Silent Screamer

Philippine Holidays 2012

2012-01-17T18:08:00.005+08:00

Official holidays in the Philippines for 2012.
No classes for most students, no work for most employees.

The Eid'l Fitr and Eidul Adha are not yet included, but both will be declared and announced after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar (Hijira).

A. Regular Holidays
New Year’s Day Maundy Thursday Good Friday Araw ng Kagitingan		January 1 (Sunday) April 5 April 6 April 9 (Monday)
Labor Day Independence Day National Heroes Day Bonifacio Day Christmas Day Rizal Day		May 1 (Tuesday) June 12 (Tuesday) August 27 (Last Monday of August) November 30 (Friday) December 25 (Tuesday) December 30 (Sunday)
B. Special (Non-Working) Days
Chinese New Year Ninoy Aquino Day All Saints Day Additional special (non-working) day Last Day of the Year		January 23 (Monday) August 21 (Tuesday) November 1 (Thursday) November 2 (Friday) December 31 (Monday)
C. Special Holiday (for all schools)
EDSA Revolution Anniversary		February 25 (Saturday)

Chief Justice on Trial

2012-01-16T22:21:00.003+08:00

For the first time in the history of the Philippines, a Supreme Court Chief Justice is facing an impeachment trial.

Chief Justice Renato Corona faces senator-judges during the first day of the trial Monday. Prosecutors had filed 8 complaints against the Chief Justice, including Corona’s alleged bias for former President Gloria Arroyo and graft and corruption charges. Corona has vehemently denied all allegations.

Continuation... see InAsia website:
http://in-asia.net/2012/01/16/chief-justice-on-trial/

180 trees

2012-01-14T15:59:00.001+08:00

When ANC reported about the plans of SM City Baguio to cut down over 180 trees to give way to a multi-level carpark, instant and passionate reactions from netizens came in via Twitter @ANCALERTS. Almost everyone was against it. They cited the recent flash floods and landslides and the overall degradation of forests and natural resources in the Philippines as reasons why the 180 trees should not be cut down.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources reportedly approved the cutting down of the trees last year, while Baguio officials recently gave a building permit. SM had said, the 7-storey carpark will help the local economy. The mall adds, the carpark will utilize green technology.

The issue is, progress vs forests.

True, having a carpark will be good for Baguio since it will attract tourists, not just for the mall but for nearby attractions as well, like Burnham Park and the Baguio Cathedral. Many motorists have been complaining of a lack of parking spaces in Baguio and the multi-level carpark will ease the problem.

But on the other hand, 180 trees? How could one even think of cutting down that many trees. Why not make parts of Baguio a walking city? It is the summer capital and I'd like it to stay that way. Landslides have already hit the city and even if it's way above sea level, floods still inundate Baguio. The cutting down of trees may further aggravate the problem.

I was born in Baguio, and I'd like to return there still breathing the fresh air and seeing the iconic pine trees.

2012 Meditation

2012-01-09T19:06:00.003+08:00

My first blog entry for 2012!
To start the year right, here's my report aired on the first day of the year. It's about my interview with Fr. Laurence Freeman, a Benedictine monk who visited the Philippines last December. He is campaigning for people to meditate. He suggests people to meditate twice a day and to just focus on one word for 20 minutes per session. Above all, he says meditation is moving beyond vision, words and thoughts. Meaning, you do not talk or even think while meditating. Fr. Freeman says, it will be difficult for first timers, but once you get it, then it will be a good habit for 2012.

Happy meditating. Try it.

From Food to War

2011-12-14T13:24:00.003+08:00

My December reports so far: From Taguig to Clark in Pampanga.

Blogger App

2011-11-19T20:36:00.001+08:00

Trying out this blogger iPhone app... Just discovered it, haha

Btw, thanks to GeiserMaclang for sending me a post birthday gift. Didn't expect it at all! Thanks!! :)

Mika Hakkinen in Manila

2011-11-06T13:02:00.001+08:00

Two-time Formula One World Champion Mika Hakkinen is in Manila to promote responsible drinking and driving. He urges the public to "Join the Pact", a campaign spearheaded by Johnnie Walker. It aims to spread awareness on the importance of practicing responsible drinking. The MMDA reported that the number of drunk driving accidents is rapidly rising.

So guys, please never drink and drive.
So not cool.

Business Reports

2011-10-19T18:06:00.001+08:00

My past 2 reports are business-related. And to be more specific, the reports have something to do with auditing firms. The first one is about the partnership between global auditing firm Mazars and Philippine-based Reyes, Tacandong & Company. The second one is Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 Philippines. After these 2 events, I went to Vietnam only to find out my high school friend Leo is working there for Ernst & Young/ SGV. Talk about coincidence. Probably it's a sign I need to shift careers. :)

Saigon!

2011-10-16T16:30:00.000+08:00

Writing all the way from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I just spent 3 days here with my friend Nescy. Out of the blue I met my Vietnamese friend Peter, who I met in Italy last year. Then I found out my high school friend Leo also works here. It was a reunion of sort. Had a fun but tiring 3 days. I'll be returning to Manila in a few hours. Vacations are so much fun. It is costly, but its effects are lasting.

PAL's Fly Pinas Pass

2011-09-16T10:20:00.002+08:00

Last month, I was enticed by a promo of Philippine Airlines. It's called the Fly Pinas Pass. For only P7K, you can fly all-you-can domestically for 7 weeks. Of course, there were other add on charges including taxes. I rarely take PAL because it is more expensive than Cebu Pacific or AirPhil Express. In fact, the last time I rode a PAL plane for a domestic route, aside from the July news coverage I had, was several years ago. So, I was tempted to purchase this promo package. And I did.

To avail the promo, you have to book all your flights one-time. You can't add more flights once you have booked all your chosen flights for 7 weeks. And every one-way trip, there is a corresponding tax. It's about P350-450 depending on the destination. So, for a round trip ticket Manila to Davao, for example, the tax costs about P900. It's basically still expensive than budget carriers, since the P900 is on top of the initial P7K. But of course, if you are really a jet setter and you fly weekly, then it's a good deal.

Anyhow, I booked my flights for September to October. I decided not to fly weekly, since I don't need to and I don't have money. I booked flights Manila to Davao, General Santos and Bacolod. I booked several flights to/from Bacolod, since it's my hometown.

I took my first PAL promo flight 2 weeks ago. I went to General Santos for the baptism of my godchild. I also visited my relatives there. The flight was ok. It was my first time to ride a wide-body aircraft on a domestic route. The meal served was crackers, peanuts and coffee.

Today, I'm going to Davao and next week to Bacolod. Excited for my trips, but my wallet is not.

Paris Hilton in Manila

2011-09-01T07:45:00.001+08:00

I got to interview Paris Hilton in Manila!! It was just a very short interview, but it was a semi-exclusive, since I'm only 1 out of 2-3 journalists who were able to do so. The experience is now very blurry. I guess I was starstruck or something, haha

Pamana

2011-08-11T13:08:00.001+08:00

I haven't been blogging recently. I told myself I'll blog more often this year. Anyways, since my last post, I have been to Mindanao and Visayas. I was in Cotabato and Maguindanao last July and in Bacolod just a few days ago. The first was for work, the other for leisure. Here are the reports I made about my coverage in Mindanao.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process has launched the PAMANA program. It aims to assist displaced residents affected by the conflict in ARMM.

End of an Era

2011-07-18T10:50:00.001+08:00

Many have said that their childhood has ended with the finale of the Harry Potter series. As the promo ad of the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" film-- It all ends. In a way, it also does for my childhood.

I have been reading Harry Potter since I was in second year high school (about a decade ago). I remember my classmates reading it and I was curious about it, so I asked my lolo to buy me the book. He bought me 2 hardbound books, to my pleasant surprise. When I read the first, I was already captivated by the magical world of Harry Potter. When the movies came, it was another magical journey.

I remember during my third year in high school, Harry Potter was the theme of our Christmas Party. It was such a fun and innocent time. Each one of us was a Harry Potter character. I was Albus Dumbledore (we didn't act or wear costume, we were just using the name). When I entered college, I kept on reading/watching it. Although, when I graduated college, I wasn't able to continue reading/watching it. Until the last Harry Potter movie came.

I already have a movie ticket for July 15. So I started watching on DVD all Harry Potter movies starting July 1. I bought Harry Potter Books 6 and 7 last July 10. I had to finish reading the 2 books in 5 days. I didn't succeed, but I finished reading until the part where Harry Potter 7.1 ended. So while watching Part 2, it was totally all surprises.

The finale movie was great! Effects wise, acting, everything was there. Although there were changes from the book, it still was worth it. It was an epic and great ending to a series so loved by the world. I will miss Harry Potter, cause I am not sure if there would be such a phenomenon again. I am happy that I was born at a time the Harry Potter books were published and came to life.

ToyCon 2011

2011-06-20T12:28:00.001+08:00

I'm not superman.
Last weekend was very tiring for me. Friday, I was working from 6am-12mn. I had to cover 3 events in the evening! (super traffic pa). Then I had a whole day work on Saturday. Plus another coverage Sunday. Everything was fun, but fatigue just took a toll on me. By Sunday, I was feeling sick during my coverage. That coverage was the ToyCon at the SM Megamall. There were so many people, but it was a cool event.
Here are some pics.

Chuck Bass in Manila [video]

2011-06-10T12:08:00.002+08:00

Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick arrives in Manila to shoot for a commercial.
He is endorsing Philippine fashion brand 'Penshoppe'

For details, check previous post :-)

Chuck Bass in Manila

2011-06-03T09:19:00.000+08:00

I attended the press conference of Ed Westwick aka Chuck Bass at Salon de Ning at the Manila Peninsula last night. Before I came to the event, I received several calls, texts and tweets from friends asking me if they can join the presscon. Some even asked me to kiss Ed for them and take photos.

I wasn't planning on kissing Ed, but taking photos- definitely. But that didn't happen. Before entering, we were asked to deposit our phones! That was so annoying. It's a presscon filled with media people, but phones and cameras are not allowed??? Good thing, my cameraman and his videocam were allowed.

Anyways, I sat near the stage since I arrived a bit early. I watched Gossip Girl season 1-2, so somehow it was amazing to see the real Chuck Bass in person. He seems nice, but there's also a sense of bad boyish charm. He gamely answered questions ranging from fashion, Gossip Girl, Romeo and Juliet and his admiration for Manny Pacquiao.

He says he wants to return to the country. I hope he does, and hope he brings with him Leighton Meester or Blake Lively, or both.

From Flight Deck to Runway

2011-05-27T11:41:00.000+08:00

These are my reports on the USS Carl Vinson and on the 25th anniversary of Penshoppe event at the Philippine Fashion Week 2011. These were aired in different dates, but both events took place in just one day. It was the day I first visited an aircraft carrier and watched a runway show.

USS Carl Vinson

2011-05-18T12:48:00.000+08:00

Sunday, May 15, 2011 was a historic day for me. I did 2 things for the first time in my life. In the morning, I visited the USS Carl Vinson. It was my first time to go on board an aircraft carrier. By night time, I attended Penshoppe's Philippine Fashion Week event. It was my first time to attend a runway event.

But for this post, I'll focus on the aircraft carrier.
Initially, when our boat got closer to USS Carl Vinson, I thought it was kinda small than expected. But when we went inside, it was big. Over 5,000 sailors are on board the vessel and there are thousands of rooms. It can also carry up to 90 planes. The media was only allowed in the hangar bay and the flight deck.

The USS Carl Vinson is the vessel that carried Osama bin Laden's body for burial at sea. From the Arabian Sea, it went directly to Manila. But the media was told before boarding the vessel, that crew members are not authorize to answer Osama questions. Of course, some tried to ask, but the crew members were obedient to orders.

Here are some pics of USS Carl Vinson.

Must Havs!

2011-05-17T11:52:00.001+08:00

I only own one pair of Havaianas.
And I was thrilled when I was assigned to go to the media launch of the Make Your Own Havaianas 2011.
Thankfully, the media people were given a pair each.
Not to mention, we designed our own pair of slippers to suit our taste and personality.
Now, I have two pairs. :-)

Metro Comic-Con 2

2011-05-14T17:10:00.002+08:00

Here's my report of the 2011 Metro Comic Convention!
For some information, see previous post.

Metro Comic-Con

2011-05-14T17:06:00.000+08:00

I attended the 2011 Metro Comic Convention last weekend in Ortigas. It was my first time to go to such an event, and I'm really happy I did. Obviously, there were lots of comics, but there were also several collectibles and of course cosplayers.

I'm amazed that there are now many local comic books. I interviewed Heubert Michael, one of the organizers. He says, they are hoping for the revival of Pinoy comics, similar to what happened decades ago. He says, with the growing number of comics-turned movies and even fantaserye, they hope Filipinos will once again read and hold comic books.

One thing that interests me is the "Zombies in Manila". It's a 6-part series and 4 comic books are currently available. I'm a fan of zombie movies, so this is something I am geeky about. It was also my first time to see dozens of cosplayers all in one place! No need to describe them, just check the photos. There are so much more but I didn't get to take a photo of them.

Digital Animation

2011-05-08T18:32:00.001+08:00

I attended the launch of the newest course at the La Consolacion College Manila. The school, in partnership with Digimation UK, unveiled 3D courses on digital animation- including a 2-year degree and many short courses.

Filipinos are generally creative and it is no surprise that they excel in the field of animation, having been part of many hit Disney and Pixar movies. Sadly, there is not enough schools here in the Philippines that offer courses on animation... until now. LCCM is just one of the few colleges that offer this course, not to mention it is in cooperation with a major digital animation firm based in London.

Anyone who takes the course will get a certificate straight from the U.K. I interviewed Digimation CEO Dilip Amdekar. He says the animation industry is worth $50B dollars and it will continue to grow. The demand for animators will significantly rise. And Filipinos must seize that opportunity. It will not only be a venue for creative and artistic Pinoys, but it will also help the country financially. Dilip says, the the minimum pay for an animator is $30,000/year and it can reach up to $90,000/year.

The cost for the courses is around P23,000 upwards. Digimation says, thhey will teach students not just one program or one topic, but it will focus on various topics- 3D, gaming, animation, etc. The only requirement is that one has to be passionate about animation. No experience necessary. You can call the numbers below and you might just be Hollywood's next bigtime animator.

For more information;
La Consolacion College Manila
#8 Mendiola, Manila, Philippines
(632)-3130522 or 3130523
info.digimationUK@gmail.com

Papal memories

2011-05-05T18:26:00.001+08:00

May 1, 2011 was a major event in the Catholic Church as Pope Benedict XVI beatified his predecessor Pope John Paul II. And as the world watches the beatification rites, Filipinos kept on reminiscing the times the late pope came to the country as head of the church- first in 1981, then in 1995. Filipinos also took photos of the Pope Mobile used in 1995, and touch several pope memorabilia, which are now called relics.

Art enthusiast

2011-04-30T14:54:00.001+08:00

If it's not technology and gadgets, it's lifestyle and the arts. Here are may latest reports... art-related. One is about Francisco Bobby Manosa and the other one is about the LRI Design Plaza in Makati. Both reports are focused on their campaign for Filipino art and designs.

Docu life

2011-04-19T08:37:00.003+08:00

Busy times.

I am doing a documentary and had several coverage the past weeks. Not to mention, I still have my regular work. It's hard to juggle, but, thank God, I'm surviving. This will last until first week of June. It's like a summer job for me. I had to do several shoots in the coming weeks.

The photos in this post are from my previous shoots- one at the Manila Polo Club- where we had to interview a senator. And the other was "inside" the Enterprise Center in Makati, where no outsiders can enter.