Fun Philippines

“More” is defined as being greater in quantity, measure or degree.  This word entails a person to compare, match and equate at least two elements so as to conclude which is of greater quantity, measure or degree.

This is the very word that seems to bother me with the newly launched tourism slogan of the country – It’s more fun in the Philippines.  The word “more” in the slogan would tend to drive the tourist to compare the country with other tourist destinations which for me need not be.  I being a tourist in some points in my life cannot compare the sights and experiences of other destinations for these places and their events possess distinct and unique qualities.

Thus, one should never say that a certain destination like the Philippines is “more” fun than the others.  For me, only immature tourists would compare one destination and his experiences to that of other places and events on the planet.

It is indeed and no doubt fun and interesting to travel, see and experience the Philippines but personally I need not compare or match it to other tourist destinations.  I am proud of the Philippines but comparing and saying there’s more fun here seems a bit juvenile. Sorry but due to the word “more”, it created a speckle of reservations on me concerning the new slogan if I would totally welcome and help justify such pronouncement about my country.

It could have been better if the Tourism Department just simply say “Fun Philippines”.  It’s simple, uncomplicated, non-pretentious and undemanding.  Yet, it’s classy, refined and world-class in thought.

Pwedeng paki rebays ng konti?

Cancelled Christmas Party to Help the Needy

“Very good!”, this was the exact reaction that my older sister uttered when I told her this afternoon that the Christmas Party of the Support Service Staff of the company that I am working for decided to cancel.  The party is supposed to be slated on Friday, December 23 but was cancelled because the budget supposed to cover all expenses will instead be donated to GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. to help in the relief and rehabilitation efforts of our brothers and sisters that were affected by tropical storm Sendong that badly hit Cagayan De Oro (CDO) and Iligan City in monstrous proportions.

The company I’m presently working with will instead hold a simple “merienda” snack to be served to all support service personnel and will nevertheless carry out raffle prizes in which items to be raffled off can’t be sent or are not needed in the above stated devastated cities.

Every year, Christmas Party of the Support Service Staff in our company is one of the most fun social activities that all employees of the company are excited about and would look forward to.  It is the time to bond with colleagues and share the spirit of fun this season.  But this year, the event even got more meaningful since the true spirit of giving and unselfishness during genuine crisis was truly exhibited.

For those who wish to help our brothers & sisters in CDO and Iligan City, you may deposit your donations to:

METROPOLITAN BANK & TRUST COMPANY (METROBANK)
Peso Savings
Account Name: GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number: 3-098-51034-7
Dollar Savings
Account Name: GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number: 2-098-00244-2
Code: MBTC PH MM

Aprub na walang alinlangan!

Bellarocca: A Pacemaker for the Heart of the Philippines

If you are to equate the shape of the Philippines to a human body and try to locate where the heart is, you will no doubt identify the island of Marinduque as its heart.  Interestingly enough, the shape of Marinduque is similar to the shape of a human heart.  Google your Philippine geography to see what I mean!

Ironic yet parallel to the experiences of a Filipino, the country’s heart is considered one of the most abused and devastated, not by nature, not by its own citizens but by foreigners.  Marinduque a decade ago was in the world’s headlines because of a massive mining disaster (remember the Canadian-owned Marcopper mining toxic leaks?) that inflicted the health, livelihood and environment of the locals.

I don’t know if clean-up, rehabilitation and restorations has been finalized, but while still recovering from the long term impact of the disaster, located at the apex of the heart is a glimmering hope for this tranquil and laid-back island.  It is like a pacemaker has been installed to an ailing heart to keep the blood from pumping.  At the southernmost part of the island, you can find a small islet called Elephant Island where tourism boost is on-going.

Elephant Island in Buenavista, Marinduque is the very site where one of the most sought after resorts in the country today is located – Bellarocca Island Resort & Spa.

my travel buddies - karen & denton (the crowned prince and princess of armidale)

I enjoyed the relaxing stay in this world-class resort.  Combining excellent service and breathtaking scenery, Bellarocca is the perfect place for some rest and recreation…

Hindi lang saging ang may puso… Pinas din!

If I were Gloria, If I were Noynoy

If I were Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA), I would not fly and go to another country to be in hiding.  I will face whatever charges will be filed against me.  If I was able to save the whole country from world financial crisis (as recognized by the IMF and World Bank) during my administration, I’m pretty sure I can also handle whatever charges will be filed against me.  This is because if I fly and would not come back, I don’t want history to judge me the cruelest verdict that not only was I corrupt but also gutless and cowardly.  I want history to remember me that during the time when almost all high-profile countries were suffering from economic crises, I was the great power who saved the country from economic collapse.

If I were President Benigno Aquino Jr. (Noynoy), I will not focus too much importance, valuable time and resources on the former president.  I will not make GMA my most convenient excuse for my continuing failure to meet the rising expectations of the masses who swallowed the promises of change.  I will not allow my presidency to create the image of always blaming and accusing the past administration for everything that goes wrong in the present.  So what if GMA leaves and doesn’t come back?  Actually, if she doesn’t come back, it will be the clearest form of guilt and I will have the focus to do what’s supposed to be done.  I will instead work on matters of much importance like improving our economy and uplifting the lives of the poor.

The problem is… I’m not Gloria neither Noynoy!

Itong dalawang ‘to, mga wala sa hulog.

The Eloquence & Loyalty of Elena Bautista-Horn

While awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on whether to allow or not to allow the former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to travel to seek treatment on her rare medical condition, I would like to commend Elena Bautista-Horn for doing a very good job.  Bautista-Horn in her interview with Karen Davila exhibited full loyalty towards her boss even though her boss is one of the most-hated human being of this country.  I myself don’t like the former president but with the clear and cloudless explanations of Bautista-Horn in the interview, I am now starting to be persuaded that the former president should be allowed to travel.

Bautista-Horn was impressive in defending her boss in the interview.   She has kept her eloquence and credibility.  Maybe it’s because she’s airing her points based on truth.  Former president definitely found a gold mine in the person of Elena Bautista-Horn.  Her being soft-spoken and debonair way of justifying their courses of action has made Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to look like an abusada (outrageously abusive).

Before watching the video interview, don’t be too emotional to the point of participating in a flash mob phenomenon but instead try to keep an open mind, then you would know what I am pointing at…

I know that this is going to be an unpopular post.  For sure, hating this specific entry will be off the charts! Similar to what I have written in the past – like my personal stand that Hubert Webb should be acquitted –   expect a lot of people would hate me again for posting an article like this. Or maybe it’s because I am just being objective, fair and impartial.

Basta napabilib ako sa talino at paninindigan ng bruhang ‘to.

Annexing the Anti-Epal Bill

Every time I see a billboard indicating the name and face of a government official on an infrastructure project being developed I don’t know whether to laugh hysterically or to start throwing big bulky things on it.  Because what I want and need to see is not their big smiling faces but: (i) the cost of the project; (ii) the expected date of completion; (iii) its purpose; and, (iv) the government agency involved.  At this point, I would like to commend the brilliant bill passed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago dubbed as the Anti-Epal Bill.

Currently undergoing deliberations, Santiago’s bill is formally entitled “An Act of Prohibiting Public Officers from Claiming Credit through Signage Announcing a Public Works Project”.  I suppose this is one of the most sensible bills to have been passed this year!  It deserves immediate passing into law.

But upon reading the complete text of the proposed bill, there seem to be four glaring epal circumstances that were left uncovered which I hope should also be included in the proposed bill that is rampantly being carried out by a lot of government offices:

  • the names and hideous faces of public officials on ambulances and government-owned vehicles;
  • the photos of rhinoceros-looking barangay captains on barangay clearances;
  • the pathetic photos of mayors on business permits and licenses; and,
  • the atrocious tarpaulins of government officials (of course with their obnoxious smiling faces) hanged along the streets to greet their constituents Happy Fiesta or Happy Valentines.

It is such a shame that such a dynamic, current and remarkable bill would actually come from a 66 year old senator.  I’m a bit disappointed because I expected the much younger lawmakers to draft this kind of a bill.  Or maybe these young and claims to be fresh and more sensible lawmakers have already been devoured by the old and corrupted epal system.

Now, I know that this bill will be very unpopular among government elected and appointed officials.  So in case this will not turn into a law, may I suggest then that instead of just the face of the concerned politician, the signage must bare the picture of his/her whole family.  With 70+ kids, just imagine how the photo of former Senator Ramon Revilla Sr. would look like.

Plis, plis, plis, only in the Pilipins…

NAIA should aim to be The Most Honest & Most Caring Airport

With the advent of NAIA being named as the worst airport in the world and with the long over-due plans of improving it, the government neither the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) should not aim for the-now-hideous NAIA to become the best airport in the world.  With the constant improvements in their respective airports done by richer countries, NAIA will never become the best airport in the world.  But instead, MIAA should aim for NAIA to be the most honest and most caring airport in the world.  This goal I guess is more feasible.

Present people working in NAIA seem to have imbibed the distorted culture of corruption, thievery and extortion.  Sorry if I maybe too harsh but that is the image they project.  And that is how I and a lot of travelers perceive them to be.  Not all workers in NAIA, if I may say, are like these but those crooked individuals seem to have effectively impinged everyone.

Because if all people working in NAIA will simply be caring and be honest, everything else will follow like: (i) the sky rocketing 8.5 billion pesos annual collection from terminal fees will be used on where it is supposed to be used, i.e. facilities upgrade and improvement; (3) it will encourage reputable restaurants and boutiques to operate business in the airport; and (iii) a feeling of a more welcomed and more secured 10.5 million passengers that passed through NAIA every year.

I may want NAIA to be grand, luxurious and elegant but for now all I need NAIA to be is simply be caring and be honest.

Sin verguenza mahabaging langit! Umayos ka.

The Super Powers of Anne Curtis

anne curtis

Without doubt, fear and hesitation let me declare that the most powerful human being in the Philippines in this present time is none other than Anne Curtis.  Why?  If Curtis with her enigmatic charm, gorgeous face and drop dead body will just live with her most popular spoken lines on television “I may be a slut, but I’m the best slut in town”, she can easily swoon all the chauvinist public officials (both in politics and in the armed forces) as well as the dirty richest men in the country.  She can effortlessly mesmerize these men to fall unto her prey to instruct them on whatever she may want them to do.

You can never get rid of her in this country.  Curtis nowadays is everywhere.  She’s on the façade of your favorite malls, she’s on the cover of your glossy magazines, she’s on the huge billboards of the major thoroughfares, she’s in the stories of your newspapers, she’s singing on your radio, she’s hosting on TV, and she’s even at the back of your commuter bus.

Ironically, Curtis has yet to be named and ranked #1 as the sexiest Filipina by the most popular male magazine of the land.  Maybe because Curtis has gone beyond just being sexy, Curtis is a goddess.

Nowadays, whatever thing, event or person that Curtis is associated with seems to spell out nothing but success.  Just like the recently concluded Philippine Fashion Week which actually became fashionable because Curtis was there.  Riding the metro has also been a hip thing to do after the news broke when Curtis took the train ride twice: to catch the Kylie Minogue concert on time and to report to her TV studio recently.

She was also in the headlines when her photo on a magazine cover smoking a cigarette created a huge buzz among the medical practitioners, in which the issue she shared with was with no less than the prime actress and superstar Nora Aunor.

Unlike Aunor, Curtis can hardly sing.  She actually laughs at herself when she does.  When Curtis sings, people surprisingly stop to listen for it will result to a vivacious laughing moment.  But when she recorded and sold an album it turned multi-platinum.  The last time I heard, people will again catch this lady via her mall shows and mini-concerts all around the metro.

And most recently, to everybody’s surprise, her movie entitled No Other Woman just broke the record for being the highest grossing film in the Philippine movie industry history.  One thing though.  I don’t seem to have the chutzpah to watch this movie and would rather settle to be one of the few souls who failed to see it in a movie theater.  This is because I disagree with the story-line.  Curtis played the role of a mistress while her co-star Christine Reyes played the role of the legal wife who expectedly went on a meltdown, turned sad and miserable but later on fought for the man that she loves.  I disagree with the story line of Christine Reyes going depressed and miserable because for me if a woman learned that her husband’s mistress is Anne Curtis then she must instead celebrate and be in good spirits.  This only confirms that her husband got some impeccable taste.

Anyway, maybe the reason why Curtis is so powerful is because she can project various personas effectively.  She can be highly fashionable, she can be extremely sexy, she can be flirtatious and liberated, she can be subtle and delicate, she can be fun and bubbly and she can be silly yet strong-willed.

Paki-bagayan ang di pagsang-ayon base sa iyong kagandahan.

Madonna in Manila! Wehh???

OMG!!! Madonna the Queen of Pop is on a negotiating table with somebody here in the Philippines!!!  As messaged to me by my good friend Jesse, according to a leaked but unconfirmed itinerary document about the Madgesty’s upcoming world tour next year, Madonna if all things settled will perform here in Manila on May 8, 2012. (press this link to read more about the leak)

To connect an insane dot on this issue, a couple of months back when I along with my co-workers decided to have lunch in SM Mall of Asia we passed by the SM Arena that is presently being built adjacent to SM-MOA.  Dominic (the Operations Manager in the company I’m working for) told me that the arena being built is due to finish early next year and there is a rumor that Madonna is to usher in its grand launch by being the first person to perform in the high-tech structure.  I actually dismissed what Dominic said informing him that I (being a Madonna fan) have yet to hear or read about Madonna planning to have another world tour.

To further connect another freaking dot on this issue, a couple of weeks back my college classmate Karen Batangan posted on my Facebook wall that Madonna is due to hold a concert here in Manila.  When I tried to verify this information, this came from socialite Tim Yap’s tweet.  However, I dismissed this information after knowing that it came from Tim Yap since Tim Yap is not the type of person to be taken seriously.

And to still further connect another bizarre dot in this ever rising rumor or fact is that in recent days, I was able to catch a TV interview of Marvin Agustin who plans and dreams to bring a Madonna-concert here in the Philippines via his Futurement, Inc., the concert-organizing company who produced the recently successful Bruno Mars concert here in Manila.

In case Madonna’s concert will not push through here in the Philippines, this will actually give me a good reason to travel back to Australia to catch one of Madonna’s big nights Down Under.  (Calling on Joesel, paki book mo na ako sa bahay mo on April 2012. LOL!).  This is of course aside from having to catch up again with my dear Aussie friends…

Jusko, jusko, jusko! Eksayting!

The Tsunami Walk

I noticed for the past few days Shamcey Supsup, the reigning Ms. Philippines-Universe 2011 is constantly among the top trending name/topic in Yahoo Philippines.  This prompted me to seek out how did Shamcey performed in Brazil during the pageant’s preliminary run.

I was surprised to learn that the charming Filipina is considered a top contender for the crown.  She is absolutely stunning!  In almost all Brazilian news features that discusses about the upcoming Ms. Universe pageant, Shamcey seem always included.  I suppose this may signify that she is one of the favorites and may actually be the lady to beat.  So much so, the beautiful and now elegant Shamcey actually possess a unique way of walking, now tagged as The Tsunami Walk.

Those swaying hips can actually create waves of mass destruction!

The Tsunami Walk is an elegant way of gaiting with unique swaying of the hips that result to distinctive poise, bearing and attitude, in which, in the upcoming Ms. Universe pageant, only Shamcey Supsup can deliver.

If Shamcey Supsup lands the title of Ms. Universe 2011 – which I predict is very likely to happen – I won’t be surprised if upcoming patimpalak ng kagandahan (beauty pageants) during town or barrio fiestas participated by pretty ladies or Bekinese speaking population of the land will strut ala The Tsunami Walk.

Para kang SM Shamcey… “Yu gat it ol!”