I was more than a little surprised when I first heard that the recent Miss Philippines Earth 2010 was held at the Manila Ocean Park. The entire Miss Earth Pageant is supposedly meant to bring attention to ecological issues, one of which is the maltreatment of the planet's aquatic life.
Doesn't that make it hypocritical of the pageant to be holding it in a place where animals are confined to these little spaces instead of the entire ocean where they can roam free? Even while I was in Singapore I was dismayed upon seeing the Sentosa Ocean Park facilities. My heart breaks for the big fish and dolphins in their cramped little tanks. And the same goes for the one in Manila.
I personally do not even approve of home aquariums...basically tiny cages where living animals are used as mere decorations. I once bought a bird from a street vendor just so I could set it free. Can you imagine having the ability to fly an entire sky or swim an entire ocean and not being allowed to do so, just so people can oohh and aahh and hand over their cash to the people who imprisoned you?
It is much worse when it is on a bigger scale: rays and sharks and 2-meter long fish that can't even swim straight so much as turn around and around in their tanks. And capturing dolphins to serve as entertainers is nothing short of cruel. How can an "ecologically-responsible" cause even consider holding their event there?
Ocean park supporters would probably say "But it's educational! It teaches people to love the sea!" You want to learn? Try reading a book. Try experiencing these creatures in their natural habitats rather than taking them from it. You would probably appreciate them more.
The best thing we could do for aquatic life is to leave it alone. Don't support these parks!
seriously. this is one scary, scary place. not a good place for people who are easily tricked or are looking for an easy buck.
ok, you must be wondering what i'm blathering on about. and here it is:
this is an ad i came across on facebook. since i'm interested in having a part-time job, preferably in the fashion industry, i decided to check it out.
expecting to find a web site on fashion merchandising, i instead ended up here.
despite my confusion, i got curious and read the whole thing, including the comments at the bottom.
"WOW!" i thought. "these people sound pretty legit...and it's only P184 shipping for a free kit. what's the harm?"
i texted my mom about it since she's also been looking for extra income. then she told me to check out the company first, something i was already planning to do.
anyway i clicked the link in the article and it brought me to this page.
the first thing i noticed is that there seemed to be a time limit on the offer. i thought that was strange and stopped midway through typing in my name. it just felt wrong. i decided to close the window and get back to it later, but when i clicked the "X", this text box popped out:
Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page?
************************************************* Todays Special Discount *************************************************
Wait... Before You Go:
I want to offer you a special discount I normally only offer to my friends and family.
You can get discount by clicking the cancel button below.
You will get my entire system for only $1.88 that is more than HALF OFF the normal price of $3.88.
To get INSTANT ACCESS to my special "friends and family" discount page where you can use the HALF OFF discount code click on the cancel button below.
************************************************* Todays Special HALF OFF Discount *************************************************
my "i smell a rat" instincts kicked in and one Google search later...i found horror stories about what had happened to people who tried the "free kit", as well as this.
can you believe the gall of these people? the testimonials are EXACTLY THE SAME. even the comments are the same, and very slyly crafted to pressure you into ordering very quickly!
basically they trick you into giving your credit card information and then they protect themselves with the fine print stating hidden charges worth hundreds of dollars in the terms and conditions!
anyway i was just glad that i wasn't a victim, but please...please be careful when going into online businesses. even on ebay there are scams everywhere. and please give this information to anyone who might be thinking of signing up for this!
Hi guys! Effective November 20, 2009, these will be the new rates for my artwork.
Please note that these are at the lowest rate already and are adjusted for local customers. No haggling please. Thanks.
Price list update for my art services:
CARICATURES (prices are per person) Head shot only ................................................. P 300.00 sample Bust (head and upper torso)............................... P 400.00 sample Full body - simple (chibi-style, cartoonish)........... P 500.00 sample Full body - detailed (semi realistic)...................... P 800.00 sample
Rush fee (order was made less than 7 days before it has to be finished) - additional 50% of original price
*prices may vary depending on difficulty **if you want a detailed background, additional fee is P 300.00 or more, depending on difficulty
DIGITAL PAINTINGS (prices are per person) Head shot only.................................................... P 1000.00 Bust................................................................... P 1200.00 Full body............................................................ P 2500.00
***timeframe for digital paintings is 3 weeks, so please send your orders early. :)
TRADITIONAL ARTWORK If you prefer the more organic, non-Photoshopped kind of art, I also offer traditional artwork services. Please take note that you must provide the EXACT photo that you want to be drawn/painted. My painting style is a bit Post-Impressionist.
Graphite portraits P3000.00 sample here Oil/acrylic portraits P6000.00 sample here Landscapes, still life, upon request fashion sketching, etc.
*Prices may vary depending on size and materials, these are based on 18"x 24" size poster board.
DIGITAL ARTWORK ORDER FORM If you're ready to order, get my order form here: Order Form
Please supply at least three (3) reference photos for caricaturing (preferably high resolution). For digital paintings, you need to supply me with the exact photo to paint (300 dpi or higher).
Mode of payment *************** Direct deposit into my BPI account. I will give my account details once we have agreed on the price. I require a scanned copy of the deposit slip or transaction number before I begin. Cash will be accepted only if you are located in Metro Manila.
For international customers, my preferred payment method is through Western Union.
Privacy policy ************** Don't worry. Your original photos are safe with me. Discretion is my motto. :) OTHERS I also do photo editing, graphic designs, logo designs, T-shirt designs, package designs, fashion design, etc... Prices upon request. All exclusive of delivery expenses.
Samples of all my artworks can be found in my deviantArt account here.
Shipping fees for traditional artwork or hard copies of digital artwork will be shouldered by the customer. I can also do meet-ups in Metro Manila but will require a P150 handling fee.
Just e-mail me at rubyredulla@gmail.com if you're interested!
NOTE: I will be transferring all my artwork-related stuff to another multiply site soon.
Here's a lesson on being vigilant...all the way to the end.
Last night, we were deployed to this area in Taguig that was still flooded knee-deep around 2 am.
Some of our companions were unloading the truck at the barangay hall and we in one of the other cars decided to talk to the people who were coming out of their houses to see what was going on. They asked us if we were from the red cross or the government and when we said we were from the private sector, they asked if we could just give the packs directly to them instead of going through the barangay. They said that if not, they wouldn't receive the goods; the barangay would probably sell it to them.
We were so mad, we went over to the people unloading and told them to start handing them out. This one lady who i think was working for the barangay told us that we should just leave the packs there because "tulog pa sila eh..." We pointed to the people who were obviously right behind us and she was all "ay, andyan pala kayo?" We called everyone to line up and didn't leave until they handed them out. One of the residents there told us WE WERE THE FIRST GROUP to actually manage to give them goods!!! And it was already Thursday night...FIVE FREAKING DAYS AFTER THE STORM!
GRABE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean I'm glad we were able to do that, but other volunteers should be vigilant and make sure that the relief goods get delivered to the people they were meant to reach!!!
Don't stop at giving and then turn a blind eye to things like this, be sure that you achieve the goals that you meant to: feeding and clothing those that need it.
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE BRAZENNESS AND ARROGANCE OF OUR CORRUPT OFFICIALS -- EVEN LOCAL ONES!!!
i got home from volunteer work at the megatent donation center about an hour ago and have been reading the news online since then.
i read about the looters taking advantage of the situation in provident village, marikina.
i read about the mountains of garbage piling up all around the city because of the shortage of garbage trucks.
i read about the government officials who get P70 million in their pork barrel every year and yet refused to give the P1 million in donations for the flood victims as requested by the president, stating P20,000 would be sufficient.
i read about the ever-increasing death toll caused by typhoon ondoy, and the bodies that are still being pulled from the rivers.
i read about the phony donation centers who suck on the generosity of people and end up re-selling the goods to make money.
i read about people in marikina scrambling for food, not having enough...some having to get by on just a bottle of water.
finally i could take it no longer. i took off my glasses, put my head in my hands and had myself a good, long cry.
i cried because i'm sad for the victims. i cried because i am frustrated. i cried because i'm angry.
but most of all, i cried because i'm tired.
i am so tired of having been made fun of all my life for caring too much, laughed at for berating people who toss candy wrappers in the street. i am sick of working hard to make this place better and having 10 more people push us back even further. i am tired of helping out the victims of typhoon ondoy and having peers poke crude jokes at the entire tragedy. i have had enough of fighting for the country i love and having my countrymen leech off the education it provides and instead contributing to the economy of another country. i am tired of people voting for the same kind of corrupt politicians over and over again for a price. i'm tired of caring with all my heart and soul when others seem not to care at all.
you see, my parents wanted to raise heroes instead of cowards.
as a kid, my pockets were always bulging with candy wrappers and other plastic waste until i got home to toss it in the trash...my parents taught us the value of preserving the environment.
i grew up seeing my parents as heroes...my father and mother were active in the fight against the marcos regime. my father rescued dozens of babies from the nursery when the hospital was on fire. he also revived a boy whose heart stopped after he fell from a tree during a pro-cory rally. my mother testified against a couple who abused and killed their 52-day-old child. they taught us to stand up for what is right, whether other people are on your side or not.
they taught me and my sisters to love our country, our culture, our people.
and every day i try to live up to their example. and every day it gets harder and harder. and i am tired.
i am tired, but for some reason i refuse to stop.
edmund burke's famous saying goes: "ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH IS THAT GOOD MEN DO NOTHING."
and then i remember the countless volunteers who are mobilizing all over luzon to distribute relief packages to marikina, cainta, pasig and other stricken areas. and the generous hearts from every corner of the country as well as the globe who at this moment are sending even more supplies our way. i read the words of encouragement and support from friends and family.
and i realize that this is why i refuse to stop -- while we are few, we are not alone.
if you're with me, let's not cease our constant struggle for the progress of our nation. let us continue to dream, to hope, to strive, to fight for a better country, for a better world. if you join us, maybe, just maybe, that would be one step toward that dream.
God bless us, everyone.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28
"My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73:26
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13
please continue to donate food and clothes for the typhoon victims...they need food every day and the supplies so far are just not enough. contribute every day if you can, even if it's just a couple of packs of noodles or some biscuits. everything counts. thank you, everyone.
if you're in the ortigas area, we are accepting donations 24-hours until friday at the megatent, #30 meralco ave, between metrowalk and ultra. please volunteer and/or donate at your nearest relief/donation center.
i woke up in our 3rd-floor condo unit around 12:00 noon yesterday, saturday the 26th of september 2009, to the sound of heavy rainfall.
assuming it was just another regular rainy day, i went about my morning ritual of checking my facebook page, reading, etc. within minutes i got a call from my mother (why do a lot of my stories start with my mother calling?!) who was frantic and asking if i was ok.
after assuring her i wasn't alone and had ample food and water supplies, i stepped out onto the balcony and was slapped in the face with the reality of the situation. the gigantic tropical storm ketsana (locally named "ondoy") had slammed into manila. our little street is a bit elevated from the main road -- leon guinto, and i couldn't believe that the people on OUR street were standing in knee-deep water! i leaned over the balcony to check the main street and was shocked to see people actually SWIMMING in waist-deep muddy water!
we (me, tracey, daryl, ian and tina) hurriedly tuned in to the news and were horrified at the disturbing images of houses and people being swept away by the swirling rivers where roads used to be. the flood in front of our building was nothing in comparison to the floods in some areas that were as high as 5 meters!
all day long my facebook newsfeed was littered with status updates and photos from people all over manila, as well as people from other provinces and abroad who were worried about their loved ones in the capital. i saw photos of taft avenue, where i lived for a year. it had literally turned into a lake.
we frantically tried to contact people we knew in problem areas such as marikina and pasig. some of my friends had their houses and cars destroyed. many were stranded. a few had to brave the swirling torrents. even more spent the night in total darkness after meralco shut off the power.
I felt utterly useless and guilty all night, nice and comfy, with hot food and warm blankets while still hundreds were stranded on the roofs of their houses, or even clinging to tree branches for their lives.
it really got me thinking today about how these tragedies and catastrophes can bring out the worst or the best in us.
i heard stories of brave middle-class citizens who went out on jet skis and rescued strangers who were trapped. i saw videos of construction workers who used ropes to bring people to safety. even some of the wealthy were generous enough to lend trucks and boats for the rescue effort. last i heard, Globe had received over 1 million pesos in donations for the red cross rescue and relief funds.
even so, some calloused people updated their status messages with "yeheyyy! walang pasok sa monday! sana ganito na lang lagi!" or even said "OMG stupid rain messed up our weekend partying!".
in spite of these few inhuman individuals, majority of the populace worked together to try and help the victims. it warms my heart to see the spirit of bayanihan. why can't we always be this way? why do we have to wait for something this terrible to happen before we treat each other with generosity and kindness?
some other thoughts crossed my mind as well...such as:
what will it take to get people to stop clogging our drains with garbage?! every single piece of plastic thrown into the street, no matter how small, is contributing to our waste and drainage problem! TAKE THIS AS A WAKE-UP CALL, PHILIPPINES!!! STOP LITTERING!!!!
how much is TOO much for our corrupt government officials??? how could PGMA spend billions on her lavish foreign trips but leave nothing for our emergency funds? a grand total of TWENTY rescue boats were allotted for the entire metropolis! this is unacceptable!
as of today, my friends and i have decided to gather canned goods and old clothes to donate to the victims of the typhoon. we've also donated to the red cross via text message. if you would like to help as well, there are many ways that you can. it's the least we can do for our country and for our people.
Ondoy Relief drop-off sites:
A Relief Operations Drop-Off Center has been set-up at La Salle Greenhills beginning today 9:00 AM, Sunday, September 27. Please bring donations to Gate 2 of La Salle Greenhills, along Ortigas Ave., Mandaluyong
Relief Goods can be sent to Caritas ManilaOffice at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (tel.no.5639298/5639308) or Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Corner EDSA (tel no. 9257931-40)
Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas Disaster Relief:Drop off for relief donations at Balay Expo across Farmers Marketcontact:a. Jana Vicente: +63 928 520 5499. Clare Amador: +63 928 520 5508
Ateneo Resident Students Association now accepting relief goods for Typhoon Ondoy at Cervini Hall lobby at 12nn. For details, please contact 0917 631 2423 AND 0917 703 5357
PAOLC - We are requesting for donations (Clothes, blankets, towels, canned goods, Bottled water etc) to be distributed to typhoon victims. You can drop them off at the Philippine Army Gym inside Fort Bonifacio or GHQ Gym in Camp Aguinaldo
for my cebuano friends who want to help: Drop off at Banilad Church of Christ (bldg in front of Bright Academy - near Sto. Nino Village) starting today 1pm to 6pm. mon-fri 9am to 5pm.
via text: Donate to The Red Cross Rescue and Relief Operations. Send RED (space)(amount) to 2899 (Globe) & 4483 (SMART). They are currently only accepting amounts 10, 25, 50 and 100. Philippines only. For US and CANADA, donate through the American Red Cross. Call 1-800-435-7669.
God bless us all.
Lord, thank you for keeping my friends and family and myself safe. watch over my countrymen who are still out there and need help. and please protect us from the next typhoon that will hit us very soon.
i was woken up this morning (or rather, afternoon) by my mother calling to see if i was in the street with the rest of the people who wanted to escort the late president corazon aquino's body to its final resting place.
when i told her i was still sleeping, i was a bit taken aback at her reaction. "what?! if i were there, i would be in the street with everybody! it's a historic occasion!" then she went on to say that maybe i was tired because i had gone out the night before (i hadn't. i'd spent the entire previous day working).
after i got up and dragged myself to the TV, i had to agree. indeed, the procession was a historic occasion.
you might be surprised why i didn't feel the need to go out in my yellow garb and sob along with the others, seeing as how over the years i've riddled my blog with entries about how much i love my country.
well the reason is this...i see the hypocrisy in all of it.
cory aquino was a GREAT woman. she was an ordinary housewife who rose to extraordinary heights and chose to do extraordinary things. she and her husband ninoy deserve the honor and a permanent place in our history books.
but really...attending that funeral or memorial does not, in any way, serve as a mark of true nationalism (i mean duh the marcoses and erap were there). sure, all those people stood up and waved our nation's colors and felt good about themselves for participating in a climactic ending to a life well-lived.
but then what happens when they go home? will they stop bickering among themselves over petty things? will they stay united? will they continue the unending struggle against oppression? will they strive to make our country a better place to live and teach their children to do the same? will they keep our country clean, and protect our environment? will they fight against the ever-present discrimination from foreign invaders?
or will they just leave and head for greener pastures at the first opportunity? will they go back to their passive, non-confrontational lives, content to live in mediocrity, never striving for something more for this land, over which our forefathers fought and perished?
do not EVER dare say that i do not honor cory. i choose to honor her in a way that really matters. i will continue to love and fight for my country, which i have done since i was a child, up until the day i die. i will not abandon my beloved nation. "no cause is lost while there is yet one fool left to fight for it."
i am proud to be a filipino, not just when a great woman like cory is lost or when pacquiao wins a boxing match, but because i strive to make this country better with my actions every day.
i did not shed a single tear as i watched her procession. every day my heart is already bleeding for the country that her husband died for. i simply felt so blessed that God gave her to us as a shepherd during dark times, and led us to the democracy that we're enjoying today.
ultimately, will it matter that one less person stood in the streets, waiting for her coffin to pass by? no. will it matter if one more person followed her lead in the battle for our country? YES!
do not honor cory and ninoy with empty words or colored banners and wet tissues. honor them both by living your life dedicated to creating the Philippines that they fought to achieve.
ATONG IPADAYON ANG ILANG GISUGDAN!!!!
Ninoy and Cory, together again at last. YOUR LEGACY WILL NEVER DIE.
"It is better to die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life." - President Corazon Aquino (1933-2009)
indeed, tita cory, you've proven that CHANGE can happen from the most unexpected of sources. may you serve as an inspiration for generations to come.
i just got badly scalded because of a terribly-designed container for lucky me instant noodle soup. i was carefully navigating the trip from the kitchen to the dining room with a cup full of extremely hot soup when it collapsed in my hand, effectively burning most of my forearms and palms. i mean seriously who makes packaging that's meant to hold 200 milliliters of boiling water out of flimsy freaking PAPER?!
honestly i don't understand how some of these so-called design "professionals" don't know their craft at all! bad package design pisses me off so much because of the accidents and wastage that it causes.
other examples: fast food plastic drink and sauce tops. ever notice how the gravy or coke in your delivery order always has an ornate web of plastic adhesive tape wrapped around them so they become almost impossible to open without scissors? many, many times i have had to fight the urge to write to jollibee and yell at them for single-handedly being the most wasteful establishment in the country. if their package designers would just do their job right, imagine how much plastic (in tape) could be saved in just a year! i mean, if your lids aren't doing what they're there for in the first place, something is fundamentally wrong in your design!
same thing with potato corner. they place your fries in a useless, tiny paper envelope, place the envelope in a small clear plastic bag (to prevent your fries from spilling over) with no handles, then place THAT bag into yet another plastic bag with handles. don't you see how much money and resource they could save just by redesigning their package to do all of those things effectively?
all that being said, i think praise is also in order for those brilliantly-designed packages, such as the resealable milk box, the zip-loc bag, and of course, the best-crafted package of all -- the banana (God is history's greatest designer, after all!).
to get back to the topic at hand...guys, please don't suffer the same fate i did. check your product packaging carefully. DON'T BUY LUCKY ME INSTANT NOODLES. get nissin. their packaging is sturdier.
one thing i learned while working at a call center is the importance of good customer service. when a customer receives good service, they will tell 2 friends. but when they receive terrible service, they will tell 20 friends.
therefore, make sure that your workers are efficient, friendly and polite.
why am i saying all this? well, after going to a new club last night, i decided then and there that anytime i receive excellent service somewhere, i will blog about it. and every time i get bad service, i will also blog about it. prospective customers have a right to know what to expect.
today's rants:
since it is very recent, let me tell you about my experience last night. i went to LAX, which is a club located behind the SM mall of asia.
the first thing i noticed was that the girls at the front desk didn't smile at all, and one looked extremely bored. not to mention, i had given my id first and she proceeded to stamp about 8 people who had given theirs after i did. i decided to just brush it off and stepped inside.
i have to admit, the interior was well-designed and plush-looking. it's a bit on the small side but it looked cozy. then i looked at the bar. above it was a shady-looking silhouette screen with 3 apparently bikini-clad dancers writhing around haphazardly behind it. honestly, it cheapened the place so much.
still, that would have been ok had it not been for their rude waiters. for one thing, they would keep pushing aside customers who were standing at the bar, in order to get to the cashier. when i couldn't hear what one of them was saying about the bill, he rolled his eyes in exasperation. he didn't even have the courtesy to come up to me and tell me properly.
lastly, i normally would not pay a lot for drinks, but decided to get a P220 glass of vodka soda. when i got it, i realized there was probably only about a teaspoon of vodka in it. i would have gotten more to drink at a lesser price if i had just ordered soda!
having wasted that much money, i decided not to order any more drinks for the rest of the night. unfortunately, that did not sit well with the bartenders and waiters who would shove menus in our faces every 2 minutes (as if telling us to order, or get lost)!
the sound system wasn't so good either. the music was a bit muffled, even though it was on at full blast. it didn't help either that the mic-happy MC was yelling into the microphone every 2 seconds. if i had wanted to listen to that, i'd have gone to a karaoke bar! we could barely even hear the music anymore.
in summary, i didn't have a very good time. don't go there.
today's raves:
ok, since this is the first of these rant/rave blog entries, i'd like to say a few things about my favorite restaurant in manila, which opened a branch in cebu pretty recently: CYMA.
every time i dine at cyma, it is always an extremely pleasant experience. their food (greek-mediterranean) is exquisite. i have yet to taste a dish there that i did not like. their portions are huge (you can share it between several people) and reasonably priced. my favorites are the greek watermelon-and-lamb salad (my mouth is watering just thinking about it), their chicken kebabs, and the roast lamb with potatoes. they even make desserts an occasion, wherein anytime a customer orders their flaming mango dessert (or any flaming dish), it is served with the entire staff calling out "OPA!" in unison.
their staff is always helpful and friendly. i have carried on long conversations with several of their waiters and waitresses (both in manila and cebu), who patiently explain the different dishes, encourage you to try new offerings, and always have a ready smile. i applaud cyma for selecting and training their employees well.
the ambience is nice: clean and simple. it is a very good place to meet and bond with a small group of friends or a family meal.
even though it's a really old show, i never really got into watching scrubs until recently when my sister ria started bugging me to watch it.
since i started downloading the first season, i could not stop. i'm hooked!
right now, i'm up to the 6th season and just finished watching my favorite episode yet: my musical. i guess it's because it puts together 2 things i absolutely love, broadway musicals and scrubs. the episode is focused around a patient suffering from a brain aneurism (played by stephanie d'abruzzo of avenue Q) causing her to hallucinate and think that everyone around her is singing.
i just wanted to share this with you guys in case you haven't seen them either. enjoy!
THANK YOU GLORIA! This time you did something right. This is why we should always speak out for what we strongly believe in. Our voices CAN make a difference!
Taxes on book imports lifted
By Paolo Romero, The Philippine Star | 05/25/2009 2:50 AM
MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo on Sunday ordered the Department of Finance to scrap the taxes imposed on imported books and reading material.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the directive was prompted by a torrent of criticism on the move of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which is under the supervision of the finance department, to impose the duties.
“President Arroyo ordered the immediate lifting of the customs duty on book importation,” Remonde said in a text message to The STAR.
“The President wants books to be within reach of the common man. She believes reading as an important value for intellectual formation, which is the foundation of a healthy public opinion necessary for a vibrant democracy,” he said.
Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo directed Finance Secretary Margarito Teves to revoke Finance Department Order 17-09 which imposes duty on book importation.
“Secretary Teves said he will comply immediately,” he said.
Teves earlier said the BoC has yet to compute the revenues to be generated by the taxes.
Teves, however, said that revenue generation was not the main reason for the import duties but to clarify regulations on book imports as provided by the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.
The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM), led by secretary-general Ambassador Preciosa Soliven, said the imposition of taxes on books runs contrary to government efforts to promote reading among children and the youth.
“Taxing imported books is tantamount to taxing reading habits. At a time when parents and educators worldwide have expressed alarm on the continuing steep decline in the reading habits and practices especially among the young, the tax measure is counterproductive to current initiatives to rekindle a reading culture,” UNACOM said in a statement.
“The measure would surely further discourage young and even old minds from appreciating, recognizing and rediscovering the value of reading,” UNACOM said.
UNESCO in Paris, France was reportedly already aware of the controversy over the BoC’s imposing duties on imported books, a clear violation of a United Nations world pact forged in 1950 where countries agreed to exempt reading and cultural materials from import duties.
John Donaldson, UNESCO senior legal officer based in Paris, said the Philippines, as a party to the Florence Agreement, must respect the principle “Pacta sunt servanda (Pacts must be respected).”
“This fundamental principle of the law of treaties, enshrined in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969, provides that treaties in force are binding upon the parties and must be performed in good faith,” Donaldson said.
“It follows that if the Philippines decides to apply custom duties or other charges on the importation of materials coming from another State Party, and for which the Florence Agreement foresees an exemption, it will be in breach of its obligations under this Agreement,” he said.
UNACOM said the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Legal Affairs submitted that DO No. 17-09 issued by the Department of Finance was “contrary to the Philippines’ obligations under the UNESCO Florence Agreement and is inconsistent with its principle of free exchange of ideas and knowledge.”
i think everyone, at some point in their lives, dreams of flying. myself, i have a recurring dream where i'm flying over treetops and rivers, feeling the rush of the air on my face and seeing my own shadow hundreds of feet below me, with arms outstretched. i never thought i'd get to do it, but i did! ...but more on that later.
it's been almost 6 years since i was last in bohol -- my father's hometown -- and visited my grandmother and my other relatives who live there. so when my parents told me we'd be there from april 25-27, i was psyched.
we took a ferry to tubigon and met up with my cousins, aunts and uncles. we made a quick stop at sagbayan peak to view some of the chocolate hills and their tarsier display.
we then headed for danao, where my aunt's farm is, and where my cousin tom is the mayor. after a sumptuous native lunch including some freshly grown produce harvested from the farm (the best watermelon i've ever tasted!), we all went up to danao adventure park (a project of tom's) and took a stab at one of the most fun things i've ever done in my life -- the zip line! (note: the picture was grabbed off the net, i forgot to bring a camera, unfortunately!)
imagine a ravine 450 meters across and 200 meters down. then take a cable, some harnesses and a pulley mechanism, and a 10mps (that's meters, not miles) journey from one end to the other and back. that's basically what it is. my cousins and i (and a few of my aunts and uncles too!) all tried it. it was exhilarating, just like i'd imagined in my dream, a rushing river below, with my shadow gliding across the treetops, my arms outstretched. i wish it could have gone on longer!
the adventure park has more to offer too: bouldering, rapelling, tubing, rock climbing, caving, rafting, etc. i am definitely going back someday to try it with my friends!
oh, and an interesting piece of trivia...this place marks the spot where francisco dagohoy, the bol-anon leader of the longest revolt against the spanish, made his hideout. the caves that you can explore in the park are the very same caves that earned dagohoy his nickname (his real name was francisco sendrijas). the name dagohoy is derived from "dagon sa hoyohoy" which means amulet or anting-anting of the wind because many people believed he could jump from one cliff to another, when in reality he actually used a series of caves to escape.
after our little adventure, we took another road trip to loboc, the site of the famous loboc river lighting project and home of the world-renowned loboc children's choir. we had our dinner on a restaurant raft, after which we cruised the river with a spectacular view of the colorful lights. we made a stop on one bank to see the loboc balsa dancers who entertained us with traditional songs and dances such as the tinikling and pandango sa ilaw. back on land, the loboc youth ambassador band delighted us with all kinds of music -- from famous movie themes to classic love songs -- using trumpets, saxophones, flutes, clarinets, trombones, etc. they were amazing. (another interesting tidbit...loboc is the most musical place in the country. everyone there can either dance, sing or play an instrument from childhood. music is their native delicacy!)
after the show, we headed for tagbilaran for some much-needed rest.
the next morning, after another huge meal, we headed for panglao and rode a pump boat to balicasag island. my cousins and i stayed under the sun for the entire boat ride (hence my newly-bronzed glow)! balicasag boasts some of the most beautiful marine life in the entire country, thanks to the marine sanctuary that protects all the species found there. we snorkeled near the shelf (probably only about 15 feet deep before the dropoff) amidst schools and schools of different-colored fish. i lost track of time just enjoying God's creatures and feeding them bread right out of my hand. i didn't get to go to the really deep part where my dad and uncle went (where the huge fish are) but it was probably for the best...they were attacked by a huge, angry parrot fish! nobody suffered any injuries though. hehe.
we headed back to panglao after our snorkeling trip and then back to tagbilaran for my uncle's birthday party where we again ate our weight in lechon, fresh fish and other goodies.
this morning, as we were on the way to the pier to catch our boat back to cebu, i found myself thinking about how beautiful my country is...and how so many filipinos simply cannot wait to leave it, or don't take the time to see how much there is to love about it. bohol is one of the biggest reasons...it represents the best of our great nation: history, culture, food, nature, and friendly, hospitable people.
i was just thinking all these things when we got to our seats on the ocean jet and sat down in front of the tv screen. suddenly a familiar song and video came on the screen. the last few lines really struck a chord and despite myself, i could not stop my eyes from tearing up as i viewed flashes of different places from all over the country i hold so dear. it is an invitation extended to every filipino to taste and see the beauty of the philippines that God has blessed us with...
halika, biyahe tayo! nang ating makita ang ganda ng pilipinas ang galing ng pilipino!
hi guys, this is for my friend enrico carado who is a fresh young designer aiming to showcase his work at philippine fashion week this may. in connection to this, he needs to come up with 1000 names for his guest list in order to qualify.
Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 09 will be this coming may 26- june 3 at the SMX convention center.
even if you're not sure you can make it, please send me your name, address, e-mail and contact # to add to the guest list if you want to help. thank you so much!
calling all FDM classmates who need help with their projects...just let me know if you need help making stuff. i'll do your drawing/CCLCONS/CSAPPDE projects for cash. just provide me with fabric and materials and give me about 2 days to sew. :)
desperate times call for desperate measures!
PS - i do NOT need the money for drugs FYI. hehehehe!
PPS - also still accepting artwork commissions...im willing to give discounts at this point because i really need to earn quick. no rush fee applicable for the next 7 days
when i was in my pre-teens, i was super insecure about a lot of things, but none more so than my dancing. i come from a family that is super-gifted musically, and most of my family members are great dancers. unfortunately, i have absolutely no hand/feet coordination and often felt so stupid whenever i was asked to dance, be it for a school presentation or at a party.
if you really think about it, dancing is a pretty stupid activity. there's music, there's a beat, and then you move your whole body while keeping time with the rhythm. and sometimes, you do it opposite another human being. if a superior alien race ever visited earth and witnessed friday night at a club, they'd probably think "WTF!" (in alien tongue of course).
and so, when i started going out at night with my cousins at 14, i sat at the table sipping my weak drinks while the rest were on the floor having the time of their lives. whenever i attempted to move a little, they made fun of me and so i lost the desire to dance altogether.
over the years, i slowly started having friends who actually didn't care how i looked when i danced, so i grew more comfortable with it. however, i was still in the zone of moving-side-to-side-while-bobbing-my-head-and-occasionally-raising-my-arms dancing.
since i started clubbing in manila, though...wow. i never realized just how much stress i can release when i dance. yeah it's still stupid, yes i know i probably look like a lunatic but DUDE DOES IT FEEL GOOD!
i didn't realize how bad it was getting until last december after another night in vudu when my sister told me "mura jud ka'g amaw. you know, you would actually look better if you did this and that while you're dancing". i just stared at her and said "that's not the point".
it may have taken me many, many years to realize it but finally i learned that the whole point of dancing is that...IT'S FUN!!! i couldn't care less if people compared me to a chicken that's gotten its head chopped off or they think i'm on drugs because i've been dancing all night.
i mean, the rest of the time i'm this serious, semi-workaholic nerd so i really think i'm entitled to my temporary loss of poise once in a while! i have 2 left feet and i don't care! :)
people who only dance to look cool are completely missing the point and have my sympathy. in reality, the fact that dancing is fundamentally stupid is precisely why it's so much fun to do. it's absurd and totally pointless but it feels good!
i honestly don't see anything wrong with playing the field. HOWEVER...i do believe that when you're a player, you have to follow the rules.
of course, i'm not saying that this applies to ALL male and female players, i am speaking from personal experience and from the vast majority of secondhand stories in my relationship lesson file cabinet.
with that being said, i've noticed that the biggest difference between players of opposite sexes is that female players are usually at least honest about it. when they aren't serious about a guy, the guy knows it, and can base his decisions and actions on that knowledge. after that, it's fair game.
men, on the other hand, act like they are serious about the girl they are playing. he makes her fall (hard) and then just drops her like a hot potato when he's done with her.
stage 1: the temptation
female - it's usually a catch-and-release technique. she shows interest but at the same time not appearing too available, a sign that she might be leaving her options open for bigger fish
male - undivided attention, heaping praises and compliments left and right, making her feel like she's the only woman in the world
stage 2: after the catch
female - once the teasing is over, she lets him know that yes, she is definitely interested, but only for a casual thing. she lets him know that she's still open to dating other people. he can then make a choice to go for the no-strings-attached dating or leave to look for a girl who's more serious about him. the control is balanced.
male - pretends like she's the only one he's seeing, even if there are other girls on the side. this is usually because men know that once girls give in to their emotions, they are easier to take advantage of. the control is all in the guy's hands.
stage 3: when the fun is over
female - when the girl is bored with her current fling, she slowly eases up on texting and calling him, ending with a comfortable distance and retaining some semblance of a normal friendship. or, if the guy gets too clingy or serious, she casually tells him that they need to back off a bit. everything is civil and laid out straight.
male - bored, scared off or whatever...once a guy gets over a fling, he will just DISAPPEAR. ironically, men are the ones who have no balls. one minute he's there, and the next, he'll just completely ignore texts, reject calls and avoid the places the girl frequents. and this is simply because he doesn't have the courage to say "i'm sorry. i don't want to see you anymore." and after a sufficient period of time, he'll pop up and just expect her to be friends even while she still has a huge "?????" stamped on her forehead.
that really sucks.
because really, for me, the only rule in the game is HONESTY. lay all your cards on the table and let the other person at least make an informed decision based on facts and not on some lame illusion that someone made them believe.
girls, watch out for guys like this. it is a lot more common than you might think.
and guys, just think about it. you'd be surprised at how many girls would still be willing to go out with you just for fun as long as you're honest about it. let THEM make the decision, don't deceive them into making the one that you want them to.
oh and i almost forgot... stage 4: repercussions
then of course, there's the lovely age-old double standard. when a guy's a player, people will just say "oh, that's just a guy being a guy." or even "dude...idol ko yan!"
this is probably the most excruciating blog entry i have ever had to type.
my trusty keyboard died today. i stupidly knocked a glass of water over yesterday and it spilled all over my computer desk...
it was working fine up until i came back from school this evening...and realized my freaking QWERTY keys weren't working anymore!
then how am i typing this entry, you ask?
behold:
the amazing onscreen keyboard, capable of typing 10 words per minute as opposed to my normal 60!
to borrow a line from mariah carey, possibly the worst actress on earth, in the worst movie ever made (glitter): "don't EVER take ANYONE for granted...coz you never know when you might lose them...and you'll never get a chance to tell them how you really feel."
keyboard, i know i never told you this but i really really appreciated all you've done for me...i miss you.
and tomorrow, you shall be replaced. we've had some good times though, you and i...but all good things must come to an end.
now, to really grasp how excruciating this was for me, read this again...this time at 10 wpm. good luck! haha!
I'm sorry but I just had to transcribe part of the book I'm reading right now because it is SO TRUE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF PINOY MEN (or just men in general).
Say you're a woman shopping for ripe mangoes, the sort of woman who likes to buy her fruits in the neighborhood grocery store instead of an outdoor fruit stand. So today you are at a grocery store shopping for ripe mangoes.
Let's assume you're a woman of normal/average intelligence; you know what ripe mangoes look like. You pick what looks to you to be the best ones -- smooth, firm, yellow -- and expect them to be juicy and delicious.
Then you go home and slice one only to find a good part of the insides rotten. But since you are a patient woman, you think, that's fine, you can just eat the good parts, suffer the bad parts a little and the next day get better ones -- at the same store because look, it's so near where you live. How convenient is that?
The nest day you try having a good mix of smooth and a-bit-bruised mangoes just to make sure. But this yields the same results -- there's always something wrong with them.
They are not the mangoes that you want. So far, since going to that grocery, you still haven't sat down to enjoy ripe, juicy, delicious mangoes.
What do you do?
A) Go back to the same grocery, buy the mangoes hoping against hope that they be good this time, and when they aren't, complain and bitch about it to friends as you eat them anyway (telling yourself that, at least, you have mangoes; 'yung iba dyan wala, eh).
B) Tell the grocer that you will no longer buy mangoes from his store unless he enforces strict quality control and sells only the best.
C) Look for the best mangoes, even if it means driving past the nearby grocery and traveling all the way across town to get to them.
Pinoy men are like mangoes in a grocery store with low quality control standards, and where the shoppers are happy to take just any mango. The rotten product is not one person's fault -- it's a conspiracy, a joint effort of both grocer and shopper.
We Pinays are shoppers in that grocery store. We are dissatisfied with our mangoes and yet we bite into one, swallow a chunk with a grimace, and then go back for more. We complain about the sub-standard men in our lives -- how they womanize, gamble, drink too much, abuse us both physically and verbally, disrespect us -- and yet we're still with them. We don't go up to the grocer and say, "Sir, the mangoes in your store are rotten. Tomorrow, when I buy your mangoes -- despite the two occasions they have disappointed me -- I want them to be juicy and delicious. Otherwise, I will look elsewhere and never set foot in this store again," and then make good our word.
Why do we still patronizethe same grocery store that sells consistently low-grade mangoes?
And why do we suffer fools?
(They) are emotional underachievers because we don't exact high standards from them. They are brats because we spoil them. They give so little and take so much because we give a lot and take so little.
They are weak mama's boys who drink all night with their buddies and won't speak to you when they're having a bad day because we wait with hot coffee, ready to remove their shoes, when they come home drunk. They are disrespectful pricks who raise their voices at us in public because we just stand there and take it.
Why not, as an experiment, try barring the door and changing the lock? Why not, when he ups his voice level just a notch above normal, scurry towards the nearest security guard and tell him that the man yelling from the opposite end of the street was trying to extort money from you? Finish with a nervous, "Taga-Mental yata, boss."
The question was, why even suffer all that aggravation? Why even try to make him better? Why not just walk into the grocery, dump your bag of uneaten mangoes on the counter and give the owner the finger before you walk out, without a word? In fact, why show up there at all? Why not just march straight to the other side of town, where the mangoes have been getting rave reviews?
