one of the worst rebounding team early in the 2010-11 NBA Season and this only shows that Chris is not doing his homework. More rebounds basically means more ball possessions and more chances of scoring a basket.
So what went wrong with the Miami Heat in their first nine (9) games? Now it can be told in three basic basketball figures. First, the Heat simply just failed to score more basket than the opponent because the star (LeBron) who is expected to take care of burning the hoops has reluctantly pulled his trigger. Second, the star (Wade) who’s in the strategic position to share the ball more simply refused to trust his teammates and opted to gather turnovers instead. Third, the star (Chris) tasked to manage the boards allowed opponents to impose their will against his. They lost because they scored less, share the ball less and rebounded less than their foes. In their wins and losses entering their first ten (10) games of the season, they are the Ice Cold Miami Heat. Let’s just hope that the superstar trio live up to their team name called Heat before ice freezes over them.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tao
Ang awiting ito'y para sa lahat ng minahal natin
Ito'y para rin sa lahat ng mga nagmahal sa atin
Tulad ng isang ibon
Tao ay lumilipad
Pangarap ang tanging nais
Na marating at matupad
Bakit pa luluha
Bakit maghihirap
Ayaw mang mangyari
Ay di masasabi
Minsan tayo ay nalilibang di natin napapansin
Oras na lumilipas ang pilit nating lilingunin
Sana'y nasabi ko sana'y nalaman niya
Sana'y nung giniginaw ay hawak ko ang palad nya
Ngunit naisip ko ngayon ay mas dinig
Kahit isang bulong kahit na isang pintig
Ng puso pag sinabi mong sya'y mahalaga
Asahan mong sayo'y ganon di ang kanyang nadarama
Isip ay nalilito
PAg nakakita ng bago
LAhat ng bagay sa mundo
Ay isang malaking tukso
Sasaktan mo lamang
Puso ay hwag sugatan
Ito'y laro lamang
Sa mundong makasalanan
Matapos ang lahat isa lang ang aking napatunayan
Huwag mong hayaan na parang alikabok sa langsangan
Na nililipadlipad at tuluyan ng mapahalo
Pag umula'y magiging putik sa kanal na bumabaho
Sabi nga nila ang buhay ay siguradong hindi
Lahat ay nakatakda pero di ka pwedeng mamili
Kaya't kung may pagkakataon mahigpit mong yakapin
Dahil baka bukas sayo ay bigla lang agawin
Tubig ay natuyo
Bulaklak ay nalalanta
Araw ay lumilipas
Sa gabi rin ang punta
Sasaktan mo lamang
Puso ay hwag sugatan
Ito'y laro lamang
Sa mundong makasalanan
Salamat sa pagkakataong kayo ay makasama
Salamat sa mga araw may luha man o tawa
Salamat sahil nalaman ko ang aking pagkukulang
Pero sa kabila nito ako'y di mo kinalimutan
Salamat dahil akoý tinuring mong kaibigan
Salamat at hanggang sa susunod naing kamustahan
Gloc-9 (feat. Cookie Chua of Color It Red)
Ito'y para rin sa lahat ng mga nagmahal sa atin
Tulad ng isang ibon
Tao ay lumilipad
Pangarap ang tanging nais
Na marating at matupad
Bakit pa luluha
Bakit maghihirap
Ayaw mang mangyari
Ay di masasabi
Minsan tayo ay nalilibang di natin napapansin
Oras na lumilipas ang pilit nating lilingunin
Sana'y nasabi ko sana'y nalaman niya
Sana'y nung giniginaw ay hawak ko ang palad nya
Ngunit naisip ko ngayon ay mas dinig
Kahit isang bulong kahit na isang pintig
Ng puso pag sinabi mong sya'y mahalaga
Asahan mong sayo'y ganon di ang kanyang nadarama
Isip ay nalilito
PAg nakakita ng bago
LAhat ng bagay sa mundo
Ay isang malaking tukso
Sasaktan mo lamang
Puso ay hwag sugatan
Ito'y laro lamang
Sa mundong makasalanan
Matapos ang lahat isa lang ang aking napatunayan
Huwag mong hayaan na parang alikabok sa langsangan
Na nililipadlipad at tuluyan ng mapahalo
Pag umula'y magiging putik sa kanal na bumabaho
Sabi nga nila ang buhay ay siguradong hindi
Lahat ay nakatakda pero di ka pwedeng mamili
Kaya't kung may pagkakataon mahigpit mong yakapin
Dahil baka bukas sayo ay bigla lang agawin
Tubig ay natuyo
Bulaklak ay nalalanta
Araw ay lumilipas
Sa gabi rin ang punta
Sasaktan mo lamang
Puso ay hwag sugatan
Ito'y laro lamang
Sa mundong makasalanan
Salamat sa pagkakataong kayo ay makasama
Salamat sa mga araw may luha man o tawa
Salamat sahil nalaman ko ang aking pagkukulang
Pero sa kabila nito ako'y di mo kinalimutan
Salamat dahil akoý tinuring mong kaibigan
Salamat at hanggang sa susunod naing kamustahan
Gloc-9 (feat. Cookie Chua of Color It Red)
Friday, November 5, 2010
Who’s Afraid of the Terror Threat?
France became the 6th country in the world to issue a travel advisory to its citizens about the risk of terror attack in the Philippines. These series of alerts and advisories came in span of just about a week after the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand issued theirs for their citizens who might have plans of travelling the country. “Risk of terrorist attack exists on the entire territory of the Philippines, particularly in urban areas (airports, shopping centers, places of worship, hotels and places frequented by foreigners, etc.)," said an English translation of the recent France travel advisory.
In a live interview last night over at ABS-CBN, the Philippine President, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III maintained that there is no adequate basis to the travel advisories that have been issued by the six countries. Aquino said reports on possible terror threats in the country were "blown out of proportion" because the travel advisories were likely based on "raw" data that still had to be validated. He also maintained that the supposed threat against two ambassadors and certain security officials was not consistent with the actions of the terror group from which the threat supposedly comes from.
Granting that the supposed terror attack is verified, more than the denials and the downplaying of news to calm tourists and citizens, the more valid question should be; Is the country ready for a major terror attack? I don’t care if the terror plot pushes through or not, as an ordinary citizen, I am more concerned on the level of readiness of our government. The magnitude of trainings our police and military forces have in this kind of pre and post scenario and the degree of armaments our Department of Defense has in its possession to uphold the sovereignty, support the Constitution and defend the territory of the Republic of the Philippines against all enemies, foreign and domestic; promote and advance the national aims, interests and policies; and plan, organize, maintain, develop and deploy its regular and citizen reserve forces for national security.
There’s an interesting twist in the series of travel advisories against the country allegedly caused by an impending terror attack. Truth is, if you have been residing in the Philippines for the past several decades now, terror attacks (or its equivalent in economics and extent of destructive powers) have been quietly and masterfully orchestrated by our friends in government. When GMA and her crony of greedy politicians attempted to rig the ZTE Broadband deal that could have virtually given all Filipinos access to real time information, they have, so to speak terrorized the country.
Terrorism is defined as the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. The United Nations Secretary General described terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act.” When Joc Joc Bolante (and his cohorts) diverted millions of fertilizers funds intended for the farmers back in 2004 to ensure victory of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, they have caused not just death but famine in the country side.
Terror and terror attacks is an everyday thing in the Philippines. We might have been so used to it that we haven’t really minded it has been happening all along. Not even our Armed Forces, the civilian augmentation forces and the courts have stopped it from happening. Early this year, the entire archipelago was rocked by the Ampatuan Political Strategy of killing innocent civilians to get perpetual hold of their political powers, which is a classic example of a terrorist attack done not by foreign terrorist but by Filipinos to their own race. Is there anything more cruel than that? Is there anything more terrorizing than the Ampatuans and the Arroyos? But then they got elected (and re-elected) in power!
Terrorism is an institution in the Philippines tasked to legislate, arbitrate and execute law and orders. We see terrorist everyday in their dazzling coat and tie fashion for their regular media appearances. Only a handful of those in power today can really be called leaders, legislators, judges, police officers and executives. The rest are terrorists in their Armani suits and Ferragamo shoes. Why be surprised and why deny such plot? The most difficult thing to admit in a democratic world is finding out that the enemies (terrorist) are within us.
In a live interview last night over at ABS-CBN, the Philippine President, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III maintained that there is no adequate basis to the travel advisories that have been issued by the six countries. Aquino said reports on possible terror threats in the country were "blown out of proportion" because the travel advisories were likely based on "raw" data that still had to be validated. He also maintained that the supposed threat against two ambassadors and certain security officials was not consistent with the actions of the terror group from which the threat supposedly comes from.
Granting that the supposed terror attack is verified, more than the denials and the downplaying of news to calm tourists and citizens, the more valid question should be; Is the country ready for a major terror attack? I don’t care if the terror plot pushes through or not, as an ordinary citizen, I am more concerned on the level of readiness of our government. The magnitude of trainings our police and military forces have in this kind of pre and post scenario and the degree of armaments our Department of Defense has in its possession to uphold the sovereignty, support the Constitution and defend the territory of the Republic of the Philippines against all enemies, foreign and domestic; promote and advance the national aims, interests and policies; and plan, organize, maintain, develop and deploy its regular and citizen reserve forces for national security.
There’s an interesting twist in the series of travel advisories against the country allegedly caused by an impending terror attack. Truth is, if you have been residing in the Philippines for the past several decades now, terror attacks (or its equivalent in economics and extent of destructive powers) have been quietly and masterfully orchestrated by our friends in government. When GMA and her crony of greedy politicians attempted to rig the ZTE Broadband deal that could have virtually given all Filipinos access to real time information, they have, so to speak terrorized the country.
Terrorism is defined as the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. The United Nations Secretary General described terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act.” When Joc Joc Bolante (and his cohorts) diverted millions of fertilizers funds intended for the farmers back in 2004 to ensure victory of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, they have caused not just death but famine in the country side.
Terror and terror attacks is an everyday thing in the Philippines. We might have been so used to it that we haven’t really minded it has been happening all along. Not even our Armed Forces, the civilian augmentation forces and the courts have stopped it from happening. Early this year, the entire archipelago was rocked by the Ampatuan Political Strategy of killing innocent civilians to get perpetual hold of their political powers, which is a classic example of a terrorist attack done not by foreign terrorist but by Filipinos to their own race. Is there anything more cruel than that? Is there anything more terrorizing than the Ampatuans and the Arroyos? But then they got elected (and re-elected) in power!
Terrorism is an institution in the Philippines tasked to legislate, arbitrate and execute law and orders. We see terrorist everyday in their dazzling coat and tie fashion for their regular media appearances. Only a handful of those in power today can really be called leaders, legislators, judges, police officers and executives. The rest are terrorists in their Armani suits and Ferragamo shoes. Why be surprised and why deny such plot? The most difficult thing to admit in a democratic world is finding out that the enemies (terrorist) are within us.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
To Xavier on his 9th Birthday
What can I say? We must have been so blessed that we are again celebrating your birth date on its ninth consecutive years already. This means you are already nine (9) years old and me nine (9) years older since the time you were born. We will never get to the time where your age meets mine all at the same time but I’m sure, from where you are standing now at your tender age, things are much better and brighter than I was your age. At your age, I was adjusting to the ways of a Paulinian being a transferee from a public school back at the mountains we both dearly love today. Now, you are much accustomed to being a Paulinian having spent the last five (5) years of your time loitering the corridors of the Elementary Building.
At nine, I wanted you to understand the three (3) simple things a nine year old kid should be able to comprehend in this digital information age. Today, these might look awkward or tricky or grueling, depending on the mindset you are in, but trust me, being the ONLY boy in the family just like me, this can lead you to live the best years of your life without having the need to pass through the boundless mistakes I encountered in my prime. They say experience is the best teacher, now these pieces of advice will be worth hundred thousands of pesos if taken in formal undergraduate program.
1. Life’s a journey, not a destination.
This is a line from Aerosmith’s 1993 hit single entitled “Amazing.” Steven Tyler must be a visionary for having been coined this phrase. This simply means that I don’t give a damn if you pretend to be sick and wanted to miss all classes whenever your grandma and grandpa are here for a visit. I’m sure you’ll bear the consequence of missing a day in school, but for whatever reasons you got for wanting to let go of a structured classroom learning in favor of an ice cream or a trip to nowhere, make sure to enjoy every moment of it. As you do, you got to learn to enjoy the red marks on your report cards. Once you get used to the red marks and gets bored seeing your report cards in bloody red color tone, strive for the black ones. Those that spells eight, nine or even a hundred in their first digit. As a father, I would understand seeing your seventy-fives (75s) today, that’s part of your journey, but I would better appreciate if you try to turn them into eighties (80s) and nineties (90s) for that is your destination.
2. Si Nanay si Tatay di ko babayaan
You’ll prefer listening to Justin Beiber or humming the High School Musical Series songs over this timeless Bicolano classic. But let me tell you this. No matter where your seventy-fives (75s) or ninety-nines (99s) will take you in the future, there are two individuals (living together or not) that have put all their faith in you and trusted that you become better than what they are today. Your family is both an inspiration and a challenge. Inspiration for you to keep your hopes high in the most difficult test that you still have to face and a challenge for you to outdone what they did when you too gets the chance to raise a family of your own. You won’t get billed for your education nor will you be required to pay them off, just make sure to live a life that completely reflects both the philosophies you learned in school and the values you acquired back home.
3. Never say never.
Yes. This is Justin Beiber’s original hit. More than the title implies, it communicates the biggest reality of them all - the world has no place for quitters. If you think passing the 3rd Grade is next to impossible, bear in mind that you still have eleven (11) long years ahead before finishing college and two (2) more years will be added from it if DepEd’s K12 proposal is signed into a law. Do not stop learning. I have no plans of stopping you from learning to drink beer, once you’re done with the 6th Grade we can probably talk about it and you might get my approval. Until then, I want you to focus on your studies and give us the relief of seeing you deliberately scan your notes after class hours NOT to tear a page and turn it into a paper plane but start writing something on them so you have something to read after class.
At nine, I wanted you to understand the three (3) simple things a nine year old kid should be able to comprehend in this digital information age. Today, these might look awkward or tricky or grueling, depending on the mindset you are in, but trust me, being the ONLY boy in the family just like me, this can lead you to live the best years of your life without having the need to pass through the boundless mistakes I encountered in my prime. They say experience is the best teacher, now these pieces of advice will be worth hundred thousands of pesos if taken in formal undergraduate program.
1. Life’s a journey, not a destination.
This is a line from Aerosmith’s 1993 hit single entitled “Amazing.” Steven Tyler must be a visionary for having been coined this phrase. This simply means that I don’t give a damn if you pretend to be sick and wanted to miss all classes whenever your grandma and grandpa are here for a visit. I’m sure you’ll bear the consequence of missing a day in school, but for whatever reasons you got for wanting to let go of a structured classroom learning in favor of an ice cream or a trip to nowhere, make sure to enjoy every moment of it. As you do, you got to learn to enjoy the red marks on your report cards. Once you get used to the red marks and gets bored seeing your report cards in bloody red color tone, strive for the black ones. Those that spells eight, nine or even a hundred in their first digit. As a father, I would understand seeing your seventy-fives (75s) today, that’s part of your journey, but I would better appreciate if you try to turn them into eighties (80s) and nineties (90s) for that is your destination.
2. Si Nanay si Tatay di ko babayaan
You’ll prefer listening to Justin Beiber or humming the High School Musical Series songs over this timeless Bicolano classic. But let me tell you this. No matter where your seventy-fives (75s) or ninety-nines (99s) will take you in the future, there are two individuals (living together or not) that have put all their faith in you and trusted that you become better than what they are today. Your family is both an inspiration and a challenge. Inspiration for you to keep your hopes high in the most difficult test that you still have to face and a challenge for you to outdone what they did when you too gets the chance to raise a family of your own. You won’t get billed for your education nor will you be required to pay them off, just make sure to live a life that completely reflects both the philosophies you learned in school and the values you acquired back home.
3. Never say never.
Yes. This is Justin Beiber’s original hit. More than the title implies, it communicates the biggest reality of them all - the world has no place for quitters. If you think passing the 3rd Grade is next to impossible, bear in mind that you still have eleven (11) long years ahead before finishing college and two (2) more years will be added from it if DepEd’s K12 proposal is signed into a law. Do not stop learning. I have no plans of stopping you from learning to drink beer, once you’re done with the 6th Grade we can probably talk about it and you might get my approval. Until then, I want you to focus on your studies and give us the relief of seeing you deliberately scan your notes after class hours NOT to tear a page and turn it into a paper plane but start writing something on them so you have something to read after class.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Long Wait
The long wait will soon be over for Bicolano youth who wanted to experience complete real life college education only STI can offer with the imminent completion of the new, bigger and better STI College Naga Campus. Located at the Central Business District II of Naga City, the new STI College Naga Campus boasts state-of-the-art facilities in Hotel and Restaurant Operations, Tourism Management, Engineering and Information and Communications Technology programs. After 9 months of intensive, scrupulous and round-the-clock construction operations, the new campus is set to formally open November of this year.
The STI College Naga Campus project was propelled by both the vast opportunities presented by the market and the recorded consistent enrollment increase of the Institution since new management took full control of its operations back in April of 2007. Aligned with the grand vision of its President Atty. Monico V. Jacob, to transform all STI campuses from the conventional rented buildings into having their own buildings and campuses, the new STI College Naga campus is a powerful manifestation of the Institutions commitment of delivering the highest degree of Academic instructions by providing a more conducive learning environment.
Cited by no less than the former City Mayor of Naga, and now DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, for contributing greatly to education development in the City by raising the standards of Academic Excellence especially in the fields of Information and Communications Technology, STI College Naga has been commended by the then City Mayor in his Letter of Appreciation send to Atty. Monico V. Jacob last June of the same year.
Close to a thousand students enrolled in various Businesses, Engineering and ICT programs of the Institution shared the same amount of eagerness, enthusiasm and anticipation as they await for the official transfer to the new campus in a month time. The towering 4-storey building along the CBD II access highway will soon be the new home of STI students of current stature and the many that are yet to come in the very near future.
The long wait will soon be finally over. Bicolano youth need not go the distance to complete their Collegiate Degrees, STI College is already here at the hub of education in Bicol,the Heart of Bicolandia. By building better avenues for real life education, STI has raised the bar of academic standards.
The STI College Naga Campus project was propelled by both the vast opportunities presented by the market and the recorded consistent enrollment increase of the Institution since new management took full control of its operations back in April of 2007. Aligned with the grand vision of its President Atty. Monico V. Jacob, to transform all STI campuses from the conventional rented buildings into having their own buildings and campuses, the new STI College Naga campus is a powerful manifestation of the Institutions commitment of delivering the highest degree of Academic instructions by providing a more conducive learning environment.
Cited by no less than the former City Mayor of Naga, and now DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, for contributing greatly to education development in the City by raising the standards of Academic Excellence especially in the fields of Information and Communications Technology, STI College Naga has been commended by the then City Mayor in his Letter of Appreciation send to Atty. Monico V. Jacob last June of the same year.
Close to a thousand students enrolled in various Businesses, Engineering and ICT programs of the Institution shared the same amount of eagerness, enthusiasm and anticipation as they await for the official transfer to the new campus in a month time. The towering 4-storey building along the CBD II access highway will soon be the new home of STI students of current stature and the many that are yet to come in the very near future.
The long wait will soon be finally over. Bicolano youth need not go the distance to complete their Collegiate Degrees, STI College is already here at the hub of education in Bicol,the Heart of Bicolandia. By building better avenues for real life education, STI has raised the bar of academic standards.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Serenity Prayer
Lord, grant me the grace of Serenity to accept things I cannot change,
The Courage to change the things I can,
and the Wisdom to know the difference.
Patience for the things that take time,
Appreciation for all that we have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles.
Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways, the
Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other and the
Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.
-Reinhold Niebuhr
The Courage to change the things I can,
and the Wisdom to know the difference.
Patience for the things that take time,
Appreciation for all that we have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles.
Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways, the
Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other and the
Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.
-Reinhold Niebuhr
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