Yeah, you've probably seen that video in Youtube but I ain't gonna talk about it here.
This afternoon, I was asked where I maintain a blog and said that I maintain it here. And then he suggested I should try using WordPress because it's a lot better and there is an iPhone app that really works well from which I can post stuff.
Well, I created one and I am now trying to see which one would feel better to work with. I've been using Blogger for almost two years now and have already a following. (I think so?)
So I will try to see if WordPress is really better than Blogger.
Anyhow, to all my readers you may check out specknoevil.wordpress.com if you want to.
10.28.2011
10.25.2011
breathtaking
breathtaking
rushing as the current of the Nile
liberating as the ravines of the Canyon
directing as the stones of the Great Wall
captivating as the ivories of Taj Mahal.
engulf me by your promise
of ecstatic visions of what may be;
emancipate my soul
from the clutches of bruised pains;
sing of melodic rhythms
that shall melt my heart;
declare passion that defies
definitions of this life.
breathtaking by Tim Decano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
rushing as the current of the Nile
liberating as the ravines of the Canyon
directing as the stones of the Great Wall
captivating as the ivories of Taj Mahal.
engulf me by your promise
of ecstatic visions of what may be;
emancipate my soul
from the clutches of bruised pains;
sing of melodic rhythms
that shall melt my heart;
declare passion that defies
definitions of this life.
breathtaking by Tim Decano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
10.24.2011
birthday thanksgiving prayer*
Not many people know that I am very spiritual and prayerful. Well here is a chance to make more people informed.
Thanksgiving Prayer
Almighty Father,
Your omnipotent divinity is worthy of praise and gratitude. Let me take this chance, dear Lord, to give thanks for the wonderful and eternal blessings that I receive from your providence:
For the mornings that welcome me with gladness, beauty, freshness, and renewed promises;
For the transportation that takes me to wherever I need to go and back to my home;
For coworkers who I laugh, eat, bond, cry, sing, complain, and appreciate with every single day at work;
For administrators who never cease to inspire me to strive for excellence and who continuously urge me to faithfully fulfill the mission you have bestowed on me;
For my students whose victories and failures never fail to fire up my desire to continuously educate, advise, and form them to become the citizens I dream them to be;
For friends whose unceasing love, support, and care keep us sane and alive, whose advice serve to keep me grounded;
For family and loved ones who I can always turn to and will never judge us in spite of and despite myself, whose love sustain my struggle to become the best that I can be;
For trials - physical, psychological, emotional, mental, and financial - that serve to remind me of my humanity;
For the tears I have shed over personal and professional failures that have cleansed my heart and renewed my spirit;
For every single moment and breath that remind me that I am your child, that I can find shelter and haven in your arms, that I am special despite my shortcomings, that I am here for a purpose, and that is to fulfill your mission of education and evangelization.
When I found myself lost, five years ago, Father, you made the way clear for me. Remind me always, Lord, that instead of asking 'Why am I here?' or 'Why is this happening?,' I should ask 'Where are you taking me, God?' for it is only with your guidance that I will have certainty amid the many uncertainties.
Lord, thank you for this life. May this simple thanksgiving suffice. Amen.
*I read this prayer during the October Faculty Mass when I was tasked to prepare the Thanksgiving Prayer.
Thanksgiving Prayer
Almighty Father,
Your omnipotent divinity is worthy of praise and gratitude. Let me take this chance, dear Lord, to give thanks for the wonderful and eternal blessings that I receive from your providence:
For the mornings that welcome me with gladness, beauty, freshness, and renewed promises;
For the transportation that takes me to wherever I need to go and back to my home;
For coworkers who I laugh, eat, bond, cry, sing, complain, and appreciate with every single day at work;
For administrators who never cease to inspire me to strive for excellence and who continuously urge me to faithfully fulfill the mission you have bestowed on me;
For my students whose victories and failures never fail to fire up my desire to continuously educate, advise, and form them to become the citizens I dream them to be;
For friends whose unceasing love, support, and care keep us sane and alive, whose advice serve to keep me grounded;
For family and loved ones who I can always turn to and will never judge us in spite of and despite myself, whose love sustain my struggle to become the best that I can be;
For trials - physical, psychological, emotional, mental, and financial - that serve to remind me of my humanity;
For the tears I have shed over personal and professional failures that have cleansed my heart and renewed my spirit;
For every single moment and breath that remind me that I am your child, that I can find shelter and haven in your arms, that I am special despite my shortcomings, that I am here for a purpose, and that is to fulfill your mission of education and evangelization.
When I found myself lost, five years ago, Father, you made the way clear for me. Remind me always, Lord, that instead of asking 'Why am I here?' or 'Why is this happening?,' I should ask 'Where are you taking me, God?' for it is only with your guidance that I will have certainty amid the many uncertainties.
Lord, thank you for this life. May this simple thanksgiving suffice. Amen.
*I read this prayer during the October Faculty Mass when I was tasked to prepare the Thanksgiving Prayer.
10.23.2011
I plank because I protest
Tom Meltzer of the UK-based The Guardian says that planking is an English creation by two kids 14 years ago. Planking purely began as a nonsensical activity though it might have been inspired - although Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon are not sure - by Radiohead's Just music video. So planking's essence is to make people think that you are mad.
Although planking is rarely new in the Philippines, it has inspired lots of people to find more reasons to goof around or pass time. For some, they have used planking as a form of protest. For me it started out as a challenge and a fun activity. Now, it has become a form of protest.
I plank because I protest over the ways the world is governed, especially our country - the dismal and appalling governance of a country composed of intellectuals and rich in scenic natural resources and breathtaking history.
I plank in places where this is especially proven true.
In support of the tourism industry, I, together with my students, went around Calamba City and Manila to follow Dr. Jose Rizal through several historic sites. The intentions of the Lakbay Jose Rizal project are sentimental and educational. But it has opened my eyes more to how this country gives importance to our history.
The Rizal Shrine is still there. Or at least, what is left after hundreds of thousands of students have walked, stomped, and ran around the area. A shrine is defined by the Mac Dictionary as "a place regarded as holy because of its associations with a divinity or a sacred person or relic, typically marked by a building or other construction." Well, the local government of Calamba City and the Department of Tourism need to start reading the dictionary again because the treatment the Rizal "Shrine" receives is similar to how we treat malls: a place to roam around and shop, not really minding that you are stepping on a place that's part of history. Correction. You are stepping on history.
But in fairness to the caretakers, they tried to "preserve" some of the important relics and artifacts. But I know that more can be done.
I was supposed to plank on the staircase but the crowd of people visiting the shrine prevented me from doing so.
Next stop is the walled city of Intramuros and Fort Santiago. I've gone to these places once two years ago. So I was pretty familiar where I should take the students to see moments and places of historic importance. One could avail, though, of a tour package worth 400 pesos.
So we started going around. Everything is pretty much the same as two years ago. And that can't be good. With the 50-75-peso entrance fee to go around Fort Santiago, I expected a better treatment and care taking than what we witnessed that day.
The church inside the Fort where an image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe can be found needed better treatment. Although it is not in any disappointing state, I wished for better treatment. So I planked on the roof of the church. Bad. I know. However, the fact that I could plank on it speaks so much of how the government secures this important part of our heritage.
We left the area and I told my students we can now visit the Rizal Shrine that houses a number of items special to the national hero.
But before reaching the shrine, we'd have to pass through the area where Rizal's steps can be retraced. The steps are marked by copper shoe plates. I was trying to look for it but found these instead.
This trip was supposed to make me appreciate Rizal more through his legacies. Rizal will surely turn in his grave if he reads this entry and sees how much care we give what he left behind for all of us to appreciate. In the end though, I hope my students get to see that we need to do more to give value to pieces of history that truly make our culture unique and noteworthy.
I hope the Department of Tourism, the National Historical Commission, and the different local government units will start really taking care of our heritage.
Here's a plank for you:
Although planking is rarely new in the Philippines, it has inspired lots of people to find more reasons to goof around or pass time. For some, they have used planking as a form of protest. For me it started out as a challenge and a fun activity. Now, it has become a form of protest.
I plank because I protest over the ways the world is governed, especially our country - the dismal and appalling governance of a country composed of intellectuals and rich in scenic natural resources and breathtaking history.
I plank in places where this is especially proven true.
In support of the tourism industry, I, together with my students, went around Calamba City and Manila to follow Dr. Jose Rizal through several historic sites. The intentions of the Lakbay Jose Rizal project are sentimental and educational. But it has opened my eyes more to how this country gives importance to our history.
 |
| Staircase leading to the second floor of the shrine |
But in fairness to the caretakers, they tried to "preserve" some of the important relics and artifacts. But I know that more can be done.
I was supposed to plank on the staircase but the crowd of people visiting the shrine prevented me from doing so.
 |
| Some replica of Rizal's doodles |
Next stop is the walled city of Intramuros and Fort Santiago. I've gone to these places once two years ago. So I was pretty familiar where I should take the students to see moments and places of historic importance. One could avail, though, of a tour package worth 400 pesos.
So we started going around. Everything is pretty much the same as two years ago. And that can't be good. With the 50-75-peso entrance fee to go around Fort Santiago, I expected a better treatment and care taking than what we witnessed that day.
We left the area and I told my students we can now visit the Rizal Shrine that houses a number of items special to the national hero.
But before reaching the shrine, we'd have to pass through the area where Rizal's steps can be retraced. The steps are marked by copper shoe plates. I was trying to look for it but found these instead.
 |
| Try to find the spots on the walkway that look like footsteps. |
 |
| How the footsteps should be. This is what's left from the 1,000 plus markers. |
This trip was supposed to make me appreciate Rizal more through his legacies. Rizal will surely turn in his grave if he reads this entry and sees how much care we give what he left behind for all of us to appreciate. In the end though, I hope my students get to see that we need to do more to give value to pieces of history that truly make our culture unique and noteworthy.
I hope the Department of Tourism, the National Historical Commission, and the different local government units will start really taking care of our heritage.
Here's a plank for you:
10.13.2011
Pat Nabong's Short Film
Patricia Nabong is a former student who has turned into a pigging out buddy alongside other select former students of mine. I am a fan of this girl's work. So I shall share this here in my blog for all readers to see.
Kudos to you, Pat!
Wonder from Pat Nabong on Vimeo.
Kudos to you, Pat!
Wonder from Pat Nabong on Vimeo.
10.11.2011
the biggest loser is actually a gainer: the not-so-secret weight loss struggle
*Now that the results of Biggest Loser Philippines have been released (not that it's a big thing for me) I shall now post this.*
Five months ago, I was just enjoying the summer vacation.
Five months ago, I was contemplating on whether or not I should begin further studies for professional development.
Five months ago, I was worrying what the school year will bring now that I am no longer part of the middle administration and I am now back to being a regular teacher handling 18-22 units of academic load which in my case will be at least 9 classes.
Five months ago, I was suspended in the thought that I will survive the coming school year well and that I will be so engrossed teaching.
Five months ago, I was OK with how I looked physically; then T.H.E. happened.
Yes. That. The subject. Technology and Home Economics. During one of the pre-opening days of the school year, THE teachers decided they would let all others know their current Body Mass Index(BMI) so we can all start thinking about our weights and our physical looks. I went to school that day, armed with the knowledge that I weighed 189 lbs. and reached 5'7". I was cool with that since I fit in size 34 jeans, medium to large shirts as compared to how I was when I had just graduated from high school. Back then, scales would tip to 220-230 lbs and extra large clothes and size 38-40 jeans cluttered my closet. So, when I lost 30-40 pounds after a decade of never-ending weight struggles, I was pretty satisfied with my weight five months ago.
Ms. Carina Salgado, one of the THE teachers, presented the method to compute our BMI and a table showing the categories where our BMI could possibly fall under. All this time, I only believed that I was simply overweight. Chubby. Big-boned. Cute. And the BMI table approved. Until Ms. Salgado added that the BMI table that she first presented was for Caucasians and she showed another table. This time, the results are not even loathsome. They are appalling. I was categorized by that table as a pre-obese individual. And like any word that is affixed with that prefix, the word it is affixed to is a looming, imminent reality.
When the results were revealed, no one was saying anything. It seemed like everyone zoomed out of the Pere Chauvet Hall and zeroed in their own heartbreaking misery. Meanwhile, I was having a Patrick-Starfish-staring-blankly-into-space moment. The term pre-obese kept circling in my mind I swear I was already seeing PRE-OBESE being spelled out in front of me. I went to school that day happy, alive, and kicking. But even Edgar Allan Poe nor Virginia Woolf could define the torment that enveloped me.
I needed to do something about it, knowing that I was one of the teachers who was very much into fitness and healthful living.
Then I remembered one of my cardiologists who, during the check-up, stared at me and literally sized me up and matter-of-factly said, "And you've got to lose weight."
I was ran over by a truckload of health concerns and physical and social concerns that made me realize that it's time to take action and stop making excuses.
Thanks to Steve Jobs and the developers of iPhone applications, the path to weight loss became clearer and more realizable. While searching for iPhone applications via iTunes in my Macbook Pro (oo na, ako na addict sa Mac) I scoured for the best application that I could depend on to make me lose weight. While doing this, I started reading more over the Internet various materials about weight loss, its myths, and all possible forms of dieting available out there.
As I have mentioned, I have been a fitness and healthful living advocate and that began when I started rowing for the UP Dragonboat Team in 2005. Being part of the team made me realize that I could proactively control my weight. You see, researches say that we only have 40% control over our weight because most of it is determined by our genetic make-up. Knowing that I come from a family of big-boned, obese humans, I had to employ continuous control over my weight.
I actively trained for the dragonboat team for almost two years. During the first two months of rigorous training, changes in my weight, body, and skin tone began showing. I was able to lose 15 pounds in less than two months. And in the same year, I was able to run my first 5-km marathon finishing it in less than 40 minutes. It was a great achievement.
Then 2007 came. I graduated. Got employed in my current job and started going to the gym. Fitness First kept me fit after I retired from rowing because of conflicts in training schedules and the nature of my job. In FF, colleague Kenchi Refugio introduced me to the different workouts I could do to lose weight and build muscles. Although I wasn't a novice to the gym because I took Circuit Training PE in UP, the thought of working out in the gym still excited me.
After getting used to working out on a regular basis, I started joining group exercises ranging from cycling, yoga practice, and dance classes. My weight then played in the range of 175-185 pounds. It was OK. But I knew that I wasn't satisfied with how I looked physically considering how much FF is taking away from my monthly income. But the working out continued until the first quarter of this year. But a medical revelation from not so long ago kept on haunting me and I had to pay attention to it.
Three years ago, during the second year in my current job, a chest x-ray revealed that I had a mild cardiomegaly or in layman's term, heart enlargement. The school doctor just told me that this might be a side effect of being athletic. So I let it pass. Then the x-ray results for the next two years revealed the same results. But the 2010 x-ray was the most alarming: my heart was twice the normal size, which meant I have more love to give. Okay, fail. But seriously, the school doctor told me I had to undergo a 2D echo examination. I began the school year with a heavy heart, literally and figuratively. But I still put it off because I was busy with work. So February 2011 came and I succumbed to the doctor's request.
Then the results came out. My cardiologists told me that I had to undergo operation soon. And because of my current heart and health condition, they discouraged me from working out or running or doing anything that is physically strenuous. Goodbye FF. Goodbye yoga practice, marathon running, cycling, and goodbye dancing.
So the only solution to my weight problem was revealed by Mac after a few hours of reading, searching, and consulting. The My Fitness Pal application became my friend since that fateful summer day. The diet was just simple: consume only the calories that you are allowed after taking into consideration your lifestyle and fitness level.
Thanks to my obsessive-compulsive disorder following the diet was a piece of cake. Well, not the first few weeks. Every time I was about to eat something, I would consult my pal and have him/her assess how many calories each food and beverage contained. Little by little I was beginning to memorize the calorie content of pretty much everything I ate and consulting my pal was no longer necessary. But because of this calorie-content obsession, grocery shopping required more time from my weekends. Before I place anything in the grocery basket, I would consult the nutrition guide and look at the calorie content. Most of the food I used to eat and binge on were all taken out of the grocery list: Oreos (130 calories, I think, for 2 cookies), cheese cupcakes (150-200 calories a piece), and so many other used-to-be staples in the list.
If grocery shopping was like taking the UPCAT, eating out was like taking the LSAT. Fastfood chains are the last option and mostly I would just dine out in Starbucks because they have a complete list of the nutritional facts of everything they have in their menu. But if I have to dine out with friends, I would make sure that I have at least a basic idea of the possible calorie content of what they offer.
Following this diet, as I said, is a piece of cake. Well, only if you are alone and you aren't bothering others because of the obsession. But when I have to eat with friends, I just have to resort to the other option so that I wouldn't take so much of the time just figuring out what to eat and adding the calorie content in my head: I would just refrain from eating heavy meals for breakfast and lunch so I would be sure that I wouldn't exceed my daily calorie requirement.
The diet is simply all about conscious eating - knowing what you put in your mouth and how many calories each contains. Sometimes, I feel that I am going crazy because when I talk about food, I will not finish the sentence without mentioning how many calories it contains.
Moreover, the diet allowed me to eat anything I want to eat. I just have to eat everything in moderation. I can eat rice, cookies, sugary and sweet food. Everything. If I want to eat cake, I'll take a spoonful or two. If I want to eat DQ 9-oz rocky road blizzard, I will skip dinner. If I want to eat pasta and pizza, I'll half the serving of the pasta and eat a slice of pizza. If I want caffeine fix, I'll order tall, light, no whipped cream Mocha Frappuccino in Starbucks. If I want to eat donuts, I'll go to Krispy Kreme and eat one sugar glazed donut which only has 200 calories (that's already a cup of rice by the way). If I want to eat more, I will walk around the mall and window shop for two hours.
It sounds as though I am so conscious of what I do and eat but aren't we all supposed to be? After all, what we do to and for our body we will eventually feel.
This discipline and obsession all paid off. Five months ago I was 5'7", 189 pounds, and wore 34-in jeans and medium to large shirts. Now, I am 5'7", 145 pounds, wearing 30-in jeans, and extra small to small shirts.
The biggest loser is actually a gainer. I gained confidence and I had more self-esteem to face my classes, co-workers, high school and college friends.
Above everything else, I now have the confidence to face the mirror for more than 30 seconds and actually love what it is reflecting.
But I don't stare for such a long time, lest I turn into a flower.
Five months ago, I was just enjoying the summer vacation.
Five months ago, I was contemplating on whether or not I should begin further studies for professional development.
Five months ago, I was worrying what the school year will bring now that I am no longer part of the middle administration and I am now back to being a regular teacher handling 18-22 units of academic load which in my case will be at least 9 classes.
 |
| Sept. 2007 |
Five months ago, I was OK with how I looked physically; then T.H.E. happened.
Yes. That. The subject. Technology and Home Economics. During one of the pre-opening days of the school year, THE teachers decided they would let all others know their current Body Mass Index(BMI) so we can all start thinking about our weights and our physical looks. I went to school that day, armed with the knowledge that I weighed 189 lbs. and reached 5'7". I was cool with that since I fit in size 34 jeans, medium to large shirts as compared to how I was when I had just graduated from high school. Back then, scales would tip to 220-230 lbs and extra large clothes and size 38-40 jeans cluttered my closet. So, when I lost 30-40 pounds after a decade of never-ending weight struggles, I was pretty satisfied with my weight five months ago.
Ms. Carina Salgado, one of the THE teachers, presented the method to compute our BMI and a table showing the categories where our BMI could possibly fall under. All this time, I only believed that I was simply overweight. Chubby. Big-boned. Cute. And the BMI table approved. Until Ms. Salgado added that the BMI table that she first presented was for Caucasians and she showed another table. This time, the results are not even loathsome. They are appalling. I was categorized by that table as a pre-obese individual. And like any word that is affixed with that prefix, the word it is affixed to is a looming, imminent reality.
When the results were revealed, no one was saying anything. It seemed like everyone zoomed out of the Pere Chauvet Hall and zeroed in their own heartbreaking misery. Meanwhile, I was having a Patrick-Starfish-staring-blankly-into-space moment. The term pre-obese kept circling in my mind I swear I was already seeing PRE-OBESE being spelled out in front of me. I went to school that day happy, alive, and kicking. But even Edgar Allan Poe nor Virginia Woolf could define the torment that enveloped me.
I needed to do something about it, knowing that I was one of the teachers who was very much into fitness and healthful living.
Then I remembered one of my cardiologists who, during the check-up, stared at me and literally sized me up and matter-of-factly said, "And you've got to lose weight."
I was ran over by a truckload of health concerns and physical and social concerns that made me realize that it's time to take action and stop making excuses.
Thanks to Steve Jobs and the developers of iPhone applications, the path to weight loss became clearer and more realizable. While searching for iPhone applications via iTunes in my Macbook Pro (oo na, ako na addict sa Mac) I scoured for the best application that I could depend on to make me lose weight. While doing this, I started reading more over the Internet various materials about weight loss, its myths, and all possible forms of dieting available out there.
As I have mentioned, I have been a fitness and healthful living advocate and that began when I started rowing for the UP Dragonboat Team in 2005. Being part of the team made me realize that I could proactively control my weight. You see, researches say that we only have 40% control over our weight because most of it is determined by our genetic make-up. Knowing that I come from a family of big-boned, obese humans, I had to employ continuous control over my weight.
I actively trained for the dragonboat team for almost two years. During the first two months of rigorous training, changes in my weight, body, and skin tone began showing. I was able to lose 15 pounds in less than two months. And in the same year, I was able to run my first 5-km marathon finishing it in less than 40 minutes. It was a great achievement.
Then 2007 came. I graduated. Got employed in my current job and started going to the gym. Fitness First kept me fit after I retired from rowing because of conflicts in training schedules and the nature of my job. In FF, colleague Kenchi Refugio introduced me to the different workouts I could do to lose weight and build muscles. Although I wasn't a novice to the gym because I took Circuit Training PE in UP, the thought of working out in the gym still excited me.
After getting used to working out on a regular basis, I started joining group exercises ranging from cycling, yoga practice, and dance classes. My weight then played in the range of 175-185 pounds. It was OK. But I knew that I wasn't satisfied with how I looked physically considering how much FF is taking away from my monthly income. But the working out continued until the first quarter of this year. But a medical revelation from not so long ago kept on haunting me and I had to pay attention to it.
Three years ago, during the second year in my current job, a chest x-ray revealed that I had a mild cardiomegaly or in layman's term, heart enlargement. The school doctor just told me that this might be a side effect of being athletic. So I let it pass. Then the x-ray results for the next two years revealed the same results. But the 2010 x-ray was the most alarming: my heart was twice the normal size, which meant I have more love to give. Okay, fail. But seriously, the school doctor told me I had to undergo a 2D echo examination. I began the school year with a heavy heart, literally and figuratively. But I still put it off because I was busy with work. So February 2011 came and I succumbed to the doctor's request.
Then the results came out. My cardiologists told me that I had to undergo operation soon. And because of my current heart and health condition, they discouraged me from working out or running or doing anything that is physically strenuous. Goodbye FF. Goodbye yoga practice, marathon running, cycling, and goodbye dancing.
So the only solution to my weight problem was revealed by Mac after a few hours of reading, searching, and consulting. The My Fitness Pal application became my friend since that fateful summer day. The diet was just simple: consume only the calories that you are allowed after taking into consideration your lifestyle and fitness level.
Thanks to my obsessive-compulsive disorder following the diet was a piece of cake. Well, not the first few weeks. Every time I was about to eat something, I would consult my pal and have him/her assess how many calories each food and beverage contained. Little by little I was beginning to memorize the calorie content of pretty much everything I ate and consulting my pal was no longer necessary. But because of this calorie-content obsession, grocery shopping required more time from my weekends. Before I place anything in the grocery basket, I would consult the nutrition guide and look at the calorie content. Most of the food I used to eat and binge on were all taken out of the grocery list: Oreos (130 calories, I think, for 2 cookies), cheese cupcakes (150-200 calories a piece), and so many other used-to-be staples in the list.
If grocery shopping was like taking the UPCAT, eating out was like taking the LSAT. Fastfood chains are the last option and mostly I would just dine out in Starbucks because they have a complete list of the nutritional facts of everything they have in their menu. But if I have to dine out with friends, I would make sure that I have at least a basic idea of the possible calorie content of what they offer.
Following this diet, as I said, is a piece of cake. Well, only if you are alone and you aren't bothering others because of the obsession. But when I have to eat with friends, I just have to resort to the other option so that I wouldn't take so much of the time just figuring out what to eat and adding the calorie content in my head: I would just refrain from eating heavy meals for breakfast and lunch so I would be sure that I wouldn't exceed my daily calorie requirement.
The diet is simply all about conscious eating - knowing what you put in your mouth and how many calories each contains. Sometimes, I feel that I am going crazy because when I talk about food, I will not finish the sentence without mentioning how many calories it contains.
Moreover, the diet allowed me to eat anything I want to eat. I just have to eat everything in moderation. I can eat rice, cookies, sugary and sweet food. Everything. If I want to eat cake, I'll take a spoonful or two. If I want to eat DQ 9-oz rocky road blizzard, I will skip dinner. If I want to eat pasta and pizza, I'll half the serving of the pasta and eat a slice of pizza. If I want caffeine fix, I'll order tall, light, no whipped cream Mocha Frappuccino in Starbucks. If I want to eat donuts, I'll go to Krispy Kreme and eat one sugar glazed donut which only has 200 calories (that's already a cup of rice by the way). If I want to eat more, I will walk around the mall and window shop for two hours.
It sounds as though I am so conscious of what I do and eat but aren't we all supposed to be? After all, what we do to and for our body we will eventually feel.
 |
| Sept. 2011 |
The biggest loser is actually a gainer. I gained confidence and I had more self-esteem to face my classes, co-workers, high school and college friends.
Above everything else, I now have the confidence to face the mirror for more than 30 seconds and actually love what it is reflecting.
But I don't stare for such a long time, lest I turn into a flower.
9.28.2011
the wishlist of a soon-to-be-26-year-old nerd
In less than a month's time, Zac Efron (thanks to my student Denise Santos for the info) and I will be celebrating the day when we were born.
The past year leading to the 26th of my life here on earth has been a little harsh on me, save for some blessings and an olive-eyed bespectacled photography enthusiast that kept me afloat and alive.
This emo-mode is surely making the day's mood redundant so let me get to the heart of this post: the wishlist. Last year I created a list and several people granted me some of my wishes - and for that I am eternally grateful. Anyhow, here is the list, arranged in no particular order (this can also serve as the Xmas wishlist):
1. successful cardiac operation next year (hopeful that the operation will be done after the school year ends)
2. Mushishi manga, any volume as I have yet to own one (thanks to my student Lexee Carlota for introducing me to this amazing read)
3. New clothes to fit my new size (for reference, Small in Maldita Man and size 30 jeans)
4. Nike, Adidas, PRP, F&H, or Topman hoodie
5. Marks and Spencer Dark Chocolate Digestive Cookies (it's only 89 calories a biscuit so I get to satiate y my dark chocolate craving without feeling guilty)
6. a box of Coke Light (again, another guilt-free satisfying drink)
7. Deathly Hallows necklace or HP's/Prof. Snape's wand
8. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
9. socks from Topman or Aldo (just want groovy long socks)
10. bonnet
11. Dong-A Hexaplus pens
12. peace of mind
13. Devil's Food Cake (will eat a slice a day which will serve as my lunch/dinner
14. iPad 2/iPhone 4
15. Havaianas size 41/42 (someone stole my Ipanema slippers)
16. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
17. Superman lunch box (sorry na kung feeling teenager pa rin)
18. to be a ramp/commercial model
19. Loreal for Men Vita Lift/Hydra Energetic Facial Wash
20. a day where I can sleep for more than 10 hours continuously
21. to see the Stonehenge in person
22. start my master's degree after the operation
23. new digital camera (thanks to my sisters who destroyed my camera)
24. Nivea Whitening Lotion for Men
25. Snickers (another lunch/dinner replacement), and
26. a stress-free day
There. This year's wishlist is tough to fill. Hehe. Good luck with wish number 26.
So in 20 days, the new life year begins.
The past year leading to the 26th of my life here on earth has been a little harsh on me, save for some blessings and an olive-eyed bespectacled photography enthusiast that kept me afloat and alive.
This emo-mode is surely making the day's mood redundant so let me get to the heart of this post: the wishlist. Last year I created a list and several people granted me some of my wishes - and for that I am eternally grateful. Anyhow, here is the list, arranged in no particular order (this can also serve as the Xmas wishlist):
1. successful cardiac operation next year (hopeful that the operation will be done after the school year ends)
2. Mushishi manga, any volume as I have yet to own one (thanks to my student Lexee Carlota for introducing me to this amazing read)
3. New clothes to fit my new size (for reference, Small in Maldita Man and size 30 jeans)
4. Nike, Adidas, PRP, F&H, or Topman hoodie
5. Marks and Spencer Dark Chocolate Digestive Cookies (it's only 89 calories a biscuit so I get to satiate y my dark chocolate craving without feeling guilty)
6. a box of Coke Light (again, another guilt-free satisfying drink)
7. Deathly Hallows necklace or HP's/Prof. Snape's wand
8. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
9. socks from Topman or Aldo (just want groovy long socks)
10. bonnet
11. Dong-A Hexaplus pens
12. peace of mind
13. Devil's Food Cake (will eat a slice a day which will serve as my lunch/dinner
14. iPad 2/iPhone 4
15. Havaianas size 41/42 (someone stole my Ipanema slippers)
16. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
17. Superman lunch box (sorry na kung feeling teenager pa rin)
18. to be a ramp/commercial model
19. Loreal for Men Vita Lift/Hydra Energetic Facial Wash
20. a day where I can sleep for more than 10 hours continuously
21. to see the Stonehenge in person
22. start my master's degree after the operation
23. new digital camera (thanks to my sisters who destroyed my camera)
24. Nivea Whitening Lotion for Men
25. Snickers (another lunch/dinner replacement), and
26. a stress-free day
There. This year's wishlist is tough to fill. Hehe. Good luck with wish number 26.
So in 20 days, the new life year begins.
9.17.2011
poem: at large
(please comment)
at large
into the wilderness i screamed the whispers of my soul.
lying, i waited for an echo.
birds have chirped.
lions have roared.
leaves have rustled.
but the whispers have yet to resound from afar.
still i listened and lied.
waited.
until alas the echo whispered.
but my ears were too numb to recognize.
At Large by Tim Decano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
at large
into the wilderness i screamed the whispers of my soul.
lying, i waited for an echo.
birds have chirped.
lions have roared.
leaves have rustled.
but the whispers have yet to resound from afar.
still i listened and lied.
waited.
until alas the echo whispered.
but my ears were too numb to recognize.
At Large by Tim Decano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
9.01.2011
iPhone 5 to be released in September
I won't be buying an iPhone 4. Because I will be waiting for the iPhone 5!!!
8-megapixel camera
Camera control buttons
Thinner, sleeker design
This is the smartphone all Apple-onians have been waiting for.
Anyhow, here are some of the latest rumors about the iPhone 5 (All lifted from Yahoo! Philippines News) (some parts of the articles were deleted; follow links below to read full stories)
NEWS 1
Report: Apple building cheaper, 8GB iPhone 4; iPhone 5 due late-September
Digital TrendsBy Andrew Couts | Digital Trends – Tue, Aug 23, 2011
Apple is building a cheaper, 8GB iPhone 4, according to two unnamed sources who spoke with Reuters. The new version of the iPhone 4 is currently in production at a Korean manufacturer, the sources say.
“Apple may want to push into the emerging market segment where customers want to switch to low- to mid-end smartphones from high-end feature phones, which usually cost $150-200,” said Bonnie Chang, a Yuanta Securities analyst, who spoke with Reuters. “But I think for an 8GB iPhone 4 the price is hard to go below $200, so Apple will still need a completely new phone with low specifications for the emerging markets.”
In addition to spilling the beans on the 8GB iPhone 4, Reuters’ sources also say the iPhone 5 will arrive in late-September — something we’ve heard repeatedly in the past, and which is only slightly off from the early-October release that’s become popular in the past couple of weeks.
Reuters’ sources also backed up claims that the iPhone 5 will have a larger screen, 8-megapixel camera and a better antenna. It’s also possible that the next iPhone will have 4G LTE connectability, as well as dual-mode GSM/CDMA radios.
NEWS 2
The iPhone 5 might be thinner than the iPhone 4, and have it's volume buttons moved
Digital TrendsBy Mike Dunn | Digital Trends – Wed, Aug 31, 2011
Tis the season for iPhone rumors and leaks, and today’s rumor is coming all the way from Greece. The website Greek-iPhone has what it believes to be the iPhone 5’s camera sensor. The new sensor flirts with a few of our preexisting rumors so even though it seems odd that Apple would lose a camera from a phone the story seems to check out.
We heard just yesterday that the iPhone 5, or whatever it might be called, might have a 3.7inch screen and a metal back. Today we can add a few more physical features to the latest idevice. The leaked camera is thinner than the iPhone 4’s sensor which leads us to believe that the next device will also be thinner seeing as the camera is typically one of the thicker components in a phone. With the iPad 2 being 30 percent thinner than the original iPad it has been a pretty safe bet that the iPhone 5 will be thinner than the iPhone 4.
Another interesting thing about the part in question is that it has the volume buttons on the other side of the phone. While this might seem like an odd change seeing how all four of the previous iPhones had the volume buttons on the left side of the screen. One of the new iOS 5 features is the ability to take pictures with the camera buttons. Having the volume buttons on the right side of the screen should made taking pictures easier when holding the phone in a landscape orientation.
It also looks as though the lingering rumor about the next iPhone having an 8megapixal camera would be confirmed if this part is in fact real. The information that we are able to gain from isn’t groundbreaking, but it helps us piece together a final device. The question here is how believable is it that a Greek tech site got its hands on a new iPhone part when the phone is made in China?
News 1: Apple building cheaper iPhone 4
News 2: Changes in the New iPhone 5
8-megapixel camera
Camera control buttons
Thinner, sleeker design
This is the smartphone all Apple-onians have been waiting for.
Anyhow, here are some of the latest rumors about the iPhone 5 (All lifted from Yahoo! Philippines News) (some parts of the articles were deleted; follow links below to read full stories)
NEWS 1
Report: Apple building cheaper, 8GB iPhone 4; iPhone 5 due late-September
Digital TrendsBy Andrew Couts | Digital Trends – Tue, Aug 23, 2011
Apple is building a cheaper, 8GB iPhone 4, according to two unnamed sources who spoke with Reuters. The new version of the iPhone 4 is currently in production at a Korean manufacturer, the sources say.
“Apple may want to push into the emerging market segment where customers want to switch to low- to mid-end smartphones from high-end feature phones, which usually cost $150-200,” said Bonnie Chang, a Yuanta Securities analyst, who spoke with Reuters. “But I think for an 8GB iPhone 4 the price is hard to go below $200, so Apple will still need a completely new phone with low specifications for the emerging markets.”
In addition to spilling the beans on the 8GB iPhone 4, Reuters’ sources also say the iPhone 5 will arrive in late-September — something we’ve heard repeatedly in the past, and which is only slightly off from the early-October release that’s become popular in the past couple of weeks.
Reuters’ sources also backed up claims that the iPhone 5 will have a larger screen, 8-megapixel camera and a better antenna. It’s also possible that the next iPhone will have 4G LTE connectability, as well as dual-mode GSM/CDMA radios.
NEWS 2
The iPhone 5 might be thinner than the iPhone 4, and have it's volume buttons moved
Digital TrendsBy Mike Dunn | Digital Trends – Wed, Aug 31, 2011
Tis the season for iPhone rumors and leaks, and today’s rumor is coming all the way from Greece. The website Greek-iPhone has what it believes to be the iPhone 5’s camera sensor. The new sensor flirts with a few of our preexisting rumors so even though it seems odd that Apple would lose a camera from a phone the story seems to check out.
We heard just yesterday that the iPhone 5, or whatever it might be called, might have a 3.7inch screen and a metal back. Today we can add a few more physical features to the latest idevice. The leaked camera is thinner than the iPhone 4’s sensor which leads us to believe that the next device will also be thinner seeing as the camera is typically one of the thicker components in a phone. With the iPad 2 being 30 percent thinner than the original iPad it has been a pretty safe bet that the iPhone 5 will be thinner than the iPhone 4.
Another interesting thing about the part in question is that it has the volume buttons on the other side of the phone. While this might seem like an odd change seeing how all four of the previous iPhones had the volume buttons on the left side of the screen. One of the new iOS 5 features is the ability to take pictures with the camera buttons. Having the volume buttons on the right side of the screen should made taking pictures easier when holding the phone in a landscape orientation.
It also looks as though the lingering rumor about the next iPhone having an 8megapixal camera would be confirmed if this part is in fact real. The information that we are able to gain from isn’t groundbreaking, but it helps us piece together a final device. The question here is how believable is it that a Greek tech site got its hands on a new iPhone part when the phone is made in China?
News 1: Apple building cheaper iPhone 4
News 2: Changes in the New iPhone 5
7.18.2011
back to "normal"
I have not had enough time this year to write anything or even update my blog. I can't even remember when was the last time I actually wrote something here to inform my friends and those who follow this blog what has been happening in my life ever since 2011 began.
I can probably some up the first half of 2011 with two words: emotionally turbulent. More than being a rollercoaster ride of emotions, life this first six months of the year was a little harsh. Okay, not a little. Quite.
I have been thinking a lot of so many things in my life. And everytime I analyze things, the face of my friend Georgina Tumamao will always pop in my head, reminding me, through a self-help book she pulled out from one of the shelves in Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street while I was sitting and munching on the White Hat yogurt a couple of my other friends and I were enjoying, that I need to take an aggressive course of action and to not just simply analyze things endlessly.
Well, George, if you happen to chance upon this blog entry, I am sorry but I am still analyzing. Don't get me wrong. I did take a course of action but I haven't mustered all courage yet to sustain the course of action I set forth.
Nonetheless, after much introspection, I have now realized I need to take charge of my own happiness and I need to stop analyzing things. Like what a friend said, masochism or martyrdom is only appropriately reciprocated in dreams or in telenovelas.
I can probably some up the first half of 2011 with two words: emotionally turbulent. More than being a rollercoaster ride of emotions, life this first six months of the year was a little harsh. Okay, not a little. Quite.
I have been thinking a lot of so many things in my life. And everytime I analyze things, the face of my friend Georgina Tumamao will always pop in my head, reminding me, through a self-help book she pulled out from one of the shelves in Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street while I was sitting and munching on the White Hat yogurt a couple of my other friends and I were enjoying, that I need to take an aggressive course of action and to not just simply analyze things endlessly.
Well, George, if you happen to chance upon this blog entry, I am sorry but I am still analyzing. Don't get me wrong. I did take a course of action but I haven't mustered all courage yet to sustain the course of action I set forth.
Nonetheless, after much introspection, I have now realized I need to take charge of my own happiness and I need to stop analyzing things. Like what a friend said, masochism or martyrdom is only appropriately reciprocated in dreams or in telenovelas.
6.25.2011
kingdom of the c: TOPMAN/ TOPSHOP END OF SEASON SALE
kingdom of the c: TOPMAN/ TOPSHOP END OF SEASON SALE: " Mike collecting every single color of this topman trouser style haha Top picks: Topman Navy blazer. Topman Knitted polo. Topman Arm..."
6.21.2011
tomato kicked, fourth time
Felt
Torn in between, torn within
Wishing for whispers to breathe
Bringing sense into this cyclic rhythm:
Risking memories that resound
Responding to my heart's fount.
Falling freely from fickleness
of love lost, love lived
of melodies mellowing my morns
of words woefully wooing
of promises proclaiming pedestals.
Empty every essence, every edge
Ail all aches, all agonies of late
Offer oases of opulent devotions
Usher utterances of undying romance
Until this very you and me is immersed as one.
Felt by Tim Decano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Torn in between, torn within
Wishing for whispers to breathe
Bringing sense into this cyclic rhythm:
Risking memories that resound
Responding to my heart's fount.
Falling freely from fickleness
of love lost, love lived
of melodies mellowing my morns
of words woefully wooing
of promises proclaiming pedestals.
Empty every essence, every edge
Ail all aches, all agonies of late
Offer oases of opulent devotions
Usher utterances of undying romance
Until this very you and me is immersed as one.
Felt by Tim Decano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
4.28.2011
Filipino men ‘most narcissistic in Asia’ | Asian Correspondent
Filipino men ‘most narcissistic in Asia’ | Asian Correspondent
by James Cordova
by James Cordova
Selling mirrors must be a robust business in the Philippines. That is because Filipinos are supposed to be the most vain, the most narcissistic men in Asia.
A 2006 survey by a company called Synovate was recently cited by CNN in a story about the “most sinful cities” in Asia. The story ranks the cities according to the “seven deadly sins” and Manila is right there as the city that is the most proud of them all.
Much is made about the loveliness of the Filipino female. But you wouldn’t know it by talking to the Filipino men — they’re too busy gazing lustfully into the mirror.
According to a study from Synovate, Filipino men are the most narcissistic in Asia. A whopping 48 percent consider themselves sexually attractive.
And if the ladies reading this think the guys’ encounters with the brow tweazers are for your benefit, sorry — nine out of 10 Filipino men polled said they liked to look good for themselves, not anyone else.
By way of comparison, just 25 percent of men in Singapore considered themselves sexually attractive, 17 percent in China and Taiwan and a measly 12 percent of Hong Kong guys think the same.
The Synovate survey notes that “the findings have a wide-ranging implication for the marketers of personal grooming products.” Traditionally, it says, “marketers have addressed this market by selling to wives, mothers, sisters, girlfriends. Now, they can go directly to the newly minted beautiful male.”
It’s not difficult to substantiate the survey’s claim. If you have a Filipino male friend, take a peek into his backpack or bathroom cabinet and you will invariably find all sorts of personal hygiene, even beauty, products: toothbrush, toothpaste, perhaps even a mouthwash, an underarm roll or spray, a cologne or perfume, an aftershave perhaps, a comb, a pair of nail cutters, hair gel… If you’re lucky you can probably even find a compact mirror.
Filipino men are just as finicky about their looks as the women. The “metrosexual” phenomenon has recently caught on in urban centers. Products that used to be marketed only to women are now also being peddled to men, such as Nivea for Men. On its Facebook page for the Philippines, Nivea tells Filipino men: “Hey BROs, how’s the summer vacation preps so far? But first, make sure your skin has the freedom to enjoy under the sun by getting the right sunblock based on your skin tone, skin type, target location and date!” One fan remarked: “I love this stuff ^ ^ The best way to look good and smell good:) Honestly Nivea team ^ ^ Thumbs up;)”
A billboard along the main Manila highway called Edsa (Photo from baxter-ramblings.blogspot.com)
The “narcissistic Filipino,” in fact, is now part of popular culture. Movie posters and billboards always feature men in various stages of undress, usually to display washboard abs. One movie star, Piolo Pascual, has made a career out of these advertising endorsements apparently with the stipulation that all of his posters should show his midsection — even if what he endorses has absolutely nothing to do with those abs, like a condominium.
Looking at these posters and billboards, you’d think that Filipino men are the healthiest, fittest men on earth. In truth, obesity is rising in the Philippines. Cases of diabetes and other so-called lifestyle diseases, such as hypertension, are on the rise.
This, of course, has not stopped and should not stop Filipinos from adoring themselves in the mirror. If only we could do it less so we can actually get some things done in this country…
4.16.2011
Wage increase justifiable, possible -IBON Foundation | News
IBON Foundation | News
Wage increase justifiable, possible
IBON NEWS | 14 April 2011 |The total cost of the proposed wage hike will only be Php135.6 billion which, subtracted from total profits, will still leave establishments with Php759.6 billion in profits.
If small and large employers in the Philippines accept a cut in their already-substantial profits, they can afford to grant a sufficient wage increase, according to research group IBON. The benefits for workers and their families is unambiguous and a wage hike will provide immediate relief, even if not yet necessarily bringing all of them up to a decent standard of living.
IBON noted that the economy actually has more than enough profits to support workers’ call for a Php125 wage increase. Government data show that establishments in the country with total employment of 20 and over had combined profits of Php895.2 billion and 2.74 million employees, according to the preliminary results of the 2008 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI) of the National Statistics Office (NSO).
Granting an across the board wage hike of Php125 means workers will receive an additional PhP3,802 per month, and that employers will spend an additional Php49,427 per employee per year (assuming 13 months of pay). The total cost of the proposed wage hike will only be Php135.6 billion which, subtracted from total profits, will still leave establishments with Php759.6 billion in profits. This is only a 15.1% cut in their profits.
Giving a Php125 wage hike in NCR will cost employers Php61.0 billion and reduce their profits by only 17.3%, from Php352.1 billion to Php291.1 billion. Average profit per establishment in the NCR will only fall by Php6.8 million and still leave them with an average of Php32.2 million in profits each.
According to IBON, the situation is even more straightforward for the country’s largest corporations. The Top 1,000 corporations in the country combined annual net income increased from Php116.4 billion in 2001 to Php756.0 billion just in 2009, with a cumulative Php3,788.9 billion over the period 2001-2009.
These enterprise and big corporate profits starkly contrast with the conditions of workers. The average daily basic pay that wage and salary workers in the country actually received – as opposed to merely mandated minimum wages that are not necessarily actually paid – increased from Php222 in 2001 to Php301 in 2010 (preliminary estimate). The additional Php79 amounts to a 36% increase but was not even enough to make up for the continuous increase in prices which soared some 56% over the same period – with inflation at an annual average of 5.2% over the 10-year period including a peak of 9.3% in 2008. The net effect is that the wage increase was more than offset and workers instead saw a Php28 drop in the real value of their wages.
A large wage hike will be beneficial not just for workers and their families but also the economy, IBON added. The transfer of money from rich to poor households will increase aggregate demand and stimulate the economy. High-income households have a higher propensity to save and low-income households, so deprived even of basic necessities, a higher propensity to consume, the group said.
IBON NEWS | 14 April 2011 |The total cost of the proposed wage hike will only be Php135.6 billion which, subtracted from total profits, will still leave establishments with Php759.6 billion in profits.
If small and large employers in the Philippines accept a cut in their already-substantial profits, they can afford to grant a sufficient wage increase, according to research group IBON. The benefits for workers and their families is unambiguous and a wage hike will provide immediate relief, even if not yet necessarily bringing all of them up to a decent standard of living.
IBON noted that the economy actually has more than enough profits to support workers’ call for a Php125 wage increase. Government data show that establishments in the country with total employment of 20 and over had combined profits of Php895.2 billion and 2.74 million employees, according to the preliminary results of the 2008 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI) of the National Statistics Office (NSO).
Granting an across the board wage hike of Php125 means workers will receive an additional PhP3,802 per month, and that employers will spend an additional Php49,427 per employee per year (assuming 13 months of pay). The total cost of the proposed wage hike will only be Php135.6 billion which, subtracted from total profits, will still leave establishments with Php759.6 billion in profits. This is only a 15.1% cut in their profits.
Giving a Php125 wage hike in NCR will cost employers Php61.0 billion and reduce their profits by only 17.3%, from Php352.1 billion to Php291.1 billion. Average profit per establishment in the NCR will only fall by Php6.8 million and still leave them with an average of Php32.2 million in profits each.
According to IBON, the situation is even more straightforward for the country’s largest corporations. The Top 1,000 corporations in the country combined annual net income increased from Php116.4 billion in 2001 to Php756.0 billion just in 2009, with a cumulative Php3,788.9 billion over the period 2001-2009.
These enterprise and big corporate profits starkly contrast with the conditions of workers. The average daily basic pay that wage and salary workers in the country actually received – as opposed to merely mandated minimum wages that are not necessarily actually paid – increased from Php222 in 2001 to Php301 in 2010 (preliminary estimate). The additional Php79 amounts to a 36% increase but was not even enough to make up for the continuous increase in prices which soared some 56% over the same period – with inflation at an annual average of 5.2% over the 10-year period including a peak of 9.3% in 2008. The net effect is that the wage increase was more than offset and workers instead saw a Php28 drop in the real value of their wages.
A large wage hike will be beneficial not just for workers and their families but also the economy, IBON added. The transfer of money from rich to poor households will increase aggregate demand and stimulate the economy. High-income households have a higher propensity to save and low-income households, so deprived even of basic necessities, a higher propensity to consume, the group said.
4.13.2011
The Big Outlet Sale of Malibu Enterprise
An amazingly and astoundingly great outlet sale is coming our way.
Check out The Big Outlet Sale by Malibu Enterprise. Click this link to win tickets and to find out more on this sale.
Check out The Big Outlet Sale by Malibu Enterprise. Click this link to win tickets and to find out more on this sale.
4.05.2011
The child-abuser of JanJan
Child abuse is probably one issue that almost everyone of us feels strongly about because we all have been kids and we can all empathize and sympathize with what kids experience. Hence, this hullaballoo on the isssue concerning Jan Jan and Willie Revillame.
Therefore any action that is physically, mentally, and sexually violent and a result of neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment, or exploitation shall be defined child abuse.
Let us now try to see with objective eyes what happened during the March 12, 2011 episode of Wiling Willie. This episode's Bigat10, one of the show's segments, featured talented children aged 6-10 years old.
Based on the several videos I have watched, these facts can be stated:
1. Jan-Jan performed the "Macho Dancer" dance six times during the episode prompted by Willie Revillame's signal (twice) and by the music alone (four times).
2. No adult in the show stopped him from performing the "Macho Dancer" dance except for Willie Revillame because this was required of him as he was the show's host.
3. When JanJan was dancing the first time, Willie Revillame cut the performance after less than a minute. Performances would usually last from 1 1/2 to 3 minutes unless Willie decides to cut it short.
4. The production staff who kept on playing the music that Jan-Jan danced to was not conspicuously instructed by Willie Revillame. The music played, except for that time when Jan-Jan was about to perform, without conspicuous cues from the host.
5. Jan-Jan started showing signs that he was about to cry after he said that his father "owns" a hair parlor and Willie Revillame clarified what Jan-Jan had just said.
6. Willie Revillame commented that JanJan's dance was like that of the Burlesk Queen character.
Looking at all the obvious, observable facts in the videos found in Youtube, it is clear that:
1. Willie Revillame's comment about the performance being similar to the dance of the Burlesk Queen character gave a different color to the performance of JanJan.
2. The child JanJan was never coerced in the video to perform the dance against his will.
Okay, let us straighten things out some more.
I know that as adults it is our job to guide the children to determine what are morally right and wrong and what are socially acceptable and unacceptable.
In my humble opinion, if there is something that we can accuse Willie Revillame of is that the comment he made was altogether foul and gave the unwholesome, vulgar color to the otherwise harmless performance of JanJan. This comment caused a ruckus in the audience and the television viewers.
We don't know if JanJan is aware or not of the connotation of the dance steps he performed on national television. We don't know if he knows that these dance steps are vulgar.
If he does not know this, then we might have just ruined more the child's innocence. After all, to the child, what he at least knows is that he is just performing to an audience who cheered him on for his dancing skills and not because of the vulgar connotation of the dance steps he performed.
Sometimes, we have to think twice before we act on certain things such as this. How much will it affect the child? What will his parents say if JanJan asks, "Tay, Nay, ano po yung macho dancer?" What now do we tell our children whenever they perform other steps which are, to our adult, corrupt eyes, vulgar?
We have truly just abused these children even before they get to understand the world when they are ready to accept these new knowledge.
You can check out the following videos and share your comments on my post here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4AOdpWU6w0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jmLgn2tCNo
Before we proceed, I would like to set some things.
First, let us define child abuse. As stated in Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC),
"States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child."Therefore any action that is physically, mentally, and sexually violent and a result of neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment, or exploitation shall be defined child abuse.
Let us now try to see with objective eyes what happened during the March 12, 2011 episode of Wiling Willie. This episode's Bigat10, one of the show's segments, featured talented children aged 6-10 years old.
Based on the several videos I have watched, these facts can be stated:
1. Jan-Jan performed the "Macho Dancer" dance six times during the episode prompted by Willie Revillame's signal (twice) and by the music alone (four times).
2. No adult in the show stopped him from performing the "Macho Dancer" dance except for Willie Revillame because this was required of him as he was the show's host.
3. When JanJan was dancing the first time, Willie Revillame cut the performance after less than a minute. Performances would usually last from 1 1/2 to 3 minutes unless Willie decides to cut it short.
4. The production staff who kept on playing the music that Jan-Jan danced to was not conspicuously instructed by Willie Revillame. The music played, except for that time when Jan-Jan was about to perform, without conspicuous cues from the host.
5. Jan-Jan started showing signs that he was about to cry after he said that his father "owns" a hair parlor and Willie Revillame clarified what Jan-Jan had just said.
6. Willie Revillame commented that JanJan's dance was like that of the Burlesk Queen character.
Looking at all the obvious, observable facts in the videos found in Youtube, it is clear that:
1. Willie Revillame's comment about the performance being similar to the dance of the Burlesk Queen character gave a different color to the performance of JanJan.
2. The child JanJan was never coerced in the video to perform the dance against his will.
Okay, let us straighten things out some more.
I know that as adults it is our job to guide the children to determine what are morally right and wrong and what are socially acceptable and unacceptable.
In my humble opinion, if there is something that we can accuse Willie Revillame of is that the comment he made was altogether foul and gave the unwholesome, vulgar color to the otherwise harmless performance of JanJan. This comment caused a ruckus in the audience and the television viewers.
We don't know if JanJan is aware or not of the connotation of the dance steps he performed on national television. We don't know if he knows that these dance steps are vulgar.
If he does not know this, then we might have just ruined more the child's innocence. After all, to the child, what he at least knows is that he is just performing to an audience who cheered him on for his dancing skills and not because of the vulgar connotation of the dance steps he performed.
Sometimes, we have to think twice before we act on certain things such as this. How much will it affect the child? What will his parents say if JanJan asks, "Tay, Nay, ano po yung macho dancer?" What now do we tell our children whenever they perform other steps which are, to our adult, corrupt eyes, vulgar?
We have truly just abused these children even before they get to understand the world when they are ready to accept these new knowledge.
You can check out the following videos and share your comments on my post here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4AOdpWU6w0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jmLgn2tCNo
3.25.2011
President Noynoy's Speech at the Ateneo de Manila University
Talumpati
ni
Benigno S. Aquino III
Pangulo ng Pilipinas
Sa kanyang pagdalo sa Misa para sa mga magtatapos ng Ateneo de Manila University
[Inihayag sa High School Covered Courts ng Ateneo de Manila noong ika-25 ng Marso 2011]
Matagal na rin akong hindi nauwi dito sa Ateneo. Noong kapanahunan ko nga po, dahil sa Citizens Military Training, sapilitang pinatatabas ang mga buhok namin. Eksakto po sana ang pagbabalik ko, kasi ngayon, kusa nang nauubos ang buhok ko. Pero hindi na nga ho pala required ang CMT ngayon—volunteer na. Marami na talagang nagbago. Hindi ho kasama itong covered courts; pareho pa rin ho yata.
Balita ko po’y nagretiro na ang aking mga guro tulad ni Ginang Escasa. Guro ko po siya sa Filipino noong na kung makaporma po eh parang araw-araw papunta sa Graduation Ball. Kahit walang aircon ang mga classroom namin noon, ang damit po niya niya’y talagang gown. Pero kailangan ko namang masabi ang isang katotohanan. Sa dami ng humahanga sa pananagalog ko, kay Ginang Escasa ako dapat magpasalamat. Sabi niya, kung magtatagalog ka, diretsuhin mo na. Huwag ‘yung hinahaluan pa ng Ingles, like kung ano ang manner of speaking ng marami sa youth right now.
xxx
Tungkulin ng bawat henerasyon na ipagpatuloy ang magandang nasimulan ng nauna sa kanila. Kaming mga nauna sa inyo ay nagsusumikap na huwag nang ipasa ang mga problemang namana namin. Umaasa ako na kayo naman ay magsisikap ding huwag nang mag-iwan pa ng mga problema sa mga susunod na salinlahi.
Limang taon at tatlong buwan na lang po ang natitira sa trabaho kong ito. Pagkatapos nito, magpapahaba na kong muli ng aking buhok. Simple lang naman po ang pangarap ko sa buhay: Kapag tinawag na ako ng Poong Maykapal, at sinabi Niyang finished or not finished, pass your papers, maipagmamalaki kong naiwan ko ang mundong ito nang mas maayos kaysa sa aking dinatnan. Iyan din po ang panawagan ko sa bawat isa sa atin.
Continue reading here.
3.23.2011
Nadal, Djokovic to play charity football for Japan - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
Nadal, Djokovic to play charity football for Japan - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
MIAMI—World No. 1 Rafael Nadal and second-ranked Novak Djokovic will lead a set of tennis stars in a charity football match on Wednesday to raise money for earthquake and tsunami relief missions in Japan.
Britain's Andy Murray and Japan's Kei Nishikori will also be among those who drop their rackets and compete with their feet ahead of their opening matches in a $9 million ATP and WTA hardcourt event.
The tennis stars will face the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a second-level US pro squad, at Ransom Everglades High School with a dinner afterward. Proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross relief effort in Japan.
"I'm very concerned for the people of Japan and think it is only right that we do whatever we can to help those in need," Djokovic said. "I would love to see all of Miami support both events."
Serbia's Djokovic is off to an 18-0 start to the season, the best since Ivan Lendl's 25-0 start a quarter-century ago, and comes off an Indian Wells finals triumph over Spain's Nadal last Sunday.
Others ATP players set to take the field include Frenchman Richard Gasquet; Spaniards David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez; Serbian Viktor Troicki, Austrian Jurgen Melzer and Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.
MIAMI—World No. 1 Rafael Nadal and second-ranked Novak Djokovic will lead a set of tennis stars in a charity football match on Wednesday to raise money for earthquake and tsunami relief missions in Japan.
Britain's Andy Murray and Japan's Kei Nishikori will also be among those who drop their rackets and compete with their feet ahead of their opening matches in a $9 million ATP and WTA hardcourt event.
The tennis stars will face the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a second-level US pro squad, at Ransom Everglades High School with a dinner afterward. Proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross relief effort in Japan.
"I'm very concerned for the people of Japan and think it is only right that we do whatever we can to help those in need," Djokovic said. "I would love to see all of Miami support both events."
Serbia's Djokovic is off to an 18-0 start to the season, the best since Ivan Lendl's 25-0 start a quarter-century ago, and comes off an Indian Wells finals triumph over Spain's Nadal last Sunday.
Others ATP players set to take the field include Frenchman Richard Gasquet; Spaniards David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez; Serbian Viktor Troicki, Austrian Jurgen Melzer and Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.
Nothing makes a complete person
Yeah, you read that right. While browsing through Tumblr, I chanced upon this post from user WhatcanIsay?.
Amid all the stresses of the fast-paced, digital life, it satiates well to stop awhile and introspect. Let me share this post which I think all of us can really learn from.
Benefits of Doing Nothing
1. Promise Nothing
Just do what you most enjoy doing.
Hidden benefit: You will always over-deliver.
2. Offer Nothing
Just share what you have with those who express an interest in it.
Hidden benefit: Takes the pressure off of wanting other people to see you as valuable or important.
3. Expect Nothing
Just enjoy what you already have. It’s plenty.
Hidden benefit: You will realize how complete your life is already.
4. Need Nothing
Just build up your reserves and your needs will disappear.
Hidden benefit: You boundaries will be extended and filled with space.
5. Create Nothing
Just respond well to what comes to you.
Hidden benefit: Openness.
6. Hype Nothing
Just let quality sell by itself.
Hidden benefit: Trustability.
7. Plan Nothing
Just take the path of least resistance.
Hidden benefit: Achievement will become effortless.
8. Learn Nothing
Just let your body absorb it all on your behalf.
Hidden benefit: You will become more receptive to what you need to know in the moment.
9. Become No One
Just be more of yourself.
Hidden benefit: Authenticity.
10. Change Nothing
Just tell the truth and things will change by themselves.
Hidden benefit: Acceptance.
Amid all the stresses of the fast-paced, digital life, it satiates well to stop awhile and introspect. Let me share this post which I think all of us can really learn from.
Benefits of Doing Nothing
1. Promise Nothing
Just do what you most enjoy doing.
Hidden benefit: You will always over-deliver.
2. Offer Nothing
Just share what you have with those who express an interest in it.
Hidden benefit: Takes the pressure off of wanting other people to see you as valuable or important.
3. Expect Nothing
Just enjoy what you already have. It’s plenty.
Hidden benefit: You will realize how complete your life is already.
4. Need Nothing
Just build up your reserves and your needs will disappear.
Hidden benefit: You boundaries will be extended and filled with space.
5. Create Nothing
Just respond well to what comes to you.
Hidden benefit: Openness.
6. Hype Nothing
Just let quality sell by itself.
Hidden benefit: Trustability.
7. Plan Nothing
Just take the path of least resistance.
Hidden benefit: Achievement will become effortless.
8. Learn Nothing
Just let your body absorb it all on your behalf.
Hidden benefit: You will become more receptive to what you need to know in the moment.
9. Become No One
Just be more of yourself.
Hidden benefit: Authenticity.
10. Change Nothing
Just tell the truth and things will change by themselves.
Hidden benefit: Acceptance.
3.21.2011
Earthquake Updates Worldwide
Awhile ago, an earthquake struck Mindoro and Manila felt the intensity of the earthquake as well.
For latest earthquake updates, you can check this website USGS.
For latest earthquake updates, you can check this website USGS.
Djkovic wins Indian Wells crown - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
Djkovic wins Indian Wells crown - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 09:32:00 03/21/2011
INDIAN WELLS – Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic won the ATP Indian Wells title on Sunday, rallying to beat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and improve his record this season to 18-0.
Djokovic, who took over the No. 2 world ranking by beating Roger Federer in the semi-finals, avenged a loss to Nadal in the 2007 Indian Wells final.
The 23-year-old Serbian has looked invincible this season and Sunday's victory in the California desert underlined that.
Djokovic fired four aces, two to hold serve in the third set, in the two-hour, 25-minute match to capture his second Indian Wells crown.
Djokovic took the second set in dramatic style, winning a marathon ninth game on the sixth set point after Nadal had saved five. The game, which lasted over 10 minutes, ended when Nadal hit a backhand wide in front of a near-capacity crowd of about 15,000.
Nadal hit another sliding forehand into the net on match point, sparking a celebration from Djokovic, who clenched both fists, threw his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"I lost today, but I lost to one of the greatest," Nadal said.
Continue reading the rest of the article by clicking the link above.
Nadal is a really great athlete for saying this despite being world No. 1.
Congratulations to equally competitive Djokovic.
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 09:32:00 03/21/2011
Djokovic, who took over the No. 2 world ranking by beating Roger Federer in the semi-finals, avenged a loss to Nadal in the 2007 Indian Wells final.
The 23-year-old Serbian has looked invincible this season and Sunday's victory in the California desert underlined that.
Djokovic fired four aces, two to hold serve in the third set, in the two-hour, 25-minute match to capture his second Indian Wells crown.
Djokovic took the second set in dramatic style, winning a marathon ninth game on the sixth set point after Nadal had saved five. The game, which lasted over 10 minutes, ended when Nadal hit a backhand wide in front of a near-capacity crowd of about 15,000.
Nadal hit another sliding forehand into the net on match point, sparking a celebration from Djokovic, who clenched both fists, threw his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"I lost today, but I lost to one of the greatest," Nadal said.
Continue reading the rest of the article by clicking the link above.
Nadal is a really great athlete for saying this despite being world No. 1.
Congratulations to equally competitive Djokovic.
3.20.2011
Active Faults and Trenches in the Philippines
So, after reading a comment from a reader asking where the actual faults are, I researched and found the photo in the Philvocs website.
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| Courtesy of Philvocs |
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| Coutesy of Philvocs |
 |
| Courtesy of Philvocs |
3.18.2011
SC: 982 pass 2010 Bar exams, Ateneo law graduate tops list - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
SC: 982 pass 2010 Bar exams, Ateneo law graduate tops list - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
The Supreme Court announced on Thursday that only 982 out of 4,847 examinees passed the 2010 Bar examinations, bringing the passing rate to 20.26 percent, the second lowest in the last 10 years.
Oath-taking of the successful Bar examinees is on April 14, 2011, at the Philippine International Convention Center.
The passers were part of the examinees who took last year’s controversial Bar exam which was marred by a grenade explosion that injured some 50 people.
The passing rate for the 2010 Bar exam is lower than the 24.5 percent passing rate in 2009. The passers received a mark higher than 72.5 percent. Last year, the passing mark was 71 percent.
The passing rate for 2010 is also the second lowest in the past decade – next only to 2002 when only 19.68 percent passed the Bar exams.
Continue reading the article by clicking the link above.
Complete list of Bar examinations passers here.
The Supreme Court announced on Thursday that only 982 out of 4,847 examinees passed the 2010 Bar examinations, bringing the passing rate to 20.26 percent, the second lowest in the last 10 years.
Oath-taking of the successful Bar examinees is on April 14, 2011, at the Philippine International Convention Center.
The passers were part of the examinees who took last year’s controversial Bar exam which was marred by a grenade explosion that injured some 50 people.
The passing rate for the 2010 Bar exam is lower than the 24.5 percent passing rate in 2009. The passers received a mark higher than 72.5 percent. Last year, the passing mark was 71 percent.
The passing rate for 2010 is also the second lowest in the past decade – next only to 2002 when only 19.68 percent passed the Bar exams.
Continue reading the article by clicking the link above.
Complete list of Bar examinations passers here.
3.17.2011
Japan begins air drop on stricken reactor - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
Japan begins air drop on stricken reactor - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
ZAO, Japan – Japanese military helicopters dumped loads of seawater onto a stricken nuclear reactor Thursday, trying to avoid full meltdowns as plant operators said they were close to finishing a new power line that could restore cooling systems and ease the crisis.
US officials in Washington, meanwhile, warned that the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in northeastern Japan may be on the verge of spewing more radioactive material because water was gone from a storage pool for spent nuclear fuel rods.
The troubles at several of the plant's reactors were set off when last week's earthquake and tsunami knocked out power and ruined backup generators needed for their cooling systems, adding a major nuclear crisis for Japan as it dealt with twin natural disasters that killed more than 10,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
Continue reading the story by clicking the link above.
ZAO, Japan – Japanese military helicopters dumped loads of seawater onto a stricken nuclear reactor Thursday, trying to avoid full meltdowns as plant operators said they were close to finishing a new power line that could restore cooling systems and ease the crisis.
US officials in Washington, meanwhile, warned that the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in northeastern Japan may be on the verge of spewing more radioactive material because water was gone from a storage pool for spent nuclear fuel rods.
The troubles at several of the plant's reactors were set off when last week's earthquake and tsunami knocked out power and ruined backup generators needed for their cooling systems, adding a major nuclear crisis for Japan as it dealt with twin natural disasters that killed more than 10,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
Continue reading the story by clicking the link above.
Quake shifted Japan away from Korea —scientists - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
Quake shifted Japan away from Korea —scientists - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
SEOUL—The massive earthquake that devastated northeastern Japan has shifted the country more than two metres away from the neighboring Korean peninsula, scientists said on Thursday.
The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASSI) said the Korean peninsula moved east up to five centimeters (two inches) while Japan shifted some 2.4 meters (7.92 feet) east.
Consequently, the distance between the countries increased by more than two metres, the institute said.
The disputed Dokdo islands, also claimed by Japan where they are known as Takeshima, relocated furthest, moving five centimeters east, as the islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) are relatively closer to the epicenter.
The southwestern port of Mokpo drifted 1.21 centimeters.
"We are closely monitoring to see whether the shift was temporary or perpetual," a KASSI spokeswoman told AFP.
Continue reading the story in the link above.
SEOUL—The massive earthquake that devastated northeastern Japan has shifted the country more than two metres away from the neighboring Korean peninsula, scientists said on Thursday.
The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASSI) said the Korean peninsula moved east up to five centimeters (two inches) while Japan shifted some 2.4 meters (7.92 feet) east.
Consequently, the distance between the countries increased by more than two metres, the institute said.
The disputed Dokdo islands, also claimed by Japan where they are known as Takeshima, relocated furthest, moving five centimeters east, as the islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) are relatively closer to the epicenter.
The southwestern port of Mokpo drifted 1.21 centimeters.
"We are closely monitoring to see whether the shift was temporary or perpetual," a KASSI spokeswoman told AFP.
Continue reading the story in the link above.
Why is there no looting in Japan?- CNN Politics
March 15, 2011
Why is there no looting in Japan?
Posted: 05:00 PM ET
Read original posting here.
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
In the wake of Japan's deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant explosions, we have witnessed the almost indescribable chaos that follows a disaster of this magnitude: loss of life, severe injuries, homelessness, lack of water, food and proper medical care, the physical destruction of towns and cities, and a growing fear of radioactive contamination from power plants that seem beyond anyone's ability to control.
But one heart-wrenching byproduct of disasters like this one has been missing in Japan, and that’s looting and lawlessness.
Looting is something we see after almost every tragedy; for example: last year's earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the floods in England in 2007, and of course Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. It happens when some people who've seen life as they know it get tossed out the window feel that all morality has been tossed out too. It's survival of the fittest and whatever you can get your hands on is yours, no matter who it belongs to.
But that's not happening in Japan.
Journalist and social commentator Ed West wrote in the UK Telegraph yesterday how struck he was by the Japanese culture throughout this ordeal. He observed how supermarkets cut their prices in the days following the quake and how vending machine owners were giving out free drinks as "people work together to survive." And West was most surprised by the fact that there was no looting.
Many have pointed to the popularity of Japan's distinctive Buddhist and Shinto religions as well as how the values of conformity and consensus are considered virtues in their culture. That's one explanation, but it probably has something to do with remaining true to your moral code even in the darkest hours.
Why is there no looting in Japan?
Posted: 05:00 PM ET
Read original posting here.
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
In the wake of Japan's deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant explosions, we have witnessed the almost indescribable chaos that follows a disaster of this magnitude: loss of life, severe injuries, homelessness, lack of water, food and proper medical care, the physical destruction of towns and cities, and a growing fear of radioactive contamination from power plants that seem beyond anyone's ability to control.
But one heart-wrenching byproduct of disasters like this one has been missing in Japan, and that’s looting and lawlessness.
Looting is something we see after almost every tragedy; for example: last year's earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the floods in England in 2007, and of course Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. It happens when some people who've seen life as they know it get tossed out the window feel that all morality has been tossed out too. It's survival of the fittest and whatever you can get your hands on is yours, no matter who it belongs to.
But that's not happening in Japan.
Journalist and social commentator Ed West wrote in the UK Telegraph yesterday how struck he was by the Japanese culture throughout this ordeal. He observed how supermarkets cut their prices in the days following the quake and how vending machine owners were giving out free drinks as "people work together to survive." And West was most surprised by the fact that there was no looting.
Many have pointed to the popularity of Japan's distinctive Buddhist and Shinto religions as well as how the values of conformity and consensus are considered virtues in their culture. That's one explanation, but it probably has something to do with remaining true to your moral code even in the darkest hours.
Sign the Petition: No to RH Bill
To: To the members of the 15th Congress of the Philippines
We strongly oppose the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill (HB 4244) for the following reasons:
1. The Reproductive Health Bill undermines the human rights it seeks to advance.
The government cannot, on the one hand, guarantee the "universal basic human right to reproductive health" with its concomitant "right to make free and informed decisions," and on the other hand advocate a policy that tells parents - especially women - what their choices should be. Such an approach would be an unjustifiable affront to the dignity and capacity of the poor.
The bill also claims to give equal importance to natural and artificial methods of family planning. This claim does not hold. While mention is given to natural family planning, no funding is provided for the promotion of these methods in the budgetary provisions of the bill. Natural methods rely on investment in education of women and increased knowledge in order to enable women to manage their health and make informed decisions. Budgetary allocations must be inserted to the bill to provide funding for the training of knowledge-based reproductive health care providers, and the promotion of necessary information to women in order to enable informed choice.
2. Maternal health requires access to health care facilities and reproductive health education, not contraceptives.
Improved access to basic health care, nutrition, medicines, and technology are the additional means by which maternal mortality and morbidity can be reduced and eliminated.
The mandate of the RH bill to increase obstetric care and skilled birth attendants is not emphasized in this bill. The causes of maternal mortality and morbidity are limited: hemmorhage, infection, obstructed labor, and hypertensive disorders. These causes can be significantly addressed through investment in skilled birth attendants and provision of health education for women and families.
There is probably no more important step the Philippines could take toward improving reproductive health. The UNFPA states that three-fourths (¾) of all maternal deaths could be averted by the presence of skilled birth attendants. By contrast, family planning is likely to reduce maternal deaths only by one-third. The RH bill’s current provisions for maternal care are important, but underdeveloped in comparison with other parts of the bill.
3. It does not protect the rights of conscience of those that will be responsible for implementing new measure.
All reproductive health care workers should “provide information and educate” and “render medical services” consistent with the new provisions in this bill. This bill does not include measures that protect conscientious objections for healthcare workers or institutions that refuse to provide services due to religious or cultural beliefs and practices. In addition, through state-imposed reproductive health curriculum in schools, this undermines the rights of parents to be the primary educators of their children. Likewise, denying couples the right to marry without first receiving “adequate instruction” on family planning and responsible parenthood violates their individual freedom of conscience and discriminates against those who would refuse such training in cultural or religious grounds.
4. It violates freedom of expression.
The bill’s criminalization of speech that “maliciously engages in disinformation” (an undefined category) about the substance or even potential motives behind the RH bill violates the constitutional right to free speech and expression. The provision should be eliminated in its entirety.
5. Increase in contraceptive use leads to higher abortion rate.
Dr. Malcolm Potts, abortion and contraceptive advocate and past medical director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said that “As people turn to contraception, there will be a rise, not a fall, in the abortion rate.”1 Dr. Judith Bury of the Brook Advisory Center chimed in a few years later that “There is overwhelming evidence that, contrary to what you might expect, the provision of contraception leads to an increase in the abortion rate.”
The reason for this is twofold: First, contraceptives fail a certain percentage of the time. A 5\% failure rate means that 5\% of the couples using a certain method will be pregnant at the end of the year. Second, the use of contraceptives gives a false sense of security that leads to risky sexual behavior. The result is more “unplanned” pregnancies and hence more abortions. (Source: http://www.pop.org/content/presidents-page-contraception-reduces-1874)
6. It fails to reaffirm the Philippines' protection of the unborn.
Filipino law has long defended the right to life of all persons, whether born or unborn. The reproductive health bill makes only an ambiguous statement of principle (“While nothing in this Act changes the law against abortion...”) as part of a care provision for post-abortion complications. Additionally, the bill’s guarantee of “reproductive health care services,” as opposed to the defined term “reproductive health care,” as well as a “universal basic human right to reproductive health” according to international legal custom, could eventually open the door to undermining Philippines national law protecting unborn persons.
7. Recent reports emphasize the problems with widely used family planning programs that fail to meet the needs of the poorest populations.
“Strategies that seek to increase contraceptive use rapidly by improving services and access in convenient or well-resourced areas are likely to increase observed inequities in contraceptive use.” Maternal mortality and general reproductive health problems also remain high because the unique issues facing poor populations are not addressed. (Nuriye Ortayli and Shawn Malarcher, “Equity Analysis: Identifying Who Benefits from Family Planning Programs.”) In this way family planning programs, by focusing on contraceptive use rather than an integrated, comprehensive approach to population development, fail to address the needs of the poor.
8. There has never been a direct link connecting high population with high poverty rates.
Correlation is not causation. It is short-sighted to think of declining population growth as a goal in of itself. Population control, as an economic policy, has proven to be unsustainable. Across Europe and Asia, countries that saw steep declines in fertility in the past generation are now bracing themselves for the future consequences of an aging population, when a large number of elderly can no longer be supported by the smaller and younger working class. During the 1970s and 1980s, Singapore instituted an aggressive two-child policy, which led to a situation of labor shortages and the difficulty of supporting an aging population. In an effort to recover, Singapore now pursues a pro-fertility policy.
In Hong Kong, the government was able to overcome dismal conditions and a dense population (five times more than the government declared to be its carrying “capacity”) and it has experienced a great economic boom and high levels of economic prosperity due to a sound banking system, no public debt, a strong legal system, and a rigorously enforced anti-corruption regime. These cases provide clear examples that economic development is not synonymous with small population, and that a large population is not only sustainable but an asset to development.
Sign the petition here.
We strongly oppose the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill (HB 4244) for the following reasons:
1. The Reproductive Health Bill undermines the human rights it seeks to advance.
The government cannot, on the one hand, guarantee the "universal basic human right to reproductive health" with its concomitant "right to make free and informed decisions," and on the other hand advocate a policy that tells parents - especially women - what their choices should be. Such an approach would be an unjustifiable affront to the dignity and capacity of the poor.
The bill also claims to give equal importance to natural and artificial methods of family planning. This claim does not hold. While mention is given to natural family planning, no funding is provided for the promotion of these methods in the budgetary provisions of the bill. Natural methods rely on investment in education of women and increased knowledge in order to enable women to manage their health and make informed decisions. Budgetary allocations must be inserted to the bill to provide funding for the training of knowledge-based reproductive health care providers, and the promotion of necessary information to women in order to enable informed choice.
2. Maternal health requires access to health care facilities and reproductive health education, not contraceptives.
Improved access to basic health care, nutrition, medicines, and technology are the additional means by which maternal mortality and morbidity can be reduced and eliminated.
The mandate of the RH bill to increase obstetric care and skilled birth attendants is not emphasized in this bill. The causes of maternal mortality and morbidity are limited: hemmorhage, infection, obstructed labor, and hypertensive disorders. These causes can be significantly addressed through investment in skilled birth attendants and provision of health education for women and families.
There is probably no more important step the Philippines could take toward improving reproductive health. The UNFPA states that three-fourths (¾) of all maternal deaths could be averted by the presence of skilled birth attendants. By contrast, family planning is likely to reduce maternal deaths only by one-third. The RH bill’s current provisions for maternal care are important, but underdeveloped in comparison with other parts of the bill.
3. It does not protect the rights of conscience of those that will be responsible for implementing new measure.
All reproductive health care workers should “provide information and educate” and “render medical services” consistent with the new provisions in this bill. This bill does not include measures that protect conscientious objections for healthcare workers or institutions that refuse to provide services due to religious or cultural beliefs and practices. In addition, through state-imposed reproductive health curriculum in schools, this undermines the rights of parents to be the primary educators of their children. Likewise, denying couples the right to marry without first receiving “adequate instruction” on family planning and responsible parenthood violates their individual freedom of conscience and discriminates against those who would refuse such training in cultural or religious grounds.
4. It violates freedom of expression.
The bill’s criminalization of speech that “maliciously engages in disinformation” (an undefined category) about the substance or even potential motives behind the RH bill violates the constitutional right to free speech and expression. The provision should be eliminated in its entirety.
5. Increase in contraceptive use leads to higher abortion rate.
Dr. Malcolm Potts, abortion and contraceptive advocate and past medical director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said that “As people turn to contraception, there will be a rise, not a fall, in the abortion rate.”1 Dr. Judith Bury of the Brook Advisory Center chimed in a few years later that “There is overwhelming evidence that, contrary to what you might expect, the provision of contraception leads to an increase in the abortion rate.”
The reason for this is twofold: First, contraceptives fail a certain percentage of the time. A 5\% failure rate means that 5\% of the couples using a certain method will be pregnant at the end of the year. Second, the use of contraceptives gives a false sense of security that leads to risky sexual behavior. The result is more “unplanned” pregnancies and hence more abortions. (Source: http://www.pop.org/content/presidents-page-contraception-reduces-1874)
6. It fails to reaffirm the Philippines' protection of the unborn.
Filipino law has long defended the right to life of all persons, whether born or unborn. The reproductive health bill makes only an ambiguous statement of principle (“While nothing in this Act changes the law against abortion...”) as part of a care provision for post-abortion complications. Additionally, the bill’s guarantee of “reproductive health care services,” as opposed to the defined term “reproductive health care,” as well as a “universal basic human right to reproductive health” according to international legal custom, could eventually open the door to undermining Philippines national law protecting unborn persons.
7. Recent reports emphasize the problems with widely used family planning programs that fail to meet the needs of the poorest populations.
“Strategies that seek to increase contraceptive use rapidly by improving services and access in convenient or well-resourced areas are likely to increase observed inequities in contraceptive use.” Maternal mortality and general reproductive health problems also remain high because the unique issues facing poor populations are not addressed. (Nuriye Ortayli and Shawn Malarcher, “Equity Analysis: Identifying Who Benefits from Family Planning Programs.”) In this way family planning programs, by focusing on contraceptive use rather than an integrated, comprehensive approach to population development, fail to address the needs of the poor.
8. There has never been a direct link connecting high population with high poverty rates.
Correlation is not causation. It is short-sighted to think of declining population growth as a goal in of itself. Population control, as an economic policy, has proven to be unsustainable. Across Europe and Asia, countries that saw steep declines in fertility in the past generation are now bracing themselves for the future consequences of an aging population, when a large number of elderly can no longer be supported by the smaller and younger working class. During the 1970s and 1980s, Singapore instituted an aggressive two-child policy, which led to a situation of labor shortages and the difficulty of supporting an aging population. In an effort to recover, Singapore now pursues a pro-fertility policy.
In Hong Kong, the government was able to overcome dismal conditions and a dense population (five times more than the government declared to be its carrying “capacity”) and it has experienced a great economic boom and high levels of economic prosperity due to a sound banking system, no public debt, a strong legal system, and a rigorously enforced anti-corruption regime. These cases provide clear examples that economic development is not synonymous with small population, and that a large population is not only sustainable but an asset to development.
Sign the petition here.
3.16.2011
Phivolcs: Marikina Valley fault line 'ripe' for movement - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
Phivolcs: Marikina Valley fault line 'ripe' for movement - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Wednesday said the Marikina West Valley fault line supposedly capable of producing a 7.2-magnitude earthquake is "ripe" for movement.
"Ripe na gumalaw ang fault. Napakataas ng probability na gumalaw ito in the future, hindi lang natin masabi ang exact date and time," Phivolcs deputy director Bartolome Bautista said during a Senate inquiry on the country's disaster preparedness on Wednesday.
(The fault is ripe for movement. There is a high probability that it will move in the future, we just cannot say the exact date and time.)
Bautista explained that the earthquake fault, which runs from Sierra Madre to Tagaytay, moves every 200 to 400 years.
The last time that the fault moved was 200 years ago, he said.
Continue reading the story by clicking the link above.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Wednesday said the Marikina West Valley fault line supposedly capable of producing a 7.2-magnitude earthquake is "ripe" for movement.
"Ripe na gumalaw ang fault. Napakataas ng probability na gumalaw ito in the future, hindi lang natin masabi ang exact date and time," Phivolcs deputy director Bartolome Bautista said during a Senate inquiry on the country's disaster preparedness on Wednesday.
(The fault is ripe for movement. There is a high probability that it will move in the future, we just cannot say the exact date and time.)
Bautista explained that the earthquake fault, which runs from Sierra Madre to Tagaytay, moves every 200 to 400 years.
The last time that the fault moved was 200 years ago, he said.
Continue reading the story by clicking the link above.
3.15.2011
3rd explosion shakes stricken nuclear power plant in Japan - World - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
FUKUSHIMA — A fresh explosion rocked a stricken Japanese nuclear power plant early Tuesday and some workers were ordered to leave the site, a sign that the situation may be getting more serious at the complex that was damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami.
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi complex said radiation levels around the site immediately after the blast, the third there, were rising fast but still far from levels that local authorities say would cause large-scale radiation sickness.
Authorities are trying to prevent meltdowns in all three of the plant's nuclear reactors by flooding the chambers with sea water to cool them down.
Japan has asked the United States for more equipment to help cool the reactors, after a dangerous drop in cooling water levels that exposed fuel rods in the No. 2 reactor, where Tuesday's blast took place.
"It was a hydrogen explosion. We are still assessing the cause and unsure whether the explosion was caused by damage to the suppression chamber," an official at the nuclear safety agency told Reuters. He did not have any more details.
Continue reading 3rd explosion shakes stricken nuclear power plant in Japan - World - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News.
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi complex said radiation levels around the site immediately after the blast, the third there, were rising fast but still far from levels that local authorities say would cause large-scale radiation sickness.
Authorities are trying to prevent meltdowns in all three of the plant's nuclear reactors by flooding the chambers with sea water to cool them down.
Japan has asked the United States for more equipment to help cool the reactors, after a dangerous drop in cooling water levels that exposed fuel rods in the No. 2 reactor, where Tuesday's blast took place.
"It was a hydrogen explosion. We are still assessing the cause and unsure whether the explosion was caused by damage to the suppression chamber," an official at the nuclear safety agency told Reuters. He did not have any more details.
Continue reading 3rd explosion shakes stricken nuclear power plant in Japan - World - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News.
Japan rocked by fresh blast at Fukushima nuclear plant
Justin McCurry in Tokyo, Tania Branigan in Beijing, and Ian Sample The Guardian
The nuclear crisis in Japan escalated as a third explosion in four days rocked the struggling power plant in the country's stricken north-east, according to its nuclear safety watchdog. Tokyo had already called in international help to tackle the escalating crisis.
Nonessential personnel pulled back from reactor 2 at the Fukushima No 1 power plant as radiation levels rose following the blast at 6.10am Japanese time. The blast appears to be the most serious yet, with Kyodo news agency reporting possible damage to the suppression pool of the containment vessel – increasing the risk of a significant release of radioactive material. The news agency said the safety agency feared radiation was leaking.
It came as the official death toll from the worst earthquake and tsunami in Japan's recorded history reached almost 1,900, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for. Millions of survivors woke up to a fifth day in the disaster zone with dwindling supplies of food and fuel, following another 24 hours of aftershocks, blazes and tsunami alerts.
Officials had previously admitted the reactor could be in partial meltdown and warned the situation was "even worse" than in the other two units with cooling problems. "Although we cannot directly check it, it's highly likely [to be] happening," Yukio Edano, the chief government spokesman, told reporters. A second dramatic hydrogen explosion had blown the walls off another reactor unit yesterday.
Continue reading the story here.
Courtesy of The Guardian.
The nuclear crisis in Japan escalated as a third explosion in four days rocked the struggling power plant in the country's stricken north-east, according to its nuclear safety watchdog. Tokyo had already called in international help to tackle the escalating crisis.
Nonessential personnel pulled back from reactor 2 at the Fukushima No 1 power plant as radiation levels rose following the blast at 6.10am Japanese time. The blast appears to be the most serious yet, with Kyodo news agency reporting possible damage to the suppression pool of the containment vessel – increasing the risk of a significant release of radioactive material. The news agency said the safety agency feared radiation was leaking.
It came as the official death toll from the worst earthquake and tsunami in Japan's recorded history reached almost 1,900, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for. Millions of survivors woke up to a fifth day in the disaster zone with dwindling supplies of food and fuel, following another 24 hours of aftershocks, blazes and tsunami alerts.
Officials had previously admitted the reactor could be in partial meltdown and warned the situation was "even worse" than in the other two units with cooling problems. "Although we cannot directly check it, it's highly likely [to be] happening," Yukio Edano, the chief government spokesman, told reporters. A second dramatic hydrogen explosion had blown the walls off another reactor unit yesterday.
Continue reading the story here.
Courtesy of The Guardian.
3.14.2011
Disasters bring out the best in people: The Twitter Stories of Japanese Amid the Disaster
Jun Shiomitsu published a note in his Facebook page reposting tweets of Japanese to recount the awe-inspiring stories in the middle of this tragedy that struck Japan.
The Japanese truly are, like Filipinos, steadfast and resilient.
Here are some stories posted in the note of Shiomitsu:
The Japanese truly are, like Filipinos, steadfast and resilient.
Here are some stories posted in the note of Shiomitsu:
At Tokyo Disneyland:
Tokyo Disneyland was handing out its shops’ food and drinks for free to the stranded people nearby. I saw a bunch of snobby looking highschool girls walking away with large portions of it and initially though “What the …” But I later I found out they were taking them to the families with little children at emergency evacuation areas. Very perceptive of them, and a very kind thing to do indeed.
At a congested downtown intersection …
Cars were moving at the rate of maybe one every green light, but everyone was letting each other go first with a warm look and a smile. At a complicated intersection, the traffic was at a complete standstill for 5 minutes, but I listened for 10 minutes and didn’t hear a single beep or honk except for an occasional one thanking someone for giving way. It was a terrifying day, but scenes like this warmed me and made me love my country even more.
Card board boxes, Thank you!
It was cold and I was getting very weary waiting forever for the train to come. Some homeless people saw me, gave me some of their own cardboard boxes and saying “you’ll be warmer if you sit on these!” I have always walked by homeless people pretending I didn’t see them, and yet here they were offering me warmth. Such warm people.
The bakery lady
There was a small bread shop on the street I take to go to school. It has long been out of business. But last night, I saw the old lady of the shop giving people her handmade bread for free. It was a heart-warming sight. She, like everyone else, was doing what she could to help people in a time of need. Tokyo isn’t that bad afterall!
Need to charge your phone?
At the emergency evacuation area, a young first-year intern at my company who had brought her phone’s charger got permission from the facility to use their power socket and went around shouting “Anyone need to charge their phone? Please use my charger!” Just a little thing, but I was touched.
Goth youth
A goth youth with white hair and body piercings walked into my store and shoved several hundred dollars (several tens of thousands of yen) into the disaster relief fund donation box. As he walked out, I and people around me heard him saying to his buddies, “I mean, we can buy those games anytime!” At that, we all opened our wallets and put our money into the donation box. Really, you cannot judge people by their appearances.
Blood donations
Japan is strong! At Osaka I saw a LONG line of people waiting to give blood at the blood donation center. This is the first time I have seen such a queue of selfless people waiting patiently in line just to give. It was a moving sight! To everyone in the hard-hit areas, we your countrymen accept your suffering as our own and we share in your grief. Do not give up! Stay strong!
Read more tweets by clicking the note above.
PAGASA: No acid rain in PHL from Japan - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
PAGASA: No acid rain in PHL from Japan - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
State weather forecasters on Monday denied rumors circulating via text messages that there will be "acid rain" in the Philippines supposedly because of radioactive clouds from quake- and tsunami-stricken Japan.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said there was no basis for such claims.
"Yung hangin galing sa Japan papalayo kaya di makakarating sa atin. Hindi totoo ang ulan may kasamang acid," PAGASA forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said in an interview on dzBB radio.
(The winds from Japan are moving away from us. It's not true that these winds contain acid rain.)
An earlier report on dzBB radio said several text messages had been circulating that acid rain may fall on the Philippines because of the looming nuclear emergency in Japan.
Japanese authorities are now scrambling to prevent a meltdown of its nuclear plant in Fukushima, after its cooling systems failed.
DOST: 'Chernobyl' scenario may be gone in few days
Earlier on Monday, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo said Monday a "Chernobyl scenario" of radiation clouds from a failed nuclear power plant in quake- and tsunami-devastated Japan may subside in a few days' time.
Montejo said while they are not discounting a leakage from the nuclear plant in Fukushima, the threat is small and there is "very little" threat to the Philippines.
"There is no immediate threat to the Philippines ... (We are) very optimistic in a few days pwede na natin bitawan yan (We are very optimistic in a few days we can declare no threat to the country)," Montejo said in an interview on dwIZ radio.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said there was no basis for such claims.
"Yung hangin galing sa Japan papalayo kaya di makakarating sa atin. Hindi totoo ang ulan may kasamang acid," PAGASA forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said in an interview on dzBB radio.
(The winds from Japan are moving away from us. It's not true that these winds contain acid rain.)
An earlier report on dzBB radio said several text messages had been circulating that acid rain may fall on the Philippines because of the looming nuclear emergency in Japan.
Japanese authorities are now scrambling to prevent a meltdown of its nuclear plant in Fukushima, after its cooling systems failed.
DOST: 'Chernobyl' scenario may be gone in few days
Earlier on Monday, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo said Monday a "Chernobyl scenario" of radiation clouds from a failed nuclear power plant in quake- and tsunami-devastated Japan may subside in a few days' time.
Montejo said while they are not discounting a leakage from the nuclear plant in Fukushima, the threat is small and there is "very little" threat to the Philippines.
"There is no immediate threat to the Philippines ... (We are) very optimistic in a few days pwede na natin bitawan yan (We are very optimistic in a few days we can declare no threat to the country)," Montejo said in an interview on dwIZ radio.
Continue reading by clicking the link above.
Philippines safe from Japan nuke meltdown: scientists
Philippines safe from Japan nuke meltdown: scientists
Posted at 03/13/2011 2:56 PM | Updated as of 03/13/2011 9:38 PM
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - Government scientists assured the public on Sunday that any nuclear meltdown in Japan will not affect the Philippines.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) officials said unlike previous nuclear meltdowns such as Chernobyl, nuclear power plants in Japan have structures aimed at stopping the spread of the radioactive waste.
“Radiation, to minds of many, connotes negative effect,” said Dr. Alum dela Rosa, director of the DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. “Radiation may reach us but from our interaction with the international atomic agency, we are ascertain that the design of this reactor is a boiling water reactor.
Continue reading the rest of the news here.
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