India’s 911 & the reminder of the ugly nature of terrorism

“Terrorist activity is continually recurring in various parts of the world, sowing death and destruction and plunging many of our brothers and sisters into grief and despair.”---Pope Benedict XVI

The gruesome killing spree by militant Islamic radicals in the financial district of India on November 27, 2008 brought a toll of at least 195 dead and more than 300 injured. Many lives were lost senselessly; many homes were broken. After a 60-hour bloody rampage, one could ask if these terrorists could be expected to follow the standards of Western justice and fair play.

Suspected to be Muslim extremists from neighboring Pakistan, the brutal killers left 22 foreigners and 15 Indian security officers among the dead. Their barbarity is their hallmark; their cruelty is incomprehensible.



“Terrorism is carried out purposefully, in a cold-blooded, calculated fashion. The declared goals of the terrorist may change from place to place. He supposedly fights to remedy wrongs -- social, religious, national, racial. But for all these problems his only solution is the demolition of the whole structure of society. No partial solution, not even the total redressing of the grievance he complains of, will satisfy him -- until our social system is destroyed or delivered into his hands.

“When I say that terrorism is war against civilization, I may be met by the objection that terrorists are often idealists pursuing worthy ultimate aims -- national or regional independence, and so forth. I do not accept this argument. I cannot agree that a terrorist can ever be an idealist, or that the objects sought can ever justify terrorism. The impact of terrorism, not merely on individual nations, but on humanity as a whole, is intrinsically evil, necessarily evil and w holly evil.”---Benjamin Netanyahu



The question about justice and fair play of terrorists is more significant as Pres. George W. Bush, the leader of the war on terror leaves office. In spite of his gains with America’s allies, many people forget his credit of foiling of reckless radicals who want to bomb US cities as they did with India. Demonized in a greater scale than his shortcomings, Bush still reminds the world of complacency, the evil of terrorism, and the costly war required in stopping it.

“Never give in. Never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” ---Sir Winston Churchill

Terrorists are determined to strike in a date, time and place of their choosing. They will do it in their own terms. Security and safety can only be achieved if they are vanquished and eradicated.

It appears this is a battle that can last longer than the lifetimes of people of the present generation. Changing a warped and immoral ideology takes time especially if linked with radical religious beliefs among people with failing governments and cultures.

"We can't accommodate terrorism. When someone uses the slaughter of innocent people to advance a so-called political cause, at that point the political cause becomes immoral and unjust and they should be eliminated from any serious discussion, any serious debate." ---Mayor Rudolf Guiliani


There are those who think that the terrorists are reasonable and fair. They believe they can be made to embrace peace and be taught good moral conduct. Yet by choosing violence and seeking the destruction of their enemies (i.e. Israel and USA) how can they be trusted? The people of the world are caught between their freedoms and living in a bubble of a society on edge, raising security to avoid an attack.

“This might sound arrogant, but I told the terrorist, 'You can harm my body, you can harm my mind, but you can't harm my soul. That is mine.' ---Terry Waite

It’s at this juncture that President-elect Barack Obama thinks deeply on how he’ll deal with cold-bloodied killers whose basic belief is to spread hatred and cause destruction of Western world. It is increasingly clear that those who want to destroy civilization will not stop at causing damage and physical harm. They are bent to inflict suffering, confront the world, until they gain control.

“The Republic was not established by cowards; and cowards will not preserve it ... This will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.---Elmer Davis

The war on terror isn’t an electoral campaign issue anymore. Rather, it’s a problem that all Americans and their allies have to tackle with undiminished resolve. Obama needs to balance diplomacy, the use of force, pragmatism, and rational judgment. It remains to be seen whether his diplomacy will open a future world order that is peaceful and prosperous.

"While we must remain determined to defeat terrorism, it isn't only terrorism we are fighting. It's the beliefs that motivate terrorists. A new ideology of hatred and intolerance has arisen to challenge America and liberal democracy."--- Sen. John Kerry

To expect enemies to abandon their violent agenda in a diplomatic negotiation table is naïve and foolhardy. Not to use force against them when it is necessary may be courting defeat. The terrorists know how to exploit any sign of weakness. With the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attack, those who are soft on the radicals have something serious to think about. (Photo Credits: Madalena Pestena; Reuters/Stringer; AP/Gurinder Osan; AFP/Pedro Ugarte; Harpagonis; AFP/Indrabil Muherjee; AFP/Prakash Singh) =0=

Old Roads Also Shaped The Northern Coastal Bicol Dialect

In my previous post ["The Central Bicol Dialect Or The Northern Coastal Bicol", 11/18/08], I discussed how the old sea connections possibly influenced the evolution of the predominant Bicol dialect. I also tried to show how geographical features of its area possibly shaped its sub-dialectal variations.

I would argue now that it is not only sea connections which cemented the evolution of the predominant Bicol dialect, the Northern Coastal Bicol. This is my preferred term over the internationally more accepted name Central Bicol because it shows the geographical connection more clearly and it is not misleading (Central Bicol might not be able to claim dominance in the central portion of Bicol).

It is an obvious fact in history that Bicol is bi-centric or bi-polar, that is, no single center dominated the entire region. This is not the case of the likes of Central Visayas which is dominated by Cebu City or Eastern Visayas which is dominated by Tacloban. Ours is like the case of the bi-centric Western Visayas which is dominated by two cities, Iloilo City and Bacolod. In Bicol, Naga dominated the western portion, the old Ambos Camarines and Legazpi (or Albay then) dominated the eastern portion, the Partido de Ibalon.

This is maybe so because of the elongated shape of the peninsula and the difficulty of travel in the early times.

I would argue that the old roads connecting Legazpi and Naga through the central portion is not the main road connecting the two cities. But I would also say that it is probably the secondary road connecting it. There is no such thing as a southern coastal road because of the dearth of coastal plains in the area, the need to cross the mountain chain in the southern part of Bicol and the prevalence of Moro raids in the southern coastal areas.

The direct central road is probably not the main road because it passes through mountainous areas and rough terrain. From Daraga to Camalig, the old Busay-Lacag road leading to Cabagnan is just a sampler. And from Camalig it is even a steeper climb to Guinobatan via Palanog. From Mauraro (an old visita) or Guinobatan to Ligao it is no picnic either. And from Ligao the path takes the foothills of Tula-tula and probably rather than taking the Mayao road the travellers might just take the Mabayawas road to Libon. From here taking the route south of Lake Bato and Lake Baao the travellers have to trek the foothills south of Nabua until it reaches Bula and Minalabac (the trail will probably not cross the upper Bicol River here). From Minalabac the trail probably hook north to Milaor and Naga City.

A probable alternate route is the route just below the foothills of Mayon Volcano. From Cabagnan in Camalig there's a road that passes through Sua to Maninila and Masarawag in Guinobatan. From here the road leads to northern Ligao and Oas barrios. In modern times this is called the Nasisi road and this leads to Napo in Polangui [See my earlier post, "The Old Roads of the Naga-Legazpi Corridor And Dialectal Variations Along The Way", 11/18/08]. From here a trail through the foothills passes north of Matacon before connecting to the Masoli road which leads to Iriga. From Iriga the road probably hews to the Iriga-Pili road we know now. But from Pili I have argued in the said article that the road probably follows the Pacol road.

It is probable that this road is more used in Spanish times rather than the more southern route which passes through Libon, Bula and Minalabac because it has less climbs and it is farther from Moro raiding parties. As an indirect proof the middle portion of this is more progressive historically than the more southern route. To this I am referring to the Polangui-Iriga-Buhi triangle.

Aside from these routes another route exists. It might be roundabout but it mainly passes through coastal plains. I am referring to the road from Legazpi that passes through the first district of Albay through Tabaco before ending in the Tiwi-Joroan area. There is no major climb here if one takes into consideration that the old road passes through Bacacay.

There are major centers along the way. Joroan is a major pilgrimage area in earlier times (Joroan church in fact is the diocesan shrine and not the Albay cathedral and its Nuestra Senora de Salvacion is the patroness of the Diocese of Legazpi) and even Samar peoples pay homage to its image. Tiwi's pottery is known far and wide and so is Tabaco's metalcraft and shipbuilding. The safe and bustling ports of the Bicol peninsula are concentrated on this northern shores which are relatively safer from Moro raids compared to the southern coast.

The climbs only start in Joroan on the way to scenic Patitinan in Sagnay with Mayong serving as the middle point and trading area with the Agtas. From Nato it is all coastal plains up to Goa, a major port and link to Catanduanes in earlier times.

From Goa a major overland route connects it to Naga via Tigaon and Pili. The old road hews close to the current road but it probably uses the Carolina road in going to Naga.

Goa has also an overland route across the shallow mountains to Tinambac which leads to the San Miguel Bay Area. A coastal road then connects the coastal areas up to Indan (Vinzons) via Calabanga, Cabusao, Barceloneta, Pambuhan and Mercedes. But, of course, a sailboat can also be taken across San Miguel Bay.

But, of course, Goa also connects the towns of the Partido area.

It can be seen that Pili is the crucial junction of the two roads as is Minalabac (which is the junction of the westward road to San Fernando, Pamplona, Pasacao, Libmanan and Sipocot which are all Central Bicol-speaking and the southern road which leads back to Bula and the Rinconada areas). This probably explains why historically the two towns are mixed-speaking where both central Bicol and Rinconada co-exist. I argue that the old roads delineated the boundaries of the two dialects.

That old main coastal road, I think, and the sea connections was the major reason why there is a predominant Bicol dialect with a clearly defined contiguous area. That elongated area was the major corridor of commerce and travel in Bicol during the early times.

It was only obscured in the last 90 years when the Americans chose to connect Naga and Legazpi via the central corridor maybe because it is the shorter route and they have already the heavy equipments needed to build roads over soft surface like rice fields.

A sugary delight in the outer fringes of the Milky Way

In the outer reaches of our galaxy where the condition is less hostile and potentially habitable, a basic sugar has been detected by scientists. This makes seekers of extra-terrestial life ecstatic. The monosaccharide sugar called glycoldehyde is a molecule on which ribonucleic acid (RNA,) a biochemical construct of life, can originate.



"This is an important discovery as it is the first time glycolaldehyde, a basic sugar, has been detected towards a star-forming region where planets that could potentially harbor life may exist,"---reported Serena Viti of University College London---Wired Science Network (11/26/08, Moskowitz, C)

The discovery of the glycolaldehyde in the outer rim of the Milky Way galaxy, about 26 million light years away from earth, generates more curiosity and effort from researchers to seek life outside our planet. From the gaseous eerie clouds of outerspace, the building elements of life such as carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen are studied in the hope that an incovertible evidence of life outside earth will be discovered. (Photo Credit: TQWestphal;Wired Science Network:=0=

RELATED BLOG: "Mars Exploration: Inching Its Way To Find The Ultimate Proof Of Life" Posted by mesiamd at 7/18/2008.

Kahit saan man, ang patis ay 'di malimutan

kwento ni Raniela (Miles) Barbaza

"May patis na kami!" Isang nakakatuwang kwento ng isang Ibalonian ng napunta siya at ang kanyang kapatid sa Gallup, New Mexico. Sa kalayu-layo ng Pilipinas, hanap-hanap pa rin nila sa dulo ng mundo ang patis na walang katulad.---mesiamd (11/29, 08)



"Tatlong taon na ang orosipong ito pero tulad ng ibinubulong ng matandang salitang Bikolnon para sa kwento – ang orosipon, hindi natatapos. Patuloy ang masayang kwento: ang ating orosipon." ---RB, November 28, 2008, New York City

Hindi ko alam sa inyo pero para sa amin ng kapatid kong si Isang hindi maaaring walang patis ang nilaga o sinigang. Imajinin nga ninyo – nilagang walang patis? Pede ba iyon? Sinigang na walang patis? Mas lalong hindi pede.

Halos dalawang buwan na kami dito sa Gallup, New Mexico bago kami nagkaroon ng patis. Kaming dalawa ang tinatawag na mga bagong salta. Nitong nakaraang August 10 lamang nang dumating kami dito sa Gallup, isang bayan na may isa’t kalahati hangga’t dalawang oras na biyahe ang layo mula sa Albuquerque.



Noong unang linggo namin dito, sinubukan naming gawing Amerikano ang aming tiyan. Tutal, pagyayabang namin sa sarili namin, sanay naman tayong kumain ng Jollibee at Mcdonald’s sa Pilipinas. Sige, wheat bread at palaman. Pero hindi namin nakumbinsi ang aming mga tiyan. Sari-saring tunog ang nililikha ng mga tiyan namin. Brrrrrrrg. Mrrrrngk. Pop. Parang nagmumumog o kumukulog o pumuputok na mga tunog ang maya’t maya’y naririnig namin mula sa mga tiyan namin.

Nang maglaon, tiyan na namin ang hindi mapakanali. Okey. Suko na kami. Kailangan namin ng kanin at ulam! Sumugod kami sa nilalakad lang namin na supermarket (wala kaming kotse). Diretso sa aisle ng bigas. Ok. Hayun, rice. Isang maliit na supot lang? Di bale. Sige. Ano pa. Ulam.

Anong ulam natin? Nilagang baka para may mahigop na sabaw (nilalamig na agad kami kahit na summer pa daw dito). Ok. Beef stew cuts. Ito na siguro iyon. Tapos repolyo. Patatas. Carrots. Beans. Saging saba… walang saging na saba?! Ok, di bale. Sibuyas. Tsek. Patis na lang.

Ah, ok sa condiments na tayo. Wala. Fish sauce. Hanap tayo ng fish sauce. Saan? Baka kakaiba lang ang bote dito ng patis. Diyan sa shelf na iyan? Teka baka dito. Wala. Walaaaa.

Doon namin naalala na usapin rin ng identidad ang panlasa. Pero, siyempre pa, ang identidad ay likha ng taga-ngalan. Kailangang ikonteksto ang paghahanap ng patis sa pananaw ng mga tagarito sa New Mexico. Sa madaling salita, sino ba kami sa pananaw ng mga taga-rito?

Pinilit naming kalimutan na, basta tao kaming nagugutom. Alalahanin ang mga form na sinusulatan. Please check ethnicity (optional). Oriental. Asian. Minsan may tiyak na box para sa Filipino. O kaya, doon ka sa mga walang identitad: other. Ok, sikapin na alalahanin hanapin ang karatulang may tanda ng identidad.

Dahil iniisip namin tiyak na may patis dito, kailangan lang nating matuklasan kung nasaang aisle. May iba naman sigurong mga Pinoy dito. Siyempre mangangailangan din sila ng patis. Elementary economics ba iyon ? Ang alam ko, kung may demand, may supply. Natitiyak naman namin na magdedemand ang mga dila ng mga Pinoy dito ng patis, kaya mayroong magsu-supply. Luminga-linga kami. Binasa ang mga karatula sa itaas ng mga aisle. Talagang wala. Walang Oriental food. O Asian food. O International food. Ooops eto, Chinese food! Preno kami ng kapatid ko. Dalawang shelves na may habang tatlong piye siguro. Pero walang patis. Walaaang patis! Bumili na lang kami ng toyo sa isang kakaibang bote.

Kinabukasan, ibinalita sa akin ni Isang na ang sabi ng kaniyang katrabahong Chinese, sa Albuquerque pa raw sila namimili ng oriental food. Whooaah! Sa Alburqeurque pa? Para sa aming mga bagong saltang walang kotse, para na rin nilang sinabing sa Pilipinas pa makakabili ng patis.



Pero tulad ng iba pang malilit na bahagi ng buhay migranteng bagong salta, unti-unti nasanay na rin kaming magluto ng nilagang toyo ang pampaalat. Nasanay na rin kaming umasa sa microwave na nabili namin sa halagang $10 sa isang yard sale: pampainit ng tubig, ng kaning lamig at tirang ulam.

Nasanay na kaming gumamit ng mainit na tubig sa pagligo sa halip ng dati ay hinahanap-hanap na malamig na tubig na pampaalis ng banas sa Pilipinas. Nasanay na kaming ulit-ulitin ang aming sinasabi hanggang sa maintindihan ng kausap. Ng pagbigkas ng salitang bank na halos behnk. Ng pagdala ng jacket saan man pumunta dahil hindi nangangahulugang mainit ang panahon kahit na tirik na tirik ang araw. Ng pagbitbit ng tigalawang galon ng inuming tubig mula sa supermarket. Ng matitigan dahil sa kakaibang itsura o pananalita.

Naiintindihan siguro ng Diyos ang paghahanap namin sa patis. Isang araw, tumawag ang Uncle Romy namin mula sa Norwalk, California. Oy, mga bagong saltang dalaga. May pupunta diyan na mga Pinoy na madre. Pitong taon na sila diyan sa Gallup. Ipinagbilin ko kayo.

Mga madreng misyonero na nagtuturo sa Catholic School dito sa Gallup. Na tulad ng ibang migrante dito, natutong mag-drive! Dinala nila kaming magkapatid sa Philippine Cuisine, isang bagong Pilipinong restaurant daw na may ilang bilihing Pilipino.

Ah! Para kaming mga batang nakakita ng mga kendi. Bumili kami ng patis, toyo, suka (hindi distilled ha!), balat ng lumpiang shanghai, tumigas na sa lamig na tilapia, tinapa at bihon!

Sa katunayan, hindi naman pala kami nag-iisa sa pananatiling Pinoy ng panlasa. Sinubukan kong i-Google minsan ang humba dahil naalala ko ang masarap na pork humba sa Rodic’s sa eskwelahang pinangungulilahan ko.

Aba! Sandamakmak na blogs at sites ang umapir! Pinoy. Pinay. Kung saan-saan. Nananatiling Pinoy at Pinay nasaan man sila ngayon. Nagpapayabangan ng mga alam na nilang lutuing Pinoy na dati-rati’y hindi pinapansin ang pagluluto at basta na lamang kinakain sa kusina ng kanilang lola/lolo o nanay/tatay o sa kalapit na karinderia.

Kaya ngayong tanghalian, habang balot ng medyas, pajama at sweater, hinihigop namin ang mainit na sinigang na mayroon nang patis. Ang tanong naming dalawang bagong migrante ngayon: anong bahagi ang hindi matitinag sa pagiibang bayan? (Photo Credits: Chboogs; nikita2471; Chotda; Jab58; www.tastingmenu.com; chotda; nikita2471; knottypine)=0=

Barry (Not The Manilow)

Just before the May 2004 elections, I paid a visit to a friend who was connected with an agency under the Department of Agriculture (DA). Asked him, "What's up?". "The DA is giving away fertilizers. The foliar kind at that. In summertime. Wala namang nagtatanim (Nobody is planting)".

I shot back, "So?" "Parang pambili ng boto. Madaling ipamigay". (It seems it would be used for vote-buying. Easy to distribute.)

"Antaas ng porsiyento sa opisyales (A big percentage of the amount will go to the officials). 30 to 40%". "Yung mas mataas ki Cito (Lorenzo) ang nagpapatakbo (The one more powerful than Cito is running the show). Si Bolante".

Cito Lorenzo was then the Secretary of Agriculture. He comes from the prominent (in agribusiness and politics) Lorenzo clan. It struck that an Undersecretary is more powerful than the Secretary na kung saan yung Secretary di naman simple ang pinagmulan (the Secretary was well-born). And that was my introduction to the man who has a funny given name.

A year later, I again paid a visit to my friend. "What's up?". "I will have a visitor. Si Barry. Bagman ni JB". That's the first time I heard the name of the man named after a Rizal character. This time there are already talks about a fertilizer scam and then Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. was starting his investigation.

Later I read Barry was covered by Gloria's "executive privilege". That was before the Supreme Court half-struck it down. Later I read the guy was already a vice-president in the Government Insurance Service System (GSIS). I said to myself, "What a rise!".

Now it turned out that all he had was a Physical Education (PE) degree. When division managers in the attached agency are already required to have PhDs.

Are ZTE Equipment Lemons?

In the again-failed impeachment attempt, one of the proffered evidence was former Speaker Joe de Venecia's revelations regarding the aborted NBN-ZTE deal(NBN means National Broadband Network; a network that will connect all government facilities through the Net). With the impeachment attempt's failure my attention was caught why ZTE was the chosen supplier.

I have using two ZTE equipment, my wireless (landline) phone and my Internet modem. I had my DSL modem changed last week after I complained to my ISP (Internet Service Provider) which is Bayantel. For the last month or so I have been suffering from frequent interruption of Net connections and difficulty in accessing my ISP. Some of my work is lost when I press the 'Send' button without checking if the connection is active. Also, it is frustrating to always see the message 'This website is not available'.

A guy came, a contractor for Bayantel. As an outside contractor it seems he is freer to speak up. Told me, "Palitan natin ang modem" (Let's change the modem.) Good that I asked what is the problem with my modem. Turned out that the ZTE modem is a lemon and they are inundated with complaints and just to avoid the hassle of servicing they just change the unit.

I am now using an old modem which is not ZTE and it is working just fine. The lesson I want to share is that not all modems are created equal. That what the guy told me. "Patakbuhin, sir," (It's a lemon), he told me. So if you are not satisfied with your Internet connection maybe it is time to have your modem checked.

I have also a ZTE wireless phone, the tabletop model. My experience? After three weeks I can't use the scroll function so I can't access a lot of functions. The customer service representative told me, "You can't press the scroll key too hard with a ZTE unit. We've got lots of problems with it". I turned it in for servicing which took one month.

I know from use that my ZTE wireless phone is a weak unit and possibly another lemon. It does not have the sturdiness in construction like the landline units of Globe, PLDT and Bayantel or like the ATT Bell phones. It even feels too light.

Its battery charge lasts barely a day. I expect the time will come when I can no longer use it unless it is permanently plugged to an electric socket like an old laptop whose battery has ran down.

So if the broadband deal was not aborted, probably we would have been swamped with ZTE equipments that needs servicing and replacement now and then.

So it seems it is the reason why that deal needs a lot of "tongpats".

A fresh look at longevity as a supercentenarian dies

Edna Parker, the 115 year and 220 day old American woman, the world’s oldest person died, says the Gerontology Research Group in Los Angeles, California. The Indiana woman who lived in a nursing home followed the passing on August 13, 2007 of the Japanese Yone Minagawa, the Guinness World Book of Records title holder for the oldest person before Parker.

Both persons qualify as “supercentenarians” for having lived beyond 110 years old. It is believed that currently there are 89 supercentenarians worldwide among whom 79 are women and 10 are men.

An amazing Frenchwoman who lived for 122 years



“Jeanne Louise Calment was born in Arles, France on February 21, 1875 and died on August 4, 1997. She once met Vincent Van Gogh in her father's shop. Her genes may have contributed to her longevity as her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to the age of 86. She married a distant cousin at the age of 21. Her only grandson died in 1963. She rode a bicycle to the age of 100.

In October of 1995, much press coverage announced that Jeanne had exceeded the lifespan of Shigechiyo (Chigechiyo) Izumi, who until then had held the claim to the longest lived human. In fact, work by John Wilmoth indicates that Izumi may have only been 105 when he died, meaning that Jeanne may have outlived Izumi in 1980. If that is accurate, Jeanne would have become the longest lived human in 1991 when she exceeded the longevity of Carrie White, who died at the age of 116.”---Source: ww.wowzone.com

Increasing longevity of people has been a source of fascination of modern society. It is mainly attributed to better healthcare, control of illnesses by science, improved diet and life-style. With a normal maximum life-span of about 120 years, people are enthused by the prospect of extending years of survival or achieving immortality.

Researchers are finding ways of extending longevity, but others are questioning whether a longer life is better than having a shorter one that is meaningful and relatively free of protracted suffering. Ethicists mull on the morality of prolonging survival using means that are controversial. For instance, they struggle on the moral questions on using helpless human embryos in an effort to cure diseases and extend life. (Photo Credits: Ollik; AP/Darron Cummings; www.wowzone.com; [][][][])=0=



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I Was Not Surprised When Erap Was Deposed In 2001

I was not surprised when Erap was deposed in 2001 by the supposed "EDSA II". I got an inkling of it way back in 2000.

Filipinos invariably talk about elections. In a gathering in Ibalon in 2000 there was a talk of who will probably succeed Erap after the 2004 elections. Of course the majority said that Gloria is the frontrunner being the sitting Vice-President and a former topnotcher in Senate elections. The somebody shot back, "What made you think Erap will finish his term".

The person was close to some powers as is some of the other members. "What is the lesson of EDSA?" The same person answered the question, "The military is pivotal".

That set me thinking. And watching.

Soon the "I Accuse" speech of Sen. Guinnago came out. Next came the Villar "touchdown". Afterwards, the impeachment melodramas in the Senate that was broadcast live nationwide. After that, "Itsa Dos".

A friend asked me why I was not high on Gloria (like most of the educated then). Told him I lived in Iligan City and "isinusuka sila doon ng tao". Gloria spent her early years there. It was the place where her mother practiced medicine and it is where their true ancestral house in located (not in Pampanga unlike what most people supposes).

I asked a relative why. "Masama ang ugali. Manggagamit". And it is said that the place where one came from knows the person best.

The person added, "Gloria never forgot the humiliation of her father. She idolized him." I didn't know then if the words were a warning to me.

And that got me thinking of the Harry Stonehill case and the subsequent canning of then Secretary of Justice Jose Diokno.

"Think of it, mga padi. If Gloria succeeds Erap in 2001 and wins in 2004, that is 10 years. Lot of time to really do something".

But I don't think now that the person really knew then how black Gloria's bones are.

Nuns abducted in Kenya, farmers from Camarines Sur march to Malacanang & the US national debt of $10,664,871,159,771.01 bogs the nation

The message of Thanksgiving is as beautiful as the reason why we celebrate Christmas. Both holidays are times of reflection and joy for all peoples of the world. Yet today, November 27, 2008, in spite the celebration’s purity of purpose and its significance, dark forces break our peace and try to shatter our hope.

The rejoicing which accompanies the holiday is marred by negativities in the news all over the world. Blocking the way of prayers, reflections, family reunions, turkey dinners, sharing food with the needy, parades, and football games, are spoilers of today’s obervance. Here are some examples:

Mumbai India Massacre

1. Mumbai Terrorist Attack in India with rising numbers of casualties: 104 dead & 314 wounded. Undetermined number of hostages is being held by a militant group believed to be Islamic extremist radicals. An Australian and a Japanese tourist are among the dead.

Kidnapping in Kenya

2. Maria Teresa Olivero, 60, and Caterina Giraudo, 67, two Italian Catholic nuns on a mission to help alleviate hunger and maintain health programs in Kenya were abducted by gunmen on November 17, 2008 and were taken to undisclosed location in lawless Somalia. Their abduction shows the difficulty of helping the poor and underserved in troubled countries like those in Africa.



Thailand's State of Emergency

3. Thailand has declared a state of emergency around two airports. Scores of protesters against the government have massed on terminals of both airports resulting to all flight cancellations.

UPDATE: As of Sunday November 30, 2008, more than 30 anti-government protesters have been wounded by gunfire and grenade blasts. The closure of the airport strands about 100,000 travellers in Thailand.

Fajardo Estate (Banasi Farm) March from Camarines Sur to Manila



4. Fajardo Estate land dispute escalates when 49 poor farmers from Banasi, Bula, Camarines Sur decided a 21 day march to Malacanang Palace to demand the return of their land which covers 123.349 hectares. Before the CARP, the disputed property is owned by Edilberto Fajardo, Corazon Fajardo, Angustia Imperial and heirs of Baao, Camarines Sur.

“Nagsikad na poon kan Noviembre 17, 2008 an 21 dias na paglakaw kan 45ng paraoma hali sa Banasi, Bula, Camarines Sur pasiring sa Malacañang nganing huroton ki Presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo na ibalik sa sainda an 123.3490ng hectariang daga na parte kan Fajardo Estate na enot pig-award sa sainda susog sa Certificate of Land Ownership (CLO) No. 00495527 base sa Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL).”---Bicol Mail, (11/20/08)

Every American Owes $34,947.22/person

5. As of November 27, the outstanding public debt of USA is $10,664,871,159,771.01 (approximately $10.7 trillion dollars). According to the National Debt Clock’s tally, the national debt increases by about $3.89 billion/day since September 28, 2007. Amercan citizens share this debt at $34,947.22/person.

If Barack Obama expands the government spending with his promised programs and he increase taxes as the financial meltdown reels on, the economic strain and debt burden are likely to push the Americans to the limit. At this time the public is watching nervously to see the mettle of the incoming president. (Photo Credits: Reuters/PunitParanjpe; ____, Pakisamagallery/JuanEscandor; JsDart)=0=

RELATED BLOG: "At least 82 killed & hundreds injured in terror attacks in Mumbai, India" Posted by mesiamd at 11/27/2008.

UPDATE: November 28, 2008---The death toll and injured in Mumbai massacre rose to 125 and 327 respectively.

At least 82 killed & hundreds injured in terror attacks in Mumbai, India

The fire rages in Taj Mahal and Oberoi, the two luxury hotels attacked by terrorists. The dead and wounded are at least 82 and 200 respectively and the numbers are expected to rise. There are reports that about 40 westerners mostly British and Americans are feared to have been seized as hostages by an obscure militant Islamic group called Decca Mujahideen.

It isn’t ascertained how many are stuck in the hotels. The number of hostages and their identities are not known at this time. Six (6) terrorists have been killed so far. The number of those injured may reach 700.

The bloody attacks have been carried out simultaneously in at least 7 different sites including places like the Chhatrapati Shivaji rail station, Leopold restaurant, Cama, Albless, and G.T. Hospitals.

David Miliband, Britain’s foreign secretary strongly condemning the violence asserted, "Today's attacks in Mumbai which have claimed many innocent victims remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists." Similar condemnation came from White House spokesman Tony Fratto who said, "We condemn these attacks and the loss of innocent life.”---AP (11/27/08, Badam, RT

Although the motive of the senseless carnage which occurred on Wednesday night on November 26, 2008 isn’t known, the world can just watch in horror the barbarity of terrorist groups who prey on the innocents to gain attention and advance their warped agenda for the world. As of this writing, guns are fired and bombs are detonated without clear end. This violent incident makes the fight against terror unrelenting---ever more real today and in the future.


Cascade of Terrorist Attacks in India Killing Scores of Innocent People (Source: IBN Live, 11/27/08)

• Mumbai, Nov 26, 2008: Several killed and many more injured in seven terror attacks targetting mostly foreigners' hangout places.
•Assam, Oct 30, 2008: At least 45 killed (figure can change) and over 100 injured in 18 terror bombings across Assam.
• Imphal, Oct 21, 2008: 17 killed in a powerful blast near Manipur Police Commando complex.
• Kanpur, Oct 14, 2008: Eight people injured after bomb planted on a rented bicycle went off Colonelganj market.
• Malegaon, Maharashtra, Sep 29, 2008: Five people died after a bomb kept in a motorbike went off in a crowded market.
• Modasa, Gujarat, Sep 29 2008: One killed and several injured after a low-intensity bomb kept on a motorcycle went off near a mosque.
• New Delhi, Sep 27, 2008: Three people killed after a crude bomb was thrown in a busy market in Mehrauli.
• New Delhi, Sep 13, 2008: 26 people killed in six blasts across the city.
• Ahmedabad, July 26, 2008: 57 people killed after 20-odd synchronised bombs went off within less than two hours.

• Bangalore, July 25, 2008: One person killed in a low-intensity bomb explosion.
• Jaipur, May 13, 2008: 68 people killed in serial bombings.
• Hyderabad, Aug 25, 2007: 42 people killed in two blasts, at a popular eatery and a public park.
• Samjhauta Express, Feb 19, 2007: 66 people killed after two firebombs went off on the India-Pakistan friendship train.
• Malegaon, Maharashtra, Sep 8, 2006: 40 people killed in two blasts.
• Mumbai, July 11, 2006: 209 people killed in seven blasts on suburban trains and stations.
• Varanasi, March 7, 2006: 21 people killed in three blasts including one at a temple and another at a railway station.
• New Delhi, Oct 29, 2005: 61 people killed in three blasts on the eve of Diwali.
• Mumbai, Aug 25, 2003: 46 people killed in two blasts including one near the Gateway of India.
• Gandhinagar, Sep 24, 2002: 34 people killed in the attack on the Akshardham temple. (Photo Credits: AP/GautamSingh; AP/GautamSingh; Reuters/ArkoDatta; AFP; AFP/IndraniMukherjee; AP/GautamSingh) =0=

UPDATE: The rising death toll and number of people injured are as follows: November 26, 2008 10:40 PM (Eastern US Time) Death toll---101; AP November 27, 2008 8:41 PM---104 dead; 314 wounded.

New Congressional Districts in Camarines Sur: Is The Great Joker Arroyo Losing Some Of His Faculties?

Is the great Joker Arroyo losing some of his faculties?

This question first cropped up when he questioned the impeachment moves against Madame Gloria. In the process he impugned the motives of the movers which included progressive elements to which he was formerly part of. But this was quickly forgotten and forgiven as an aberration to which someone of his stature is entitled to. In the great pantheon of civil libertarians, the great Joker Arroyo probably stood just a shade below the libertarian icons Jose Diokno and Lorenzo Tanada.

Then Senator Arroyo ran again under the banner of Gloria's coalition in the 2007 elections. He neatly reasoned that under Gloria he won't have to raise his campaign expenses. This drew chuckles and raised eyebrows given the unpopularity of Gloria's regime. He was lucky to scrape in but just barely. His remaining admirers heaved sighs of relief. And they were hoping that the great Joker will flash again his old righteous self.

But lately, disappointments are creeping against Joker. An Edong Angara is able to maintain some distance from the hated couple but it seems Joker can't when from all expectations he probably can. After all, he didn't bow to Marcos. Nor did he kowtow to anybody before. But here he is, clearly identified with the first couple. And we all thought that unlike two incumbent senators who think highly of themselves, Joker was not the opportunist kind.

Recently, he had a run-in with Sen. Aquino who was chairing a committee discussing the addition of more congressional seats to Camarines Norte and Cavite. When Joker insisted on including in the calendar the reapportionment of the 1st and 2nd districts of Camarines Sur, Sen. Aquino called off the committee hearing and asked Joker why he was rushing it when it was not on the agenda. He also said that the reapportionment of Camarines Norte and Cavite districts had already undergone thorough discussions.

In the Philippines, a minimum population of 250,000 is needed to form a legislative district. When a certain district's population exceeds 500,000 a bill can be submitted to Congress for its division. It is not normal practice to create a new congressional district from two or more old districts. To do this is almost tantamount to gerrymandering.

There is no district in Camarines Sur where the population has already exceeded 500,000. New districts can only be created in this province through gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is the redistribution of electoral district boundaries for political advantage.

In the cases of Camarines Norte and Cavite gerrymandering cannot be easily charged since it will simply divide districts that has already exceeded the double of the minimum population required for a congressional district. In Camarines Norte it will probably involve separating it into the east and west districts with the west composed of Labo and all the towns west of it.

In Camarines Sur, no legislative district population exceeds 500,000 as of the 2007 Census. The 1st district has only 417,304 inhabitants; the 2nd, 474,899; the 3rd, 372,548; and, the 4th, 429,070. With a population growth rate of only 1.86% it is only in 2010, the next censal year, when the 2nd district will probably exceed the 500,000 mark.

The talk in Camarines Sur is that reapportionment is being pushed so that Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. and incumbent Congressman Dato Arroyo can both run in 2010. Currently, Madame Gloria's son is occupying the seat used to be held by Nonoy Andaya and his late father. But on this Joker Arroyo has this to say:"That is malicious, tell them that is bullshit". But I think one can hardly find an adult in Camarines Sur who will not believe such talk.

I remember Joker Arroyo called Sen. Antonio Trillanes as "the poster boy of rebellion". But I didn't hear him call Gen. Angelo Reyes as the "poster boy of mutiny". I bet he would rather pin that monicker on Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Col. Ariel Querubin.

I am beginning to suspect now that Joker Arroyo is beginning to lose some of his faculty of sight.

“Pumpkin” and "Pecan" get pardon from the US president

In a tradition that dates back during Pres. Harry Truman’s time, Pres. George W. Bush in a nostalgic ceremony in the White House, spares the life of two lucky birds named Pumpkin and Pecan on Wednesday, November 26, 2008. Pumpkin, the 45 pound national turkey with white feathers will be the honorary grand marshal in this year’s Thanksgiving parade in Disneyland.

Excluding the birds from the oven, the president leads the nation in prayer to reflect the holiday’s significance, notably by thanking the entire American people as he spends his last days of his tenure as president. (Photo Credits: AP; AFP) =0=

Giving gratitude a boost on Thanksgiving day

"Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise."
~George Herbert

Thanksgiving is a tradition started in New England in the early 1600’s by puritan pilgrims who thanked God for life’s infinite blessings. Mainly a religious observance and a harvest festival, the commemoration of Thanksgiving has evolved through the years. By government edict, it is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. This year the holiday falls on November 27, 2008.

The traditional Thanksgiving is associated with a day of prayer to show gratitude to God for life’s astounding harvests. Americans mark the day with travels for reunions of family and friends, charities, food drives to feed the poor and the homeless, parades, TV programs, and football games.

Serving roasted or baked turkey, potato, gravy, cranberry sauce, corn, veggies, and pumpkin pie highlight the celebration. The thanksgiving dinner is reminiscent of the simple food eaten by the puritans and their native Indian friends who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts in the early days of America.

The message of Thanksgiving has seeped in the consciousness of the world and many nations do observe the holiday. It is said that if people have just a fraction of gratitude that they need in their hearts each day, the world will be much better to live in. (Photo Credits: PanoramicViewer; RuthAlice43)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

Are The Filipinos Simply Inure?

My colleague's post (Me Barko Na Naman Na Lumubog", 11/26/08) provoked in me a different reaction. It made me think of the usual police alibi, "We cannot solve the case because there are no witnesses". The next murder will come and the said excuse will be cited but with a different spin, "We are still investigating the case".

There is a lawyer that said that unlike in bus accidents where passengers died, there is yet a ship captain or ship owner that has been convicted of the case "homicide due to reckless imprudence". Maybe that is why Sulpicio maritime incidents continued for a very long time.

I wonder if the Camarines Sur killings will be solved and the perpetrators brought to justice. I am watching. But I do not know if the people of Camarines Sur is watching and will do something. Or if they will learn the lesson.

If the recent murders in Camarines Sur are not solved (like the murder of the market administrator of Naga City or the mediaman that was gunned down in a town north of Naga City, it will probably be the criminals who will learn the lesson--that they can get away with murder in Camarines Sur. If so, I assure you it will happen again and again. I have seen it here in Mindanao where violence just lurks below the surface. Time might come when contending forces will simply settle matters with a bullet like what is prevalent here.

Over the years I have seen Filipinos becoming more inure. The Nani Perez case was dismissed (while it had a money trail and a witness). Where is the outrage? The first couple is obviously a beneficiary of the ZTE-NBN deal. Where is the outrage? Documented impeachment complaints just get thrown out like garbage and there is also no outrage. There was a documented fertilizer scam which was a means to buy congressmen's support. Where is the outrage? A president is caught lying and cheating and trying to steal the election. That president is still safely ensconced in her throne.

Life just seem to go on and on.

I think Henry Sy should be given a gold medal by the crooks. For keeping the people entertained and content without any controversy and for free through his malls.

May barko na naman na lumubog!

Paano naman di mawawalan ng tiwala tayo sa ating sarili kung panay na lang masamang balita ang nasa diaryo. Kung minsan ang ibang mga manunulat ay gusto ng maka-iwas sa mga negatibong mga balita. Nguni’t kadalasan, di pe-pwede, gaya ng malimit na pagkalubog ng ating mga barko sa Pilipinas.

Me nagsasabi na ang mga usaping nakaka-rinde gaya ng barkong lumubog ay hindi makakabuti sa lipunan. Tama, kung meron tayong ginagawa sa problema. Pero kung wala, ang pag-kukunwari na OK lang (walang masamang nangyayari) ay di mabuti! Lalo na kung tayo ay nag-aasa na ang problema ay papawi na di tayo kumikilos para magkaroon ng solusyon.

Ang pagiging positibo ay mabuti, kung may batayan. Pag wala, nakakabigay lang ito ng sandaliang pag-asa. Ang ligaya sa di pagharap sa katotohanan ay dumadaan lamang. Nandiyan pa rin ang suliranin kung ang problema ay di matugunan.

Ang mga reaksiyon na ito ay matagal ng problema natin. Halos wala na ngang gustong kumibo. Abala na lang tayo sa buhay pang-pamilya hanggang dumating ang araw na tayo na rin ang nagiging mga biktima ng problema sa kalsada. Halatang walang mai-tulong sa atin ang mga nasa pamahalaan.

Ang “denial” ay paborito nating depensa sa problema. Kadalasan ito’y umu-obra, kahit na wala tayong pag-kilos. Nguni’t ang “denial” sa tagal ay lalong nakakapalala ng ating mga suliranan. Ang di pag-harap ng katotohanan ay sa banding huli, nakakasira sa ating pamumuhay sa lipunan. Heto ang isang halimbawa:



Di pa nga tapos ang pagluksa ng mga namatay sa pamapasaherong lantsa sa Masbate na lampas 40 tao ang namatay ngayong buwan, (800+ ang namatay sa Princess of the Stars ng ito’y lumubog sa Romblon limang buwan ang nakaraan, ) heto na naman ang masamang balita ni Lt. Gary Dale Limotea ng Coast Guard. Ang cargo ship na Mark Jason na papunta sa Batanes galing Maynila ng Noviembre 17 ay lumubog. Katorseng (14) tauhan at 6 pang iba ang sakay. Buti na lang 16 ang nasalba sa incidente, nguni’t 4 na tao ay nawawala.---Philstar/AP (11/26/08)

Bakit pawang ganire na lamang ang trahedya ng ating lipunan? Wala na ba talagang pwedeng gawin ang govierno, Coast Guard, at MARINA para maiwasan ang ganitong mga sakuna? Hindi na ba natin pwedeng ma-ipatupad ang mga regulasyon ng paglakbay sa dagat? Di na ba natin maiwasan na hintuin ang pag-viaje kung meron bagyo. Hanggang “denial” na lang ba tayo na marami sa ating inocenteng mamamayan ang namamatay na di nabibigyan ng hustiya? Saan ba gagaling ang pag-unlad ng ating buhay?(Photo Credits: Mauritius100's; Lorca56) =0=

RELATED BLOGS: "RP’s maritime disaster Ferry boat sinks in Masbate killing 40" Posted by mesiamd at 11/04/2008; Princess of the stars: a harvest of blame and shame" Posted by mesiamd at 11/08/2008; "A Sorry Maritime Safety Record Indeed In The Philippines" Posted by myty555 at 11/09/2008
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Religion tailored to one's liking---an alternative to Catholicism?

Those who can’t take the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) may have a lesson from the members the Universal Fellowship Metropolitan Community Church (MCC,) the 40-year old American church of gays and lesbians who has established a chapter in Manila. The founding of the gay church has practical applications to those who campaign against other religions for the sake of changing their teachings.

It’s often suggested by some leaders of RCC that those who cannot abide with its teachings has the option to make their own congregation just like any protestant denomination. That’s exactly what the MCC has done for the gay community. Providing support for the homosexuals, the MCC enjoys peace in the Christian ministry instead of wrangling with the RCC to change its age-old doctrines.

TJ Agbayani, the local pastor of MCC said that since the founding of his church in September 2006, twelve (12) gay and lesbian members entered in the “holy matrimony.” The main tenet of his church is that every member of the community can serve God through ”holy service.” Diverging from RCC’s teaching, Agbayani and his church members believe anyone can interpret the Bible so long as he follows “guidelines.” So far, no one seems intent to bother them on this belief.



Divisions among religions have been spawned by age-old conflicts. In more modern times, the cultures of secularism and relativism have something to do with the bitter quarrels over religious convictions and traditions. That’s why more and more churches are established, creating splits even among the believers of Jesus Christ. A gay life-style is considered aberrant and sinful by the RCC, a belief carried through its 200 centuries of existence.

Spreading peace and avoiding antipathy towards other faiths seem to be the immediate windfall of being part of a sect like MCC which is tailored to one’s belief. The separate congregation is an alternative for those who doubt and cannot find a common ground with the church they belong.

Can there be a time when believers of abortion, contraception, euthanasia, stem-cell research, thievery, murder or corruption will have their own churches too? Maybe.(Photo CRedit: GoldenCalf; CaloricoHermoso;Blazeip1) =0=




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RP’s Toughest Outdoor Adventure Race held in Sto. Domingo, Albay

Carrera Habagat 2008




Carrera Habagat 2008 Champion Team Mulatto Davao composed of Paulo Dino Ouano, Keith James Argones, Jeffer Jatico, Cherryl Araneta and support crew Marjun Balaite and Charlito Esparar receive their trophy, medals and cash prize of P100,000 during the awarding ceremony at the Black Sands Beach Resort in Sto. Domingo, Albay last November 15, 2008. Also in photo are Event Director Randy Su, Mr. Nico Delos Angeles and Vice-Mayor Edna Banda.

Carrera Habagat Adventure Race organized by Summit Outdoor Equipment and Services, Inc. is widely considered as the Philippine’s toughest outdoor adventure race participated in by the country’s toughest outdoor enthusiasts, most of whom are tri-athletes with international race experiences. The organization is a firm advocate of environmental awareness and protection as well as respect for people and local cultures. Most notable past participants of this race were the Philippine Mt. Everest Team and Team Santorini, the 2001 winners who competed in the 2001 Eco Challenge in New Zealand. For this year’s 8th edition, the race dubbed “Isang Linggo sa Sto. Domingo” was held from November 12-16, 2008 in Sto. Domingo, Albay, a coastal community that faces the Pacific Ocean in the east and Mt. Mayon Volcano in the northwest. It was the first time that this race was held outside the Visayas-Mindanao area and the first time in Luzon and Albay.



A total of eleven teams, 4 from Manila; Cebu (2); Leyte (2); Davao (1); Iligan (1) and Sto Domingo, Albay (1) composed of 4 racers (one of whom must be of the opposite sex) and 2 support crew per team, participated in this extreme adventure 4 day non-stop race that combined trekking, biking, swimming, paddling and rappelling. The 11 teams started out in Sto. Domingo proper and went through 20 Control Points (CP) or destinations in sequence provided only with the coordinates of the CP’s and armed with their multi-disciplinary skills, navigational skills and the right team dynamics. The route took the participants from Sto. Domingo where they got their passports after climbing a palo sebo to Camp 1 Mayon, Centennial Park, Alimsog, Starship Café, Tabaco, San Miguel Island, San Antonio School in Cagraray Island, Maninipot Shoreline, Barangay Misibis, Sula Port, Mt. Cabugcay, Malilipot Port, Bagacay Church, Pili Pier, Namantao Island, Buhatan, Sula Port and finally to the Black Sands Beach Resort in Sto. Domingo. The team’s support crews were only allowed to provide and replenish the team racers’ supplies at 4 designated points.



During the first day of the race, Team Merrel took the early lead at Control Point 7 at 21:07 followed by Blood Red Cebu, Team Mulatto and Team Iligan Pride at CP 6. AFP Power Trekkers and Sto. Domingo were slapped 4 hours penalty for bypassing a control point. Slowly but surely, Team Mulatto took over the lead which they retained until the end finishing the race in barely two days with the team members getting only 17 minutes of sleep. Team Merrel finished second while Team Iligan Pride was third. Two teams out of the 11 were not able to finish while Team Sto. Domingo, a neophyte finished a respectable 8th place.

For their efforts, Team Mulatto Davao proved that they’ve got what it takes and retained their title. They are the first team to emerge as back to back Champions aside from winning P100,000; trophy, medals, certificates, gift packs and the bragging rights of being the best in a grueling race that tests the limits of human endurance. Team Merrel wound up second and won P60,000 among other things while Team Iligan Pride who placed third won P40,000.

Mr. Nico Delos Angeles made the initial overtures to bring the race in Sto. Domingo, Albay which was adopted by the Municipal Government of Sto. Domingo led by Mayor Celso Delos Angeles, Jr. who doubled the prize money and provided the Black Sands Beach resort as the race headquarters. In his message, Mayor Celso Delos Angeles said, “The holding of the yearly ultimate Philippine adventure race and the gathering of outdoor enthusiasts, from the fresh breeds of backpackers to the hardcore mountaineers, in this part of the country is very timely and significant as the Municipal Government under the present dispensation, in coordination with concerned government agencies and other stake holders, is doing its best to put Sto. Domingo, Albay in its rightful place in the global tourism map”.



Mr. Randy Su- Event Director on the other hand admitted during the closing ceremony, “I was apprehensive that the Carrera Habagat will be held outside our comfort zone which is the Visayas Mindanao area. I became more hesitant when I learned that it will be held in a little known town in the Bicol region. But when I saw the place, I knew it was the perfect venue.”

The race participants on the other hand were euphoric and have only kind words for the hosts. “Sa lahat ng editions ng Carrera Habagat, ito ang pinakabongga! May hot shower pa.” Aside from the excellent food, the spacious rooms and luxurious amenities provided, the participants experienced first-hand the breathtaking sceneries of Sto. Domingo and the neighboring towns as well as the first-class hospitality and good nature of the people of Albay.

Bombo Radyo Legazpi conducts Blood letting

Bombo Radyo Legazpi conducted its’ 4th yearly bloodletting activity named “ Dugong Bombo, A little pain . . . a life to gain.” at the 3rd floor of the Pacific Mall in Legazpi City last Saturday, November 8, 2008. The daylong activity which netted around 130 qualified donors is part of the 6th Bombo Radyo’s simultaneous bloodletting activity in 24 key cities nationwide in honor of the birthday of Bombo Radyo Philippines’ President/ CEO Dr. Rogelio M. Florete.


The bloodletting which was in partnership with the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) was led by Bombo Radyo Legazpi Station Manager Jun Derla who were joined by practically all his staff which includes popular anchors Nelson Bulalacao, Nilda Barcelo and Mr. Siramity- Joshua Martinez, Jr. who was seen donating blood. Aside from the PNRC, other partners include the Department of Health (DOH), Provincial Health Office, City Health Office and a number of volunteers. Among the sponsors were Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and 1st Colonial Grill of Mr. Bong Aspe who donated packed lunches.

The blood donors include men and officers from the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, reservists, Philippine Guardians, Kabalikat Civicom, the Albay Medical Society and the general public who were in queue at the Pacific Mall entrance even before the mall opening. All Dugong Bombo blood donors were given “Dugong Bombo” T-shirts, fluid replacements, snacks and multi-vitamins, courtesy of the national and local sponsors.

Nationwide, the bloodletting activity totaled 5,123 successful blood donors generating 2,323 liters or 11.6 drums of blood. Bombo Radyo Philippines has been cited and awarded several times by the Philippine National Red Cross for their one of a kind blood donation program which exceeded their record last year. Bombo Radyo Philippines pays tribute to the countless donors including those who did not qualify to ensure the nation’s blood supply requirements which are critically needed during calamities and dengue outbreaks and during November and December when blood is usually in short supply.

JCI Legazpi creates waves at the 2008 JCI National Convention

The Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a worldwide federation of young leaders and entrepreneurs whose members are more popularly known as the Jaycees. In the recent 2008 Dakak JCI National Convention held in different venues such as Dakak, Zamboanga del Norte and Dipolog City in the south, the JCI Legazpi showed their contemporaries of over 1000 delegates from over 200 chapters around the country that when it comes to achievements, they are in a higher category all their own.

The JCI Legazpi delegation composed of President Charlie Chua, EVP Uriel Maddela, VP Internal Yves Eli Yu, VP External Martin Reynoso, JCI Sec.Gen. Sam Boviles, JCI Senator Joseph Barra, JCI Treasurer Roel Rutuerma and PP JCI Senator Noni Calleja first won the “Early Bird Award”. They have earlier won the “Most Outstanding JCI Chapter” under category 2 or those composed of 46-75 members. They placed 7th in the National JCI PEA ( Philippine Efficiency Awards) wherein points are accumulated by a chapter based on the number and quality of their projects raising their ranking from 9th the previous year. The JCI Lagazpi also garnered the “Best Environmental Award” which netted them the “Best of the Best Award”, a very notable achievement considering the significance of the project with today’s global warming phenomenon.

The prestigious “Best of the Best Award” won by JCI Legazpi was the first Coral Farm in the Bicol region using a modular design that stimulates the growth of corals from 5-10 times its normal growth. Corals are the backbone of the marine ecosystems where fishes breed. Corals are destroyed by a variety of causes among them- pollution, siltation, erosion, chemicals and ship spills, dynamite fishing and their natural predator- the crown of thorns. Without corals, there will be no fishes and all the living things in the food chain will be severely affected.

JCI Martin Reynoso, Project Chairman and inventor of the Self –contained system explained that his invention generates 3-4 volts of electricity that stimulates the growth of corals. Unlike other models that costs around $25,000, his modular design costs around P5,000 and can easily be transported to where it is needed such as oil spill areas. This corals could also be sold to aquarium owners without the need to disturb existing corals.

JCI Martin Reynoso drew his inspiration from the Jaycees creed that says, “Earth’s great treasure lies in human personality”. Fully aware of the effects of global warming and the need to protect the environment, his invention- a Modular design that is efficient, compact, portable and cheap adopted by JCI Legazpi is one great contribution to environmental protection and worthy of the “Best of the Best Award”. Indeed to Martin and JCI Legazpi, “Service to Humanity is the Best Work of Life”.

OLPDA sets Christmas party on December 20, 2008

"Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself..."
~Norman Wesley Brooks, "Let Every Day Be Christmas," 1976


OUR LADY OF PENAFRANCIA DEVOTEES ASSOCIATION, INC. (OLPDA)
of the TriState Area
(New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, USA)

Invites You to Join Us at Our

Annual Christmas Party

Our Lady of Victories School
Rev. Walter Swenson Hall
Ege Avenue,
Jersey City, New Jersey

Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008

Time: 6:30 – 11:00 p.m.

******POTLUCK********GAMES********RAFFLES********DANCING******

-----------MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!--------------

Santa is Coming to Give Gifts to Children!!!

Contact Persons: Carmen Oliver - 908-558-9794
Genevieve del Rosario - 201-435-2840
Boy Cabaero - 201-566-8424



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By a clumsy hand, a color rendition of a season passing

November 24, 2008
New York City

It’s too late to have the green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and the brown of the fall season. The last mottled leaf has been shed by the trees as autumn fades to give way to the coming winter. The cold is now a notch lower than last week’s temperature dip. Only some fallen leaves roll down the sidewalk; a few decay with the debris on the ground's icy permafrost close to the street curve.

I feel I didn’t have enough of the dazzling color changes of fall this year. The trees are suddenly bare in hibernation, concluding the foliage's annual shedding. I don’t hear the whisper of the summer leaves anymore--- only the twigs and branches of maple trees shudder with the breeze.

Warding off the bite of the chilly air, the little chestnut sparrows may silently huddle under the bush somewhere. Trees stand still like the rigid black fence of a leaf-laden path in Central Park. There is the scent of moist earth after a light drizzle. Soft sunshine peers through the woods and touch the sere leaves on the pavement. The morning dove which wakes me up at dawn is gone.

Have you tried painting a picture of the awesome fall season the way you see it etched in your mind? Even if I don’t know how, let me show you the colors. Look at the loud amorphous picture I have below. It shows that gifted artists, unlike me, can paint autumn much better. And nature, if left alone, makes the season infinitely grand, and pleasing to remember.(Photo Credits: FernandoSanchez(OnandOf); Lawatha) =0=



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The Pili Nut: Bicol's Pride

Mention Bicol to an outsider who knows our region, three icons will probably come to his mind--Mayon Volcano, "Bicol Express", our savory fare and the pili nut. All three are unique to our place.

Pili is a tree and nut that can only be practically found in the Philippines (it was already introduced in other countries but it is only here that it is commercially processed). 82% of the country's production comes from the region (and 60% of the region's drop comes from Sorsogon), hence Bicol's identification with it. In fact, it is an expected pasalubong (present) from someone who just came from Bicol.

Technically, it is not the nut that is eaten but the seed or kernel inside the nut. It can be eaten raw but mainly it is processed into sweets and more than a dozen kind of this exists. Some of the better known are roasted (salted) pili, glazed pili, sugar-coated pili, pili bocayo, pili brittle, pili jam, buding, pili tart, turrones de pili, mazapan de pili and various kinds of pili bars. Chocolate-coated pili is also made and so is chocolate bars with pili nuts. It can even be used in ice cream.

Most pili processors are in Bicol but Manila processors are now emerging. Actually, the yet few pili sweets sold in Visayas and Mindanao are not from Bicol processors.

Pili has not yet made an international impact. But knowledgeable sources point out that that is also the situation of macadamia nut 30 years ago. It is thought that a breakthrough in international marketing is needed.

But one problem is pili's lack of supply. Cultivar practices have not yet advanced and research for the crop is lagging. Being organically grown (that is, no agricultural inputs like pesticides and fertilizer) its productivity and availability is not yet in the same level as mango. For a tree that, on the average, is 20 meters in height, it only produces 33 kilos of nuts a year. Before Typhoon "Reming" (or "Durian") the average price was P25/kg for whole nuts.

From flowering it has a relatively long maturation time of 8-9 months. It takes 6-7 years for a plant to reach fruit-bearing but grafting can reduce it to 4 years. There are seven approved varieties as certificated by the National Seed and Industry Council (NSIC): the "Magnaye", "Laysa", "Lanuza", "M. Orolfo", "Magayon", "Mayon 1", and "Mayon 2". The Pili Research and Training Center of the Department of Agriculture spearheads the research and propagation of the crop.

Improved varieties which uses cloning are now available and it is mostly for free at the moment since the government is promoting this as a high-value crop. The province of Albay and Sorsogon gives free planting materials and Albay even gives real property tax exemptions for six years to pili growers.

There is an advantage in shifting from coconut to pili. With practically the same tree spacing, pili's earnings per tree is higher than coconut with less labor involved. Replanting capital even be sourced from the sale of coco lumber. And intercropping pili with root crops and mongo is possible, increasing income. The empty nuts can even be used for fuel and the pulp of the fruit can be eaten after boiling.

With proper drying and storage pili nuts can be stored for up to one year. It is not subject to much price fluctuation and it is still a seller's market. If an international marketing breakthrough happens possibly all the new production can easily be absorbed. But here there is basically a chicken-and-egg situation: breakthrough is hampered by the limited supply. An oversupply is not much of a problem since pili can easily be processed into pili oil which is comparable to olive oil. The uncoated seed or kernel is 70% fats and oil indicating high recovery.

Plant pili, anyone?

Big Mike Falls Sick: Bad Omen

Sportsman Big Mike recently fell ill while accompanying his wife on an official mission to Peru. The plane had to be diverted to Tokyo to unload Big Mike, causing Madame Gloria to miss the opening ceremonies of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). Anyway, Madame Gloria got a consolation in the form of US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's consuelo de bobo : "You are US' best friend". I do not know if this is an assurance that the US will not back any moves to oust Madame Gloria. I also do not know if this is an indirect message to those pushing the impeachment case as in, "Back off!" Is this an endorsement for "Cha-cha" (Charter change) so that Madame Gloria will have the chance to stay beyond 2010?

But anyway, these are all empty gestures by now. In two months time, Bush jr. and Rice will be out of office (no "Cha-cha" in the US; they do not dance that "tune"). So I do not know if the meal served to Madame Gloria was "siopao bola-bola".

But the Chinese will say that in feng shui that incident falling ill denotes bad luck is coming for the GMA (Gloria and Mike Arroyo) administration. This is what they said when then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher fell off the stairs after a testy meeting with Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping. Immediately, Hongkong's Hang Seng Index fell. The Chinese thought that incident meant Britain will soon bite the dust.

In Asian warfare, great importance is placed on the defection of former top lieutenants. In the West, a defector only has tactical value in the sense that some sensitive information can be gleaned. To Asians, it is more than loss of face or loss of legitimacy. The desertion of top lieutenants also signify that a dynasty is coming to an end. Good that JDV and FVR are not crying plots of assassination like the Bolantic Joke-Joke.

Does the failed Moscow caper of the "Euro generals" foretell the crumbling of one of the GMA administration's pillars?

"It was only diarrhea". It seems some system purging is coming.

UP’s plant-man extraordinaire

For a combination of inventiveness, diligence, and genius, Leonard Co turns out to be a gem which brings gladness and admiration to those who know him. The state university’s unique botanist is a rarity who rivals the reclusiveness of Rafflesia leonardi, a diffident flower in the hinterlands of Kidapawan, Mindanao named after him. Leonard Co is known to many Ibalonians for good reasons.

Lorna Vigil and Annelee Badiola-Lojo. M.D. remember him as a co- member of Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral sa Pilipino (SAMAPIL,) a socio-cultural organization in the UP campus. Ibalon doctors like Arnel V. Malaya, Julius A. Lecciones, Ray R. G. Rayel, Nestor A. Valenciano, Andy Gimpaya, and many others may have striking memories of the amazing guy of Botany who frequented the Science pavilion. Leonard was there to beguile them of his plants. A likeable personality with a prodigious drive to teach, the smart Leonard immersed himself in the world of the flora, his pure love and abiding source of satisfaction.

“The Last Dodo of Botany”
by Lorna Vigil



Leonard L. Co inspires many who know him. More than three decades after I met him the first and only time, when I was a young freshman, he still has this extraordinary liking for plants. No one doubted his expertise in botany, though in UP, for him, other subjects outside botany were irritations; they stood on the way of his focus. With a passion for nature and stubborn insistence to pursue science in his own terms, it took him 32 years to get his BS diploma ---a proof of his real mettle and purpose.

Diliman’s plant-man extraordinaire has brought some of life’s important lessons ---- the most compelling perhaps is that outstanding men like him do persist and prevail. Ignoring physics and math, Leonard’s unusual years of study has gained him recognition more than he could imagine. A phenomenal gift of our school to science, his ability is now at work in the Conservation International and the UP Herbarium. With much to share, here is what he said that I find very interesting:

“O nga pala, nakalimutan kong magpakilala aside doon sa organizational affiliations ko,” says Leonard whose school ID goes back few decades ago: 72-00993, BS Botany.

“Bilang the quintessential 'Bobo ng Diliman' who refused to let physics and math mess up with my own brand of education, ngayong taon lang ako grumadweyt. I’m the last dodo bird of the now extinct BS Botany program.”

Naging myembro ng SAMAPIL noong huling dako ng 1973, dahil sa personal appeal nito sa akin bilang kanlungan ng kritikal pero malikhaing porma ng dissent. Naively, inassume ko na pwede rin akong mahawa sa abilidad ng mga manunulat na kasapi dito.

Well, obviously hindi sapat yun and I ended up doing something else in botany and conservation science. At any rate, SAMAPIL ang unang legal na organisasyong sinalihan ko sa UP matapos ibaba ang martial law.

Palagay ko'y ipinanganak din akong artist, pero ang medium na kadalasang ginagamit ko ay oil--- cooking oil to be exact. Mahilig akong magluto (at kumain). Aside from plant specimens, I collect all sorts of protest and national liberation songs (banyaga man o dito sa Pinas, at salamat sa limewire, dumarami na ang acquisitions ko).

‘Di ako marunong bumasa ng nota, pero natutunan kong tumugtog ng oido sa harmonica (nakakainis nga lamang at ine-equate ang instrumentong ito sa pamumulubi). Inggit to death ako pag nakakakita ng mga virtuoso sa classical guitar, piano at violin.

Pasensya na po kung di ako nakakasali sa inter-aksyon ninyo sa e-group o mga jammings. Madalas kasi sa hindi, andun ako sa natural habitat ko sa mga bundok at natitira pa nating kagubatan. Pero keep in touch at tuloy lang ang pagpapadala ng mga jokes na mahirap ipagwari sa katatawanan at realidad ng buhay.

Masaya ako dahil nabigyang halaga ang aking kaunting kontribusyon sa Botany na naging pangunahing argumento ng mga supporters ko sa Institute of Biology, sa College Assembly hanggang University Council para magawaran ng UP diploma nung nakaraang graduation (2008). Kahit man lolo na akong uugud-ugod nabigyan na rin ng BS (after 32 years haha!). O ano, astig na rin akong UP grad tulad ninyo!---Leonard L. Co, Conservation International- Philippines; Herbarium, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines. (Photo Credits: Josefontheroad; JulieBarcelona)=0=

RELATED BLOG: "Pygmy tarsier of Indonesia rediscovered after 85 years & a five-petalled mountain flower in Mindanao, Philippines named" Posted by mesiamd at 11/23/2008

Life versus abortion

Abortion is the leading cause of death in the black community. People are not aware of that. According to te US Center for Disease Control (CDC) Abortion Surveillance Report, 35% of abortions in the United States are performed on African American women, who make up only 12% of the U.S. population." Beverly Anderson, National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life (The Southern Cross, July 2008)/Immaculate Conception Parish, Astoria, NY 11/23/08 (Photo Credit: Stblogustine.blotspot.com)

In the Philippines, the number of abortions is unknown since the procedure is illegal and often done secretly. In spite of this, about 1/4 of pregnancies is terminated amounting to an estimated 750,000 abortions per year.---www.prolife.org

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Pygmy tarsier of Indonesia rediscovered after 85 years & a five-petalled mountain flower in Mindanao, Philippines named

The Indonesian Pygmy Tarsier (Tarsius pumila)




This week, Indonesia’s pygmy tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), the close cousin of the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta,) is reported to be thriving in the tropical forest of the island of Sulawesi. Said to be extinct since 85 years ago, the small primate which looks like a monkey approximates the size of a mouse, weighing about 2 ounces and measuring 4 inches.

The nocturnal tailed animal which lives on trees mainly thrives on insects but also eats small crustaceans, lizards, and other tiny animals. Covered by thick brown-gray fur reminiscent of the "gremlins," it has a characteristic big pair of eyes, proptosed like oversized shiny buttons.

A group of scientists headed by Texas A & M University Sharon Gursky-Doyen have been following up the pygmy tarsiers until they captured three which were fitted with radio collars for more studies.

Coincident to the rediscovery of the pygmy tarsier is the identification of a new plant species which grows in Cagayan, Philippines. Named after Leonard Co, a botanist of the Conservation International, Rafflesia leonardi is unique for its 5-petalled parasitic blooms with no leaves, stems, and roots.

Rafflesia leonardi



Found in the rainforest of Kidapawan, Mindanao, 300 to 700 meters above sea level in the environs of Mount Apo, the rare flower fully blooms in about 10 months and wilts in 7 days. The new species which was identified last May 2008 is the 4th Rafflesia discovered in Luzon and the 8th in the country.

Two things come to mind. First is the growing need for nature conservation in the face of the dangers of extinction of both fauna and flora. Second, human interference (i.e. loss of habitat, predation, pollution etc.) in the lives of these plants and animals may have both beneficial and deleterious consequences which may affect species survival. (Photo Credits: YahooNews/SharonGurskyDoyen; YahooNewsPhilippines; Mediatejack) =0=

The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)

"Outside the Philippines, a number of relatives of the Philippine tarsier can be found, among them the Bornean tarsier (Tarsius bancanus) of Borneo and Sumatra, the spectral tarsier (Tarsius spectrum), the lesser spectral tarsier or pygmy tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), and Dian's tarsier (Tarsius dianae) of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The pygmy tarsier, by the way, is considerably smaller than the Philippine tarsier, while the pygmy mouse lemur, found only in Madagascar, is now being recognized as the smallest primate in the world.

The tarsier was first introduced to Western biologists through the description given to J. Petiver by the missionary J.G. Camel of an animal said to have come from the Philippines (Hill, 1955). Petiver published Camel's description in 1705 and named the animal Cercopithecus luzonis minimus which was the basis for Linnaeus' (1758) Simia syrichta and eventually Tarsius syrichta. Among the locals, the tarsier is known as "mamag", "mago", "magau", "maomag", "malmag" and "magatilok-iok"." Source: Bohol.com/Philippine Tarsier Foundation.




RELATED BLOGS: "Palawan wildlife faces near extinction" Posted by mesiamd at 9/14/2008; "Despite conservation effort, 1/3 of world’s coral reefs face danger of extinction" Posted by mesiamd at 10/23/2008

The San Fernando, Camarines Sur-Oas, Albay Diversion Road

The construction of a San Fernando, Camarines Sur to Oas, Albay bypass (diversion) road has recently been approved. It is one of 10 priority projects in Bicol for 2008-2010 along with the construction of the new Legazpi airport. P500M has reportedly been released for the project. The rationale of the project is to decongest the main road running from Naga to Legazpi. A shortening of the travel time between the two cities is expected.

The planned diversion road is 61.90 kilometers long. Only 14 kilometers will be new road as it just intends to use old roads that already exist. Thus, 32.22 kilometers of existing gravel road will be paved and 15.68 kilometers of the existing Maharlika highway will be improved. An old bridge will also be repaired and a new 40-meter bridge will be built. The total project cost is estimated to be P2.25 billion.

This bypass road will connect the old roads connecting Legazpi to Naga (see my previous article, "The Old Roads of the Naga-Legazpi Corridor and Dialectal Variations Along Its Way", 11/18/08). From the town of Oas it will probably use the old Mayao road that connects the town to Libon, Albay.

From Libon, it will use the gravel road that connects it to the upland barrios of Nabua. This is the Libon-Buga-Tandaay road. This road crosses the Nabua-Balatan road in the big barrio of Tandaay, Nabua. The road runs through the southern shores of Lake Bato.

From Tandaay,Nabua a gravel road runs to Bula, Camarines Sur, running south of the plains irrigated by the Bicol River. This road skirts the southern side of Lake Baao. This is the old Malawag road.

It seems the new road construction mentioned will be used to connect Bula to San Fernando, Camarines Sur. It is probable that the paved road running west of Bula to the barrio of Panoypoyan will used. If not, some other farm-to-market (feeder) roads might be used like the road to Bagoladio. It seems the new bridge will be used in this stretch since the Bicol River will have to be forded here, a connection that hencetoforth does not yet exist. Before reaching San Fernando, the road will pass through portions of Minalabac, if not the town proper. However, Milaor will be bypassed.

This diversion road for the most part will pass through the foot of the long mountain chain on the southern side of Bicol which is always visible from the road when one is traversing the Sipocot to Ligao stretch of the Maharlika highway.

Concerns have been raised about the possible effects on Naga and the towns that will be bypassed by the new highway. There's fear that the economic downturn suffered by Daet and the Camarines Norte towns when the Quirino Andaya highway was opened will be replicated here.

But to sustain progress sometimes new infrastructure must really be built. There is no question that the Naga-Legazpi road is already a little bit crowded and this won't get better anymore. Anyway the first users of this highway will probably be the cars, trucks and buses that just passes by the area en route to Sorsogon and Eastern Visayas.

Whatever, it is imperative that a comprehensive study be made of the possible impacts of the new highway should be. This is needed to warn the sectors that will be affected and also anticipate future problems.

It is now being bandied as the "GMA Highway". The information is from NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) Region V office so it must be official now.

Quo Vadis, US?

There is no firm estimate yet of the number of people who will lose jobs in the United States. After all, nobody assumes right now that the current economic (and not just financial) has already bottomed out. And nobody is hollering that recovery is just around the corner.

The property bubble has burst in the US. Together with a high level of personal debt done through the use of plastic cards, it has ravaged the whole economy and dragging the rest of the world with it. As they say, when the US sneezes, the rest of the world catches cold. And the current crisis seems more than a sneeze.

The plan of President-elect Obama to create 2.5M jobs is commendable. But I wonder how he will do it. Is he hoping for a recovery soon?

I remember that when the property bubble burst in Japan in the '80s the Japanese economy sagged. It has not really recovered after that and it has to be content with a 2% annual growth for years on end. After being the world's engine of growth in the '70s, it has not able to regain its former lofty role.

The US was lucky in the '80s when the ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) sector boomed and they happened to be the world's leader in this field. "Junk bonds" and similar instruments pioneered by the likes of Mike Milken made capital available to start-ups and fueling the boom that followed.

The US also earned big in its China investments. As they say, the early bird gets the worm. US companies were able to negate the loss of competitiveness at home by shifting factories to China.

But the trouble with this relation is that is it China which earned more. Proof of this is their mammoth foreign exchange reserves which is estimated to be $1.9 trillion dollars as of last September and growing. Most of this was earned through a big trade imbalance with the US. US investments in China actually worsened this imbalance.

The US was not immediately "impoverished" since China invested the bulk of its foreign exchange reserves in the US. It has to because it is the quid pro quo for maintaining its open door to the US. This "easy money" further fueled the boom in the US. Its system was awash in cash and interests were low. Actually, bankers and investment houses were fast devising new (but dubious, it turned out) instruments to invest this money. Soon this "sub-prime" thing shot down the balloon.

China's US investments will be severely burned by this crisis. Will they again invest as heavily as they did in the past? This is the future dance that is worth watching. Lord Chris Patten, the former Hongkong British governor, former European Commissioner for foreign affairs and now Oxford University Chancellor, has said that in the future he sees the US and China acting together to solve some of the world's problems. And he said this even before the current crisis became full-blown.

What will be the US next engine of growth after ICT and China? I will be interested in the answer because ultimately the answer to that will determine the US' recovery. I cannot predict if the US will hit the doldrums like Japan or it will discover a gold mine like what unified Germany found in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Observers and planners needs to understand that the US bit the dust after its profligate Indochina wars which negated its undisputed status when Eisenhower relinquished office. I fear the US will be brought down by the after-effects of its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And if Nixon and Ford has the oil shock to contend, Obama now has this full-blown crisis to deal with.

Quo vadis, US?

The Proposed Libmanan Power Plant, Bicol's Power Situation And Some Lessons

Last September 4, on her visit to Libmanan, Camarines Sur, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced the proposed $28M Libmanan Biomass Power Plant (BPP). The proposed BPP is supposed to produced 10 MW. The government's line is that it will help improve power supply in Libmanan and in Camarines Sur.

However, my understanding of the power situation in Bicol is that the power produced by the Tiwi and Bacon-Manito (Bac-Man) Geothermal Power Plants are well over the requirement of the entire Bicol peninsula. In fact, there is a proposal that the power to be produced from an incoming phase of the Bac-Man project, the Bacman-Kayabon project be reserved for the Bicol peninsula. It is estimated that its 40MW production should be sufficient to serve the current 30MW need of the Bicol peninsula.

It is not clear, however, how will the Bicol peninsula will be separated from the Luzon electricity distribution grid. The high system loss is the biggest reason for the high electricity rates in the region. This is ironic since the power it consumes come from region itself. And it is doubly ironic since the power is first sent out to Metro Manila (because they say it is too much for Bicol) and it is the return current which Bicol uses, causing low voltage and power fluctuation.

What they are not telling is Mega Manila is supplied ahead of Bicol because it is where the industries are located, it is the national center and it has a higher population base. It also produces half of the country's GNP as compared to Bicol's minuscule contribution. Talk about second-class treatment.

But this is just another manifestation of the regalian doctrine at work--that all natural resources belong to the national government and that they will decide as they see fit. It doesn't matter to them that Bicol shares the cost of bringing the power to Mega Manila by paying the distribution cost the TransCo (National Transmission) charges for the whole Luzon grid including then inherent system losses.

An additional obstacle to the separation from the Luzon grid is that it is no longer solely an intra-government matter. The Bac-Man Geothermal Power Plant is already controlled by the Lopez group. Sell the electric cooperatives to Meralco? Well, there are precedents. Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite and portions of Laguna, Batangas and Quezon became service areas of Meralco because of the people's demand who got fed up with the inefficient service and high charges of their old electric cooperatives.

Will the Libmanan BPP's power production be separate from the Luzon power grid? The leaders of Bicol and the people should get together and resolve the problems mentioned above. This should not just be left to government functionaries.

Actually the idea of a separate grid (or maybe use the old grid and just pay for the cost of carrying the electricity) is a step in the right direction. If Bicol will study the experience of Iligan City, it might learn a lesson or two. When we arrived in Iligan, we were surprised that the rates there were only half of Manila's. When we asked why, the answer we got was that there was an agreement that the power the Maria Cristina Hydroelectric Power Plant, which is located in Iligan, will be sold cheaply to the city. We even heard a story that Iligan is not charged the usual distribution costs (since anyway the plant is only a few kilometers from the city).

This might have basis since people of Lanao del Sur and two Muslim towns of Lanao del Norte are also clamoring for preferential treatment like Iligan. They cite that the water Maria Cristina uses comes from their lake which they consider part of their ancestral domain, the Lake Lanao. Further, they point out that most of the generators anyway and the water cataracts are located in their areas. This refused demand has caused several bombings of the towers of the power grid of Mindanao.

With low electricity rates, many industries especially those that are big consumers of electricity came to Iligan. Iligan experienced an industrial boom in the '50s to the '70s making it the Highly Industrialized City it is now. Even the famed National Steel Corporation came to Iligan.

This is the lesson that Tiwi, Bacon and Manito missed. But I hope it is not yet too late for Libmanan.

Mr. Fix & the tall challenge to keep USA & the world to believe that we can quickly come out of the financial mess

It is said that when a new president gets elected in the United States, Wall Street gets exuberant and the market becomes cocky. Renewed confidence and optimism bring an upward trend in stocks trading in America and the rest of the world. The upward trend hasn’t happened in President-elect Barack Obama, the Mr. Fix expected by many to deliver the world from this troubling economic mess.

Since the Great Depression (1930’s to the 1940’s,) America suffers from the worst financial downturn. On Friday, November 21, 2008, on midday trading, the Dow Jones Industrials (DJI) tumbled 67.47 points further, or 0.89 percent, to 7,484.82. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) lost 8.85 points, or 1.18 percent, to 743.59. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) was down 17.82 points, or 1.35 percent, at 1,298.30.

In spite of the $700 billion bailout, the market continues to slide. With the public confused of what is going on, economic planners need more money for bailouts to keep the economy on track and stable.

There are those who seriously doubt whether this will work as instability and business losses continue. Financial leaders like Ben Shalom Bernanke of the Federal Reserve and Henry Paulson of the Treasury have a short window period to work on before the full blown effects of the crisis appear early next year.

Joblessness at 6.5%, the highest since 1994, is expected to top 8.5% in 2009. It feeds the fire of uncertainty, raising doubts on the usefulness of helping the floundering US auto and banking industry.

More business close-downs are feared. The housing market has almost screeched into a halt leaving many homes in foreclosures. American auto manufacturers brace for bankrupcies. The public is spooked by advisories of store closings. Americans are angered and worried.

The usual honeymoon period given to an incoming administration may not last long as the impatient public can’t wait for the magical fruition of Obama’s promise during the campaign. A scramble to form a government cabinet to help the new president shows signs of old hands from the Clinton administration which make people to ask if it’s the same traditional politics that will be at play. Without guarantee of success, there is palpable anxiety over leaders with checkered past trying to reprogram the nation’s socio-economic direction.

Obama is in a bind. There is a growing belief that the recession will last longer than what has been experienced in recent history. Some are thinking that it can grow worse to precipitate the hapless conditions of the Great Depression. Though not much can be done by individual US citizens to prevent the worse, sensible measures like focusing on one’s job, belt-tightening in personal finance, and deciding wisely on investment strategies are recommended.



Global economies are suffering. The American sniffle has worsened and spread into a global pneumonia whose end result is basically unknown. A protracted economic malady is likely to bring instability and stagnation. It makes civil unrest and chaos more likely particularly in the poor countries where hunger is common.

Meanwhile, the public overwhelmingly craves that Obama comes victorious in reversing the ugly course of business. How best he can do it is subject to debate and entails vigilant waiting. While he prepares for his inauguration in January, Americans gripped with worry need to give him time and the benefit of the doubt. (Photo Credits: JSDart)=0=

RELATED BLOG: "Dr. Doom’s economic crystal ball & the need to say the truth" Posted by mesiamd at 10/30/2008

Zards: The Biggest Little Man of UP Ibalon

I first heard about Zards from Susan Princesa when I followed her up in UP Rep where they were also org-mates. Of course, I have known Susan from her high school days being a favorite stude of my mother and being the sister of Grace, a close friend. Talking about Zards, she was bubbly and it helped formed in me a favorable impression of Zards whom I haven't met till that time.

I followed up Zards. I think we also hit off coz I warm up to persons who also warm up to me. But he had a problem then. Behn Cervantes was pressuring him too hard to wear an authentic bahag in a play where he would act as an Igorot, promising him a grade of "1.0" if he doesn't use an underwear during the play and threatening him with fire and thunder if he does.

He asked for my advice. Told him, "Follow him". He replied, "Paano kung tayuan ako sa stage?". And I had my laugh for the day. That was the start of our friendship.

No, he wasn't "Zards". He told me he is known as "Ely" in Naga and in high school (which he finished in Torres High in Manila). But he told me "Ely", as pronounced in Naga rhymes with "buli". Susan thought "Ely" sounded too soft so he rechristened Felizardo "Zards" in UP Rep. To Ely's consternation, it caught on and that became his calling card. Of course it will stick since the great Behn repeatedly called him "Zards".

"Metro Aide lang an ina ko". Kaya palan he was not too open in Ibalon on his origins.

Of course, early on, I caught that Zards have ambitions In Ibalon, during Boyo's rise. No, I did not strike it down. I was not the type na nang-i-small kan dudumanan nin tawo. My best friend then paid dearly for that mistake and he later became a non-entity.

I was not present when Zards became the president of Ibalon. I was in forced hibernation then, with free board and lodging.

Learned about the "War of the Roses" later, Part I. But it was just the story about the final rise of a former dinner-mate who regretted not taking my advice to shift to IE, Albert Molina.

I thought Zards could have been a "Godfather", like AM. But he miscalculated the endgame, and I told him about that later, sparking many midnight talks in his Makati office. However, he became University Councilor of the UP Student Council. After all, having Lean Alejandro as roommate does not hurt.

He founded the Bicol Students' Congress (BSC) and the Bicol Youth Forum (BYF). So for the first time UP Ibalon had projection outside the campus. Later the BYF withered. Might have been too unwieldy, for it included out-of-school youths and unless you have real community organizing it could be difficult. And he did not have real backing "upstairs". Hostile questions about his motives. Struck me that the one leading the hostile questions ay pareho lang nin ginikanan ki Zards. Later the BSC "disowned" him during the time of the Great Split.

He worked for Edgardo Angara when he became UP President. This elicited questions and jeers from some Ibalon quarters. From an activist to a functionary nga naman. He felt obliged to explain this to me. It didn't bother me. People move on and people have dual lives. I saw this even while I was in college. Seemingly "normal" people have different "careers" after office hours.

He taught at AMA after college. Later he worked at the TESDA. When the dictatorship was overthrown he thought of running for a provincial board seat in Catanduanes (he hailed from Pandan, the town where the dialect of northern Catanduanes, Bicol Pandan, was named). "Nasa Manila ka na babalik ka pa sa Catanduanes", his patron told him.

He was later active in the Sangguniang Kabataan movement where he met his Singaporean girl. They were able to have SK recognized in the new constitution. He was later rewarded for this with a youth-sector seat in Congress in the early '90s. Some ribbed him about his age. Known for his self-deprecating humor, he said his height helped him qualify.

In company with some Ibalonians I went to see the first Ibalon congressman. Always upfront with me, he said he worked real hard in the SK but he admitted that knowing the Senate President helped. That was where I met Juliet, his Ibalon sister who is working as his chief of staff. After his Congress stint he went back to his old patron and worked as his chief of staff which again drew jeers from some quarters.

It was then that I invited him to become a board member in the revived UP Ibalon Alumni Association. "Tatanggapin ba ako diyan?" He was hesitant because of the jeers.

Visiting him once, he was distraught. "Marhay ta nahiling ako ni Penny". Her mother who was Metro Aide was hit by a car while working at dawn and the driver didn't stop. She was brought to the charity ward of the PGH.

Later he became president of the UP Ibalon Alumni Association early in this decade. He was then working as VP at the AMA Educational System and at times functioning as the chief of staff of the owner. But his health was already beginning to deteriorate and he is holding a high-pressure job.

As the pointman of his boss he is often abroad. To rescue some hapless Pinoy OFW who got entangled because this is the role of his boss in this administration. But he doesn't want any credit, not even pictures.

Always a functionary. "Wala naman akong ibang paraan umasenso. Marami akong dapat tulungan".

"How did the play go?" "Di ko kaya. Nagsulot ako nin supporter."

A time to build, a time to heal---a poignant account of the fire damage in Naga

by Acela Badiola-Bretan



"From Leni Robredo, here are the pictures from the Naga City Fire. According to Leni, the city's priority is to assist the stallholders so they could start selling their goods again ASAP. But most of the stallholders were small-time entrepreneurs and none of them had their goods insured."---Melyn Lucido, CSI'81



"When I asked the vendors how long they will be back, nobody can give a definite answer. Looking at their faces, I experienced a surge of emotions. I was happy to know that they are still able to sell and earn a living for their children and family. At the same time I felt sad because they have to endure harsh conditions and nobody’s sure for how long this will last."---Dusktildawn (UP Ibalon Blog, 11/17/08)



"It’s no wonder why Naga sorely misses the market that has been razed by fire. Many ask how long it will take the government to restore the place to its original ambience. As one can imagine, the supermarket is truly the heart of a vibrant city where businesses flourish and the soul of the people dwells."---Pitoy Moreno (UP Ibalon Blog, 11/15/08)



"Iyo baga...Alms. Si Sherry Guerrero may Botica Lexar. Ang tugang ni Melyn igwa man 24 K pawnshop sa first floor. Napa-ngiturugan ko ngani ang supermarket several weeks ago ta dati akong alalay ni mama pag nagsasaod. Ang price ko kan pagbitbit kang sinaudan kadto iyo an mag snack duman sa kanto kan saodan na igwa nin mga turu-turo na loglog."---Bingbing Badiola, CSI'81.



"The first floor of the supermarket was spared, dai man nasulo. Si 2nd and 3rd floors ang nasulo... Nakasalvar si botica ni Sherry and pawn shop ni Tita Belits. Ang aram ko si Felo may meat store sa 3rd floor... Mapungaw, ta crisis na ngani, nangyari pa ining sulo na ini.." --Nenette Abrigo, CSI'81



"Aram na baga what started the fire? Was the entire 2nd and 3rd floor razed down? Sinabihan ako kan sobrino ko kan Friday mismo na state of calamity ngani daa kamo dyan. Hope everything would turn out okay ta harani na baga ang holidays, herak man ang mga na-displace..."---Aleta Gehrke. CSI'81. (Photo Credits: Leni Robredo)

NOTE: The fire that gutted the Naga Supermarket happened on Thursday, November 7, 2008 after a province-wide black-out. It was theorized that an unattended candle ignited the blaze. =0=

RELATED BLOGS: "Naga Public Market (Supermarket) Burns Down" Posted by myty555 at 11/07/2008; "Huge Loss in Naga Supermarket Fire" Posted by mesiamd at 11/09/2008;"Fire brings woes to Naga City market vendors" Posted by mesiamd at 11/07/2008; "Feeling the loss of Maogmang Lugar’s market fire"
Posted by mesiamd at 11/15/2008.

The Goalkeeper and Sweeper of Malacanang

In soccer the task of the goalkeeper is to stop the opposing team from scoring goals, hence preventing them from scoring. Failure to score in soccer means the opposing team cannot win. A goalkeeper has many tools in his arsenal to keep the other side from winning. He can dive for the ball to secure it or block it with his body. Or he can punch or kick the ball out to prevent an attacking sequence. If needed, he will throw in his body just to keep the other side from scoring. Indeed, goalkeepers are heroic.

Of course, to make life easier for goalkeepers, other defenders will help in screening, blocking and tackling the attacking opponent. Probably the most important of defenders in soccer, apart from the goalkeeper, is the sweeper. In Italy, it is called the libero. The sweeper "sweeps up" the ball when the opponents breach the last line of defenders.

The word ombudsman is originally a Swedish word but it has already been integrated in the English lexicon. In its Nordic origins it is supposedly a government official tasked to investigate complaints of citizens against government officials and its functionaries.

In the Philippines, especially under the rule of Gloria and Mike Arroyo (the true meaning of "GMA"), the role of the ombudsman is the same as that of a soccer goalkeeper. That is, to prevent the people or the opposition from scoring "goals". The Philippine "goalkeeper" has also "tools" like sitting on complaints, filing weak cases, throwing the complaints out or simply finding that there is a violation but there is no culprit. Of course, like a goalkeeper, a GMA "ombudsman" should be able to throw in everything to keep any cases from prospering.

In the current "match", a new sweeper or libero was recently fielded by the team's coach who happened to be a self-anointed sportsman. Though rusty from a two-year "forced suspension" he was immediately fielded into the fray after a two-week "conditioning program" at the SLMC. Having been pronounced physically fit by the SLMC, he is now assisting mightily the "goalkeeper" in preventing any goals. Indeed, right in the first play, he immediately showed his "defensive prowess" by sweeping the ball out while at the same time shouting "No scam, no scam!".

Yes, how "heroic" indeed. From the corner of my eye I thought I saw his "coach" grin and nod to signify how well his favorite defender "performed".

My caged munias & the birds in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s mind

The captive munias (rignos, mayas; chestnut mannikins,) didn’t escape my mind when I read the old elegant lines from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s paean for the birds, part of what he wrote in May-Day and Other Pieces. The 19th century American essayist-poet’s beautifully crafted words made my heart thumping as thoughts of childhood crossed my mind. All the birds which I wanted as pets died. I was regretful. From the ugly experience, I wondered if I truly learned wholesome values mentioned by the great inspiring American writer-philosopher in the following lines:


“O birds, your perfect virtues bring,
Your song, your forms, your rhythmic flight,
Your manners for your heart’s delight,
Nestle in hedge, or barn, or roof,
Here weave your chamber weather-proof,
Forgive our harms, and condescend
To man, as to a lubber friend,
And, generous, teach his awkward race
Courage, and probity, and grace!”
---from May Day and Other Pieces by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


I felt remorse over keeping those mayas in a small bamboo cage. For measly 5 centavos each, I bought the tiny birds at the gate of the grade school where I studied. At home, I was excited to play with the popular avian species which frequent the grasses and rice paddies of Bicol. With fast wings ready to fly, their feet were restrained by strings tied on my hand.


The mayas were good to see inside the bamboo cage on the window sill. Each time I went near, feathers hummed like the sound of an electric razor. Brighter and more vibrant than Joseph’s dream coat, their fluffy feathers and tiny feet were wonderful.

I sensed their fear and boredom even if I fed them with rice grains from the fields. It was stupid of me to egg them to bathe in a water basin the way ducks do in the marsh. Recalling how they groomed when rain left pools of water on the pavement outside, I watched them flap their fiery brown wings. I craved that they lay eggs in a nest I made from dried zakate leaves.

Their silvery beaks were no match to the rigid bamboo enclosure which they tried to break. Their brown puzzling eyes sought every little chance to escape and be free.

If they could speak, they might have insisted flying up the lemon tree or have them build nests in a bush as thorny as the bougainvilleas. I heard them burst in a beautiful song with the soul of a passing breeze. In spite of my watch, all of them didn’t last. One after another, they died.

Although I was pure and diligent in my care for the munias, I knew they succumbed to stress. The alert birds badly needed liberty and they might have been distressed like the idle prisoners in jail. So self-absorbed of having them, I couldn’t resist keeping them in the cage. At that age, I had little idea what cruelty meant.

Nobody convinced me that my effort to make the birds happy made them even more sad. Had I known, I would have treated them humanely by just setting them free. As Ralph Waldo Emerson whose respect for nature and God were strong when he wrote years ago, I couldn’t resist saying, “forgive our harms, and condescend.” (Photo Credits: Edmondcv210;____; neon2rosell; CharlesLam; floridapfd; GurpalKaher; Nils) =0

MDs plan to quit & its potential impact when 46 million uninsured Americans get their medical coverage

Before Pres. Barack Obama can assume office and work on his promised universal health care for Americans, primary care physicians in the United States are saying they are overworked.

Almost half of them plan to cut back on their practices or quit seeing patients. They are lobbying for rational reimbursements in their insurance claims particularly on Medicare and Medicaid patients.

In the survey by the Physician’s Foundation, 90% percent of doctors complain they devote too much time in paper work rather than take care of patients. Frustrated by the work environment, 60% of those surveyed is not recommending medicine as a career. Reuters (11/17/08, Fox, M; Wilson, C)

Experts say that there’ll be an increase in number of those who’ll need health care services. A rise of work load required for the aging Americans and the newly insured plus the upward climb in cost of treatment and medicines are likely to lead to a rationed medical care that Americans haven’t been used to.

Under the plan of Obama, 46 million uninsured will gain access to medical services. If not handled correctly, these may mean more triage of patients in the emergency rooms, longer lines in the doctor’s offices, greater cuts on tests, denials on procedures, and slowing of getting consultation appointments and treatments. The current health care isn’t ready to absorb the volume of work, much worse, if doctors scale down their practices or retire early from their jobs. (Photo Credits: by Julie70; Allsus)=0=

The Al-Barka Incident Where Trapped Marines Were Killed And Beheaded

The good thing about the ICG Report is it is able to narrate in authoritative and balanced way shrouded and controversial happenings that happened within the context of the Mindanao conflict. Let us read their version of the Al-Barka incident where trapped Marines (their vehicle bogged down) got trapped, were overran and where the majority was beheaded. Al-Barka is a new town on the southeast portion of Basilan.

From ICG Asia Report No. 152 (May 14, 2008):

"...On 10 June 2007, Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, an Italian priest, was kidnapped from his parish in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay province. MILF forces helping in the search for Bossi stood down at the end of the month, expressing concern that a mistaken encounter might occur in the absence of a clear AHJAG mandate, since it had expired on 21 June. Ten days later, those fears were realized in Al-Barka.

"Basilan's unique volatility arises from the fact that the small island is home to all three main separatist rebellions -- MNLF, MILF and ASG. Clans are often involved in all three networks, as well as local electoral politics, where access to high-powered firearms is at a premium. Acting on the information that Fr. Bossi had been sighted in Al-Barka municipality, Philippines marines set out on patrol on the morning of 10 July 2007.

"Two days earlier, Basilan marine commander Col. Romeo Alivio told Crisis Group that unusually large formations of armed men--several hundred strong--had been making their presence felt in the area for some months. Rather than attempting to distinguish their component members, which could have involved a complicated "paper trail" with the ceasefire committee, Alivio chose to regard them as undifferentiated "lawless elements". As his men turned back for base camp with no sign of Bossi, a truck bogged down in the mud, and following standard operating procedure, marines fanned out around the vehicle to secure the perimeter. The site--in Guinanta village--is the location of two of the MILF's three brigade commands in Basilan. Unknown to the marines, MILF forces were closely observing their movements. As the marines came within meters of the guerillas' high ground, gunfire erupted.

"A CCCH [Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities (GRP-MILF)] official described what ensued as a "pintakasi" (a fight in which everyone joins in). Once combat began, armed men from surrounding neighborhoods, including ASG fighters, joined against the marines in the hope of sharing the spoils--captured equipment, arms and ammuninition--or of avenging past wrongs. Followers of local politicians were embittered by the marines' rigid enforcement of the previous May's election gun ban. Fourteen marines died, ten of whom were decapitated and otherwise mutilated. Triggered by lack of coordination between the AFP and the MILF, the Al-Barka incident demonstrated the power of a momentary tactical alliance across organizational boundaries. An MNLF commander from Basilan noted: "MILF's three brigades [about 500 men]will become 3,000 men if 'loose arms' on the island are coordinated by the failure of the peace talks."

Notes (culled from ICG Report No. 152):
1. The AHJAG (Ad Hoc Joint Action Committee was designed to facilitate coordination between the Philippine government and the MILF to share intelligence on terrorists and avoid accidental clashes while government forces pursued them....as a counter-terror and conflict management mechanism that worked...a similar arrangement should be arranged with the MNLF. The problem is that it will only work if there is progress on the political front--that is in peace negotiations--so that the insurgents see concrete benefits from their cooperation with the government. Ceasefire mechanisms like AHJAG depend on substantive progress toward a comprehensive peace pact....
2. For more than two years, the AHJAG prevented conflict escalation as the search for terrorists intensified in MILF strongholds in western Mindanao and led to a few cases of the MILF's disciplining extremists in its own ranks. It helped force the ASG's core group, including Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Solaiman, to Sulu, where they were killed. This has come at a heavy price in Sulu, where no equivalent ceasefire machinery exists to separate jihadis from the dominant local guerilla force, the...MNLF. Instead, heavy-handed offensives against the ASG and its foreign jihadi allies have repeatedly spilled over into MNLF communities, driving some insurgents into closer cooperation with the terrorists, instead of the government.

(Photo credit: Mindanao Examiner)

The ICG On The Mindanao Conflict

The ICG is the "International Crisis Group". According to Wikipedia:

"The ICG is considered the world's leading leading independent, non-partisan source of analysis and advice to governments and intergovernmental bodies like the United Nations, European Union and World Bank, on the prevention and resolution of deadly conflict. Its primary goals are a unique combination of field-based analysis, sharp-edged policy prescription, and high-level advocacy, with key roles being played by a senior management team highly experienced in government and by a highly active board of Trustees containing many senior diplomats....

"The ICG maintains teams of analysts in 17 field offices worldwide, who are dispatched to areas at risk of outbreak, escalation, or recurrence of conflict."

The ICG was organized in 1995 and currently it is co-chaired by Chancellor of Oxford University and former European Commissioner for External Affairs Christopher Patten and former US Ambassador to the UN Thomas R. Pickering. Its president and chief executive is Gareth Evans, the former Foreign Minister of Australia. Its international headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium. In 2006, 40% of its funding came from governments, 32% came from philanthrophic organizations and 28% came from individuals and private foundations.

In May 14, 2008, ICG issued its Asia Report No. 152 titled, "The Philippines: Counter-Insurgency vs. Counter-Terrorism in Mindanao", days before the start of the current AFP-MILF war in Mindanao. Having analyzed the interplay of the GRP/AFP, MILF and MNLF since the '90s and its different responses to terrorism, part of its report might have bearing on the current war and its possible consequences. I quote (and be chilled by its cutting perspective):

"The seizure of the MILF's principal bases on Jolo [in 2007] recalls the MILF experience from 2000 to 2003. Relatively disciplined and hierarchically accountable guerilla formations have again been dispersed into an anarchic environment where there are many possibilities--and even imperatives--for them to deepen collusion with terrorists.

"In counter-insurgency terms, capturing guerilla strongholds may be seen as a victory. But from a counter-terrorism perspective, anything that drives mainstream guerillas and jihadis closer together is a defeat. On Mindanao, the AFP's occupation of the MILF's Camp Abubakar, from July 2000, did impede the JI training facilities--though this was not presented as an objective at that time. But smaller groups of freelance foreign jihadis have continued to seek partnerships with militants inside, as well as outside, the MILF and MNLF.

"The most dangerous of these liaisons came about as a direct result of Balikatan's [the joint RP-US military exercises] "success" in Basilan. As described above, driving the ASG core group onto the mainland [because it too "hot" for them in Basilan] had the unintended effect of cementing its alliance with radical MILF commanders....Though the story remains untold in the official account, it holds important lessons...for many situations where terrorists are embedded in popular insurgencies.

"Where distinguishing between insurgents and terrorists is possible, encouraging the first to cooperate against the second, rather than collude with them, must be a central pillar of government terrorism programs. Moreover, in the longer term, such cooperation helps build mutual trust necessary for a durable peace agreement. Quiet MILF cooperation against ASG and foreign jihadis continued until shortly after...21 June 2007. An ASG plan to re-infiltrate mainland Mindanao [Note: the report earlier acknowledged the late Chairman Hashim Salamat's cooperation in the expulsion of the ASG in mainland Mindanao], due to intensifying pressure from Oplan Ultimatum in Jolo, was frustrated in November 2006. Bashir Takasan, an MILF member...from Davao Oriental, where the jihadis had hoped to land, "died in the line of duty preventing their re-entry."

A chilling observation of the conflict, indeed. Does this forecast the long-term defeat of the government's strategy of "all-out war"?


[This article is a response to my article, "The MILF Has Been Suckered Into War: The Peace Agreement As A Trojan Horse", 11/19/08]

The MILF Have Been Suckered Into War:The "Peace Agreement" As A Trojan Horse

During the previous year or so the MILF have been charging the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) that the latter is not interested in peace citing the lack of progress in the peace talks and the near-impasse in the substantive portions of the agenda. Earlier this year the Malaysian peacekeepers of the International Monitoring Team notified Manila that it will not be renewing its peace-keeping chores saying practically the same reason cited by the MILF. Mindanao-based peace advocates shared the same lament. It even led to the resignation of some personalities connected with the peace process. Even the very respected Fr. Eliseo Mercado of the Notre Dame University in Cotabato City broadly hinted of government's insincerity in the peace talks.

Suddenly, nearing the end of Gen. Esperon's tour of duty as AFP Chief of Staff the talks suddenly accelerated. Gen. Esperon was appointed as the presidential adviser on the peace process right after retirement and, lo and behold, suddenly a "breakthrough" in the peace talks was announced. Soon after a signing of the "peace agreement" in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was announced.

When it became clear that the substantive portion of the agreement was about the "ancestral domain" and the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), Christian politicians in three key localities in Mindanao made angry noises. Suddenly, there was major fighting in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte and full-scale assault by the AFP followed. It was supposedly "to bring to justice" the commander of the BIAF (Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces) 102nd Base Command Abdulrahman Macapaar or Commander Bravo based in Lanao del Norte and Commander Ameril Umbra Kato of the 105th Base Command in North Cotabato who supposedly occupied 15 barangays.

Commander Bravo denied the charged atrocities in Kauswagan and pointed instead to the group of Alvin Canto as the perpetrators. This group immediately surrendered to the military after fighting started. Is this the same case as the "Polish" attack against Hitler's Germany that started WWII?

Is Kato's "occupation" true? For several years now the military has been charging Ustadz Kato with conniving with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Is there more than a coincidence here?

After nearly four months of war all of the MILF-BIAF's base command including those in western ARMM have been attacked by the AFP saying it would continue until the MILF surrenders the wanted commanders, a demand that was surely rejected by the MILF. Contrary to my expectations nearly all of the MILF areas have been overrun by the AFP. Feeling victorious, the current AFP chief of staff probably slipped when he boasted that:
1. "What we did in 2000 was to symbolically occupy areas and raise the flag. We have not accounted for much of their capabilities and even firearms", thereby directly criticizing Erap's "all-out war" against the MILF.
2. "Our objective now is not just to occupy lands...but to degrade the capabilities of the forces involved".
3. "We have not only occupied some of their traditional areas which means we have constricted their area of capability, their space to maneuver...we have inflicted considerable damage not only to personnel but to equipment of the different groups we are pursuing".

All in the disguise of "bringing to justice..." Looks like Gen. Yano mastered the Bush art of "truth-stretching". What was really the objective was "to change the realities on the ground", as preparation for "new peace talks".

Looking at other quarters, there seems to be moves to rehabilitate Nur Misuari of the MNLF. Maybe as a substitute sparring partner if the MILF does not report to the peace talks?

Looking back, the GRP's "concessions" in the peace talks looked too good and magnificent to be true. Maybe it knows that it won't pass Supreme Court review anyway. "The right hand giveth, the left hand giveth". A pretext (atrocities kuno) to a full-scale war was found. The "peace agreement" turned out to be just a Trojan horse.

Naga City And The Independent Component City Classification

A Highly Urbanized City (HUC) in the Philippines is politically and financially independent of the province where they nominally belong, if ever. Among the HUCs in the Philippines are: Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasig, Marikina, Taguig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasay, Paranaque, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela in the NCR; Cebu City, Mandaue and Lapu-lapu City in Metro Cebu; Baguio, Angeles, Olongapo, Lucena in Luzon; Puerto Princesa in Palawan; Iloilo, Bacolod and Tacloban (upon approval in a referendum) in the Visayas; and Davao, General Santos, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Zamboanga City in Mindanao for a total of 33. Twenty-one of these cities have their own representation in Congress and some have more than one representative.

Being independent, the HUC's legislation is no longer subject to review by the Provincial Board and it stops sharing its revenue with the province. Hence, HUCs are first-class divisions like provinces though for cartographic convenience they are not depicted separate in most maps.

HUC residents cannot vote nor run for provincial offices. However four or five HUCs have still political rights in the provinces where they nominally belong. This is so because the Local Government Code guarantees that cities converted to HUC after 1987 will have their charters still operational. So Lucena and Mandaue residents can still vote and run for provincial elections. Tacloban, a newly-declared HUC will probably belong to this category if the residents agree to the conversion. Lapu-lapu and Puerto Princesa residents, however, can only vote in the provincial elections.

On the other hand, most cities in the Philippines are Component Cities. Politically they are not yet independent of the province since its residents can still vote and run for provincial elections. Though its source of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) is different from that of the province's, it still shares part of its revenue with its province.

In between the two classes are the Independent Component Cities (ICC). Only four cities clearly belong to this category: Santiago in Isabela, Dagupan in Pangasinan, Ormoc in Leyte and Naga City. They are partly independent of the city where they nominally belong but the exact terms are set by their respective city charters. Santiago and Ormoc residents cannot run and vote in provincial elections while Dagupan and Naga residents can run but but not vote in provincial elections. Still, ICCs are legally and financially independent of the province they nominally belong to.

Being big urban centers HUCs host the intellectual, artistic, academic, political and financial cream of the province where they nominally belong. Even the media and religious is centered in the HUCs. Banning them from running for provincial offices severely depletes the talent pool available and the level of debate. Whatever the railings of the city's cream against the province's leadership it won't matter at the provincial level because anyway they don't vote nor do they contribute to the provincial coffers. And this is the reason why some provincial governments get away with inanities and its residents have to be "content" with second-rate and not-so upright administrators and politicians. In many instances people will see that the city councilors are even superior to the provincial board members and the city mayor is head and shoulder above the governor.

Dagupan and Naga residents can share its political talent with the province but being unable to vote it practically dooms the chances of its best sons and daughters. This practically guarantees second-rate-ism.

There have been soundings to convert Naga City back into a Component City. All is needed for this is a congressional amendment to the city charter to enable city residents to vote in the provincial elections. This has to be followed by a plebiscite.

I wonder if the incumbent congressman will do this. And it is the normal custom in Congress that another congressman will not table a bill that concerns the turf of his colleague.

It is my long-held belief that independent HUCs and ICCs are an unnecessary evil in a provincial setting. It is just alright in the National Capital Region (NCR). But in a provincial setting it simply disenfranchises the best talents of the province.


(Photo credit: gorio belen)

Ships hijacked by pirates, an earthquake in Indonesia and the decline of RP peso

7

Is the total number of ships hijacked by Somali pirates on since November 5, 2008 in the Aden Gulf. The latest hijacked ships are operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran and that of Saudi Arabia, a super oil tanker carrying $100 million worth of crude oil. In the past ransoms were paid to recover the ships, but nations are finding ways to foil piracy in the busiest sea lane of the world.

P49.96

At the close of business trading on November 18, 2008, the peso-dollar exchange has floundered close to P50/per dollar. The slide of the peso value is expected to continue as local and foreign effects of recession take its full effect.

7.5

Recorded in the Richter’s scale is strength of the quake that hit Indonesian island Sulawesi on November 17, 2008 which reportedly killed at least 6 persons, toppling houses and injuring scores of people. A tsunami warning from US officials in the area was raised within 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the quake’s origin, but was later lifted.

$1.2 billion

Bangko Sentral of the Philippines (BSP,) discloses this amount of deficit in the balance of payments (BOP) mainly attributed to capital flight, weak exports, and payment of maturing obligations. BOP is the record of the country’s transactions with the rest of the world and its deficit in October 2008 reduces this year’s surplus in a 10 month period to $345 million, down from $7.87 billion registered year-on-year.

77

Is the reported number of people who contracted typhoid fever in Quezon. Caused by Salmonella typhosa, the diarrheal disease with systemic manifestations is linked with contaminated water supply. The Department of Health (DOH,) advises boiling of water and frequent hand-washing to counter the spread of the disease. In a separate outbreak, 2 persons died of another diarrheal illness in Misamis Oriental. Reported on 11/18/08, about 1,000 people have sought treatment in the hospital for complaints which are suspicious of cholera. (Photo Credit: by Moody_fingers) =0=

Supreme Court Strikes Down Unqualified Cities

Finally, an institution that knows how to count numbers and read statutes put a stop to the indiscriminate conversion of ambitious but unqualified municipalities into ragtag cities. The Philippines' Supreme Court, with a vote of 7-5, with two abstentions and one on leave, declared that 16 separate laws creating 16 cities that did not pass the requirements are unconstitutional.

The following "cities" are affected by this decision: Batac in Ilocos Norte; Tabuk, the capital of Kalinga; Tayabas in Quezon; Catbalogan, the capital of (Western) Samar; Borongan, the capital of Eastern Samar; Baybay in Leyte; Bogo, Naga and Carcar in Cebu; Guihulngan in Negros Oriental; Tandag, the capital of Surigao del Sur; Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte; Bayugan in Agusan del Sur; Mati, the capital of Davao Oriental; El Salvador in Misamis Oriental and Lamitan in Basilan.

It was the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) which raised the case before the Supreme Court. Cities in the Philippines partake from the same portion of the pie called Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA). Therefore creation of new cities correspondingly reduce the allotment of the old cities and they begrudge it if the former town is unqualified to be a city. The city mayor of Davao even warned Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of political consequences if the said laws are passed since P180 million will be lost by his city with the creation of the new cities.

The 16 cities argued that since they first applied to be cities before the income requirement was changed from P20 million to P100 million then they should be exempted from the said standard. Congress bit into this argument because of political considerations. However, the Supreme Court ruled that nobody, even Congress, is exempt from the Local Government Code which set the said standards.

The Local Government Code sets the following standard for the creation of cities:
1. An income of at least P100 million for the last two years; and,
2. A population of 150,000 OR a contiguous land area of 100 square kilometers.

The 16 cities did not meet the income requirement. And not one of them also met the population requirement. It is probable that the only requirement that they met was the land area. But then a lot of obscure and remote towns will also meet that criteria.

Actually, the critical feature of a city is its urbanization. And this is best reflected in the income and in the population. To submit a town just because it meets the old requirement of P20 million is preposterous since a town earning just that will just be classified a 4th-class town. In the old days, a town must be a first-class town before it applies for cityhood.

This is not to denigrate these towns but just to show the absurdity of the 16 laws. Among Bicol's 4th-class towns are Malinao, Malilipot and Manito in Albay and Del Gallego, Minalabac and Garchitorena in Camarines Sur. Tinambac and Pio Duran will then be "over-qualified" since both are 3rd class towns.

Some of the "promoted" towns barely had population of 50,000. 50,000 inhabitants is even below the average of towns between Naga and Legazpi. I have been to the majority of the 16 towns and I know that in some of these "cities" the primary motive power are still the legs of a man. That means the pedicab is still the main form of transport around town. In one of these "cities", and a provincial capital at that, the prevailing monthly salary for a maid is P600 a month

It will be hard on the "cities" affected but as lawyers say "Dura lex, sed lex".


(The images above are taken from the said "cities".)

The Old Roads Of the Naga-Legazpi Corridor and Dialectal Variations Along Its Way

When I was growing up I always wondered how come there are big barrios in our upland areas with a labyrinth of roads connecting them. Later I learned that the revered Naga-Legazpi road with its long straights and sometimes running in the middle of rice fields was not the original artery in the early days. I came to know that it was the secondary roads and the mountain roads that were the original roads of the past. With that I began to understand better the dialectal and sub-dialectal variations along the Naga-Legazpi highway.

The old road connecting Camalig and Guinobatan is the road going to Tagaytay, Camalig. In the areas along this way a spider-web of roads connects the upland barrios of Daraga and the "S-3" area of Sorsogon (which refers to Donsol, Pilar and Castilla). The upland roads also connect Jovellar and Pio Duran [Malacbalac]. These upland areas were then serviced by the yellow-orange CAL buses until the late '60s. All these areas speak the Eastern Miraya sub-dialect. That was when I began to understand why these areas speak the same tongue.

I have long wondered how come the Bicol of Polangui is so similar to Eastern Miraya when along the way Ligao and Oas speak the Oasnon dialect. The centro of Polangui and its northern portion (the Napo and Ponso area) speaks the Western Miraya sub-dialect. Some eastern barangays of Buhi along also speak the sub-dialect and so do portions of Libon (the triangular area from Matacon to centro and back to Polangui).

I only understood this when I knew that there was an old secondary road connecting Guinobatan (the western terminus of Eastern Miraya) that passes through the major barrios of Masarawag and Muladbucad in Guinobatan, Nasisi, Herrera, Barayong and Busay of Ligao, Balogo of Oas and exiting into the Napo-Ponso area of Polangui which is then connected to the centro of Polangui. This road was serviced by ALATCO through its Consolidated Auto Lines (CAL) subsidiary up to 1968 when mudflow (lahar) damaged the bridge connecting Muladbucad and Nasisi. This secondary road is now passable again to motorists and is asphalted.

It must be noted that instead of curving westward there's also an old road that passes through Maninila, Guinobatan that passes through Quirangay and Sua of Camalig before exiting just east of the centro. This is the old northern connection of Guinobatan and Camalig.

The old road that connected Ligao and Oas passed through the low hills of Tula-tula in Ligao and Pistola in Oas. And the old road that connected Oas with Libon bypassing Polangui is through the barangay of Mayao. Aside from Oas and Ligao portions of Libon speaks Oasnon. However its mountain areas up to the coast speak Rinconada.

Whatever, since the road that connects Ligao to Oas to Polangui and even Libon and Matacon all passes through rice fields it can be assumed that it is probably a road of recent vintage. The Matacon road that directly connects Matacon to Polangui which bypasses the town of Libon was only constructed in the mid-60s.

From Libon there is an old road that connects to the barrios of Bato along the southern shores of the lake. This same road connects through Nabua via Tandaay. Here the predominant dialect is already Rinconada.

I do not know if the road that connects Nabua and Bula is an old road. I am also not sure if the Masoli road connecting Bato and Iriga is the old road and not the current road that connects to Nabua to Bato. But it is entire possible since it was all rice fields that separates Iriga from Nabua and majority of Iriga's old barrios are at the foot of Mt. Iriga.

Whatever, it is the Rinconada-speaking peoples who inhabited the rice-growing plains drained by the upper reaches of Bicol River from Lake Bato up to Minalabac. Aside from rice this is also the areas famous for carpa and talusog. The foothills of Mt. Iriga defined the upper reaches of this dialectal area and this stretches up to the coastal area from Pantao to Balatan up to Jamoraon Bay. It is possible that it is the river and the lakes that connected the Rinconada-speaking areas.

The road connecting Iriga and Pili is probably an old road skirting the shores of Lake Baao and hugging the foot of Mt. Iriga. Pili is a melting pot of Central Bicol and Rinconada dialects though in the old days it is predominantly Rinconada-speaking.

I am not also sure if the current Pili-Naga road is the old road. It is possible that the old road is the Pacol road since the current road passes through old rice fields and haciendas.

Whatever, further research is needed and it must be done soon since old people who can be primary sources are no longer numerous. There aren't too many people now who were born in the 1920's that are still alive.

The “paradoxical” faces of hunger: obesity and emaciation

A report shows the United States is beset with hunger problem just like the poor countries of the world. The US Department of Agriculture reports that 50% more American children compared to the previous year suffered hunger in 2007. Other findings are:

"_Some 691,000 children went hungry in America sometime in 2007 (above the 430,000 in 2006.) About one in eight Americans (12.5%) struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year's sharp economic downtown.

_The families with the highest rates of food insecurity were headed by single mothers (30.2 percent), black households (22.2 percent), Hispanic households (20.1 percent), and households with incomes below the official poverty line (37.7 percent).

_States with families reporting the highest prevalence of food insecurity during
2005-2007 were Mississippi (17.4 percent), New Mexico (15 percent), Texas (14.8 percent) and Arkansas (14.4 percent.)

_The highest growth in food insecurity over the last 9 years came in Alaska and Iowa, both of which saw a 3.7 percent increase in families who struggled to eat adequately or had substantial food disruptions.)"---Associated Press; Yahoo.news.com (11/17/08, Sniffen, MJ)



What constitutes hunger for Americans is a bit unsettled compared to those who endure apparent lack of food in other countries. Although the definition of hunger isn’t clear, it is appalling that the richest country on earth is reported to suffer hunger like the Philippines, one among the top five world nations which deals with lack of food.

Understanding food deprivation in USA is hard given the tremendous resources the nation has. Many of its “hungry” people are obese and are within arms way from government welfare services which are meager or almost non-existent in the Third World. Sixty-five (65%) of the Americans suffer from excessive weight; among them are those who complain of hunger. Paradoxically, even the overweights experience hunger. Fat people are seen quite regularly lining up in welfare offices, food stamp lines, social service agencies, and soup kitchens.

It seems hunger looks differently in USA than in other places that most people know. In the Third World, the hungry are usually underweight and emaciated---- the usual signs of malnutrition from pervasive lack of food and high incidence of diseases. Each day the poor struggle to eat, mostly subsisting on skimpy food devoid of essential nutrients which explains their thinness. The social milieu in which they live shows food scarcity----unlike in USA where faulty food distribution is the problem.



Where food supply is abundant and readily available, obesity is traced to poor eating habits. Inadequate knowledge on nutrition, lack of exercise, and alternating over-eating and undisciplined binging are leading reasons for their excessive weight. Concurrent illnesses and the influence of genes are blamed for some forms of obesity, but almost all emaciated people suffer from lack of food and/or concomitant diseases.

So there’s the clue why people who go hungry can’t be easily recognized by their appearances. It’s interesting to know how many among the obese complain of hunger in America while in the rest of the world, the hungry are physically wasting away. It’s sobering to think how Americans could suffer hunger in the midst of plenty. (Photo Credits: Calvaryslo; MioCade; ClaudeBarute; ItuDk) =0=

RELATED BLOG: 'Hunger in the Philippines" Posted by mesiamd at 11/05/2008

The Central Bicol Dialect Or The Northern Coastal Bicol

In the recent past, people often wondered why Bicol Naga is very similar to Bicol Legazpi. It is because passing through the national highway (Maharlika Highway) a lot of different dialects divide Naga and Legazpi. Going east, Rinconada will be the first different dialect encountered (starting in Pili and up to the western part of Polangui) and then Western Miraya (after Matacon, Libon). After that comes Bicol Oasnon (starting Oas, of course) and then Eastern Miraya (starting in Guinobatan until Daraga) before finally reaching Legazpi City.

After a period of wonderment comes the puzzlement. Some even said that the church and its rites and books has something to do with this "standardization". I give no credence to that. Otherwise we would have learned Latin, the official language of the church.

But I think the path to being misled begins with the assumption that the Naga-Legazpi highway that we know of now has been in existence since time immemorial, when it is not. An old civil engineer explained to me 30 years ago that this highway was only built in the 1920's. He said that before the arrival of heavy earth-moving equipments it is simply impossible to fill all the ricefields that lay between towns. He also added that the old roads passed through the hills like the old road from Camalig to Guinobatan is the Tagaytay (Camalig) road.

If one analyzes Bicol Tabaco it is readily apparent that it is also very similar to the "standard" Bicol. And going farther northwest it is also apparent that the Bicol of the Partido area and Caramoan Peninsula is also very similar to the "standard" Bicol. And, of course, Bicol Daet is also very similar to the "standard" Bicol. Actually, except for some sub-dialectical variations, it is obvious that all of this belong to just one dialect.

This whole stretch that belongs to just one Bicol dialect (but with sub-dialectical variations) actually starts from the old town of Bacon, Sorsogon and proceeds northwest up to Mambulao [J. Panganiban], Camarines Norte except the Larap area. It is the reason why it is sometimes called the Northern Coastal Bicol. But more recently it is more often called as the Central Bicol dialect. Up to 2/3 of Bicolanos speak this dialect but in international texts it is not called as "Standard" Bicol.

The southwestern town of San Andres [the old Calolbon] which is very near Caramoan Peninsula also speak this dialect and so do a vast inland area west of Naga City and up to portions of the "railroad towns" of Camarines Sur. The old outlet to the sea of Nueva Caceres [Naga] to the south, Pasacao, also speaks this dialect. And so do the whole San Miguel Bay area.

In the olden days, even before the Spaniards came, the way of getting around or trading was by sailing (in fact the word layag or paglayag is the same in many parts of the Philippines). These northern Bicol seas are normally placid during the southwest monsoon (habagat) because it is shielded by the Bicol land mass. In fact the old pilgrimage custom to the visita of Joroan is connected with this. Sailboats as far as Northern Samar used to visit that shrine in the earlier days.

Sub-dialectical variations can be explained by recognizing geographical divisions in the fishing areas. Albay Gulf is a separate fishing area and that is why Bicol Legazpi predominates this area and to the barangay of Sawanga of the old Bacon which has a sea connection to Rapu-rapu.

The narrows of Cagraray island separate the fishing grounds of Tabaco Bay from Albay Gulf. Here Bicol Tabaconon predominates.

The promontory and rough terrain ahead of Joroan divides tha fishing grounds of Lagonoy Gulf from Tabaco Bay area. Here the mountain chain Mt. Iriga-Mt. Masaraga-Mt. Malinao extends up to the sea. Areas like this hold few inhabitants, hence, little fishing. Actually in the olden times Agta tribes dominated this area. Like in Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon, the physical and fishing boundary between sub-dialects are connected to the presence of an indigenous tribe.

In Lagonoy Gulf, the Partido sub-dialect predominates.

The old trade route go round the Caramoan Peninsula. It does not go overland from Goa to Tinambac due to the rough terrain and the control of the mountains by the Cimarrones. If trade and communication is carried overland it passes the southern foot of Mt. Isarog (the Carolina route) and this is usually the case when the northeast monsoon (amihan) is blowing. When amihan is in full swing the northern waters of Bicol are rough.

Inhibitants of the tip of Caramoan Peninsula are related to the inhabitants of the southwest portion of Catanduanes. They make regular sea crossings even in the olden days.

The San Miguel Bay area which is horseshoe-shaped and which extends from Pambujan to Siruma and sealed at the entrance by the Caningo island is another separate fishing ground. Here, the Naga sub-dialect predominates.

The Camarines Norte seas up to the Calagua islands is another separate fishing ground. Bicol Daet dominates the eastern Camarines Norte town.

The area west of Naga City that speaks Bicol Naga is dominated by the lower portion of the Bicol River Basin (the portion nearer the sea). The meandering rivers here that irrigates the vast rice plains is also the old transportion route and this is connected up to the mouth of San Miguel Bay near Cabusao. The landing area near the Naga public market is a remnant of this artery.

This is the historical reason why Bicol Naga and Bicol Legazpi is very similar. As do the other dialects in the northern coast of Bicol.

Do Ports Really Spur Investment?

When I first saw Kiwalan Cove east of Iligan City I was amazed. In its placid waters lay about 20 ships of various types and sizes, either anchored silently in the water or lashed to its dozen or more piers and wharves where some kind of activity is taking place. To a person like me who grew in the inland plains of Bicol imagining a dozen or so piers in a 5-kilometer stretch is unimaginable. Yes, I have seen a private port in the shape of Legazpi Oil's wharves in Legazpi City. But I thought being the biggest copra exporter then in the world should have one especially since the old Legazpi port can no longer dock the bigger ships due to its shallow berth. Along my growing up years I always associated ports as government ports.

Chugging along barangay Recodo in Zamboanga City a few years later I saw three fish canneries lined up one after the other, each having their own pier. And right by them exists the biggest shipyard in Mindanao with over a dozen ships moored, beached or drydocked in various phases of completion, repair or refurbishing.

From Davao City going to Panabo City a sight similar to Kiwalan Cove is present. Several private piers can be found along the way with foreign and local ships docked. The government-owned Sasa port is one of the biggest in the country but I found out that two private ports are even bigger and busier than Sasa.

And, I didn't know then that private ferry ports existed. But I saw my first when Daima Shipping constructed their private wharf in Mukas, Tubod, the capital of Lanao del Norte to service their RO-ROs crossing the Panguil Bay to Ozamis City, a move later matched by the Millenium Shipping of the Floirendos. Later, the government-owned pier in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte died because of this.

Riding my first Mindanao to Bicol bus ride I came to know that the two ferry terminals being used in Allen, Northern Samar by RO-ROs crossing to Matnog, Sorsogon are private and owned by the RO-RO companies. The government-owned ferry port in San Isidro, Northern Samar lay unused and closed.

In my travels all over Mindanao I have seen the same pattern repeated, in a minor or major scale--private piers sprouting in places which is no longer within the city proper. I began to ask the question why. The answer I got is, "They (the companies) will buy where land is cheap and they will just construct their own pier and no longer go through the government-owned port; saves them handling and berthing costs."

That's when I suspected that the spiel I heard in Bicol that we need to put up government-owned piers to spur investment is probably just a mirage. A company will locate to a place simply because there is a reason for them to (for example the availability of cheap electricity like in Iligan City or the abundance of fish like in Zamboanga City). It is not the presence of a pier that will convince them to invest. After all it might not even use the government-owned pier.

Recently, three mining operations were highlighted because of some sectors' complaints. In Catanduanes, Homonhon Island and Agusan del Norte these was strip-mining of the beaches for ores that will be transported for smelting in China. It struck me that those places don't even have government-owned piers. The mining companies were just using shallow-bottomed powered barges to load their cargo.

So, it seems the explanation I heard is Mindanao is probably right.


[The ports shown above are not government-owned port.]

Bamboo Car

To help control global warming and lessen pollution, the BamGoo, an electric car made of bamboo, a versatile plant of the grass family is crafted in Japan. The "ecology-friendly" vehicle on a single charge can run for about 50 kilometers (30 miles)---TrendHunter.com (11/03/08)

In the Aftermath of the Naga Public Market Fire

I was in Naga City last Saturday and instinctively I headed for the burned supermarket that prominently figured in the local and national news recently. I knew the location as well as the market’s general lay-out having visited it or passed around it several times in the past. I was curious on the extent of the damage and how things are different now. Knapsack and camera in tow, I just walked my way towards the market oblivious to the slight drizzle and the sky that is turning dark. I could have easily taken a jeepney or tricycle but there is something about walking the streets of familiar and not-so-familiar places that fascinates me. The few pesos that I would save wouldn’t hurt as recession lurks just behind the corner.

The first thing that caught my attention was the blackened 2nd floor and the crowd of vendors that occupies the street beneath it. The traffic was beginning to build up as tricycles and jeepneys slow down trying to avoid the various obstacles that used to be minimal in the past. Looking at the market from end to end, I realized it’s really huge occupying two big blocks.


The fire that destroyed the Naga Public Market has displaced hundreds of vendors that used to occupy the 2nd and 3rd floors. They are mostly those occupying stalls in the wet market selling meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. They now occupy both sides of J. Hernandez street housed in makeshift tents selling their wares. Both the vendors and the buyers are exposed to the sun and the rain with only their flimsy trapal and umbrellas to protect them. They are also exposed to the carbon monoxide and pollution that are ever present in the street as jeepneys, tricycles and other motorized vehicles inch their way through the narrowed and crowded streets made worse by the rain.


When I asked the vendors how long they will be back to their previous stalls, nobody can give a definite answer. Looking at their faces, I experienced a surge of emotions. I was happy to know that they are still able to sell and earn a living for their children and family. At the same time I felt sad because they have to endure harsh conditions and nobody’s sure for how long this will last. These are simple people with simple dreams, honest and hardworking who deserve every hard-earned peso they earn. I felt great admiration for them but words weren’t coming out.


Those occupying the ground floor of the supermarket were not as affected. It’s business as usual for them except for the fact that they now have to share their frontage with the hordes of displaced vendors that are also trying to make a living in the aftermath of the tragedy. A significant portion of the second floor housing ukay-ukay stalls was spared from the fire. In the inner portions of the ground floor, the beauty and barber shops are still intact. I did not find those barbers whom I used to play chess with many years ago. I wasn’t even sure if they are still there or if I can remember their faces. The row of carinderias still serve snacks and meals, each one trying to entice customers to try out their menus. After a light snack I exited through the rows of stalls selling clothes, dropped by the newsstand and bought a copy of my favorite local newspaper. I used to browse the headlines in this particular newsstand and somehow it felt reassuring that they are still there.


With the commitment of several high ranking Bicolano government officials to reconstruct the damaged Supermarket, I’m optimistic that in no time the Maogmang Lugar public market with its myriad of native attractions and local charm will be back to its feet and will continue to serve the people of Naga City and the surrounding towns as well as continue to fascinate simple travelers like me.

General Motors, Suzuki and the Legazpi Airport

The beleaguered General Motors (GM) of the US is selling its 3% stake in Suzuki Motor Corporation for $230 or about PHP11 billion in Philippine money. The biggest automative company (until last year) is bleeding heavily in the current financial crisis sweeping the world and it is feared it would run out of money soon unless bailed out by the US government.

Suzuki has lost 55% of its "market value" this year due to the ongoing economic crisis. It has revised downward its estimated profits to $612 million. Yet a 3% stake in that company will still earn $18.3 million or about PHP850 million.

Legazpi airport is due to be relocated soon in a Daraga barangay going to Sorsogon. Government estimates the cost to be P5 billion pesos, an estimate I do not believe. The government said that when the new Davao airport cost was completed it cost $128 or about PHP6 billion. I am not sure if in that bill land acquisition and airport equipment was included since a PHP10 billion cost was being bruited about in Davao.

Nobody at this point knows what is included in the estimate of PHP5 billion for the new Legazpi airport. But it is known that project proponents in many cases deliberately underestimate the cost so that it will "saleable". Later on, they would simply ask for "supplementary" budget allocation which is already an overused ploy. In this case it will always be approved lest people get mad over an airport that cannot be used.

Be it P5B or P10B it is simply too much money to put in a single project that will probably handle only 3 flights per day. The landing fees that will be collected will not even be enough to pay the cost of money and operational expenses of the airport.
Moreover, it is not the common people who will use it. After all it is known that half of the airline revenues are from travel-happy government employees who always think they are in a hurry but who would take a cheaper alternative if the fare will come from their pockets.

I have no question if funds are spent for municipal ports. Simply because so many people use it and not only fishermen and boat/launch passengers. Municipal ports even become rural promenades.

Airports takes lots of space, it costs so much and just too little people use it anyway. They just make it look necessary but for all practical purposes it is a white elephant.

Look if that money is used to buy that 3% stake of Suzuki. With that it will be put to better use.

Of course the usual justifications like tourism will be raised again and again like a mantra. As if tourists come in droves. They will also use the word "gateway". Bicol's real gateway is the bus and the Maharlika highway. After all, we are not the US where long-distance travel by people is really via air and they can afford to pay for it.

For comparison, look at Baguio City which is a much stronger destination for local and foreign tourist. It no longer has scheduled flights and it is none the worse for it. Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, a city of comparative size and distance to Legazpi doesn't have air service, too, anymore. Commuters there are willing to take the 10-12 hour overnight aircon bus which is the same travel time of aircon buses to Legazpi.

They rationalize that the old airport can be sold for about P5B so in the end the project becomes "self-financing". But did they reckon how many factories can be put up with that amount of money? It could have even bought the Aboitiz Transport System. Yes, bring that money to Bicol, please, but use it in putting up factories and BPO centers.

I remember that a few years ago a multilateral funding agency observed that we stress too much infrasture-building. And this might be another case of that.

Naga Public Market To Be Rebuilt

It was reported that funds will be released for the reconstruction of the Naga Public Market (Supermarket) which was hit by a fire recently. Sen. Joker Arroyo and Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., who both hail from Camarines Sur said that P70 million will soon be available. The two Camarinesences visited the city recently to assess the aftermath of the fire. On the part of the city, Mayor Jesse Robredo said it will contribute P20 million from its own funds. The combined amount is thought to be enough to start the first phase of the reconstruction of the market. Additional funds though will be needed later to complete the task of reconstruction.

From the city's perspective, an immediate reconstruction is a must. Aside from the dislocation of various sectors, economic activity gets re-routed (sometimes to other places) once the central market of the locality is debilitated. In the past, towns whose market are hit by fire and whose reconstruction lagged slipped a notch or two in the economic ladder.

From the people's perspective, normal livelihood must be restored to obviate the economic impact of the fire. From the point of view of consumers and suppliers normalcy will be restored if a permanent place for commerce is again available.

It is now the task of all sectors to join hands to rebuild the commercial center of the city.

Naga's public market was initially built in 1963. It was still considered Bicol's biggest with about 700 stalls.

It was hit by a post-midnight fire last November 7. The blaze lasted till the break of day and damage was placed at P100 million. The streets Igualdad and General Luna now serves temporarily in its place.


(Photo credits:arlan2008ph, rabbijey)

Another gruesome journalist’s slay

Barely a month after Reporters Without Border lowered RP’s freedom index from 128th to 142nd this year, another journalist, has been reportedly slained in Gingoong City, Misamis Oriental. Radio Natin commentator Aristeo Padrigao, a hard-hitting critic of Mayor Ruthy Guingona, died of gunshot wound inflicted by a motorcycle-riding assailant according the provincial police chief Catalino Rodriguez.

"The Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) said the Philippines has become the 'most dangerous place for journalists next to Iraq and the most murderous place in the world for journalists.' "---GMANewsTV (11/17/08, Jacinto, A)

Mostly unresolved, more than 50 Filipino journalists have been killed since 2001 and greater than 800 civilians have died or went missing under suspicious circumstances. The public is angered and frustrated. The 7th journalist to die in 2008, Padrigao casts strong doubts on Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo’s capacity to stave off the deteriorating human rights record of the Philippines. =0=

RELATED BLOGS: "RP’s 2008 Press Freedom Rank: 142nd out of 173 nations," Posted by mesiamd at 10/26/2008; "Deteriorating Human Rights Record: another journalist shot dead in Camarines Sur," posted by mesiamd at 08/16/08.)

UPDATE:“The horrific pattern of antagonism and violence against journalists in the Philippines is a disgrace and must end,” said the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ Asia-Pacific) said in a reaction to the death of Aristeo Padrigao, a staunched critic of illegal logging in Mindanao. Calling for justice, IfJ, bewails the helplessness of RP to stop the killings which have claimed the lives of 61 journalists since 2001 according to the Nuational Union of Jounrnalists in the Philippines NUJP).Inquirer (11/18/08, Kwok, A)

Quantum leap in revenue for the 22nd James Bond movie

Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond movie and sequel of the 2006’ Casino Royale rakes in record-breaking profits in its weekend debut in America.

Featuring Daniel Craig as Bond, the movie directed by Marc Foster draws $70.4 million surpassing the $47 million earned by another 007 movie Die Another Day, the next best opening record of a Bond film starring Phil Brosnan in 2002.

According to CNN News.com/AP, latest ranking of top 10 box office hits estimated by ticket sales In US and Canada are as follows:

1. "Quantum of Solace," $70.4 million.
2. "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," $36.1 million.
3. "Role Models," $11.7 million.
4. "High School Musical 3," $5.9 million.
5. "Changeling," $4.2 million.
6. "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," $3.2 million.
7. "Soul Men," $2.43 million.
8. "The Secret Life of Bees," $2.4 million.
9. "Saw V," $1.8 million.
10. "The Haunting of Molly Harvey," $1.6 million


Taking from where Casino Royale ended, the plot of the latest tinseltown’s escapist fantasy movie focuses on the British agent’s brooding effort to get back against criminals he believes are accountable for his former lover’s death. The movie based on Ian Fleming’s characters was filmed in 6 countries including location shootings in England, Chile, Panama, and Spain.

Recent reviews are mixed, but the film with an “average” satisfaction rating broke box-office records in UK, Switzerland, Finland, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Romania, and Slovenia. From its opening in UK in October to its weekend opening debut in USA on Friday, November 14, 2008, it grossed at total of $322,000,000 worldwide. (Photo Credits: Karen Ballard/Sony Pictures: Karen Ballard/Ap; ____; Los Angeles Times)=0=

Amando Doronila is Wrong

In his Inquirer column, Amando Doronila argues that US President-elect Barack Obama is "no friend to the Philippines" because Obama snubbed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's congratulatory call.

Amando Doronila is wrong. Since when did we equate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with the Philippines? Certainly, Gloria as an unpopular leader comes strong in Barack Obama's radar. Joc Joc Bolante's trial in Chicago, put in spotlight by very vocal anti-Gloria protesters outside the courthouse, was too scandalous to escape Obama's attention. Even US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is no fan of the sitting Philippine leader. Gloria's misconducts are also all over the Web.

If at all, Obama is showing remarkable sensitivity to the feelings of majority of Filipinos who will be outraged if they see the transformational president chummy-chummy with a woman of strong faith who, the world perceives, institutionalized graft and corruption in a third world country to perpetuate her abusive, repressive regime.

Bad signs for Gloria. Three snubs in a row is outside the margin of error. Obama appears to have lumped her together with the leaders of Burma, Zimbabwe and Sudan, who Obama plans to take on (reading his Berlin speech between the lines) and whose congratulatory calls Obama will probably not promptly return.

There is silver lining for Gloria, though. Bill Clinton is her college classmate, and Hillary may just become the US Secretary of State.

Still, a multitude silently waits here now and ready to erupt into cheers if only the "cut and cut cleanly" one-liner gets delivered Obama style--- so hope and change would come to the Philippines too.

For 45,000 Euros, a Fabulous Watch for a Fabulous Filipino in the "Euro Generals Scandal"

I laughed away my incredulity when Tyrone Ng Arejola, 35, a rich friend of retired Philippine National Police (PNP) comptroller Gen. Eliseo de la Paz testified in the senate hearing on the “Euro General Scandal.” Arejola explained that of the 105,000 euros (6.9 million pesos) confiscated by Russian authorities from Gen. de la Paz last month, 45,000 euros was his. The high-flying wealthy Filipino businessman with unusual liking for gem time pieces said the money was his payment for a watch worth P2.9 million to be bought in Europe--- something Filipinos (myself included) find incredible.

I’m bewildered by Arejola's exquisite interest for jewelry watches. As a long-time resident in America, it’s the first time I hear of such fabulous chronometers like "Roger Dubuis Bi Retro" or an "IWC Portuguese Chronowatch," the time pieces Arejola loves.

I live close to the jewelry district of New York and I have often walked passed jewelry watches on glass displays. In the last 20 years, I never owned a wristwatch or dream of owning one. But I understand its necessiy---not the costly time pieces which one needs to cover with an insurance or guard against theft with dear life. For checking time, I only rely on my simple cell phone which works just as well.

My ignorance about luxury time pieces is magnified knowing I learn about them from kababayans in Manila who’re at the center of a hideous money-laundering scandal. Life can really be paradoxical sometimes, says my doctor-friend-colleague who learned about Arejola who lives in affluence within a society beset with grinding poverty.

Arejola, an avowed “born-again Christian” like de la Paz, can possibly afford such expensive European watches whose names twist my tongue. Yet, I wonder why he asked the PNP officer to illegally carry his money in a foreign travel to pay for them. It’s the 21st century. Why can’t he use modernity's regular perks like a money transfer, a credit card, or a bank remittance?

(Noveau?) rich Filipinos like Arejola make me forget the country is poor. At that price of 45,000 euros, the watch is surely tops at the end of the price scale. Who can fault humility and hubris coming together? It’s the same thought that may have crossed Sen. Manuel Roxas’ mind when he directed his quizzical comment to Arejola in the senate meeting:

“So 45,000 euros…Parang ang bigat suotin po nyan eh. Parang bahay na po yan. Yung akin Timex ah, $30. Personal na pera niyo yan kaya wala akong masabi (That would be quite heavy to wear. That’s like a house. My watch is a Timex, worth $30. In any case, that’s your personal money so I cannot say much),” Inquirer, (11/15/08, Kwok, A)

A question to ask Gen. de la Paz: “How can you, a law officer put your integrity in line and that of the country by agreeing to be a courier of Arejola’s money?”

In accordance to the law, every traveler has to declare money beyond $10,000 dollars, why didn’t de la Paz do it as he passed the customs? Even Filipino maids traveling for the first time in the airport know this rule by heart.

If Arejola is telling the truth, he should be decidedly affluent, but nonetheless awkwardly dirt cheap and stupid to put Gen. de la Paz and the country in hot water. He admitted that Enviroair, one of his companies, get juicy contracts from the PNP.

From here, I can only ask the reader to think and make your own theories and conclusions. I think investigators have uncovered some raunchy details of this scandal rocking the military, but they aren’t focusing on the right questions hard enough---the what, how, where and when of the 105,000 euros in the PNP officer’s possession.

It’s not so important that the Russian customs authorities have “absolved” him through some dubious diplomatic channels. The PNP officer has yet to explain, among others, why he has that huge money brought in the Interpol conference in St. Petersburg with his wife. He has to explain the illegal huge amount of money he carried abroad against conventions of international travel.

The “zarzuelas” and inanities of corrupt citizens go on in the Philippines. The people can only sigh in angst and anger thinking how many more rapacious scandals they have to endure in their lifetime. In Manila, one hears the poor street protesters yelling,“Tama na! Sobra Na!” while the PNP officers with their guns look on. =0=

PNP Gen. Eliseo de la Paz



Photo Credit: ABSNews; AP; Bullit Marquez

RELATED BLOG: “Euro Generals” from Moscow and the “zarzuela” that awaits them in Manila Posted by mesiamd at 10/21/2008

The MDs Of UP Ibalon Of Earlier Years

In my four years in UP Diliman covering 1974-77, the UP Ibalon produced 19 Doctors of Medicine or an average of nearly five per year. I can only offer two explanations for this. One, the best and brightest of Bicolano students were then in Ibalon. And second, since it was martial law the students were not keen to take up Law (In fact only one of the 110 or so members of the organization in that period took up Law but he happened to become an abogado de campanilla: Atty. Joel Cadiz).

The Charter Batch produced 5 M.D.s. They are:
1. Delen Padilla-de la Paz, our nominee for the Diamonds in the Rough award, who specializes in Community Medicine. She is connected to the Social Medicine Unit of the PGH. She is active in many NGOs and causes and you can sometimes see her on TV as a street parliamentarian. A Manila native, Delen lived in Legazpi City for six years, enabling her to learn Bicol. Her husband Boying is a surgeon at the PGH.
2. Totie Mesia, a now-retired pathologist based in New York City, debilitated by a chronic illness. Currently, he is specializing in Journalism. But you can still easily ask him about health matters. Bako lang an mga gadan an aram niya. Totie is a native of Naga City and it is obvious in his writings that he loves Naga more than New York.
3. Ray Rayel, a cardiologist based in Wisconsin, noted for his rollicky humor and friendly manner. He can easily make his tense patient relax by spinning joke after joke until the BP drops to normal. Ray is the proud son of Polangui, Albay.
4. Eden Lao, our long-lost surgeon who reputedly married the Olivia Hussey of Naga, beating many Atenistas to their dream girl. Eden hailed from Iriga City.
5. Joey Jaucian, who soon left for the US after his studies at UP-PGH. Joey is a native of Ligao City.

Ibalon Batch 75-A produced three doctors. They are:
1. Arnel Malaya, the current Dean of College of Physical Therapy and the Chair of Rehabilitation Medicine at UERM. Kun makulog an kasu-kasuan nindo ay he can straighten it out. Also see him if ever your son or daughter enrols in UERM. Arnel hailed from Iriga City
2. Julius Lecciones, once connected to the company that markets Depo-Provera (because he has many children daw), he is now the Medical Director of the Philippine Children's Medical Center. A TOYM awardee, he is a pediatric oncologist publishing so many papers. A living proof that someone born at the end of the world can rise to the top. Marhay ta natukduan nin Bicol ninda Ray and Totie kaya nakalaog sa Ibalon (ta palibhasa nag-abot sa Molave na an taramon Cebuano ta taga-Pio V. Corpus,Masbate).
3. Nips Valenciano, who practices medicine in the Middle East and going by a linked article it seems he is active in the Filipino community there. Nips is a native of Buhi, Camarines Sur.

Ibalon Batch 75-B produced four doctors:
1. Andy Gimpaya, a former government doctor in Samar, he is now specializing in Computer Programming and Net enterpreneurship. He is our beloved website administrator. Lani Palencia told me that when Andy came back to Naga bako man daa medical practice an binakal ni Andy kundi tennis practice. You can also go to him if you need construction materials or if you need some Web or Net services.
2. Amy Goleta-Dy, a pediatric oncologist based in St. Luke's, you can also come to her if you need wellness products and you will even be helping indigent cancer patients who are beneficiaries of the products she helps market. Her husband is a surgical oncologist at St. Luke's. Amy's hometown is Bula, Camarines Sur.
3. Boy Remo, an internist who practices in Missouri, and who is a frequent visitor to his hometown of Goa (and a townmate of Andy). It seems Caramoan Peninsula is his favorite destination nowadays.
4. Eden Borja-Fernando, our very gracious host and sponsor who is a renowned obstetrician-gynecologist in Naga City. Her base is the Plaza Medica. I was advised that she wants no higher praise than this. A resident successively of Siruma, Tinambac and Canaman, Camarines Sur. She is the one to see kun mangangaki an an agom nindo.

Ibalon Batch 76-A produced a lone doctor in Susan Princesa-Mallonga who is based in Vancouver, Canada but who shuttles and works here now and then so that their family won't lose their Philippine roots.

Ibalon Batch 76-B produced four doctors:
1. Annelee Badiola-Lojo, an obstetrician-gynecologist connected with Las Pinas Medical Center and a Department Chair. An eternal Ibalon supporter whose Naga house is always open to Ibalonians, she is well-liked by everyone. A frequent visitor to Naga, it seems her recent haunt is New York City. Her husband Rommel, an Ibalon friend, is a surgeon.
2. Abet Guballa, an opthalmologist in Medical City and the Section Chief for Comprehensive Opthalmology in that institution. A sometime Naga visitor we hope he can set up a clinic in his hometown in the near future so that those with eye problems need not go to Manila anymore.
3. Ningning Joson-Villanueva, a practicing pediatric cardiologist at the Davao Doctors Medical Center. Her husband, Dr. Noel Villanueva is my nephrologist. Siyempre may istoryang Bikol pag nasa clinic ninda ako kaya napapanganga su ibang pasyente. She hails from Naga City
4. Pat Litam, a hematologist practicing in Ohio. He is a native of Naga City.
(Puro daw taga-Naga ining apat. Garo nag-orolay.)

The two batches of Ibalon in 1977 produced two doctors:
1. Ed Lim, an allergologist-immunologist based at the PGH and a section chief in that renowned institution.
2. Godo Garcia, a graduate of the UP College of Medicine, he now practices in the US.

Ten of the 19 are members of our e-group.

Additionally, there are two other Ibalonians who are familiar to us who are also doctors and just junior by a few years to them. Dai ko sinda inabutan sa UP but I know the first:
1. Penny Robredo-Bundoc, the Department Chair of Rehabilitation Medicine in PGH. A native of Naga, she is the sister of Butch and Mayor Jesse Robredo, two figures familiar to us. Her husband Pipo is a spine surgeon at the PGH and a TOYM awardee. Penny is also a member of our e-group.
2. Imelda Torres-Reyes, a UP College of Medicine graduate is a practicing pediatric cardiologist in Naga City. She was the first to detect something wrong in Pitoy's angel.

An masasabi ko puro totoo saka maboboot na tawo an mga doktor ta. Never be afraid to approach them. Iistoryahan pa kamo ki kadakol. Puwede man na online.

They are also Ibalon's pride.

Feeling the loss of Maogmang Lugar’s market fire

by Pitoy Moreno



The big fire that gutted Naga City Supermarket has been quickly extinguished but the magnitude of the loss is incalculable. Those who shop in the market now find the vendors displaced, selling their goods in Igualdad and General Luna Streets. There is confusion--- something that’s expected when a calamity gets into the lives of the people. For having a "super" market, Naga suffers a "super" loss.

Fondly referred to as “Satuyang Sa’od,” the Naga Supermarket was at one point the largest public market in Asia. It had been a source of pride of the Bicolanos. During its construction in the early 1970’s, the impressive concrete edifice rose with two large covered floors and an open roof deck, occupying two city blocks. The supermarket was one of its kind until the mega Malls became popular.

Two underpasses cross the belly of the building assuring easy mobility of pedestrians and tricyles. At the center, a spiral ramp was designed to allow wooden carts and vehicles to bring merchandise directly to the top. Huge stairways service the commercial edifice for the convenience of sellers and shoppers alike. Natural breeze aerates the sturdy building.



The supermarket is a major hub of activity in Naga City. At the break of dawn people flock to the place to start the busy day. Early “birds” in search for the proverbial “fat worm” are drawn in the commercial paradise where an eclectic mix of merchandise and service thrive. Off-school children and teenagers eager to earn cash help moms and pops tend their store. The market isn’t just a place to buy and sell, it’s also an interesting place where people congregate and socialize in Maogmang Lugar.

In specified sections of the supermarket, fresh fruits, organic vegetables, choice meat, and an array of farm harvests are sold hand-in-hand with locally made home furnishings and native products. There are carenderias, flower stores, beauty shops, and bakeries that keep business at fever pitch all throughout the seasons.

Known for its plebeian openness and domesticity, the supermarket is never short of exciting activity. Seafood are hauled from places like Calabanga, Pasacao, and Cabusao and sold in the market at mark down prices. Farmers from Pacol and Carolina bring baskets of balatong harvested from their gardens. Those from Panicuason and neighboring towns bring sacks of freshly harvested corn, talong, coconuts, and edible greens to the delight of shoppers. As far as Tinangis at the foot of Mount Isarog, they come with their fresh produce to sell. That’s why as a matter of habit, store-owners in the city and neighboring towns rely on the supermarket to keep their trade going.



Shoppers love the market for the tuyo, badi, tocino and longaniza they buy for their families, but it is also a place where they meet their friends and relatives. Pili sweets are mainstay favorites enjoyed by their visitors. Young and old, they enjoy the ukay-ukay and the ready-to-wear clothes stalls which sell copies of big name brands of fashionable apparels at low prices.

Newpapers and magazines are sold in the first floor. In the market’s upper levels, vendors offer familiar Bicolano foodstuffs--- red hot sili, bawang, kangkong, petchay, sibulyas, laya, and kamatis. The tempting aroma of Bicol cuisine fills the air. Rows of eateries serve ice-cold fruit juices and halo-halo to banish the tropical heat of summer. Native calamay sweets, balisoso, dila-dila, and ibos are available for hungry shoppers. Puto, bokayo, latik, pinuyos and baduya never frustrate the taste of those who seek them in the market.

It’s no wonder why Naga sorely misses the market that has been razed by fire. Many ask how long it will take the government to restore the place to its original ambience. As one can imagine, the supermarket is the truly the heart of a vibrant city where businesses flourish and the soul of the people dwells. (Photo Credits: bingbing; hellochris; hellochris) =0=

Mayor Jess Robredo Meets Naga Fire Victims

In a gathering at the site of the fire that gutted the Naga Supermarket, Mayor Jesse Robredo explains to his constituents the measures he will take to tackle the problems that follow the displacement of vendors and shoppers of the market. According to Bicol Mail, an estimated P70 million worth of goods and property were lost. (Photo Credit: Bicol Mail, Movember 13, 2008)

RELATED BLOGS: "Naga Public Market (Supermarket) Burns Down" Posted by myty555 at 11/07/2008; "Huge Loss in Naga Supermarket Fire" Posted by mesiamd at 11/09/2008;"Fire brings woes to Naga City market vendors" Posted by mesiamd at 11/07/2008



UPDATE: Inquirer (11/17/08, Escandor J.) Announced by Sen. Joker Arroyo and Budget Sec. Rolando Andaya, the national government will release P70 million to finance the reconstruction of the city’s three-story public market. Fire damage assessment was upped to P100 million from the earlier reported P70 million reported.

A Multitude Of Bicolano Student Organizations In UP Diliman: The Present Problem And The Lessons Of The Past

From one unified regional organization or varsitarian before, the UP Ibalon, the UP Diliman Bicolano studentry is now divided into a multitude of organizations, all competing for the allegiance and loyalty of the Bicol sector it claims to represent. Most of the organizations are province-based, with one being region-based and another is district-based.

The sole regional organization (in name) but currently whose membership overwhelmingly comes from Sorsogon and Albay is the UP Ibalon. The Camarines Norte students have their UP Saro, Camarines Sur students have their UP Harong, Albay students have their UP Mayon, Sorsogon students have their UP Sorsoguenos, Catanduanes students have their UP Catandungan, Masbate students have their UP Lawod and Rinconada students have their UP Tan-aw.

Not all of these Bicol varsitarians gets recognized by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) all the time because some at different points in their existence lack the mandatory minimum number of members to be recognized by the OSA. And that is one result of this fractiousness. From the grapevine, it seems it is UP Mayon's and UP Sorsoguenos turn to have this trouble though it seems UP Tan-aw have not yet managed to have themselves recognized. UP Mayon's and UP Sorsoguenos' chance to recruit might be impacted by the preponderance of UP Ibalon members that comes from Albay and Sorsogon.

I heard that UP Ibalon is even affected by an OSA rule that the number of members must exceed the number of elective posts. Formerly all the members of the Applications, Membership and Elections Committees of UP Ibalon are elective, aside from the Board of Directors which has 10 officers (the UP Ibalon has now an Internal and an External Vice-President).

Healthy Bicol varsitarians' membership normally ranges only between 30 to 40 or thereabout. Surprisingly, it is the UP Catandungan which boasts of the highest number of members. It is an indication of the strength of their recruitment facilitated perhaps by the fact that nearly all of the UP Diliman students that came from Catanduanes were products of the Catanduanes State College Laboratory School.

Many of these varsitarians have their own talent contests involving local high schools which mimics the UP Ibalon's Padunungan. The contests range from the arts to science. These contests provide a good exposure to the varsitarians to their local high schools and it harvests a lot of goodwill for them aside from positive publicity. This has proved effective in recruiting the talented high school students that get to UP Diliman. So the varsitarians put a lot of stress in this and they usually hold these contests during the semestral break.

These affairs are no longer the low-cost projects of the early years. Much effort and expense is put on maximizing the exposure and in having a good-looking presentation. Gone are the shoddy venues like the old BU Theater.

However, I would say that all of these Bicol organizations do not have the critical mass needed to launch big projects the way UP Ibalon was able to mount the likes of "Kami Minagalang" in the early days. And this is a story worth telling for its lessons.

When I relinquished the presidency of UP Ibalon it has only 44 members. Right in the first semester of the organization several members already graduated because UP Ibalon has an "old" membership since the development of a Bicol organization was impacted by the restrictions of martial law and the demise of UP Paglaom. Moreover, in the first year, it was the tacit policy that no big recruitments will be made in order for the desired nature and orientation of UP Ibalon to be developed and consolidated.

Before even taking over the reins of the organization Min Paje has already posed the question what is needed to mount a big project that earns a tidy amount of money for the organization, for it be spared from the semestral fund-raising. Having been exposed to Vinzons and with me and Nes having studied this future question we were able to lay down the necessary conditions, to wit:

One, it must have a large membership. The strongest non-fraternity organizations that can mount big projects then were UP Panaghi-usa, UP JPIA, UP AIESEC and the Sigma Delta Phi. All boasted memberships of over 100 active members. And what struck me was that the four boasted of members' parents that are well-heeled. This point was stressed to me by my old Vinzons boss, Ollie Jumao-as, who was then the CONCOMSA (the predecessor of the revived Student Council) chair.

Second, most of the fraternities may have memberships less than 100 but the strong ones have powerful alumni that are loyal. Enough said of this.

The lessons in this need not be told in very graphic terms. But one important footnote for us then, for the sheer lack of alumni, the members' families assumed critical importance.

The "Kami Minagalang" concerts was set for the summer of 1977. From a meeting of minds of senior leaders, including me who was in Bicol during that time, a massive recruitment took place in the second semester of 1976-77 and the tacit policy was "mayong ilalaglag" (no rejections). That's where the big batch of 32 came into Ibalon which significantly boosted the membership. Some of the finest members of Ibalon came from this batch and being young they became the future of Ibalon producing three of our presidents.

A lot of members' families opened their homes to UP Ibalon and this started a trend that never really stopped. From this, members' parents came to know members of UP Ibalon and vice-versa. I know this also contributed to the latter recruitment of the younger siblings and cousins of the members.

Even Ibalon friends that were once members of UP Paglaom helped.

Suddenly, cars were even available for the project. The opening of doors became easier. And if funds came a little short, some better-off members will open their wallets and I can correlate that they are the same members who are opening their wallets now for our group. Maybe generous people never really change.

Of course the "Kami Minagalang" concert was a big success, even able to ride out the unfortunate death of Bebeth Espeso.

Until the "War of the Roses" came, UP Ibalon enjoyed a high level of membership. A bonus of this is for the second time (the first came in the early days) UP Ibalon had lots of presidents of other organizations within its fold. This has its own advantages. And we know that having many members is one way of forestalling the rise of another Bicol organization, aside from other factors.

I doubt that with the current fractiousness of the Bicolano studentry in UP Diliman if new heights are again possible. This is no disrespect to the Bicol varsitarians who are doing their best to strengthen their organization. But ultimately, numbers and the situation speak.

The History of "Tierra de Ybalon" and UP Ibalon

by Mighty Baylon


It was said that even before the Spaniards came, our region was already called Ibalon by its inhabitants. I doubt if we were already a united entity during that time owing to the difficulty of transportation and communication and having no ruler higher than a datu. But somehow due to a common language, albeit with distinct dialectical variations, its people might have some sort of common identity.

Ibalon was explored by the Spaniards in 1569 coming from two directions. One expedition came from Panay and passed by Masbate, Ticao and Burias islands before landing on the southern coast of Bicol and it was said it reached Camilig (Daraga) though some thought that the expedition reached only portions of the current Sorsogon.

Another came from Manila passing by current Laguna de Bay and probably through Mauban, Quezon in search of the famed gold of Mambulao (J. Panganiban today) and Paracale (but which was reported to reached the present Naga City). It was said that most of the inhabitants of the place then were Tagalogs coming from Mauban and trade links were maintained via boats in Lamon Bay.

This aspect can only be understood today if one knows the trade winds and that sailing by boat (paglalayag) is the dominant method of long-distance transportation then owing to the lack of roads. Southern Bicol is definitely known in Panay because the historical fishing season in central Philippines revolved around the Sibuyan and Samar seas where fishermen followed the fish in a counterclockwise cycle.

The expedition that emanated from Manila called the northern part of the peninsula called the place "Tierra de Camarines" due to the abundance of rice camarins. The southern half of the peninsula was called "Tierra de Ibalon".

Another expedition was launched in 1573 coming from Manila. Entering the current Naga from San Miguel Bay it followed the course of the Bicol River until it reached Lake Bato where they found the village of Libon (or Libong). This expedition later reached the current Legazpi probably through the Albay portion of the Bicol River.

Ecclesiastically, the whole of Bicol was under the diocese of Nueva Caceres which was founded in 1595. But militarily the northern part was ruled from Manila and the southern part was ruled from Panay. The southern part was for a short time called the "Partido de Libon".

Later the term "Tierra de Ybalon" was used to refer to the whole peninsula. In 1636, the peninsula was divided into two administrative areas. To "Ambos Camarines" the areas under the present towns of Donsol, Camalig, Guinobatan, Jovellar (Quipia), Ligao, Oas, Polangui and Libon was transferred. This was latter called the "Partido de Iraya" . However the areas under the current towns of Lagonoy, Sagnay (but these probably included the whole of the current Partido area) and Caramoan peninsula were included in "Partido de Ibalon". This is thought to be the area called "Partido de Lagonoy". This arrangement is only understandable if trade winds and sea patterns are considered and the Bicol River as a transportation artery is recognized.

In 1846 "Partido de Iraya" and "Partido de Lagonoy" were exchanged, paving way for the modern division of Albay and Camarines Sur.

Steve David, a charter member of UP Ibalon, did the research of the term "Ibalon" in behalf of our organization. He was the proponent of the name "Ibalon" for the new organization that will replace UP Paglaom. However, I vetoed his spelling "Ybalon". Too close for comfort and we will just spend the rest of the time explaining the spelling.

The name was carried and as they say the rest is history.

The Formation and Legacy of UP Ibalon:A Testimony

by Mighty Baylon


The first Bicolano organization in UP Diliman after martial law was declared was the Molave Kurahaw which was formed in 1973. It was an informal organization of 23 Bicolanos residing in Molave Residence Hall during the time when student organizations were still banned in UP.

In June 1974, when student organizations were again allowed in UP, the pre-martial law Bicolano organization, the UP Paglaom, which was established in 1962, was revived. It used the former organization's constitution, structure and admission policy. To become a member one has only to register and pay the membership dues. Membership is good for one semester and elections are held every semester.

The revived UP Paglaom lasted barely a semester. An internal fight connected with UP student elections arose and it led to the forced resignation of all the officers. When it seemed that the organization was about to be hijacked four members questioned the proceedings.

To lead the organization, a Steering Committee of 15, four of which came from an outside organization and the four that questioned was formed. It was to lead the organization through a transition period and the only agendum was to draft a new constitution, after which a new election will be held. With a quorum requirement of 3/4 and all decisions needing a 3/4 absolute majority (12 votes are always needed) the compromise soon reached a deadlock and the semester was fast ending.

Walking away from one of the many meetings that failed to reached a quorum (it was only in the first meeting that there was a quorum), the consensus of the majority was to build a new organization under a new basis. It was the agreement that a new constitution will be drafted during the semester break.

To lead the new process the founders (or revivalists) of the UP Paglaom and the leadership of the Molave Kurahaw (the 'Molave Kurahaw Core Group' of 7 members) coalesced. A new Steering Committee of 5 was formed. Two from the first group was nominated (Jake Repomanta and Yoli Reyeg) and another two from the second group was also nominated (Mighty Baylon and Nestor Raneses). A fifth tie-breaking member, Steve David, who belonged to both groups was included.

To monitor the day-to-day situation and to offer a choice menu to the Steering Committee, a Planning Group was formed consisting of the other four members of the Molave Kurahaw Core Group. The four were Floro Balce, Totie Mesia, Ray Rayel and Raul Sabularse.

The Steering Committee and the Planning Group tackled four points:
1. The 'blueprint' or the master plan in forming the organization secretly (because of the physical threats) and how it would be sold to the Bicolano studentry.
2. The organization's model. It was decided that rather than following UP Paglaom's model of a mass organization of Bicolano students with automatic membership, it will be a much-smaller but compact organization of highly-motivated Bicolano students and that subsequently an application process will be instituted until the majority of interested Bicolano students are under its fold.
3. The preparation of a new constitution.
4. The selection of the first batch of members, the charter members. A criteria was prepared and high on the list was leadership ability because we wanted to get the leaders of the fragments of UP Paglaom.

Seeded to charter membership were the members of the Steering Committee and Planning Group and three of the four that objected to the take-over (Lily Hidalgo, Eden Lao and Caring Nasol, the fourth being yours truly). An additional 16 Paglaom members passed the ranking process. However, four of the 16 were not invited because the rules called for a subsequent unanimous vote of the Steering Committee.

So 12 Paglaom members were invited. Two declined because of previous commitments (Lily Hidalgo and Bullitt Marquez) but promised to help. One left for Canada shortly because of a YFU (Youth for Understanding) scholarship (Egay Rosero). Another two declined because of personal reasons (Cathy Triunfante and Jean Cortes) but promised to withdraw only when the organization is already formed (however Jean Cortes didn't want her name to be included). So the OSA (Office of Student Affairs) requirement that a student organization must have 20 members to be recognized was met.

To avoid prying eyes the plenary discussion of the constitution was held in the Mt. Makiling resort area of UPLB where Cathy and Jean also attended. All the subsequent meetings were held secretly, mainly in a secure room at the UP Women's Center (courtesy of Mita Jimenez) or the Parks and Wildlife Nature Area in Quezon Avenue. The 3/4 signature needed to activate the new constitution was reached on December 1, 1974 and it was ratified in a subsequent meeting on December 4 at the Parks and Wildlife where the first elections were held.

The first Board of Directors consisted of:
President - Mighty Baylon
Vice-President - Jake Repomanta
Secretary - Min Paje
Treasurer - Nes Raneses
PRO - Grace Princesa
Academics Committee Chair - Asena Arcilla
Socio-Cultural Committee Chair - Caring Nasol
COMELEC Chair - Eden Lao
Sports Committee Chair - Gods Lanuza

With the election of the new BOD the Steering Committee and the Planning Group ceased to exist.

Other Charter Members were Yoli Reyeg, Steve David, Floro Balce, Totie Mesia, Ray Rayel, Raul Sabularse, Delen Padilla, Vines Nolasco, Joey Jaucian, Bobby Peralta and Cathy Triunfante.

Since help was needed in the transition process, a secret batch of applicants were already present even before December 1, 1974. They were already part of the group dynamics introduced to aid the getting-to-know you process since Ibalon came from diverse Paglaom fragments. The six that comprised Ibalon Batch 74-B were Fem Espinas, May Velasco, Allen Bonafe, Elsie Munoz, Jo Prades and Butch Ragragio.

All of the above can rightfully claim that they are the founders of Ibalon.

Christmas break was the time to grapple with the question of Paglaom's fate, UP Ibalon's recognition and how to win the allegiance and leadership of the Bicolano studentry.

UP Ibalon submitted to OSA its application for submission minutes before office closing time on the last day allowed, Jan. 15, 1975 and Dean Armando Malay signed his approval.

On Jan. 30, 1975, UP Paglaom was officially dissolved following a 2/3 vote on a 20% quorum, the requirement of the old constitution.

On Valentine's week in 1975, UP Ibalon held its 1st Bicol Products Sale in AS Walk. It was here that the existence of the new organization was announced to the Bicolano studentry and the campaign to win their allegiance and leadership started.

UP Ibalon occupied the old "tambayan" of UP Paglaom in AS 3230. It was possible since the Bicolano studentry accepted the formation of the new organization.

In 1976, Min Paje and Jorge Sarmiento signed the peace treaty, removing the threat to Ibalon. As a sign that everything is now alright Jorge and his members applied in UP Ibalon with the agreement that they would withdraw before the end of the application process and not become members but they would play in the Sanlahi sportsfest where applicants are allowed to play.

I would always treasure the statesmanship of Jorge Sarmiento.

Afterwards, we were careful never to lose the allegiance and leadership of the Bicolano studentry so that Bicol unity in the campus will be undivided.

Until that fateful time in the early '90s when some Ibalon leaders acquiesced to the conversion of UP Ibalon into a national-democratic (ND) organization under the umbrella of the NDF using the mantra "Poon sa poon an UP Ibalon ay sarong political organization", which is not true.

And the subsequent breaking up of the Bicolano studentry into separate organizations began.

Tropical Depression "Tonyo": A Rare Occurrence

It was raining in Davao since last night and it rained the whole day today. This is rare in this place where rains seldom last more than two hours. I was not aware early that a rare weather occurrence is happening, that we are under Typhoon Signal #1.

I do not know of the last time that the provinces of Davao del Sur, North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur were included in a typhoon signal since these areas never experiences typhoons and where people do not know what is a "bagyo". To them "bagyo" is just plain heavy rain and they have no understanding that to us what we fear is not the rain but the winds.

At 10am this morning, November 14, PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) said that Tropical Depression "Tonyo" is located 70 kilometers west of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, a town in the southern portion of the elongated province. That means "Tonyo" is smack at the middle of Agusan del Sur this morning. This is the first time I heard that a typhoon passed Agusan del Sur, which lies beyond the typhoon belt.

I "hope" the current direction of the typhoon does not change and it does not dissipate soon. For maybe it will be the first in a long, long time that a typhoon will pass by Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga del Norte, if ever. Anyway at 45kph "Tonyo" is too weak to do structural damage.

I hope our own Mike Padua, "Mr. Supertyphoon" can clarify what typhoons in history passed by the aforementioned places. People would be interested for sure. Just moments ago a local TV announcer was saying that this is the first time in 30 years that Davao City was under Typhoon Signal #1.

I do remember that in the 70s and 80s two typhoons passed Celebes Sea and one reached Zamboanga City. They were not the typhoons that hook through the mainland Asia and Japan but wayward typhoons of the Southern Hemisphere which normally hooks through New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia.

I have not the time to check but I wonder where this typhoon came from. A rare "visitor" indeed.

(Credits: www.maybagyo.com)

When friends will sing no more

Whether one gets killed in a battle, perishes at sea, or dies by natural causes, a common thread exists because of the loss. Not a day after I tell Ibalonians of my “maudlin” reaction to the empty chairs and tables pictured in Myty’s blog of the Princess of Stars ship tragedy where more than 800 innocent passengers drowned, I learned with sadness that there was a fine human being who died in the foothills of Albay during a military skirmish some eight years ago.

Maria Graziella Miranda, a brave and idealistic UP Ibalon member of Daraga, Albay was lost in that encounter in Bicol. The details of her demise had been sketchy, making this remembrance even more important.

She joined the ranks of Ibalonian Bantayog ng Bayani hero Floro E. Balce and Ibalon friend Naga-native Alexander Belone II. To memorialize Maria Graziella and her dreams, I post Les Miserable’s Empty Chairs at Empty Tables in her honor. She studied at the College of Music. I enjoin the readers to remember her in prayers. Requiescat in Pace (Photo Credits: Bloomsdayflowers; twol942) =0=



Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
---Marius, Les Miserables (by Victor Hugo)

There's a grief that can't be spoken.
There's a pain goes on and on.
Empty chairs at empty tables
Now my friends are dead and gone.

Here they talked of revolution.
Here it was they lit the flame.
Here they sang about `tomorrow'
And tomorrow never came.

From the table in the corner
They could see a world reborn
And they rose with voices ringing
I can hear them now!
The very words that they had sung
Became their last communion
On the lonely barricade at dawn.

Oh my friends, my friends forgive me

(The ghosts of those who died on the barricade appear)

That I live and you are gone.
There's a grief that can't be spoken.
There's a pain goes on and on.

Phantom faces at the window.
Phantom shadows on the floor.
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will meet no more.

(The ghosts fade away)

Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me
What your sacrifice was for
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will sing no more.



============================================================

Next Colostrum (Ig-Co) Meeting Slated

In view of the growing interest for the immunoglobulin colostrum (Ig-Co) milk offered by the Smart Naco Colostrum Co. (SNC,) another product presentation will be held at Geewan Centro (3rd Floor) in Naga City, Philippines at 1:30 PM on Friday, November 14, 2008. Since its introduction, Ig-Co has gained more than 200,000 users, adherent members and distributors.

According to Dr. Amy Goleta-Dy, noted pediatric oncologist of St. Luke’s Medical Center Cancer Foundation in Manila, this meeting is an opportunity to know the multi-faceted uses of the nutritive product.

“The newly introduced product is helpful for a lot of medical conditions including those with diabetes, asthma, allergies, patients with disordered and depressed immunity (immunocompromised,) cancer patients on chemotherapy, and those with chronic kidney problems and osteoporosis.” Colostrum Conference in Bicol (10/28/08, mesiamd)

Those interested to learn more of Ig-Co including its potential for distributorship are invited to come. Dr. Goleta-Dy has the special invitation extended to frellow Ibalonians. Contact: Agnes Goleta at 0917-580-2301.=0=

RELATED BLOG: 'Colostrum Conference in Bicol'> Posted by mesiamd at 10/28/2008

The coming and going of Ibalon friends

NIDEA FAMILY

Lena Nidea, an amiable retired mentor in New York is in town from an extended vacation in Naga City. A long-time friend of UP Ibalon, Lena is sister to Atty. Allen Nidea, a law graduate from the State University of the Paglaom fame, now based in New York City.

Dr. Elna Chia-Nidea, their sister, is an accomplished OB-Gyn physician in Mother Seton Hospital like Ibalon's Dr. Eden Borja-Fernando and Dr. Annelee Badiola-Lojo of Manila Doctor's Hospital. With bubbly wife Joji and their pretty daughter who's in junior high, Allen and the rest of the family call Woodside, Queens their home.

RON & AGNES NAGEL

In a small happy pre-Thankgiving gathering, they were guests of Dr. Marietta Mesia in Astoria on Saturday, Novermber 8, 2008. With the Nideas were Ron Nagel of Florida and lovely wife Agnes Bolo-Flores who hails from Baao and Libmanan, Camarines, Sur. The group enjoyed a memorable afternoon of relaxed togetherness spiced with scrumptious Filipino food, wine, and merry songs which sparked nostalgia with the help of familiar tunes from the rowdy piano.


RONNIE SARGENTO

Originally from Calabanga, Camarines Sur, Ronnie Sargento went to the Big Apple to represent his office, the Department of Energy (DOE) in Manila. On Novermber 11, 2008, in a whirlwind trip from California to New York to Connecticut and back, we met Ronnie late evening in his hotel close to La Guardia Airport. He took the morning plane the next day for Los Angeles before going back to Manila on Friday.

The smart engineer assessed a US waste-disposal system proposal that might benefit Manila. An officemate of another Ibalon buddy, Art Torralba, Jr, he headed back to his family in Pandacan, Manila in time for next week's echo of what he accomplished.

DR. & MRS. RENATO & MEGS ORACION

Fresh from their tour in Egypt, bosom buddy and Ibalon friend Dr. Renato M. Oracion and dazzling wife Megs sent interesting pictures of the wonderful Giza pyramids. In their recent adventure they rode the fabulous camel wearing in part an Egyptian garb to feel the wind and explore the mysterious sand dunes of royalties which never failed to lure enthralled visitors who return to the historic ancient land and marvel the astonishing sights. We had been too glad to know the duo walked the path of Rameses II and the last replendant heroes of the lore of Kings.





The pharaohs must be solicitous to have them take a much-needed R & R away from their hectic dermatology practice in Odessa, Texas. The adorable couple needs their long over-due visit to the Big Apple as much as their esteemed parents Mr. and Mrs. Lossiete and Celi Oracion who keep residences in California and Fairview, Quezon City.

DR. MAYANG KHO

UP Ibalon friend Dr. Mayang Kho, an OB-Gyn who has retired from her US medical practice goes back to take a much needed vacation in her native Dumaguete City after a brief stay at the Empire State.

The scintillating doctor from UP with a heart of gold was with her down-to-earth benign sister Martha who works in Goldwater Hospital in Roosevelt Island. We were together to share an evening--- a memorable despedida in an elegant resto in Manhattan. Mayang! May you have a lot of fun, sun, and tan---the best the Visayan treasure islands can give before we see you again! We miss you!

MS. EMELYN POLOYAPOY

We eagerly wait for Miss Emelyn Poloyapoy, the popular Naga Parochial School (NPS) grade school mentor who is yet to visit us from Michigan.

She is an iconic gem, a repository and living symbol of exquisite memories of great Naga teachers---the likes of Beatriz Calleja, Lorraine Lahora, Nena Estrada, Mia Espinas, Julia Olin, Patria Alberto, Benilda Barrosa, Aurelia Reyes, Remedios Arejola, Carmen Ojeda, Juan Badong, the 5th, and Msgr. Nicanor C. Belleza.

The zesty Madam Inday is happy to celebrate this year’s Penafrancia fiesta away from New Jersey; the last time we were together was during the annual September celebration two years ago. She lives with doting sister Eden P. Chamberlain in Poughkeepsie, NY in a quiet locale where the autumn trees stand tall and grand.

JUN & MAHAL SERRA-GOTICO

Jun and Mahal Serra-Gotico of Stockton, California send handsome pictures of their daughters Neneng and Maria Teresa who celebrated their Halloween with adorable childlike gusto. Mahal, a UP graduate from Naga City sends her warm hello to her Ibalon friends. =0=







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Another Haitian school caves in; nine people injured

A few days after the Promessa School spontaneously collapsed in Port au Prince, Haiti killing more than 80 people (see photo,) another school, the two-storey Divine Grace School caved in partially, injuring 9 people in Canape Vert part of the capital.

Two of the 9 victims were hospitalized suffering serious body injuries prompting mothers to rush for their children. The spontaneous collapse is blamed for shoddy construction. The building is reported to have practically no cement and metal support in violation of government regulation. (Photo Credits: BBCNews.com; Ramon Espinos/AP/ABCNews) =0=

RELATED BLOG: "50 killed and hundreds trapped in Haitian school collapse" Posted by mesiamd at 11/08/2008

As nursing jobs become scarce, 88,750 brace for the next board examination

The nursing profession is often equated with tender loving care (TLC,) a trademark of compassionate service. In the Philippines those who are sick have reasons to be happy for they have more than the nurses they need. There is a surplus of nurses competing to take care of patients.

Nurses are desperate to grab employment in the nation's crowded healthcare system. Four hundred thousand (400,000) are reported to be jobless; a wave of newly licensed professionals will join them after the next board exams. With the highest number of examinees in history, a total of 88,750 nurses will sit for the Philippine Regulations Commission (PRC)-administered licensure test on November 29 and 30, 2008.

Carmencita Abaquin and Marco Sto. Tomas of the Board of Nursing are happy about the advances in testing computerization. Having recovered from the cheating scandal in the June 2006 test, the exam administrators insist that the well-guarded computers will do the job. They promise that the conduct of the forthcoming licensure will be “leakage free.” Those who configure the computers aren't expected to rig the reault. They assume the machines and testing materials are tamper-proof.

Yet, there's a big problem that looms behind the effort to prevent cheating. Nurses are badly in need of work. Job recruitment has been slow. They can't volunteer in hospitals because there is almost no vacancy even if many hands are willing to work for free. Having spent time, talent and treasure to become professionals, the nurses don't have jobs mainly because of government indifference and neglect.

Four hundred thousand (400,000) unemployed young nurses translate into a disgusting waste of labor capital. The staggering number is a monumental setback to those who offer their career for the country's most popular profession. In financial terms, this is a blow to the campaign to send workers abroad for more dollars intended to boost the local economy. The government seems disengaged, proudly slow to react to the problem.

As in the past, the blame and anger spread in all fronts, but nothing effective to correct the labor crisis has been done. The government's labor allocation policy has failed. Unable to protect the nursing profession, Philippine lawmakers, labor planners, school administrators, and licensure officials haven't acted to the satisfaction of the public.

Counted among the country's reliable cash cows, the poor silent nurses are mercilessly brushed aside now that there's little need for them inside and outside the country. The docile professionals, unable to vent their frustration, pathetically wait for the day when they'll be able to find work. Sadly, the day isn't coming anytime soon---for there's hardly anyone to help them. Together with the unemployed, a fraction of the 88,750 board examinees is about to rush for jobs that aren't there. (Photo Credits: glenmcbethlaw; uberdoog; allwaysNY) =0=

MV Princess of the Stars: In Memoriam

The ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars, as pictured above, is no rust-bucket. In her former life in Japan, she was the revered "Ferry Lilac" of the Shin-Nihonkai Line plying the Honshu-Hokkaido route. One of four sister ships (ships based on the same design so they look identical), she was built in 1984 by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI), a respected shipbuilder. Her dimensions were 185.72 meters length and 29.4 meters width with a depth of 14.5 meters and a volume capacity of 23,824.17 gross tons. Its 2 Pielstick diesel engines produce 26,400 horsepower.

She was the biggest passenger ship ever to ply the Philippine waters. Her sister ship "Ferry Lavender" which reached Greece a few months after she reached the Philippines in 1984 was the biggest-ever Japanese ship to be used in Greece. The four sister ships were much-awaited by international buyers when news surfaced that they would be sold by their Japanese operators.

But, whatever the origins of the ship is, she is only as good as the crew and the shipping company that operates her.

In this regard I fully agree with the Maritime Industry Authority [MARINA] edict that Sulpicio Lines should first hire an international ship management agency before it is permitted to fully sail again in Philippine waters.


(Photo credit: skyscraper)

Dreaming of unity for all UP Bicolanos

It is with elation that I learned about the successful conduct of Academic Festival 2008 (Acad Fest,) pulled through by UP Harong, an organization of state university students from Camarines Sur which mirrors UP Ibalon, the region-wide group of UPians which dreams of unity and friendship among Bicolanos. The founding of the latter association antedates the beginnings of the former.

The University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP) of Iriga City played out prominently in this year’s 13th Acad Fest for high school students held in Naga City Youth Center on October 23-25, 2008. UP Ibalon Alumni Bicol is just as happy to congratulate the glowing achievement of the school, its victorious brainy students, and the solicitous UP patrons who sponsored the event.

ONE ORIGIN, ONE GOAL

I’m sure many Ibalonians are proud to share UP Harong's and President Mark Christopher Batac’s wish to hone the youth which they rightfully say is the future of the nation. Speaking of the Acad Fest, he said:

“We aim that this event will serve not only as a venue for healthy competition between schools but also as an effective mechanism to instill the values of excellence, social relevance and appreciation for culture.” Bicol Mail (11/06/08, Neola, J)

The desire of UP Harong to “contribute to the development of Camarines Sur” is also the same germ of good work that Ibalonians have been doing for Bicol since its early years in 1970’s. From the ashes of the fractious Paglaom, Ibalonians can recall and understand.

For us Ibalonians who are mellowed and far removed from the incipient vision we set for ourselves when we were immature students, Acad Fest’s success reminds us of our common purpose. It tells us of the need to come together and unite. Like our nation’s divisiveness which is unrelenting, such need seems tied with insurmountable obstacles. It seems hard, but unity isn’t impossible to achieve.

A GLUT OF ORGS, FRATS & SORORITIES

I’m perturbed to see so many organizations, fraternities, and sororities from UP. It kept me thinking why almost everywhere, I observed many Filipino associations spread and divided for a few trivial reasons. My thoughts hovered to ask what really skewed our collective soul to follow such a path. Disunity didn't match our sterling reputation for being smart. It disparages our capacity for reason, conciliation, and harmony.



Not only seen among Bicolanos from UP, I witnessed disunity repeated all over by others, sometimes with awkward passion and misplaced pride. In one state of USA for instance, Filipinos could count more than 300 separate organizations, diluting their presence, representation, and strength.

They stage different Philippine Independence day celebrations, sue each other in court over inane disagreements, put up parallel Christmas parties, and sponsor a menagerie of competing activities for the same purpose.

THE PRICE TO PAY

If there is a greater expense to pay for these parochial groupings, it’s the Filipino unity which suffers. Truly, the redundancies of being in sequestered intimate cozy herds which are superficially unique exist with a costly price. Against our tribal inclinations, oneness is something we badly need and must work for.

Maybe, our predisposition to fragment serves as a barometer of some residual devious tayo-tayo instincts. And perhaps, there is that deep-seated insecurity, a failure to mature and grow, deluding us to believe that our differences are insurmountable and are greater than our capacity to heal and make whole.

What then can we do Ibalon? What can we achieve with UP? I guess a good start is to welcome all Bicolano UPians to our fold, be friends with them, and think how best we can serve the country together. (Photo Credits: __; UP Ibalon.org; UP Harong.netfirm; oligarki; AaronMontoya) =0=



NOTE: UP Ibalon sponsors a contest dubbed as Padunungan in Legazpi City while UP Harong has Academic Festival in Naga City. Never to be confused from each other, this "redundancy" seems trivial, but it has a lot to say about us and the way we think. The mix-up in Bicol Mail's November 6, 2008 coverage of the Acad Fest/Padunungan is probably a result of this "redundancy." AFM =0=

Naga's creative class & the people's march into the future

UP Ibalon-Bicol’s blog entitled "Naga City Could Be Left Behind" (11/08/08, Myty) made me recall a book published about three years ago by Richard Florida which deals with the need for inclusiveness in building a vibrant and hospitable city. In the book “The Flight of Creative Class: The New Global Competition for Talent” (Harper Collins Publishers, April 2005; 336 pp.) the professor of public policy of George Mason University asserted that for a place to be attractive, it needs basic amenities. But more importantly, he said creative talent, a defining economic issue of this generation, is required in adapting to the demands of the global world. His thoughts were intuitive flags for business and political leaders of America who dream of bringing cultural rennaisance and economic prosperity to the nation.

A smaller microcosm than USA, Naga City in the Philippines may not have the best amenities for the economy to grow, but surely it has a lot of sun, goodwill, and labor capital that can make it happen. Using their own talents, residents are welcoming and inspired to move on. There are those who want to come and live in the ciy. And not all of them feel the pressure to go abroad. Many believe they need not suffer the “flight of the creative class,” part of the job migration which the government relies on for its economic survival. They simply want to stick it out with Naga.


As Myty says, there is beauty and charm in Naga City that can’t easily be ignored, but he stresses that work is needed to keep the city's attractiveness for people to stay. He speaks of affluent Naguenos who need to actively invest in the city’s development so that Bicolanos don't leave for crowded places like Manila and to foreign countries like those in the Middle East.

Naga’s openness, affordability, and diversity have attracted residents from towns in Bicol, inviting talented young people to share their time and treasure. The same people are bringing heterogeneity and inventiveness which encourage the feeling of unity and belongingness---a move away from the aloofness and detachment of the past. They adjust to social change; they try to learn to live in cooperative harmony so that economic and cultural growth can proceed.


Innovation, inclusivity, and entrepreneurship bring optimism to Naga. As a magnet area for education and commerce, the city is not in short supply of forward-looking young workers ready to give their share. Mayor Jesse Robredo has done a lot in this regard to spur positive energy to the citizenry which remarkably improved the business pulse of Bikol’s metropolis.

Though not totally perfect, Naga has become a local hub of the creative class, the new breed of Bicolanos who feel they can loosen the constipation of ideas, mitigate the backwardness of the towns, harness industry and self-help, and bring human beings together to work for the common good. A certain level of nurturing is apparently needed to keep the city in this direction. (Photo Credits: garzland) =0=

Filipina is Miss Earth 2008

The Philippines’ Miss Karla Paula Henry was crowned Miss Earth 2008 at the Clark Expo Ampitheater in Pampanga Sunday besting a field of beautiful, talented and environmentally- conscious girls from 85 countries. It was the first time that a Filipina won the Miss Earth pageant which is considered as among the top 3 pageants worldwide.

Other winners are Tanzania’s Miss Miriam Odemba 25,1st runner-up, who was crowned Miss Earth Air; Mexico’s Miss Abegail Elizalde Romo 23, 2nd runner-up who was crowned Miss Earth Water and Brazil’s Miss Tatiana Kelen Alves 24, 3rd runner-up who was Miss Earth Fire. Aside from the four, those who made it to the top eight were: Spain’s Miss Adriana Reveron Moreno, 23; Colombia’s Miss Ariane Rodriguez Merchan, 22; Venezuela’s Miss Daniela Torrealba Pacheco, 19 and Switzerland’s Miss Nasanin Nuri, 19. Rounding up the top 16 were Thailand, Poland, Nigeria, Czech Republic, Romania, USA, Russia and Korea.

The question and answer portion was the clincher for the Filipina where the final four were all asked the same question, “ If you are given the chance to speak with newly-elected US President Barack Obama about the state of our global environment, what will you tell him?” Karla Henry said that she would encourage Obama to implement an environmental subject in the curriculum of schools. She added that it is important to teach the youth knowledge about the environment so that in the coming years, they will take care of Mother Earth. “I believe our future lies in the youth”, she concluded.



Karla won US$20,000 while the three others won US$2,000 each on top of other prizes and perks. Karla also won as Miss Photogenic aside from winning the very first Fashion Design competition held at the Amazing Theatre in Pasay City on November 4, 2008. She wore an Ivan Raborar creation.

Miss Venezuela’s Daniela Torrealba wearing a luscious and elegantly-designed dress which complemented her classy personality won the Best in Long Gown Award during the long gown competition held at PAGCOR, Grand Theatre in Paranaque last November 3, 2008. Miss Talent was won by Australia’s Rachael Smith during the Talent Competition held last November 2, 2008 at Tamayo’s Villa Immaculada in Manila.



The preliminary swimsuit competition was held last October 25, 2008 in three locations: Sabang Beach Resort, Puerto Princessa, Palawan; Golden Sunset, Calatagan, Batangas and Manila, Philippines. The candidates were divided into three groups and the top 15 in each group then competed in the final swimsuit competition held at the Fontana Leisure Park in the Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga last November 1, 2008. The Best in Swimsuit and Miss Fontana awards were garnered by Miss Mexico Abigail Elizalde and Miss Philippines Karla Paula Henry respectively. The National Costume competition was held at the PAGCOR Grand Theatre in Paranaque City last October 28, 2008. The Best in National Costume was won by Miss Panama Shassia Ubillus who was unanimously chosen by the members of the press.



The Miss Earth candidates have been touring the country’s different tourist destinations like the Philippines’ bets in the New 7 Wonders of the World- The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, Mayon Volcano, Chocolate Hills and other sites planting trees, picking-up garbage and promoting the message to protect our Mother Earth. Several of them including Miss Earth Japan, Hungary, Netherlands, Guam, Israel, Liberia, Brazil and Mexico were here in Legazpi City last October 22-24 planting trees, promoting Mayon Volcano and joining the Parada de Legazpi last October 23. Among Legazpi’s visitors were Mexico’s Miss Earth Water Abegail Elizalde who was also the Best in Swimsuit and Brazil’s Miss Earth Fire Tatiana Alves.

Photo credits: XINHUA/ Reuters

The Traditional man-woman marriage

"Love the family! Defend and promote it as the basic cell of human
society; nurture it as the prime sanctuary of life. Give great care to the
preparation of engaged couples and be close to young married couples, so
that they will be for their children and the whole community an eloquent
testimony of God's love."--Pope John Paul II, 2001



"Marriage is the foundation of the family and the family is the foundation of society: if we strengthen marriage, we strengthen the family, we strengthen the children and we strengthen the community. If your goal is to help improve the world, marriage is as good a place as any to start."---Diane Sollee, Grand Rapids Family Summit, 1998



(Photo Credits: msbernal; msbernal; bloomsdayflowers)

RELATED BLOG: "Moral Challenge: angry gays protest ban of same-sex marriage in California" Posted by mesiamd at 11/10/2008

Moral Challenge: angry gays protest ban of same-sex marriage in California

During the election in November 4, 2008, Californians were asked to decide on Proposition 8---a move to reverse the law enacted by the state Supreme Court in May 2008 on the validity of same-sex marriage.

Barack Obama fans and liberal democrats had a big surprise when West Coast's residents rejected gay marriage (approved Proposition 8) in spite of the secular reputation of California, a bastion of democrat-liberals who generally support gay lifestyle. Two thirds of California's black voters (66%) who voted for Obama didn’t do so for the lesbians and homosexuals. A record of these gays, 18,000 of them, forged matrimonies in the last 5 months before the election.

By the strength of the ballot, gay marriage prohibition won in California, Florida and Arizona. Only Massachusetts and Connecticut now approve same-sex marriages. On the other hand, New Jersey and New Hampshire only permit civil unions with the same legal rights as marriage.

What ensued was a flurry of gay activists’ angry protests who blamed religion, among others as a cause of their defeat. Despite the expressed will of the people, well-organized and vocal homosexual groups numbering up to 10,000 converged in San Diego on November 8, 2008 to protest.

In Salt Lake, Utah, a group of 2,000 staged a rally against the Church of the Latter Day's Saints (Mormons) and mainstream Christians who forbid gay marital unions. Five thousand (5,000) gay marriage supporters came to a similar mass action in Los Angeles area.

The passing of Proposition 8 in California is a victory for conservatives. For now, the religious right and those who want to uphold traditional family and moral values have an upper hand. But the radical liberals are fighting back to change the rules and impose alternative lifestyle for society. In spite of the understanding, tolerance, and partner benefits given to gay couples, moves to redefine marriage go on.

The increasingly secular world has made people to ponder on what is right and wrong. An alarming fifty (50%) of traditional marriages end up in divorce in the United States. There are those who think the socio-cultural debacle stirred by the same-sex marriage issue, along with questions on abortion, euthanasia, pornography, illegal drugs, and stem-cell research may indicate the fraying of America’s moral values which signals its decline. Respect for the poor, aged, disabled and children are on the wane.

Contrarians however think gay marriage is a boost to advance modernity and sophistication--- an expression of liberation from what others perceive as anachronism and religion’s oppressive hold on the people’s imagination. Quo Vadis, America? Where are you going, World? (Photo Credits: specsappeal.net; ncregister; moonbattery.com) =0=

"If you are sexy, brilliant, and knowledgeable…,” Sen. Miriam D. Santiago talks on tormenting her enemies

After Philippine Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago lost her bid to be a jurist in the International Court of Justice (ICJ,) a position which she aspired for with gusto, she declared:

"When God closes a door, He opens another. I'm afraid that the door that has been opened for me is to remain in Philippine politics and continue to torment my enemies," she said with a hearty laugh. Inquirer (11/09/08. Avendano, C)

The funny quip with some bone from the senator makes Filipinos wonder if Santiago is for real. For her, the ICJ loss is personally irritating as she criticized the manner of selection. Believing the aptness of her qualification which counts a UP law degree and crash "language fluency" course in French in her resume, she and her supporters actively campaigned for the position. In the past, she accused some of her enemies to have worked to derail her candidacy.

Showing the loose cannon ball in her tongue she said: "It's nothing to them if you're sexy, brilliant and knowledgeable," referring to her unapologetic no-holds-barred assessment of her importance which the world body failed to appreciate.

Santiago is known for her shifting loyalties, changing party alliances, labile emotion, and flamboyant rhetoric. She changes plans so often and talks in a bewildering style that befuddle her listener.

Although tormenting enemies is not a desirable job, it appears she fits the position better than what she longed for in ICJ. She believes it is her “destiny” to stay in the country. Photo Credit: Neofinoy.info; Alkan Chaglar) =0=RELATED BLOG: See my blog on May 29, 2008 entitled

RELATED BLOGS: See my blog on May 29, 2008 entitled "Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago's flight to reality and her bid to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)" ; "Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago loses bid in ICJ" Posted by mesiamd at 11/07/2008

A Sorry Maritime Safety Record Indeed In The Philippines

Few question that currently Sulpicio Lines holds the most notoriety among local shipping companies. But as I have pointed out in a previous article ["The Blame Game and Other Musing", 7/13/08] the combined WG&A is not too far behind Sulpicio, going by actual statistics.

Maybe due to the sheer number of incidents, a few of these gets left out. Or we may not be too meticulous in keeping records (the Maritime Industry Authority [MARINA] doesn't even have its ship database in order). Or far-flung incidents sometimes does not catch the attention of the national media (except when casualties are simply too many).

Few would remember that in May 1980, the Sulpicio ship MV Dona Paulina struck bottom. The same thing happened to Don Victoriano I in April 1982. Both ships were declared total losses. These two incidents happened before the infamous Dona Paz and Dona Marilyn accidents in 1987 and 1988 (see Totie Mesia's article, "RP's Maritime Disasters: A Harvest of Shame and Blame", 11/08/08). Aside from these, Sulpicio Lines' ships were also involved in minor incidents like grounding, collision, ship fire and engine breakdowns that did not involve loss of life or the total loss of the ship.

Maybe to break its string of "bad luck" (the local euphemism for loser's fate), Sulpicio Lines changed the name of their ships into Princesses. For a while it probably broke Sulpicio's jinx but on December 1997, it lost MV Philippine Princess (a former flagship) to fire and subsequent sinking followed by the sinking of the MV Princess of the Orient (another former flagship) in September 1998. Finally, "bad luck" caught up with a reigning flagship, the MV Princess of the Stars, which capsized recently.

In the same period, some other obscure incidents happened to ships not connected to Sulpicio. In the early '90s the following ships were lost:

1. MV Emerald which capsized according to MARINA records.

2. MV Ruby I of Alexis Shipping: a RO-RO that sunk just off the port of Calapan due to a holed bottom.

3. A SuperCat (a catamaran) of Aboitiz was lost due to another holed bottom between Mindoro and Batangas.

4 . MV Manila City of William Lines: a Manila-Cebu ship that caught fire while under drydock in Cebu City and was totally lost.

From the mid-'90s and 2000, the following ships were lost to fire:

1. MV Viva Antipolo 7 which caught fire in 1995 according to MARINA records. This ship was totally lost.

2. MV Gretchen which caught fire in 1996 according to MARINA records.

3. MV Kalibo Star of Maypalad Shipping which caught fire in 1997.

4. MV SuperFerry 7 of WG&A: caught fire on March 1997 just after unloading passengers in North Harbor, Manila and was lost.

5. MV Rosalia II of Lapu-lapu Shipping: a Cebu-Cataingan ferry that caught fire a few kilometers before Cataingan port, on August 1999. Three passengers were killed.

6. MV SuperFerry 6 of WG&A: caught fire on October 2000 just off Batangas and was lost. Its nearness to major sea lanes and ports assured the survival of all the passengers.

In this decade, the following steel ferries of minor shipping lines met major accidents. The details of these incidents are not complete:

1. MV Penafrancia which caught fire according to MARINA records.

2. MV Ruperto Jr. of Tamula Shipping: a Camiguin ferry which caught fire.

3. A Super Shuttle Ferry ship of Asian Marine Transport capsized.

4. MV Joy-Ruby of Atienza Shipping: sunk just off the port of Coron, Palawan.

5. MV Pulauan Ferry of George&Peter Lines: a Siquijor ferry that sunk off Cebu City.

Additionally, the following major incidents happened in the last 6 years:

1. MV Princess Camille of Shipshape Shipping: took in water while unloading passengers in Odiongan, Romblon and capsized.

2. MB Mae-Ann 5 of Lobrigo Shipping: overwhelmed by waves off Masbate City on May 12, 2005 while Typhoon Caloy was blowing. 27 people died.

3. MV Princess of the World of Sulpicio Lines: caught fire off Zamboanga del Norte coast on July 2005 and was totally burned.

4. MV Dona Ramona of Basilan Shipping: a bomb exploded while docked in Lamitan, Basilan, on August 8, 2005. Three died.

5. MV Butuan Bay of Gothong Shipping: its engine exploded just after leaving Cebu City on May 16, 2007. Three crewmen died.

6. MV Blue Water Princess of Blue Water Princess Shipp