Iloilo City Boy

Debt and Gratitude: How Gonzalez Jumpstarted the Political Career of Trenas

2009-11-16T08:01:00.001+08:00

As a small boy my father taught me never to get caught in a situation where I will find myself indebted to another person. My late father was an extremely proud man and as a child he often admonished me whenever I took something or accepted a favour from someone. “Indi ka mag-molestiya” I remember were the words that he repeatedly drilled into us his children which to him means not only getting

Hitler Hates Erap

2009-11-11T22:20:00.004+08:00

Watch this. Truly hilarious.... but right on the money.

Political Battle Lines Drawn in Iloilo

2009-11-05T07:14:00.002+08:00

With barely a month before the COMELEC-appointed deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacies, the political battle lines are firming up in Iloilo. Most recently, outgoing Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas proclaimed that he is vying for the city’s lone congressional post thus setting the stage for an exciting battle royale between him and his erstwhile political ally Congressman Raul

The Ati Calling the Negro Black

2009-11-02T06:54:00.003+08:00

Last week, Iloilo City Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog (who has declared his intention to run for mayor) strongly denied in local media that he is a traditional politician. His exact words were: “I am not here to perpetuate myself in power but to serve and help others serve in the future. I am not a trapo as others are saying because I don’t make politics my source of livelihood. Our family has no

Mar-Korina Wedding

2009-10-28T08:45:00.001+08:00

Yesterday I attended the wedding of Mar and Korina at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City. It was a mammoth affair (with I believe around 3,000 guests not counting the "usi" people milling outside the church) and easily was the grandest wedding I have attended so far. The atmosphere was very convivial and I was happy to have met many familiar faces whom I've lost touch since I left Mar's staff

Surfin' San Mateo

2009-10-05T09:04:00.005+08:00

This is your government working for you.(Repost from Stella Arnaldo and Ganns Deen. Thank you Adobe Photoshop for making my day.)

100-Year Floods Now Occur Yearly

2009-10-03T09:14:00.008+08:00

It seems to me that "100-year floods" like the one brought about by Typhoon Ondoy now occur annually. Only a little over a year ago, Iloilo City (and much of Western Visayas) was also devastated by a similar "100-year flood" caused by Typhoon Frank. Similarly, the people were caught by surprise because PAG-ASA did not forecast Frank as an especially strong typhoon. I also recall that during the

A Tough Act to Follow

2009-10-02T08:32:00.003+08:00

Recently, certain individuals have initiated a barangay-wide signature campaign to draft Mayor Jerry Trenas to run against Congressman Raul T. Gonzalez Jr. Citing his sterling record as mayor of Iloilo City, these so-called “Trenas admirers” would want him to continue on serving in the House of Representatives. But in raising the stock of Trenas, these individuals wittingly or unwittingly are

A Duck for a Cock

2009-09-03T14:59:00.017+08:00

For the life of me I really could not fathom why the Liberals decided to abandon Mar Roxas for Noynoy Aquino. What they did really defies logic. If the presidential race was to be compared to a cockfighting derby, what the Liberals did was in effect substitute a fighting cock for a duck. Kung sa Ilonggo pa, "daw gin-islan nila ang Sulog sa isa ka Gansa." Alexander the Great supposedly said: "I am

Mar Roxas: Betrayed and Abandoned

2009-09-02T09:12:00.023+08:00

With Senator Mar Roxas's withdrawal from the presidential race, Ilonggos again lost a chance to put one of their own kasimanwa in Malacanang. I already heard rumors about Mar's impending withdrawal a couple of days ago but I refused to believe it, dismissing it as just another black propaganda designed to erode his candidacy. After all, coffeeshop talk has it that Roxas has already spent around

The Inside Story Behind Iloilo City's Honorific Title "La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad"

2009-08-28T09:29:00.008+08:00

I have always wondered why Iloilo City is called "La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad" which translated means "the Most Loyal and Noble City." Iloilo City is perhaps the only LGU I know today (aside from Manila which owns the title "La Insigne y Siempre Leal Ciudad" or "Distinguished and Ever Loyal City") which still uses and proudly displays the Spanish honorific in its official seal, flag and other city

SSL 3 Okayed by PGMA, Finally!

2009-06-17T09:18:00.003+08:00

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed the SSL 3 Joint Resolution yesterday before departing for Japan. Finally, government employees will be receiving their long-awaited salary increases starting next month (read more here). The last salary adjustment for government personnel was in 1994.The ridiculously low salary levels in government is undeniably one of the main reasons why graft and

My First Cheque From Google

2009-06-10T19:49:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I received thru mail courier a cheque from Google Adsense amounting to Php11,404.38, representing income from the various ads posted in this blog. It was a truly delightful Father's Day surprise for me.

Resurgence of AM Radio

2009-06-04T10:09:00.008+08:00

I just recently discovered that you can actually listen to your favorite AM and FM stations in Iloilo City thru the internet. I believe the techie term for it is "streaming." Now, Ilonggos living abroad and elsewhere who are longing for a piece of home can tune in to Bombo Radyo Iloilo, Aksyon Radyo Iloilo and DYRI-RMN and get updated on the latest goings-on in Iloilo City.I don't know if this is

Being "Matulungin sa Mahihirap" is the Ticket to Malacanang

2009-06-02T09:25:00.008+08:00

Yesterday I went to the Senate to observe the hearing of the Committee on Local Government chaired by Senator Noynoy Aquino on several redistricting bills. Although the agenda did not include the Iloilo City redistricting bill, I was interested to get a "feel" on how hearings are being conducted by Senator Aquino. Senators Mar Roxas, Dick Gordon and Chiz Escudero were also present during the

Positive Development on Redistricting Bill

2009-05-21T07:45:00.004+08:00

I have it from a reliable source that the Committee on Local Government in the Senate had approved this week the bill adding another congressional district in the province of Camarines Sur. While this development is seemingly unrelated to Iloilo City, it nonetheless bodes well for the other redistricting bills languishing in the Upper Chamber. With the approval of the Camarines Sur bill, this

Possible Team-Ups for 2010

2009-05-19T07:36:00.011+08:00

1. Noli de Castro and Manny Villar. In the latest SWS survey (March 30, 2009), Vice President Noli de Castro and Senator Manny Villar were the top two presidentiables, garnering 27% and 26% respectively. If the two Wednesday Club buddies unite, they will be the team-to-beat this 2010 elections, moreso if they have the entire administration Lakas-Kampi machinery backing them up. Kabayan Noli is

Scratch One, Ten More To Go

2009-05-16T15:00:00.000+08:00

The presidential campaign season is already upon us. This realization hit me when a couple of days ago I received this text joke:Mar: O ilang taon ka na?Boy: Siya po anim, ako trese.Mar: Ano ang pangarap niyo?Boy: Ako po seaman sana.Girl: Ako po artista!Boy: Pero di ko na iniisip. Kanya kanyang kayod po dito. Walang maayos na trabaho. Walang pambili ng gamot.Mar: Anak

SSL 3 Approved in House of Reps

2009-05-13T07:47:00.007+08:00

The House of Representatives approved last night Joint Resolution No. 36, more popularly known as SSL 3 (Salary Standardization Law 3), which grants our government workers their first salary hike in 20 years. It also seeks to correct the huge disparity between public and private sector pay scales, after a WB-CSC study showed that senior government employees are underpaid by as much as 70% than

Run-Off Elections for President

2009-05-09T21:23:00.004+08:00

With one year to go till the May 2010 elections, there are 18 individuals who have signified their interest in running for the presidency or whose names have been "floated" in the mass media as possible "presidentiables." They are the following (in alphabetical order): 1. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay2. Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte3. Vice President Noli de Castro4. Senator Chiz Escudero5.

2010 is a "make-or-break" year for Tupas family

2009-05-05T08:15:00.012+08:00

With only a year to go til the May 2010 elections, politics in Iloilo City is surprisingly "subdued." Except for a couple of individuals aspiring for higher posts, most political players in the city are hedging and not really mobilizing as yet since all are waiting with bated breath for the outcome of the legislative redistricting bill of Congressman Raul Gonzalez, Jr. The bill is currently

The Bungee Jumping Congressman

2008-11-14T09:01:00.003+08:00

Here's a breathtaking YouTube video of Congressman Raul Gonzalez Jr., the representative of Iloilo City, bungee jumping off the Macau Tower, said to be the highest jump in the world today.Note the Chinese-sounding person in the foreground (I think he's the one taking the video) who kept on saying: "Pilipin loko loko..."

Ultimate Boracay High

2008-10-03T12:01:00.008+08:00

I have been going to Boracay since the late 1980s back when Tirol & Tirol was still considered the best lodging inn and the Beachcomber was the most "happening" place on the island. It used to be that the only activities you can do in Boracay were swimming, snorkeling, biking and renting a banca to go "feed-the-fish." Now, there are a myriad offerings to suit all the needs and tastes of all

Cigarettes Now in "Sachet" Pack

2008-09-27T09:21:00.008+08:00

It is well-known that the Philippines has a "tingi-tingi" culture, as epitomized by the ubiquitous neighborhood tindahan where people can buy practically anything by the tingi. We are all familiar with the sachet-sized shampoo and conditioner, soap and toothpaste, heck you can even buy cooking oil in tube-sized ice-candy wrappers. But I thought I'll never see the day when tobacco multinational

Mga Dunganon nga Tawo

2008-09-24T07:00:00.002+08:00

The book "Clash of Spirits" by Filomeno Aguilar, Jr. has some very interesting insights on Ilonggo culture and the concept of the "dunganon nga tawo." Translated literally in English, the Ilonggo term dunganon nga tawo means "a powerful man" or a person of great stature. I believe dunganon (pronounced as dung.ga.nun) is derived from the root word dungog which connotes pride or self-respect. The