Kindness

In today’s modern and fast-paced life, people are often too busy to take a second glance at people who may seem to need help; let alone stop and lend a hand. It’s not that people are unkind. Sometimes they have so many duties and responsibilities that preoccupy their minds. They have problems to solve, deadlines to beat and things waiting to be accomplished. When overwhelmed, some people tend to focus on their own struggles. They go with their lives without noticing others. Then, without expecting it, there are people who surprise you with their altruism. It’s amazing how a simple deed of kindness can restore your faith in others and see the world in a better light.

Acts of kindness from strangers have touched the lives of many people. They become like angels to people in need. Some of these stories were shared by family and friends while others circulated online to inspire others to do the same.

Lost wallet in the mail

Bernadette lost her wallet in the supermarket. She had a hunch that someone had stolen it. The money in the wallet was least of her worries. She was more concerned about her important IDs and credit cards. Bernadette lost hope of recovering her wallet. She was forced to cancel her credit cards to prevent someone from using them.

A few days later, a courier service arrived at her office with a small parcel for her. She was so surprised when she opened it and found her lost wallet. There was a short note inside explaining that the sender found her wallet on the sidewalk. There was no one in sight so he decided to pick it up. Bernadette believes that the person who stole her wallet must have discarded it after getting the cash.

The anonymous sender explained that the wallet was devoid of cash when he found it but decided to send it to the owner because he understands how important IDs are such as driver’s license, SSS, company ID, etc. According to the sender, he found her calling card inside and used it as mailing address.

Bernadette wished she could thank the kind Samaritan but he did not leave his contact details.

A rescued button

A restroom maintenance personnel at the mall saw me desperately pulling the last thread holding the top button of my blouse.

People were coming in and out of the restroom at that time. She had a lot on her hands because it was a busy holiday weekend. The maintenance personnel could have just turned a blind eye and left me on my own.

I was surprised when she approached me and said, “Ma’am mukhang matatanggal na yung tahi ng butones ninyo. Sandali lang po, may sewing kit po ako sa aking bag. Tahiin niyo nalang po para hindi malaglag.”

She pulled her bag from a corner of the restroom and took out her mini sewing kit.
“Ma’am, pasok nalang po ulit kayo sa cubicle para matahi ninyo yung butones. Mas mabuti na yung sigurado.”

I did as suggested and sewed the loose button in place. I returned the sewing kit to the restroom maintenance and thanked her for her kindness. I offered her a tip but she politely declined.

“Naku Ma’am, thank you pero wag na po. Parati ko naman dala sa bag ko yung sewing kit. Masaya ako at nakatulong po ako sa inyo.”

I thanked her again and left. While going around the mall, I remembered the kind lady manning the restroom. I decided to buy her a small pack of pastries. I dropped by the area and gave it to her. She thanked me and said that her kids will be very happy because she has pasalubong for them.

Donut for a street child

My husband and I were parked in front of a donut shop waiting for a friend. It was one of those international franchises that sell expensive donuts. We noticed a young boy wearing sando and shorts asking for alms from people going in and out of the shop.

A lady came out with a box of donuts and a small paper bag. We saw her give the boy the paper bag and a cup of drink. The boy looked so happy. He eagerly ate the donut and gulped down the drink. Bless the lady for thinking of that boy.

Free meal in honor of a son’s memory

Today.com reported about a couple that bought a meal for a family of strangers to honor their late son. The Dunns left the family a “Love 4 Luke” wristband and a handwritten note explaining the free meal gesture. The note says …

“Our son Like would have turned 2 years old today. We lost him at 17 months to cancer. He was pure love and joy and we want to pass that on today. Hope you feel a little bit of love with your lunch. Please pay it forward.”

According to the report, that random act of kindness triggered a chain of kindness.

Return the favor

If you’ve been touched by a kind soul, why not pay it forward? You don’t have to do something big to help others. Even small random acts of kindness can make a difference to someone. You don’t have to wait for a big opportunity. You can start today. Let your motive be as simple as making a person smile. Here are some simple ways to help someone.

• Hold the door open for the person behind you.
• Share your umbrella to the person next to you on a rainy day.
• If you see a couple or a group struggling with a “selfie,” offer to take the picture for them.
• Buy a homeless person a meal the next time you pass by a fast food chain.
• If the person behind you in line has a few items, offer to let him/her go before you.
• When you see someone with a flat tire, stop and ask if you can be of assistance.
• Buy a bouquet of flowers and give it to a random old lady.
• Smile and say something nice to the person manning the elevator.
• Buy an inspirational card and write encouraging words. Leave the card inside a library book, between the condiments in a restaurant, on the bench inside the church, and other random places.
• Donate old books, clothes and toys to an orphanage.
• Buy a bag of dog food and donate it to an animal shelter.
• Create a care package and drop it off to a nearby home for the aged.

Photos from Flickr. Some rights reserved.
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Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University. Rachel is a mom to a charming boy and married to an entrepreneur who has a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.

“Your eyes like stars, like diamonds in the sky… Your smile so sweet, like candies I can eat.”

Hango iyan sa makabagbag-damdaming tula na ipinadala ng isang masugid na manliligaw ng aking pinsan noong sila pa ay high school. Cute, di ba? Romantikong-romantiko ang dating dahil sa kaniyang kainosentehan.

“Alam mo, mula nang nakilala kita, nahulog na ang loob ko sa iyo.” Sambit naman ng isang napuwing sa akin.

Tabi-tabi po sa mga romantikong Pinoy pero di ko talaga napigilan ang pagtawa ng malakas pagkarinig ko sa kaniyang winika. Paano ba naman, di pa niya ako lubusang nakilala para magsalita siya ng ganoon. Tama na bang magsalubong kami ng tingin habang nagmimisa si Father dahil siya ang sakristan at ako naman ay reader? Husto na ba ang ilang palitan ng hi at hello tuwing nagkakasalubong kami sa sacristy at naghahawakan ng kamay sa pag-awit ng Our Father? Ang labo kaya.

Malamang nadala lang siya nang ako ay nakisilong sa kaniyang jacket dahil umuulan noong araw na iyon matapos ang gawain namin sa simbahan. Hindi ko tuloy napigilang magbiro, “Aba’y saluhin mo at baka mahulog ang loob mo sa daan.”

Makaraan ang ilang araw, nakita ko siyang may ibang kahawak-kamay sa kalye. At nahulog na nga ang loob niya sa daan. Tama lang na nakantiyawan ko ang kaniyang pagkabolero.

Bakit nga ba may sentidong bolero con romantiko ang mga Pinoy? Tila likas pa nga ito sa kanila.

Sa katunayan, noong kami’y kinder pa lamang, naalala ko ang aking pinsang si Henry kung paano niya tinatawagan sa telepono ang kaniyang crush tuwing hapon at tutugtugan niya ito sa piano. Nakakakilig, di ba? Kasi bata…

Pero sa pagtanda, may halong takot at alinlangan na sa pagtanggap ng mga ganyang estilo ng panliligaw dahil sadyang mahirap mapagsino ng isang babae kung sino talaga ang romantiko sa bolero lalo na kung ang buong pag-aakala ay tapat ang lahat ng Pinoy na mangingibig. Mabuti na lamang at may mga nabibiyayaan ng kamalditahan na nakakatulong sa pagsala ng mabuting binhi sa masamang damo.

Pero hindi mo rin masasabi na ang lahat ng romantiko ay tapat at lahat ng bolero ay manloloko. Ang kababata naming si Oliver tila lahat na lang yata ng nakapalda ay ibig habulin. Lahat na ng pamboboladas ginagawa. Lagi naman naba-busted dahil mala-pabling ang asta pero noong may kumagat sa kaniyang mga matatamis na patutsada, nagulat ang lahat na siya ay naging isang tapat na asawa at mabuting ama. At pinakamahalaga sa lahat, di na siya lumingon sa iba buhat nang dinala sa dambana ang kanilang pag-iibigan.

Heto naman si romantikong Melo, palibhasa gwapo, ang akala naman ng mga babae’y totoo siya sa kaniyang hangarin sa tuwing magbibigay ng bulaklak o magpapadala ng tsokolate. Ang kinalabasan, may babae pala siya sa bawat bayang nadadaanan sa kaniyang ruta bilang sales rep.

Marami ang katulad ni Melo na sadyang nakakaloko. Dumarating pa sa punto na kahit may asawa na, patuloy pa rin ang pagiging bolero na para bang adiksyong may kailangang patunayan sa kanilang pagkalalaki kahit ano pa man ang antas sa buhay.

Sa katunayan, may katotohanan sa kasabihang, “basta drayber, sweet lover”. Hindi naman sa nilalahat, pero marami sa aking mga kakilalang tsuper ay may number one, number two, three at four pa. Mayroon pa ngang isa na may junior sa bawat misis. Pero ang mas nakakaalarma ay marami ring mga babaeng kumakagat sa mga binibitiwang salita ng mga bolero.

Kay dalas nga nating naririnig ang maraming naggagandahang dilag na nahuhulog ang kalooban sa mga animo’y kaawa-awang drama na ” matagal na kaming may problemang mag-asawa at hindi na ako masaya sa kaniya. Handa akong hiwalayan siya basta’t ikaw ang makapiling ko sa pag-uumpisang muli.”

Sa pagbitaw ng mga matatamis na salitang yaon kasabay ang matiyagang panliligaw, may mga babaeng sadyang mapapaibig. Kahit gaano pa sila katalino’y tila nagiging mangmang at bulag sila sa pag-ibig ng mga bolero.

Hayun, sa kasamaang palad, nabuntisan at naanakan na ay di pa rin hinihiwalayan ang legal na asawa, hanggang sa ang mga matatamis na pangako ay napapako na sa masakit na katotohanan ng kaniyang pagka-illegal. Mas masakit pa niyan, kung may iba na namang nadigahan at nangibang-bahay na ang bolero.

Kung ating babalikan, tila si Francisco Baltazar o mas kilala bilang Balagtas ang pamoso sa pagiging romantiko. Sa dami ng kaniyang naisulat, pinakamatatandaan ang kaniyang linyang, “O pag-ibig na makapangyarihan, Hahamakin ang lahat masunod ka lamang” na napasikat ng obrang Florante at Laura.

Fast forward sa kasalukuyan… Sumikat ang mga linya ni Boy Pick-up ilang taon na ang nakakaraan. Matagal nang naalis ang segment niya sa patok na kwelang palabas sa telebisyon pero buhay na buhay pa rin ang mga pick up lines lalo na sa pinaka sikat na love team ngayon na Aldub. Kahit halatang boladas ang palitan nina Alden Richards at Yaya Dub, talaga namang di magkamayaw sa pagtili at kilig ang Aldub nation.

Kung iisipin nga naman… Nagpakitang-gilas muna kasi si Alden sa Lolanidora ni Yaya Dub sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggap ng mga pagsubok tulad ng pagtakbo sa kahabaan ng Aurora Boulevard dala-dala ang mga sinibak na kahoy, paglangoy sa swimming pool na makailang ulit, pag-igib ng tubig upang punan ang napakalaking sisdlan at kung anu-ano pang pahirap na inoorasan pa bago pa man niya nasilayan at nakapiling si Yaya Dub sa tamang panahon.

Romantiko o bolero nga ba ang Pinoy? Di rin ito naiiba sa tanong na tapat ba o manloloko si Juan? Maraming uri ang mga ito… Tapat na romantiko o manlolokong bolero. O manlolokong romantiko o tapat na bolero. Kasindami ng klase nila ang iba’t ibang lahi ni Adan.

Pero sa huli, ang kabusilakan ng kalooban at katapatan ng pag-ibig ang siyang magsasabi kung sino nga ang tunay na lalaki.
Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/balladist/

Lovi Poe goes to prom

Dream prom come true

Kapuso actress Lovi Poe was giving a talk in her high school alma mater, Colegio de San Agustin when she decided to make a young man’s prom dream come true.

The lovely actress posted a video on her Instagram account last February 9, 2016 with the caption …

“So months ago, this guy named Kurt asked me to the prom in front of his classmates and I said I would think about it… now he asked me again in front of his batch mates….. And I said Yes.???? I guess I’m going to the prom once again!!?? See you, Kurt!!! You better show me a good time!”

True to her word, Poe went to the prom with CSA student Kurt. She posted a photo of herself wearing a burgundy Tony Evan gown on her Instagram account. She wrote, “The night I was high school again.” Her young date wore a black suit with a burgundy tie to match her gown.

The Kapuso star held out her arm so that her dashing prom date could put on the corsage. Although Poe is obviously taller than her date, they still look cute together. The gorgeous actress shared another photo of them with the caption …

“With my prom prince @kurteous5 . He is Indeed a true gentleman.”

Promposal for Ms. Universe

Promposal for Ms. Universe

It seems like Kurt is not the only teenager who wants the best prom date possible. Jerel Labra, a Fil-Am teen from Texas posted a video clip on Twitter asking Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach if she would be willing to go to the prom with him. He said on the video …

“Hi Ms. Universe. My name is Jerel Labra. I’m a 17 year old Filipino and I live here in Texas. First of all I want to say congratulations on your win. You really did make all of us Filipinos very proud.”

He continues …

“I may not be as handsome as James Franco, or as funny as Seth Rogen, or maybe as ripped as Channing Tatum, but I can say this, I’m a runner up. This is my question for you…”

Labra pauses to catch a bouquet of roses thrown by someone from the background and says, “Pia, will you go to prom with me on April 23?”

The reigning beauty queen got the teen’s attention. Wurtzbach replied with a short video saying, “Hi Jerel. I got your promposal. I’ve never had a proposal like that before so that’s definitely a first. I would love to go if my schedule permits, so we’ll see. I can’t promise anything yet right now but your message was really sweet.”

The ecstatic teen replied on Twitter, “@PiaWurtzbach @MissUniverse Thank you for your reply Pia! I hope you can make it, but please please make time for it. Excited nako!”

As of this posting, Labra’s promposal video has generated 1,824 likes and retweeted 849 times.

Rise of promposals

Soccer field promposal

In today’s modern world dominated by high speed Internet and all sorts of gadgets, it seems that teens are more gutsy and determined.

Gone are the days when moms arrange for their teen to go to the prom with their amiga’s fellow teen. Most young individuals today are capable of getting their own dates.

Asking someone to the prom is not anymore as simple as asking, “Will you be my prom date?”

More young guys (and girls) are going out of their comfort zone to arrange unique and memorable ways to ask their prospect date to go to the prom with them. Perhaps, girls nowadays are secretly hoping to get more than the usual phone call, SMS, Facebook message, or getting asked along the school corridor.

Promposals are becoming more of a public ceremony. Some teens seem to take a flair for the dramatic to ensure a more favorable response.

With all the effort put into grandiose promposals, young ladies (and even lads) are likely put on the spot and pressured to accept even if they don’t actually like the guy (or girl) or have another prom partner in mind. It may seem too much of a risk to appear cold-hearted when you decline someone in front of a crowd especially when the moment is being documented for social media sharing. Most promposals seem orchestrated to be Instagram-worthy (and other social media sites).

Teens are investing time, effort and money into their promposals. I could only imagine the pressure that kids face during prom season. Boys (and girls) are pressured to be creative in order to get a coveted yes.

Take for instance this video of a blindfolded girl being ushered by her friends to the football field. A guy walks along holding wireless speakers to provide background music while another captures the moment with his mobile phone. The person from behind documents the whole scene on video.

A group of guys holding placards wait at the end of the field. From afar, they form the name A-L-E-X. When the blindfold is removed, the girl sees the large letters that spell out her name. The boys turn the cards around to spell P-R-O-M while the main young man uses his megaphone to pop the question.

The girl walks towards the soccer ball positioned strategically in front of the soccer net with a large sign that says “Yes.” When she kicks the ball towards the goal, everyone jumps for joy. The ecstatic guy embraces his prom date and gives her a Ferrero Rocher chocolate bouquet.

In this next video, a student named Michael is seen creating a heart made from rose petals on the floor. A few paces away, the letters P-R-O-M-? have already been formed.

The prom date prospect, Kathleen walks in blindfolded. She is assisted by a classmate who leads her to the center of the heart.

Kathleen’s blindfold is removed and Michael walks towards her with a bouquet of flowers. He kneels before her and asks, “Kathleen, will you go to the prom with me?”

When Kathleen says yes, the rest of the class cheers and shouts, “Kiss! Kiss!” The couple embraces and the young gentleman plants a kiss on the girl’s forehead.

In this day and age, a young lady doesn’t have to sit and wait to get a prom proposal. It’s perfectly acceptable to do the asking herself just like in the next video.

CK creates placards in her room. She asks a bunch of friends to dance during her promposal.

Wilmer, the prom date prospect walks unsuspectingly to the grounds wearing his jersey and shorts. On cue, the couples make a curtsy and begin to slow dance while Wilmer looks on.

After the dance, one of the couples accompanies Wilmer towards the rest of the group and they circle around him. They later form a line with Wilmer at the front. Meanwhile, a group of girls reveal placards with the letters P-R-O-M and another one that says “Look Back.” They all turn around including Wilmer. CK makes her way to them and asks, “Wilmer, will you go to the prom with me?” The lad gives his consent and embraces the lovely lady in blue.

Photos: “Lovi Poe goes to prom” screencap from Lovi Poe Instagram account; “Promposal for Ms. Universe” screencap from Jerel Labra Twitter account; “Soccer field promposal” screencap from YouTube.

Videos c/o YouTube.
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Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University. Rachel is a mom to a charming boy and married to an entrepreneur who has a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.

Ang mga lalake, mga walang kwenta talaga. Ito ang pambansang awit ng mga kababaihan. Tapos na ang buwan ng mga puso, at dahil nakuha na nila ang gusto nila mula sa inyo, ay nanlalamig na sila. Hindi sila sensitive. Hindi nila makuha ang mga hinaing ninyo, at ang nais lamang nila ay ang uminom kasama ang mga tropa. Tila ang utak ay nasa ibaba. Utak sabaw, kumbaga. Kaya nga naman si Freud, inalay ang buhay at talino sa pagsasaliksik sa kuneksyon ng labing-labing at kung papaaano tumakbo ang mundo. Ang napag-alaman niya? Labing-labing sa kama ang motibo sa lahat ng desisyon ng tao. Sa lathalang ito, iiwasan nating ipako sa krus ang mga lalaking nakatira sa kweba. Sapat na ang apatanapung hagupit ng latigo sa likuran. Semana Santa na rin naman. Ang galing lang, tapos ng Pag-ibig, Semana Santa. Biro lang.

Baka may stiff neck. Isipin ninyo, saan ba galing ang stiff neck? Diyata’t napadalas ang biglaang pagbisita ninyo sa Daang Gawing Pa-Kaliwa, at medyo masidhi ang bakbakang nagaganap sa pagitan ninyong magsing-irog. Paki-tingnan na lang kung may smiley face ang diary entry ninyo kagabi. Paki-imbentaryo na rin kung ilang smiley face mayroon ang diary ninyo sa buwan ng Pebrero. Ang solusyon rito ay simpleng-simple lang. Pumunta sa spa. Samahan ninyo ang damuho. Siyan nga pala, baka kung saang spa magpunta. Sa kabilang banda naman ng batok ang stiffneck niyan paglabas, sige kayo.

Baka naman pinagseselos ka lang. Sa tagal na ng pinagsamahan ninyo, masyado ka nang kampante na siya ay iyo, at ikaw ay kanya. Pakiramdam niya paulit-ulit na lamang ang mga kaganapan sa buhay ninyo. Mula sa pag-aaral, sa mga gimik, sa mga kaibigan, trabaho, negosyo, sa mga bata, atbp. Baka panahon na upang mamasyal, na kayo lamang dalawa. Muling sariwain ang pagkaka-kilanlan sa isa’t-isa. Kumuha ng hobby kung saan may bago kayong pagkaka-sunduan, pag-uusapan, kasasabikan, at magiging kasiya-siya. Masaya ang couple shirt, pero mas mainam ang libangan na may natututunan.

Baka may commitment issues. Sa ganitong banda, wala sa inyo ang may sala. Ang sanhi ng takot sa paghangad na maging mas seryoso ang relasyon ay ang mga dating naka-relasyon. Kung ikaw ang unang katipan, tumingin sa magulang ni Utoy. Matutong makinig. Panigurado may pahapyaw iyan kung nag-aaway parati, nambababae ang tatay, o sa kasamaang-palad, nagkahiwalay ang mga mahal na magulang. Alamin rin sa mga kapatid kung totoo ang alibi. Mahirap na. Tandaan: Walang kwenta ang mga kalalakihan. Pero swabe ka lang ha. Pag binanatan mo nang: “Ate, babaero ba tatay ninyo?,” malamang masasapak ka ng panganay na babae nila.

Baka naman naumpog na. Dati-rati kahit anong sama ng ugali mo, wala kang naririning sa kanya. Bulag na bulag nga naman ang boyfriend mo sa kagandahan mo. Ngunit may isang pangyayaring nagbago ang lahat ng ito. Ito ba iyong maka-isang daang beses na pinagdala mo siya ng 10 o higit pang shopping bags at kahon. Hindi naman talaga sa bigat, mga damit at sapatos lang naman. Iyun nga lang, napansin na niya marahil, takip ang mukha nya ng mga kahon. At lagi na lamang siyang nasa likod naglalakad. Habang ikaw, naka-login sa smartphone, panay mga lalaking kaibigan ang ka-chat. At kapag may lakad kayo ng mga bago mong kakilala, hindi siya kasama.

Siya ang gumagawa ng term paper, research paper, naggu-gupit ng art paper para art project mo. Naglalampaso ng sahig, nagluluto ng tinola, nagsasaing ng bigas, at naglalaba pa-kamay. Nagca-carwash ng pagkalaki-laki mong sasakyan. Ikaw lang naman ang laman. At iyung aso mong si “Pooch” na tunay mong kinagigiliwan, dahil kasyang-kasya sa designer bags mo — siya ang nagpapaligo at nagsusuklay sa basahang asong pagkalinggit-linggit.

Baka naman panahon na para swelduhan mo siya, kung ita-trato mo lang din naman na Personal Alalay.

Baka ayaw mo magpagalaw. Sabihin ko man o hindi, alam na ninyo ang katotohanan. Huwag na tayo maglokohan. Ang tao ay banal, ngunit tao lamang. Ang sabi nga ng isang host na napamahal na sa kaniyang mga manunuod, itago natin sa pangalang Ginoong Jacket Gibb: “Ako’y marupok lamang.”

Pero teka. Definition of terms muna tayo upang di magka-lituhan sa usaping ito. Ang mga menor de edad, 16 pababa, ay off limits. Pedopilya iyan. Gawain ni Satanas. Ang one-night-stand din ay off limits. Ang affair lalo ay off limits/it’s complicated; huwag kang pumulot ng batong iuumpog sa ulo mo.

Isa lang naman ang tumbok nitong mga ito: Ang panggagamit ng ibang tao para mapunuan ang pagnanasa ng laman ay karumal-dumal.

Ngayong nagkalinawan na tayo, mga marurupok na mga tao, tanungin natin ang ating mga sarili. Mahabagin naman, ilang taon na ba kayo magkatipan o mag-asawa?

Sa magkatipan, kung ikaw ay takot na mabuntis at madungisan ang iyong pangalan, at siya naman sa tingin mo ay namimilit, mainam na maghiwalay na lamang ng tahimik. Isa lamang ang masasabi ko riyan. May mga kaibigan akong nabuntis nang maaga, ay maayos naman ang buhay. Limitahan lang ang bilang ng anak. May condom naman, at kung mahal ka niya, papayag siya magsuot ng goma. Tandaan mo, at mamimili ka ngayon: respeto ng magulang na nagpalaki sa iyo’t nagmamahal nang walang kapalit, o pasayahin ang taong mahal mo? Marahil ito ay usapin kung ang katipan ba ng isang babae ay nakikita na niya bilang potensyal na kabiyak sa buhay. Kung hindi, pakawalan na lamang. Hayaan ninyo nang tumingin at maghanap ng iba. Paka-tandaan natin, mali ang manggamit ng ibang tao para sa pansarili nating kaligayahan.

Duon naman sa magasawa, pagod lang ang dahilan kaya hindi napagbibigyan si mister. Kung umaayaw ka dahil hindi mo lang feel, hindi ba’t napaka-sadista mo naman? Ang mga aral ni Freud ay iyong balikan.

Parating may dahilan kung kaya tumitingin ang kalalakihan sa iba. Hindi patas na parating sa lalake ang kasalanan. Ngunit alam ninyo, kung tapat naman kayong mga babaeng nagmamahal at nakikisama naman sa abot ng inyong makakaya, may isa pa talagang dahilan. Huwag ninyo na sabihin sa iba. Atin-atin na lang.

Ang inyong boypren o mister, baka naman talagang, sadyang minalas ka, dahil kups lang, hanggang kaibuturan.

Ikaw naman, ngayon, ang tumingin na sa iba.
Photo credits: From Butz.2013, flickr.com, some rights reserved

I lose in every election. Not as a candidate – I have never and will never put myself on the election block – but as a voter.

My choice for president in the 2010 election was defeated by now exiting bsA who six years ago won on the crest of yellow tears.

My choice for vice-mayor – a shoo-in after successful stints as congresswoman – didn’t even get to file her COC as she was allegedly ‘prevailed upon’ by the man my barber says ‘owns our city’ to give way to a kin.

Previous to 2010, the presidency went to somebody not my choice, a matinee idol who into his second year got convicted for plunder but was pardoned by the next-in-line for president, the little lady now languishing at VMC on a hospital arrest for a plunder case also languishing in court.

For reasons that baffled but didn’t surprise us hangers-on at Egay’s barbershop, my choice  for Punong Barangay, a well-loved community ‘doktora,’ lost, with the number of votes for her from the rich-vote informal settlers area only as many, as the joke goes, as the number of digits of my hand and feet. This sad turn despite the fact that the ‘doktora’ has treated the residents/patients of the said area with TLC.

My losing streak in voting stretched to my choice for Congress. All those who won I did not vote for. Not the gravel-voiced big man, in appearance and clout, who can teach a chameleon a quick-change trick or two; not the three warlocks in the Senate, two of whom are trying to hex the voters into electing one of them to be bise presidente but who are sure to be shellacked by the heir to the Marcosian slit eyes and wit. And certainly not the comic who just have to utter Eat! Bulaga!  to make the funding allocation for an important project disappear.

Also all this time I can’t figure how the voters out there could have missed the lady from Zambales  who, on tv, talks sense on senseless things going around.

Now come the pretenders to the throne. The rich mom’s son who is pitifully swallowing his pride as he suffers the Ides of March over and over; the little dark man who may have a good run but may yet find himself in the clink one of these days; the Donald of Davao whose trumping days are over and has to throw jabs in the dark at his opponents; the grand lady who would have been president, a good one, even then if not for her health and a voting public still in showbiz mode. And the marionette in white with the cheating heart.

So I have to choose again. I have never varied with the ‘formula’ I use since I started going to the polls. Which, according to my friends at the barbershop, is a losing recipe.

I choose candidates the way I see, not perceive, them.

This is why I don’t watch or listen to candidates grow hoarse from debates. The words coming out from their mouths are not theirs but from those smarts feeding them the lines.

I don’t pore over or believe in surveys. It’s a given that these are conducted not out the ‘social obligation’ of pollsters but they are conducted for lots of money as fees you can only see in your dreams. And the results, according to my fave columnist Rigoberto, are naturally massaged, if not rigged, to bolster the egos of those paying and herd the unwitting to their side.

I think those advocacies and drives on how to vote right or to choose candidates wisely, however well-intended, have all this time just fell on deaf ears and have not gotten into the hearts and minds of voters.

Because after all the noise, the charades and costs, it all depends on the guys who are conducting the election and the sly manipulators behind.

The so-called PCOs and VCMs, or whatever they are calaled, have been exposed by those who know as nothing but robots being controlled by operators lurking in some dark corners and yet more of these machines have been bought by Andy and Co. from the smart Venezuelan sales rep. We don’t have to bang our heads into a wall to know why.

It has come to a point when I am considering  to stay away from the polling booths this May and instead chow down a bowl of wanton mami and siomai at Hen Lin at Fisher Mall  with the missus or swig a couple of beer with my friends at the barbershop.

For, really now, an election in our country has become just a game. And how the not-so-good guys shamelessly, I dare say, want it to be played, the Constitution, the laws and rules be damned!

Image credit: www.flickr.com/. some rights reserved

“You are one thing, or nothing at all.” — El Maestro, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, Mitch Albom

If you had all the money in the world, what would you do with the time given to you? Why do we ask this question? Most people would prefer to be “stable” as if there was such a thing in the world today. If we had a love that was “forever” then maybe. But there simply is no forever. As a kid, if you threw tantrums because your mommy would not buy you an abacus to train for your math quiz bee, then possibly, you were really meant to be an accountant.

In reality, most of our decisions on what we would like to be are based on money.

I had an interesting conversation with a budding musician. This was the time when I gave up everything to take care of my kids. Including writing. He was having his songs patented, and I was, well, in a band too, a houseband (house husband). He told me that I could make money with anything. If I was good at drawing, I could draw portraits, or caricatures, or whatever, and ask the people on
Facebook if they would be willing to have their portraits drawn for a fee.

I was thinking that my life was too far from my dreams. I was not writing, and I was not making money.

That reality sent me reeling to the ground, inhaling dirt and grime. I stayed down for some time.

Forgive me for making an example of my life, but I lay it here, in the hope it will help some readers who are in the dark what they want from life – what it is they were meant to do and to be.

Knowing who you are is exactly like trying to find a life partner. There is the tall, dark, and handsome young man for the ladies, and the soda-bottle bodied intellectual tigress for the young men. That is the ideal. Some get to marry the man or woman of their dreams. Most do not.

And just like with careers, some are lucky to be statesmen, actresses, flight stewards, physicians, lawyers, and company managers by their mid-twenties. The remainder drop out of college, become disillusioned with the path they’re taking, and get laid off. They do not wish to destroy their lives. They do not want to be derailed off the path to stability. They have done all that they could.

It is just that sometimes, even the best of people — the kindest, the bravest — fall.

But after losing everything, I can tell you, with all sincerity, that what comes next is discovery. After losing all your money, for example, an opportunity will present itself, so simple and easy you will be dumbstruck as to why you never thought of it before.

It just wasn’t the time.

Others are given the stable life, they need it. It is their weapon for their own journey. Take a look at Ghandi. But for the people who are left with too many options, because in reality, they have none, the beauty of their life will lie in their story. Nothing on this earth inspires more than an underdog. The girl left for dead by terrorists who became a Nobel Peace Prize winner. The man who wouldn’t amount to anything who came up with the theory of relativity. The lad who lacked imagination, who put animated pictures to life. Then the peaceful man, with the stable life, educated a lawyer, who went on hunger strike because he could not bear to hurt another being, and thus awakened the consciousness of the world as to what it really takes to be called human.

It is not what would make you happy. Because a marriage is not happy. Happiness is for children. Happiness is for lottery winners.

The question is, what is it that you cannot live without?

What is it, that after you have lost everything, that even though you have tried to give it up, to live the stable life, you just cannot forego, and forget? What is it that you try to leave behind, and after became a recluse? That is the gift of your life to you. It is a choice made by your life circumstances, and your spirit. This may sound too psychedelic, but I assure you, that it is who you are.

For me, it was writing. I succeeded in lying to myself for two months, thinking that I would not amount to anything anyway. Maybe I wasn’t humble enough. Possibly I was just a schmuck. And then maybe I just didn’t have the opportunities that I needed, that it was all just bad luck.

Then, I sat down, started typing, and thinking, and composing phrases, and looking up the ceiling, and smiling, and seeking, and finding.

What I was able to glean from that was this – from my writing stems my love for everything. The love for learning, for finding the right way my life should run, and how to make things work. I could become something else aside from a writer, because I need money. But I cannot become anything else if I should stop writing. That is the fountain from which springs who I am.

A lottery winner is ecstatic. A lottery winner can be financially stable all his life. Sadly, the lottery winner is simply that – a mere lottery winner. He does not know who he is, apart from all that money.

The reason people get married is not to be happy. The reason people have children is not to be happy. The reason people stick to their vocation is not to be happy.

It is because without their loved ones, or their particular skill set, these people who have full knowledge of who and what they are in this life would cease to function properly. They would lose all hope and meaning. Their life would be empty.

They have full knowledge of who they are.

Write down three activities that you extremely like. Then try not doing them for a long time, and see how your body will react. Depression is an excellent tool to knowing what you really want in life, as we have discussed. Listen to your inner voice. In a more practical phrasing, it is your gut feel.

If your gut tells you that you cannot let go of that one activity, then you, dear reader, have found what it is that you seek. Many people try to find this for most of their lives. Then they find that it was just under their noses. Sometimes the good Lord takes away, so that we will know that what we seek, we have already found.

Photo credits: www.commons.wikimedia.org

Family that eats together, stays together.

“The fondest memories are made gathered around the table.” – anonymous

In this fast-paced world, people are always in a hurry. A hectic schedule makes people more conscious of the time. Mornings become a blur of movements as members of the household scurry to eat their breakfast before heading out of the house. On a crazy morning, people race against time and simply skip breakfast. Many are accustomed to rushing through lunch in order to make it to an appointment or get more work done. For busy individuals, lunch has become a habit of barely chewing food and quickly swallowing in order to get back to the work place. It’s pitiful how some things have to be cut short to give way to other things.  Dinner is often the only time for many modern families to eat together.

People race against time to improve their careers and achieve their work goals but at what cost? We convince ourselves that the long hours at work will ensure our families of a brighter future. Working hard for the family should not come to the point of sacrificing our personal and family’s happiness.

It is incredible how time flies. A year can pass by without us realizing it. Each year that ends, our children grow older. We can easily miss out on many important milestones in our children’s lives if we continue spending more time at work and less time with the family.

Money pays for the bills and luxuries in life but it cannot buy back lost time. No matter how demanding our jobs are, we should never neglect our loved ones.

We don’t have to give up our jobs to reconnect with our families. Begin with something as simple as family dinners. Taking time to sit down with the family and enjoy a home cooked dinner offers a myriad of benefits that many of us take for granted. Here are just some benefits of family dinners.

Making time for family dinner can help relieve stress. We all have our share of worries and problems. We constantly deal with personal and work-related issues. It’s a daily challenge to juggle responsibilities as a parent, spouse, employee, etc. After a tough day at work, it’s good to come home and eat with the family.

Eating as a family can promote better health. Family dinners encourage members of the family especially kids to eat healthier. It is a great way to teach kids to eat more healthy food like fruits and vegetables. Children who benefit from regular meal times with the family are less likely to indulge in junk food.

Based on CNN.com, some studies have shown that children who eat with their families frequently are less likely to experience depression, think of suicide, and develop an eating disorder. Studies also claim that children who benefit from regular meal times are more likely to delay engaging in early sexual encounters. Family dinners can become a form of intervention especially when a child is feeling down or depressed.

WebMD points out that kids who enjoy regular family dinners are less likely to become overweight or obese, smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, try marijuana, use illicit drugs, and abuse prescription drugs.

Eating as a family keeps everyone connected. According to research by Kelly Musick and Ann Meier, consistent meal times can “generate feelings of closeness and comfort.” Regular meal times, even though they may sometimes be disorganized can provide stability for a child.

During meal times, children feel more relaxed and open to their parents. They become more at ease to communicate their thoughts, experiences and feelings. Encourage kids to share things about school, friends, dreams, goals, and so on. Make it a point to listen without passing judgment.

Family dinner rituals can help your child get better grades in school. A family dinner is a great opportunity for conversation. Sharing ideas, feelings and experiences enhances a child’s vocabulary and builds confidence. Dinner time can be a platform for asking questions and getting valuable inputs from other members of the family.

How to organize a successful family dinner

Try to eat dinner as a family at least three times a week. You can gradually increase the frequency of shared meal times.

Eating dinner with the family may seem like a natural and simple routine for some but for others, it’s more of a challenge. Compensate missed dinners by substituting them with another shared meal time such as breakfast or lunch. On really busy days, you can enjoy evening snacks with the family.

It’s not enough that the whole family is present during dinner time. It’s vital that everyone enjoys the meal and spends quality time together. Here are some tips to help make meal times with the family something to look forward to.

• It’s always great to begin each meal with a prayer. Thank the Lord for bringing your family together.
• If possible, involve the family in preparing dinner. It’s a good family bonding activity. Simple things such as setting the table, chopping vegetables, dropping ingredients into the pot, mixing dips and sauces, and garnishing meals can bring the family closer to one another.
• You don’t have to cook something fancy to please your family. A simple but healthy dinner will do. It’s nice to cook family favorites and introduce something new and interesting every now and then. End the meal with a delicious dessert to please everyone’s palate.
• Create a relaxing atmosphere during dinner time. Avoid distractions by turning off the television, putting cell phones on silent mode, and putting away handheld gadgets.
• Make dinner time special by bringing out special plates or silverware, adding some flowers on the table, lighting a candle, and so on. You can also play soothing music in the background to trigger a relaxation response.
• Take a moment to appreciate your blessings. As the day comes to an end, it feels good to reflect about the positive things that happened. Express your gratitude for both big and small things. For example, you can thank the people who helped prepare and cook the meal. You can congratulate your child for a particular school achievement. There are so many things to be grateful for.
• Enjoy the meal and talk about the positive highlights of the day. Refrain from talking about problems to maintain an air of cheerfulness. Avoid topics that can make kids feel uneasy such as poor grades, behavior problems, grounding issues, etc. It’s best to reserve the serious matters for another time.

Photo from Pixabay. Public domain.
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Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University. Rachel is a mom to a charming boy and married to an entrepreneur who has a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.

Ang “highlight” ng Holy Week ay ang pagpako kay Jesus Christ sa krus. Para sa mga Kristiano, dito umiinog ang doktrina ng salvation (“pagsalba ng sangkatauhan sa kasalanan”) at atonement (“panunumbalik sa Diyos sa pamamagitan ng pagkamatay at muling pagbangon ni Hesukristo”).

Dito rin – habang nakapako sa krus — sinasabing binanggit ni Hesus ang seven last words (“siyete palabras”):  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” / “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” / “Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.” / “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” / “I thirst.” / “It is done.” / “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Binanggit rin sa Bible ang ilang supernatural events habang si Hesus ay nakapako sa Krus. Sa totoo lang, kahit hindi ka saradong Katoliko, aaminin mong ang event na ito na isinalarawan sa Bible ay “awesome!” It captures your imagination. Kaya marami ring pamahiin at tradisyon ang nagsulputan base dito sa event na ito.  Nariyan ang bawal ang mag-ingay, bawal ang maligo (excused siguro kapag nangangamoy ka na, ‘no?), bawal ang kumain ng karne (sabi ng iba, kapag Good Friday at Ash Wednesday lang daw; sabi naman ng iba ay buong Holy Week), bawal magwalis, tumawa o ngumiti kapag Good Friday. Buong Holy Week, bawal din ang gumamit ng matatalim na gamit, at bawal maglakad (mamasyal). Grounded ang 80% ng populasyon ng Pilipinas!

May mga Pinoy expressions din na may Holy Week references, gaya ng “Mukha kang Biyernes Santo.” Dahil siguro maraming bawal?

Penitensya ang general term natin sa mga pagdurusang ito na kakabit ng Holy Week. Pero mayroong mga kakaibang penitenya ang iba nating kababayan na nakakabit sa Holy Week, gaya ng paghampas sa sarili (self-flaggelation), at – pagdating ng Good Friday — ang pagpapapako sa krus.

SELF FLAGELLATION AND CARRYING OF THE CROSS

May mga ilang lugar sa Pilipinas, gaya ng Pampanga, na kung saan tradisyon na kapag Holy Week ang paghahampas sa sarili (self-flagellation) at pagbuhat ng Krus habang umiikot nang nakapaa sa mga kalsada ng bayan.  Sa buong Pilipinas, umaabot sa daan-daan ang bilang ng mga gumagawa nito.

Ang self-flagellation ay nakatali naman sa paglatigo kay Hesus. Sinasabing ang mga Franciscans ang nag-promote ng self-flagellation para maka-identify ang mga mananampalataya sa mga pagdurusa ni Hesus.

Ngayon, sa Pilipinas at sa Mexico na lang may gumagawa nito.

Gumagamit sila ng malilliit na latigo kung saan may nakadikit na blade sa dulo, at hinahampas ang mga likuran nila hanggang ito ay magdugo.

Ang iba naman ay, gaya ni Corazon Cabigting (oo, babae!) ay nagsusuot ng maroon na robe, tinatakpan ang mukha niya ng veil, may koronang tinik na gawa sa gawa sa matitinik na halaman (ang iba ay gawa na sa stainless steel), habang binubuhat sa balikat niya ang isang kahoy na krus na may timbang na 30 kilos. Humihinto siya sa mga gawa-gawang munting chapel sa gilid ng kalsada.

Ang iba naman ay nakatali ang mga kamay sa krus habang hinahampas ng sticks o ng latigong gawa sa abaca.  Ginagawa ito habang kumakanta ang matatandang babae ng pasyon.

Ang rason nila kung bakit nila ginagawa ito? Iba’t-iba rin ang dahilan: para gumaling ang sakit nila, para mapatawad ang mga kasalanan nila, para matupad ang mga dasal at kahilingan nila, at ang iba naman ay simpleng pagpapatuloy ng tradisyong nakagisnan na mula nang malilit pa sila.  Ang tradisyong ito ay sinimulan mga 60 taon na ang nakalipas.

THE “MAIN EVENT”

Pero ang pinaka-highlight ng lahat ng ito ay ang pagpapapako sa krus ng ilang mga deboto. Isa na dito ang ang karpenterong si Rolando del Campo mula sa Pampanga.  Ginagawa n’ya raw ito dahil natupad ang hiling niyang mairaos ng misis niya ang isang mahirap na pagbubuntis.  Ang kanya namang kabalen na si Ruben Enaje ay nagpapako na nang tatlumpung (30) beses. Ginagawa raw niya ito dahil nakaligtas siya mula sa isang aksidente nang mahulog siya mula sa tatlong palapag ng isang ginagawang building.  Galing siya sa barangay ng San Pedro Cutud sa San Fernando, Pampanga na sumikat dahil sa mga pagpapapakong ito.  Ngayong Good Friday, may 20 katao ang magpapapako sa San Fernando, Pampanga.

Samantalang sa Cebu City, inaabangan na rin ang pagpapapako ni Gilbert Bargayo.  Pang-apat na beses n’ya na ito.  This time, ginagawa n’ya raw ito para sa isang malinis na eleksyon. “Orderly, no trouble, no killings,” sabi niya.  Pinasalamatan siya ng mayor ng Tuburan (kung saan gagawin ang crucifixion) dahil sa pagpili niya sa lugar nila sa taong ito. Parang nakakatawa, pero hindi po joke ‘yan.

Ang mga pakong gamit sa crucifixion ay inii-sterilize muna bago gamitin.  Ang mga ito ay pinupukpok sa pagitan ng mga buto sa kamay. Ouch naman.  Ang mga paa naman ay ipinapatong sa isang footrest kung saan doon ipinapako ang mga paa.

CONTROVERSY

Dahil nga sa kakaiba ang tradisyong ito, dinarayo na ng mga turista ang San Pedro Cutud tuwing Holy Week, lalo na kapag Good Friday.  Nagkaroon din ng mga pagkakataon na may mga foreigners ang napapako rin sa krus.  Pero sa ngayon ay hindi na pinapayagang magpapako ang mag dayuhan matapos ang isang pangyayari:  Ang Japanese na si Shinichiro Kaneko ay nagpa-crucify.  Matapos nito, napag-alamang ginamit niya pala ang footage ng pagpapapako niya sa isang —- pornographic movie.  Aba’y matinde!

CHURCH AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REACTION

In general, hindi kinukunsinti ng Simbahan ang mga ganitong practices (self-flagellation, crucifixion, atbp.), pero hindi rin nila pinipigilan, dahil sa hindi naman daw religious practice lang ang mga ito. Ang mga ito raw naging tradisyon na, na hindi nila pwedeng panghimasukan nang basta-basta.  Hindi rin naman ito pinipigilan ng local governments dahil malaki ang pumapasok na pera sa kaban nila dahil dito.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WARNING

Kung ang simbahan ay hindi ipinagbabawal ang pagpapapako sa krus, ang Department of Health ay nagbigay na ng babala na iwasan ito at ang pagpepenitensiya dahil sa panganib na dulot nito sa kalusugan.  Delikado raw ito lalo na sa mga diabetic dahil posible raw itong magdulot ng infection. Pinapayuhan din nilang magpa-anti tetanus vaccine ang mga deboto.

KABANALAN O KALOKOHAN?

Ang isyu ng paglatigo sa sarili at pagpapapako sa krus ay isyung relihiyon at ang Simbahan ang may authority para ito ay bigyan ng basbas o ipahinto ito dahil sa health concerns —- kahit pa sabihin nilang tradisyon na ito. Oo, tradisyon nga, pero tradisyong nakaugat sa relihiyon.  Sa ganang akin, hindi dapat pinahihintulutan ito. Pero sino ba naman ako? Hindi naman ako authority dito.

Ikaw, kung bibigyan ka ng pagkakataong magpapako sa krus, gagawin mo ba? Palagay ko, pareho tayo ng sagot.  Sabi nga ng namayapang si Elizabeth Ramsey sa isang commercial para sa isang bareta ng sabon noong araw:  “Magapatuka na lang ako sa ahas!”

PHOTO CREDITS:

SELF-FLAGELLATION: www.huffingtonpost.com

CARRYING CROSS: www.huffingtonpost.com

CRUCIFIXION: www.latitudenews.com

PHOTO URLs:

SELF-FLAGELLATION:

http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/218972/slide_218972_845635_free.jpg

CARRYING CROSS:

http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/218972/slide_218972_845399_free.jpg

CRUCIFIXION:

http://latitudenews.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/PhilipinoCrux.jpg

National artist series 1: Celerio, De Leon, Jose, and De la Rama

The Order of National Artists is considered as the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts (Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film, Broadcast Arts, and Architecture and Allied Arts). Fernando Amorsolo, Ramon Valera and Nick Joaquin have earned their rightful places in the roster of National Artists.

Fernando Amorsolo (May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972)

“When I came back from Spain I did nothing but paint and paint out in the open, studying the light. Maski sa Espana kung nagpipinta ako, diyan ako nagpipinta sa liwanag na liwanag. Walang akong ginawa kundi mag-observe.” – Fernando Amorsolo

Fernando Amorsolo

Portrait artist and painter Fernando C. Amorsolo is known for his excellent brushwork and skill in depicting light.

Amorsolo was born on May 30, 1892 in Paco, Manila. His father was a bookkeeper named Pedro Amorsolo who was married to Bonifacia Cueto. He had four brothers. They spent their childhood in Daet, Camarines Norte. Amorsolo and his family moved to Manila after his father’s death.

His love for art blossomed under the supervision of Philippine painter, Don Fabian de la Rosa. Amorsolo became his apprentice at the age of 13. He sold watercolor postcards to a local bookstore for 10 centavos each to help his family. His younger brother, Pablo followed his footsteps and also became a painter.

Amorsolo won several art competitions and earned numerous art distinctions while he was studying. He received medals when he graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1914. He became a part-time instructor in the same university.

A great opportunity opened up for him when Filipino businessman Enrique Zobel de Ayala gave him a grant to study at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. After studying abroad, Amorsolo returned to the Philippines in the 1920s. He applied the techniques that he learned including the back-lighting technique to his artworks. This technique eventually became his trademark in the art industry.

National Artist of the Philippines for Literature Nick Joaquin described Amorsolo’s back-lighting technique as “the rapture of a sensualist utterly in love with the earth, with the Philippine sun… an accurate expression of Amorsolo’s own exuberance.”

He set up his own studio when he returned to Manila. Amorsolo’s favorite subjects were the landscape of the Philippines and the Filipino people.

His major works include the following: Maiden in a Stream(1921)-GSIS collection; El Ciego (1928)-Central Bank of the Philippines collection; Dalagang Bukid (1936) – Club Filipino collection; The Mestiza (1943) – National Museum of the Philippines collection; Planting Rice (1946)-UCPB collection; Sunday Morning Going to Town (1958)-Ayala Museum Collection.

He became the country’s first National Artist in Painting in 1972.

Ramon Valera (August 31, 1912 – May 25, 1972)

Filipino designer Ramon Valera was born on August 31, 1912. He belonged to a wealthy family. His father, Melecio was a partner of the tycoon Vicente Madrigal. Valera showed interest in fashion at a young age. His mother, Pilar Oswald was often surprised to see the dolls on their piano wearing new clothes.

Imelda Marcos wearing Philippine terno

He became one of the first male fashion designers. Valera had a successful career in fashion design from 1930’s to 1960’s. Some of his elite clients included former First Lady Aurora Quezon, former First Lady Imelda Marcos and actress Gloria Romero.

Valera was noted for his strong creative influence on the Philippine terno. He gave new life to the traje de boda (which modern society refer to as Maria Clara). During the early 40s, Valera designed a single piece of clothing from a four-piece ensemble made up of a blouse, skirt, overskirt, and long scarf. He transformed the traditional baro’t saya into a “single dress with exaggerated bell sleeves, cinched at the waist, grazing the ankle, and zipped up at the back.”

The designer used his remarkable talents in embroidery and beadwork to revolutionize the national costume. He gave Philippine motifs a modern touch. His brilliant craftsmanship allowed him to sew a perfect dress without using a pattern. One of his innovations was replacing traditional hooks with zipper. Valera dropped the panuelo (the long folded scarf that covered the woman’s chest) which shocked the public. Many thought of his idea as immodest but some notable women such as Mrs. Claro M. recto and Mrs. Pimitivo Lovina supported the new look. Valera incorporated butterfly sleeves which became the terno’s defining characteristic.

Up to this day, Filipino designers use Valera’s terno as a benchmark in terms of construction, beadworks, applique, and others.

Valera died in 1972 at the age of 59.

He was proclaimed National Artist in 2006. Valera is the first National Artist in Fashion.

Nick Joaquin (4 May 1917 – 29 April 2004)

Nick Joaquin

Nick Joaquin was a renowned poet, novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, and biographer. He was born on May 4, 1917 in Paco, Manila. His father Leocadio Y. Joaquin was a lawyer and colonel during the Philippine revolution while his mother, Salome was a schoolteacher.

He dropped out from Mapa High School after three years of secondary education. He found classroom work boring. He used his spare time to read books at the National Library.

He began writing short stories, poems, and essays in 1934. Many of his literary works were published in Manila magazines. Some compositions were featured in foreign journals.

Joaquin is considered to be the best postwar author in the Philippines. Many of his works focused on the Spanish colonial period and the heritage of the Filipino people.

His first work entitled “Prose and Poems” in 1952 was declared by scholars as classics in Philippine writing and English. Many of his stories are continued to be read and adapted in various forms including film and theater.

Some of his notable works include “The Woman Who Had Two Navels” (1961), “The Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” (1966), “The Complete Poems and Plays of Jose Rizal” (1976), “Almanac for Manileños” (1979), “Manila: Sin City and Other Chronicles” (1980) , “Language of the Street and Other Essays” (1980), “Reportage on the Marcoses” (1979, 1981), and many more.

He was awarded National Artist of the Philippines for Literature in 1976.

Photos: “Fernando Amorsolo” c/o WikiPilipinas. Public domain; “Nick Joaquin” screencap from YouTube; “Imelda Marcos” screencap from YouTube.

Videos c/o YouTube.

The heat is so unbearable that children’s skins are breaking out, couples are having heated arguments and nearly breaking up, and the supporters of every candidate lashing out and nearly losing real-life friends, and not just the virtual ones. Forest fires are burning Bukidnon forests. Buildings in UP and UE, which house staunch critics of the Marcoses, have been razed. According to analysts, stock exchange markets around the world are on the bullish momentum once more, steam bellowing from its nostrils, deadset on revenue. The price of crude oil again has gone hot, and along with it, prime commodities such as infant milk, of which the local pharmacist has issued an official statement, and reads thus: “Hoy ha, inform lang kita, tataas na [ang gatas].” It is a good thing we do not use infant milk in halo-halo, since we are in a dejectable state, detestable and we are unsure where summer’s sunny predilection has gone.

Moisture is what we need to counter the heat. Aside from always bringing a water bottle with you whenever you go out, you can also frequent your market or talipapa coconut vendor. At the malls they have natural juice kiosks. Those are advised versus fraps and milk tea that tend to be overly sweet. If you cannot resist, then chase it up with your water.

You can make your own ice cream. This is a recipe we got into by accident. Take out the succulent meat of four ripe mangoes, put in a blender, and add all-purpose cream then puree. Add evaporated milk and sugar to taste. NOTE: DO NOT ADD ANY WATER. Refrigerate, and serve after several hours. If you add gelatin strips, then it becomes gelato. This is even easier to make than halo-halo.

But of course, eventually, you gonna getta hankerin’ for halo-halo. And so you need to get out.

Use a hat, or an umbrella, and be sure to fan yourself when the air is humid. Humid is when the air is so still you can hear the gossip-mongerers buzzing like carrier mosquitoes. We can always use air conditioning but unless we have a dedicated solar energy system, then that would further our carbon footprint.

Fanning should be moderate. Kung ikaw ay electric fan, dapat naka-number 1 ka lang. Save cents ka pa. Fanning like a madman means you generate more heat. You don’t want to generate more heat than you should, and you don’t want to look like a lunatic.  You should look hot, but you shouldn’t feel bacon greasy hot to the touch.

Should you find the nearest halo-halo offerings unsatisfactory, then you may scoot on further to where the lines are longer. Wala ka naman utang na loob dun sa suki mo sa may inyo. Location in business is most important, but in opposition to that, and of equal value, is word of mouth. Ask around. You may still satisfy your body’s natural urge for agua.

So you’re out, and with the sun on full blast, and the hot girls and guys a-plenty, the tendency is for the clothes to show more skin. Looking hot in the summer is a hefty bruncher’s worst nightmare. And then there’s that contention of whether painfully sweating it out is healthy. People with six-pack abs are essentially dehydrated.

In my opinion, a man with a flat tummy is more than enough. A man appearing to be in the first trimester of pregnancy is not too shabby either. That is how men are, ladies, get over it. Still, the shoulders, arms, thighs and calves should be sculpted. It is harder for women, because post pregnancy, their stomach region accumulates water and gets flabby. While men can still look hot with a slight protrusion, the females are pressured to have it leveled out. Go figure.

You ask the cute girl or guy, how much the halo-halo is (when you could have just as easily asked the vendor instead, you sly fox you) and you innocently strike up a conversation while puncturing shaved ice, and intently preventing a drop of milky water from literally slipping by your fingers. You are asked who you will vote for, and you reply, but que horror, your summer fling for the week is voting your candidate’s nemesis!

Before you know it, you’re flinging ube, leche flan, mongo, garbansos, and other such colorful beans, with the shaved ice and milky water, and sticking nata de coco up your fling’s nostrils, and stabbing with a plastic spoon. Now, you’re really hot, baby. Fuming hot.

The fumes in UP and UE are still fresh, and the forest fires in Bukidnon are presumed to have direct linkage with El Nino and global warming. The Mindanao region is in dire need of assistance. The weather there is getting to be so hot that the El Nino has indirectly claimed the lives of protesting farmers from Kidapawan, Bukidnon, only wanting to get by this heat storm, and feed their hungry families.

What is it, when we get to the heat of an argument, that prevents us from tapping our collective common decency, and saying to ourselves that we will not hurt a fellow Filipino, our kababayan? Please, let us not play the harsh game of politics to the point that we exterminate innocents. These are the innocents who have halo-halo to cool themselves down in the heat of the summer farthest from their minds.

Buying, no, thinking of buying halo-halo would already be a luxury.

The weather is hot, but why are they getting so cold a treatment from those who have sworn to protect them, to lead them, to serve them, when all they are peacefully protesting for is their right to survive, their fundamental human right to life?

Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/photographybycolby/16425267182

“Oh no! My phone was stolen!”

It was like a part of me was taken away. It is not that  I was materialistically attached to the gadget. It was more of the sentimental value that made it hard for me to let go. The old android was not really a hot item worth coveting. That is why I could not really understand why anyone had the interest to get it.

It was pretty hard to part with the  warm memories that came with it – it was a gift from my husband, the pictures of our children since they were babies were stored in there and I had yet to upload them to my Facebook account for keeps, not to mention the contact numbers of all my friends, family and networks.

The effect of losing my mobile phone was like a psychological mild stroke that forced me to reboot my lifestyle back to the analog days. I had to announce the bad news to everyone I met so they did not have to waste their load texting me.

But come to think of it… There were perks switching to the manual mode.

For starters, I had more physical exercise. I had to go out of my way to look for the person I needed to talk to before I could relay a message. That was a good way to burn unwanted calories.

For another, it was a chance to stretch the limits of my brain. I could no longer rely on the recorded contacts or message folders in my cell phone to automatically send messages so I was forced to memorize important numbers. I did not even know my husband’s mobile number and our own home landline by heart!   I suddenly realized how my memory went into sleep mode with too much dependence on technology. I had to actually restart and get it more activated.

I also had to be more conscious of time management. Making the extra effort of finding people and talking to them face to face may eat up some hours so I make an advanced mental note which activity to prioritize, what route to take and when I could see them to maximize breaks from office work.

Things began to get more personal, too. I did not just tell colleagues, friends and family  what I wanted or needed. Meeting up with them was a great opportunity to ask how they are and be abreast about the latest developments in their lives, promise prayers for their concerns and send regards to their spouses or parents.

I left notes for our stay-out nanny to remind her of the tasks to accomplish. I felt uncomfortable just barking orders. After the long list, I realized how busy she would be for the day so I made it a point to thank her in advance to show some appreciation. This somehow deepened her sense of loyalty and cared for our kids better.

I am the type who gets irked with people checking on me constantly (read: husband’s quirk) but strangely I began appreciating his way of showing concern. To ease off his worries, I tried my best to tell him about my schedule before I kissed him good bye. Of course, I do not leave without saying the sweet nothings, knowing that I do not have the luxury of popping up messages during the day. Now that set his good mood before getting into the daily grind.

Of course, our little daughters were not spared of some motherly smothering. I started using the hard phone instead of just texting yaya to ask how they are.  Since I can no longer make calls anytime anywhere, I did my best to finish my workload as quickly as possible to leave the office earlier than usual so I could catch our girls still awake. I used to contact them on my way home to say good night before bedtime. Without my mobile phone, I got to spend more time talking to them, reading stories and thanking Papa God for the day’s blessings. I got more details about how their day went, we had more laughter and fun leaving smiles on our faces before dozing off.

This was how my routine went for a week before I realized that I just left my cell phone at my parents-in-laws’ place.

After beating up myself for a while for the senior moment lapse, I quickly realized that it was not really that bad going “primitive” for a while. Yes, it made me realize my priorities despite the busy schedule. And yes, it entailed more time consuming errands and mind-straining memorization but I got to appreciate relationships better again. Not bad at all.

Photo credits: inhabitat.com

Naging magkasintahan sina Joseph at Kayla simula noong 4th year high school sila. Marami ang nagsabi na bagay sila. May kaunting pagkahawig ang dalawa kaya kumbinsido ang lahat na sila ang magkakatuluyan.

Kahit magkaibang kurso at unibersidad sila pumasok pagdating sa kolehiyo, nanatiling matatag ang samahan nina Joseph at Kayla. Hindi sila nagkaroon ng alinlangan sa isa’t isa dahil alam nila na matibay ang kanilang pagmamahalan. May mga ibang lalaki na umaligid kay Kayla sa unibersidad ngunit hindi niya ito binigyan ng pansin. Madaming kaklaseng babae si Joseph sa kanyang pinasukan pero kahit minsan, hindi siya natukso.

Noong sila ay nakapagtapos sa kolehiyo, minabuti ng dalawa na magtrabaho muna bago sila magpakasal. Pagkatapos ng tatlong taon, ang magkasintahang Joseph at Kayla ay nagpakasal.
Naging masaya ang kanilang pagsasama. Nagkaroon sila ng anak makalipas ang isang taon. Para sa kanilang mga kamag-anak at malapit na kaibigan na nasubaybayan ang kanilang pagmamahalan, maswerte sina Joseph at Kayla dahil natagpuan nila ang kanilang true love.

Gayun na lamang ang panghihinayang ng kanilang mga kakilala nang malaman na naghiwalay ang dalawa pagkatapos ng dalawang taon. Maraming nagtanong kung bakit. Hindi malinaw ang dahilan ng paghihiwalay ng dalawa. Ayon sa kanila, napagisip-isip nila na hindi pala sila para sa isa’t isa.

Tuluyan silang naghiwalay. Nagkasundo ang dalawa na pagtutulungan nilang palakihan ang nagiisa nilang anak.

Sa kasalukuyan, may kanya-kanya na silang ka-relasyon. Hinihintay lamang nila na makuha ang kanilang annulment upang makapagmove-on na sila.

Nakakalungkot kapag naghihiwalay ang mga taong minsan ay minahal ang isa’t isa nang lubos.

Hindi na nagugulat ang mga tao kapag naririnig nila na may naghiwalay. Normal na daw kasi ang hiwalayan ngayon.

Sa makabagong panahon na ito, uso pa ba ang forever?

Ang sarap pakinggan ng salitang forever ngunit hindi ito madaling makamtan. Minsan yung akala mong panghabang-buhay, may hanganan pala.

Pero hindi naman porke marami kayong kilala na naghiwaly, ganun na din ang mangyayari sa inyong buhay. Tandaan ninyo, hawak ninyo ang inyong mga kapalaran. Huwag kayong mawalan ng pag-asa. Lahat naman tayo ay may pag-asang magkaroon ng forever.

Ang mga sumusunod ay ilan lamang mga suhestiyon na maaaring makatulong para ang inyong relasyon ay magtagal nang panghabang-buhay.

Panatiliin ang “kilig” sa inyong pagsasama. Ang payo ko sa mga kalalakihan, huwag huminto sa panliligaw. Hindi porke sinagot or nagpakasal na kayo ay hindi niyo na bibigyan ng kaukulang pansin ang inyong kabiyak.

Sikapin ninyo na magkaroon ng panahon para sa isa’t isa. Hindi dahilan ang pagiging abala.

Minsan nakakalimutan na magrelax dahil sa dami ng trabaho at problema. Kapag pagod ang utak at katawan sa pag-iisip, nagiging dahilan ito ng pag-aaway o hindi pagkakaintindihan.

Maglaan ng oras na magsaya. Huwag magsasawang mag-date kahit na may anak na kayo. Maaaring kumain sa labas, mamasyal, manood ng sine, manood ng concert, at iba pa. Hindi kailangan gumastos ng malaki para maging masaya. Pwede naman na simple lang ang date basta magkasama kayo.

Surpresahin pa minsan-minsan ang inyong mga mahal sa buhay. Mag-uwi ng kanilang paboritong pagkain, bigyan sila ng bulaklak, gumawa ng reservation sa paborito nilang restaurant, bilhan sila ng isang simple bagay na pakapagpapasaya sa kanila, at iba pa.

Taon-taon ninyong ipagdiwang ang inyong annibersayo dahil ang bawat taon na lumipas ay isang magandang biyaya.

Huwag maging kuripot sa magbibigay ng papuri sa inyong kabiyak. Minsan kasi masyado na tayong sanay na kasama ang isa’t isa kaya nakakaligtaan natin na purihin ang mga magagandang bagay sa bawa’t isa.

Panatiliing bukas ang daloy ng komunikasyon. Bigyan ang isa’t isa ng oras upang mag-usap. Kahit abala sa hanap-buhay, importante na magkaroon ng panahon na magkwentuhan. Pumili ng lugar na tahimik at wala masyadong istorbo para makapag-usap ng mabuti.

Magandang pagkakataon na makapag-usap tuwing nagsasalo-salo sa hapunan. Alamin ang mga nangyari sa isa’t isa sa araw na iyon. Mas mainam na tutukan ang mga masasayang pangyayari kaysa sa mga malulungkot na bagay at mga problema.

Kapag parating nasa byahe, tulad ng mga OFWs, maaaring mag-usap sa telepono o magpadala ng liham o email.

Maging tapat sa isa’t isa. Ang pagiging tapat ay isang importanteng aspeto ng matagumpay na relasyon. Maging komportable na magbahagi ng mga nararamdaman (positibo o negatibo) sa bawa’t isa. Parating magsabi ng totoo sa iyong kabiyak. Ilahad ang mga bagay-bagay na nasa isipan at puso. Kapag tapat kayo sa isa’t isa, mas madaling hanapan ng solusyon ang mga problema. Kung baga sa damit, mas madaling tanggalin ang gusot kapag parati kayong nagsasabi ng totoo. Tandaan na ang isang kasinungalingan ay kadalasang nasusundan ng iba pang mga kasinungalingan. Ang isang relasyon na napapagitnaan ng mga kasinungalingan ay madalas na nasisira. Kung gusto mo ng forever, maging tapat ka sa iyong kabiyak.

Matutong tanggapin ang mga kakulangan ng isa’t isa. Minsan meron tayong mga pagkukulang. Ang totoong pagmamahal ay ang pagtanggap sa isa’t isa nang buong buo. Huwag ninyong hangarin na magbago ang kabiyak dahil ito ang nais ninyo. Mahalin sila ng walang natatagong kondisyon.

Sa isang relasyon, importante ang magbigayan. Hindi sa lahat ng oras ikaw ang tama. Pag-usapan mabuti ang sitwasyon. Bago gumawa ng desisyon, pag-aralan muna ang mga pangyayari. Timbangin ang positibo at negatibo. Lawakan ang pag-iisip upang magkaroon ng solusyon na makakabuti sa bawa’t isa.

Humingi ng tawad kapag nagkamali o nakasakit ng damdamin. Walang taong perpekto. Minsan kailangan magkamali para mas matuto. Kung nais mong magkaroon ng panghabang-buhay na pagsasama, kailangan maging mahinanon at tanggapin ang iyong mga pagkukulang. Huwag pairalin ang pride dahil maaari nitong wasakin ang matagal niyo nang pagsasama.

Kung marunong kayo humingi ng tawad, kailangan matuto din kayong magpatawad. Tulad ng nasabi ko nung una, walang perpektong tao. May mga pagkakataon na nasasaktan tayo sa salita, desisyon o pag-uugali ng mahal natin sa buhay.

Ibukas ang isip at puso sa pagpapatawad. Kapag nagkamali ang iyong kabiyak, bigyan siya ng pagkakataon ng ituwid ang kanyang nagawang hindi tama. Ang pagpapatawad ay nakakagaan ng saloobin.

Sabihin ninyo sa inyong kabiyak kung gaano sila ka importante sa inyo. Parati ninyong sabihin na mahal na mahal ninyo sila. Iparamdam ninyo na importante sila sa inyong buhay.

Photo from Pixabay. Public domain.
—————————–
Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University. Rachel is a mom to a charming boy and married to an entrepreneur who has a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.

SABI NI LEILA DE LIMA, KUNG GAGAWIN  DAW

na pelikula ang buhay niya,

gusto niya ay si Dawn Zulueta ang gaganap.

Pwede!

Pwede si Dawn ang gaganap na…

amo niya.

GAGA…

nap.

*****

PWEDE RING SI DAWN…. PEPOT.

O si Dawnya Buding.

*****

ANG GUSTO RAW NIYANG TITLE?

“The Lady Justice.”

Pwede!

Pero mas okay yata kung

“The Lady Dilim Ah!”

(The REAL Dark Justice).

*****

PAPAYAG NAMAN KAYA SI DAWN ZULUETA?

Siguro.

Kung may magaling na

PROSTHETICS makeup artist.

*****

DI BA ANG BEST ASSET DAW NI DE LIMA

ay ang kanyang boses?

Boses lang.

Eh di gawin na lang nating

RADIO DRAMA ‘yang talambuhay na ‘yan.

Good idea!

Iwas sore eyes.

*****

ETO PA ANG ISANG “HOT MOMMA”:

NAPOLES GRANTED BAIL BY THE SANDIGANBAYAN.

Money talks?

Not so easy.

*****

DAMAY LANG SI JANET LIM NAPOLES

dahil pareho sila ng kaso ni Rizalina Lanete,

ang dismissed Masbate Governor.

Pero sa palagay ko

ang target talaga ng pagpapalayang ito

ay si ex-Gov. Lanete lang.

Siya ay makakalaya on bail

pero hindi si Napoles dahil may mga iba pa itong kaso

at nasentensyahan na ito ng reclusion perpetua

para sa illegal detention case laban kay Benhur Luy.

Hmm…. interesting?

Read on.

*****

SI EX-GOV. RIZALINA SEACON LANETE

ay dating Congresswoman ng 3^rd District ng Masbate

Nang maging governor ito ng Masbate noong 2010,

ang anak niyang si Scott Davies

ang pumalit sa kanya.

Ang isa pa niyang anak na si Joshur Judd II

ang kasalukuyang mayor ng Placer, Masbate.

Ngayon ay tumatakbo siya bilang vice-governor.

Ang isa pa niyang anak ay si Atty. Jesi Howard.

Siya ang nagbayad ng bail ng nanay niya.

May napansin ba kayo?

Si Rizalina na may nakapaka-Pinoy na pangalan

ay may mga anak with imported-sounding names!

Dinaig si Madame Grace!

*****

TULOY ANG KUWENTO…

Si Gov. Lanete ay nadawit sa PDAF (pork barrel) scam

at ikinulong sa kasong graft and plunder.

Si gov ay may 11 counts ng graft and plunder

dahil sa diumano’y pagkurakot ng P10 billion

na ginamit sa pekeng NGOs, na diumano’y

pagmamay-ari ni Pork Barrel Scam Queen Napoles.

Nakulong siya sa Camp Bagong Diwa sa Taguig City

mula pa noong Febuary 2015.

So… bakit siya binigyan ng bail?

*****

SABI NG SANDIGANBAYAN,

napatunayan daw nila na

hindi naman nagkita personally

sina Lanete at Napoles.

Hindi rin daw umattend si Lanete

ng kahit na anumang party o pa-misa ni Napoles.

Sinabi rin daw ni Benhur Luy,

ang primary state witness,

na never siyang nag-abot ng pera kay Lanete.

Lusot!

*****

MAGKANO ANG BAIL?

Ang anak ni Lanete na si Atty. Jesi Howard

ay nagbayad ng P500,000 bail from plunder

at P330,000 bail para sa 11 counts of graft.

Ang Janet Napoles was like,

“Barya.”

*****

AT NAG-DUET SINA JINGGOY AT BONG:

“Paano naman kami??”

*****

ETO ANG CONNECT THE DOTS:

Si ex-Gov. Rizalina Seachon Lanete

at ang mga anak niyang nasa politika rin

ay nasa ilalim ng National People’s Coalition (NPC)

ni Danding Cojuangco.

Si Danding din ang namumuhunan

sa kampanya ngayon ni Grace Poe.

Si Danding ay uncle ni Pres. BS Aquino III.

Mayaman si Lolo Danding.

Now,

connect the dots.

*****

SPEAKING OF BAIL…

AFTER TWO WEEKS IN DETENTION,

napalaya na rin under bail

ang mga pobreng magsasaka

na kinulong for a variety of charges,

including direct assault and frustrated murder.

Niloko pa sila dahil sinabing bibigyan daw ng bigas,

iyon pala ay ikukulong sila.

Tapos magtataka kayo

kung bakit maraming galit sa gobyernong ito???

*****

NAGUTOM NANG 3 BUWAN.

Sumigaw para marinig ng gobyerno.

Pinaulanan ng bala.

82 bullets in total.

Isa sa mga nasapul ay si Darwin Sulang.

Sumirit ang dugo mula sa kanyang bungo.

He was just 22 years old.

*****

APAT NA BALA NAMAN

ang tumama kay Victor Lumundang, 18 years old.

Dalawang bala sa kaliwang binti,

isa sa kanan, at isa pa sa tumagos sa lalamunan niya.

“Ang gusto lang niya,”  sabi ng nanay ni Victor,

“ay mag-uwi ng bigas.”

*****

ISANG LINGGONG HINDI KUMIBO

ANG PANGULO TUNGKOL DITO.

*****

ANG BAIL PARA SA MGA MAGSASAKA,

na umabot sa P546,000

ay nabayaran nina Aiza Seguerra at Liza Diño

na nag-raise funds sa tulong ng mga artists

at concerned groups.

Salamat sa mga taong tulad nila.

Kung sa gobyerno lang tayo aasa?

NGANGA.

*****

Umabot na sa 37.5 ang temperatura

sa Metro Manila kahapon.

At nasa 42 degrees naman ang heat index

o yung nararamdamang init.

Ito na ang pinamakainit na naitala

so far this year.

Nilalagnat na ang buong bansa.

*****

AT TATAAS PA RAW ITO, SABI NG MGA EXPERTS.

Magkukumbulsyon na ang buong bansa.

*****

READY FOR MORE BAD NEWS?

MERALCO SUBSCRIBERS

malamang na magkaroon daw ng rotating brownouts

dahil kulang daw ang supply ng kuryente.

Malapit na ang eleksyon.

23 days na lang.

Tapos may balitang magba-brownout.

Hmmm….

Connect the dots na naman ba ito??

*****

ANG BALIKATAN EXERCISES

ay ginagawa para pagtibayin ang US-Pinoy relations

at para rin pagtibayin ang security

laban sa terrorism and other enemies

(tulad ng China?)

NEWS:

American soldiers and Pinoy cops

nagrambulan sa isang bar sa Palawan.

Pinoy na pulis bumunot ng baril.

At natawa ang nga Intsik.

*****

HINDI PINANGALANAN NG AMERIKA

ang mga sundalong na-involve sa gulo,

pero sinabi nilang pinauwi na raw ang mga ito.

Weh?

Paano namin malalaman?

Gaya ng dati…

ASA PA.

*****

GAYA NG PANAHON,

umiinit din ang patutsadahan

ng mga presidential candidates.

Pero ang bugbog-sarado ngayon

ay si Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Ganun talaga pag nangunguna,

siya ang pupukulin.

*****

SEN. MIRIAM’S BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL!

At dinumog ang kanyang sorties

sa Iloilo (noong Wednesday)

at sa Baguio City (kahapon, April 16).

Good for you, madam!

Bigla ko lang naalala ang isang quote:

“Whoever said that WINNING isn’t everything

obviously never had cancer.”

*****

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG WHILE

ay nagsama ulit sila ng running mate niyang

si Sen. BongBong Marcos.

In less than a week,

two sorties and pinagsamahan nila.

May himala!

*****

VIRAL NA NGAYON ANG ISANG MADE-UP CONVO

between Sens. Poe at Chiz.

Ginawa ito ni @Ryan San Juan.

POE: Chis, saan tayo kakain?

CHIZ: Salamat at naitanong mo iyan.

Ang lugar kung saan tayo kakain ay di mahalaga.

Una sa lahat, dapat malaman natin kung ano ang kakain natin

base sa ating panlasa. Sa edad nating ito importante

na i-prioritze natin ang pagkonsumo ng

masusutansyang pagkain tulad ng gulay at prutas

at umiwas sa mga tinatawag ng fastfood.

Sa paraang ito patuloy pa nating mapagsilbihan

ang ating bansa ng malusog at iwas sa sakit.

POE: Sang-ayon ako sa mga nabanggit mo Chiz.

Maidagdag ko lamang, dapat din nating isaalang-alang

na marapat lamang tayo ay kumain din sa tamang oras.

Sapagkat aanhin mo ang nutrisyon kung ikaw

ay nalilipasan ng gutom. Ayon sa pag-aaral

ng mga eksperto sa ibang bansa ang pagkain

sa tamang oras mahalaga upang mapanaitiling alerto

ang isipan at maliksi ang katawan.

CHIZ: Kung iyong mamarapatin, nais kong imungkahi

na tayo ay tumungo sa paborito kong kainan

sa Tomas Morato sapagkat sa oras na ito ay maluwag

ang trapiko at malaki ang tsansa na hindi tayo

malilipasan ng gutom sa bilis ng byahe at bilis ng serbisyo.

POE: Huwag na tayong mag aksaya ng panahon

at atin ng simulan ang pagtungo sa kainan

ng may tapang at puso na harapin

ang anumang makisalamuha sa daan

patungong kalusugan.

*****

POST NG ISANG FB FRIEND KANINA LANG

(Warning: for adults only):

Hutragis kayong mga taga LRT Monumento kayo!

Pinahaba nyo muna ang pila ng sasakay

saka kayo magsasabi na may sira ang TREN?

Nakakapanggigil kayong mga h**dot kayo!

Tama lang na sigawan kayo

at mura murahin ng mga tao!

Grrrrr!!! Nakakaasar amp*ta!

Umayos-ayos naman kayo, LRT/MRT management!

Dahil sa kapalpakan n’yo,  mga ulo nami’y lalong…

UMIINEEEEEEEETTTT!!!!

*****

YAHOO! NEW ITEM TODAY:

Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch unlikely.

Huh?

Bakit may ganitong news pa???

Di ba’t retired na si Mayweather

at ganun din ang announcement ni Pacman?

Hmmm…

may naaamoy ba kayo?

May Plan B ba sakaling hindi umubra

ang balak na pag-upo sa Senado?

You know.

*****

SABI NI STEPHEN ESPINOZA

(Showtime Sports general manager):

“Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch?

it’s really up to the audience, to the fans and the writers.

I know from talking to Floyd — if there’s demand

for a particular fight — I think he will give it

strong consideration…

If people are interested in that fight

then I think they’ll make their voices heard

and we’ll start working on it.”

Ano ba talaga koya?

Ayaw ni Mommy D!!!

*****

NARINIG N’YO NA BA YUNG AD NI SEN. DRILON?

Sabi sa ad niya,

siya raw ang BIG MAN.

Pero dahil sa pagkakasangkot nito

sa DAP/PDAF (PORK) scam,

mas bagay yata kung…

PIG MAN.

Oink.

*****

PHOTO CREDITS:

JANET NAPOLES:  philnews.ph

LEILA DE LIMA: www.youtube.com

RIZALINA LANETE:  professionalheckler.com

KIDAPAWAN FARMER’S WIFE:  www.mindanews.com

SEN. MIRIAM SANTIAGO: http://all-about-juan.info/2016/04/sen-miriam-defensor-santiago-slu-baguio-city/

Etled21.jpg?w=510

KIDAPAWAN FARMER’S WIFE:

http://www.mindanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/13rally22.jpg

Long before the ukay-ukay fever hit the metro, I was already in the thick of it. Thanks to my auntie’s influence.

She ran a sari-sari store in front of my grandmother’s house where I used to live during my college days. The small business did not give her much of an income but her closet told a different story. It was filled to the brim with signature clothes, accessories and fancy looking bags. Much more priceless was the look on her face everytime she came from the marketplace. It was as if she discovered a treasure trove and could not help but glow in excitement as she showed  off her precious finds in one hand and a basketful of vegetables and poultry in another.

“Look at this Guess green tops, this cost 10 pesos only!  This United Colors of Benetton, I got for 15 pesos!”

Yes, I know. It is a weird combination. Back then, those expensive brands were usually found in exclusive shops selling PX goods. So how come these really, really nice shirts came hand in hand with really, really “not so nice” products from the market. Wet market at that.

I found the “treasure chest” in the most unlikely place. Tita’s “bayong” of veggies was a dead give-away.

As a university student living far from home on a meager allowance, I had to maximize my money. I did not buy my weekly rations from the tourist front of Baguio. I trod the dark alleys of the market until I reached what we called Hilltop where freshly picked greens were delivered by the bulk and we could get them at a lower price. There was also fish, shrimps, meat, chicken and what-have-you. With a few hundred pesos stashed in my pocket, I go home carrying a heavy bag of stocks good enough to last me a week.

One fateful weekend, I decided to take another alley to Hilltop and emerged to a crowded stall. The journalist instinct within prodded me to check it out.

Lo and behold! It was the treasure chest! It was in the guise of a large carton filled with lots of used clothing. After a quick mental calculation of the amount I could spare from my tight budget, I joined the giddy hands and dug in.

By the time I got home, I was wearing the same silly grin on my face like a cat’s smirk with a big catch in between his teeth. One look at me and Tita knew I found her secret source.

My great finds were affirmed by the praises I got from my classmates. “Nice get-up!”

“Where did you buy that? I can’t find that in the department store.”

“Tough luck.” I thought and gave a knowing grin as I answered, “Diyan lang sa tabi-tabi (just nearby).”

The compliments were heart-warming but nothing compared to the thrill of the hunt. Like needle in a haystack, the treasure was hidden somewhere under the mound of assorted clothes. My senses were heightened like a hound’s nose up in the air and a wolf’s sharp eyes on the look out for the hunt. Once found, I went for the kill, making sure it was tightly clawed lest someone else’s fingers would get it.

Fast forward to my days as a young professional in Manila, I noticed how my officemates were so brand-conscious. A light bulb moment clicked.

I travelled back to the boondocks to rediscover the trove. By this time, the ukay-ukay business was beginning to boom and there were many stalls around Burnham Park. It was double delight. Aside from the big boxes, the clothes were already line-up in rows and rows of racks. The hunt began… Again, the thrift shop junkie’s senses were up.

With each colleague’s fashion style in mind, I rummaged for dresses, jackets and blouses  that could suit them. Back to my place in the city, I soaked the clothes in warm water mixed with sanitizer, hand-washed them and finish off with a fragrant fabric conditioner. After a good ironing, the crisp-looking and imported-smelling merchandise were ready for the big sale. They were good as new.

My clueless clients bit the bait at the price three times higher than I got them and they were happy about their great buys. Besides, where can they find signatures selling at 200 pesos without dreading to meet someone else sporting the same get-up? Malls were selling RTWs by the bulk and the last thing my fashionista friends liked was having a mirror-image of their wearables in the middle of a public place.

Business was thriving as my wares sold like hotcakes. But I had to stop before any of them discovered my source. Well, it was good while it lasted.

These days, I still browse through ukay-ukay shops once in a while but the excitement has faded. The local thrift shops now sell their products at prices higher than brand new items in Divisoria, Baclaran and Quiapo. My “wais” side tells me it is more practical to go to those place before the holidays to make the best out of the budget while making my kids and husband happy.

As a wife and mommy, I now get my pesonal, er… personal highs from garage sales for great finds. Sell it a thrice the price again? Hmmm… let me think about it.

Photo credits: www.yelp.com/biz/housing-works-thrift-shop-new-york-4

Little hands in the kitchen

The kitchen is a good bonding place for the family. Allowing kids to help you in the kitchen can open their eyes about the value of proper nutrition, food preparation and cooking. Start them young to build a great learning experience.

Dina, a 39-year old working mom, enjoys spending time with her two young daughters in the kitchen during weekends. Every Saturday morning, right after breakfast, she takes them with her to the wet market to buy fresh meat, seafood, fruits and vegetables. It’s a routine that the girls always look forward to.

The kids have gotten used to the sights, sounds and even the scent of the wet market. They don’t mind getting their shoes wet and a little dirty when they walk on the wet floors of the market. Dina shares how her kids like to help her choose fresh produce. They even carry their own cute little baskets where they insist in putting some of the things they buy.

As soon as Dina and the girls get home from the wet market, they go straight to the kitchen and begin food preparations. Some might think of kitchen duties as a chore but for Dina and her daughters, kitchen time is all about fun learning. The kids love donning their little aprons and help their mom cook. They are always eager to learn something new in the kitchen.

The eldest, Denise, 11 years old can already cook sinigang and tinola with minimal supervision. She also loves baking brownies and cupcakes. Ysabel, 9 years old loves being her mom and ate’s assistant in the kitchen. Together, they love preparing weekend meals. The kitchen is always filled with laughter and cheerful banter.

For the siblings, the best reward of the day, is getting praises and kisses from their dad for their cooking. The man of the house happens to be their number one fan.

Kitchen is like a classroom

Encourage young kids to help you in the kitchen. Don’t’ worry too much about the mess that they might create. Tidying up is part of the learning experience. Make kitchen time something worth looking forward to. The following are just some of the valuable lessons that kids can pick up when you expose them to the kitchen at an early age.

Kid in the kitchen

• Attuning senses – The kitchen is a good place to help children become more aware of different senses. Food preparation, cooking and baking can teach kids about new colors, textures, tastes, smells, and more.

• Motor skills – Letting toddlers and preschoolers help you in the kitchen can help develop their fine motor skills. You can do this through simple kitchen activities such as letting young kids rip and peel food paper wrappers, open containers, sort ingredients, sprinkle, pour, stir, and mix ingredients.

• Math skills – Kids can learn simple math concepts in the kitchen. Young kids can learn basic counting using various ingredients. School-aged children can practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division when going through the proportion of ingredients in the recipe. Kids learn the importance of accuracy when they use measuring tools like measuring cups and spoons.

• Nutrition – Involving kids in kitchen duties helps them understand the importance of good nutrition. Letting them help out in the kitchen at an early stage is an opportunity to expose them to different fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food. Kids are more open to trying out new dishes when they help prepare it.

• Reading and comprehension – Go through the recipe with your kids. Encourage them to read the list of ingredients and procedure out loud. Guide kids through every step to help them understand the significance of using the right amount of ingredients and sequence of adding them as you cook the dish. Involving children in the cooking process also enhances their ability to follow directions.

• Communication – Establishing clear communication in the kitchen is essential in cooking a meal. Miscommunication can ruin a dish. Give kids clear instructions and explain each step so that they can understand what they are doing. Encourage them to ask questions if they are uncertain or confused about something. Teach them about the meaning of new and unfamiliar words or concepts.  You can also share stories and talk about anything under the sun while cooking. Talking fosters unity and closeness in the family.

fun pancakes

• Creativity – Cultivate kids’ creativity in the kitchen by letting them garnish their food. Let children have a little fun by using cookie cutters to create different shapes out of fruits and vegetables; decorating cookies with colorful sprinkles; or putting cute faces on their pancakes using syrup, cream, fruits, and more. Unleashing creativity in the kitchen is fun and encourages kids to try different kinds of food.

• Problem solving – The more frequent kids help out in the kitchen, the more they learn how to solve small problems. For instance, when you run out of a particular ingredient, discuss possible alternatives with your child. This allows a child to think outside the box.

• Confidence – Acknowledge kids for a job well done in the kitchen. Positive feedback can boost kids’ self-esteem and inspire them to learn more. Keep in mind that mistakes can become learning experiences. When children make errors in the kitchen, do not reprimand them. Goof- ups are part of the learning experience. Teach them to be more attentive and careful next time to avoid committing the same mistake.

• Independence – The more time children spend in the kitchen with you, the more independent they become. It’s important to supervise kids in the kitchen but give them a little freedom too. Let them know that you believe in them. When they are confident about what they are doing, they become more self-reliant.

• Responsibility – Expose kids to age-appropriate kitchen tasks to give them a sense of responsibility. Make sure that the tasks are tailored for the kids’ maturity level as well as their dexterity.

• Social skills – Encourage kids to help prepare and serve food for guests during gatherings. The food can be a good topic during conversation. Kids who help out in the kitchen can share how happy and proud they are about helping prepare the food. It’s also a good opportunity to teach kids about importance of good table manners.

Photo1 from Pixabay.  Public domain; Photo 2 from Pixabay. Public domain; Photo 3 from Pixabay. Public domain.
—————————–
Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University. Rachel is a mom to a charming boy and married to an entrepreneur who has a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.

Do you know how to keep a secret?

Eunice (not her real name) holds a secret close to her heart. Her friend told her something that she promised not to tell anyone else. Her friend is ashamed of something she has done in the past. She confided in Eunice and counts on her to keep it a secret. Eunice feels honored that her friend chose to share the private information with her and no one else. Eunice gave her word that she will never betray her friend’s trust but there’s a heavy feeling in her heart. The secret is somehow weighing her down.

Bass and his sister are organizing an intimate surprise party for their cousin. They invited a couple of family and friends to the party. They all agreed to keep it a secret from the birthday celebrant until the big day.

Everyone has secrets. Some may be trivial while others may be a little more profound. Some are easier to keep than orders.

There are people who keep secrets because the situation calls for it. Some individuals guard certain information because they are guilty, ashamed or embarrassed about something they have done. Some may be afraid that putting things out in the open will make others criticize, shun, or worse hate them.

In some cases, a person is afraid that if a secret comes out, it can destroy a relationship, reputation or something that he/she deeply values in life. Secrets that disturb the conscience are usually associated with behavior that goes beyond the moral lines.

Confiding your secret in a trusted family member, friend, or colleague can help make you feel better.

Being entrusted with a secret may not be easy. A person may feel honored but at the same time burdened by something that he/she promised to keep to himself/herself.

If you find yourself at the receiving end of a secret, what do you do? The obvious answer is to keep quiet about it and guard the secret with your heart, whether it’s a small or big secret unless it can potentially harm another person.

Keep the golden rule in mind, “Do unto others what you want them to do unto you.” When you tell someone a secret, you expect them to keep it and not tell others. If someone tells you a secret, it’s only right that you do the same. Here are some tips to help you keep private information to yourself.

1. Do not commit if you cannot keep a secret. Ask yourself if you can take the pressure of guarding a secret before making a commitment of keeping one. Be sure that you understand the gravity of the secret before listening to it. If someone hints or tells you that he/she is about to tell you a secret, it is recommended to ask for some information first. If the secret has the potential to put you in a precarious or dangerous position, you have the option to listen to it or not.

It also helps to know the duration of the secret. How long do you have to keep a secret? Is it a short-term or long-term secret?

It is advisable to decline listening to the secret if you think that you will have a difficult time keeping the secret. Do so with kindness and tact to avoid hurting the other party.

2. Keep your lips sealed. A secret means you cannot tell anybody else about it. If your friend tells you that she is pregnant and asks you to keep it a secret, you should not tell another soul … not even your mother, father, sibling, or spouse. Telling your mom about it and asking her not to share it with anyone else is betraying your friend’s trust. The best thing to do is to keep quiet about it.

3. Do not write about it. Prevent a secret from leaking by not writing about it. Jotting down secrets in your diary or blog can cause problems. Someone might find out about the secret if another person gets hold of your diary whether intentionally or not. An anonymous blog post can reveal the secret if a person puts the pieces together.

4. If you cannot keep the secret any longer, be honest about it. Be truthful to the person who told you the secret if you believe that revealing it can help someone’s situation, solve a problem or protect a person’s safety or health.

5. Act as if you do not know anything. You might be forced to lie about knowing something in order to protect a secret. Some people who think that you know a secret might intentionally put you on the spot hoping that you spill the beans. Avoid being on the hot seat by pretending that you don’t know what they are talking about. Think of ways to change the topic. If they insist on prying, make a polite excuse and leave.

6. Do not put yourself in a dangerous position. If you spring up the topic that borders closely to the secret, you might be unwittingly tempting yourself to leak information. Always be aware of your choice of topics when talking to other people.

7. When the secret becomes so burdensome, you might feel the urge for some relief. If you feel stressed about harboring a secret, it may help if you share the secret with an inanimate object, infant or a pet. It may sound like a weird idea but it can help alleviate some of the burden of keeping a secret. No one will know if you tell the private information to a doll, plush toy, figurine, tree, plant, or a pet (with the exception of birds that can mimic sounds like parrots, cockatoos and Myna). You can also talk to your own reflection in the mirror. It is advisable to do it when nobody else is around to avoid eavesdropping or appearing like a nut job.

The author has secrets that she vows to keep. She recommends that you be wise about keeping or revealing your own secrets.

Photo from Pixabay. Public domain.
—————————–
Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University. Rachel is a mom to a charming boy and married to an entrepreneur who has a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.

Part of my life so far is a series of having and losing friends.

My early childhood friends were the kids in our neighborhood near the railroad tracks. Can’t remember any of them now. Can’t recall any name or face. There was a classmate in prep school, however,  I readily got friendly with because perhaps he was a seatmate and, well, because he brought with him bars of chocolates every day. (Turned out his father worked in a US army commissary.) Didn’t take long before the other kids took notice and they swarmed over him, took turns carrying his school bag. Which I can’t picture myself doing as I would be burdened with another bag to carry.  Even for all the chocolates in his pockets.

Making friends in the elementary grades was goodam bloody. Not a week passed at the end of a school day or recess period when there wasn’t a fist fight – mano a mano – at the abandoned bus terminal (now a tennis court) for no other reason than just to have two boys in short pants slug it out. Katuwaan lang, we’d say or maybe to prove something. For after the fisticuffs the gang would go back to their classes, jostling, laughing loud and making fun along with the protagonists, bloodied noses, sore knuckles and all, their arms ‘round each other’s shoulder.

Nothing beats high school friendships, they say. All the time –four years – to really cement friendships not only with the guys but with the giggling girls as well. In the high school I went to, however, things were a little complicated. You don’t have the chance to have the girl who was causing your pimples to act up  to be your seatmate, or classmate or even a schoolmate. With the girls and boys bunched up in separate buildings it was like ‘…for he lives on the side of the mountain and she lives on the other side of the hill..’

College friends were forgettable. “Semester friends’ I call them. One or a couple fleeting in and fleeting out before you get to know them well.

It is at the workplace (if you are lucky to get a job after schooling) where one gets to experience what friends are for. No more as an individual  adding up numbers and making book reports but a buddy on a team working  to get a job done and well. Or be like the female officemate who got punched in the nose by another staffer, a man at that,  for botching her assignment and getting the group in hot water.

In our barangay, friends are a-plenty. Our place is so small that I have a friend or a nodding acquaintance in every street corner. Of course, there would be one or two who’d suddenly snub my greeting for reason only heaven knows. Of course there would be someone, like my next door neighbor, who altogether stopped being friendly. From the grapevine, I learned he was blaming me for his three-time loss at the barangay elections.

The friends I have now I hold dear. Barber Egay and the hangers-on at his barbershop, the sunburnt beer-guzzling guys and the cackling gals at the informal settlers area right across the creek, the noisy band of jeepney barkers, kibitzers and the newspaper hawker at the outskirts of our barangay. For sure our friendship will be tested as it was tested a couple of times before as it is being tested this election time by divergent choices and heated arguments.

But I am done with losing friends. So I keep my peace, stay at a distance and don’t join in the election discussion fray. For me, the foul-mouthed braggart, the little dark man, the rich mom’s son, the ‘amgirl’  and all ‘em politicians  are just passing fancies and are not worth a cent fighting over. They will be gone after the Venezuelan magician is done with his abracadabra election. And if we don’t hold our horses, so will our friends.

Photo credits: http://imperfectspirituality.com

TRILLANES VS CAYETANO

PNOY PATUTSADA NA NAMAN

CANADIAN BEHEADED

SLOGANS

COMELEC HACKER GETS 60 YEARS

MALL VOTING AXED

THE LAST DEBATE

KRIS POSTS TAX FOR 8 YRS

MRT BROKE DOWN AGAIN

ENVELOPES FOR CHEERS – LP LEADERS

GOV. SALCEDA SHIFTS FROM MAR TO POE

REMULLA SHIFTS FROM BINAY TO DU30

MAR SHOULD ALRADY BE DISQUALIFIED

THE BRIDGE OVER… LAND?

MIDNIGHT APPOINTMENTS

ALCALA WASTED P14 BILLION

LATEST SWS SENATORIABLES SURVEY

LTO POCKETED MORE THAN P400M

MAR WILL PROVIDE 1M JOBS – LP

OAV (OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING)

PANAMA PAPERS: HIDING MONEY

KIDAPAWAN UPDATE

LAGLAG BALA LATES VICTIM

CARLOS CELDRAN

CORONA DEAD

*****

ANG BILIS NG PANAHON!!!

Last isyu ng Newskupow,

mainit na mainit pa ang “rape joke”

ni Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte

at inabangan natin ang pagkuyog sa kanya

sa huling installment ng Pilipinas Debates.

Mabilis talaga makalimot ang mga Pinoy.

Ano na nga ba yung rape joke ulit??

*****

NOONG NANGUNUNA SI VP JOJO BINAY

at wala pang siguradong makakalaban

na tatakbo sa pagkapangulo…

sinimulan na ni SEN. SONNY TRILLANES

ang demolition job kay VP.

Record-breaking ang mga pagdinig na ito:

25 hearings na tumagal ng mahigit isang taon!

Si Sen. Trillanes ang nagpasimula

ng mga pagdinig na ito laban kay Binay.

Bakit itinigil na niya ito?

Mission accomplished na ‘to.

Move on to the next target na.

******

NUNG NANGUNGUNA SI BINAY,

tinimbog siya ni Sen. Trillanes sa Senado.

Hitting two birds with one stone

ang taktikang ito ni Trillanes:

Sirain si Binay

at magpapogi para sa darating na eleksyon.

Sayang nga naman

ang free early campaigning!

Wais ang frog!!!

*****

FAST FORWARD TO 2016 ELECTIONS CAMPAIGN.

Kulelat si Trillanes sa surveys.

Nasa Row 4 sila ni Sen. Gringo Honasan.

Kailangang magpapansin ulit.

Kailangang mapag-usapan.

Kahit pa sagsaan niya ang batas??

Walang batas-batas sa ambisyosong frog.

*****

ANG TARGET NI TRILLANES THIS TIME?

Natural, ang nangunguna sa surveys

na si Davao Mayor Digong Duterte.

Si Duterte na lang ang hadlang

sa kandidatura ng sinusuportahan ni Trillanes:

Ang isa pang ambisyosang frog

na hindi kumokokak kundi kumu-croak.

Am Girl na Ampffh Girl.

*****

TRILLANES:

Sinungaling ‘yang si Duterte!

May tagong yaman ‘yan!

211 MILLION sa BPI Julia Vargas branch!

DUTERTE:

If I am a well-respected mayor of a major city

and I have P211 million, why on earth

would I keep it in a bank outside of my city?

If it is dirty money I would keep it in a bank

in my jurisdiction where I can influence bank officials

not to disclose it and name it under an alias

and under multiple bank accounts

or better yet deposit it on a foreign bank account.
If I have that amount I would just have

to declare that I have P211 million,

I can easily say that it’s my inheritance money,

my father was the former governor anyways,

no one would notice.

Ayyy… ginamit na po ni Binay ang inheritance alibi, sir!

*****

TRILLANES TO DUTERTE:

I challenge you to stop doing a Binay.

Sign a waiver.

DUTERTE TO TRILLANES:

I challenge you to prove your allegations

and name your sources.

Parang naririnig ko si Sen. Miriam:

“I challenge you both to shut up!!!”

*****

HINAMON NI TRILLANES SI DUTERTE

na i-meet siya sa Lunes, May 2,

sa BPI Julia Vargas branch.

Call! Sabi ni Duterte.

Inutusan niya ang abogado niya

na buksan ang BPI account niya sa Lunes.

At naihi sa pantalon si Trillanes.

Nakuryente kaya siya???

Abangan sa Lunes!!!

*****

BAKIT DAW HINDI MISMO SI DIGONG

ang haharap kay Sen. Trillanes?

Sagot ng kampo ni Duterte:

“Ito po ay ang obligasyon ni Mayor sa taongbayan,

hindi po kay Senator Trillanes

because Senator Trillanes is not a person in authority.

He is not the Ombudsman,

he is not a Sandiganbayan justice.

He is a senator and he is not doing his job right now.

Ang ginagawa po niya ay naga-attack ng ibang tao.”

Eh… di ba po yun nga ang trabaho ng isang

ATTACK DOG???

*****

DARE NI SEN. TRILLANES:

Kapag napatunayang mali siya…

uurong siya sa pagtagbo pagka-VP.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Kulelat ka nga di ba???

Para mong ipinusta ang kulangot mo!

*****

SINAKYAN DIN NI MAR “BOY EPAL” ROXAS

ang issue.

Nag-deposit ng P500 sa BPI acct ni Duterte.

Tapos binanatan si Duterte sa pagtatago ng acct.

Eh, ser, pwede magtanong?

Nasaan po yung P90 BILLION YOLANDA REHAB FUND?

Pwedeng sagutin n’yo muna ‘yun?

*****

KUMALAT SA INTERNET ANG POST NA ITO:

FACT CHECK: BPI and the Roxas Family

1. BPI is owned by the Ayala Corporation.
   2. Ayala Corp. was founded by Antonio de Ayala

and Domingo Roxas.
3. Domingo Roxas is the great grandfather of Mar Roxas.
4. Mar Roxas is one of the rivals of Duterte

in the 2016 Presidential election.
5. Duterte wants to know where the leak came from.
6. Trillanes said he not make a formal affidavit and that

he the right to protect his source.

Tanong ng post:

Who is Trillanes’ source?

Who is behind this unlawful breach of RA 1405?

Hindi ko POE alam.

*****

WE ARE NOT SAFE!

NETIZENS THREATEN TO CLOSE BPI ACCTS FOR DUTERTE

Kung kahit sino pala ay pwedeng sumilip

sa acct ng kahit na sino,

hindi pala safe ang maglagay ng pera sa banko!!!

Yan ang sigaw ng mga BPI acct holders

an supporters din ni Mayor Duterte.

Malamang magiging mabenta ngayon

ang alkansyang kawayan.

Opppps!!! Ako unang nakaisip n’yan ha!!!

*****

YUNG HULING NEWSKUPOW! WAS PUBLISHED

the day before the third and last presidential debate.

Ano ang mga tumatak na eksena doon?

UNA na namang dumating si UNA candidate Binay.

Pero hindi na siya una sa surveys.

*****

SI SEN. MIRIAM DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO

ang nag-top sa Twitter trending topics

bago magsimula ang debate.

Sumunod sina Duterte at Roxas.

Wala POE ba siya??

*****

SA NETIZENS’ CHOICE NG RAPPLER,

nanguna ulit si Mayor Duterte (65.74%),

sinundan ni Mar Roxas (18.03%),

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago (11.83%).

Kulelat sina Sen. Grace Poe (3.72%)

at VP Jejomar Binay (0.67%).

Ni hindi man lang naka-1% si VP?

Mukhang madilim na ang pag-asa niya, ‘no?

*****

TUMATAK ANG BANGAYAN NINA

Mayor Duterte at Mar Roxas

tungkol sa health services.

Sinabi ni Mar na laganap daw sa bansa

ang medical services na available

para sa ating mga kababayan.

Kinontra naman ito ni Duterte.

Hinamon ni Mar si Duterte na bumitiw

sa pagtakbo kung mapapatunayang

tama siya (Mar).

Yan na lang po ang pag-asa ni Mar na manalo:

ang mag-quit ang mga kalaban niya.

*****

SABI NG ISANG NETIZEN:

Duterte did not say that there are no

PHIC beneficiaries in Davao.

He said he applied for additional health funding

from the National government  two years ago

but nothing happened.

Mar is insisting that there are

PHIC beneficiaries in Davao.

Aba syempre meron.

Ano ba si Mar. Bingi o tanga?

******

MEMORABLE DIN ANG BATMAN QUOTE NI MAR.

Na nabatikos din dahil hindi naman daw kay Batman ‘yon

kundi galing sa Pokemon movie.

Eh bakit ba kasi nagku-quote ng FICTIONAL character?

Di sana si Scooby Doo na lang kinowt niya:

Yabadaba-doooooo!!!!

*****

TUMATAK DIN ANG SINABI NI DUTERTE

SA FACE-OFF NILA NI SEN. SANTIAGO NA:

“I’m facing the woman (MDS) who will become

the president of the Philippines.”

Ahh… kaya pala biglang humarap sa kanya

si SEN. POE!!!

*****

KAREN DAVILA TO DUTERTE:

Sino ang major campaign contributor mo?

DUTERTE:

Nasa bukid.  Si Emilio.

Aguinaldo yata ‘yun.

Nalaglag panti ni Karen.

*****

NANG MABATIKOS ANG AQUINO GOVT

sa kapabayaan dahil napugutan ng Abu Sayyaf

ang isang Canadian citizen…

ibinunyag ni PNoy na  may info daw siya

na may balak ang Abu Sayyaf na kidnapin sina

Kris Aquino at Manny Pacquiao.

Assssoooos!!!

Changing the topic!!!!

*****

KAPAG NABABATO NG PUNA,

alam na kung sino ang ipapasok ni PNoy sa eksena.

Ang center of the universe herself…

KRIS AQUINO.

*****

NANG TAGILID ANG CAMPAIGN NI MARIMAR,

to the rescue din ang sisteraka ni PNoy.

Nabatikos pa ito dahil sa paggamit ng 5 choppers

ng gobyerno.

Ang sagot ng magkapatid?

Weno naman!

Milyones naman ang tax payments niya no!

May konek ba talaga?

*****

TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY,

nag-post pa si Kris ng meme

na nagsasaad ng binayaran niyang tax.

OO NA!!!

MAYAMAN KA NGA, DI BA???

Gusto mo bang maglaway pa kami

para lang matahimik ka na???

Sheeeez.

*****

KUNG SAKALING MA-KIDNAP NGA SI KRIS,

Magkano kaya ang ransom na hihingiin?

Baka P500.

Ibibigay kay Trillanes

para i-depoist sa accout daw ni Duterte.

*****

BAGONG ACRONYMS DAW:

MRT  = MarRoxasTalo
LRT = LeniRobredoTalo

*****

SPEAKING OF LENI…

Hindi po totoong nag-away sila ni Korina Sanchez

at nagsampalan ng tsinelas.

In fairness, si Ate Koring ang nagsimula

ng tsinelas ek na yan no!

Sana ang ipamigay na lang ni Aling Leni ay…

LAYLAYAN.

*****

Top of Form

MRT 3 NAGKAABERYA NA NAMAN KANINANG UMAGA.

Hindi ba balita yan.

*****

PUMANAW NA PO SI

ex-Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Siya yung pilit tinanggal sa pwesto

ng BS Aquino III govt

gamit ang pondo ng DAP

na panuhol sa mga senator-judges.

Ito ay matapos i-award ng Supreme Court

ang lupain ng Hacienda Luisita

sa mga magsasaka.

Ang pagka-benggador ng Aquino regime

ang pumatay kay Corona.

Rest in peace, sir.

*****

SA HULING SURVEYS PARA SA MGA

tumatakbo sa pagka-senador,

ang TOP 2 ay sina

TITO SOTTO at FRANKLIN DRILON.

Pasok din sa Top 6 si MANNY PACQUIAO.

Yay.

Bahala na talaga sa atin si Batman.

*****

PHOTO CREDITS:

KRIS AQUINO: https://www.instagram.com/p/BEkszmqyEnU/?taken-by=kriscaquino&hl=en

SONNY TRILLANES AND RODY DUTERTE:  www.rappler.com

PILIPINAS DEBATES 2016 LAST LEG: primer.com.ph

RENATO CORONA: www.remate.ph

Nature has a funny way of balancing things.

While a lady in her 40s was quietly saying her prayers in the front pew, she overheard a group of young mothers nearby waiting for their turn to be called at the free clinic service of the church.

One of them expressed her fears, “Natatakot nga ako eh. Baka buntis na namanako.Ayaw ko na madagdagan mga tsikiting namin. (I am scared that I might be pregnant again.  I do not like any more children).”

The lady turned her attention back to the cross, “Jesus, I am just here. You can give that unwanted child to me.”

The middle-aged woman is one of the many wives willing  to bear children. They are well off but for one reason or the other, are deprived of the ability to conceive while the apprehensive mother is also one of the many urban poor who seem to get pregnant at the slightest touch. As they say, “mahakbangan lang, buntis na” (step over her and she is with child).” But they hardly have anything to get by or worse, nothing much to support their children with.

And so we see a lot of street urchins running around, all dirty and skinny while their parents do not seem to mind that they do not eat on time, much less if there is anything to eat all. Meanwhile, in their cool, comfortable homes, some young well-to-do wives wallow over their failure to give heirs to their husbands’ wealth.

Some may be poor in material possessions but rich in children. Some are rich materially but poor in children.

I actually wondered if it is God’s way of saying, “whoever is rich must learn to share.”

Some parents indeed have to learn to share, painfully that is. By force of circumstance, they are left with not much choice but to give up their child. The reasons are too many to mention… a poor family could no longer afford another mouth to feed, a teenage girl with unwanted pregnancy and who is not yet ready to face the responsibilities of motherhood, a single mom who could no longer support her offspring.

Instead of opting for abortion or just deserting the baby in some wasteland and dealing with the guilt for the rest of their lives, they opt for the lesser evil… have their infants given away and bring joy to barren couples.

It is not that easy.

For the parents who lose their baby… it must be a heart wrenching decision to let go of their little one because of their lack of capacity to fend for themselves.

For the parents who gain… there is the difficulty of going through the bureaucratic red tape of adopting a child, the years of waiting and uncertainty of qualifying or not for the role and the haunting fear that the natural mom would just appear one day at their doorstep and take away their precious one.

Out of sheer frustration, many papa-and-mama-wannabes take the easy way backdoor. They search for doctors whose patients are contemplating on giving up their babies at birth.

Loraine and Oscar were willing to take the risk. They sat it out through the birth mother’s agony from labor to delivery and went home with their new bundle of joy in their arms after the birth mom agreed never to get in touch again in exchange for the paid hospital bill and some “goodwill” cash to start over. Loraine and Oscar went straight to the registrar and indicated their names as parents of the newborn.

Then what of the child? The surrogate guardians may take extra care to shelter their son or daughter from the harsh reality of his/her descent but until when, no one can tell. The truth always has a way of coming out in the oddest and sometimes most cruel way.

Lorraine and Oscar was caught in an uncompromising situation at the U.S. Embassy. They were applying for visas to visit relatives in California. The immigration officer took a second look at Loraine upon checking their birth certificates, “You had your daughter when you were 55? That is way past the normal woman’s reproductive age.”

Lorraine got uncomfortable. Her embarrassment was the least of her worries. It was the impact on their daughter that she was worried about.

Their daughter was within earshot and they had no choice but to confess. Fortunately for them, the little girl was so secure in their love that she did not mind learning about her past. She even turned down the idea of meeting her own parents.

For Biboy, it was a very different story. He may have been raised in a highly supportive family but deep down was a feeling of emptiness that no love can ever seem to fill up. He could not put his finger on the real reason until later in grade school when bullies started taunting him for being an “ampon”. He confronted his parents about it but they denied.

It was the start of the series of academy-hopping for him. A schoolmate or two would tease him about the “ampon” issue and his mother would transfer him to another place. During his high school days, a close cousin finally spilled the beans. He felt lied to and betrayed. He resorted to drugs, alcohol and bad company to numb the pain.

Level up to national politics.

It is one thing to accept the painful truth of one’s existence and another to be subject of public scrutiny. That is like multiplying the agony a hundred times.

It must have been very hard for the likes of Grace Poe to be rejected by the agents of the State after going through the pain of rejection by her own blood parents.

The poll body disqualified Poe in December 2015 on the grounds that her being a foundling meant it was impossible to tell if her parents were Filipino, which they would need to be for Poe to fulfill the constitution’s “natural-born Filipino” requirement.

Months later, the Supreme Court ruled in her favor and she is now one of the top contenders for the presidency as of this writing. Whether or not the Filipino nation will embrace and accept her as their own by voting for her as the new leader of the land is yet to be known but at least she was given equal footing that any Filipino deserves to have.

As for Biboy… he has finally come to his senses and sought forgiveness from the people he learned to love as his family. He realized that he may have been forsaken as a helpless tot but he was loved by his adoptive parents and siblings as if he were their own blood-kin. He was given the same protection and support to realize his full potential just as any child deserves.

In the end… it is love that saves the day.

Photo credits: www.indulgy.com

Kung alam mo ang kantang “Napakasakit, Kuya Eddie,”  malamang ikaw ay nasa late 20s to late 30s.  Kung alam mo rin kung sino ang tinutukoy na Kuya Eddie sa kanta, malamang ikaw ay nasa 40s pataas. O pwede ring ikaw ay teenager o nasa 20s lang, pero mahilig magbasa o mag-research tungkol sa local (pop) history. Kaya huwag nang matakot aminin na kilala mo ang kanta at kung sino si Kuya Eddie.

Ang kantang “Napakasakit, Kuya Eddie” ay ang hit record ni Roel Cortez (na siya ring nagpasikat ng “Baleleng” ) noong dekada ‘80.  Pero hindi tungkol kay Roel o sa kanta niya ang topic natin. Ginamit ang kantang ito sa isang popular radio show na “Kahapon Lamang” ni Eddie Ilarde, o mas kilala bilang Kuya Eddie. At ito rin ang naging title ng TV show ni Kuya Eddie noong mid-1980s.

Sino ba si Kuya Eddie?

Si Eddie Ilarde ay sumikat bilang radio at television host, na kalaunan ay pumasok sa mundo ng politika – at naging isang senador.

ROOTS

Si Edgardo U. Ilarde ay ipinanganak noong August 25, 1934 sa Iriga, Camarines Sur, kung saan din ipinanganak ang superstar na si Nora Aunor. Nang mag-graduate sa high school, lumuwas siya ng Maynila upang doon ay makipagsapalaran.  Nagtrabaho siya bilang shoeshine boy at naglako rin ng dyaryo. Nang lumaon ay pinag-aral siya ng kanyang kuya at nagtapos siya ng kursong journalism sa Far Eastern University (FEU) noong early 1950s.

FIRST CAREER: RADIO

Sa FEU, nanalo siya sa isang oratorical contest at dito siya napansin ng isang radio executive. Nagtrabaho siya sa iba’t ibang radio stations sa Maynila tulad ng DZRH, DZXL at DZBB. Di  nagtagal, siya ay naging isang sikat na radio host noong mid- to late 1950s.

Ang pinakasikat niyang radio program ay ang “Kahapon Lamang,”  isang advice program kung saan may mga sumusulat sa kanya para isangguni ang kanilang mga problema, at ang mga ito ay binabasa niya on air.  Dito sumikat ang catch phrases na “Dear Kuya Eddie” at “Napakasakit, Kuya Eddie” — dahil sa mga sob stories ng letter senders.  Matapos basahin ang mga sulat, magbibigay ng payo si Kuya Eddie.  At sa pagtatapos ng programa ay babanggitin niya ang isa pang famous catch phrase niya na:  “Give my regards to the family…  Mabalos!”   “Mabalos” ay pinaigsing “Dios Mabalos” (literally: God will repay you), ang pinaka-“thank you” ng mga Bicolano.

At kahit nagti-TV na siya, may radio program pa rin siya tulad ng  “The Eddie Ilarde Radio Show”  (1970s).

TELEVISION:  STUDENT CANTEEN,  ATBP.

Bago pa man nagkaroon ng “Eat Bulaga!” at “It’s Showtime,” namayagpag muna ang kauna-unahang noontime show sa Philippine television. Nagsimula ito bilang isang radio show sa DZXL (original title: “CBN Canteen”) at ang radio hosts ay sina Eddie Ilarde, Bobby Ledesma, Leila Benitez at Bobby de Veyra.  Ini-air ito mula sa canteen ng Manila Chronicle Building sa Aduana, Manila.  Nang maging patok ito sa mga estudyante, pinalitan ang title nito to “Student Canteen.”

1958 nang umere sa TV (sa CBN, ang ninuno ng ABS-CBN) ang “Student Canteen,” lalo itong nag-hit sa viewers.  Pero itinigil ito noong 1965 nang pumasok sa politika si Eddie Ilarde.  Maraming ibang noontime shows ang umusbong:  “Magandang Tanghali” (host: actor Pancho Magalona, father of Francis M.), “Stop Look & Listen” (host: Eddie Mesa. father of actors Michael de Mesa, Mark Gil and Cherie Gil), “Twelve O’Clock High” (later became “Ariel con Tina”; hosts: Ariel Ureta and  Tina Revilla), and “Lunch Break” (hosts: Eddie Mercado, Rod Navarro, Caridad Sanchez, among others).

Nang i-revive ang “Student Canteen” noong 1975 — this time sa GMA (produced by Ilarde’s Program Philippines Inc.) – itinampok nito ang original hosts na sina Eddie Ilarde,  Bobby Ledesma at Pepe Pimentel.  At sinamahan sila ng mga baguhan na sina Helen Vela at Connie Reyes.  Maraming sumubok pataubin ang “Student Canteen” pero marami ang nabigo.  Sa twilight years ng “Student Canteen,”  isang noontime show ang nagpataob dito — ang “Eat Bulaga!,” kung saan lumipat si Connie Reyes.  1986 nang tuluyan nang namaalam ang “Student Canteen” sa ere.

Ang mga TV programs ni Eddie Ilarde ay sumusunod:

“The Eddie Ilarde Show” (ABS-CBN, 1959-1962)

“Darigold Jamboree” (ABS)

“Swerte Sa Siyete” (GMA, 1976-1986)

“Student Canteen” (ABS-CBN, 1958-72) (GMA, 1975-1986)

“Kahapon Lamang” (GMA 1976-1986)

“Napakasakit, Kuya Eddie (ABS-CBN, 1986-88)

“Alas Dose Sa Trese (IBC 13, 1999-2000)

POLITICS

Sa pagitan ng dalawang buhay ng “Student Canteen,” sumubok sa politika si Eddie Ilarde.  1963 nang manalo siya bilang councilor sa Pasay City. Kwento niya sa radio program niya: “Nilait ako. Entertainer lang daw ako. At sa surveys, kulelat ako. Pero pagtapos ng bilangan, number one ako.”   After two years, naging congressman siya nang talunin niya ang incumbent ng 1^st District of Rizal.  Tumakbo siya bilang senador noong 1969, pero hindi pinalad. Tumakbo ulit siya bilang senador noong 1971 sa ilalim ng Liberal Party.  Isa siya sa nasugatan sa historical Plaza Miranda bombing.  Naging senador siya sumula noong January 1972, pero naudlot din ito nang magdeklara ng Martial Law si dating President Ferdinand Marcos noong September 21, 1972.

1978-1984, sa ilalim ng Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), nanalo at nagsilbi si Ilarde bilang assemblyman (representing Metro Manila) sa Interim Batasang Pambansa.  Dito ay naging controversial siya dahil sa proposal niyang palitan ang pangalan ng Pilipinas. Ang proposal niya ay gawin itong “Maharlika.”

Sumubok ulit si Ilarde na tumakbo bilang senador noong 2004, pero hindi siya pinalad.

KAPWA KO, MAHAL KO

Marami ang hindi nakakaalam na ang longest-running public service program sa telebisyon na “Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko” ay brainchild ni Eddie Ilarde.  Ni hindi ito nabanggit sa Wikipedia entry ng naturang programa.  Inilatag ni Ilarde kay noo’y pinuno ng GMA7 na si Menardo Jimenez ang kanyang balak na makatulong sa mga hikahos nating kababayan sa pamamagitan ng isang TV program. Ang target nilang tulungan ay iyong mga hindi maka-afford ng gamot o surgical procedures. Para bang isang clinic on air.

Ang TV program na “Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko” ay nagsimulang umere noong December 1, 1975. Dati’y Monday to Friday afternoons ito ipinapalabas. Hanggang ngayon ay umeere pa ito — tuwing Sabado ng umaga na nga lang.  Last year ay nag-celebrate ito ng 40^th anniversary.

Isa pang interesting trivia na hindi nababanggit saan man sa internet ay ito:  Ang lyrics ng “Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko” ay sinulat ni Kuya Eddie mismo. Ikinuwento niya ito sa kanyang radio show kailan lang. Matapos niyang sulatin ang lyrics, ibinigay daw niya ito sa musical director ng “Student Canteen.”  Nag-alangan  ang pobre dahil hindi naman siya composer. Pero tinaggap niya ang hamon – and the rest, as they say, is history.

Una itong ni-record ni Ric Manrique Jr.  Nagkaroon din ng version nito si Bert Nievera, ang sikat na singer noong 80s (na tatay ni Martin Nievera). Ang latest version na pinapatugtog sa kasalukuyan ay ang kay Aiza Seguerra.

Marami nang award ang nakuha ng public service show na ito.  Salamat kay Kuya Eddie.

RECORDING

Si Kuya Eddie ay isang recording artist din.  He recorded mainly Bicolano songs like “Ranga,” “Namomootan,” “Tagob An Puso Ko,” “Hematiaman,”  Nag-record din siya in Tagalog tulad ng “Puso Nasaan Ang Katiyakan” (spoken word recording with the instrumental version of “Do You Know Where You’re Going To” as background music) at  “Ako’y Nagbabalik” (spoken word recording na ang background music ay “The Homecoming” ng Canadian na si Hagood Hardy).

REPUBLIC OF SENIORS

Sa ngayon, chairman and founder si Ilarde ng dalawang samahan. Kahit 81 years old na siya, masipag pa rin sa pagtulong si Kuya Eddie.  This time, ang mga senior citizens na gaya niya ang kanyang tinutulungan.  Ang isa niyang samahan, ang Golden Eagles Society International Inc.  ay nagtataguyod ng kapakanan ng mga seniors.  Ang samahan ding ito ang responsible sa  isang  monthly program para sa seniors,  ang “Republic of Seniors,” na umeere sa GMA News Network.

BACK TO HIS ROOTS (RADIO)

Sa ngayon, mapapakinggan pa rin si Kuya Eddie tuwing  Sabado at Linggo, 1:30-2:30 ng hapon, sa kanyang “Kahapon Lamang” radio program na umeere sa DZBB.

Hindi ito comprehensive biography ni Mr. Eduardo U. Ilarde, dahil mahirap namang isiksik sa 1,000 words ang buhay ng isang napakakulay na personality na tulad niya.  Nais ko lang i-introduce ang isang dakilang uragon sa henerasyon na maari’y hindi na siya kilala.  At habang siy’a nabubuhay pa at may posibilidad na mabasa niya ito.

And what better way to end this article than by saying Mr. Ilarde’s favorite parting word:  “Mabalos!”

PHOTO CREDITS:

YOUNG EDDIE ILARDE:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ckw9njQdcs

STUDENT CANTEEN: http://america.pink/student-canteen_4201229.html

SENATOR  EDDIE ILARDE: www.youtube.com

EDDIE ILARDE NOW:  www.gmanetwork.com