Remembering Ninoy

Note: I posted this topic on bedista.com's forum. Later on, I realised I have a blog that has been blank for weeks. So here it goes...with some additions/revisions from my original b.com post.

Of course, we all know Ninoy Aquino.

He's the glum-looking guy on the 500 peso bill.

He's Kris Aquino's dad -- whether it's a Deal or No Deal.

He "owns" the airport. (I heard this once)

(this is the actual gate where Ninoy was gunned down. Picture posted in flickr by brownpau)


Officially, he's the country's first First Gentleman -- his wife, of course, being the country's first woman President.


"Wala kaming pasok kasi Ninoy Day" -- is the expected quip of today's student or yuppie (do they still use this term?) when asked why they had a long weekend.




To the "oldies" like us, we remember Ninoy as the "subversive" who dared run -- and expectedly "lost" - against Imelda Marcos in the Interim Batasang Pambansa elections. I remembered that I was hushed with a collective and quick "shhhhhhhhhhhhh" when I asked my elders who this "Ninoy" is.

We were then in Grade 2 (San Beda was still fresh from successfully defending its NCAA basketball crown) and a "subversive" classmate secretly gave us "Laban" stickers, which we proudly displayed on our "Six Million Dollar Man" lunch boxes.

At that time, Manila stood still and all tellys were tuned in to Channel 4 to watch a rare live interview of Ninoy, who singlehandedly matched wits and openly traded barbs with Marcos propagandists like JV Cruz and Ronnie Nathanielsz (yup, the Sri Lankan smart aleck you see calling basketball games and boxing matches and writing sports columns for the Manila Standard Today). Laban's iconic 1978 campaign was capped with a Metro-wide "noise barrage" where everyone came out banging pots and pans in symbolic defiance of Marcos' strong-arm rule.





My generation was already in high school when the gunshot that reverberated around the world and changed the nation's history was fired on Aug 21, 1983 (a time when most b.com members were not yet even part of their parents' consciousness).

Lagi rin kaming walang pasok noon because Mendiola became a battleground immediately after Ninoy was buried and rallies became an "in" thing before the bridge over the estero was named after Don Chino Roces.

When I was active with the CAS-SC, Mike Abasolo (of inboundpass fame) and I initiated an annual memorial week for Ninoy Aquino - the Great Bedan. We held the first one in November 1986 in time for Ninoy's birth anniversary and the following year -- the SC under now Atty Boks Lauron -- we did it in August.

Fr. Tarsi (then HS principal) and Fr Paul de Vera allowed us to take Ninoy's bronze bust from the HS library and put it on display at the mini memorial set up at the main driveway. We were told it was the first time that the bust was allowed out of the library named after the hero who is a member of HS Class 1948.

The late Atty Juan Cabrieto, then registrar, opened San Beda's archives and allowed us to reproduce Ninoy's school records. We invited Ninoy's siblings -- Butz Aquino and Mila Aquino Albert -- to come over and meet Ninoy's "present" generation of Bedan brothers. We held extemporaneous speaking and art contests, and a host of other activities.

The black spot then was somebody stole the yellow "Ninoy" banner which our predecessors in the SC had used during the pre-EDSA 86 anti-Marcos demonstrations.

I wonder if San Beda continues to have Ninoy-related activities. After all, we're the only school that could rightfully claim him as a full-fledged alumnus.

***

The Ninoy Aquino Foundation is launching an "I Am Ninoy" campaign...addressed to the youth... here's Ichu Villanueva account on how the project goes.

For this alone, there is a reason for me to sometimes drop red and turn yellow.

I am Ninoy
COMMONSENSE
By Marichu A. Villanueva
Monday, August 18, 2008 (Philippine Star)

She may be in the thick of battling the most serious threat to her life but former President Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco Aquino has not allowed it to slow her down from her latest pet project for the Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. Foundation.

Currently undergoing chemotherapy for her colon cancer, Mrs.Aquino has actively kept running the affairs of the Foundation as its founding chairperson.

The Foundation, named after her slain husband, is in the middle of preparations for the 25th death anniversary of the late Senator who was assassinated on Aug.21,1983.

The slay of the late Sen.Aquino is considered as the turning point in the hard-fought battle of Filipino leaders like him to regain our country?s democracy from the shackles of two decade-long of martial rule imposed by the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Aquino's widow subsequently became the country's first woman President after the February 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. And as they say, the rest is history.

But 25 years later, the sacrifice of the slain Senator to restore our country's democratic institutions seemed to have been relegated to annual commemoration of his death anniversary as Ninoy Aquino Day officially declared as a national holiday.

In line, though, with the "holiday economics" policy of the government, we just had a long weekend because this nationwide holiday was moved today.

Mrs.Aquino, now 75, in one of her rare media interviews, expressed her sentiments about how she would like the country's younger generation to remember the heroism of Ninoy.

"I hope our fellow Filipinos, especially the young, will continue to appreciate how much Ninoy suffered for our country. I hope they will ask themselves what they offer, too, to help this country move forward. Ninoy showed the way. I hope they will be inspired by him," Mrs.Aquino was quoted as saying in People Asia Magazine in its July 2008 edition.

It is in this light that the prime movers behind the latest project of the Foundation apparently came up with such a catchy slogan "I am Ninoy."

This project is spearheaded by businessman, Rafael "Rafa" C. Lopa. The 45-year old nephew of Mrs.Aquino is the executive director of the Foundation.

The Foundation will formally launch the "I am Ninoy" campaign this Thursday in a press conference after the Holy Mass for the 25th death anniversary of the late Senator to be held at the Don Bosco Chapel in Makati City.

"My auntie Cory will just attend the Mass but she will not join us in the press conference," Rafa told me over the weekend.

At the launching of the "I am Ninoy" campaign, Rafa disclosed the Foundation will present the "brand partners" that will carry this slogan and the figure of eyeglasses of Ninoy in their signature T-shirt and other apparel products.

Of course, most of these apparels would come in yellow color associated with Mrs.Aquino.

The "brand partners" include such popular youth-oriented apparel-makers like Bench, Penshoppe, Team Manila, and Analog Soul. Under their partnership agreement with the Foundation, a certain percentage of every product of "I am Ninoy" sold will be donated to their chosen charitable institution.

The "I am Ninoy" campaign is actually geared to re-introduce to the young generation of Filipinos the ideals of democracy that the late Senator stood for and died for.

"The Filipinos are worth dying for," was the blurb made famous by Ninoy in the face of death.

The idea of this national campaign is to impress upon the Filipino youth his heroism. But they need not die, too, to become heroes in their own rights.

"We?re talking about a kind of dying of our old selves, our old habits and find a new and better way of doing things that will improve our country for the better," Rafa pointed out.

"We bring Ninoy into the picture and hopefully other people will be inspired to do what he has done for our country without really having to die like him," he quipped.

Another version of the "I am Ninoy" project will be launched in November on the birth anniversary of the late Senator when he would have turned 76 years old. Rafa said he is still working out the details of this project with PLDT, Smart and Globe Telecom as sponsors.

Picture credits: wikimedia, inquirer.net. flickr, beda7882.com

Coach Gabby and Kuya Joey

The present crop of Pinoy hoop fans don’t know him
I don’t even expect my generation to know him either.

My crop haven’t seen this peppery guard run rings around his taller opponents.

No one among my peers actually saw him pace the sidelines in major games.
But tales from the more older ones say he was a legend.

He played basketball in the Olympics.
He steered powerhouse teams in the NCAA and the defunct MICAA.
He mentored future basketball greats like Crispa coach Baby Dalupan and the Great Difference himself, King Caloy Loyzaga.
He was one of the lords of Rizal Memorial Coliseum at the time when games are won on the parquet floor and not in the boardroom.

To wide-eyed, bumbling kids of the 80s who spent their summer afternoons at Nic Jorge’s BEST Center training camp at the Ateneo courts over at Loyola Heights, he was the old man who would patiently teach each and every participant the proper way to execute a lay-up, the cross-over dribble and the two-handed set shot.

Coach Gabby Fajardo was part of Coach Nic Jorge’s pool of coaches at the BEST Center. He was one of the “golden boys” at camp. His brother, the late Fely Fajardo – who is also a hoop legend himself – and Coach Skip Agcaoili were the other old hands who helped run the month-long basketball clinic.

It was easy to spot Coach Gabby at the sprawling Ateneo. Kids crowd around him. He exudes an aura of a doting lolo.

He’d patiently teach 5, 6 or 7-year-olds how to dribble the ball, or run passing drills for tiny tots that at first glance looked like a parlor game played in a Jollibee birthday party. From time-to-time, Coach Gabby would even kneel down to tie a kid’s shoelace.

The final buzzer sounded on Coach Gabby last Saturday. He was 91.




***



I never expected that my 50th post would deal with death.



Since I started it with Coach Gabby's death, it would be unfair if I'd not punch in a line or two for my Kuya Joey who has rejoined his Tatay and Mommy last Thursday.

I'm still scrounging for words to describe how I feel about his passing. We've lost touch, but fond childhood memories of us talking about cars or watching the PBA together, especially when our idol Ramon Fernandez was playing and the time when we shared a classroom at Letran still linger in my consciousness.

May his soul rest in peace.

(Kuya Joey's picture snatched from my cousin Don Navarro's Multiply site)

Costly but still cheap shawarma nights

This is the original version of the story I filed at XPRESS.

By Ares P. Gutierrez
Sub-Editor


Dubai: Shawarma nights in Dubai may not cost you an arm and a leg, but residents and visitors are now forking over a few more dirhams to indulge their gustatory craving for an authentic yet inexpensive Arabian meal.

Restaurants and cafeterias from bustling Bur Dubai to the bedraggled streets of Satwa have jacked up the price of shawarmas to compensate for the relative spike in prices of commodities.

A random sampling of eateries in the neighbouring districts show that the average price of a chicken or beef shawarma has increased by one dirham – from Dh3 to Dh4 – with some establishments twice adjusting their prices in the first six months of the year.

At Picnic Home off a busy corner near the Bank Street Roundabout in Bur Dubai, a hot piece of shawarma can be had for Dh4.50. Paired with a can of soda, diners are set back by Dh6.

Janet, a food server at the joint, said they used to sell shawarmas for Dh3 apiece, but had to jack up the price to Dh4 at the start of year, and topped it up with 50 fils by mid-year.

Shyrel Iligan, who waits tables at Sabah Lebnan restaurant along Al Musallah Road, said they now sell shawarmas for Dh4 or 50 fils more than their year-ago prices.

“It’s not just the price of shawarmas. We had to reduce the size of our manakesh and fruit beverages to cope with rising costs,” she said as she lists down the prices of chicken and cooking gas as the ones that weighed heavily on the restaurant’s operating costs.

Abdul Aziz, who mans the cash counter at Hot Burger Restaurant along Bank Street in Bur Dubai and Narshad of Al Khayel Cafeteria in Satwa agrees with Shyrel.

“We used to get a kilo of chicken for just Dh8. Since last week, a kilo costs Dh18,” said Abdul Aziz.

Customers milling around the front of Al Khayel Cafeteria, opposite the Satwa Bus Station, gaze at an A4-size sign announcing the new shawarma prices at Dh3.50.

“Chicken and beef (prices continue to go) higher and higher,” Narshad said.
But in spite of the price hike, shawarma joints still enjoy brisk sales.

“At the end of each day, nothing is left. All sold out,” said Shyrel as she points at the stack of chicken slowly roasting on the revolving metal oven. A log of beef or chicken could make over 300 servings of shawarma, she said.

Henry Casas, a signal man at a Japanese construction company, said he doesn’t mind if his favourite Arabian delight now costs more.

“I’m already too tired to prepare dinner so for me, a shawarma is the cheapest and fastest meal in town,” he said.

Ariel Gesta, a steward at Fairmont Hotel, said eating shawarmas is a way of life in Dubai.

“You’re not in the Middle East if you don’t eat and enjoy shawarmas.”

Harvard University Test

forwarded by my good friend, Eliezer Semine

This was developed as an age test by the R&D Department at Harvard University.
Take your time and see if you can read each line out loud without a mistake.
The average person can't do it! This is really difficult, not so easy, so be careful.

1. This is this cat
2. This is is cat
3. This is how cat
4. This is to cat
5. This is keep cat
6. This is a cat
7. This is fool cat
8. This is busy cat
9. This is for cat
10. This is forty cat
11. This is seconds cat

Now go back and read the third word in each line from the top down, and I bet you can't resist passing it on.

Mabuhay ang Katipunan!

From time to time, the Bulletin comes out with relevant historical pieces such as this editorial about the Katipunan. Read on and learn. I'm just wondering why this important event in our nation's history seems to have been conveniently forgotten.

116th anniversary of the founding of the KKK
Manila Bulletin editorial, 07 July 2008


THE Philippine Revolution was the handiwork of several Filipino patriots. And the KKK (Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangan na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan) was the instrument they forged to liberate the country from foreign dominance.

Marcelo H. del Pilar and Dr. Jose P. Rizal conceived the idea of establishing two parallel organizations in Manila – one to be composed of the educated and well-to-do persons who would operate openly and legally, the other to be composed of the masses, was to be organized secretly and with radical aims in the event that the overt organization would fall. Both had the same goal – to emancipate the country from foreign rule.


Del Pilar tried to establish the Katipunan as early as 1888 but succeeded only in 1892 through the help of brother-in-law Deodato Arellano and other colleagues.

Dr. Rizal established the La Liga Filipina in July, 1892, but this organization was aborted when he was arrested and exiled to Dapitan.

Del Pilar prepared to return to the Philippines to lead the revolution himself. He secretly disseminated his political works La Patria and Ministerio de la Republica Filipina to inform the people about his plans. Death on July 4, 1896, prevented him from realizing his plans.


The radical solution was left to Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto to implement. Under Bonifacio’s energetic leadership and Jacinto’s untiring intellectual activities, the Katipunan was transformed into a "powerful weapon of the weak."


The KKK ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood of Men magnetized the unlettered masses who flocked to the Katipunan fold by the thousands.






Emilio Jacinto was the "Soul and Brains of the Katipunan." He wrote most of the Katipunan teachings, hymn, Kartilya, constitution and bylaws, rules, rites and ceremonies, etc. The Katipunan newspaper, the Kalayaan, was his brainchild. Ably aided by equally indefatigable Katipuneros like Aurelio Tolentino, Makario Sakay, and Aguedo del Rosario,

Jacinto and Bonifacio spread the Katipunan from Manila to Southern and Central Luzon. When the colonial authorities discovered the existence of the society on August 19, 1896, they were shocked to know how widespread it had become.

The KKK symbolized the unified energies of the Filipino people.

Today, our country and people are beset by numerous ills that once again calls on all of us to unite our disparate energies and goals in order to overcome these ills and move the country forward.

Ill-educated and ill-equipped, our forefathers succeeded in attaining their freedom and founded a republic – the first republic in Asia.

The KKK ideals live in each one of us.

As we observe the 116th anniversary of the KKK founding, let us rekindle these ideals and, like our forefathers, when they freed themselves from foreign bondage, free ourselves, too, from the clutches of poverty, disunity, and ill-will.

NUJP statement on the dismissal of the Manila Pen case

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines is dismayed with the decision of the Makati regional trial court dismissing the case filed by media organizations and practitioners against government and security personnel who were responsible for the arrest of our colleagues during the November 29 standoff in Makati.

We do not agree with the decision and will contest it all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.

We view the court's decision as a minor setback that will not discourage us from seeking justice and ensuring that no such injustice shall ever again be committed by the police and other security personnel.

We maintain that there was absolutely no justification whatsoever for the security forces to haul off our colleagues, many in handcuffs, to the police headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa.

We will continue to defy any and all attempts by this and any other administration to cow or muzzle us into abrogating our duty to provide the people, whom we serve, with the information they need to make informed decisions about their individual lives and our collective future as a nation.

Jose Torres Jr.
Chairperson

Star-crossed Star ship

Whenever disaster strikes, finger-pointing follows.

Holier-than-thous or know-it-alls – who in their desire to have their names or sound bites included in the running coverage of a disaster story – are quick to the draw in calling for an investigation or demand for heads to roll.

In PGMA’s publicity playbook – a disastrous incident means another opportunity to show she’s in charge. And the best way to get this message across is by showing her fangs in public and put that infamous “temper” to good use.

The pattern of events – which we saw in many incidents like the Guinsaugon landslide of 2006 and in the aftermath of super typhoon Milenyo last year – is again unfolding in the tragic capsizing of M/V Princess of the Stars.

(Aerial photos released by the Philippine Coast Guard Aviation Group)

Media was quick to feast on how the Commander-In-Chief berated Vice Admiral Willy Tamayo, the newly-installed commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, during a teleconference with officials and members of the National Disaster Coordinating Council. La Gloria went ballistic on why coast guard and port officials allowed the ship to leave port despite inclement weather.

Speaker Prospero Nograles – proving to all and sundry that he really is a “Bomba King” – fired away with a statement demanding the cancellation of the franchise of shipping companies which are considered as “recidivists in terms of sea disaster records.” And what follows in the succeeding paragraphs of Kuya Raul Beltran’s story are quotes and snippets of statements from congressmen eager to give justice to the victims of this maritime tragedy.

Not to be outdone, Transportation Secretary Larry Mendoza came out with an earth-shaking announcement that he’s ordering the convening of a Board of Marine Inquiry.

Len Bautista, the DOTC undersecretary for water transport who ironically is a captain in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, vowed to conduct an investigation, but in the same statement has already pinned the blame on Marina.

The nerve of these creeps.

Before I dish out my take on this series of chest-thumping acts by our eminent public servants, which we expect to heighten once the House Committee on Transportation begins its "show," allow me to make a disclosure on why I’m making a fuss on this issue.

1. For close to five years, I covered the maritime beat for the Manila Chronicle as a correspondent for over 2 years and as shipping editor for another 2 years. I joined the Chronicle’s crack team of “shipping reporters” at the time maritime officials and industry stakeholders were tweaking the country’s maritime safety policies in the aftermath of the Dona Paz and Dona Marilyn mishaps.

Our team had a ringside view on how the likes of the late Paciencio “Boi” Balbon, then president of the Conference of Interisland Shipowners and Operators (now called the Domestic Shipowners Association) who became head of the Maritime Industry Authority when Sonny Garcia became transportation secretary; Vicente “Tet” Gambito, then vice president of Sulpicio Lines (he's now a blogger); Commodore Chuck Agustin, commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard who became general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (he now heads the National Defense College of the Philippines); Undersecretary Valdecanas, the real work horse of the DOTC during Tita Cory's term, and a host of others collaborated and in many instances, crossed swords to find ways to avert a repeat of the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster (the Dona Paz incident).

2. As an officer of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, I've seen how our coastguardsmen beat the odds to make our seas safe and save lives and properties at sea.

As their brother in unform, I’m duty-bound to help straighten out the distortion of information that at times like this only makes the job more stressful for Admiral Tamayo, Commodore Louie Tuazon (commander of the PCG-NCR-Central Luzon district) and Coast Guard spokesman, Lt. Cmdr Armand Ballilo.

Don't blame the Coast Guard

Admiral Tamayo -- a product of the US Coast Guard Academy -- was right in insisting that the Coast Guard is not at fault on why the ship was allowed to leave port.

After the Dona Paz and Dona Marilyn incidents, maritime officials came out with a set of guidelines that clearly spells out which types of vessels are grounded and which are allowed to set sail during stormy weather conditions.

The Princess of the Stars, which has a rated capacity of over a thousand passengers, was only carrying over 800 and is therefore, not overloaded when it embarked on its last voyage. The Coast Guard had no basis whatsoever, to prevent the vessel from leaving port.

Admiral Tamayo was trying to explain to GMA that under existing maritime safety guidelines, the Princess of the Stars is big enough to cut through rough seas – unfortunately, the ship’s engine conked out preventing it from running to the nearest harbour and seek shelter.

If I remember it right, a new set of guidelines was put in place after the 1998 Princess of the Orient tragedy. A copy of the revised guidelines signed by Admiral Damian Carlos in 2007 can be found on the website of ABS-CBN News.

During the watch of Vice Admiral Reuben Lista, there was a time that the Coast Guard was extra strict on vessel departures. There were a number of times that carte blanche grounding orders were issued even when the storm signal was only on the first level which smart alecks in the media feasted upon.

At one time, Admiral Lista and the entire PCG drew flak from the general public when they prevented ships from leaving port – because there was a storm signal – and the day went on with no rain drop falling from the sky. What followed was a strong lobby from the business sector for the Coast Guard to relax its guidelines with some even threatening to sue the PCG for the losses they claimed to have incurred.

Countless times, our poor Coast Guard would find itself in Catch 22 situations for doing or bungling its job to save lives and properties at sea.

Cheap points

Like Speaker Nograles and the other politicos, General Larry Mendoza, the policeman turned transport czar, attempted to score cheap publicity points when he announced that he has ordered the convening of the Board of Marine Inquiry. General Mendoza, you need not make this announcement as the BMI is automatically convened in cases like this. Lousy ka sir!

The Board of Marine Inquiry is expected to determine whether the ship was seaworthy at the time of the accident. Investigators, including master mariners, will pore over safety inspection reports and check on the licenses and competence of the ship’s officers and crew. The Board will interview survivors, and witnesses to get a picture on how and why the accident happened.

My two-cents advice to our blood-thirsty congressmen, hang fire and allow the BMI to do its job. You can have all the time in the world to make a circus out of this tragedy after all the facts are in.

Tragic reprise

Incidentally, the ill fate of the Princess of the Stars reprised that of its star-crossed sister ship, the Princess of the Orient in 1998.

Like the Princess of the Stars, M/V Princess of the Orient was a big interisland liner. Like most vessels in the Philippine domestic service, Princess of the Orient was bought second-hand from Japan.

No shipowner in the Philippines can afford to buy a brand new ship. Before the modernisation of the domestic shipping industry came to fore in the 1990s, ships ferrying passengers to interisland destinations were mostly made of wood. Steel-hulled ships were over decades old, rickety and small in size.

The need to modernise domestic shipping prompted the government in cooperation with banks and foreign funding agencies to come out with a scheme to help local shipping companies acquire better, safer “second hand” ships.

The initiative revolutionised interisland shipping. William Lines, Gothong Lines and Aboitiz Transport merged into the WG&A and launched the SuperFerry while Sulpicio and Negros Navigation went on expansion mode. It was also through this shipping modernisation programme that we saw the entry of fastcrafts in short interisland routes.

During its prime, the Princess of the Orient was considered one of the best ships that plied domestic routes. Princess of the Orient was one of Sulpicio’s answer to the famed SuperFerries of WG&A. Talo lang sa publicity ang Sulpicio since they don’t have a Sharon Cuneta to call on travellers to: “Sakay Na!”

About a year before the Princess of the Orient sailed its last in September 1998, the Princess of the Orient caught fire while docked at the Manila North Harbor. I rushed to the North Harbor to cover the incident and was able to board the then tightly-guarded ship as a “consultant” of Arnie Santiago, then the chief investigator of the Marina.

I haven’t seen Arnie’s final report on the Princess of the Orient sinking, but I believe the fire affected the ship’s seaworthiness, but that’s getting ahead of our story.

Again like the Star, the Orient was given clearance to set sail because it was heavy enough to withstand the expected strong waves that come with storm signal 1.

Arnie, who investigated the accident, said the Orient’s ballast – which is responsible for helping keep the ship’s balance – malfunctioned, causing the ship to list to starboard before eventually capsizing off Fortune island in Batangas. My hunch, the fire that struck the ship’s engine room could’ve had affected the ship's ballast.

Based on a survivor’s testimony which I read in one news site, the Princess of the Stars was adrift and was already listing when it was pummelled by huge waves off Romblon. The violent rocking of the boat snapped the cables used to latch the cargoes stowed in the ship’s hold causing the Star to lose its stability and eventually sink.

Need to modernise

There were reports that the Coast Guard and Sulpicio’s in-shore crew received the Star’s distress signal, and promptly tried to send out a search and rescue party.

Lt.Cmdr. Balillo was quoted saying that a Coast Guard SAR vessel was despatched to the Star's last point of contact, but it had to turn back due to strong waves.

Helicopters from the Air Force and the Coast Guard could not go airborne as the PAF’s Hueys (not even those upgraded as Huey 2s) and the PCG’s BO-105s are not capable of all-weather flight unlike the Jayhawks used by the US Coast Guard.

Rescue teams had to wait for the weather to clear out before moving out to sea. Retrieval operations had to stop at nightfall as our navy, coast guard and air force are not equipped for night-time operations. Geez!

This highlights the need for a modern, well-equipped Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard was detached from the Navy primarily so that it could modernise its assets as a civilian agency.

As a military unit, many funding agencies like the JICA could not extend assistance to the PCG.

It was after the Coast Guard’s separation from the Navy in the late 1990s that the modernisation program went on full steam.

Through counter-trade, the PCG was able to acquire state-of-the-art Tenix SAR vessels from Australia. The coming into service of the spanking new ships boosted the morale of the Coast Guard.

In one party aboard the BRP Edsa Dos (which was skippered by then Capt Willy Tamayo), Admiral Lista boasted that with the modernisation programme up and running, they could even afford to return some of its boats and ships to the Navy since these rickety cutters would only eat up on their maintenance and operating budget.

Admiral Lista was even looking forward to the acquisition of all-weather rescue helicopters to replace the PCG’s ageing BO-105s as well as much bigger and powerful SAR vessels.

The good admiral has long retired and at least three of his successors had also gone fishing, his chief of staff (Admiral Tamayo) is now at the helm and his dream of a modern Coast Guard remains a dream.

More lives could’ve been saved if only the PCG had long-range, all weather SAR aircraft like C-130s modified for SAR missions and Jayhawks used by the US Coast Guard that can bring rescue swimmers like Kevin Costner’s character in the movie The Guardian to disaster sites.

Meantime, all we can do for now is hope for a better-equipped Coast Guard and pray for the victims of this tragedy.

NUJP statement: Kidnapping of ABS-CBN journalists highlights need for media safety

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines greets with great relief the safe release of journalists Ces Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion, Angelo Valderama and university professor Octavio Dinampo.

We thank all those who helped secure their safe return, especially Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, Vice Governor Lady Ann Sahidullah and Senator Loren Legarda, the military and police, and our colleagues who offered prayers of hope and the media outlets that kept close tabs on the unfolding crisis.

But even as we welcome back our colleagues, we also urge everyone in our profession to reflect on this incident as a sober reminder of the risks we constantly face as we go about our work.

If anything, the kidnapping of Ces, Jimmy and Angelo highlights a continuing problem within the industry that adds to the external dangers and threats to press freedom, and that is the responsibility of media owners and outfits to ensure the safety and welfare of those they send into the field, even into the line of fire, to deliver the news to our audience.

We urge everyone in the industry, from correspondents to media owners, to soberly reflect on this problem and come together to address this issue. We owe it to ourselves, to our families and to our audience.

References:

Jose Torres Jr., Chairperson
Rowena Paraan, Secretary General

badge

View my page on Wired Journalists

Wired Journos

View my page on Wired Journalists

Father's Day gift

Uy! Father's Day nga pala bukas. Can I greet myself "Happy Father's Day"...after all, blog ko naman to.

And since I greeted myself, nakakita rin ako ng perfect "Father's Day" gift for myself. This is what I need....tadaaaaaa

And here's how this stuff worls....... from http://www.stupid.com/fun/ASSK.html

Okay, have a seat. We're gonna be perfectly honest with you and you may not like what you hear.

You know you're getting screwed at work. People without half your talent are being promoted left and right, while you're stuck in your dead end position. Now stop scratching your head and pay attention... here's the reason.

Everyone's better at brown nosing than you are. You have too much (note the quotes) "integrity." You're too "honest" and "straightforward." Well, you can sit there patting yourself on the back and stay a "loser" forever, or you can do something about it.

Ass Kisser Breath Spray will help you climb the corporate ladder by lowering your personal standards. Have trouble saying "yes" to the boss's bad idea? Just take a hit of this tasty cinnamon spray and you'll find yourself saying, "That's a great idea, Mr. Jones! It's an honor working for you!" (If your boss is not named "Jones," please substitute the correct name.)
You'll be amazed how far you can go with the help of Ass Kisser Breath Spray. You'll be invited to important meetings. You'll be taken to corporate dinners in swanky restaurants. And quicker than you can say "I've become the kind of person I've always despised," that elusive promotion will be handed to you on a silver platter.

Hey, we like self-esteem as much as the next guy, but try paying your mortgage with it. So the next time you're with the boss, swallow your pride and take a healthy spritz of Ass Kisser Breath Spray. You'll learn what your co-workers have always known -- Behind every brown nose, there's a lot of green!

Mabuhay ang kalayaan!

bantay bilihin sa Dubai

Okay, you've probably heard rants or read stories on how high the cost of living here in Dubai.

Choithram, one of the largest supermarket chains here in the UAE, has embarked on a very unique promotion -- a Philippine Independence Day sale -- targetting the hundreds of thousands of Filipino expatriates living in the fastest, costliest place in the Gulf.

I doff my hat to Choithram for putting one over "Filipino stores" such as DeBelchior, Philippines Supermarket, Kabayan Supermarket among others for coming up with such an idea.

I see this also as an opportunity to show my non-UAE-based friends how much are the prices of goods here.

Be guided that one UAE dirham is equivalent to 12 Philippine pesos (as of 2149H according to http://www.xe.com/). Take a look at Choitram's promo flyer and compare the prices.

NUJP statement on Ces Drilon's abduction

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines is deeply concerned at the reported abduction of respected broadcast journalist Ces Drilon, her crew, Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, and their host, peace advocate Octavio Dimampo, in Sulu by what authorities say are members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Whatever the abductors stand for, whatever their goals are, there is absolutely no justification for seizing journalists whose sole concern is to seek out the truth and present this as accurately as possible.

To them, we say, release Ces, Jimmy, Angelo and Mr. Dinampo. Seizing them cannot in any way serve your ends and can only bring down condemnation on your heads.

We call on authorities to exert all efforts to ensure the safe return of the journalists and their host. We are also urging for sobriety among our colleagues in the media in reporting about the incident so as not to aggravate the situation and endanger Drilon and her companions.

We are only too aware of the risks journalists go through in our work. Too many journalists are sent into dangerous coverage situations without adequate preparations and safety measures.

Many silently bear the scars and traumas of their coverage, with hardly any support from those who profit from their toil. It is time Philippine media owners soberly assess the situation and take steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues oftentimes caught in the line of fire just to get the news out.

To the families of Ces, Jimmy, Angelo, and Mr. Dimampo, we are one with you in praying for their safe return.

References:

Jose Torres Jr., Chairperson

Rowena Paraan, Secretary General

Buti pa si lola....naka Crocs!

Sorry for being insensitive. I didn't mean to ridicule the old lady in this picture but the naughty Pinoy mind in me couldn't help but find a fun angle on this pic.

But seriously, my heart goes to people like her -- homeless, lonely and penniless. Asan ba pamilya niya? Why are they letting this poor lady beg on the streets? What is the government doing to alleviate the plight of our poor senior citizens? To think that government agencies are splurging on taxpayers' money -- like OWWA (per a COA report) spent tens of thousands for the ringtones, picture, games and mobile phone applications downloaded by the agency's officials and staff -- makes my blood boil.

Makonsyensya naman kayo!

Remember Walt Frazier

Initially, I thought this was just another NBA basketball trivia-nostalgia piece that usually comes a dime a dozen during the week that precedes the NBA Finals (especially now that the Lakers-Celtics rivalry has come out from the dead), but I was wrong.



Francis Kong's piece is inspiring especially to those who feel "down and out". I'm yielding my space to his Star column item. If you need to lift up your sagging spirit, check out his blog to help yourself get back on your feet.

BUSINESS MATTERS (Beyond the bottom line)
By Francis J. Kong

Philippine Star

Sunday, June 1, 2008


There are people in the work place whose favorite part of the human anatomy is the back. These are the people who love to back-stab and back-bite and they feel that the only way they can add value to themselves is to devalue others. They are in the work place, they are in organizations and they are also found in churches too.

What do you do when you are a victim of injustice?

What do you do when you are on the receiving end of a smear campaign? Ask me. I’ve got stories to tell. I am not speaking theory here but I am speaking based on actual experiences. These experiences are not exactly ecstatic for me but I sure am learning a lot from it.

There are people out there whose joy in life is to see me fail as I am sure there are people out there whose mission in life is to destroy you and your career or business. These are insecure people who cannot stand good and healthy competition. These are yellow-bellied cowards who would not dare fight you face to face. They scheme. They mislead. They plot. They conspire. Lying is their native tongue. Hypocrisy is their virtue.

Deception is their character. And then they hurt you or at least they irritate you.

So what do you do?

Some times it gets to you. You have within your means the arsenal to fight back and you are almost there. It is so tempting. All it takes is a hard blow. Just one strike is all it takes and you have all the plans in place. Your mind tells you: “The best defense is offense…!!!” Should you hit back or shouldn’t you?

When you find yourself in this situation…try to remember the celebrated basketball player of the New York Knicks Walt Frazier.

Walt Frazier was the soul and the spirit of the New York Knicks in the early ’70s—unflappable, unselfish, versatile and smooth, he embodied the essence of what made champions special.

Although he was overflowing with basketball talent, he was first and foremost a team player. And although he’s often remembered for his on-court and off-court smoothness, his game was definitely not all-style-and-no-substance. Frazier brought the goods—he had an inner toughness and heart underneath the controlled flow.

Many years ago during a Knicks-Bullets playoff game, one of the Bullets came up from behind and punched Walt Frazier in the face. Strangely, the referee called a foul on Frazier. Frazier didn’t complain. His expression never changed. He simply called for the ball and put in seven straight shots to win the game, an amazing display of productive anger. This provides us with a great moral lesson as well.

Watching Frazier played his ball game many years ago, I officially considered him my hero for “Coolness.” I taught myself at a very young age that being “cool” is the tool of the intelligent.

Being destructive is the tool for fools. Being “cool” accomplishes more than being emotional and explosive.

And in being cool, I have discovered 3 ways of hitting back these cowards who continue their mission of destruction. And if you are currently being hit these days, do the following:

1. Pray. God does not sleep. Vengeance is His not yours. He knows how to deal with the situation. And when you know that you have Him on your side you will always be on the winning side. No, don’t pray for God to hit those losers with thunder and lightning but you should pray that God forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. That they may come to genuine repentance and realize the sins they are committing.

2. Learn. Realize that wickedness lies in the heart of people. And if this could happen to them the same thing could happen to you as well. The heart is hopelessly and wickedly deceiving. So learn form the experience and be on guard. Determine never to decline and deteriorate to their level.

3. Live. The best form of revenge is a life well lived. Excel in what you do and use the energy and channel them on doing more than what you are able to do. Let these losers fuel you with the creative anger and passion to succeed more.

Be a Walt Frazier in the hard court of life and business.

And always remember this:

Never wrestle with a pig. And there are 2 reasons why:

Number 1: You get yourself dirty and number 2: The pig loves it!

ooops...your slip(per) is showing

(forwarded by my HS classmate Mark Ramos)

Pangalan: Havaianas

Lugar na pinanggalingan: São Paulo , Brazil

Pagbigkas:
ah-vai-YAH-nas (Brazilian Portuguese)
hah-vee-ah-naz (American English)
OMG! hah-va-yaH-naZz! (Filipino)

Materyal na ginamit: Malupit na goma (high-quality rubber).

Presyo: Depende. Ganito na lang, 1 pares ng Havaianas = 100 pares ng Spartan.

Mga nagsusuot: Mga konyotik at mga mayayaman (na noong una ay nababaduyan sa mga naka-de sipit na tsinelas at sasabihing, "Yuck! So baduy naman nila, naka-slippers lang.")

Malulupit na katangian at kakayahan:
- Masarap isuot.
- Shock-absorbent
- Malambot ngunit matibay
- Makukuha sa sandamakmak na kulay, disenyo at burloloy
- Maaaring isuot sa loob ng Starbucks
- Mainam na pang-japorms
- Mainam i-terno sa I-Pod at Caramel Macchiato
- Mapipilitan kang maglinis ng mga kuko mo sa paa
- Maaari ka nang mag-dikwatro sa loob ng mga pampublikong lugar at sasakyan
- Magiging 'fashionable' ka kapag ikaw ay nagkukuyakoy

Olats na mga katangian:
Mahal!
Mahal!
Mahal!


Pangalan: Spartan

Lugar na Pinanggalingan: Metro Manila , Philippines



Pagbigkas:
spar-tan (American English),
is-par-tan (Filipino).

Materyal na ginamit: Pipitsuging goma (Low-quality rubber).

Presyo: Wala pang 50 pesos.
Isang pares ng Spartan = 20 piraso ng pan de coco.

Mga nagsusuot: ang masa (gaya-gaya lang ang mga sosyal at pasyonista)

Malulupit na katangian at kakayahan:
- Maaring ipampatay sa ipis
- Maaring ipampalo sa mga batang suwail at damuho
- Pwedeng ipanglusong sa baha at putikan
- Pwedeng ipamalengke
- Mainam gamitin sa tumbang-preso
- Mainam gawing 'shield' kapag naglalaro ng espa-espadahan
- Mainam isuot sa siko bilang proteksyon habang naglalaro ng piko
- Mainam na pambato sa picha o shuttlecock na sumabit sa puno
- Mainam na pangkulob sa pumuputok na watusi
- Kapag ginupit-gupit nang pahugis 'cube,' e maaari mo nang gawing pamato sa larong Bingo na
kadalasang makikita sa mga lamay ng patay.

Olats na mga katangian:
- Madaling magkawalaan kapag hinubad dahil halos pare-pareho lang ang itsura
- Masakit isuot kapag may mga balahibo ang mga daliri mo sa paa

---

Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows I'm miserable now

I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
And heaven knows I'm miserable now


In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die ?


Two lovers entwined pass me by
And heaven knows I'm miserable now


I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
And heaven knows I'm miserable now


In my life
Oh, why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die ?


What she asked of me at the end of the day
Caligula would have blushed


"You've been in the house too long" she said
And I (naturally) fled


In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye ?


I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows I'm miserable now


"You've been in the house too long" she said
And I (naturally) fled


In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die ?

Aaaargh! That 80s song by The Smiths has been running in my head for the last 36 hours or so as I write this (18:41 26/05/2008).

Googling for the exact lyrics, the last song syndrome afflicting me shifted to high gear and is driving me bonkers.

In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die?

Geez…bull’s eye…direct hit…bingo!

People back home thought that I’m such a lucky bloke for landing a job overseas, for getting a salary one could never imagine fairly getting back home… yeah right, I’m really lucky!

Lucky that in exchange for the extra oil moolah. . .

I became an absentee husband, father and son;

I live in a rat-infested, cramped, dingy dump that would’ve gotten me an upscale apartment in Makati, Ortigas or Libis if I spend the rent money back home;

I am constantly under threat of eviction because bachelors don’t have the right to live in a decent home:

I can only afford to eat cat food (canned fish or instant noodles) because the high cost of living has made “normal, hot food” a luxury;

Because I’m disconnected from the rest of the world – no internet, no TV connection – I’d rather stay in the office until late in the evening than spend my precious early evening free time in solitary confinement;

Because of the stupid loan I took out, I’m stuck in the desert for the next six years.

Because my real friends are far away and those whom I thought were my friends don't really care.

Really . . . . heaven knows I’m miserable now!

May affairs

The month of May is full of events as far as my family is concerned.

Birthdays . . .

Today - May 25 - is my eldest daughter Ara's 16th birthday! Oh how time really flies. I can still remember endlessly pacing to and from the delivery room at Chinese General Hospital waiting for my baby to come. We exchanged text messages last night and she asked me to come home on her next birthday or be at her next graduation. I'll try my best gang-gang.

Today is also the birthday of my sister-in-law, Arlene Lanzaderas. Yesterday - May 24 - was her son Jiggy's birthday.

Last Friday - May 23 - was my dear Mama's 70th birthday (oops kelangan ba sabihin yon)! Wuz planning to give her a big bash to mark this milestone, but the good Lord has other plans. Will make it up to you, Mama.

My Papa would've turned 80 last May 15. We've been marking his birthday without him with us for the last 28 years.

More May events . . . .

My cousin Britta May Borromeo-Navarro was born this month (sorry, the exact date slipped my mind as I write this).

Her Mom, my Tita Susing, died on May 19, 1986. I miss her so much.

The kids last saw their Lolo Orling when we went home for a two-week vacation in May 2005.

And so on...gotta stop, the boss is here.

Real men wear red

Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran

Paalam sa isang tunay na Pilipino