Et Cetera Et Cetera

Look what I found

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:50:00 +0000

An unpublished post sometime in 2008:

Can't really blame the people working in government now. Before, I was an apologist myself. I had to say sorry to the farmer groups who found themselves compromised because we opened up to globalization a little too much too soon. I had to say sorry to the peasant groups who had to face a neophyte instead of a high level official who could make decisions and commit right there and then. I had to defend the government's position at all costs. Most of all, I was trained to believe that whatever government did, was the best for everyone.

But then being on the other side of the fence made me realize that for 6 years, I was brainwashed. LoLz. There is hope for everyone :D

Hee hee *clicks the publish button*

Birthday Schmirthday

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:08:00 +0000

Exactly a year ago today, I was screaming my ass off in pain thinking I was going to die...ok, ok, I'm exaggerating...it wasn't really that bad. There was no screaming at all actually considering that it was my first time experiencing this whole giving birth business.. Anyway, what I'm really trying to say is...

Happy birthday to the cutest baby ever. I never knew I was capable of loving another person this much :)

And so the hiatus ends.

Hello

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:08:00 +0000

Hello blogosphere. I shall return.
- Jenny

Thank you PDI

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:29:00 +0000

is all I can say about the matter. In case you haven't read PDI's spot on Editorial yesterday, here's the link. This subject has been overlooked by the media. I cannot comment any further. I can't even comment at all. So I figured I'd just share the link and let PDI do the talking hehe.

Winnie Monsod Grills Mikey Arroyo

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:20:00 +0000

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For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

See what happens when people LIE. Sue him in court daw....duh!

Updates updates

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Whaaat? No updates? This blog is going to the pits. LOL. I'm in Negros Occidental as of press time, visiting RORO ports and assessing RORO routes again. My last hurrah before I retire LOL.

Dear Scandal-Happy Senators, you guys are famous!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sat, 30 May 2009 11:44:00 +0000

My favorite past time at the Embassy while waiting for KY, is reading the Bangkok Post. LOL. Seriously. From cover to cover. Even the motoring section. And yesterday...

...look what I found:

Kee-rist, apparently, the whole world knows what our Scandal-Happy Senators are wasting time, energy, and resources on. Need I say more?

Hoy mga Senador, MAHIYA naman kayo...yun eh, kung meron pa kayong hiyang natitira.

Manny is Spock?!?!...and other news

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:25:00 +0000

WTF? He's a vulcan too now? OMG this made me LOL so hard. This has been circulating around plurk so I don't know who to give proper credit to. Whoever you, are, you're awesome man. This beats the Obama picture in the previous entry. Gawd. Vulcan bangs, FTW!

In other news, (in)Justice Secretary (si)Raul(o) Gonzales just named Manny as his "Special Assistant" on "Intelligence Matters"- whatever the hell that means. Seriously. Click the link to find out more. Oh and then he even goes:

"No salary. It is an honorary position in honor of his achievement. He can help the Department of Justice in any manner he can, I can ask him for information as well."

HULOLZ.

Oh and here's more. Manny was named by the President as "Ambassador for Peace and Understanding". ZOMG. What's next? St. Manny Pacquiao? This is really freaking ridiculous already.

I have nothing against Manny. But I hate how the government is totally sucking up to him. Why won't they just let the dude box for crying out loud? As if they even invested in Manny to begin with. This is my beef with the government when it comes their policy (or the lack thereof) as regards to our athletes. I mean, sure, sucking up to Manny entails no cost for them unlike supporting our other athletes who have the potential to win in the olympics. These athletes could seriously become world class. However, due to the lack of government support, they almost always, if not always, get creamed by other athletes whose governments are more supportive in the right ways.

So puhleaze. Cut it out already. You guys are looking in the wrong direction. Go help out our athletes who need your support instead of putting Manny up on a pedestal. We already know that he's the freakin best boxer in the whole history of boxing. So now go back to work. And do your freakin jobs right. Jeeze.

Judge Jorge Emmanuel Lorredo's Order to Mike Defensor? I am confused.

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:08:00 +0000

So I've been a bit out of the loop with regard to Jun Lozada's arrest. Last I heard was he was arrested and brought to the Western Police District (WPD) or is it the Manila Police District (MPD). Whatever. Anyway, read about Arbet's interesting story on spending a night in jail.

So Lozada's story kinda got moved down a bit in my own priority of issues to monitor and it's not because of Manny Pacquiao, excuse me. It was because of the H1N1 Pandemic. I kinda got fascinated about the inter-active map thingies tracking the spread of the H1N1 Pandemic virtually telling you where the latest incidence or casualty has occured. So that's what kept me away from monitoring the Jun Lozada issue. On the other hand, I can't speak for the rest. Maybe a lot of people actually did get all preoccupied with Pacman's upcoming fight to care about Lozada, eventhough they knew that he would eventually whoop Ricky Hatton's ass. I guess the surprise was he did it quite early on in the game...the 2nd friggin round. So much for that.

Anyway since news on the the swineflu pandemic sorta reached a screeching halt and since I've said my piece about Pacquiao earlier on, I did my usual bloghopping and found this thing first on the Inquirer.net site something about a Judge lecturing Denfensor via an order which turned out to be some kind of a personal letter. Judge Jorge Emmanuel Lorredo of the Manila Trial Court was basically telling Defensor to make peace with Lozada yada yada yada. Interesting. What the hell?!?! Is this even true? Is this some kind of a joke? I mean seriously, reading through the "order", it was really like a personal letter. And since I'm kinda skeptical when it comes to the justice system, I was thinking that either this has really got to be some kind of joke, or my comprehension skills are really starting to wane. LOL. Then I came upon Uniffor's blog entry on the same issue where he says Binaboy ni Judge si Defensor, Atbp. So I guess from that statement alone, it was safe to infer that my original reading of the order thingie was correct. LOL. After reading through, I also came up with the same conclusion -that it was Classic. So I bloghopped some more to the sites I frequent and found Manila Baywatch's blog entry Judge Jorge Emmanuel Lorredo's incredible and funny ORDER to Mike Defensor. Ok, so this was from a VERA FILE report released by Ellen Tordesillas. Judging from Manila Baywatch's title, I guess I wasn't alone in thinking the whole thing was kinda hilarious. But then sure it's funny and all, but what the hell does it really mean? Was it some kind of a joke? Because looking at the order, there were some really hard-to-believe statements such as :

There are those who say that the serious heart disease is some kind of punishment for Atty. Mike Arroyo. I do not know if this is true, for I do not really know how our Lord works, for He does works in mysterious ways. But what I do know is that Lozada is being protected by the Church, by the priests and nuns. That must mean something. Defensor, take note: that must mean something...

I mean whoa, right? Then he goes on saying:

When it is the turn of the defense to present evidence, I will also allow the defense every opportunity to raise reasonable doubt or to destroy each and every element of the felony of perjury.

And if there is a motion to present president Gloria or first gentleman Mike Arroyo as hostile witnesses in order for accused Lozada to establish, I will not hesitate to issue the corresponding subpoena compelling the first couple to testify as hostile witness for the defense.

If Gloria and Mike refuse to obey the subpoena, I will not hesitate to issue the warrants of arrest against them because it is the constitutional right of Lozada to have the best possible defense. And it is my duty as trial judge to see to it that there is due process in my court.

If the police officers refuse to serve the arrest warrants because Gloria is their boss, then I will be forced to deputize other public officers to serve and implement the arrest warrants.

I need not search hard nor should I wait long, for Manila Mayor Lim and the many senators who wish to take Lozada into their custody may move that they be deputized. Some of these people are lawyers, some of them have extensive police experience, like Mayor Fred Lim and Senator Ping Lacson. They can arrest, handcuff and put behind bars any fugitive.

Read the entire report here.

Whoa. So wait, does this mean that there is actually someone out there who's going to serve justice to Jun Lozada? Seriously? But then this Judge is the same judge who trashed Mike's perjury complaint against Jun Lozada and is also the same judge who issued the warrant of arrest. What the hell? My skeptical self remained skeptical. Then I came across another site that I frequent, Angela Stuart-Santiago where she asks Justice for Jun? There you go, finally! I found someone who's also asking the same question. Is this really true? Tutoo nga ba ito?

Is this really justice unfolding right before our eyes? And like Angela, I also ask the same questions. Is this true? What the heck is really going on? This is rather unlikely for an administration who can do all kinds of magic, to let pass. Either I'm really confused or again, my comprehension and analytic skills are really slowly trying to say goodbye to me. LOL. Anyways, the arraignment is set for tomorrow, Thursday, May 7, 2009. Hopefully then, we'll all find out what this is all about. Isang tulog nalang... Abangan!

Pacman? So effin what, man?

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:39:00 +0000

Honestly, I cannot fathom why people waste so much time, energy, and even resources over Manny Pacquiao and boxing in general. I mean, seriously, why do people become so irrationally excited over two guys knocking the daylights out of each other? What's so amusing about that? I have no interest in Pacquiao whatsoever. Period. Go on and hate me Pacman fans, but it's the truth.

It's funny because during dinner last night for Manolo's mom's 81st birthday, Mr. Manuel Buencamino, kinda said the same thing. He said he had no interest in the match whatsoever. Hurray! Mr. Buencamino rocks! LOL. And I thought I was the only one who felt that way.

And another thing, don't you people think that the sight of the Chavit Singson-Lito Atienza tandem, acting like guard dogs and all, is enough to make you want to barf and not want to watch the fight even more? I mean, Kee-rist man, instead of giving us back our taxpayers' money's worth by actually, you know, WORKING, these two officials spend more time hanging out with Pacman than fulfilling their oath of office. Shame on you two. And to the other government officials who are there in the US of A right now, gallivanting in Vegas and shiz, you guys better not be coming home carrying the H1N1 Virus. Seriously. I mean you guys can catch it and all, but make sure you get quarantined there, ok? Ok.

Sad day for Malacanang

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:32:00 +0000

While checking my twitter updates the other night, my heart almost stopped and my stomach literally turned when one of the updates read "Chopper with Arroyo Aides Missing". As I read on, I saw familiar names. And as I read each name, I started to recall their faces. And as I recalled each face, I began to match the faces with the names.

Then it hit me. These individuals were the same group of individuals I had met almost everyday, around April last year during the time I was kinda asked to help plan the President's Central Nautical Highway RORO Caravan and RORO Conference. I remember Usec. Malou was all bubbly and cheerful and always cracking jokes and we kinda hated it when she kept changing the President's schedule because that meant rearranging the schedule of the entire caravan altogether. I remember we'd have a new draft every meeting and that really pissed the hell out of me because I'd have to make adjustments to my conference schedule. I remember Director Perly being all stern and strict with protocol. I distinctly remember the PMS pin she'd wear on her collar. I remember Usec. Joecap, the guy with the salt and pepper hair who really looked familiar. I keep trying to recall where I first met him...then suddenly realized it was during the ASEAN Leaders' meeting in 1999 when the Philippines Chaired and hosted the meeting. I'm not sure if he was with the Palace then. I think he was still with the media. But I remember seeing him covering events that had to do with the Palace.

Anyway, I'm not trying to make a eulogy or anything because eulogies are best given by people who were really close to the departed. But I couldn't help but say something because these people really made an impact on me first time I met them. And not too many people can do that to me. And the fact that they left just like that is too much for me to accept right now.

Earlier today, I sent my friend, who directly works with Usec. Malou and Dir. Perly, a message telling him that I had heard about what happened. Then after a few seconds, he called me and started telling me what happened. I noticed his voice was beginning to crack and then boom...he started sobbing. I could hardly understand him as he sobbed between words like "they were the real hard-working people...the career executives...those who've been there ever since....practically committed their lives in the name of service"... or something to that effect.

Anyway, I know I sound a bit incoherent right now. I don't even know what I really want to say. These are just words that are freely flowing out of my bothered insomniac mind. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I can't believe they're gone. Gone as in gone... just like that. I don't want to sound like I'm over acting or anything. I mean, it's not like I worked with them at Malacanang. But the thing that bothers me is that they really left this huge positive impact on me and I shall forever remember them for it. They were really professional people to work with. No hitches. No glitches. Perfect. They knew their stuff and they did their jobs with so much enthusiasm and dignity.

So just to make me stop already and give me peace of mind, I just want to say that I join their families, Malacanang, the President, and the entire nation in mourning the loss of Brigadier General Carlos Clet, Usec. Malou Frostrom, Usec. Jose "Jocap" Capadocia Jr, Dir. Perly Bandayanon of the PMS-ORC, chopper pilot Major Rolando Sacatani, his co-pilot Captain Alvin Alegata, Petty Officer 1 Demy Reyno, and Air Force crewman Staff Sergeant Romeo Gem Perez.

Maraming salamat sa inyong inalay na panahon upang magsilbi sa Bayan. Kayo ay mga tunay na Bayani.

DFAT 2009 Intro No. 2: Lachi's...I shall return

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:40:00 +0000

video by cousin Ria Jose.

Did you see the video? Yes? Did I seem happy? Yes!

This is my Davao FAT 2009 Intro number 2 hehe. Blogie and Drew, if you guys are reading this, I promise to write about my Davao FAT 2009 experience soon. Sorry if it's another "intro" and not "entry"....Intro, entry, get it? Ah, never mind.

But seriously, over-all, my favorite restaurant would have to be...guess? Of course -Lachi's. Why would I have borrowed Ria's video in the first place right?

Day 1 dinner, we headed over to Lachi's. I've heard so many things about Lachi's over at plurk which got me really interested.

So over at Lachi's, first thing I noticed was their menu that said "comfort food". My idea of comfort food is greasy fatty...which is why McDonald's tops my comfort food list. Anyways going back to Lachi's, they weren't exaggerating when they labeled their food choices as "comfort food". I mean, what better way to describe their main dishes and desserts. I especially cannot forget the Unforgettable Ribs (ok that sounded lame...but it's true, how else can I put it? And it's also true that that's what it's called); the Pork Marinara (and this comes from someone who is not so into pork); and the Laing Pasta (move over pesto, you've got yourself some competition). What made Lachi's food extra special was their very generous servings.

And their desserts...yum! The sansrival was not anything I've ever tasted before. The crunchy part had this melts-in-your mouth texture while the creamy part surprisingly did not make me feel nauseous the same way as other sans rivals usually do because of all that butter. Oh and their ube panacotta was so heavenly. I was surprised I actually finished one whole serving. And the apple pie was superb. Photo below c/o Blogie.

Lachi's is definitely one place I will never get tired of going to over and over again...Now I understand why Aileen loves it so much. Plus the owners, twin brothers Mike and Melvin Aviles were so accommodating. They patiently answered our questions and personally served the food.

During our last day, a few of us like Markku and Hanna, Jayvee, the sweeties Aileen and Jay all went home with boxes of sansrival. Maki bought, if I remember right, 2 big slices of cheesecake to take home. But lo and behold, while waiting for our flight which got delayed for like almost 4 hours, we noticed Maki was kinda upset. (I shall not discuss that matter further as it is none of my business LOLz.) So, what's the best way to calm down an upset person? Stuff 'em with food!

So this is the part where I say, thank God for Lachi's super yummy Cheesecake because after successfully eating both slices without any of us even noticing it, Maki felt so much better. I kid you not.

I am now more convinced that good food can really be comforting.

Lachi's Sanz Rival Atbp is located at:
Ruby St., Marfori Village Davao City
Tel No: 224-5552
Proprietors: Mike and Melvin Aviles

Intro to DFAT 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:27:00 +0000

I consider myself very fortunate for having been given the opportunity to experience the 2009 Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT) last March 13-16, 2009. It was definitely a worthwhile experience that I will treasure forever.

As Blogie (one of the prime movers of the event along with Drew) aptly put it, the DFAT is an annual event, coinciding with Araw ng Dabaw, wherein bloggers from out of town get to sample the various cuisine offerings of the city.

Back here in Manila, I don't really get to go to blogging events because I doubt if other bloggers even know me LOL. Plus, I think I kinda got categorized as a "political blogger". Political bloggers don't actually get invited to blogging events. Also, I'll be damned if someone organizes a political blogging event, invites me, and asks me to write about it. I mean, surely that's not something I would go to or participate in.

Anyway, having said that, one thing I can say about the DFAT, is that it is a bloggers initative in the PUREST form. No big events organizer, no big sponsors. Just bloggers getting together, coming up with an idea, talking straight to the participating establishments, and inviting people over to join. Voila. Well, at least that's how I see it. Here in Manila, I have yet to see something as pure and unadulterated as that.

All this yakking is just a short intro on what I will be writing about in the next few days - my DFAT experience...or else Blogie will kill me LOL...so abangan! hehe

Again, my warmest appreciation to the Davao bloggers who were all so kind and accommodating: Blogie, Andrew, cousin Ria and cousin Gwing :-), Chattee, Migs, Jim, Dom, and all the bloggers I met. Thank you also to the Manila-based bloggers I traveled to Davao with: sweeties JayDJ & Aileen (who flew back engaged), Arpee & Noreen, Markku & Hana, Jayvee, Juned, Fritz, Jeff, Maki my roommate, and of course Manolo.

Special thanks to Jayvee for convincing me to go :-) and also to Fritz :-)

Budget Flights

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:39:00 +0000

Remember when PAL was the only domestic air transport service provider? Being the only carrier, naturally, it was a virtual monopoly. And we all know how monopolies work right? Since they have this so-called market power, they also determine significantly the terms in which other individuals shall have access to their goods or services. Therefore, in a monopolistic environment we often find two circumstances that go together - high prices and inefficiency. And that's what PAL was made of...before. But then when the air transport sector was liberalized, new entrants were allowed. And thus came in Cebu Pacific, Grand Air (which eventually died), Air Philippines (which is PAL's already), and Asian Spirit (now Zest Air).

Among the new service providers, Cebu Pacific became the most aggressive with their promotional pricing of airfares. Thus, they were able to capture a bigger piece of the pie which used to be only PAL's. Plus their competitive rates also captured the passenger market of the sea transport industry thereby contributing to its imminent demise. Competition in the airline industry also had spillover effects on related industries as well such as the tourism industry. As flights became cheaper, famous vacation spots became accessible. Thus, more Filipinos started flying and going on vacations. And the rest is history.

But that's not really what this is all about. This entry is about my LOL moment while I was on my home from Cebu. Would you believe that a one-way ticket from Cebu to Manila only cost me around Php805 inclusive of tax? That's just like going to Ilocos on a bus for 12 hours right? But hold on a minute. The Php805.00 budget fare is not without its conditions and semi-deprivations.

One is, you have limited choices insofar as seats go. You are only allowed to sit at the rear end of the aircraft. Also, you won't be earning any miles. Boo. But what really made me LOL was that thing they had on my boarding pass:

Duh, who cares, I will only be on the plane for a little more than an hour. Plus I'm almost always asleep on the plane anyway. So who cares about the meal. And then the LOL moment came. The "meal" I was deprived of apparently, was a small pack of Happy Peanuts, LOLOLOL. Inyo nalang ang happy peanuts. And when I say small pack, it's those little small packs that you can buy for like Php2.00 I think.

And to top things off, this almost made me die in fits of giggles:

My seat had that "No Frills" sticker on it to separate me from the people who paid about a thousand pesos more than me just to be able to sit in the middle part of the aircraft, eat Happy peanuts, and drink orange colored sugar water which they like to call orange juice. ZOMG talaga.

Camote is....what?

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:35:00 +0000

In case you can't see it, just click on the picture or click here. LOL.

The week that was

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:32:00 +0000

So last week, I was out riding planes, boats, and motorcycles which brought me to 3 islands in the Central Visayas - Leyte, Camotes, and Cebu (though Camotes is considered to be part of Cebu).

Day 1 - February 16

Off to the Centennial Airport to catch the 2pm flight to Ormoc, Leyte. But when I got there, I was told that the "Pal Express" flights were at Terminal 3 and that I had to take a cab to get there. Ok, terminal 3. For people who've been to airports with 3 terminals, you'd be thinking that you only either need to walk to get to one terminal to another or ride a train or one of those walkway thingies. But no. Not in the Pelefins. When you say Terminal 3, you would have to take a cab and get out of the airport premises and enter the highway to get to the other "terminal". Planning, ftw!

Anyway to cut the long story short, I rode those little airplane thingies and arrived at Ormoc airport safe and sound. Since it was already almost 4 in the afternoon, I figured it would be useless to proceed to the other town so I decided to stay overnight.

Day 2 - February 17

Isabel, Leyte. An hour and Php70 later, I arrived in Isabel, Leyte, home of the PHILPHOS and PASAR plants. Isabel is the nearest link to Pacijan Island, one of the 4 islands known collectively as Camotes Island, the other three being Poro, Ponson, and Tulang. This is the island that has the nice white sandy beaches. Anyways, to get to Pacijan, you would have to go all the way to Ormoc, Leyte. Then from Ormoc, you cross to Poro, which is the island next to Pacijan. In short there is no direct service that can bring you from Isabel, Leyte to Pacijan Island. Except of course, if you rent these boats over here. Which is what I had to do. So the plan was, after getting all the information needed, I'd go direct to San Francisco, the municipality in Pacijan Island. I was thinking I'd do that during day 2 so that I'd have more time in Pacijan. Plus the people there were saying that it would only take about and hour or two to cross to Pacijan.

But then after talking with the boatman, he was saying that it wasn't advisable anymore to leave at 3pm because it would be high tide by the time I get to the other side, in other words, I had to stay overnight at Isabel. Boo.

Day 3 - February 18

So Manong Alex and I made a deal that we were to start sailing at 5am so that I would be at Pacijan in less than two hours. So off I went. But when the boat started sailing, I kinda sensed that 1 hour or even 2 hours was actually exagg. Well I'll be damned, I was right. Remember we left at 5am? Guess what time I got to my destination? Almost 9:30am. I think I started mumbling "are we there yet?" when I noticed it was already 8am. Though I didn't really mind because the water was calm and it didn't look like the boat would capsize any moment so it was all good. Except that my butt was starting to go numb because I could hardly sit since the bench thingie was a bit narrow. So after doing everything possible not to get bored, I finally saw a stretch of land...could that be it?

OMG, land! As we got closer, I was starting to like the place already.

So day 3 was Camotes Island appreciation day. Yup I just stayed all day at the resort and enjoyed the sun because I know that I will not be going back to this place any time soon so might as well enjoy every minute of it.

Day 4 - February 19

Day 4 was back to work day so I had to get my ass moving if I were to catch the 1100am Ferry to Danao, Cebu. So I started moving at around 8am. But before I left, I just had to take more photos of this beautiful place:

After settling everything and taking last minute photos, I rode the habal-habal to stop by the Municipal Office to get inputs from the Municipal Planning Officer. But then since either the Municipal planning officer was absent or inexistent, I got the next best thing...the Mayor! Mr. Mayor was kind and accommodating. I got all the information I needed...plus coffee and saging na saba :D

But then I couldn't stay too long as I had a boat to catch. So off I went to the small port in Consuelo which would take me to Danao, Cebu. When I got on board, the first thing that came out of my mouth was "Where is the Coastguard?" Then the boat crew said, "Ma'am manggagaling pa po sya sa kabilang port, naka-motor lang yon". But then the boat left without the coastguard person even getting on to check. Then I thought, would it be possible to get deputized by the coastguard so that I could do the inspection myself? I should ask that when I get back, I thought. But yeah, I am seriously considering that.

Two hours and Php180 later, I arrived in Danao, Cebu and got to visit the Church right across the port.

From Danao, Cebu, I then proceeded to Mandaue to relax a bit before heading off to Mactan to catch my flight back to Manila. Oh and aside from the usual pasalubong buying etc etc, the best way to end your Cebu trip is by getting one of these at the airport: A lot of people say I have the coolest job because I get to go around the Islands. That's partly true I guess. But if you do it for a living, which means, under a tight budget, under time pressure, and with the end in view of coming up with a study in a month's time, sometimes it can really zap the energy out of you.

Now to start writing my report.

Impeachment

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Photo: Michael Tercha / The Chicago Tribune / AP Source: Associated Press

Source: Time.com

Those words did it for Illinois Governer Rod Blagojevich. It only took a wire-tapped conversation presented by the Feds (and of course a few years of investigation), Articles of Impeachment filed by the House of Representatives, and an impeachment hearing with the US Senate as trier, and voila! Rod Blagojevich was impeached and banned from running for any future public office. That simple. He was IMPEACHED.

Plus, during the impeachment hearing, Illinois Senator and fellow Democrat James Meeks, in reaction to Blagojevich was so mad that he mocked Blagojevich's display of arrogance and said:

"We have this thing called impeachment and it's bleeping golden, and we've used it the right way."

Which got me thinking because we sorta had our chance to do the same thing. I mean, we had our own Blagojevich. And our version was even more embarrassing because, duh, in our case it was our freaking President, who was caught on tape talking to a Comelec official, making sure that her votes were enough to make her win (read: padded). We had a House of Representatives responsible for filing the Articles of Impeachment. So, check. We had Articles of Impeachment and impeachment complaints filed every single year. Check. We had a Senate that was supposed to act as the trier. Check. So yeah, there's a check on all the freaking elements. But what happened? NOTHING.

Why? Because our "thing" called "impeachment" isn't bleeping golden. It's stinking rotten. Which is why it has never been and will never be used the right way. Sorry. But our system really sucks. We may try to pretend that we are a democracy with all these checks and balances, freedom of whatever blah blah blah...but then so what? At the end of the day, those who have done wrong will only be absolved by the people sitting in power because they area all the same. They are all ROTTEN. They are all a bunch of phonies. And this is all a big show. So yeah, impeachment will never fly. Impeachment is just a word. Impeachment is just a concept. Impeachment is just something we will read about happening in other countries.

Plus, our politicians are all so useless anyway, which is why a sophisticated and democratic process called "impeachment" will only be totally pointless (as history has shown). I mean, give me one public official who got impeached ...honest-to-goodness-went-through-the-process impeached. Just one. None? See? So forget about ever impeaching anyone in this country. Forget about holding anyone accountable because these people simply have no sense of right and wrong. The concept of "accountability" is just too much for their dense layers of epidermis to absorb. Ack. I think I'm beginning to have a Benign0 moment. So yeah, maybe I should just shush now.

Ebola Reston Strain - Waz dat?

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:50:00 +0000

If the news about a hog farmer testing positive with the ebola reston strain is not enough to make you wonder, feel shocked, alarmed, and compelled to know what this is all about, then I don't know what else will. But then sometimes, even if we do want to know more about things that matter and may affect us big time, we are robbed of the opportunity to do so because either the people who are supposed to be feeding us with the information are sitting on their asses doing nothing, or maybe there's just not enough information to share. Which brings me back to my earlier premise that maybe because the people who are supposed to be doing their job are just sitting on their asses doing nothing.

Anyways, so much for that. Let me just say that I commend the DOH for their really neat primer found on their website regarding the Ebola Reston Strain. Information! Finally! This is one significant and major public service that most if not all government agencies tend to overlook. Information Dissemination. It's good to know that the DOH are on their toes. Salamat po mga doctor :D Because of that, I dedicate this blogpost to all the hardworking people of the National Epidemiology Center of the DOH. I dedicate this by reposting their FAQs on the Ebola Reston Strain LOL. No, seriously. Here it is:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON EBOLA RESTON STRAIN
From the Department of Health website

1. What is Ebola Reston strain?

Ebola virus has four subtypes, namely, Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan, Ebola Ivory Coast, and Ebola Reston.

Subtypes Zaire, Sudan and Ivory Coast can cause hemorrhagic symptoms, Reston does not.

Reston was previously found among Philippine monkeys in 1989, 1990, 1992, and 1996. The virus was found in sick pigs in the Philippines for the first time in 2008. It has not been found in any other country or animal.

2. Does it affect humans?

Unlike the three subtypes, there has been no evidence that Reston can cause significant illness in humans. When Reston was previously found in monkeys, few animal handlers were infected but only one had very mild symptoms.

3. Is it safe to eat pork?

Yes, if the meat is prepared safely and cooked thoroughly. All meat should always be cooked properly until no pink meat and juices run clear and good kitchen hygiene should always be used when handling raw meat. Proper cooking of meat inactivates viruses including Reston.

4. Is it safe to eat sick pigs?

Meat from sick pigs or pigs found dead should never be eaten. Sick and dead animals should be reported to the Bureau of Animal Industry and the National Meat Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture.

5. How would we know if the pork being sold in the market is safe or not?

The public should buy meat only from meat stalls with certification from the National Meat Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture.

6. What should be done when sick pigs are found?

Immediately report this to the nearest Provincial/ City/ Municipal Veterinary Officers. NMIS officers or Meat Inspectors shall not allow the slaughtering of any sick or dead pigs.

7. What is the government doing to address the issue?

DA and DOH are conducting simultaneous surveys to know the extent and public health implications of the finding of Reston in pigs. Recent testing of healthy pigs in previously affected areas is now negative for the virus. No human has been infected. DA continues to monitor occurrences of unusual pig illnesses and deaths. DOH will also continue to monitor the situation. DOH will institute measures to reduce possible risks to human health as the DA reports unusual pig illnesses and deaths.

8. How can we keep food safe?

Keep clean

- Wash your hands before handling food and during food preparation
- Wash and sanitize all surfaces and equipment used for food preparation
- Protect kitchen areas and food from insects, pests and other animals

Separate raw food and cooked food

-Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from cooked food
-Use separate equipment and utensils such as cutting boards for handling raw food
-Store food in containers to avoid contact between raw and prepared foods

Cook food thoroughly
-Cook food thoroughly especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood
-Bring foods like soups and stews to boiling to make sure that they have reached 700C. Make sure that meat juices are clear, not pink.
-Reheat cooked food thoroughly

Keep food at safe temperatures
-Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours
-Refrigerate promptly- Do not store food too long even in refrigerator
-Do not thaw food frozen food at room temperature

Use safe water and raw materials

Road Rage...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 04:03:00 +0000

...yes I has. Everytime I get in my car and start driving, something would always make my blood pressure rise. The stupid traffic enforcers, egg-head truck, taxi, and jeepney drivers, stupid motorcycle drivers with no helmets. Grrr. Anyways, my latest pet peeve is....

...yes, correct. The "elevated U-turn".

The freaking elevated u-turn has got to be the single, most stupid, ridiculous, ineffective, stupid (i know I already said that), blood boiling, stroke-provoking, stress-inducing, nerve-wracking, and patience-draining project of the MMDA. Not only is it a waste of resources but it has not delivered its promised benefit which is to minimize traffic at the C5-Kalayaan intersection. In fact it has actually done the opposite. Freaking traffic has worsened. Why? Because the problem is, there are just too many trucks and cars. Period. The "elevated u-turn" was just an expensive quick fix monstrosity that has not actually done much to fix anything except make my blood pressure rise. ZOMG talaga. Why didn't they just put a simple flyover with multiple lanes? Duh. May pa elevated elevated whatever pang nalalaman. And most of all, to make things worse, may makikita ka pang ganito:

Photo credits: Tsikot.com and MMDA

Obama makes history

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:34:00 +0000

I borrowed this from my friend Barnee who posted it in her Facebook. She said it was from the store Lululemon Athletica in Georgetown. The picture pretty much says it all.

Along with the whole world, I stayed up to witness the swearing in of the 44th President of the most powerful nation. I'm too lazy to dissect his speech. LOL. Maybe later? Or maybe never LOL. Though the speech was a bit underwhelming. Not really the kind you'd expect. Or maybe it was in the delivery. He was kinda stoic and lacking in emotions I guess. But it was fine. He looked serious and stern. Very Presidentiable. Oh and at least his speech wasn't pompous and radiating with all sorts of crappy promises. Anyways I loved Aretha and the ensemble. But I didn't really like the poetry reading part. Where the heck was Maya Angelou? LOL. Congratulations to President Barack Obama. I am off to snooze land. Zzzz....

Happy 2009!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:00:00 +0000

I remember when I was a kid, during new year's eve, we were often told to jump as soon as the clock would strike 12 midnight in order to ward off the possibilities of becoming vertically challenged. Well, I guess I wasn't listening back then LOLOLOL.

As they say, nasa huli ang pagsisisi. So yes. This is regret getting the best of me. If only I had listened huhuhu....I should have done all this jumping when I was a whole LOT younger! LOLOL . Who would have thought jumping would be this fun?

Happy New Year everyone! May this year be a far better year for the Philippines and the Filipino people.

Photo credits go to my cousin Jan Pabellon. Taken: Jan 1 2009. :D

Thug Thumping

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:39:00 +0000

Jeeze I promised myself I will not blog until after the Christmas break, but this issue was just too much to let slide. I've been hearing news that it was the victims who actually started it by taunting the mayor or whatever. I don't know. I don't know what's true anymore especially since MSM keeps trying to put a spin to every story they can get their hands on.

Anyway, moving on. I know I was a wee bit emotional in my earlier post. Like I said, Pangandaman already made my blood boil last year after how he dealt with the Sumilao Farmers' issue. Then this comes along. Could you blame me?

Now, let's see if I can brush emotions aside and look at the issue with a more sober disposition. I would still say that, the Mayor was wrong on all counts. Why? Because he was the one in power, hence, he should have known better. He had the guns and the goons, so he should have known better. He was the one who got there late, so he should have known better. He is currently the freaking mayor of a poor province in the South, which would beg me to therefore ask, what the fuck was he doing here in Manila playing golf in the first place? So yeah, he should have really known better. Whichever way you look at the story, he should have known better.

Like I said, politicians are the worst beasts (heh and this is a sober take already wtf LOL). They have no sense of right or wrong. They think we owe them, when in fact it should be the other way around. They think they own us. You, me, the air we breathe. No words can describe the outrage I feel towards them especially the ones down in the South. How do I know? Because I was a witness to one incident when a Mayor in Sulu came to visit the port in Jolo. He was in his dark glasses and dark jacket with loads of bodyguards in fatigue uniforms and M-16 armalites. As he walked towards where we were, they were literally running down people who were scrambling to get out of their way. When he finally reached his destination, the people inside the port office were all scrambling to give the Mayor what he wanted. It was lunch time. There was a small salo-salo being prepared at the port. So they ate. While they ate, the other people in the port office, including us, just waited til they finished.

Only after were we allowed to start eating. I felt sick. I couldn't eat. Not because of the fact that we had to eat their left-overs. I felt sick because of how they treated and continue to treat people who they think are below them.

The dela Pazs are fortunate people. They can afford to play golf. They can afford to be a member of a country club. They can afford a lawyer to protect their interests if they decide to sue. Heck, they can afford to sue period. Which got me thinking. What about those whose rights continuously get trampled upon by thugs like these? What about the unfortunate ones? Who's looking after them? Who defends their rights when they get abused? No one. Thus the argument goes. If the dela Pazs weren't as fortunate as they were, i.e. for one, having access to the internet thus reaching a wider scope of people, how would the MSM have treated this issue? Maybe the same way they treated my Uncle's brother-in-law who got shot in his own home last night. He's dead now. But I don't see a single piece of news item on an old lawyer who used to work for the Comelec (pre-Garci days) getting shot in his own home in Cotabato.

In the end, this all boils down to who you are and which class you belong to. There still exists that class mentality that will never go away. Middle class people are lucky they have the means to defend themselves when the need arises. What about those who don't? What about those who can't? Well, they end up being dug out of a shallow grave. They end up being just a matter of fact. They end up being just a casualty. They end up being a statistic.

If these thugs could get away with bullying fortunate people who lead comfortable lives, I can only imagine how they treat the ones who are less fortunate. That's what makes me sick.

Oh and please read the following entries about the incident as well:

The World has Gone Crazy by Bambee de la Paz
Updates and Thank Yous by Bambee de la Paz
Repost of Bambee’s post at Filipino Voices

Impunity by Manuel Quezon III
Nasser Pangandaman Jr., mayor of Masiu, Lanao Del Sur: Golf Attack by Reyna Elena
The World has Always Been Crazy, We Just Don’t Notice It: Mayor Beats Up 56 Year Old Man and 14 Year Old Boy by Noisy, noisy Ade
Impunity and Golf by Caffeine Sparks
DAR chief Pangandaman’s son, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. in Mauling Golfers in Antipolo by Noemi Dado
Golf, Guns, & Goons : Philippine Golf Horror Story by Joel Chua
Politicians Beat Up Defenseless Dad, 56, and Son, 14, Over Golf by Shari
Mayor of Lanao Del Sur Mauls Father and Son by Village Idiot Savant
DAR Secretary Nasser Pangandaman and Son maul 56-year-old Golfer and 14-year old Kid by Neil Es2pido
Irony to a Tee by Marck
Mayor Beats Up 56 Year Old Man and 14 Year Old Boy by BA Racoma
DAR Chief and Mayor of Masiu City Maul Helpless Dad and 14 yr old Son by Jepoy Bengero
Politicians are the WORST. Stay away from them by Jen
Entitlement by Ia Lucero
A Dampener on the Season by Jonas Diego
These Bastards Have To Pay by Gerry Alanguilan
Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. (son of DAR Chief) in Mauling Golfers in Antipolo by Dine Racoma
Crazy Politicians! by Lalaine
When A Family Golf Game Turns Ugly by Dementia
He Who Had Too Much Sense of Entitlement by Tess Termulo
Mayor, You’ve Been A Bad Boy! by Mark Bravo
You’re Not Getting Away With This. byMarcelle
Of Thuggery and Courtesy Resignations by Ding G. Gagelonia
Politicians Maul Father & Son Over Golf by Regnard Raquedan
Philippine Mayor Beats Up Helpless Old Man Over Golf by Flisha
Asshole Politicians Beat Up Father and Son Over Golf by Mad Cow Blues
Potpourri II: The widening gyre by Ephemere
Mayor Pangandaman Beats Up 56 year old man and his 14 year old son by Karla Redor
Philippine Mayor Beats Up Helpless Old Man Over Golf by Flisha
We haven’t really gone anywhere by Alex Maximo

Di Mo Kami Kilala by Dean Lozarie

Civilized Behavior by Fabian Mangahas
Bully Mayor Beats up Kid by Ruben Canlas, Jr.

Coverage by Mainstream Media:

DAR chief, son face complaints for allegedly mauling golfers from ABS CBN
Gov’t peace negotiator, son face mauling raps from ABS CBN
Kalihim ni Arroyo inakusahang nanggulpi sa golf course sa Antipolo from Gmanews.tv
MAG-AMA BINUGBOG NG ANAK NG DAR CHIEF from Abante Tonite
DAR chief’s son tagged in golf attack from Inquirer
DAR chief, mayor son tagged in beating from PhilStar

Politicians are the WORST. Stay away from them

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:46:00 +0000

Note to self: "You are doing fine steering clear away from politicians. I know for a brief moment you thought it would be nice to meet a single, good-looking politician and marry into his family and eventually indoctrinate him and stuff about doing the right thing for the country et cetera et cetera and maybe even get into politics yourself. But puhhleeease. Do not even think your principles will ever allow that to happen. Forget it. Stop right there."

Jeeze, what was that about? Ok, I admit, there was a time when I thought that I would sacrifice myself and marry into a political family. No, seriously. I thought it would be my contribution to helping the country. Meet a single, good-looking guy from a political family then proceed to indocrinate him into doing the right things. But that was just a stupid plan which I know has ZERO chances of ever happening. Plus all the good-looking ones are already taken. LOL. So yeah. Super scratch that off "The Plan". Plus I already love the dawgs.

Anyways, after that really long introduction, here's what I'm really trying to say. I found out about this from Caffeinesparks. It's about a student golfer sharing the worst day of her life. And she goes:

At around 1:30 PM today, at Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo City, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr., Mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur, his father, Secretary Nasser Pangandaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and company, beat my defenseless 56-year-old dad and my 14-year-old brother to a pulp because of some stupid misunderstanding on the golf course. Read more here.

Pangandaman should've been sacked after how he handled the Sumilao issue. That's my beef with this guy. Now this? I swore not to read or listen to the news until after the holidays so as not to ruin the season and to not make my blood boil but we should not let this one pass. This is really appalling...in a WTF appalling kind of way. What has this country become? A country full of trigger-happy politicians ready to target practice his way out of a simple misunderstanding - over a fucking golf game?!?! This is really sick. We should not let them get away with this.

True that the DAR Secretary didn't do the beating up, but as the student golfer shared, he did nothing and just watched. What the hell kind of being would do that? Well, I guess maybe only a being so full of himself that he thinks he is above the law and above all other beings could do something like that. A being who has allowed himself to feel that he is so superior that he can't even police his own sons to follow the law. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the worst breed of beings we call Politicians. Gah, I can't even call them human beings.

I know I'm kind of incoherent. I'm just soooo tired already. Fuck every single politician who has made this country sink to the bottom of the pit. I am so fucking tired of you all. I hope you all go to hell. I seriously do.

Who in his right mind would do such a horrible thing to a kid? And go get yourself your own golf course. I seriously hope you rot in jail if something happens to that kid. I seriously do. Moron.

Christmas Bells are ringing...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:27:00 +0000

...somewhere else, not here. Yes, since I am all scroogey and grinchy this Christmas, sorry everyone, you're not getting any gifts from me this year...lulz. I am so not in the mood to shop right now. The malls are like seas of humanity. I have no patience at all to elbow my way through the crowds. The grocery, I can stand. But the mall? No thank you. Maybe after the holidays, let's see. Plus, I don't feel like burning any of my hard-earned monies yet lulz.

In other news, speaking of burning, gawd, Ineng has been like baking cookies since forever. The cookies are like Christmas give-away thingies. They're pretty good actually. Soft and chewy. Just the way I like 'em. Then she puts 'em in these boxes. And voila:

Anyways, eversince December came, the oven's been burning like hell everyday, and I hadn't noticed that til this morning when I woke up to a stinging and burning feeling on my right leg. At first I was too lazy to see what it was. But alas, the stinging sensation turned out to be a really gross and huge burn. Super gross. It looks like a huge caterpillar. Apparently, I burnt myself last night in the kitchen. Strange because I only felt it when I woke up. Here's how gross it looks:

Anyways, Merry Christmas everyone! This has got to be like the most non-sensical entry in my entire blogging life. And lucky you, you get to read it. Wahaha.

Oh and before I go, here's what I want for Christmas. Whoever gives me this, will be loved forever.

It's a rose quartz. The Rose quartz is a pink quartz that is often called the "Love Stone." It is said to be a stone of unconditional love that opens the heart chakra to all forms of love: self-love, family love, platonic love, and romantic love.

Emotionally rose quartz brings gentleness, forgiveness, compassion, kindness and tolerance. It raises one's self-esteem and sense of self-worth. It helps balance emotions and heal emotional wounds and traumas, even grief, bringing peace and calm. Rose quartz removes fears, resentments and anger. It can also heal and release childhood traumas, neglect, and lack of love, in part by enhancing inner awareness. It can help with reconciliation with family and others. Overwhelming or unreasonable guilt is eased by rose quartz.

So yeah. That's what I want. No, that's what I need. A rose quartz. Merry Christmas everyone.

SHOES me, Mr. President, I Have a Question

noreply@blogger.com (Jenijenjen) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:54:00 +0000

Oooh, did that hurt?

That was full of LoLz. Though don't get me wrong, I don't mean Dubya any harm or anything. But that was a classic Bush moment. Pang America's Funniest Home Videos. hehe ...Remember that old pinoy phrase "sasapatusin kita"? Well, this has got to be it....LOLOLOLOLOL!

Though first thing everyone noticed was his great dodging reflexes, impressive nga naman talaga sabi nga ni Nash. I mean, he ducked and dodged twice, one for each shoe. LOLz.

But then, quick reflexes or not, that must have been abso-fucking-lutely horrifying for Bush. I mean didya see his face when he was trying to act all cool? I mean I would be horrified too because God knows what the first shoe could have been or what could have been in the shoe. I mean the guy, for a quick second, stood up and threw at him not just a shoe but a freakin PAIR!!!

And where the heck were the Secret Service guys? Doesn't their job include body blocking all incoming projectiles that came towards the President? Normally, no one or nothing can ever get near the President without herds of Secret Service guys tackling you first (ok, ok, fine I watch way too much movies meh :P)

Anyways, this one's sooo for the books. As for Dubya, this may be the last thing we'll remember him for before he leaves office. At least he made us all LOL!