flipland

Makati Bomb Blast

2012-01-23T18:04:00.000+08:00

UPDATE 19:03 --- GMA News reports that size of the crater measures 8 inches deep and 4 square feet wide. The guys in the white jumpsuits in photos 10 and 11 below must then be measuring the blast radius. I'm still waiting to find out what it was that caused the explosion. To put the location in context, the right of the empty lot shown in the photo below and on my side of the street is the Jewish synagogue. To the left of the empty lot and at the end of the block is the embassy of Saudi Arabia.

-------
At about 2:00 PM this afternoon there was a loud BANG in my neighborhood. Considering that fireworks lit up the skies to ring in the Chinese New Year last night, I thought the bang was just from firecrackers left over from the celebration. But, it struck me as strange to be lighting up such a big fireworks display in the middle of the afternoon. An hour later, breaking news reported that an explosion had indeed occurred three blocks from my building.

I grabbed my camera and pretended to go for coffee at Alexa's Deli coffee which is right across the street from this afternoon's Makati bomb blast scene. Considering the amount of noise this explosion made, I was amazed that the damage was not that much at all. There was some damage to windows across the street, but no incinerated vehicles, no major craters in the ground or in the sides of buildings.

A damaged window across the street from where the explosion happened. The explosion does seem to have been geared to create much damage as the vehicles immediately next to the Makati blast scene seem to be intact.
© Ninfa Z. Bito

The blast did send projectiles through the outer window and into this office's window.

Damage to an interior office window.
© Ninfa Z. Bito

Investigators peer into an office in a builiding across from where the explosion took place.
© Ninfa Z. Bito

Fortunately, today is an official non-working holiday marking the start of the Chinese New Year and no one was in the office. Fortunately it was not the window of the Alexa's Deli right across the hall that was damaged by the blast as was reported earlier by some media outlets.

Customers at the Alexa's Deli have a clear view out to the street and across to the lot where the explosion occurred.

But, somehow the residential building across from Alexa's and next to the path where the explosion took place showed possible damage.

A hole seems to have been punched thorugh this residential building's window.
© Ninfa Z. Bito

Investigators at the Makati bomb blast scene point to a residential building which may have sustained some damage from the Makati blast scene this afternoon. © Ninfa Z. Bito

Makati SOCO and EOD are still investigating the cause of the blast. Some bystanders mentioned that a car passed by and thrown out what looked like a garbage bag which then exploded. Luckily for all, this normally busy neighborhood street was quiet today due to the Chinese New Year holiday. Whatever caused this explosion does seem to have been geared to create much damage. Take a look at the wall along the pathway in the following photos: ot looks pretty much intact. The vehicles immediately around the area seem to be intact and not incinerated.

Not Fun...Anywhere.

2012-01-07T15:30:00.003+08:00

Ponies

2012-01-05T10:29:00.001+08:00

Mang Fred

2012-01-02T16:09:00.001+08:00

Mang Fred. I came across him this morning while walking through the Baguio market. It's been a long time since I last saw a "mangahahasa"(knife smith (?)) practicing the trade. I remember the "...clang, clang, clang..." of a bicycle bell as a "manghahasa" pedaled his way through the Mandaluyong neighborhood we once lived in. As the clanging of the bell grew louder the maids would hastily gather up kitchen knives to be brought out to him for sharpening.

Crackdown

2011-12-31T17:52:00.001+08:00

I was walking along Session Road this afternoon when all of sudden this happened...

... she's not giving up her stash of illegal firecrackers....

... then out of nowhere an undercover female cop goes for vendor #2 ...

... vendor #2 manages to steal away from undercover female and into this guy...

.... cops 1, vendors 0 - the illegal firecrackers are confiscated.

Off she goes in search of more offenders.

Keep Safe!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

CDO & Iligan Post-Sendong

2011-12-21T06:48:00.002+08:00

As of Tuesday, 20 December 2011, the death toll brought about by TS "Sendong" had breached the 1,000 mark. Is the government, or anyone for that matter able to really keep count?

The death toll spiked up yesterday as more bodies that were swept out to sea were recovered. However, in a TV report by Al-Jazeera, it's correspondent reported that the numbers could be much greater as bodies are being found washed ashore even in the islands well north of Mindanao. The MindaNews reports that if you're looking for someone you might want to check the Cagayan de Oro dumpsite.

AP/Aron Favila

The tragedy is devastating, made more grim by the thought that this is happening at the height of the holiday season. Christmas is less than a week away. It is overwhelming. At 4:00PM yesterday afternoon, the Philippine Navy sent off a ship to deliver 500 white caskets to Cagayan de Oro, where they are expected to arrive on Christmas Eve. In that city alone, over 500 people have perished from the flash floods brought on December 16.

Local authorities are at a loss as to how to deal with the decomposing bodies. Body bags and coffins are lacking in supply. Funeral parlors are overflowing. The Department of Health is pushing for 'temporary' burial rather than mass burials. It says that this would make it easier for identifications to be conducted in the future, as well as to give the victims an opportunity for a proper burial later. It seems that this may be an option being looked into by CDO officials. However, I hear that in Iligan mass burials are being undertaken. It's a Catch-22. You want to have the victims respectfully buried, but at the same time you are facing increasing risks against health safety as bodies are decomposing everywhere.

Logs strewn along a coastal village in Iligan City. Photos from the Daily Mail UK.

The finger is being pointed at illegal logging as one of the culprits behind the devastating floods. It likely is. Some of the photos that have been coming out shows the coast along the city of Iligan packed with logs washed down from the mountains surrounding the city. In Cagayan de Oro aerial images remind me of the scenes in Infanta, Real, and Gen. Nakar in the province of Quezon after two-weeks of rains released floods choked with illegally cut logs towards the coastal communities.

A damaged bridge in Iligan City. Photo from MindaNews

Were local authorities and government truly unaware of the risks facing their cities? Maybe not according to Lory Tan of the World Wildlife Fund-Philippines. He says that CDO and Iligan are especially vulnerable due to the combination of the effects of climate change and the fact that these cities are located near mountain ranges and coastal shores.

Climate change, illegal logging, river siltation, Pagasa's perceived incompetence, complacency, stubborness... the blame game will surely grow. But for now the focus must be on the ground and getting relief to the survivors of this incredible tragedy. With less than a week before Christmas, the most festive time of the year for Filipinos is seeing it's Noche Buena replaced by a state of national calamity.

If you would like to help, please click here. You can see a list of organisations, mostly private, which are mobilizing efforts to give disaster relief assistance. But, please do your due diligence, review them until you are comfortable that they will meet your requirements and are able ensure that your donations go to where it is truly needed.

TS Sendong: Helping Out

2011-12-19T09:45:00.001+08:00

Below is a list of organisations, mostly private, which are mobilizing efforts to give disaster relief assistance. But, please do your due diligence, review them until you are comfortable that they will meet your requirements and are able ensure that your donations go to where it is truly needed.

PHILIPPINE RED CROSS
http://www.redcross.org.ph/donatenow

To donate via your mobile phone
Red Cross (via Globe)
Text RED < amount > to 2899. You may transfer P5, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500

Red Cross (via Smart)
Text RED < amount > to 4143. Valid donation amounts 10, 25, 50, 100

LA SALLE GREENHILS
Alumni Office — 721-2729, 722-7750, 725-4720
GS Principal — 721-2482
HS Principal — 721-8914
Buildings and Grounds Office — 721-8904 (Telefax)
La Sallian Mission Office — 726-5851 (Telefax)

Donations accepted starting on Monday, 19 December 2011.

Donations in cash and kind can be received at Gate 2 of La Salle Green Hills at 343 Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY CAGAYAN DE ORO
Fr. Eric Garcia Velandria S.J.
Coordinator of Sendong Operation
KKP Offic, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan
Corrales Ave.
9000 Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.
Click here for website

Cash donations can be deposited at this account:
A/C Name: Xavier University
A/C#: 9331-0133-63
BPI MAIN BRANCH

The Xavier University Relief Center is asking for donations in cash, food, bottled water, clean clothes.Donations are being accepted at the Helpdesk at the University's front gate, or at the Relief Center at the Satellite Canteen near the College of Agriculture building (beside the gymnasium).

Volunteers also needed @DSWD (Masterson Rd, Upper Carmen).
Call 09066150095 or 858-8892.

ILIGAN BLOGGERS SOCIETY
Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc. is accepting donations in kind: canned goods, noodles, bath and laundry soaps, toothpaste, rice, used clothings, slippers.

Drop Off Points

Iligan-based Donors
St. Michaels’ Cathedral, DXIC Radio Station, City Hall, Rizal Park, and Calda Pizza Iligan City Branch

Non-Iligan Based Donors
Ship your donations via LBC for FREE (details below) and send it to the address:

ONE FOR ILIGAN (Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc.)
c/o CALDA Pizza, The Strip
Quezon Ave, Pala-o
Iligan City, 9200

Donation Paypal ID: singcol.inquisitor@gmail.com
UNION BANK Account: Revilla N. Carbonell-Noel – 109451077611

Volunteers are also needed. Look for Erika Cruz (09052802002)
Meet at Rizal Park at 8AM everyday, until the need subsides.

Other contact people for donations and inquiries.
http//:iliganbloggers.com, http://www.facebook.com/iliganbloggers
Email: iliganbloggers@gmail.com

LBC EXPRESS
LBC will accept and deliver for FREE relief goods.
Drop-off at any LBC branch nationwide.
Contact #: +632.858.5999
www.lbcexpress.com

GLOBE G-CASH
Text DONATE(space)AMOUNT(space)MPIN(space)SLB and send to 2882

PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
Relief Goods: Canned goods, noodles, rice, water, medicine, hygiene kits, clothes and blankets.

Drop-off address
PDI Office
098 Chino Roces Ave. at Mascardo and Yague Streets
Makati City.

Cash donations
Inquirer Help Fund’sBank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)
C/A# 4951-0067-56 f/a Philippine Daily Inquirer Inc.

Contact: Bianca Kasilag, Connie Kalagayan at +632.897.8808

ABS-CBS SAGIP KAPAMILYA
Hotlines+632.411.4995 | +632.394.9272 | +63917.887.4411

Donations in-kind are being accepted at the locations listed below.

Metro Manila
Sagip Kapamilya
ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
Mother Ignacia cor. Eugenio Lopez St.
Diliman, Quezon City

Cagayan de Oro
ABS-CBN
Barangay Bulua, Cagayan De Oro City

Davao
ABS-CBN
Shrine Hills, Matina, Davao City

Cash Donations can be received through the accounts listed below.

1. BDO Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39301-14199
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

2. BDO Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39300-81622
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

3. PNB Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 419-539-5000-13
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

4. BPI Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3051-1127-75
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

5. BPI Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3054-0270-35
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES
PAL is offering to fly free-of-charge disaster relief donations from reputable NGOs, companies, religious groups.Donations must be addressed to designated recipients in Cagayan de Oro and Dipolog. Recipients of donations should send their representatives to the Cagayan de Oro and Dipolog airports to receive their goods.

Priority items will be medicines and foodstuffs (lightweight, non-bulky essential items).

PAL will require the following information:

the full details of the sending and the receiving organizations;
the description of the relief goods; and,
the quantity and weight of the boxes.

PAL will not accept rice, water or other items that might be "more economically procured" in-and-around Cagayan de Oro.Neither will the airline accept non-essential goods such as toys and books.

Contact Person: menchu_sarmiento@pal.com.ph

ROCK ED PHILIPPINES

Contact: Gang Badoy @gangbadoy (Twitter)

To donate funds you can do so through the account listed below.

Rock Ed Philippines

BPI Loyola Heights

A/C# 3080.0073.44

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE & DEVELOPMENT

DSWD Cagayan de OroCALL FOR VOLUNTEERS to repack relief goods.

Fr. Masterson Avenue, Upper CarmenCagayan de Oro City

+63906.615.0095

HELP NORTHERN MINDANAO

http://www.rmp-nmr.org

Tel #: +632.223.5179

RMP is accepting donations in kind in the cities below.

Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental

Panday Bulig Relief and Rehabilitaion Center

Tabang Mindanao Center

12th-22nd streets, Nazareth

9000 Cagayan de Oro City

Telfax: +63 (88) 856 6413

Email: pandaybulig@gmail.com(look for Ms. Beryl Tranco)

Iligan City

Rural Missionaries of the Philippines

Northern Mindanao Sub-Region

Room 01, Kalinaw Lanao Center

0016 Bougainvilla Puti, Villaverde

9200 Iligan City

Telfax: +63 223 5179

Email: rmpnmr@gmail.com

(look for Ms. Ida Melody Bucog)

Bukidnon

Bukidnon Peoples' Center

1st Floor, Montero Residence

Purok 4, Pantaron St.Poblacion

Valencia City

Mobile #: +63926-592-1806

(Contact: Zaldy Galamiton)

Metro Manila

c/o StartArt Project

10A Alabama Street

New Manila

Quezon City

Mobile: +63926.711.2450Contact:info@startartprject.orgornikkiluna, or @startartproject.org

RMP is accepting cash donations through the account listed below.

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)

Quezon Avenue Branch

9200 Iligan City, Philippines

A/C # 009359-1348-08

Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

For Account Name: RMP-NMR Inc.

Room 01, Kalinaw Lanao Center for Interfaith Resources

0016 Bougainvilla Puti, Villaverde

Iligan City 9200, Philippines

"Tee-Bone" or Tebow?

2011-12-17T07:06:00.001+08:00

Photo from bleacher report

Tim Tebow is pretty much unknown in the Philippines. Why shouldn't he be? The Philippines recently became a football-crazy nation - thanks to the matinee-idol looks of the Philippine Azkals' half-breeds (especially the Younghusbands). But, a friendly game with Tim Tebow's Denver Broncos would never happen, since Tebow's football is the American version where the pitch is called a gridiron.

Tebow, however, has caught the fascination of America's head-smashing, shoulder crunching football-crazy fans. Sports blogger Clay Davis is quoted by the Agence France Presse as describing Tebow, the hard-driving quarterback of the Denver Broncos', as "...superhuman in every way." What has made his appeal even more endearing to fans is his touchdown ritual: one knee on the ground with his head bowed and resting on a curled up fist, or "Tebowing".

Photo from The Blaze

Step aside Plankers! "Tebowing" mania is sweeping through America!

From toddlers...

From BusinessInsider

... to high school students ....

Photo from Prep Rally

...to the Grand Central Station...

Photo from youritlist

.... to Occupy Wall Street...

Photo from BusinessInsider

...to Glee.

Glee's Diana Agron and Jenna Ushkowitz strike the pose.
Photo from heyholcomb via Tumblr.

Heck! "Tebowing" even has its very own site: www.tebowing.com.

Why would Filipinos care?

For one, we grasp for all things, people, situations that would have even the remotest links to the Philippines. Tebow's connection is but merely a thread, but it still is there.

The star quarterback, you see, was born in Makati City, Philippines. However, no one in city hall seems to have ever heard of the man. "Tee-bone? How do you spell that?, " asked a city official when asked by U.S.-based The Post Game.com. His faith is one with his gridiron prowess, and his end zone ritual is a way of showing his praise and thanks. If there is one aspect of Tim's character that will resonate well with equally devout Filipinos, it will be his God-fearing ways.

Tim was born to Bob and Pam Tebow on 14 August 1987. Bob and Pam were Christian Baptist Missionaries who were in the Philippines at that time. But, "Timmy" may never have seen the light of day had his mother heeded the advice of her doctors. During the pregnancy Pam, a pro-life advocate in the U.S. today according to ABC News, fell ill with amoebic dysentery. The medication to treat her was endangering the fetus. Pam's doctors advised her to abort the pregnancy.

WAIT ........!!!!

ABORT the pregnancy...?!?!?!?!?!

Filipino doctors were advising to abort a pregnancy?

In the Philippines?

Do you see where I am getting at? There was no Reproductive Health (RH) Bill being debated in this very Catholic country at that time.

But, let's get back to Tim. His mother ignored her doctors' advice, and "Timmy" has since become the first sophomore to have won the coveted Heisman Trophy; led his university football team, the Florida Gators, to win three national championships; and, now is the originator of the trend known as "Tebowing".

As for the RH Bill in the Philippines...well, that is for another story.

Some mornings...

2011-12-12T06:10:00.003+08:00

Old Product Ads (2)

2011-11-15T15:41:00.000+08:00

Product Ad circa 1949

When, Where, What? #1

2011-11-11T08:23:00.002+08:00

Who can guess where this picture was taken and approximately when?

What was it?

Let's talk trees & DENR...

2011-11-04T12:36:00.005+08:00

I love trees. Especially the pine trees in our garden. Some have been around for over 70 years. Others were planted about 25 years ago when my father had pine tree saplings planted to replace the old trees that were felled to make room for our summer house. They’ve grown well. Their outstretched branches make a wonderful canopy to sit under while reading a book in my bean bag. However, the infamous typhoons that ravage the northern part of the Philippines during the monsoon season can make their branches, and the tree themselves, dangerous falling objects.

Just last month, during typhoon “Quiel”, a couple of thick branches were knocked off by strong winds and landed on the roof of the house. From my vantage point in the back garden, there was most certainly a big dent in the roof. A bigger hidden hole was discovered when the workers were finally able get up on the roof to make the repairs. As “Quiel” swept through our garden last month, it was pointed out to me that at least 2-3 trees may need to be cut down as a preventative measure. One surely was a dead pine tree and had started to ominously lean towards the main water tank. The other was a thicker and sturdier looking pine, but it was too close to the house and generously swaying with “Quiel’s” winds towards the kitchen. I decided they had to go to minimize the risks to the water tank and the house.

You just can’t cut down trees, even if they are dead and on private property. Baguio, thankfully, is quite strict about this issue. It was noted to me that cutting down a tree without a permit carried a penalty of life imprisonment. I’m getting a permit. The required documentation and photos were collected and assembled, and an application for two (2) tree cutting permits were filed on October 3, 2011 at the DENR-CAR office in Baguio City.

For the next three weeks after filing the application, the fellow following-up on the application had to go back-and-forth to (1) figure out what date a DENR inspection team could make it to the house to inspect the trees to be cut; and, (2) inquire as to when a permit could be issued.

During the latter part of the second week I received a call from him asking for a Special Power of Attorney (“SPA”) to authorize him to collect, on my behalf, the permit to be issued by the DENR. He said the SPA was required by the DENR for the release of the permit to him. On his volition, he inquired with a lawyer who told him that an Authorization Letter from me would suffice to authorize him to collect the permit and other documents on my behalf. I sent the Authorization Letter by overnight courier to him on October 24. On October 27, the Thursday before the long All Souls’ Day weekend, he went to the DENR-CAR to collect the permit and was told to return the following week on November 3^rd as the officers were all at a “seminar” for the next two days and into the long weekend.

Hmmmmmm…………..

Exactly a week later, on November 3^rd, I accompany my guy to the DENR-CAR office located in Pacdal, Baguio City. We arrive at 10:00AM. I wanted to go earlier at 9:00AM when this government office opens for the day, but I was advised to go an hour later as the officers normally don’t show up till about 10:00AM. When we arrived, there were about 4 officers milling about their desks chatting away. I inquired about my application and was told that it still had to be sent for endorsement to the DENR-CAR Officer-In-Charge, a certain Mr. Flor.

This was upsetting. The application had been filed on October 3^rd and my guy was told to come back on November 3^rd to collect the permit. The government shuffles ensues --- feet dragging, finger pointing --- and I just lose it! I had come up to Baguio specifically to deal with this, and to be around when the tree cutters cut down two massive trees sitting perilously close to the house.

One of the officers, Forest Ranger Romeo Naperi, was upset that I was upset that we were told (incidentally by himself!) to return that day to collect a permit for an application that they had not acted upon. It also happens that Naperi, was the “forest ranger” who had to conduct the inspection at my house. At that time, Naperi had also indirectly asked, or made “parinig” to, my guy during the inspection that it was hard to find the house and that he had to take a taxi to get there. Now, I can sympathize with public servants whose jobs entail them to travel to sites. There should be service vehicles provided for them by the government agency, but to make “parinig” for transport money is not exactly kosher.

Romeo Naperi, DENR Forest Ranger

Needless to say confusion reigned as my incredulous self lost all abilities to muster up Tagalog words. I was in-and-out of the office trying to figure what the actual application process and requirements were, and on the phone with a friend in Manila pleading for assistance. At one point I asked what seminar they had gone to the previous week and where. One of the lady officers looked at me blankly and shook her head asking, “What seminar?”.

Almost immediately Naperi pipes up and shouts out, “...tree planting!”

Hmmmmmmm……….That’s seems to be a pretty big tree as it takes two days to get through a tree planting ceremony.

Naperi, in the meantime, continually sent off dagger looks towards me and blurted out, “Nagpunta ako doon sa bahay mo… umuulan pa… nabasa ako…!” (I went to your house… it was raining … I got wet...!).

I went bug-eyed and heard myself blurt out, “You’re a forest ranger! It’s your job!”

Then I kept wondering to myself, are all forest rangers afraid of the rain?

Eventually the application and supporting documents were sent to the OIC so that he could do whatever he should have been doing with it. At around 10:30 or 10:45 the papers, sans permit, were released. I was then told to go to Baguio City Hall and to the Mayor’s Office to apply for a permit there as well. It had taken the DENR, one (1) month to the date to issue a “First Endorsement Letter”, a form letter which comprised of 11 SENTENCES!!! That’s not even half-a-word a day, or approximately 2.7 days per word!

RED! I am seeing RED! Another bureaucracy to go through and then I still was required to go back to the DENR after obtaining the mayor’s signature. I call a Baguio friend with contacts at City Hall, and he was able to put me through to the relevant department – CEPMO. I’m not sure if it was dropping the name of a public official that made them attend to me with urgency, or if it was my face bunched up in disgust and stressed out at the pure incompetence of the DENR. Whatever it was they told me to return the following day, November 4, to meet with their inspection team and then bring them to the house.

I met them this morning at City Hall at 8:00AM, and by 8:30AM we were back at the house for their inspection. While en route from City Hall, they asked why I didn’t just go to City Hall to get the permit in the first place.

Well, I had no idea that that could be done. Everyone I had asked about how to go about legally cutting down trees in this country said I had to get the DENR to issue a permit. But, Baguio (and Cebu) is the exception: tree cutting permits can be issued by City Hall without having to go through the DENR at all. It turns out that Baguio City and Cebu City are the only cities in the country that have a forestry department. This gives them the same authority over trees in their jurisdictions as the DENR.

It’s not quite over yet. As per City Hall’s advice, I filed for a permit with the Mayor’s office rather than just get their endorsement and go back to DENR. Proceeding with the DENR route, I was told, may take another month before a permit is issued. Apparently, I am not the only subjected to this ridiculous incompetence. Secretary Ramon Paje should analyse and review his agency's work flow processes and staff performances. Just imagine all the wasted hours spent by people going back-and-forth trying to get their permits through the DENR.

The application with City Hall was received and filed this morning at 9:30AM. I’ve got the City Hall guys’ numbers stored in my mobile phone directory, and am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get the permits by Tuesday next week or Wednesday at the latest so that I can call McCoy, the Ifugao tree cutter, to finally come over the take down some trees. Now that's a hell of a lot faster than what the DENR can do.

BLAKE in Manila

2011-10-21T23:53:00.019+08:00

BLAKE performing at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City, Philippines on 21 October 2011.

Click here to see a video clip of BLAKE singing "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables.

Developing Camp John Hay

2011-10-06T10:34:00.000+08:00

Despite it being the monsoon season with two very strong typhoons pummeling through Baguio City, there are several road works in and around the city. Plus, construction is going full force at the Ayala Land site in Camp John Hay by the Loakan gate. During a break in the rain this past week, I took a walk from The Manor towards the Loakan Gate and encountered this development.

The building on the left houses Convergys while the smaller building in the middle seems to be designated as a food court. Camp John Hay (October 2011).

© Ninfa Z. Bito

The food court building. Camp John Hay (October 2011).

© Ninfa Z. Bito

Back view of the food court building. Camp John Hay (October 2011).

© Ninfa Z. Bito

Pancake House on the G/F of the Convergys building.Camp John Hay (October 2011).

© Ninfa Z. Bito

This low-rise is going up across the street from the Convergys building shown in the first photo above. Camp John Hay (October 2011).

© Ninfa Z. Bito

And, this sign caught my curiosity. It is advertising the proposed site for a coffee plantation covering 60 hectares and 100,000 coffee trees in the middle of Camp. John Hay. That's a lot of pine trees.

Camp John Hay (October 2011).

© Ninfa Z. Bito

Camp John Hay (October 2011).

© Ninfa Z. Bito

Lamp & Fog

2011-10-03T10:18:00.000+08:00

On Philippine Tourism

2011-09-30T19:58:00.000+08:00

Eric is my driver-for-hire for the week as I attempt to navigate the roads leading up to northern Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Pedring. He has agreed to chauffer for me while on his holiday from an airport car service. He’s taken this holiday, he says, as the ongoing strikes by PAL have punched a dent in business. He noted that he and his colleagues have noticed a decline in the number of tourist arrivals, and that a lot of the foreigners arriving have pre-arranged pick-ups thereby putting a further dent in the airport car business. For Eric, it seems as if the foreigners arriving are repeat visitors rather than “new” tourist arrivals.

Airport car service drivers have an average waiting time of about three hours for a fare. To maximize this, they prefer long-haul passengers who have to head out to the provinces rather than just to Metro Manila’s hotels. The trend he sees is that most of the tourists arriving are from Korea and that they are “aral”, or informed to some degree of what to expect of fares from airport to hotels and to other destinations. The Korean tourists have information on hand, provided to them by travel reps or hotels regarding fare information. However, Eric says, the fare information provided to the visitors do not take into account the time charged in having to navigate through Manila’s heavy traffic. This leads to arguments at the end of the ride, and the initial ‘bad-taste-in-the-mouth’ feeling (or maybe secondary after having to navigate through Manila’s airports).

Asked about when he began noticing the decline in “new” tourist arrivals, Eric cites the Hong Kong tourist bus-hijacking incident in August 2010. He also notes that the unrest in the Middle East and the ongoing PALEA strikes have only contributed to a decline in his line of work.

Maybe I should buy a bigger flashlight...?

2011-09-30T08:55:00.000+08:00

I've been tracking TS "Quiel" (int'l codename: NALGAE) since after Typhoon "Pedring" (int'l codename: NESAT). Since then I've headed out on a road trip to Baguio in northern Luzon. MacArthur Highway was not as bad as expected. There were several roadworks slowing down traffic, but these works were due to what I would say is unfortunate scheduling by the DPWH. (I still don't understand why these roadworks are scheduled during the peak periods of the monsoon season.) There were a several low-lying areas that were flooded, most of which were along the banks of rivers and streams clogged up by man-made obstructions. So, it seems that most of the flooding brought about by Pedring are in areas further in from MacArthur Highway. Kennon Road was open when we got to Rosario. The sun was shining so we took the chance and took the quicker way up. There were a few waterfalls directly landing on the road at the bottom of Kennon, but it had been pretty much cleared out of debris that may have been deposited by Typhoon Pedring. There was one portion where a huge DPWH machine and dug up roadway narrowed Kennon into one-lane, but no major problems.

When I left Manila, "Quiel" was just a tropical storm and about 1300 kilometres away from northern Luzon. Today, I check the news and I see a headline screaming "Typhoon 'Quiel' threatens north Luzon". Just my luck. Again. A typhoon. As of this morning it is estimated to be about just 300 kilometres away from the eastern coast of northern Luzon. This is probably the third time I've had to delay this trip - all due to typhoons. Now I find myself likely to be in the direct path of another one. Below is an image from the weather tracking service www.tropicalstormrisk.com. The "X" in bold white-colored font marks my approximate location. This typhoon has a diameter of 400 kilometres. Based on the color-coded tracking line this could be a bit worse than Typhoon Pedring. That color denotes "Quiel" morphing into a Category 3 typhoon when it hits the Aurora province area. The northern provinces are still reeling from and still under water after "Pedring", and here comes another one. Just my luck. Just our luck! Where's my flashlight?

Source: www.tropicalstormrisk.com

Old Product Ads

2011-09-19T18:32:00.000+08:00

Product Ads circa 1954

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

2011-09-11T10:36:00.003+08:00

Let sleeping dogs lie...Sunday Edition

An Afternoon With Black & Decker

2011-09-04T07:18:00.000+08:00

"In The Heights"

2011-09-03T10:19:00.009+08:00

Calling out to the Manila gang: “In The Heights” is in da house!

Take a breather from the schizoid weather and make your way to the RCBC Theatre. “In The Heights”, winner of the Tony’s Best Musical for 2008”, is being staged in our ‘hood by Atlantis Productions. Directed by uber-director Bobby Garcia, this high-energy musical is headlined by singer-songwriter, Nyoy Volante (who would’ve thought), Ima Castro (“Aida”), Felix Rivera (“Next To Normal"), along with Calvin Millado (remember him in those fishnet stockings and French maid’s outfit in “Rocky Horror Picture Show”?), and Jackie Lou Blanco (making her first stage appearance in oh-so-long).

The performances are standouts thanks to Bobby Garcia’s knack for seeking talent out of the woodworks, nurturing them and polishing them to a sheen for display on the theatre stage. He’s done it again by presenting to us K-La Rivera (“Nina”) and Bibo Reyes (“Sonny”). Fun, engaging, enthralling voices and performances from these two younger cast members, anchored by Nyoy Volante’s commanding rap performance and an incredible cast makes “In The Heights” the perfect excuse to brave torrential rains for one night at least.

Run Dates: September 2-18, 2011(Weekends)
Atlantis Productions: 892-7078, 840-1187 | www.atlantisproductions.com
Ticketworld: 891-9999

Irene: The Aftermath

2011-08-30T08:22:00.001+08:00

Of the photos that have come out after Hurricane Irene, this one (by Scott Olson/Getty Images) is probably the one that says it all for those who were severely affected by the storm.

Billy Stinson, left, comforts his daughter, Erin Stinson, as they sit on the steps where their cottage once stood before it was destroyed by Hurricane Irene in Nags Head, N.C., on Aug. 28. The cottage, built in 1903, was one of the first vacation cottages built on Albemarle Sound in Nags Head. Stinson has owned the home, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, since 1963. "We were pretending, just for a moment, that the cottage was still behind us and we were just sitting there watching the sunset," said Erin

Adele: Simply Elegant

2011-08-29T21:49:00.001+08:00

Two Storms: Mina & Irene

2011-08-27T18:17:00.002+08:00

It seems as if a global downpour is happening this weekend. Rain has been pounding the island of Luzon since late last night. Hurricane Irene is threatening the entire eastern seaboard of the United States and is about 50 miles south of Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

© Ninfa Z. Bito

I woke up this morning to extremely gray skies, which up to this hour has not changed its color. Nor have the rains relented. In fact, as I type this there I can only see about as far as half-a-block as strong winds drive copious amounts of rain through the area. International news is awash with reports of evacuations along the East Coast – especially in low-lying areas of New York and New Jersey – and a ‘state-of-emergency’ has already been declared for New York City even as the Hurricane Irene is yet to make landfall in the state. Meanwhile, here in the Philippines where Typhoon Mina has been battering the northeast part of the country, the rest of the island of Luzon is being whipped by the tail of the typhoon. CNN has reported 2 children killed in a landslide somewhere up north, and local news reports 973 evacuees and about 11,720 people affected by Mina.

Source: www.tropicalstormrisk.com

A quick comparison shows that the footprint of Hurricane Irene is scarily large, while that of Typhoon Mina looks puny relative to its US counterpart. However, checking in with www.tropicalstormrisk.com gives us a better perspective on the relative strengths of these two storms. Attached are the tracking images for both storms with the paths color-coded indicating the strengths of the storms. Overall, although Typhoon Mina’s graphic representation may show a smaller footprint than that of Hurricane Irene, Mina is by far the more powerful system registering as a Category 4 compared to Hurricane Irene’s Category 1 (as of August 27, 17 Hours MNL time)*.

So, what’s the big deal about Typhoon Mina we Filipinos may ask? Mina is hitting the northeastern part of the Philippines which to Manila-centric people is as good a ‘no-man’s land’. It’s too far away from Metro Manila, and unfortunately those of us living in the metro are pretty much conditioned to be concerned about what is doing to our very long weekend plans or to flight schedules to HK or to Europe or to the US. Hurricane Irene is about to make a grand tour of the Eastern seaboard, that makes for better news, eh?

There should be concern for Typhoon Mina as this is hitting and brushing very closely along the country’s rice granary. It is also hitting areas where the resident communities are, on a daily basis, highly disadvantaged, marginalized and at the brink of poverty. These are the areas that are repeatedly slammed about like a battered housewife during the monsoon season. These are the areas wherein the local government units are at best able to fend for just themselves, and become even more heavily stretched having to execute disaster risk mitigation, evacuation and rescue/recovery plans.

There should also be concern for our friends who are about to be visited by Hurricane Irene despite it being rated as Category 1 storm. Unlike Mina, Hurricane Irene is descending upon heavily populated urban centers that are not used to such events. Unlike Mina, which is preying upon battle hardened Filipinos, who usually see more than three-quarters of the alphabet used up to for funky typhoon names, Hurricane Irene is about to pounce upon residents which have hardly had to suffer from rainstorms which we would consider to be mere drizzles. Hopefully, the state of alarm that has been raised over the last day or two in the East Coast will help instill some fear and discipline into residents of the soon to be affected communities to seek shelter, higher ground and to resist the temptation to ‘brave the storm’ to save their homes.

In either place, it would be a fatal battle to disregard and to disrespect Mother Nature.

* As of this hour these are the category ratings for the two systems. Both are projected to diminish in intensity as it makes its way through land.

The King

2011-08-24T16:44:00.001+08:00

This morning on Pasong Tamo...

2011-08-09T09:47:00.021+08:00

Before rush hour traffic swelled up this morning, I found myself on Pasong Tamo on the way to get my car serviced. I opted to take this route in order to avoid EDSA early morning traffic. Fortunately for me I hit Pasong Tamo at about 7:45AM. Unfortunately for the Makati bound commuters, despite the early hours, the traffic on the other lane was already backing up due to some major construction in the middle of the roadway. The picture below shows the road being prepped for further breakdown. Meanwhile the road just behind me had already been ripped up, and debris the size of mini boulders were piled up waiting to be carted away.

Pasong Tamo, 9 August 2011, 7:45AM

After dropping off my car at the car repair shop on Pasong Tamo Extension, I walked a few hundred steps to the neighborhood Starbucks. As I walked over I remembered what Enrique Peñalosa (Bogota's ex-mayor and urban planner), noted during a keynote speech at the Asia Clean Energy Forum about 3 or 4 years ago: most cities today are built for cars and not for the benefit of its inhabitants. This is so true of Metro Manila. Sidewalks have been taken over. Cannibalized. Eradicated in most neighborhoods.

Pasong Tamo Extension, 9 August 2011, 8:00AM

Pedestrians have no choice but to walk right on the line demarcating the edges of the street and parking lots. Pedestrians have no choice but to walk on, for all intensive purposes, the gutters. Pedestrians have no choice but to silently recite a mantra, in Professor X-like fashion, to keep at bay the suicidal machines known as tricycles, cars, taxis, jeepneys and trucks as they pummel their way through Metro Manila’s dense traffic. At times, pedestrians have to see that safety risk increase as they gingerly venture out towards the middle of the lane to avoid drowning in pools of water backed up from poor drainage or clogged-up drains.

Pasong Tamo Extension, 9 August 2011, 8:15AM.
Backed-up drainage, but not as bad as ....

... street leading towards South Luzon Expresway towards Pasong Tamo ...
...IF you can call this a city street or an off-roading opportunity.

We complain about traffic, but what we need to do is to reclaim our streets. This we have to do with on behalf of the safety, health, and sanity of Metro Manila’s inhabitants.

_____________________________________

Interview with Enrique Peñalosa

by Clarence Eckerson, Jr. on February 1, 2007

Source Link: http://www.streetfilms.org/interview-with-enrique-penalosa-long/

Freida

2011-08-03T21:41:00.003+08:00

Royal Mail

2011-07-30T10:45:00.001+08:00

I found these while rummaging through some old files and papers.
When was the last time anyone used a stamp?

Late Lunch

2011-07-25T14:36:00.000+08:00

I've been on a bit of a cooking binge lately. Today I tried out a recipe for some Quinoa with Leeks and Shitake Mushrooms. I was lacking two of the required ingredients and either replaced it or omitted it. The mix turned out okay, but I'll have to do it with the proper ingredients next time around. This is what it turned out in the end.

Filet of Sole paired with Quinoa topped with Leeks and Shitake Mushrooms

Is This Street Legal?

2011-07-03T20:02:00.001+08:00

One Day With the Dancing Prisoners

2011-06-28T15:20:00.001+08:00

One day in January 2008, I found myself in Cebu at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) shooting amongst the dancing inmates of the CPRDC. The shoot was for a foreign publication and these are some of the outtakes from that day.

No Parking

2011-06-18T16:43:00.000+08:00

Morning Traffic Report

2011-06-02T10:23:00.000+08:00

What's wrong with this picture? Where is the lane? Plus, notice the traffic light? It's green to go straight and left. The Ortigas traffic cop must've been color blind! We sat through that and two red lights. In the meantime, traffic backed up all the way behind us on ADB Avenue. Nearly 7 minutes later, Mr Traffic Cop decided he had enough for the day, walked away, and let the traffic light do its job on its own.

Megapixels vs. Sensor Size

2011-06-01T07:00:00.002+08:00

Most run-of-the-mill camera shop salespeople will talk about megapixels. These are the shops that litter Tsimshatsui in Hong Kong, the avenues and side streets of New York, and the densely packed neighborhood of Quiapo in Manila. Most of the guys selling camera stuff are men. They'll talk megapixels, and to them it is the SIZE that matters. This article in Lifehacker should help you make sense of all this confusion about size, megapixels and sensors.

Remember: when the discussion comes down to megapixels and sensors, SENSORS MATTER!

Low Visibility

2011-05-27T18:45:00.000+08:00

Two days ago around 5PM: C5 towards The Fort

Today on the same stretch of C5 at roughly the same time this afternoon.

Driving rain washes out visibility.

Clearer Views

2011-05-27T09:04:00.002+08:00

Isn't this much better and less disturbing during the drive? Tropical storms and typhoons should not be the only reasons to have this view. Here's hoping to not seeing those ridiculous billboards again . . . (I wish!).

Rapture

2011-05-21T09:17:00.000+08:00

Once in a while, a photo pops up and at first glance makes me immediately laugh out loud. This is one of those photos.

At the veterinarian's today...

2011-05-03T19:11:00.000+08:00

Jigg...

... and a shrine.

Ayala Alabang: The Realm of the Absurd

2011-03-17T06:54:00.000+08:00

Image Source: http://hackcartoonsdiary.com/2009/03/22/pope-benedict-and-the-condoms/

The heat is on in Ayala Alabang on the eve of a village hearing regarding an ordinance requiring the prescription for condoms: Barangay Ordinance #1-2011. A friend received the following text message urging for its support and participation in the hearing.

"Calling all Pro-Lifers in the parish of St. James chosen by God to be His frontliners in the battle against the CULTURE OF DEATH being forced upon us by the cohorts of his enemy.Your presence is needed on Saturday, March 19 at 7am De La Salle Zobel. Bring you resident's ID and your WEAPON the Holy Rosary. The whole country will be watching us. Let us show our courage for God and country!"

The realm of the absurd...

The Ayala Alabang Controversy

2011-03-14T08:12:00.013+08:00

Over the last few weeks a furor has swept over the gated village of Ayala Alabang. It has divided its wealthy residents into camps along religious lines. Well not even that as most of its residents are Catholics. Rather it is defining the line between the rational and the absurd. It violates the tenet of the separation of church and state. It constrains freedom of choice. It is anti-health. It is anti-development. It discriminates against the poor.

The issue revolves around The Big C: CONDOMS. It seems that an ordinance was passed by the Ayala Alabang Barangay Council requiring a prescription to purchase condoms. Supposedly this is to support the implementation of Section 37 of R.A. 5921 - the law outlining the regulation of the practice of pharmacy. The ordinance's proponent's seek to protect the rights of the 'unborn child' and to restrict access to a medical device that could prevent unwanted pregnancies. However, it also restricts access to condoms which is a prophylactic: "...a medication or a treatment designed and used to prevent a disease from occurring."

The problem is that the Ayala Alabang Barangay Ordinance was 'passed' over the Christmas/New Year holiday season. More precisely it was sneakily pushed through during the holiday season unbeknownst to most barangay residents as the meetings required to discuss its proposal were conducted on days right before/after major holidays: Christmas and New Year's day. (Seriously, who would've been keeping tabs of barangay-level (village/community) affairs while in the midst of last minute shopping, cooking, eating, and revelry to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ?)

Ayala Alabang Barangay Ordinance #1-2011 will regulate that condoms cannot be "... delivered or sold to any person without a proper prescription by a duly licensed physician." The resulting reaction has been growing incredulity and rage. It could likely be a brewing tsumami if it is ultimately allowed to pass without proper consultation with barangay residents and legal experts.

The Philippine Catholic church and its priests - at least in Ayala Alabang for now - has been using the pulpit to preach (or bully depending on one's point of view) for the support of the ordinance. From what I've heard from my church-going friends who are residents of Ayala Alabang, the parish conducted a signature campaign during mass and pretty much told its parishioners that opposing the ordinance would damn their souls to hell. Now, that is not very Christian behaviour, or is it?

If this ordinance were just relegated to village politics, then it would be quite hilarious. However, the ordinance's supporters have even grander visions of using it as a model and a precedent to be adopted by ALL barangays in the Philippines.

The links below should give perspective to this situation. Anti-ordinance proponents have called for a meeting on March 19 at 9AM in Ayala Alabang, and are encouraging even non-residents to attend.

Links:

Today, My Parish Condemned Me For Not Agreeing With The Barangay Ordinance

Father Bernas: Furor Over Alabang Ordinance

And here is the link to the text of the Ayala Alabang Barangay Ordinance #1-2011: Barangay Ordinance #1-2011.

A great analogy

2011-03-13T08:15:00.000+08:00

To Run or Not to Run

by
Christopher Neiman
New York Times Magazine
11 March 2011

Caftan and Coat

2011-02-15T22:41:00.001+08:00

Classy!

From The Sartorialist ....

The Best Android Apps

2011-02-15T19:03:00.001+08:00

If you're on Android, then this link is for you.

The Best Android Apps

I've just downloaded Vignette and will try it out. I've got the FX Camera app, but prefer the Retro Camera app. I tried Pandora, but it seems to be restricted to US listeners. Instead I found TuneIn Radio which works quite well. For general note taking utilizing photo snaps, text, URLs and web sites Evernote is a must-have app that saves everything up there in the net for easy accessibility from your smartphone or desktop browser.

Taxi!

2011-02-14T19:23:00.002+08:00

I love this shot!

From The Sartorialist ....

Quote of the Day

2011-02-01T23:44:00.000+08:00

“It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.” ~ David Brin quotes

Are you a single or double spacer?

2011-01-14T08:41:00.000+08:00

Who would've thought the an extra space typed in after a period would be such a vehement issue for some people. Apparently, the "two-spaces after the period" convention was borne out of the typewriter's monospace characteristics. But how about in today's digital age and word processing capabilities? Do we still need to put in that extra space? Are you a single-spacer or a double-spacer? Click on the link below to read on whether a single space or a double space is the proper convention.

Space Invaders (from Slate Magazine)

There's a dog in there...somewhere...

2011-01-07T19:36:00.001+08:00

She likes her sleep

2011-01-06T11:23:00.002+08:00

Brrrrrrr...it must be December

2010-12-07T08:38:00.001+08:00

I have not been able to figure out why retailers in the Philippines carry fall/winter clothes for sale in their inventories. The Philippines is located above the equator at approximately 877 nautical miles, or about 1,625 kilometres. In contrast, New York's Central Park, which can easily be transformed into a Winter Wonderland, is 2,428.2 nautical miles or 4,497.0264 kilometers from the equator.

Granted temperatures cool down in December/January in Manila, but is it cool enough? We are in the area of the Tropic of Cancer where according to BBC Stats the average H/L temperature in December is 88/72F (31/22C). According to today's weather report from Wunderground, the temperature range today is a high/low of 89/75F (32/24C) with humidity at 89%.

So why then do retailers insist on carrying these clothes in their inventories for sale in the tropics? Is there anyone in the Philippines buying these clothes off the racks from the PowerPlant, Glorietta and Greenbelt malls?

BUT, .... there is Baguio, right?! Average temperatures there in December dips down to about 81/57F (27/14C) with average humidity at 88%.

Time to take out the shearling!!!

:-)

Woody Allen: Celebrating his birthday with his wit

2010-12-01T06:33:00.003+08:00

Woody Allen turns 75 and Flavorpill compiles 75 of his quotes to celebrate. Here are the first 10 quotes. Click here to get to the rest of the list.

1. “I feel sex is a beautiful thing between two people. Between five, it’s fantastic.” – from a stand-up routine

2. “To you I’m an atheist; to God, I’m the Loyal Opposition.”

3. “That sex was the most fun I’ve ever had without laughing.”

4. “Sex alleviates tension. Love causes it.”

5. “I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy myself, but I didn’t.”

6. “You know a lot of geniuses, y’know. You should meet some stupid people once in a while, y’know, you could learn something.”

7. “The man who said ‘I’d rather be lucky than good’ saw deeply into life. People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It’s scary to think so much is out of one’s control. There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net and for a split second it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck it goes forward and you win. Or maybe it doesn’t and you lose.”

8. “Between the Pope and air conditioning, I’d choose air conditioning.”

9. “Sex and death are two things that come but once in my lifetime, but at least after death you’re not nauseous .”

10. “I do the movies just for myself like an institutionalized person who basket-weaves. Busy fingers are happy fingers. I don’t care about the films. I don’t care if they’re flushed down the toilet after I die.”

Source Link: Click here.

The Seven Stages of Man

2010-11-21T20:08:00.002+08:00

Milk

Milk, vegetables

Milk, ice cream sodas, candy

Steak, coke, french fries, ham and eggs

Frogs' legs, caviar, crepe suzettes, champagne

Milk and crakcers

Milk

~ Anonymous

On the SURFACE: A Photo Exhibit

2010-10-26T06:04:00.000+08:00

On the SURFACE

an exhibition of photographs

NINFA Z. BITO

Clay Street 2003

Black/White Film on Fine Art Matte Archival Paper

41 cm x 41 cm

We invite you to experience ON THE SURFACE.

Opening Cocktails on Tuesday, 26th October 2010 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Show will run from 26 October - 12 November 2010

GREYSTONE

G/F, Prince Plaza II

Legazpi Street, Greenbelt Park

Makati City 1229

Philippines

Gallery Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am - 7pm

Telephone No. 849.3977

"Art is Dead" - Bo Burnham

2010-10-18T06:52:00.000+08:00

http://www.mediaite.com/online/todays-must-watch-video-bo-burnhams-art-is-dead/

Android & iPhone Apps for the Car

2010-09-03T09:13:00.000+08:00

Lifehacker has two articles listing some useful apps for drivers on an iPhone or an Android phone.

The Best ANROID apps for you car.

The Best iPHONE apps for you car.

A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting Common Windows PC Problems

2010-09-03T09:05:00.000+08:00

Here's a useful guide to help one navigate the Windows PC maze of troubles.
Click on the image below to read more.

(Source: Lifehacker)

Pakistan: Flood Appeal

2010-08-23T04:18:00.003+08:00

"The floods raging through Pakistan at the moment have affected more people than the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the 2006 Asian tsunami, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined." - Kanak Mani DixiT, Himal Magazine (via ShaihidulNews)

To see images of the devastation and for details as to where to send support, please visit ShahidulNews at this link.

Goodbye Kodachrome

2010-07-24T08:26:00.000+08:00

That's it! Steve McCurry shot the last roll of Kodachrome and had it processed at a lab in Kansas - the last lab that still process this classic film. McCurry took the last roll through the streets of NYC and to India. Images shot include that of Robert De Niro's and McCurry in front of a NY yellow cab with tag number PKR 36. That's a fitting code for Kodachrome which was first introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935.

Click here to read the story:
Last Kodachrome roll processed in Parsons

Typhoon "BASYANG": The Day After

2010-07-14T11:43:00.003+08:00

The first typhoon of the season, "Basyang" (int'l code name: Conson), blew through Luzon last night. I was awakened at midnight by howling winds blowing through windows bringing in sprays of rain. Several areas reportedly flooded. Thankfully, the flooding was nowhere like that seen from last year's tropical storm "Ondoy". Meralco distribution lines and transmission grids heavily affected by winds. At about 6AM today only siginificantly less than one-half of those are in working order leaving most of Metro Manila and Luzon with no power.

I took a walk around the block this morning and this is what I encountered.

Place your cursor mid-frame on the right/left hand side of the frame to move to the next photo.

Click here for the CNN report.

RockEd at Bilibid: Photos + Videos

2010-07-09T09:31:00.000+08:00

On 7 July 2010, Carlos Celdran and I headed out to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa to meet up with Gang Badoy for to see her creative writing class. Instead, we were treated to an acoustic afternoon by Johnoy Danao and some in-pitch singers from New Bilibid. Here are the videos and photos from that afternoon.

Place your cursor mid-frame on the right/left hand side of the frame to move to the next photo.

Related Links: RockEd at Bilibid

UAAP & Dad

2010-07-08T01:00:00.003+08:00

Uruguayans are in despair, whilst the Dutch rejoice. Spain is in. Germany is out. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is almost over. What's next to distract Filipinos from their daily routines and valuable sleep? It's none other than the 73rd Season of the UAAP. College Basketball season is back! This is the league to watch. It beats out the pro ball league in terms of decibel levels and expletives hurling supporters. I didn't attend any of the schools in play this season, but due to friendly affiliations I may occasionally be found at the Coliseum pumping a fist in the air or tearing out my hair in frustration as the ball is dribbled up and down the court.

I wish I could’ve seen my father play ball in his day. But hang on… then he would not have been my father! The image on the left is from the August 1948 issue. That's Dad trying to defend t or steal the ball away from the UST player. Dad was captain of the UP Maroons varsity team. A few weeks ago I was clearing out some drawers and found some old issues of “The Filipino Athlete”. Here are some pics of from the October 1949 issue featuring the opening day of the UAAP season back then.

The Filipino Athlete, October 1949

I also found old UAAP programs from that time. Do they produce these programs today? I don't think I've ever seen one. Here's what they looked like then.

RockEd at Bilibid

2010-07-07T22:22:00.003+08:00

Update: For photos and videos click here.

Today marks the 3rd year anniversary of RockEd's Gang Badoy's creative writing classes at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. I was extended an invitation to tag along with her, Walk This Way's and tour guide extraordinaire Carlos Celdran, and musical artist Johnoy Danao to celebrate this milestone. We were treated to an afternoon of acoustic guitar and singing by Johnoy, as well as impromptu performances by some musically gifted inmates at the maximum security prison. I'll be uploading the photos and the videos soon -- so watch this space!

Vintage Photos: Manila 1940s - Teodulfo Protomartir

2010-07-02T13:20:00.007+08:00

I was lucky enough to have been reminded by my friend "B" about a gallery talk on Teodulfo Protomartir, a Filipino photographer dating back to the 1940s. In those days, rangefinder cameras were the equivalent of DSLRs with 1:1 sensors. Protomartir and his buddies lived through WWII. During and immediately after the war they had to make do with whatever chemicals they could get their hands on to process their films. Could he have known then that his images would somehow be found and recovered by Uro dela Cruz, an ardent and passionate cpllector of all things related to the camera? With the help of Silverlens Gallery we were treated to see images of post-WWII Manila as captured by Promatir's Leica and stereophonic cameras. Carlos Celdran as always, provided colorful information regarding the era and put Manila's architectural gems of the past into the present day context.

Here are some photographs of the vintage photos that were shown during yesterday's gallery talk.

An aerial view of Manila. Fort Santiago at the bottom along Pasig River banks.

Along the Pasig River.

Escolta?

Manila

Manila Cathedral

A tank squeezes through Intramuro's Puerta Real.

Manila City Hall after being destroyed by American bombs.

Escolta in ruins.

Michelle Apartments.

The building can still be found on Mabini Street, Malate, Manila.

The Bayview Hotel at the rear.

This must've been taken somewhere within what is now known as Ermita.

Independence Day, 1946.

Quirino Grandstand - at its original location.

According to Celdran, today's grandstand was

relocated from this original location to its location

closer to the bay across from the Luneta Park.

Inauguration Day: President Bengino C. Aquino III

2010-06-30T16:52:00.001+08:00

At mid-day today, the Philippines witnessed the swearing in of its 15th President, Benigno S. Aquino III. Below is an English translation of his inaugural address. It may be that his remark about "no more sirens" ("walang wang-wang") got the most notice amongst my FB friends. Let's hope that this will be the end of the abuse of that blasted car accessory and the beginning of a new attitude in delivering government service... the change for a new era in the Philippines.

******

His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former President Joseph Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and members of the House, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the foreign delegations,Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow colleagues in government, aking mga kababayan.

My presence here today is proof that you are my true strength. I never expected that I will be here taking my oath of office before you, as your president. I never imagined that I would be tasked with continuing the mission of my parents. I never entertained the ambition to be the symbol of hope, and to inherit the problems of our nation.

I had a simple goal in life: to be true to my parents and our country as an honorable son, a caring brother, and a good citizen.

My father offered his life so our democracy could live. My mother devoted her life to nurturing that democracy. I will dedicate my life to making our democracy reach its fullest potential: that of ensuring equality for all. My family has sacrificed much and I am willing to do this again if necessary.

Although I was born to famous parents, I know and feel the problems of ordinary citizens. We all know what it is like to have a government that plays deaf and dumb. We know what it is like to be denied justice, to be ignored by those in whom we placed our trust and tasked to become our advocates.

Have you ever been ignored by the very government you helped put in power? I have. Have you had to endure being rudely shoved aside by the siren-blaring escorts of those who love to display their position and power over you? I have, too. Have you experienced exasperation and anger at a government that instead of serving you, needs to be endured by you? So have I.

I am like you. Many of our countrymen have already voted with their feet - migrating to other countries in search of change or tranquility. They have endured hardship, risked their lives because they believe that compared to their current state here, there is more hope for them in another country, no matter how bleak it may be. In moments when I thought of only my own welfare, I also wondered - is it possible that I can find the peace and quiet that I crave in another country? Is our government beyond redemption? Has it been written that the Filipino’s lot is merely to suffer?

Today marks the end of a regime indifferent to the appeals of the people. It is not Noynoy who found a way. You are the reason why the silent suffering of the nation is about to end. This is the beginning of my burden, but if many of us will bear the cross we will lift it, no matter how heavy it is.
Through good governance in the coming years, we will lessen our problems. The destiny of the Filipino will return to its rightful place, and as each year passes, the Filipino’s problems will continue to lessen with the assurance of progress in their lives.

We are here to serve and not to lord over you. The mandate given to me was one of change. I accept your marching orders to transform our government from one that is self-serving to one that works for the welfare of the nation.

This mandate is the social contract that we agreed upon. It is the promise I made during the campaign, which you accepted on election day.

During the campaign we said, “If no one is corrupt, no one will be poor.” That is no mere slogan for posters -- it is the defining principle that will serve as the foundation of our administration.
Our foremost duty is to lift the nation from poverty through honest and effective governance.

The first step is to have leaders who are ethical, honest, and true public servants. I will set the example. I will strive to be a good model. I will not break the trust you have placed in me. I will ensure that this, too, will be the advocacy of my Cabinet and those who will join our government.
I do not believe that all of those who serve in our government are corrupt. In truth, the majority of them are honest. They joined government to serve and do good. Starting today, they will have the opportunity to show that they have what it takes. I am counting on them to help fight corruption within the bureaucracy.

To those who have been put in positions by unlawful means, this is my warning: we will begin earning back the trust of our people by reviewing midnight appointments. Let this serve as a warning to those who intend to continue the crooked ways that have become the norm for too long.

To our impoverished countrymen, starting today, your government will be your champion.

We will not disregard the needs of our students. We will begin by addressing the glaring shortage in classrooms and educational facilities.

Gradually, we will lessen the lack of infrastructures for transportation, tourism and trade. From now on, mediocre work will not be good enough when it comes to roads, bridges, and buildings because we will hold contractors responsible for maintaining their projects in good condition.

We will revive the emergency employment program established by former President Corazon Aquino. This will provide jobs for local communities and will help in the development of their and our economy.

We will not be the cause of your suffering or hardship. We will strengthen collections by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and we will fight corruption in the Bureau of Customs in order to fund our objectives for the public welfare, such as:

Quality education, including vocational education, so that those who choose not to attend college or those who cannot afford it can find dignified livelihood;
Improved public health services such as PhilHealth for all within three years;
A home for every family, within safe communities.

We will strengthen the armed forces and the police, not to serve the interests of those who want to wield power with impunity, but to give added protection for ordinary folk. The armed forces and the police risk their lives daily so that the nation can live in peace and security. The population has doubled and yet their numbers remain unchanged. It is not right that those who make sacrifices are treated pitifully.

If there was a fertilizer scam in the past, today there will be security for farmers. We will help them with irrigation, extension services, and marketing their products at the best possible prices.

We are directing Secretary Alcala to set up trading centers that will directly link farmers and consumers thereby eliminating middlemen and opportunities for corruption. In this way, funds can be shared by farmers and consumers. We will make our country attractive to investors. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance to business. This is the only means by which we can provide jobs for our people.

Our goal is to create jobs at home so that there will be no need to look for employment abroad. However, as we work towards that end, I am ordering the DFA, POEA, OWWA, and other relevant agencies to be even more responsive to the needs and welfare of our overseas Filipino workers.

We will strengthen the process of consultation and feedback. We will strive to uphold the constitutional right of citizens to information on matters of public concern.

We relived the spirit of people power during the campaign. Let it take us to good and effective governance. Those who believe in people power put the welfare of others before their own.
I can forgive those who did me wrong but I have no right to forgive those who abused our people.

To those who talk about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no reconciliation without justice. When we allow crimes to go unpunished, we give consent to their occurring over and over again. Secretary de Lima, you have your marching orders. Begin the process of providing true and complete justice for all.

We are also happy to inform you the acceptance of Chief Justice Hilario Davide of the challenge of strengthening and heading a Truth Commission that will shed light on many unanswered issues that continue to haunt our country.

My government will be sincere in dealing with all the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflict, inclusive of the interests of all -- may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian.

We shalI defeat the enemy by wielding the tools of justice, social reform, and equitable governance leading to a better life. With proper governance life will improve for all. When we are all living well, who will want to go back to living under oppression?

If I have all of you by my side, we will be able to build a nation in which there will be equality of opportunity, because each of us fulfilled our duties and responsibilities equally.
After the elections, you proved that it is the people who wield power in this country.

This is what democracy means. It is the foundation of our unity. We campaigned for change. Because of this, the Filipino stands tall once more. We are all part of a nation that can begin to dream again.
To our friends and neighbors around the world, we are ready to take our place as a reliable member of the community of nations, a nation serious about its commitments and which harmonizes its national interests with its international responsibilities.

We will be a predictable and consistent place for investment, a nation where everyone will say, “it all works.”

Today, I am inviting you to pledge to yourselves and to our people. No one shall be left behind.

No more junkets, no more senseless spending. No more turning back on pledges made during the campaign, whether today or in the coming challenges that will confront us over the next six years. No more influence-peddling, no more patronage politics, no more stealing. No more sirens, no more short cuts, no more bribes. It is time for us to work together once more.

We are here today because we stood together and believed in hope. We had no resources to campaign other than our common faith in the inherent goodness of the Filipino.

The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality. To those among you who are still undecided about sharing the common burden I have only one question: Are you going to quit now that we have won?

You are the boss so I cannot ignore your orders. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to your needs and aspirations.

You are the ones who brought me here - our volunteers - old, young, celebrity, ordinary folks who went around the country to campaign for change; my household help who provided for all my personal needs; my family, friends, colleagues at work, who shared, cared, and gave their support; my lawyers who stayed all hours to guard my votes and make sure they were counted; and the millions of Filipinos who prevailed, kept faith, and never lost hope - I offer my heartfelt gratitude.

I will not be able to face my parents and you who have brought me here if do not fulfill the promises I made.

My parents sought nothing less, died for nothing less, than democracy and peace. I am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward.

My hope is that when I leave office, everyone can say that we have traveled far on the right path, and that we are able to bequeath a better future to the next generation. Join me in continuing this fight for change.

Thank you and long live the Filipino people!

2010-06-29T07:23:00.001+08:00

Here's another fun reason why I miss Paris...

Paris's SwinGs from Jerome G. Demuth on Vimeo.

he city can be replete with street art. Every street and alley you walk through, every building facade you walk by, is a feast for the the eyes and many times for the stomach. French artist Jerome G. Demuth (aka "G")recently installed swings in the city for everyone to enjoy. It's a great way to break walk to work or or to just take a break and watch the city go by.

Jejomar Binay in 2006

2010-06-24T12:02:00.005+08:00

I was doing some housekeeping on my Flickr site and found these old photos from in and around the Makati City Hall.

In October 2006 Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay was slapped with preventive suspension orders by the Department of Interior and Local Government on allegations of graft and corruption. Two days after the suspension order was announced, the mayor and his supporters held fort in Makati City Hall in defiance of the order. San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito (now Congressman-elect), former VP Teofisto Guingona, aand former Senator Francisco Tatad were among some of the supporters who was waved through the barricades to express support for Binay. He avoided suspension after obtaining a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from the Court of Appeals.

Sports Ads from late 1940s

2010-06-15T11:38:00.002+08:00

I was clearing out some closets this morning and came across an October 1949 issue of "The Filipino Athlete". This is the "official publication of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation". I've been having a ball looking at the old ads that were published in this issue. All were illustrated in black-and-white, and you can certainly feel tinges of the American influences wafting from it. Here's are some of those advertisements.

Love the tagline: "The Yankee Stadium Floodlight" !

The first time I came across the brand "Spalding" was with

a can of tennis balls during lessons with Pat Ignacio at ...

... the Rizal Memorial Coliseum ...

... although I neved did try out the pool.

I certainly was not allowed to drink this.

But, I most likely would have been able to
quench my thirst with Tru-Ade while listening to...

... Willie Hernandez gave a blow-by-blow account of the events in between ads from ...

... and ...

... and ...

Do these passages seem significant considering the new chapter in Philippine history?

2010-05-19T11:27:00.005+08:00

I've just been reading "Mass" by F. Sionil Jose and these two back-to-back passages seemed quite appropriate considering the post-election environment we find ourselves in. What do you think?

(1) “We are a people with history but no sense of the past. And look at our heroes now. The movie stars who cannot act, the politicians who are crooks. We are a people without memory. Why do we rename our streets after politicians who have not done anything for the the Filipinos?...”

(2) “Listen, our history is a history of failed revolutions. Always, in the end, someone was bought or someone turned traitor. We are a nation of traitors; we delight in seeing the downfall of others, even friends. We betray for money, for revenge, for envy, but most of time out of sheer cussedness. So here you are in this organization. You will see me and the others claw our way to the top, over the bodies of our friends. We have the wrong memories. We remember the slightest injury to our pride, our so-called self-respect. We etch these in our hearts and wait patiently for the day when we can stick the knife in the back. But let someone do us a good deed, and we forget it easily. We are also a nation of ingrates.”

My Votes Cast and DONE: 10 May 2010

2010-05-10T08:43:00.030+08:00

Today is the big day in the Philippines. National and local elections opened at 7AM today, and this is the first time ever that the country is holding electronic voting. There has been a lot of uncertainty and mistrust about the electronic system supplied by Smartmatic. Last Monday's 'failed' tests made everyone out here break out in hives and panic attacks. Seventy-six thousand CF memory cards had to be reconfigured to replace the defective cards. Last Friday, another round of testing was held and to everyone's relief that went pretty well. So, here we are on what could possibly be an historical election day.

I arrived at my voting center in the Bel-Air Basketball court at about 6:50AM and polls opened at 7AM sharp. The line moved quickly to fill the empty basketball courts, which roughly placed me in the second batch of people waiting to enter the main area. I received in the mail the official COMELEC sample ballot - which I stupidly forgot to bring with me. Bring it! If it was mailed to you, the address label will have your Precinct Number. You need to know this to figure out which cluster number you're precinct is assigned to. Each cluster is a represented by a table with one PCOS machine and the BEI panel.

I was just about to call up my helper at home to give me the precinct information when I was pulled out of line by someone (you know who you are), and asked if I knew my precinct and cluster numbers. I said "no" and I was whisked away to a table where I had to present my ID and soon enough I was handed the information in a handwritten sheet of paper. Keep this and then go to your cluster table, register and then get the ballot. Once I'd filled out the ballot it took about 30 seconds for the PCOS machine to scan my ballot. That was it. Done!

Luckily for me I was pulled out of the main line. Thank you! Had that not happened I would still have been in that line which seemed to be moving very slowly. I was also fortunate enough that the cluster I was at had a pretty fast moving line as compared to the other clusters. I was walking out of the basketball court by 7:35AM.

A few things to remember:

1) Do not leave any smudges on the ballot. Do not bend or tear your ballot. That may render your ballot invalid.

2) Fill in the ovals within the lines. I noticed that the ink from the UV pen was bleeding into the local election side (back page) so I tried to get just gently fill in the oval rather than press into the paper too heavily.

3) Take note of how many ballots have been scanned by the PCOS machine before you feed in your ballot. The screen on the PCOS machine I was using showed "18" and thankfully it added one more to the count after it had successfully scanned my ballot. Remember to wait too for the verification message that your ballot had been successfully scanned. This will pop up before the ballot count is updated.

4) After scanning give back the 'secrecy' folder (why they even had to bid out for this useless piece of the process is beyond my comprehension) and the UV ink pen to the BEI guys. They will then mark your index finger with indelible ink. They will also require you to put your thumbprint on the voters list to indicate that your vote has been cast.

5) BRING ID!!! Don't forget this!

Good luck to all!!!!

Voters contemplate their votes in Barangay Bel-Air

Waiting for my turn to get the ballot.

Voters had to know their precinct numbers in order to obtain their Cluster numbers where the ballots are cast.

My votes registered as the 19th ballot cast for this PCOS machine.

PCOS Memory Cards: Testing, 6-May-10

2010-05-06T19:06:00.003+08:00

After Monday's failed testing of the 76,000 PCOS memory cards, COMELEC and Smartmatic (the Venezuelan company supplying the PCOS machines) today tested the replacement CF cards. I had the opportunity to view the testing at the North Forbes Park voting center. This center will play host to 6 clusters of precincts. It is expected that about 4,000 voters will be trooping into this hall to cast their votes May 10.

The BEI and several poll watchers for the various candidates had been on stand-by since 8AM today. I came in about 1:30PM when we were notified that the replacement memory cards had finally arrived. When I got there the clusters were busily manually counting 10 sample ballots that were to be fed into the PCOS machines for scanning after the memory cards had been replaced. When the replacement cards were installed, scanning reading began and soon enough the mandated eight (8) copies of electronic voting results were being printed. (NOTE: Poll Watchers can request for copies of the electronic voting results after the mandated eight copies have all been printed out.) Fortunately, everything went off without a hitch. The manual count tallied perfectly well with the results of the electronic printout.

Testing was only up to the reading and printing out of the electronic voting results. There was no testing of the transmission of the results. The Smartmatic technician explained that the modem which will be plugged into the PCOS machine after the polls close will be using a Smart SIM card to facilitate transmission. A Globe SIM card will also be available for back-up. If those fail, then he said he can request for a BGAN satellite phone to help transmit. I didn't get a chance to ask him if that BGAN can actually work indoors. My understanding of that is that it has to be aligned with whatever satellite is floating above us in order to make a connection and transmit. So if there are any techies out there let us know.

I doubt that we would have to request for a BGAN. But, we will have to keep our fingers crossed that transmission will not be a problem. Otherwise, there will likely be numerous poll watchers trying to get into the same car with the memory cards whose data have not been transmitted as it is delivered to Makati City Hall.

Good luck to all of us!

The replacement memory cards before installation.

A BEI official manually counting votes.
This desk represents the clustered precincts.

The PCOS machine with the two sealed memory card slots.

The PCOS machine sits atop this plastic receptacle where ballots
that have been successfully scanned are collected and sealed in at day's end.

BEI officials compare the electronic voting results against their manual count.

The PCOS machine screen as it prints out the electronic voting results.

The electronic voting result print-out.

The national results are printed out first, followed by the local results.

Poll watchers' signatures at the end of the electronic voting result print-out.

Tears for Fears: Live In Manila

2010-05-04T11:45:00.002+08:00

Tears for Fears FINALLY made it to Manila after all these years. Araneta Coliseum was packed with most of Metro Manila making it feel as if it were one big high school reunion. Noynoy Aquino supporters had organised a rally starting at 4PM to end at the People Power Monument on EDSA and a concert there at 6PM. Needless to say, traffic from Makati to the Araneta Coliseum was a nightmare. We made it the Coliseum via MRT (which really is the only way to go if seeing a concert out there) for an early dinner. It seems that tons of people had the same idea and all the restaurants were packed! Even our little Japanese resto ran out of San Miguel Light beers by 7PM. What a night! Fantastic! Great fun and for a few hours Araneta turned into neutral territory in these last few weeks of national elections.

Sample Ballot: May 10, 2010 Elections

2010-04-26T09:45:00.052+08:00

I just received the Official Sample Ballto from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for NCR-City of Makati. It's from Comelec, so I guess it's safe to say that I am officially registered to vote. Undoubtedly, a lot of people will be intimidated by this form. It is 27 inches long, or just over 2 feet (I measured it with my trusty industrial tape measure). In Makati City alone, there are 44 voting centers. These voting centers will be clustering precincts. So, one voting center can have 5-6 precincts aggregating about 1,000 enthusiastic voters who will be waiting in line in the sweltering summer heat. I'm prepping to get my Camel Back out of storage for this one, along with some Power Bars.

There are very strict rules as to how to fill out the ballots.

DO NOT fold the ballot. It will not be read by the super high-tech PCOS machines supplied by Smartmatic.

DO NOT make any other marks besides your marking your choice of ovals. Any marks other than the shaded ovals will render your ballot invalid.

DO NOT shade beyond the ovals' borders. Doing so will render your ballot invalid.

DO NOT "over vote". Doing so will render your ballot invalid and your votes not counted. It was noted to bring a "codigo", or a cheat sheet with the names you want to vote for. Voting less than the number of candidates for a specific seat is okay, but not more than the number of seats available. So, there is only 1 presidential and VP seat, and there are no more than 12 senatorial seats.

Other things to take note of on May 10:

Make sure the precinct number on your ballot matches the precinct in which you are registered to vote in.

Make sure to take note of the number of ballots already read by the PCOS machine before you feed in your ballot. After you feed in your ballot, the PCOS machine should read that number you noted, plus one. For example, if the PCOS machine read 11 before you feed in your ballot then the machine should read 12 after it finishes scanning your ballot.

Also make sure that the monitor on the PCOS machine says to you "CONGRATULATIONS" after it reads your ballot. If it does not say that, then you can feed in your ballot again.

If there are any problems in reading your ballot the first time around, Comelec rules allow for the ballot to be read up to 3 more attempts. That's a total of 4 times that the PCOS machine can read a ballot. Any more than that then your ballot will be invalidated and your votes discarded. That's it folks! No more. Done. C'est fini! Wala na 'yung boto mo!!!!

If you luck out with the PCOS and it reads your vote, then head over to your friendly BEI guys at the desk to get the indelible ink stamp slathered all over your otherwise clean hand.

If your ballot is unsuccessfully read by the PCOS machine, then that along with the other rejected ballots are collected by the hopefully friendly, if not bored, BEI guys. That will then be counted by the BEI and the poll watchers at the end of the day.

I'm sure there are other things to look out for, to do while at the polls on May 10. Please do add any information that is relevant to this post below. If I've made any errors in the above, please do let me know so that it can be amended.

Good luck to all of us!

Official Sample Ballot - Front Page

Official Sample Ballot - Back Page

Sunrise

2010-04-26T07:55:00.002+08:00

Sunrise in Bohol, Philippines.

Breakfast

2010-04-24T07:46:00.001+08:00

Breakfast buffet on the Ananyana 2 on the way to see some dolphins.

Overcast

2010-04-23T15:45:00.001+08:00

Overcast skies over Doljo Beach, Panglao Island, Bohol Province. Would rather be here now than in the sweltering heat of the city.

Images from Nepal

2010-04-08T07:56:00.007+08:00

I found some images taken from a trip to Nepal in 2005 and was finally able to edit and upload them.

Place your cursor mid-frame on the right/left hand side of the frame to move to the next photo.

Traffic Free Good Friday 2010

2010-04-02T14:57:00.004+08:00

Place your cursor mid-frame on the right/left hand side of the frame to move to the next photo.

Easter 2010 - Good Friday. Shots taken between 6:45AM to 7:30AM. Normally, these streets would be swarming with cars, buses and jeepneys as they ferry people into the Central Business District of Makati. But not on Good Fridays! How wonderful if it could always be like this.

UPDATE: SLIM Retrospective Extended

2010-03-13T08:47:00.006+08:00

We've just gotten word that the SLIM exhibit at the National Museum is extended until MAY 15, 2010.

Come on in from the heat and see this wonderful exhibit along with some works from Filipino masters, such as Juan Luna's "Spoliarium".

Click on the links below for more information:

SLIM Restrospective
Juan Luna's "Spoliarium"

BenCab Paintings STOLEN

2010-03-10T23:18:00.006+08:00

Incredible! Two paintings by Philippine National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, or BenCab, were stolen while in transit from LA to Singapore. Apparently and empty tube was received at the Singapore end with the top sawn off. How could this happen? That is the question to be answered. The Singaporean police have been notified. The two paintings missing are:

"Spoliarium" by Juan Luna

2010-03-10T12:30:00.027+08:00

Here's another reason to visit the National Museum of the Philippines: Juan Luna's "SPOLIARIUM".

Luna exhibited this painting in 1884 at the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid where it won the highest prize. It is a huge painting, taking up the spotlight at the National Museum's National Art Gallery (formerly the Congress Building of the Republic of the Philippines). The gallery features works from the most acclaimed Filipino artists including Hidalgo, Vicente Manansala, Cesar Legazpi, Ang Kiukok, Ben Cabrera, Jose Joya. But it is Luna's 1884 masterpiece that dominates the space.

The "Spoliarium", is set in the bowels of a Roman arena where defeated gladiators' bodies are piled upon each other in a heap. The painting is an allegory of depicting the treatment of Philippines revolutionaries by its Spanish colonizers.

Location: National Art Gallery, National Museum
Address: P. Burgos Avenue corner Finance Road, Manila, Philippines

For tour reservations: John Silva
+63926.729.9029 | +63917.419.5928 |jsilva79@mac.com

SLIM: A Retrospective

2010-03-09T18:59:00.013+08:00

This is an exhibit that is not to be missed.

The retrospective displays just under 50 haute couture gowns designed and crafted by a pioneer in Philippine fashion: Salvacion Lim Higgins - better known as SLIM. The intricately sophisticated gowns and "ternos" on display are culled from SLIM's family archive, or from the daughters/granddaughters of Slim's clients.

The exhibit is on its last few weeks at the National Museum of the Filipino People in the old Finance Building in Manila. It is a world-class exhibit that makes a trip to the National worth it if just to see SLIM's bold and pioneering designs. A great way to see it is to join one of John Silva's tour of the National and its treasures (tour schedule below).

Tour Dates: March 7, 10, 13, 20, 24, 27,28 | 2010
Time: 10AM - 1PM
Location: Museum of the Filipino People, National Museum (rear entrance)
Address: P. Burgos Avenue corner Finance Road, Manila, Philippines

For tour reservations: John Silva
+63926.729.9029 | +63917.419.5928 |jsilva79@mac.com

War and Peace

2010-02-24T12:52:00.001+08:00

It's a toy, but the gun and the crucifix side-by-side pretty much tells the story of life in some parts of this country.

Edmar Castañeda

2010-02-11T20:41:00.006+08:00

This guy and his sound are absolutely amazing! According to an NPR write-up, Castañeda was born in 1978 in Bogota, Colombia. In his early teens, his family moved to the New York area where he played trumpet in high school, and worked as a solo harpist in restaurants. He blends traditional Colombian dance music with his own take on latin and jazz rhythms to produce crisply beautiful melodies from the Colombian harp.

Click on the link below to listen to his other tracks.

NPR Music Archive:Edmar Castañeda

Holy Water

2010-02-11T16:40:00.005+08:00

In case you are wondering where Holy Water comes from....

Which One?

2010-02-08T21:28:00.003+08:00

Which one is worthy in 2010?

Full Moon Rising

2010-01-30T22:10:00.000+08:00

30 January 2010, 7:20PM

One Tree

2010-01-28T11:34:00.001+08:00

I always enjoyed driving up to this intersection because of this mural. Can anyone guess which exit this leads to (I've forgotten it) and in which city (I've not forgotten that at least)?