Blog Feed: Life So Mundane

Time for Decisive Legislation on Firecrackers

Published on 2013-01-02 19:50:00

And as was bound to happen because it does every year, the first evening news show of the New Year began with a report straight from the emergency rooms of hospitals in the metropolis... The carnage, they said, was less than last year’s; but who r

Recollections of Division I Football with San Agustin FC

Published on 2013-01-01 20:24:00

Late last year, after a brisk game of futsal-cum-street football with a few of my own players, somebody asked me while we lounged at the clubhouse if I played Division I football when I was young. Yes I did, I told the guys; although it was for a me

Vampire Stereotypes the Twilight Movies Laid to Rest

Published on 2012-12-28 23:59:00

When a former player wanted to see me and was asking if I would be at home about lunch time the next day, I said I probably would not. I wanted to see the last of the Twilight saga. To which his mocking reply was, “Sir, you watch Twilight?” If

A Prayer and Christmas Greetings to All

Published on 2012-12-23 22:33:00

To those whose lives were turned inside-out by Supertyphoon Pablo...    those who still live in the floodwaters brought by the monsoons...    those who live on the streets and scrounge for food...    those who are penniless and can only stare l

Lipa’s Museo ng Katipunan

Published on 2012-12-22 03:34:00

There is this little-known gem of a museum on the outskirts of Lipa that I would never have discovered were it not for the magic of the Internet. When I say little-known, I mean exactly that. I have lived in Lipa all my life; and the museum is no m

The RH Bill: No Objections to It but...

Published on 2012-12-20 00:06:00

The regional news had interviews with citizens on the streets earlier this week on the inevitable topic of the RH Bill. I found it strange that people would even be willing to go on air with their opinions when from their comments, it was quite appa

Filipinos Among ‘Most Positive’ in the World

Published on 2012-12-19 18:48:00

Filipinos are the eighth most positive people in the world, according to a global survey undertaken last year by Gallup Polls. The survey results suggest that 8.2 out of 10 Filipinos experience positive emotions in a day. Panama and Paraguay topped

Stallions FC Winners as Cup Curse Strikes Again

Published on 2012-12-18 00:22:00

The curse of the cup final has struck again; and whoever gets to the final next season must loathe ever being branded as favourites! No disrespect to Stallion Penson FC; but Global FC were the betting man’s favourites, arriving as they did for las

Sporting Lisbon Claim 2012 Next Lions Cup after Victory Over Liverpool

Published on 2012-12-16 07:45:00

Goals in the first and last minute of the second half by Sporting Lisbon won for the Portuguese club the 2012 Next Lions mini-tournament which concluded tonight in Singapore. The final score against English club Liverpool was 2-nil. Liverpool could

The Quick Free Kick and Singapore's Goal

Published on 2012-12-16 03:08:00

I would have preferred to stay clear of any discussions on Singapore’s solitary goal over two legs in their AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final tie against the Philippines last Wednesday. To dwell on it would have been not unlike poking a finger into a fres

What PBB's Biggel Has Been Up To

Published on 2012-12-15 06:40:00

Those who followed last year’s Pinoy Big Brother Unlimited Edition will remember this gangling Filipino-German teenager who eventually finished third in the competition-cum-reality show. His name was Joseph Emil Biggel or simply Biggel as he came

The Azkals, the Pain of Losing and Greatness

Published on 2012-12-14 05:49:00

It has been interesting, to say the least, to see diverse reactions of Filipino fans to the disappointing loss to Singapore in the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final at the Jalan Basar Stadium last Wednesday. The loss abruptly cut short the

Liverpool FC nip Singapore to Reach Next Lions Cup Final

Published on 2012-12-13 19:28:00

A goal by up-and-coming German starlet Samed Yesil in the 27th minute was all that separated a youth Liverpool FC side and hosts Singapore in the Next Lions mini-tournament played last night at the Jalan Besar Stadium. The short tournament is being

Azkals Floored by Knockout Blow as AFF Journey Ends… For Now

Published on 2012-12-12 09:02:00

Win it for Manny was the plea. Indeed, the caveat from Las Vegas was that if you lose your focus even for a moment, you get floored. The lesson, apparently, was not heeded. And so, for the second time in four days, Filipinos – not just the sport

The Story of Umpokan, the DLSL Alumni Social Network

Published on 2012-12-11 04:13:00

A couple of years after Facebook really took off in the Philippines, one web site brashly but erroneously announced itself as the first alumni social networking site in the country. In fact, Umpokan – although modest in terms of features in its

Pacquio’s Loss to Marquez in Perspective

Published on 2012-12-10 05:46:00

A short clip on TV Patrol Southern Tagalog for its special segment called Bida Voice just made by day. This segment shows brief interviews conducted by the reporters with common citizens willing to express their sentiments about current issues in fr

Azkals, Singapore in Goalless AFF Suzuki Cup SF Draw

Published on 2012-12-08 09:11:00

Not pretty for the Philippines on their home debut in the AFF Suzuki Cup against Singapore at the Rizal Memorial, particularly in the first half; but a tepid goalless draw in which both defences were on top of their games is not at all the disaster t

Ala Eh Festival 2012 Street Dancing Photos

Published on 2012-12-07 22:31:00

Skip to the Street Dancing Video --> If you weren’t there, then you have absolutely no idea what I had to do just to get these pictures. The organisers closed off the entire highway from Walter Mart in Darasa all the way to Mabini Avenue. A forme

2012 Ala Eh Festival Street Dancing Video

Published on 2012-12-07 22:00:00

This is a video montage of the street dancing and parade held on 8 December 2012 as part of the Ala Eh Festival being hosted by the city of Tanauan. The festival, now on its 5th staging, is an annual event hosted by various cities and municipalities

A Killer Typhoon Named Bopha/Pablo

Published on 2012-12-06 08:49:00

It’s just one of those things about me that I can’t really explain. For many years now, I have really been fascinated by the weather. I have no formal training in meteorology; but over the years, I have come to attain a reasonable appreciation

The 2012 Suzuki Cup Semis (If I Were the Betting Type)

Published on 2012-12-05 07:53:00

Although I did ultimately enjoy the Philippines’ two recent international friendlies against Singapore, I was not entirely without misgivings that we were playing them in the first place. Arranging international friendlies is, of course, a matter

2012 Ala Eh Festival: the Trade Fair

Published on 2012-12-03 00:40:00

If you are from Batangas, don’t be a stranger to your own province. The 2012 Ala Eh Festival to commemorate the foundation of the province is being held this week in Tanauan City. If you are not, then you have a reason to pay us a visit. The fes

2012 Ala Eh Festival Trade Fair in Pictures

Published on 2012-12-02 02:14:00

Azkals Defeat Myanmar as Heroes March on to the Semis

Published on 2012-11-30 10:12:00

If there is anything that the Filipino loves more than the underdog, it is somebody who has his back against the wall and fighting for survival. Thus, the script for the Philippine National Football Team in the Suzuki Cup could not have been written

2012 AFF Suzuki Cup Final Day Group A Possible Permutations

Published on 2012-11-28 02:42:00

With all four countries in Group A of the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup already having played two matches, Thailand sits comfortably atop the table having taken maximum points against both the Philippines and Myanmar. The Philippines bounced back from its ope

Azkals Nip Vietnam, 1-0 to Revive Suzuki Cup Campaign

Published on 2012-11-27 08:13:00

Fortune, it is said, favours the brave. For the better part of the ninety minutes, the Vietnamese bossed the ball as they did that chilly night in Hanoi almost two years ago. They knocked it efficiently like a well-oiled machine backwards, square a

Thais Nip Azkals; But There Is Still All to Play for

Published on 2012-11-24 18:39:00

No excuses. To offer any will be akin to painting enamel over rust. The Philippines were poor against Thailand in their opening fixture in the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup last night – especially so in a disjointed first half. The one consolation to offe

Dudoy Ronquillo, the Engineer and Public Servant

Published on 2012-11-24 02:59:00

No disrespect to athletes – and I am, to this day, very much one – but many of them cannot be bothered, when inside the classroom, to ponder with any real depth of interest the glory of Greece or the grandeur of Rome. That is just the way things

Dudoy Ronquillo, the Engineer and Public Servant Part II

Published on 2012-11-24 02:59:00

Final PHL 22-Man Suzuki Cup Line-up

Published on 2012-11-23 01:01:00

The final 22-man Philippine squad for submission to the organisers of the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup has been released via the Azkals’ web site at the Azkals National Football Team web site. Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, recalled back to his parent club

No Etheridge? Have Faith in Saca!

Published on 2012-11-21 21:08:00

Here is how the situation currently stands as far as Neil Etheridge’s participation in the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup is concerned. He is NOT going. Personally, I hope this is final to settle everyone down – the team, the fans and Etheridge himself.

Weiss is Wise Before the Suzuki Cup

Published on 2012-11-17 08:21:00

There is just a week to go before the Philippines take the pitch at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok for their opening 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup encounter against the hosts Thailand. Hans Michael Weiss, speaking to the media before the recent friendly a

Baron Geisler and Bipolarism

Published on 2012-11-16 20:32:00

There was something disturbing about the sight of entertainment personality Baron Geisler pleading with a news crew earlier this week in a clip shown on the national news. “Pare,” he begged, “h’wag n’yo na ilabas ‘yan.” He was behind

Sacapaño Stars as Azkals Complete Historic Second Win over Singapore

Published on 2012-11-15 08:58:00

There was a link to a story on the Bristol Rovers web site that was circulating around the Internet before the friendly international between the Philippines and Singapore at the Cebu Sports Center tonight that alleged that the country’s number one

Those Annoying Marketing Phone Calls

Published on 2012-11-15 00:08:00

“Good morning!” I said one day into the handset of my landline after nearly stumbling on the way to where the telephone is located. “Good morning,” the even-toned voice at the other end said. “May I speak to Mr. Rex Raymond Torrecampo?”

Stallions Set Up UFL Cup Final Date With Global FC

Published on 2012-11-13 19:26:00

I did say that there was little to choose from between Green Archers United and Stallion Penson FC prior to the two clubs’ UFL semi-final clash last night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. That it took extra time and some crucial calls and non-calls

Albert Gamatero: Marketing Professional; Teacher by Heart Part I

Published on 2012-11-12 20:58:00

“Teaching is a job that I would do for free!” So says Albert Gamatero of the High School Class of 1988 and also recently college and graduate school professor of De La Salle Lipa. Said in jest, of course; and just as quickly followed by, “Ple

Albert Gamatero: Marketing Professional; Teacher by Heart Part II

Published on 2012-11-12 20:58:00

San Pedro Calungsod in Lipa Visit

Published on 2012-11-09 22:21:00

For reasons that I myself can’t explain, I feel this strange sort of affinity with the new Filipino saint, Pedro Calungsod. I never even heard of him two months ago; and any sort of interest in him developed only after TV Patrol started covering t

Looking Ahead to the 2012 UFL Cup Semi-Finals

Published on 2012-11-08 20:37:00

The semi-final cast of the UFL Cup is complete; and football fans in this country are in for a treat next week as the four remaining clubs take another step along the rocky road to the final. Global FC take on the Loyola Meralco Sparks in what ought

Understanding the U.S. Presidential Elections and Electoral College

Published on 2012-11-07 18:07:00

Yesterday’s United States Presidential elections once again brought into focus this confusing matter of the Electoral College, that group of representatives from each of the member states of the federation that is called the United States of Americ

Skyfall: A Non-Formulaic Bond Movie

Published on 2012-11-07 03:24:00

Skyfall, first of all, is the Scottish estate where James Bond was born, raised and subsequently orphaned. And I always thought that 007 was English. Of course, I never really read the Ian Fleming novels; just watched the movies as everyone else di

Global’s UFL Cup Triumph and the Matter of Footballs

Published on 2012-11-06 19:19:00

How Kaya FC must loathe the very sight of Misagh Bahadoran! If there was a football education that Global gave Kaya in last night’s pulsating first quarterfinal of the UFL Cup at the University of Makati stadium, it was to never let Bahadoran run

2012 UFL Cup Quarter-finals Preview

Published on 2012-11-05 01:09:00

United Football League Champions Global FC renew their rivalry with league runners-up Kaya FC in what is easily the most intriguing tie of the UFL Cup quarter-finals that are scheduled to be played this week. The titanic clash was set up after Kaya

Pintada Ends; Sequel Coming?

Published on 2012-11-02 19:11:00

Pintada, the teleserye that I had been following before the regional news, finally came to an end yesterday. While I respect what the writers were trying to achieve, I’m afraid the way the ending went also gave me this feeling that they somehow lo

Between Sandy and Pinoy Storms

Published on 2012-11-02 01:36:00

I was riveted to CNN the other night just after Hurricane Sandy made landfall somewhere over New Jersey in the United States East Coast. Just as with Katrina a few years back, there was a certain fascination in how the most powerful nation in the wo

Stallions’ Rout Leaves Air Force With Plenty to Think About

Published on 2012-10-31 02:07:00

There are few things in sport quite as sad to see as the sight of a proven champion falling right at the first hurdle. That was exactly what happened to the Philippine Air Force Football Club last night after it was comprehensively beaten by Stallion Penson FC in a United Football League Group D clash at the University of Makati football stadium. With the embarrassing 1-5 loss, Air Force

Cremation and Catholic Hang-ups

Published on 2012-10-29 21:24:00

Those among the readers who are Catholics will agree with me that catechetical teachings in childhood can continue to be cumbersome on a person’s conscience even after one has undergone this phase called growing up. Especially the sort taught back in the sixties when I was a kid or even earlier, there was just too much talk of fire and brimstone that one invariably grew up living in fear of

How to Get a Passport at DFA-Lipa

Published on 2012-10-28 21:56:00

Because there are a lot of web visitors arriving at this web site from search engines looking for the passport services of the Department of Foreign Affairs Robinson’s Place in Lipa (DFA-Lipa), this post is made available as a public service. Disclaimer: The information contained here is based on my own personal experience in getting a passport and may have changed since. This should still

AFF Suzuki Cup 2012 Primer: Azkals Video Interviews

Published on 2012-10-28 20:27:00

This post contains a compilation of videos from the official 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup YouTube channel that feature interviews with Philippine national football team members Phil and James Younghusband, Stephan Schröck, Chieffy Caligdong, Angel Guirado as well as of national team coach Michael Weiss.  The compilation is made for the convenience of fans of the Azkals, who kick off the 2012 campaign with

2012 AFF Suzuki Cup Primer

Published on 2012-10-27 07:28:00

There is less than a month to go before Vietnam and Myanmar kick off the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, to be quickly followed by the much-awaited encounter between the hosts and 2010 semi-finalists the Philippines. From the qualifying stages, Mynanmar and Laos have emerged to join the six seeded countries. Malaysia, which defeated Indonesia for the title in a

Why There Is No Dash in De La Salle Lipa

Published on 2012-10-26 22:19:00

DLSU - Manila or, informally, La Salle - Taft. DLSU - Dasmariñas, or Dasma as everyone says it for convenience. De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, or De La Salle - Zobel as most everyone says. La Salle Academy in Iligan is just La Salle - Iligan to many; and USLS is still sometimes called La Salle - Bacolod. Noticed the common denominator yet? Yes, the dash ( - ). Since the schools of the

Ofel and Floods in Lipa

Published on 2012-10-26 02:13:00

So ok! Tropical storm Ofel, internationally named Son-Tinh, did not really pack a lot in terms of a punch and had – when it crossed just to the south of the island of Mindoro yesterday – something like maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the centre and gusts of up to 100 kph. Technically, it was not even a typhoon and was – in weatherman parlance – only a severe tropical storm. But

Cramming in College; Who Hasn't?

Published on 2012-10-24 02:02:00

Last Sunday, after playing football I was enjoying a post-luncheon discussion with a group of my former players. One was a med school student who – he himself said – is using the semestral break to catch up on some much-needed sleep. “Is it not strange,” I asked him, “that medical research has proven that sleep regenerates the brain so that it can function better; yet university curricula

Up Close with Giovanni Manguiat Jr., M.D. Part IV

Published on 2012-10-23 04:13:00

That Overpass that You Don’t Use

Published on 2012-10-22 04:16:00

That much-maligned pedestrian overpass in front of De La Salle Lipa which so many people are reluctant to use just happens to be something that the school actually asked for. The request for its construction was made partially as a consequence of the death of one of my players back in January of 1991. The boy was run over and killed by a BLTBCo bus right in front of what was then the school’s

St. Pedro Calungsod and the Sainthood Process

Published on 2012-10-21 04:20:00

All Catholics grow up being taught about holy men and women who devoted their lives in service of God and came to be known and revered as saints. Images of them adorn churches as well as Catholic households; and the faithful not only venerate them but also pray to them to intercede on their behalf so that God may grant their requests. The canonisation today, the 21st of October, of Saint

Up Close with Giovanni Manguiat Jr., M.D. Part III

Published on 2012-10-19 23:25:00

The AFF Suzuki Cup: From 2010 to 2012

Published on 2012-10-19 03:52:00

With the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup just around the corner, I cannot help but reflect on how different things have become in less than two years. The football landscape, to put things plain and simply, has changed almost beyond recognition. Back in 2010, I followed the national team’s performance in the Suzuki Cup’s qualifying round by way of whatever two- or three-paragraph reports that I could find

Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles is Great Entertainment

Published on 2012-10-18 03:18:00

It is no secret that the Philippines is fast becoming a hub – if it is not already so – for computer graphics animators. That is why I went to see “Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles” to see if all the supposed expertise is finding its way into the movie industry. I am not a fan of the horror genre; and, in fact, I am mystified that people think that being scared out of their wits is a form of

Azkals Bridge Gap Despite Kuwait Loss

Published on 2012-10-16 22:06:00

On the brighter side, we do not want our boys heading off to Bangkok feeling too cocky, now do we; and we may yet have to thank Kuwait for keeping our feet on the ground almost on the eve of the very same tournament that spawned the current football revolution in the country. Talk before the match of avenging last year’s losses to the same country over two legs of a World Cup tie was probably

Up Close with Giovanni Manguiat Jr., M.D. Part II

Published on 2012-10-16 01:50:00

Up Close with Giovanni Manguiat Jr., M.D. Part I

Published on 2012-10-15 02:31:00

I will deviate from the usual format for the MyStudents series by presenting the story of Dr. Giovanni Manguiat, Jr. of the high school class of 1986 in something of a Q&A. Giovanni is himself an editor of a medical journal and responded to my questions so eloquently that I felt that I would do him an injustice by filtering out all the fascinating itty-bits of information that he so generously

Taken Too (2): A Review

Published on 2012-10-14 22:59:00

Those among you who have yet to see the Liam Neeson starrer ‘Taken 2’ better be forewarned. Watch this movie first before digging into your DVD collection for the original movie, ‘Taken.’ I watched the sequel not really sure if I’d seen the first one. As the movie started to play, bits and pieces of the story started to sound familiar; albeit, four years is a long time and I have probably seen

Valuable Insight After Azkals' Goalless Draw With Bahrain

Published on 2012-10-12 22:05:00

Few goalless draws will ever be as fascinating or as symbolic as the one last night in Manama between the Philippines and Bahrain. The regret of it all is that it was a friendly instead of a two-legged play-off for the World Cup. The Philippines, despite a three match streak en route to winning the Peace Cup, was supposed to be the upstart that flew across the continent to learn from a team

Batangas City's Anti-Social Behaviour Ordinance

Published on 2012-10-12 07:32:00

There was an interesting discussion in the regional news earlier this afternoon about an Anti-Social Behaviour Ordinance that is soon to be enforced by Batangas City. According to a city councillor who was interviewed live during the news show, the ordinance was published yesterday and should be enforceable in fifteen days. Some of the provisions of the ordinance are what one can categorize as

The Federal Republic of the Philippines?

Published on 2012-10-10 01:55:00

Now that an agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been forged to establish the Bangsamoro, the question now shifts to the method with which the ‘political entity,’ as PNoy refers to the Bangsamoro, is to be established. As I stated in a previous article, my gut feel is that it will take a constitutional amendment to make this possible

Romanticism in the UFL Cup?

Published on 2012-10-09 22:16:00

Not that I am whining, because for the UFL to be on primetime is a treat already for any football fan in this country. However, the televised match last night between Kaya FC and Diliman Victory Liner was as dour and dreadful as football matches can get; and so undeserving of primetime. Channel-hopping was an easy decision to make because the replay of the El Classico was in another station.

Justin Bieber: When the Girls Stop Screaming

Published on 2012-10-09 03:24:00

I watched “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” last night on HBO. Jesus! I still can’t believe that I actually did, fan of head-banging rock music that I am. I mean, those who know my taste for music know that I usually go for the Bon Jovi-Def Leppard type. I can’t say that watching that documentary made me a fan; but I have to admit that I was fascinated enough to see it through to the end.

How Did the Anti-Cybercrime Law Get Out of Congress?

Published on 2012-10-08 02:48:00

When I was in management, I strictly observed a simple personal and professional rule: I never affixed my signature to anything that I did not fully understand. Being a corporate signatory meant that I along with another colleague were the end of the line for usually an Accounting procedure. This procedure usually culminated in disbursement; and the assumption was that, since the paper trail

Aquino Government, MILF Agree on Bangsamoro

Published on 2012-10-07 04:18:00

I cannot say that I agree all the time with the Aquino government; but the announcement by the President earlier today in a speech that government has forged an agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for the creation of what will be known as the Bangsamoro is something that I not only agree with but wholeheartedly applaud. This has been a long time coming! For all the pettiness that

OJ Porteria and the Future of Philippine Football

Published on 2012-10-05 04:00:00

Jose Elmer “OJ” Porteria is the name of the fresh-faced Fil-American teenager who at the tender age of 17 has already earned his place among the Azkals. Discovered during tryouts held in the United States by senior team members, Porteria was born to Filipino parents and played football – or soccer, as the game is preferentially called in that side of the Pacific – for Falls Church high school,

UFL: The First Night

Published on 2012-10-02 20:36:00

Global FC looked frightening. They had quality in every position and more on the bench ready to be called in. Although the Guirado brothers have moved on, the club has acquired the services of Jeffrey Christiaens and Matthew Uy, both of whom starred in the national team’s victory in the Philippine Football Peace Cup just three days earlier. Global was patient and classy, capable of getting

Understanding Total Football

Published on 2012-10-02 01:05:00

The term “total football” has got to be among the most misused terms in the sporting world through the years. In fact, the term is even something of a misnomer. Were it up to the person who developed the playing style – the Dutch tactical genius Rinus Michels – the more appropriate term should have been “pressing football.” The term total football was something that mediamen coined to describe

Politics Simplified for Citizen Voters

Published on 2012-10-01 07:11:00

The evening news was inevitably filled with reports on the filing of Certificates of Candidacies by political wannabes to formally usher in the coming election season, if for no other reason than the voting public finally gets to know who runs and who does not in next year’s elections. In other words, citizens if they care to may begin to examine those who will be running for public offices to

The Our Lady de Buko de Lipa

Published on 2012-09-30 07:50:00

I am trying to recall – and am ultimately failing – if this so-called apparition of the Blessed Mother in Lipa occurred in the eighties or early the following decade. While I am Catholic, I rather sometimes tend to be sceptical of certain so-called phenomena that other Catholics tend to quickly believe. Thus, although most everyone I knew went to see this so-called apparition – and many out

Azkals Win 3-1 Over Chinese-Taipei, Win Peace Cup

Published on 2012-09-29 08:50:00

So this is how it feels. The Philippine Football Peace Cup is modest at best; but when you go almost an entire century without anything that even approximates an international football title, then winning any championship trophy feels like winning the Jules Rimét. While in that century, Brazil brought home the real Jules Rimét no less than five times and the Italians four, for the Philippines

Ian Araneta: Time to Set the Record Straight

Published on 2012-09-28 01:34:00

Losing balance or getting feet entangled just at the point of shooting; having a clear run at goal but hesitating at the moment when a shot is best taken; misplacing routine headers: all signs of a striker suffering from a chronic lack of self-confidence. When Michael Weiss substituted Ian Araneta just past the half hour in the Philippines’ second Peace Cup match against Macau at the Rizal

Azkals Turn on the Style in 5-Star Win over Macau in Peace Cup

Published on 2012-09-27 09:28:00

When it rains, it pours. With the opening day jitters well and truly expunged from the Philippine Azkals, who barely managed to eke out a victory over a plucky but ultimately limited Guamanian team, it was almost inevitable that Macau would be at the receiving end of a hiding. For the Azkals, against Guam the method was sound; but the result undistinguished. Against Macau, the method was

The Mistress: A Sort of Review

Published on 2012-09-26 02:09:00

So ok; I watched “The Mistress,” big deal! Not my favourite genre, if I am being honest; but there was a scheduled power outage and rather than swelter in the heat, I went for a movie. “Dredd” and “Residend Evil” I had already seen; and I will happily choose castration rather than be seen watching “Pridyider.” So, I went to see “The Mistress.” “Sabi ko sa ‘yo sa g’yera ako eh!” a male voice

Need Passport? DFA is at Robinson's Lipa

Published on 2012-09-25 22:14:00

I have to admit, there is a certain novelty to the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Passport Division relocating to a mall. Whoever thought of this ought to get a commendation. It is definitely considerate to citizens although one quickly realizes that this is good business for the mall as well. Since I live reasonably close to Robinson’s Place and having heard that the DFA had already opened

Azkals in Narrow Win Over Guam in Peace Cup

Published on 2012-09-25 09:36:00

The most reassuring thing about the Philippines not having a Phil Younghusband in its inaugural match in the 2012 Peace Cup tonight was that Guam did not have one either. Indeed, when Patrick Reichelt scored with an opportunist header in the 80th minute to spare the Philippines’ blushes, the celebrations that came after it could not have underscored the catharsis more after what had been a

Leaving Out the Younghusbands: Pros and Cons

Published on 2012-09-24 08:45:00

Having coached football teams for all of three decades, I understand perfectly where the Philippine Football Federation is coming from when it put its foot down on the matter of player commitment vis-à-vis the preparations leading to the Suzuki Cup. The team has to come first; and no player can be greater than the team. On the other hand, when you go to battle, do you leave behind your big

PHL Homeless World Cup Team Appeals to the Public

Published on 2012-09-23 02:18:00

Getting into the FIFA World Cup may be years into the future yet for either the men’s or women’s Philippine national teams; but there is a football World Cup for which the Philippines has been a regular participant in recent years. This is the Homeless World Cup or the HWC, an annual street football tournament held by an organisation of the same name. The organisation’s philosophy is simple.

Brendan, Let Loose the Kids Please!

Published on 2012-09-21 22:38:00

The last year that Liverpool Football Club won the league was 1990; and it has been 22 years too long since! Gérard Houllier and Rafael Benitez both came close when the club finished second in the 2002 and 2009 seasons, respectively. Instead of using these two runners-up finishes as stepping stones onto the summit, the club instead found itself floundering on both occasions the following

Trillanes, Enrile Spat Distasteful but Entertaining

Published on 2012-09-19 07:42:00

Somehow, this very public spat between Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV leaves a very bad taste in the mouth. Do not, they do say, wash your dirty linens in public. Whether or not Trillanes’ claim that Enrile is former President GMA’s lackey – which the latter categorically denied in a live interview on TV Patrol – is valid is beside the point. It was the

From Calamity Sabio to Gandalf

Published on 2012-09-19 01:28:00

It is difficult these days to conceive a Philippines backline without the reassuring presence of central defender Jason Sabio. Others may find his patented long throw remarkable; and indeed, there can be few things more unnerving for opposing defenders than the sight of Sabio running to the touchline to take the throw. My appreciation for Sabio, however, is mostly for his defensive abilities;

How We Won the First NC-South Football Title in 2002

Published on 2012-09-18 00:40:00

The omens always were that the 2001-2002 season would not be a good one for my team. Practically the entire team had just graduated and only our main striker James Dimaculangan remained from the previous season’s staring line-up. Normally, I did not take in seniors who wanted to play for the team. There was just no time to mould them into anything. For this season, circumstance forced me to

Innocence of Muslims: A Tasteless, Irresponsible YouTube Movie

Published on 2012-09-17 05:05:00

The stupidity that people can be capable of can be really regrettable. Those who have been following the world news will know that unrest has been spreading across the Middle East on account of a disrespectful little film called “Innocence of Muslims” which had been uploaded into YouTube. I have seen the film, which has been viral for a while. The copy that I watched alone had more than 5.7

How Connected Countries Are Through Facebook Frienships

Published on 2012-09-14 22:10:00

Facebook has mapped the connectedness of countries around the globe and has made the results available to the public through its Facebook Stories web site. The page is entitled “Mapping the World’s Friendships.” The rankings, according to the page, are based on the amount of connections between countries while also taking into account the total number of connections within each country. Mia

Neil Etheridge: Something of a Crossroads

Published on 2012-09-13 22:04:00

People might have noticed in the string of international friendlies that the Philippines played this September that goalkeeper Neil Etheridge increasingly had little to do over the course of each match. Against Singapore, there were two or three routine saves; but none of the Spiderman heroics that we all saw in, say, the second leg of the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait at the Rizal

Erwin Balitaan: Engineering in Turkmenistan

Published on 2012-09-13 00:33:00

Answer this one question quick: in which part of the world is the country Turkmenistan located? If your mind draws a blank, chances are that you are not at all alone. Turkmenistan, after all, is not exactly your average touristy destination and certainly not what one would quickly write down on a bucket list of must-see places. That is why, if you look at things a certain way, the surname

Erwin Balitaan: Engineering in Turkmenistan Part II

Published on 2012-09-13 00:32:00

The Ikî and the Tiyanak

Published on 2012-09-12 03:51:00

I am amused now when I think about the things that we as kids were told to make us go to sleep; or stories we told to scare each other because that was just what kids did. It was not amusing then, that much I can say; and if the intention was to make us go to sleep, I can attest to the fact that the result was totally the contrary. How many kids of the present day have heard of the ikî and the

The Reinvention of Jeffrey Christiaens

Published on 2012-09-11 07:02:00

Playing for an obscure lower division Belgian club may not be the most exciting credential to qualify a player for the Azkals; but that was all Filipino-Belgian Jeffrey Christiaens carried when Azkal fandom first caught a formal glimpse of him in a full international during the 2011 Long Teng Cup in Kaohshiung. Chieffy Caligdong, of course, was the first-choice for the left flank. An injury in

Laos Defeats Azkals in Bad-Tempered ‘Friendly’

Published on 2012-09-10 10:02:00

There is a 43-point gap between the Philippines and Laos in the last FIFA rankings. From a historical context, however, Laos had enjoyed six victories over the Philippines in an eight-match head-to-head, with two draws between the two and the Philippines never having beaten their Indochinese hosts. Make that seven wins, after Laos eked out a dubious 2-1 victory courtesy of two penalties. The

Plastic Wastes? Convert to Fuel!

Published on 2012-09-09 22:16:00

A few weeks back, I ran a story on a garbage granulator machine developed by Filipino inventor Bong Archeta as a possible solution to the country’s horrendous garbage problem. I picked the story up from a feature put together by Noli de Castro and aired for two consecutive nights on TV Patrol. Apparently, I missed a much earlier feature run by Umagang Kay Ganda on an even better technology of

Information on the Philippine Football Peace Cup

Published on 2012-09-08 08:08:00

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is scheduled to host the Philippine Football Peace Cup from 25-29 September 2012 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. The Peace Cup used to be known by the name Long Teng Cup, an international football competition started by the Chinese Taipei Football Association in 2010. The same association offered the hosting to the PFF which duly accepted. The

Azkals In 2-nil Singapore Demolition Job

Published on 2012-09-07 09:59:00

Watching the Singapore national team play its football, one just sort of wonders if there is a national ban on urgency. Languor, if the Singapore team is any indication, seems to be something of a local malaise. The team’s football is played primarily on the floor, simple quick passes linked daintily from player to player. That is well in good if the name of your country is Spain; and mind,

Leni Robredo: A Breath of Fresh Air

Published on 2012-09-07 02:21:00

There was always an air of inevitability, in the aftermath of the accident and death of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, that there would be calls for his widow to pick up the gauntlet and get on with the fight for righteousness that her late husband started. That is so ‘us’ – a nation where sentimentality is no small consideration on the way to an exalted position in government. That was how the

Why Football is Called Soccer

Published on 2012-09-06 04:32:00

There are few things that can sting my ears more than hearing somebody call my beloved game as ‘soccer.’ Most of the time, the offender is the sort who knows nothing about the game other than its name. ‘Football’ is how it has always been to me. Because it is the only game bearing that name that is actually played by and large with the feet, I have had no inclination to call the game

Azkals’ Friendly Draw with Cambodia Served Its Purpose

Published on 2012-09-05 09:31:00

Goalless at the end of the ninety, yes; and don’t we all wish that we had not been profligate when the chances came. In light of the 38-point discrepancy in the latest FIFA rankings between the Philippines and Cambodia, yes, perhaps we could have – should have – handily pilfered a win in Phnom Penh. But to actually go there and have the utter cheek to look like the home team shows how far,

A Look at Earthquakes in the Philippines and Worldwide

Published on 2012-09-04 18:58:00

Last Friday night’s massive 7.6 magnitude quake that hit just off the coast of Samar has been quickly followed by a 5.9 magnitude tremor at sea just West of Mindanao last Monday and then, early yesterday morning, another 5.6 magnitude quake in the province of Bukidnon. We Filipinos are no strangers to earthquakes, of course; and, indeed, the country is part of the so-called Pacific Ring of

Indie Movie ‘Captive’ a Reminder of 2001 Dos Palmas Abduction

Published on 2012-09-04 01:13:00

I am more than a little curious about this independent film “Captive,” which according to last night’s edition of TV Patrol was premiered in Metro Manila. The film is directed by Brillante Mendoza, whose film Kinatay (Butchered) made it to the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. I cannot say that I know an awful lot about Mendoza; but I understand from some articles that I have read that Kinatay

Flip-Flops: Tsinelas with Glamor

Published on 2012-09-03 00:07:00

A couple of years back, a friend wanted to know what size my feet are because he wanted to buy me a pair of Havaianas as an expression of gratitude. I was right properly horrified and refused to give it. Call it Havaianas, call it flip-flops; where I’m coming from, there’s only one name for it: tsinelas! More accurately, sipit! To my mind, the words thousand pesos and sipit do not connect!

Commercial Airport at FAB Lipa City, Seriously!

Published on 2012-08-31 22:59:00

There was talk about this as far back as the nineties; but I honest thought the idea was well and truly dead and buried. Until yesterday, in the Regional TV Patrol, there was Batangas District 2 Representative Hermilando ‘Dodo’ Mandanas talking about this obscure little House Bill 4176 which he apparently authored that calls for the conversion of Fernando Air Base in Lipa City into a ‘dual

Edwin dela Peña: Drilling in the Land of the Kiwis

Published on 2012-08-31 00:41:00

Quick! Where in the world does winter start in June just when everyone else is thinking of heading off to the beach in skimpy bikinis? If your answer is the southern hemisphere, then you can gently pat yourself on the back and consider yourself smarter than a fifth grader. And to the southern hemisphere is where Edwin dela Peña of the high school class of 1987 has brought his family in

Edwin dela Peña: Drilling in the Land of the Kiwis Part II

Published on 2012-08-31 00:41:00

The Church and the RH Bill

Published on 2012-08-30 01:18:00

If you know that storms will come where you live, will you build a house made of paper? The Japanese of yore certainly did; but that was because in their manner of thinking, the house could quickly be repaired with more paper after the storm had passed. On the other hand, if you had the means, will you not wish to build a house that can withstand the storm instead? A lot has been said in the

Total Recall 2012: Futuristic Entertainment

Published on 2012-08-28 20:19:00

I had been seeing the Total Recall teaser on television; but I had not really paid it any attention. So, when I finally decided to go see it in a cinema yesterday, I was not sure if it was a remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi classic or a totally new movie. Well, now I can tell you that although both are of the sci-fi genre, that is where the similarity ends. This 2012 Colin

Gary To: the Lomi King

Published on 2012-08-27 19:36:00

It is easy to imagine, although I am no expert in etymology, that the name of a favourite noodle-based local delicacy is taken from a decidedly Chinese ancestor. Lomi, after all, does indeed sound a lot like lo mein. The former is a ubiquitous enough Filipino noodle-based pancit variant, unmistakably Chinese in origins; and the latter, which in Cantonese literally means ‘stirred noodles,’ is a

Gary To: the Lomi King Part II

Published on 2012-08-27 19:34:00

Remembering Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing

Published on 2012-08-27 04:22:00

It was on social media that I first heard the sad news that Neil Armstrong passed away the other day. Mind, the fact that I worked in a school means that the vast majority of my social media connections are considerably younger than I am. Yet, the posts about the great man’s passing away were being made by these very people many of whom probably heard of the man only from books and television

Miguez Tabora’s Art: A Ticket to Happiness

Published on 2012-08-25 07:03:00

Timing, they do say, is everything. Well yes, in certain contexts, maybe. Ultimately, it all depends on the individual to make what he or she can of the circumstance, be the timing propitious or not. For instance, Miguez… What would you do when you arrive in the United States just when 9-11 was a couple of months away from happening? “It was all fun and vacation for me for the first two

Miguez Tabora’s Art: A Ticket to Happiness Part II

Published on 2012-08-25 07:01:00

A 12-Year Old Shares Story of Struggle with Cancer

Published on 2012-08-24 07:36:00

Last month, I was with a friend who honoured me by telling me of the difficult time his family went through as one of his children struggled – and subsequently emerged victorious – with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of cancer. Because my own Mom died of the disease, I was so touched by the child’s story that I asked to write about it. My friend said that the experience still touched a raw nerve;

Pintada the Painted Face Takes a Bow

Published on 2012-08-23 20:10:00

There you go. Lysa Alvarez, a.k.a. Ma’am Lysa, finally returned to the town of Cervantes in yesterday’s episode. The return, announced during the culminating night of the town fiesta, was as grand as dramatic entrances can get. With her friend Noel Crisostomo – played by Lemuel Pelayo – having received an award from the Mayor of Cervantes for his efforts to boost the town’s economy, the

Petron Corporation’s Julius Villegas: Dealing with Crossroads

Published on 2012-08-22 22:16:00

Being in one’s early to mid-thirties can be the most challenging period for anybody career-wise. One will probably be supervising a team of employees already; but at the same time one will also still have several management layers to contend with above. In many ways, this stage is a crossroads for those still trying to figure out what they wish to do with the rest of their lives. This is the

Petron Corporation’s Julius Villegas: Dealing with Crossroads Part II

Published on 2012-08-22 22:11:00

Robredo Recovery Operations: Technical Diving in Focus

Published on 2012-08-22 00:01:00

The recovery operations for the victims of the plane crash that killed DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo and two others also brought into the public’s consciousness this thing called ‘technical diving.’ I have always considered myself terrestrial; and truth be told, Robredo’s fate ranks top of my list called Please-Lord-not-this-way. Thus, diving to me has always been one of those things I loved

The Good Die Young: RIP Jesse Robredo

Published on 2012-08-21 00:06:00

You know the feeling when you see a face, know you have seen it somewhere and just can’t remember where you saw the face before? That had always been the feeling that I had everytime the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo was on the evening news. Too bad it had to take a fatal plane crash for me to finally discover why. Regrettably, they finally found his body this morning inside the plane’s

Darell Macatangay: A Life of Passion at Microsoft

Published on 2012-08-19 21:58:00

There was a time when Vilma Santos was Mayor of Lipa City when the Bore Question of the Year that we Lipeños invariably had to answer whenever we visited other cities was. “Kamusta si Ate Vi?” (How is Ate Vi?) Yes, as though everyone in the city rubbed shoulders with her just to pass the time. And of course, knowing as I did that my former student Darell Macatangay is at Microsoft, despite

Darell Macatangay: A Life of Passion at Microsoft Part II

Published on 2012-08-19 21:52:00

Miss China Wins Miss World Pageant in China... Again...

Published on 2012-08-19 03:30:00

Now that I come to think about, I realize that I should have known better than to actually believe that our own Queenierich Rehman – the beat-boxing beauty queen – stood a chance of winning the 2012 Miss World Pageant. I mean, because the pageant was held in China! In 2007, I thought it odd that Miss China would win the pageant for the first time ever on home soil. The pageant was held in

Road Rage in the Philippine Context

Published on 2012-08-18 01:05:00

The recent assault on an MMDA traffic enforcer that resulted in probably deserved infamy for a corporate executive also once again brought to the public consciousness a phenomenon that only occasionally makes newspaper headlines: road rage. Coincidentally, the assault made the news at about the same time that a certain Rolito Go also made the front page news after allegedly having been

Ms. World Philippines’ Beat-boxing Captures Global Press’ Imagination

Published on 2012-08-17 02:58:00

If you have never heard of the term beat-boxing before, consider yourself accompanied… by me! If you initially thought that it was a sport, well, that makes two of us again. In fact, it’s something entirely different. I actually had to Wikipedia the term just to understand what has been driving the global press crazy after Miss World Philippines 2012 beat-boxed in the inevitable talent

Erwin Sibayan: the Starlight Express

Published on 2012-08-16 10:28:00

“Starlight express, starlight express… Are you real, yes or no… Starlight express, answer me yes… I don’t want you to go!” This is an excerpt from the lyrics of the hit song by an eighties group called El Debarge called, as if I needed to say, Starlight Express. This article is not about the song at all, which used to make me want to perish from the face of the earth everytime I heard it. In

Garbage Granulator in Taal, Batangas Shows the Way

Published on 2012-08-16 01:40:00

There is life after garbage, after all. The past two nights, TV Patrol anchor Noli de Castro ran a two-part series on a reasonably low-cost engineering solution to the garbage disposal problem that plagues many cities and municipalities in this country. The solution is called the garbage granulator a.k.a. basura grinder, invented and developed by a Filipino engineer and the use of which is

Online Storm: PM Executive’s Assault on MMDA Enforcer

Published on 2012-08-14 22:12:00

The power of social media is incredible, to say the least. The way it is used reminds me of the direct democracy as it was practised in the ancient Athenian city-state; but within the context of modern states. Opinions are expressed instantaneously and one can even keep count of the running commentaries. One sort of wonders why governments even go to great lengths to purchase electronic

Time to Do Away with the Floods

Published on 2012-08-14 00:34:00

Raise your hand, if you please, if you feel upset at the sight of our countrymen trying to get on with their lives amidst murky floodwaters! These are people, mind! People! Not fish! Not amphibians! People! And we see videos of their miserable lives each and every godforsaken night on the evening news! They complain a little; they shed a tear or two; but mostly they go on with their

All About the Word Shit

Published on 2012-08-11 02:46:00

Shit. In my youth, if one used that word out loud one was admonished. It was generally regarded as a swearword; and unless one was in a rage, it was unacceptable to use in conversation. Apart from being thought of as a profanity, the word was also considered vulgar and degrading to use. These days, the word is, if not entirely acceptable, then so much more commonplace and not considered as

Glenn Amante: A Chicago Dentist Whose Life is for Others

Published on 2012-08-10 08:29:00

“I cannot imagine myself other than being a dentist,” thus declares Glenn Amante of the high school class of 1990. Even in high school, for someone so young he had this air of singularity of purpose and grim determination – the look of somebody who knew where he was headed and how to get there. “Every decision that I’ve made in my life,” he now confirms what I saw more than twenty years ago

The Bourne Legacy's Manila Scenes not for Tourists

Published on 2012-08-10 03:17:00

If you have not gone to see The Bourne Legacy yet, well then make your plans. I am not about to spoil your enjoyment by telling you the story; but the motorcycle chase scenes alone along Metro Manila’s crowded streets will make the trip to the cinema well worth the bother. I am normally patient enough to wait till a movie comes out in DVD or even until it is shown on HBO – but like most

Ferdie dela Rosa: Banker and Martial Artist

Published on 2012-08-08 04:22:00

There are, indeed, those who endeavour to cross the Great Divide between the green and the blue sides; and live not to regret it. Ferdinand dela Rosa or Ferdie of the high school class of 1984 was in my History class and had both feet firmly planted on the green side. But then came graduation… While many of his contemporaries preferred to be anchored to the green side and went to college in

Heroic Rescue Personnel Deserve the Nation's Applause

Published on 2012-08-08 00:57:00

The scenes that were being shown last night on news shows were ghastly; but they were – likewise – very familiar. We have all seen those before. Torrential rains, rivers overflowing, streets flooded with murky waters and people trapped on their rooftops. Ondoy revisited. While the news videos preferred to talk about the tragedy that befell people – and flooded cities are nothing if not

Pintada: A Believable School-Based Story

Published on 2012-08-07 01:22:00

Not that I have suddenly become the ultimate authority on teleseryes, but I very much recommend the late afternoon Precious Hearts Romances offering Pintada to anyone who cares. This soap opera is the replacement for Hiyas, the series that I used to loosely watch before the regional news on ABS-CBN. Unlike with Hiyas, with which the story seemed almost incidental to the endless stream of

The RH Bill: A Simplified Version

Published on 2012-08-06 05:23:00

For the convenience of anyone who wishes to know more about and understand the so-called RH Bill (House Bill 04244) but does not have the patience to go through the 20-plus pages of the actual bill, I am making this simplified and bulleted version available for easier reading. I have tried to use the bill’s own wordings where possible and paraphrased to approximate the meanings as much as

Hosting the US Ambassador (Please Last Till Thursday!)

Published on 2012-08-04 21:11:00

It was February or March in 1997. I had put together a ragtag collection of players for the annual Southern Tagalog Regional Athletic Association or STRAA. We were runners-up the year before in Cavite City. However, only Rommel Cabrera, Romualdo Yuson, Alvin Malabuyoc and Chocolate Osabel from the previous year’s squad were still around after everyone else graduated in March 1996. Thus, this

Gener: the Storm That Never Was

Published on 2012-08-03 04:53:00

I am struggling trying to recall a weather system quite as strange as Gener, a.k.a. Saola internationally. First of all, while it skirted the outer fringes of the Philippine Area of Responsibility or the PAR, it never really made landfall except way up north. Next, at its peak while in the PAR, if memory serves me right it was no more than 130 kph with peak winds of 150-160 kph. Good for a ‘

Coach Gil Talavera: from DLSL to the Loyola Meralco Sparks

Published on 2012-08-02 03:53:00

My high school team of 1989 was probably my strongest and most complete in three decades of coaching; but I would not have nominated Gil Talavera to one day play for the national team. Skill was not an issue; size was. At a time when most of his teammates were long past puberty, I wondered if there was an aberration to his DNA. Although he would later establish a name for himself as a

We Need More Filipinos in the Olympics!

Published on 2012-08-01 04:51:00

Watching the 2012 Olympics is a frigging labour! Couldn’t we have sent more than the measly eleven – is it? – that we sent to London? It’s the Olympics, after all! Sometimes, I think we take austerity way too seriously! I can understand that there used to be those who went to the Olympics to take all-expenses-paid vacations. Taxpayers’ money, of course! On the other hand, what do we tell

Atty. Johween Atienza, M.D.

Published on 2012-07-31 02:44:00

Eighty per cent as lawyer, he says; and the remaining twenty per cent as doctor. Those of you who are still in school and cannot wait to get out, spare a thought for this remarkable individual who spent no less than twenty-five years of his life in school studying. Johween Atienza is from the high school class of 1991. He calls himself an authentic Batangueño, having been born and reared in

PNoy, Noli de Castro and Dignity

Published on 2012-07-30 08:03:00

True, Noli de Castro as anchor of TV Patrol does once in a while let fly an unscripted side comment that is undeniably a barb planted on side of the Aquino administration. Yes, there were occasions when I myself had wondered at the wisdom of such ad libs given that de Castro himself used to be very highly placed in government. For the President to criticize the anchor – albeit no names were

Carmela Punzalan-Garcia: the Power in Being a Teacher

Published on 2012-07-29 01:51:00

Although teaching ultimately was a fun and fulfilling career, there were niggly little things about it that I felt could have gone better. One of these was the fact that there were frustratingly few students who went into teaching as a career from among the thousands that I taught; and from the top sections, you probably need just the fingers of one hand. It was not, however, as though I did

The Filipino Side of David Alaba

Published on 2012-07-27 00:59:00

Now – I can imagine – the more or less expectable reaction to the title for somebody who is not into football will – naturally – be “David Who?” That will be David Alaba, of Nigerian-Filipino parentage, originally from Vienna, plays for the German Bundesliga giant Bayern München and represents Austria in international football. Now, they do say that it is a small world, don’t they? As things

Tyrone del Rosario: the Other Side of Being a Policeman

Published on 2012-07-25 23:35:00

We can all be forgiven, seeing as we do all these nasty reports about policemen each and every night on the news, that all cops are crooked. What the news shows seldom – if ever – show us is the other side of being a policeman: the cop who goes about his daily business as is expected of a public servant. Tyrone del Rosario of the high school class of 1994 was not my student. Around the time

The Aremuhunan Culture

Published on 2012-07-25 03:47:00

Aremuhunan. I’m not even sure that there is a direct English translation for that quaint little word. I used to hear my Mom say the word a lot – repeat, a LOT – in the old days and never really understood it to mean one thing. I have read before that the word is a Batangueño expression, although I’m not too sure about that. Although my Mom was from Nasugbu, and Nasugbu is still very much part

Normando Carandang Jr.: Captain Fant-Istik and Life as a Seaman

Published on 2012-07-24 02:33:00

In high school, he was tall and reed thin; not at all unlike a stick. He was in my History class as well as my football team, where I brought from my college varsity team this silly tradition of giving players monikers. For him, I thought Istik would be perfect. The ‘nick’ stuck, I suppose. When he sends me text messages, each contains the text signature ‘Styx’ which is a glamorized version

SONA Pa-bits

Published on 2012-07-23 08:55:00

President Noynoy Aquino’s 2012 SONA is without a doubt the best he has so far delivered; albeit one sort of wonders why it took his speech writers so long to learn how to write one. The language was crisp, even ‘hip’ at times; and I could have sworn that he ad libbed to draw laughs that part about Tarlac having to wait for its airport to be built. In other words, I thought that at the third

Working with Cora Abansi

Published on 2012-07-23 05:25:00

Work in whatever circumstance is always more productive if you are with agreeable people who share the same ideals that you have. That was why, working with Cora Abansi in top management made my job so much easier; and I would like to think that I made her job easier as well. For five years, I was in charge of our school’s administrative operations; while Cora was head of the academic side.

The Inhospitable Brother

Published on 2012-07-22 02:26:00

In the previous decade, the school where I used to work enjoyed a great partnership with the St. Mary’s College (SMC) of California, a school similarly run by the Christian Brothers in the United States. The American school would annually sponsor immersion visits of administrators from my school for them to learn best practices which, it was hoped, could be applied when they returned. In

Jerome Gotango: Wanted Law; Got IT

Published on 2012-07-20 03:19:00

Well, we all know what they say about the best-laid plans. Sometimes they can go completely awry. Other times, fate just gives us a little nudge to take us someplace a little different from where we originally wanted to go. That is the joy of the ride, I guess; a.k.a. the twists and turns that life can sometimes bring. Jerome Gotangco of the high school class of 1991 is now an innovative

How to Defeat China in an Armed Conflict

Published on 2012-07-19 20:16:00

Before you proceed, let me warn you that everything that you read from this point on is very much tongue-in-cheek. With the diplomatic standoff with China hogging the news each and every frigging night, I suppose every Filipino at one time or another has reflected on the possibility of a shooting war actually breaking out. Do we stand a chance? Why do you think Malacañang has gone on – like

The Game When I Forgot About Tony

Published on 2012-07-19 04:07:00

My high school team in season 1988-89 was probably the most powerful in the three decades that I coached football teams. The team the previous year played more attractively; but this 1989 team had more physically robust players and could play either technical attacking football or, if the occasion dictated it, an ugly counterattacking style. Its defence was second to none. The central

Women Whose Smoking Was Hardcore

Published on 2012-07-18 01:38:00

Those of my generation – and probably many who are a bit younger – would have known a woman or two in the old days who smoked their cigarettes in the most peculiar way. Probably a wise old lavandera with a dark wrinkled face who kept the cigarette in her mouth while she washed the clothes in the batyâ. Those were foul-smelling filter-less cigarettes that those women smoked. Ladicha,

Roy Cosico: Doctor Without Borders

Published on 2012-07-17 00:18:00

Imagine a daily life of waking up earlier than the roosters to be on the road to Lipa for a two-hour drive just to attend school. Then, because the road does not really get any shorter for the drive back home, getting home each night when most classmates would have been enjoying a post-meal chat with the family or watching primetime television. This was the daily grind that Roy Cosico – and

Killed by Lightning

Published on 2012-07-16 05:46:00

Perhaps it is just that the networks have drastically improved their regional reporting; but there has seemingly been an unusual number of individuals struck and killed by lightning since the current rainy season started. Just now on the regional news, one 16-year old boy was killed and three companions were hospitalized after being struck by lightning in Nagcarlan in Laguna. “Nangingisay na

Rachelle Dumadapat-Ocampo: Not a Boring Life at All!

Published on 2012-07-14 04:03:00

You might have noticed that it is people who are a little short in quality or intelligence who like to throw their weight about; as if it is the only way that they can win respect from those around them. The ones of real quality and, therefore, have nothing to prove just let their work speak for itself and remain invariably simple and unaffected. Typically, although Rachelle agreed when I

Oibos and the Etymology of a Batangueño Word

Published on 2012-07-12 20:05:00

After having started and procrastinated for the better part of almost two years on another of my web projects, The Salitang Batangas Project, for some reason I got interested in it again last week. The site seemed so abjectly under-designed that I added some widgets just to spruce it up. I also added what Facebook calls a Like Box; and to do that you have to set up a Facebook Page. So, I did.

Timi Alcala-Stoop: the Dreamer, the Writer

Published on 2012-07-12 01:59:00

Timi Alcala-Stoop. Wife, mother, teacher, writer, multimedia designer, artist. Add to that the fact that she has added Dutch to the languages that she speaks apart from the Tagalog and English that it is more or less taken for granted most Filipinos are comfortable with. Having gone to elementary school in Dao, Capiz, if somebody tried hard enough, she can also probably be coaxed to speak

Tropical Depression’s Papadom: An Incredible Journey

Published on 2012-07-10 09:26:00

Mention the name Dominic Gamboa to me and my mind immediately flies back in time to this one day in 1983. It was my first year as a teacher; and I was about to enter this classroom unimaginatively named B-203. What greeted me was something that still makes my eyes gleam with humour up till the present day. Domeng, as he was universally known in school then, was chasing after his tomboyish

The EDSA Yellow Lane Bedlam

Published on 2012-07-10 07:14:00

Why I am even concerned, I do not really know. But to just look at news footages of EDSA gridlocked in traffic with vehicles moving along at a snail’s pace was absolutely painful. Frankly, who would want to live in the Big City? For the benefit of those who do not monitor the news, the MMDA is currently strictly implementing the yellow lane law. That buses ought to stay inside the lane is

PBB Teens: Myrtle Win Predictable

Published on 2012-07-08 23:00:00

So, cos-player Myrtle was formally acclaimed as Season 4 PBB Teens Big Winner last Saturday in the show’s finale held in Malolos. That she was going to win it was, perhaps, given away by the voting trends revealed in the show’s previous eviction nights. If memory serves me right – and I must have missed only an episode or two of the late night edition – neither Roy nor twins Jai and Joj were

Know NOAH for Hazard and Risk Decisions

Published on 2012-07-06 22:09:00

The National Operational Assessment of Hazards or NOAH was launched yesterday to assist local government units and other decision makers in times of impending adverse weather and floods. The system is based on Google Maps upon which can be superimposed information about weather-related concerns. Ordinary citizens may also access the system for even the mundane decision of bringing an umbrella

The Perfect Pinindot

Published on 2012-07-06 06:35:00

Life is indeed a never-ending learning experience. All my life, if somebody said pinindot, I would conjure an image in my mind of this local delicacy that is basically little balls of glutinous rice – malagkit, in other words – and tapioca – sago, pina-soci in English – cooked with a delicate balance of sugar and a pinch of salt in coconut milk. I have seen variants with langkâ, ube or camote

Remembering PAF’s Awesome Blue Diamonds

Published on 2012-07-05 00:48:00

The last couple of weeks or so have been peculiar for me as well as for others here in Lipa because we have been seeing so many planes flying around the city in formation. After all these years, I have still not lost my fascination for planes. So, I still peek out the window when they pass just to the west of the house right after take-off. Where I live is practically in line with the runway

The Class of 1991: From Juniors to Seniors

Published on 2012-07-04 05:38:00

Although I worked seven years in discipline, I only handled junior high school for one school year. All the other years, I was in charge of the seniors. It was summer of 1989; and one of the new Brothers assigned to the school had asked to handle discipline for the incoming class of seniors. That meant that I had to drop down one level. I had taught Asian History to juniors before; so I was

Suspending Classes in Adverse Weather

Published on 2012-07-03 07:30:00

Whoever can develop a fail-safe system for the announcement of the suspension of classes during adverse weather has to be immediately declared National Hero. The weather system overnight was a mere LPA not even given a real name but for the code 96W. Although nowhere near as destructive as the infamous Ondoy, the LPA nonetheless poured significant amounts of rain as it crossed the country

Euro 2012: Spain, Kings of Europe and the World

Published on 2012-07-02 05:02:00

Cesare Prandelli, coach of Italy, felt that his team lacked freshness in the aftermath of a 0-4 hiding at the hands of Spain in what was the final of Euro 2012, no less. Indeed, even Spain’s mere one day advantage in rest would have weighed on players who had had to play two competitive matches in a week for almost a month. But that was not really it... Simply stated, Italy was steamrolled

FIFA Course an Experience of a Lifetime

Published on 2012-07-01 08:06:00

I realized last week that my FIFA coaching certificate was still in the possession of the school where I used to work. I asked to get it back from the HR Department and now it is in my possession. I received the certificate for completion of a coaching course that was given by the international football federation as far back as 1988. The event was well-covered by the media at the time that it

Broken Households and Children

Published on 2012-06-30 04:27:00

In the society that I grew up in, if husband and wife had grave differences, they resigned themselves to being stuck with each other because that was the norm of the society we were all in. There were marital break-ups, yes; but these were the exceptions rather than the rule. Those who did break up found themselves whispered about in cliques in what was society’s way of frowning at such

Commissions or Basic Pay for Bus Drivers?

Published on 2012-06-28 21:01:00

So there you are. As per Directive 118-12 of the Labour Department, bus drivers are to receive basic pays in lieu of the traditional boundary and commission system that they have all gotten used to. Maybe that move is just about right; and bus drivers just like all employees need to enjoy the benefits of a fixed salaries at the end of fifteen days. Certain sectors, not least of which is the

Following Hiyas and the Trauma of Commercials

Published on 2012-06-27 23:14:00

Ayun... So Donato Salvador – or is it Salvador Donato; I get so confused – was blown to bits the other day while delivering a speech in some affair or something. And I only found out from the quick recap at the start of yesterday’s episode. I am talking about the teleserye ‘Hiyas,’ of course; and Silang’s seemingly interminable quest for the, well, hiyas. The soap opera being on its last

Euro 2012: In Defence of England

Published on 2012-06-26 01:13:00

I did the rounds of the British news sites the morning after the England loss to the Italians in the quarterfinals of Euro 2012; and even that soon the savaging of the English national team was well underway. How short people’s memories can be when it suits them! Expectations were low to begin with when the England team flew off to the finals. The team left behind a reasonable amount of

Euro 2012: False Nines and Spaniards

Published on 2012-06-24 22:08:00

The ‘false nine.’ Fancy football tactical jargon. Maybe I do not read up on the game as much as I once did; but apparently it is not as new a tactical concept as I thought. I first heard of it from the commentator of the Euro 2012 match between Spain and Italy, remarking as he did that the Spaniards had lined up without a recognized striker. One site suggested that it was Francesco Totti,

Not Just Yet Please Dolphy

Published on 2012-06-23 03:52:00

My word! But I could barely listen to Eric Quizon describing how his father flitted between consciousness and unconsciousness during a press conference called to give an update on Dolphy’s condition last night. It felt as though somebody took hold of a piece of my heart with a thumb and a pointer finger and then twisted in a wicked pinch. What Quizon was describing, I know all about. That

Citizens’ Warning Systems

Published on 2012-06-21 00:22:00

And once in a while, I like to do posts that don’t really need any profound thinking, either on my part or on that of the readers. This is one of those. In this country of ours, we can be so at the mercy of the elements; and Nature always invariably ends up winning. We are only humans, after all. Everyone seems to have come up with one warning system or the other that always comes up short

Pampa Death Puts Lipa in National News

Published on 2012-06-19 21:41:00

Life can be so mundane here in Lipa that we invariably make the national news if there is a massacre – which is rare – or if there is a religious event involving devotion to the Blessed Mother. But wait… Yesterday we made the national news; and not at all for something that may be considered of profound significance. So maybe before you proceed any further, you had better make sure that you

Lipa Quite at Its Best

Published on 2012-06-18 23:46:00

No, we do not have world famous white white-sanded beaches. Neither do we have picture-perfect rice terraces nor fabulous waterfalls. And night life will probably mean a side trip to the nearest lomi joint before retiring to the comforts of one’s own home. But once the monsoons blow as briskly as they have done since late May, then I am reminded again of why I probably turned my back on a

Rains, Garbage, Floods

Published on 2012-06-18 07:07:00

This is so old news; but every year it still finds its way back into the news shows. Apparently, while Typhoon Butchoy merely skimmed the outer edges of the PAR, on its way out it also pulled in the monsoons to dump gallons upon gallons of water upon Metro Manila. And of course, within the context of certain localities of the metropolis, the saying that applies is “when it rains, it floods.”

Oh Silang! The Hiyas Is So Obvious!

Published on 2012-06-15 21:29:00

So go ahead and laugh if you must. I’m watching a teleserye. Big deal! I used to watch Mula sa Pusô before because if I didn’t, I would so be the outcast at work. Everyone talked about the last episode the next day and was I to sit there thinking duh? But, yeah, you’re right! I’m not really the teleserye-watching type. How I got started watching the adventures of Silang as he seeks

Maritime Tragedies and Fish Sales

Published on 2012-06-15 00:34:00

I am sure that there is a scientific term for the collective paranoia that we not only once in a while hear about but actually become part and parcel of. If you have been watching the news, then you know that an inter-island vessel by the name of Josille II was battered by tall waves recently and sunk off the coastal town of El Nido in Palawan. Never mind about the tragedy because enough has

Azkals Defeat Guam 3-nil in Independence Day Encounter

Published on 2012-06-12 09:50:00

There was every danger, seeing as Guam is almost 50 notches below us in the FIFA rankings, that somebody would have to sneak in a PSP to give Neil Etheridge something to do whilst in the middle of an international friendly against the Philippines tonight at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod. Indeed, after an initial charge deep into the Philippine half straight from the kickoff, Guam settled back

Celebrity Tweets on the Pacquiao-Bradley Fight

Published on 2012-06-12 04:21:00

And not as though moving on is not an option, because there really is pretty much nothing that anyone can really do about it, but here is a collection of celebrity Tweets on that controversial fight between Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley last Sunday. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the accounts; although many appear to be owned by the celebrities of the same names. Still, going through

Education, Football and ‘Tingin sa Pogî’

Published on 2012-06-11 22:19:00

Initially, I did not quite know what to make of the appointment of former Swansea City FC boss Brendan Rodgers as replacement for Liverpool’s sacked Kenny Dalglish. True, the ‘Swans’ had the utter cheek to come to Anfield, that cathedral of the English passing game, and in patches manage to out-pass and out-think their illustrious hosts. Without the benefit of household names, it must be

Olé España, Olé Tiki-Taka!

Published on 2012-06-11 04:06:00

Well, the French and the English clash tonight; but apart from these two nations I have seen just about everybody who matters in Euro 2012, currently being played in Poland and the Ukraine. My crystal ball tells me a final between Spain – the defending World and European champion – and either the Dutch or the Germans. There is only one way to describe the way the Spaniards play: utter joy!

Pacquiao’s Loss to Bradley Makes One Salivate for the Rematch

Published on 2012-06-10 04:07:00

Time was when a ‘via satellite’ telecast was actually live. Apparently not anymore, as the cable station that was broadcasting the Pacquiao-Bradley bout for local consumption started airing just about when it had already concluded in real time. There ought to be a law forbidding people from posting updates on Facebook and Twitter. These effectively spoil things for people – like me – who

Inside a Coffin and Saved by the Bell

Published on 2012-06-08 04:55:00

My previous article on an idiomatic expression captured a friend’s interest enough for her to refer me to another one: ‘saved by the bell.’ As an expression in the present-day context, the phrase is used when one gets out of a potentially sticky situation in the nick of time. The frequent assumption, and with good reason, is that the expression traces its origin to the sport of boxing.

Hanged, Drawn and Quartered

Published on 2012-06-07 03:03:00

Time was when those who used the English language, including us Filipinos, were so much more colourful in the way they expressed themselves. For instance, not too long ago, if you were guilty of having done something unpleasant, the recipient of your action may threaten you idiomatically with the expression “I will have you hanged, drawn and quartered!” Let us digress for a while to the

Uh-oh… I’m Watching the Celtics Again

Published on 2012-06-06 09:20:00

Uh-oh... I’m watching the Celtics again. Yes, the Celtics; and yes, the basketball team. There is a football club based in Glasgow called Celtic, without the ‘s.’ But I support its city rival Rangers, instead. To get back to the Celtics, or the Boston Celtics, please pull your eyebrows down because I do have a favourite basketball team. As everyone knows, I am not particularly fond of

Azkals’ 2-all Draw With Indonesia Feels Like a Win

Published on 2012-06-05 09:50:00

There would have been some concern that Neil Etheridge and the Younghusband brothers were not selected to start against Indonesia in the FIFA international friendly played at the Rizal Memorial tonight. I would not read any more to this other than Coach Michael Weiss simply making full use of the deep squad at his disposal. If anything, leaving the trio out was probably more a statement of

Elizabeth II: An Accident of History and a 60-Year Reign

Published on 2012-06-05 01:17:00

Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. Thus is formally named the monarch and familiar global icon who this year celebrates 60 years on the throne, a stunning achievement any way one looks at it. You may call her Lizzy, for short; just not within

9 Yearbooks: Paper Dummies to Desktop Publishing

Published on 2012-06-04 05:00:00

I have always loved published materials. Because most of us in the family grew up voracious readers, there were always books, newspapers and magazines in the house. In the glossy magazines, in particular, I admired the way layout artists combined text and photos to always create something attractive to the eyes. Naturally, I joined the staffs of both the yearbook and the school paper when I

Random Insights on a 1st Half (Malaysia v PHL)

Published on 2012-06-02 02:39:00

Well, yes... This will probably be the first and only instance when a football write-up was ever written based entirely on a first half. The world over, if I may append to this rather dubious distinction. So, like most everyone else who follows the fortunes of the Azkals, I was happily watching last night’s feed from Kuala Lumpur, having already silently thanked the gods of football that TD

Of SALNs and Waivers: Pilipinas Expects!

Published on 2012-06-01 02:51:00

In fairness, it was not PNoy himself who categorically stated that he shall not be waiving his right under law to keep his dollar accounts confidential. Instead, it was Malacañang spokesperson Abigail Valte who did so during a news conference held at the palace yesterday. When quizzed by the media, Valte confirmed that indeed, the President had said while still on the campaign trail that if

The Alter-Ego That Is Big Utol

Published on 2012-05-31 06:08:00

Since I got started watching PBB, the show has become something of a pre-bedtime ritual. It can be thematically mundane enough to be the perfect non-activity to get anyone yawning. Not last night, however. Definitely not with Big Utol in charge of the microphone. Kuya is, of course, taking a wee bit of a vacation and has typically left his alter-ego in charge. Big Utol. Of course, when

Yes, Football Is Alive in Tanauan

Published on 2012-05-30 08:45:00

For most of the last three decades, if you wanted to find football in the province of Batangas, you had to go to Lipa. That is where the Christian Brothers set up a school; and in this country, where the Christian Brothers have set up a school, there is also bound to be a football field. In the last decade or so, probably because of immigrants to the town rather than the natives themselves,

Concluding Thoughts on the Corona Trial and Verdict

Published on 2012-05-29 09:08:00

Well, there you have it. The Impeachment Court has passed its verdict on Chief Justice Renato Corona; so that is really the cue for the rest of us to get on with our lives. In the end, the 20-3 vote to convict was emphatic; and probably reflected, anyway, the overriding sentiment outside the walls of the Philippine Senate. For the same reason that I always say that a decision by the Supreme

CJ Corona Verdict: How the Senators Voted

Published on 2012-05-28 20:18:00

Almost half a year of a sometimes intriguing, sometimes fascinating and sometimes downright monotonous impeachment trial ended this afternoon with the Philippine Senate voting to impeach or acquit Chief Justice Renato Corona of charges filed against him in the House of Representatives last December. It had been generally believed as the impeachment trial went along that the impeachment vote

All Because of the Word ‘Scarce’

Published on 2012-05-27 20:48:00

I used to have a player whose bansag – a derogatory nickname – within the team was tutâ (a puppy). And so one afternoon at the football field, probably more in jest than anything, I was supposed to have told him, “You don’t have a personality! You have a dogsinality!” In all honesty, I had completely forgotten all about this incident. It was a classmate of this player who happened to work

CJ Corona’s Waiver: Too Little Too Late or a Brilliant Ploy?

Published on 2012-05-25 08:14:00

It is so easy to brand CJ Corona’s act of finally submitting his waiver this afternoon – having ditched his precondition – to the Presiding Judge and granting the Impeachment Court access to his dollar accounts as too little too late. I, for one, certainly did. Think of all the trouble that could have been spared – for one, a lengthy caucus to decide whether to abide by or disregard a TRO

A Football Player with Magic He Did Not Want

Published on 2012-05-24 08:58:00

In one of the high school teams that I used to coach, we used to have in the late nineties this player who possessed magical powers that he neither asked for nor particularly wanted. We shall call him by the name Merlin – wink – obviously after the legendary sorcerer and obviously not his real name. In those days, the school used to own a rickety old bus that once belonged to the fleet of the

Phillip Phillips: Season 11 American Idol

Published on 2012-05-23 21:15:00

Well there you have it! Season 11 of American Idol has officially ended. Phillip Phillips has defeated the great brown hope that is Jessica Sanchez to win the much-coveted title of American Idol. So we all look forward to the next season and the next Filipino-American singer to rally behind. American Idol itself has released the statistics: a record 132.3 million votes came in during a 4-

Thoughts on CJ Corona’s ‘Walkout’ from the Impeachment Court

Published on 2012-05-22 20:14:00

My immediate thoughts as Chief Justice Renato Corona excused himself yesterday from the impeachment court and got up to leave with alacrity was that he sounded a lot like the head of a co-equal branch of government saying what was the equivalent of “I’m done with all of you, now I take my leave, ta-ta, thank you very much!” And off he sped to everyone’s consternation; yes, even his own defence

Going Gaga Over Lady Gaga

Published on 2012-05-22 06:29:00

First of all, I was not a Lady Gaga fan. Was. Past tense. Now I am fast becoming one all because of the big fuss in the media about her alleged satanic affiliation and all the other accusations that I personally think have been overboard and yet again underscore our fondness as a people for the sensational and the inessential. Before the big fuss, the only mp3 I had of her songs was “Edge

The White Lady of the Tamarind Tree

Published on 2012-05-21 04:37:00

There used to be, just to the west of where I live, this frighteningly tall tamarind tree that in the dark of the night seemed the perfect place to find a tikbalang perched on one of the branches puffing on its large cigar. But no, bulong-bulungan in the neighbourhood was that it was a white lady that had taken residence, instead; and that once in a while, if it took her fancy, the lady would

Nabatî, a Purely Pinoy Phenomenon?

Published on 2012-05-20 21:56:00

I know. I am an educated man and I probably should not believe in these things. But whenever I utter a remark on the apparent state of somebody’s physical health – particularly if it seems on the good side – I have to stifle this almost instinctive urge to lick a finger and daub a bit of saliva on the person’s skin. With people I know quite well, I actually do. Nabatî. I don’t even quite

RIP Donna Summer, Who I Once Saw

Published on 2012-05-17 22:09:00

Adieu, then, to the Queen of Disco: born LaDonna Gaines but more popularly known the world over as Donna Summer. The Billboard web site reports say that she has passed on into the afterlife at the age of 63 after a bout with cancer. The younger generations will probably not know her; but apart from amassing hit after hit in the seventies with her unique brand of dance music, she also won

Online Storm Against Pacquiao His Own Doing

Published on 2012-05-17 00:42:00

For all his millions, the fact of the matter is that Manny Pacquiao, the people’s champ, remains remarkably simple – nay, naïve even. Naïve enough, at any rate, to be unable to control his lips from spouting words on issues of no direct or indirect consequence to his life, his boxing career or his constituencies in his home province of Saranggani. Somebody please advise him – and quick – that

Once Upon a Time in Lipa

Published on 2012-05-15 21:13:00

I get so amused these days whenever I go to the malls for my groceries and see families posing in front of the Jollibee. You know, that oversized sculpted red and yellow bee that sells chicken joy instead of honey. Yes, I and other citizens of this city have become so blasé about malls. Once upon a time, we must have looked exactly as bright-eyed on the occasions that we went to the big city

Hostile Witness at the Impeachment Court

Published on 2012-05-15 00:53:00

And not being a lawyer, I was quite, quite mystified by the heated exchange of words between the lead counsels of both the prosecution and the defence of the Justice Corona Impeachment Court yesterday over the declaration of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales as a hostile witness. For once, I could not quite keep up with the debate. It was all highly technical and apparently revolved around

How Do You Build a Football Club in Lipa?

Published on 2012-05-13 21:59:00

Last Saturday, I was practically ‘abducted’ by a former player who had been pestering me to suit up for a football team that will compete in a tournament for MILFs. That’s an acronym for Mature Individuals (who) Love Football, you dirty-minded-person you! Or O-40… for Over-40… This may seem strange to those who know me; but the truth of the matter is that I did not want to go. First of all,

NAIA Guards Pay for Tulfo Brawl

Published on 2012-05-11 09:29:00

Well, of course, the security guards on duty at the NAIA during the Tulfo-Santiago bust-up are in the limelight again; and for all the wrong reasons, as if I needed to say. A few of them got themselves suspended for a week for apparently not having done their duties well. By not doing their duties well, we all refer back to the YouTube video in which we saw one or two of the guards

The Java Man Would Not Have Minded

Published on 2012-05-10 07:54:00

‘Don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.’ Those were the words of a rock ballad sung by an obscure eighties rock band called ‘Cinderella.’ All the lyrics say, albeit with profound truism, is that we all rather tend to take the things – or people – that are with us so for granted until they go away. So, alright! Maybe this is way too philosophical even for me, especially as all I want to

Thoughts on the Tulfo Brawl at the NAIA

Published on 2012-05-08 03:35:00

I must admit, although I do not condone violence, that I was totally fascinated watching on Youtube the unscheduled Tulfo-v-Santiago (and company) fight card at the NAIA. Pinoys that we are, somebody quickly made a post-event graphic, called it the ‘Thrilla at the NAIA’ and happily shared it on Facebook for everyone to enjoy. Whoever took the video should either congratulate himself for

Brazilian Footballer in Batangas

Published on 2012-05-07 04:00:00

The City of Lipa is not exactly the most cosmopolitan of places. Thus, in three decades of coaching a high school football team along with about a decade of also mentoring a college team, the lads that I worked with were mostly homegrown Batangueños. This could be problematical because, contrary to what some people say, size does matter as well in football. It goes without saying that

Skipped Training; Hiding from Sir

Published on 2012-05-05 21:34:00

Naturally, if anyone skipped training over the three decades that I was coaching a high school football team, he was more or less obligated to think up a creative excuse or risk being told not to bore me with something somebody had used before. I was never the sort one could sell a dummy to, anyway. Probably the all-time most inventive – not to mention ludicrous – was this excuse: nag-alagâ

What if the Chickens Cannot Talk?

Published on 2012-05-05 04:26:00

Back in the early nineties when I was still working in the Discipline Office of the high school, Marcia Guevarra of the Guidance Office and I devised this program which we called Career Exposure. The concept was remarkably simple. To help the graduating seniors choose their college programs, we thought that it would be a good idea to take them out for them to see their prospective careers in

PBB Unlimited v Teen Edition

Published on 2012-05-03 02:13:00

It is not easy to make something of PBB Teen Edition; but it is fun to watch. Watching PBB, whatever the edition, is not unlike watching fish through the glass of an aquarium. As everyone knows, watching fish swim round and round inside the confines of an aquarium can not only be fascinating but downright hypnotic. With the Teen Edition, I do not enjoy the benefit of the 24/7 broadcast.

Yes! We’re Advertising on CNN!

Published on 2012-05-02 03:50:00

It must cost a pretty sum; but whatever it is, it can be recouped from increased tourist arrivals and can be seen as a good investment. More than the investment angle, I am actually looking more at the prestige factor. Finally, we don’t look kahabag-habag anymore. I am talking about the ‘More Fun in the Philippines’ international campaign which I suppose was only launched this week. I hadn’

Concluding the Saga of the Strange Cuenca Fires

Published on 2012-05-01 08:24:00

Just to conclude the saga of the strange spontaneous combustions that suddenly made the little sitio of Mambog in Cuenca, Batangas so famous, TV Patrol Southern Tagalog reported this afternoon that Mang Joe’s orasyons seem to be working. For those who do not know who Mang Joe is, click here or wait till you read the whole story. I will have another link to his story at the bottom. At any

The So Filipino Trait of Giving Pasalubongs

Published on 2012-04-30 22:25:00

There was this interesting item on the news last night that talked about the Filipino trait of buying pasalubongs everytime he goes on a trip. I had to agree with most everything that the item said. Indeed, which Filipino does not set aside even just a tiny part of the travel budget to make sure that there are at least tokens to take back home? Those who have the means, of course, will be

The Great Generation of the Barong Brothers

Published on 2012-04-29 21:24:00

The recent passing of Brother Rolando Dizon FSC is yet another stark reminder that time takes no prisoners. Aside from Brother ‘Roly,’ Brother Rafael Donato and Brother Andrew Gonzales were two more of what – to my mind – had been a great generation of Brothers who brought the fraternity and their schools the prestige they all now enjoy. Each now rests in a concrete tomb in a mausoleum inside

Plastic-less in Lipa

Published on 2012-04-26 00:39:00

Well not entirely; or at least, the way I understood it from a news video a few weeks back, only plastic bags in dry goods stores are banned. If anybody knows anything to the contrary, please do not hesitate to make a correction in the comments section below. I suppose the writing was on the wall the moment Batangas City implemented its own ban last year. Local governments are increasingly

Psychic Joe Battles Cuenca’s Engkantos

Published on 2012-04-25 06:17:00

Before anything else, I apologize for writing about the mysterious Cuenca fires for the third straight post. I am so fascinated by the mystery and I applaud TV Patrol Southern Tagalog for sticking with the story and providing updates. It sure beats watching an episode of Wako-Wako. Life in sitio Mambog in Cuenca has certainly changed over the course of the past week after a local lad set

Explaining the Mysterious Cuenca Fires

Published on 2012-04-23 08:09:00

The strange spontaneous combustions in Cuenca, Batangas continue to intrigue me. There was a follow up report by TV Patrol Southern Tagalog this afternoon. An elderly gentleman got his foot burnt trying to put out one such fire by stepping on a burning cloth. For his troubles, his foot also became mysteriously swollen and apparently not from the burns alone. Like any good news team, TV

Strange Burnings in Cuenca, Batangas Caused by Engkantos?

Published on 2012-04-21 00:17:00

There was this strange item on TV Patrol Southern Tagalog yesterday that I do not really quite know what to make of. One would think, in this day and age, that Science is able to explain just about anything under the sun. Not quite; or at least, if you live in this obscure little sitio called Mombog in a village called San Isidro in the municipality of Cuenca right here in Batangas. The

Jessica Sanchez Survives to Sing Another Week

Published on 2012-04-19 20:46:00

Yes, and Colton Dixon has been sent packing. At least, that is what all the reactions on Idol’s Facebook page seem to be saying. The ‘live’ show that StarSports pronounces its 6PM airing to be is not live at all. It is almost half a day late, as a matter of fact. Well, it was bound to happen that Jessica would survive this week. There was apparently a massive campaign in the States for

Lipa City Has a Web Site!

Published on 2012-04-18 22:35:00

Finally! Lipa City has a government web site! I am so happy to know this. The site has apparently been online for sometime now. The fact that I did not know, and I have been a Netizen for years, is down to the fact that I simply gave up on us ever having one. I mean, in the past, if I needed information on the city, all I would ever get was this poor excuse of a web site on some freebie

Always Brother Bong

Published on 2012-04-17 21:49:00

From the off, and for the benefit of those who are contemporarily associated with the school, I wish to make it clear that this is another Brother Bong that this story will be about. I feel almost obligated to add LOL because the young will have absolutely no idea who this other Brother Bong was. In fact, more than a generation separates this story from the one you were probably expecting.

When Redford White Came to Our House

Published on 2012-04-16 23:37:00

Well, close enough; but not really. Truth be told, there used to be, in the school where I used to work, this Brother who was the spitting image of the late comedian Redford White. This anecdote revolves around that Brother. For those of the younger generation, Redford White was this television and movie personality whose real name was Cipriano Cermeño II. He first became famous in the late

Craving for Pinindot

Published on 2012-04-15 21:50:00

I had been craving for some pinindot; but, these days, I do rather seem to have developed a propensity for procrastination. If you are not from these parts, then you will probably know the pinindot as the bilo-bilo; except that you will probably expect bits of fruits and root crops floating in it as well. Well, personally, I have always been partial to pinindot with only sticky rice balls and

Management Case Study: Lawsuit

Published on 2012-04-13 22:06:00

If for no other reason than to keep myself in touch with management principles, let us consider this hypothetical management problem: a company officer gets into an altercation with a customer while in the execution of his duties. To the customer, the altercation was grave enough to make him file a case in court against the officer. Issued a subpoena by the court, the officer turns to his

Steven Gerrard, Loss of Form and Shankly’s Tenets

Published on 2012-04-12 22:34:00

Last Monday, I was in a discussion with one of my former players about Liverpool FC’s current miserable run of form. Since the turn of the year, that run of form reads like this: LDLLWDLLLWLLLDW. From a possible 45 points, the Reds have only managed a pitiable 12. The last time a Liverpool squad performed this badly was back in the fifties when the club was still in the old Division II of

Those Damned North Koreans and Their Damned Rocket

Published on 2012-04-12 07:57:00

Am I missing something here? Just now on the news, some guy with a megaphone who I assumed was a representative of the NDRRMC was desperately pleading with some fishermen to please return to shore. “Your lives are at risk!” he tried to warn them. Seriously???!!! As everyone knows, today was supposed to be the day when the damned North Koreans launched their rocket to put a satellite in

PHL Population at 92.34M as per 2010 Census

Published on 2012-04-10 01:49:00

Well there you have it! It’s official now that the results of the 2010 Philippine Census have been released by the National Statistics Office (NSO). The country’s population is pegged at 92.34 million (figure rounded). This total was good for two years ago, mind. Taking into account the average annual population growth rate over the previous ten year period (2000-2010) of 1.9% and assuming

So Your Cable Channels Got Jumbled…

Published on 2012-04-07 23:20:00

If you’re from Lipa, then you probably got startled early last week to discover that your favourite cable television channels were not quite where you expected them to be. I don’t know what the local CATV did; but I love the changes! It’s not so much the jumbling of the channels. More like the improvement of the reception of my favourite stations. It’s – like – I’m starting to rediscover

American Idol: Sending DeAndre Packing

Published on 2012-04-06 23:01:00

I am a bit disappointed… but, I guess, not really surprised. If I was disappointed at all, it was that DeAndre Brackensick was sent packing after a night when I felt that, on the basis of performance, either Hollie Cavanagh or Elise Testone deserved to go more. But Jimmy Iovine, that guy who always wears a cap and who you will probably ignore if you met him on the streets, was spot on with his

The Double Life of Annie Batungbakal

Published on 2012-04-03 20:53:00

The younger generations, in particular, will have absolutely no clue about who Annie Batungbakal was – and with good reason. First of all, she lived back in the seventies, at a time when the poetry of songwriting was being usurped by the relative illiteracy of disco music. Annie Batungbakal was but one of countless and faceless Filipinas who spent their entire lives trying to eke out a living.

Jan Slater Young’s Big PBB Prize

Published on 2012-03-31 22:59:00

I did not start watching PBB until this season, so I had no idea how much of a following it has. Big! Really big! I mean, from the size of that late night crowd at the Quirino Grandstand for the Big Night, you would have thought that the Pope himself had arrived for a Catholic convention. You also have to admire – or deplore – the way ABS-CBN stretched a nothing subject into a

James Yap

Published on 2012-03-31 06:56:00

What an extraordinary game this one was that just finished in the First Division of the UFL. The Loyola Meralco Sparks were cruising to an apparent 3-1 victory over the Philippine Air Force Phoenix. Don’t all coaches preach, after all, not to stop playing after the final whistle has blown? The Sparks should have listened. In added time, the never-side-die Airmen clawed themselves out from the

The Convenience of the Word K’wan

Published on 2012-03-30 08:58:00

Just this evening on the news, a government official – or something – being interviewed by a reporter was being particularly cryptic with his reply, “Hindî mapatakbo ang kwan dahil sa k’wan…” So there you have it! Such esteemed eloquence on national television at that. Oh by the way, I am being sarcastic… But to get back to the magic word, k’wan, does it even have a meaning? The closest

The Gracious Telephone Operators of Yore

Published on 2012-03-30 00:19:00

This is just the weirdest thing. I was just watching a documentary on the invention and evolution of the telephone when I suddenly recalled our house’s phone number when we still lived inside Fernando Air Base: 3292. We moved out of the Base late in 1971. As anyone reading this can imagine, I had not thought of that number in decades! “Hello, Torrecampo’s residence!” Even as small kids, we

Slater Young’s Shot at PBB Glory

Published on 2012-03-28 23:18:00

Well, both literally and figuratively… After the quick vote held Tuesday night to determine who would be evicted last night – which ultimately turned out to be Divine Maitland-Smith – Slater is now in the Top 4 and will be part of the grand night to be held this Saturday at the Quirino Grandstand. What’s more, Slater must have been bracing himself for the worst after what had been a rather

Yeah Right It’s Summer!

Published on 2012-03-28 21:07:00

What can I say except that this is so weird? Officially, the calendar says that it is the 29th of March. Indeed, no less than PAGASA had declared just the other week that summer had officially started. Summer. Yeah right! A quick check of the satellite pictures shows this monstrous swathe of grey clouds that cuts across the country all the way across the Pacific. For those who are not into

You and Your Body Clock

Published on 2012-03-27 21:33:00

First of all, be forewarned not to take anything you read from this point onwards as gospel truth. This is a summation of one of the numerous and excellent BBC documentaries that one can view in HD at that on YouTube. The subject here is that of the body clock. Suffice it to say that it helped me to understand so many things that I previously did not do so and not a few of the items that I

What Do Batangueños Know About Bisayâ?

Published on 2012-03-23 21:16:00

…and so, nagpapaantok, I tuned in to PBB’s live version late last night. And a lot of good it did me… The three remaining females in Kuya’s house were whiling the time away telling each other stories while eating what appeared to be nuts from off a plastic pouch. Now Divine Maitland-Smith, reported on the PBB web site as from Cebu but of Filipino-British parentage, said something about the

Tips for Job-hunting Graduating College Students

Published on 2012-03-22 21:17:00

It is late March. Apart from the increasingly hot days and the start of summer vacation for many young people, it is also the season for graduation in schools all over the country. For the younger students, graduation is merely a stepping stone into a higher level of education. However, for many college graduates around the country, graduation opens a whole new dimension: that of the world

Poor Atty. Diaz, Now Germ-Free

Published on 2012-03-21 23:16:00

That will be Atty. Eulalio C. Diaz III, Administrator at the Land Registration Authority or LRA. In the past couple of days, he was the subject of really intense ‘soaping’ by Senator Judges during the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. So much so, in fact, that I can declare without fear of contradiction the he is now completely germ-free and is as sterile as an operating room.

Education and the Pressure to Excel in School

Published on 2012-03-21 00:30:00

The things people will say when they get their moments in the limelight. Take this basic education teacher who was interviewed by a news crew as part of an item on the soon-to-be-introduced K-12 program of the Department of Education. Doing her darnedest to sound like the right proper expert, the teacher went on: “It is up to the peyrents to support their children. Ip da peyrents will not

Azkals Nip Palestine to win Third in AFC Challenge Cup

Published on 2012-03-19 07:01:00

It is claimed in certain quarters that there is only limited value in having a third place play-off in a tournament. Indeed, it is argued, if such a match can at all showcase anything, it will only be the disappointment of two teams that both failed to reach the final. Yet, history has shown time and again that third place play-off matches often become the source of the most entertaining

Nice Wide Highways in Lipa City, But…

Published on 2012-03-17 07:35:00

I derive tremendous pleasure these days from a ride uptown to Lipa City now that the government’s widening project westward to where the road forks towards Batangas City and Lemery is nearing completion. If by roads alone, the erstwhile quiet and agrarian city of Lipa is making a belated entry into the 21st century. Naturally, those of the younger generations will not be on the same page that

Azkals vs Turkmenistan: the Morning After

Published on 2012-03-16 22:36:00

It is the morning after. A seat in the final of the AFC Challenge Cup turned out, after all, to be a bridge too far. All that was needed for the Philippines was to hang on to the single goal lead for a mere eleven minutes. It is said, though, that it only takes a second to score a goal; and in the ensuing eleven minutes, Turkmenistan contrived to score twice to wreck Filipino dreams of glory.

Azkals Lose Heartbreak Semis vs Turkmenistan

Published on 2012-03-16 06:45:00

Eleven minutes from glory. So near and yet so far. These were probably the thoughts going though the minds of an entire nation as the Philippines surrendered a slim 1-nil lead to Turkmenistan in the final eleven minutes of a thoroughly engrossing match. With the defeat, the Philippines thus failed to make its first international final in modern history. Perhaps, had Ray Jónsson blasted an

Azkals Come from Behind vs Tajikistan, Make Challenge Cup Semis

Published on 2012-03-13 08:04:00

There are always heroes and there are villains; and it was no different as the Philippines played Tajikistan for a place in the semi-finals of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. First, for the villains; although, on second thoughts, let me correct myself and reduce that to the singular – villain. That Tajikistan took the lead at all in first half added time is highly debatable. Granted, perhaps the

Younghusband Brace vs India Revives Azkals’ Hope for Semis

Published on 2012-03-11 09:34:00

You would not have known just by watching the flow of the game which team was the former AFC Challenge Cup Champion and which was the upstart playing in the final stages of the competition for the first time ever. Indeed, apart from winning the same competition in 2008, India also participated in the final stages of the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar and is also the reigning South Asian Football

No Dream Result for Azkals vs DPR Korea

Published on 2012-03-09 07:10:00

DPR Korea 2 Philippines 0. This was how the scoreboard read at the end of 90 minutes in the Philippines’ debut match at the final stage of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. The significance lays not at all in the result; but rather in the simple fact that the Philippines was on the same pitch as the North Koreans in the first place. Almost two years ago, some of these very same North Koreans were

Jessica Sanchez for the Win!

Published on 2012-03-08 20:49:00

Then again, if she doesn’t, you can always come back in a few months’ time and boo me. I just hope that I did not just give her the kiss of death. Last season, I was Pia Toscano’s chief rah-rah boy and look where she ended: bundled out of the competition with so many rounds still to go, J-Lo’s stunned look notwithstanding. American Idol, after all, is a voter’s competition. And while the

Taylor Kitsch, David Letterman and the Wrong Country

Published on 2012-03-06 05:13:00

True, Customs’ Ruffy Biazon has every right to feel upset about the Canadian-born actor Taylor Kitsch’s absent-minded narration on American late night national television about being hustled upon arrival at some airport. Take note, though, that at no point in his interview with talk show host David Letterman did Kitsch ever mention the Philippines. Let us all digress for a while and I invite

PBB’s Pamu and How the Batangueña Shows Affection

Published on 2012-03-04 07:18:00

Imagine this scene one night inside the girls’ room of Big Brother’s House: the girls had just turned in, sheets draped over their bodies, eyes closed and apparently trying to get some much-needed shuteye from all the rigours of living inside Kuya’s house. Then suddenly, the sheet draped all the way over the head of the girl at the far end of the room started to shake. As it turned out, the

Dismissals that Rocked the 1996 La Salle FC Team

Published on 2012-03-01 21:32:00

The La Salle FC Class of 1996 had the potential to go all the way; but for bizarre events that occurred outside of the field. The art of building a team is not unlike putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Just when I had painstakingly prepared players as one would to exactly fit the puzzle and complete the picture, two players were dismissed from the school for disciplinary reasons.

DLSU Lady Archers Nail Back-to-Back UAAP Volley Titles

Published on 2012-02-29 03:08:00

The problem with playing your best game in any tournament always is that your subsequent games will – naturally – not be your best. This was exactly the case with the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles, who were seeking to win their first-ever UAAP women’s volleyball tournament and took a step in the right direction by defeating the DLSU-Manila Lady Archers in Game 1 of the final exactly

The Funeraria Days of PBB’s Biggel

Published on 2012-02-28 02:47:00

The impeachment trial was so frightfully dull this afternoon there was probably more fun in watching a line of clothes dry under the sun. That was why I channel-hopped; and how I arrived at the live version of Pinoy Big Brother and eavesdropped on a fascinating story that housemate Biggel – real name Joseph Emil Biggel – was telling one of Kuya’s houseguests. This Biggel-person is something

Wormholes, Aliens, Engkantos and Quantum Physics

Published on 2012-02-26 21:17:00

Over the weekend, I watched this YouTube video on the Russia Today channel about the supposed mystical forces that could be found somewhere in the Urals, that mountainous region that more or less delineates Russia’s European territory from much more in Asia. One segment of the full documentary featured the investigations of a Russian scientist – a ufologist or somebody who scientifically

The Poisoned Chalice that the Lady Archers Drank From

Published on 2012-02-22 23:32:00

And so it was that the DLSU-Manila Lady Archers turned back a spirited performance by the Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles in the fourteenth and final elimination round match of the UAAP Season 74 women’s volleyball tournament last 12 February at the San Juan Arena. At the end of a scintillating 5-set match, the scoreboard read: 18-25, 25-14, 21-25, 25-19, 15-7 in favour of DLSU. For completing

That Awkward Moment

Published on 2012-02-21 06:04:00

…when you see a person you have been avoiding walking the opposite direction towards you along a narrow corridor and you know that turning back will be too obvious. …when you encounter somebody you cannot recognize who is beaming a wide happy smile at you, you smile right back to be polite and then belatedly realize that the person is actually smiling at somebody walking right behind you. …

Filipino Time: Personality or Cultural Trait?

Published on 2012-02-20 05:30:00

Who, in this country, has not experienced having to sit on a bus station bench playing a game on the cellular phone because there is still no sight of a companion who was supposed to have arrived half an hour before? Or arriving early for a concert only to be told that it will not start until another hour after the time printed on the ticket? Or meeting up with group mates and unable to

Azkals Lose to Roos; But Don’t Blame Araneta

Published on 2012-02-17 06:17:00

Ian Araneta was the object of an overnight online vitriol storm on Twitter and Facebook on the aftermath of the Philippines’ 0-1 loss to the Olympic national football team of Australia. I did not bother catching the match live since it was a friendly, anyway. That was why I was anxious to catch the replay this afternoon to see what Araneta could have done this time to deserve such ridicule

Getting Tactics Right for the Azkals Against Al Ahli

Published on 2012-02-14 20:03:00

One simply cannot understate what the Filipino Diaspora has done for Philippine football. That all of us who follow the beautiful game in this country have it to thank was once again evident in Doha the other night, where the national team put on an adrenalin-inducing show of rapier-like counterattacking football to convincingly defeat local club Al Ahli in a friendly match played at the Al

Choogs, Log Books and the Brother Lolo’s Grumpiness

Published on 2012-02-14 03:37:00

So, alright! Maybe I should have learned to bring my log book with me a little sooner to these weekly one-on-one meetings that the Brother Lolo used to call when I worked with him in top administration just over a decade ago. These meetings were regularly scheduled on Mondays and lasted roughly one hour. Don’t get fooled. Some Mondays the one hour could feel like an eternity multiplied many

Ask Your Mom for Her Recipes While You Still Can

Published on 2012-02-12 20:51:00

Mother’s home cooking is always best. That is a fact; and there is no rocket science to it. It is her cooking that we first taste. It is her cooking that we get accustomed to as we grow up. It is that her cooking that subsequently sets the standards inside our heads for what is and what is not good food. It is her cooking that we miss when we leave our homes. And it is the thought of her

The Champagne Football of Deney ‘Pato’ Reyes

Published on 2012-02-10 22:54:00

Although Tuteng Marasigan of the LSFC Class of 1988 was the most celebrated of the team’s midfield generals through the decades, in fact there was another one who was almost a mirror image of the young Marasigan in terms of style and intelligence. His name – officially, or at least as his birth certificate declares – is Deney Reyes. In the team, though, everyone called him ‘Pato.’ How he came

Cindy and Her Text From Her Own Grave

Published on 2012-02-07 23:04:00

Her name was Cindy. She was just one of scores buried underneath tons of earth that came sliding down the side of the mountain and onto their homes as a consequence of the cataclysmic heaving of the earth in the Central Philippines around midday just last Monday. Like many others who suffered the same fate, she was to discover that Nature, indeed, in its fury takes no prisoner. Many hours

Luis Suarez, Patrice Evra and the Great Racism Fuss

Published on 2012-02-07 00:46:00

I was as mystified as most Liverpool fans were by the 8-match ban that the Football Association of England imposed upon Luis Suarez as punishment for allegedly ‘racially abusing’ Manchester United’s Patrice Evra during a Premier League encounter at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium last October. Below are excerpts from the Football Association’s report as quoted by Andy Hutchins on the web site SB

The Mystery of Mt. Makiling’s Magnetic Hill

Published on 2012-02-05 21:03:00

In the nineties when my football teams used to play so many games at the fields of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, to avoid the horrendous downtown traffic in the town we learned to use alternate routes from Lipa. Before the drivers discovered the geothermal route, the favourite way was to go through the backdoor of the university and into Mt. Makiling itself. This route was a

More Fun in the Philippines

Published on 2012-02-03 20:31:00

Although there is something totally unoriginal and cliché-ic about the Department of Tourism’s ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’ campaign, what is undeniable is its effectiveness in capturing the public’s imagination. Everyone, it seems, has his or her own take on the campaign. Albeit late, and because it’s a lazy Saturday morning, here are some ‘More Fun in the Philippines’ memes that I

The Prosecution and the CJ Corona Trial

Published on 2012-02-02 23:31:00

…and so the good Senator Chiz Escudero wanted to know who among the prosecution panel in the Chief Justice Renato Corona impeachment trial was responsible for leaking to the media allegations that the Chief Justice owned 45 properties which were at yesterday’s trial seen to be just above twenty. Congressman Niel Tupas Jr. of the prosecution, at the podium to respond to the senator’s question,

Whatever People Say, Kuwait is Beatable!

Published on 2011-07-06 03:19:00

A lot is being said lately, now that we have confirmed our passage into the second round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers, about how substantially more challenging the next round opponent will be. That will be Kuwait, of course; as dictated by the

The Bottom Line

Published on 2011-07-04 18:53:00

Those who are wise, in reference to how DLSL grew from a tiny school to a large college inside 15 years, will ask the question, “How did they do it?” The wise will ask that question without malice, prejudice or suspicion; but instead, with the i

How the Devil Did This Happen?

Published on 2011-07-03 07:37:00

More than thirty years ago, I used to play at the Rizal Memorial Stadium for DLSU-Manila in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. First of all, whatever grass there was more often than not was golden from sheer lack of water; and there often

WC Qualifier: Philippines 4 Sri Lanka 0

Published on 2011-07-03 06:00:00

In the Colombo leg of the World Cup qualifier against Sri Lanka, I thought we were – as Elton John would have described things – utter drek. I dreaded the prospect of squaring up against Kuwait – who had been to the World Cup, by the way – i

25 Random Things Not Really About Me

Published on 2011-07-01 02:24:00

In late 2008 and early 2009, there used to be this silly Facebook game called the “25 Random Things About Me.” The concept was simple. You wrote 25 trivial things about yourself and then you tagged people. Being tagged sort of obligated people

U@DLSL

Published on 2011-06-30 05:44:00

I have written many times before that the great Brother Lolo was a visionary. When you and I look at a bukohan, we will probably be thinking juice. He, on the other hand, would be thinking fabulous buildings. What I had not written much about is h

WC Qualifer: Sri Lanka 1 Philippines 1

Published on 2011-06-29 08:43:00

The mystique of the Azkals is simply unbelievable. Before kick-off, television cameras showed blue-clad Filipinos who now – I suppose – we should refer to as the travelling support. I do not recall when such a large contingent of Filipinos flew

The 10 Most Imaginative LSFC Nicknames Ever

Published on 2011-06-28 04:37:00

This is the third and final repost from the LSFC web site. This post epitomizes the sort of fun and humour that one can only find in the locker room, where all the teasing eventually translates into experiences the boys will remember till they are o

The 10 Most Remarkable LSFC Goalscorers Ever

Published on 2011-06-27 08:09:00

In college, I used to be a right-winger in a classical 4-3-3 formation. This formation meant the team was laid out to have four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. I was a winger in the forward line; as opposed to the wing-half of the

The 10 Most Unforgettable LSFC Moments

Published on 2011-06-26 08:34:00

In 2004, I put up a small web site for my team. I do not remember having updated that web site after I put it up. Early this evening, from sheer lack of anything to do, I decided to revisit it. I was amused at some of the things I placed there; an

Manila Bus

Published on 2011-06-24 22:27:00

First of all, shame on you for thinking what you’re thinking right now after reading the title of this post. I have always maintained that this is a wholesome blog; and imagine a big Smiley here… Let me take you back to October of 1982. I was

The Good Luck Bus 2: Baked Into Tarts

Published on 2011-06-22 23:05:00

You could not tell from the refurbished air-conditioned bus that we purchased in 2007 that it was second-hand. It looked sleek; and especially after the new design was painted on, the bus really looked… handsome! It ran like a dream, too! My boy

The Brother Who Disappeared from the Face of the Earth

Published on 2011-06-20 21:27:00

Early in the nineties, there was this young Brother who was assigned to Lipa. His name was Antony Dimaano. Everyone called him Brother Nonie. He had graduated from the school in 1981; so the assignment had the added bonus of being something of a c

Why Nobody Is Buying Bangus

Published on 2011-06-18 08:51:00

Just this evening, one of the news programs ran this feature about how citizens of Alaminos City in Pangasinan organized a massive street eat-out just to persuade all and sundry that it is quite alright – already – to eat bangus. They laid out t

Sri Lanka World Cup Primer

Published on 2011-06-18 03:44:00

The long road to the World Cup 2014 in Brazil begins for the Philippine Azkals on 29 July 2011 when they take on the South Asian nation Sri Lanka in a two-legged home-and-away tie. The opening match is to be played in Sri Lanka’s capital city of

The Fireless Fiera

Published on 2011-06-16 22:51:00

Perhaps, the title is a bit disrespectful of this brave old servant that is forgotten now but was once the object of countless anecdotes. But I am getting ahead of the story again… Even before the Good Luck Bus, the school had a second-hand Ford

The Good Luck Bus

Published on 2011-06-14 22:52:00

In the days when the school really did not have money, we had to swallow our pride and beg for whatever little favours those with kindred souls were willing to grant us. Yes, even a fully-depreciated and half worn-out bus that the owner probably had

Of Life and Sport

Published on 2011-06-13 21:03:00

People who are not into sport often look upon us either with contempt or pity as we continue to sweat it out on the football field in the scorching heat of day or, perhaps, under the pouring rain. We are looked upon either as fools out to prove a mo

Form and Substance

Published on 2011-06-13 03:41:00

It was the summer of 2002. The Brother Lolo had already passed the retirement age of 65. He did not want to go yet; he was in his element in Lipa and there were still many things that he wanted to do. However, he was also very old-fashioned in man

The Spratly Row and Stressed Spokesmen

Published on 2011-06-10 22:39:00

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda is one stressed gentleman these days. There can be nothing edifying about a job that requires one to fend off media intrusions into the President’s love life. Ditto keeping away the hounds sniffing blood o

They Don’t Tell You Secrets

Published on 2011-06-09 23:47:00

The other day, I made my disappointment public on Twitter about how quickly the tickets for the upcoming World Cup qualifier between the Philippines and Sri Lanka had been sold out – which meant those of us who were planning a trek to the Big City

Announcing the Suspension of Classes

Published on 2011-06-09 06:27:00

I am tempted to complain about all that rain that just fell and fell from late the other night to – at least where I live – last night. But that will only be petty… It is, after all, the rainy season. This morning, the skies were still overc

Workplace Quotes

Published on 2011-06-07 02:16:00

I have twenty-nine years of experience in the workplace so I believe I have every right to formulate my own conclusions about what life can be in it. This collection of quotable quotes are all my own; although I cannot naturally claim that there are

Azkals Lose!

Published on 2011-06-05 07:11:00

Well how about that…??? A goal scored in the fourth minute of second half injury time meant that the Philippine National Football Team, a.k.a. the Azkals, had to bear the ignominy of losing a televised training match against the UFL All Stars, a r

Papaya

Published on 2011-06-04 09:02:00

I am sorry to disappoint you; but this is not a post about fruits at all – and neither will this be about food in general. Back in the late eighties, there used to be this archdiocesan priest who would lap around the field most afternoons when my

Fish Kill in Taal Lake

Published on 2011-06-03 03:15:00

I am willing to wager that, in the past few days, nobody but the desperate and the naglilihi has been brazen enough to have had bangus for dinner. I was at the supermarket yesterday and – at the fish section – the silver scales of the most invit

Child Abduction in Lobo… Daw!

Published on 2011-05-31 21:24:00

Now that I have a lot more time in my hands, I am able to catch the late afternoon Southern Tagalog edition of TV Patrol. Just to keep in touch with what’s going on in the neighbourhood, ‘ika ngâ… Yesterday, the news show ran – yet another

Gory, Gory Man United!

Published on 2011-05-31 06:27:00

Glory, Glory Man United! That is the song that reverberates around Old Trafford as the Red Devils wrap up title after title in the era of the English Premiership. Indeed, this year, the club went one up at the end of the last season on its fiercest

Ghosts in the Call Center

Published on 2011-05-30 20:52:00

I understand from the personal readings I had done on the paranormal that those in the spirit world rather tend to inhabit large, dark, quiet and uninhabited halls. But brightly lit call centers? But I am getting ahead of the story again… Last S

Swearing at LA Tenorio

Published on 2011-05-29 09:41:00

It was September of 2002. Those of us in the President’s Council were sent to attend the annual Catholic Educators’ convention. The convention was held inside the Xavier University campus in Cagayan de Oro City. You have to understand; these c

Scotty McCreery: American Idol

Published on 2011-05-26 08:16:00

First of all, if I were a betting sort of dude, I would have wagered all the money I had saved on Pia Toscano. She looked like a movie star and sang like a princess. She had WINNER written all over her! Then, even before the show got to the really

Facebook Town Signs

Published on 2011-05-25 07:16:00

Who was it who said too much to do and too little time to do it? There are definitely days when it feels exactly the opposite: too much time and too little to do! Here is living proof of what an idle mind can do. Imagine that there is a town call

Where There's Smoke, There's A Grill

Published on 2011-05-24 00:18:00

Anyone who reads this will think I’m fibbing… I bought a kilo of liempo the other weekend thinking, I would treat myself to inihaw… Never mind what the health experts say, I think inihaw na liempo is still the closest thing one can have to an

Learning to Type

Published on 2011-05-22 08:50:00

Back in 1998, when I first discovered the joy of IRC – Internet Relay Chat – I was happily typing text into the chat-box of my ugly IRC client software when the Canadian lady I met and befriended online who was at the other end begged me to slow

Shouting at the Boys

Published on 2011-05-20 23:04:00

One of the boys from the first group of high school kids I ever coached likes to tell – to this day – his team’s first encounter with me back in 1982. Classes for the day had ended and he and his teammates were on the field, suited up and shoo

Brother Lolo’s Chicharon and Liempo

Published on 2011-05-18 21:05:00

Back in the days when I used to be part of the Brother Lolo’s President’s Council, we would find ourselves nakaray somewhere just because he needed to get out of the campus. These were apart from Thursdays, which were sacred to him. Thursday, m

Astrology in Management

Published on 2011-05-17 21:22:00

A couple of years ago, during the golden birth anniversary celebration of my friend and former colleague Cora Abansi, in a short speech our former boss Sonny Lozano told a small gathering of Cora’s family and friends – which, naturally, included

Accidental Tourists 2: Puerto Princesa

Published on 2011-05-16 22:37:00

Alright! So maybe Bill Shankly did state once that football is more than a matter of life and death. But Bill never went to Puerto Princesa; and never experienced having something other than football thrust upon him by circumstance. This is just m

The Palarô: Athletes Come First!

Published on 2011-05-16 06:54:00

A few days ago, one of the news networks ran a clip showing young athletes being given emergency treatment after apparently having been overwhelmed by the heat during the just-concluded national games – or the Palarong Pambansâ, as these are calle

Change the Z to K, Karate!

Published on 2011-05-14 05:58:00

All sophomore high school students during my time – particularly if they had older brothers who also went to the same school – could not wait for the school year to end so that they could become juniors and take… Biology!!! No, there was nothi

Wilson and the Time Remaining

Published on 2011-05-12 02:26:00

Before anything else, apologies right away to any Ilonggo who may wander into this blog and chance upon this story. I myself am half-Ilonggo – my father was from Tigbauan, so should I say Karay-á – and so I know that more often than not, those

Taught by a RAM-Boy

Published on 2011-05-11 00:53:00

My love affair with the beautiful game began when I was still a young boy growing up inside the Base. My older brother was excellent in basketball; but I never did take a liking to the national game. There was just way too much of it in the househo

The Torch Parade

Published on 2011-05-10 01:44:00

Things are understandably hazy now inside my head; and the images do not quite fall as coherently together as I would like them to. But I still somehow remember this fun event that we all looked forward to for weeks prior to its actual happening bac

Steps Forward

Published on 2011-05-09 20:43:00

Just a little past seven last night, I had just finished microwaving some of my pacham pasta dish when the world – or, at least, my little corner of it – suddenly turned black. Well, sort of... The neighbours sa harap still had their house ligh

Happy Birthday: Life So Mundane!

Published on 2011-05-06 22:46:00

Well, what do you know? It is a year since the first grudging experiment with Blogger. As everyone who has been following my writings knows, I started writing publicly using Facebook’s Notes application. It was neat; it was convenient. But it w

Value for Money in That Wicked Left

Published on 2011-05-06 06:53:00

[Just before the Pambansang Kamao takes on Mosley in Las Vegas, I thought I would do a re-run of this story I wrote for Facebook on 4 May 2009. Come to think about it, this story will be just over two years to the day since Pacquiao's bout against t

Set Free What Is Meant to Fly

Published on 2011-05-05 05:22:00

Just before I was about to go home late this afternoon, I left my small office to walk through the receiving lounge just outside it on my way to the washroom to take a pee. Having opened and walked through the door to the lounge, I was startled when

Fire in the Gym!

Published on 2011-05-03 05:44:00

Yes, Dodong, before the SENTRUM became the place to play, there was the gym. That was how we called it when I was in grade school and high school: the gym. Tambayan during Recess… Tambayan during lunch-break… Tambayan after school hours… I

Bin Laden Is Dead; Now for the Question

Published on 2011-05-02 03:06:00

There was a strange sort of catharsis as I watched the social networks flood with news that Osama Bin Laden, cult figure to many Muslim people the world over and public enemy number to everyone else, was killed today by American special forces in Pak

Let's Talk Seventies!

Published on 2011-04-30 20:28:00

I was a young boy in the sixties and a teenager in the seventies. Both were colourful decades in many ways: music, fashion, the Vietnam War and student activism. Both men and women wore their hair long and threw away conventions. Music was loud b

The Things Spammers Send Us

Published on 2011-04-30 06:47:00

The things spammers will do just to get their filth opened! Just now in my bulk mail folder: “How to Enlarge Penis Size” and “Enlarge and Lengthen Your Member.” Oh yeah… Curiosity killed the cat… But honestly… As if naman… We ma

Get Up! Get Up!

Published on 2011-04-27 07:40:00

The following story may strike you as something that I made up completely just to drive home a point. It is not. I swear this incident really happened. The story occurred when I was still in college; and as with everything else, many of the detail

City Hall

Published on 2011-04-27 01:32:00

Whenever I go buy a new pair of slacks, I always check for three things: the length of the legs, the waistline buttons and, finally, the zipper. I always make sure the legs are long enough to cover my socks; but not too long that I step on them whe

Transforming a Frenchman Into A Batangueño

Published on 2011-04-26 05:29:00

There is a certain novelty to having half-Pinoys in the football team. Yaz – half Pinoy, half-Jordanian – and Cyrus – half Pinoy, half Indian-Parsi – are already well assimilated. That is, but for their darkish Caucasian appearance, they ar

Dignity and a High School Lad

Published on 2011-04-25 00:37:00

My ride to work this morning was mundane but for an incident involving a high school student on his way to school and the jeepney driver. The poor lad, from his uniform apparently enrolled in one of the public high schools, had only the 100-peso bil

The Missing Baggers

Published on 2011-04-24 20:24:00

I attended a memorial service at the Novitiate in the morning, then had lunch at Rob afterwards with Eugene and the Litel Gel. It was past twelve when I finally got to the supermarket to get a few cans of beer for the fridge before going home. I wa

Forty Bucks!

Published on 2011-04-22 18:24:00

I was tired from scrimmage, so I thought I would pass by KFC on my way home and get something to take home. “Fully Loaded Meal to go, please!” I told the chubby girl at the counter. “Will that be one piece or two pieces, Sir?” Aba, p’wed

The Torture of Holy Week

Published on 2011-04-20 03:52:00

If you were a kid growing up in my generation here in the probinsiya, then the last thing you would have looked forward to was Holy Week. In particular, the last three days prior to Easter: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday. So, alri

The Barber's Life Story

Published on 2011-04-19 21:35:00

More often than not when I go to the barbershop, I prefer to pretend that I am asleep when I get my haircuts than engage the barbers in small talk. Today, my barber was intent on introducing himself as a person. He was originally from Leyte, but di

Mr. William Hall

Published on 2011-04-19 01:18:00

In the old days, before the onset of computerized enrolment systems, a college student who was not in a block section stood patiently in front of a bulletin board trying to manually fix up a schedule that was suitable. There were those who tried to

Respect; But Never Fear

Published on 2011-04-18 06:35:00

Time was when, in lieu of an exhibition game against other schools, I would ask the high school and college teams to kit up and square up against each other in what would be our pre-season curtain-raiser. Well, the college team is already halfway in

Crap! It’s My Brother!

Published on 2011-04-15 08:20:00

“Sabi ko na!” This morning when I went for breakfast, I took one look at the guy walking with a tray to where I was coming from at the cafeteria and I immediately recognized him as the guy I could not quite place in my head during my ride home y

Things People Instinctively Copy

Published on 2011-04-14 08:10:00

A couple of months back, a colleague and I were on a jeepney on our way home from work. It was early evening; we had gone for a quick meal at one of the fast food joints inside Rob; then took our ride in front of the mall. Just a few hundred yards

Like the Fingers of Wolverine

Published on 2011-04-13 05:58:00

There is something so not right about having a haircut on the chair right next to the glass wall of a mall barbershop. The haircut – anybody’s – is in itself unremarkable. It is when the barber gives you the customary hiling of a masahe that

A Classy Lady and a Foreigner

Published on 2011-04-12 06:03:00

At the jeepney station in front of Rob just this evening, a young lady got into the jeepney I was in and sat on the vacant space right in front of me. 23 years old? 24? Certainly not more than 25! She must have been either 5’ 3” or 5’ 4”.

The Diokno’s Unseen Visitor

Published on 2011-04-11 07:54:00

Even in broad daylight, if I know there is no one working at the place, if I had a choice at all I will not willingly go to the second floor of the Diokno – a.k.a. the MTDC Building in the old days. I cannot and will not even attempt to explain it

Italian Technology in That Little Body

Published on 2011-04-10 06:30:00

Philip was apologetic when I got to the field late this afternoon, explaining that he was unable to attend the alumni game last Saturday because he had been sick. My word… Like an explanation was needed… The way he was coughing, I half-expected

Taal Volcano Alert

Published on 2011-04-09 05:03:00

I am thematically deviating from the usual content on this web site by reposting this alert issued earlier today by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS). All the text contained below has been lifted verbatim from the PHI

Michael Who?

Published on 2011-04-08 01:17:00

Watching an England versus Germany match is always a bit of a dilemma for me, because I just happen to root for both teams. In that last encounter between the two teams in the World Cup in Africa, inside me I laughed and jumped at every flowing Germ

The Great Liverpool, Man United Rivalry

Published on 2011-04-07 20:53:00

[This story was first published on 4 August 2010 in my former blog Football Takes, which I deleted sometime back for lack of time. Since I write football stories here, anyway, I thought it best to resurrect this here for anybody interested.] The tw

E-Special

Published on 2011-04-07 07:56:00

E-Special is short for Employees Special, a dress-up affair that gathers all employees under one roof for a song-and-dance event just before the start of the new school year. This year, I had asked the HRD, organizer of the event, to hold the annual

Batangueño in Manila

Published on 2011-04-07 05:50:00

There used to be this old joke, when I was a small kid, about a Batangueño who allegedly went to Metro Manila and tried his darnedest to blend right into the landscape. The poor feller, in other words, did not want to let on that he was prom di prob

A Peculiar Sensation

Published on 2011-04-06 06:18:00

I gotta hand it to those barbers at Bruno’s… I am almost always satisfied with the end result when I leave the confines of the shop, whoever the barber may be. I have no favorites, mind! A haircut can be something of an inconvenience when one h

Feeding the Rascals

Published on 2011-04-04 07:30:00

What I recall is that I promised the rascals I would treat them to Shakey’s if they won the RIFA. They did not. They won the NCAA-South instead. The two leagues are in no way in the same league, if you get my drift. A couple of hours after the

Batangas Signs

Published on 2011-04-02 00:24:00

Supposing Batangas was a republic in itself totally distinct from the rest of the Philippines? What sort of signs would other Filipinos be seeing if they embarked on a road trip to the province? Everyone please be forewarned that there is totally n

What's Going On?

Published on 2011-03-31 09:26:00

I awakened early in the morning because I was shivering uncontrollably. “What’s going on?” I asked myself, still half asleep. I groggily pulled the kumot all the way up to cover my head, but it was no use. It was still unbelievably cold! I

Drug Mule

Published on 2011-03-31 06:57:00

Such is the plight of the overseas worker that Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain – may their souls rest in peace – and many others like them from this country who still await what fate has in store for them in lands far

Facebook and The Social Network

Published on 2011-03-29 07:41:00

Last week, I finally got my hands on a copy of the movie The Social Network. I knew the movie had garnered both Golden Globes and Oscars; and in all honesty, I had promised myself that I would get a copy. Except that I never really got around to do

The Story of My Life in Jerseys

Published on 2011-03-28 08:21:00

Not that I have a jersey fetish or something; it is just that I had been thinking of doing something that did not require a lot of thinking for this web site. Albeit, I can always argue with myself that there is nothing in this web site, anyway, tha

The Azkals’ Long Road to the World Cup 2014

Published on 2011-03-27 05:00:00

The Philippine National Football team, fresh from qualifying for the tournament proper of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup to be held next year, is now home after a grueling week in Myanmar. The players now turn their attention t

Azkals Qualify for Next Challenge Cup Stage in Style

Published on 2011-03-25 07:40:00

This morning, my thoughts heading into the final and decisive game of the Philippine National Football Team against Bangladesh in the AFC Challenge Cup Group A competition in Myanmar was that earthquakes seem to be hot on the trails of the Azkals. T

Pacquiao Throws in the Towel!

Published on 2011-03-22 08:14:00

I am torn between laughing my butt off and being totally disdainful. Just a while back, TV Patrol ran this short item on the national kamao, a.k.a. Manny Pacquiao and darling baby of Mommy Dionisia, having a spat with followers in – of all places

What Is It About Earthquakes

Published on 2011-03-21 08:05:00

…that when they start, sometimes you cannot even be sure that it is an earthquake to begin with. That was exactly what happened just a while back at this restaurant one of the coaches and I went to for a post-training meal before heading for home.

Better That We Lost to Mongolia

Published on 2011-03-19 06:16:00

Like many Azkals fans glued in front of the television suffering the bad-angled camera feeds beamed from Mongolia last week, I was a tad irritated when – after a bright start – we let in a couple of soft goals to eventually lose the match if not

Don't Send Me Invites

Published on 2011-03-18 06:24:00

There was a recent study undertaken somewhere – Australia, if memory serves me right – that arrived at the rather contentious conclusion that logging onto Facebook actually helps employees raise productivity levels. The premise of the conclusion

Two Rules

Published on 2011-03-17 00:44:00

I was relaxing this morning with some colleagues from the ISD when I somehow got around to relating this experience I had while I was still a young teacher in the early eighties. I had given an end-of-class quiz to one of my junior high school class

Random Thoughts on the Mongolia Game

Published on 2011-03-15 09:14:00

There used to be this film starring Steve Martin that was entitled “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” Basically, the film was all about all the trouble a man had to go through just to be home for Christmas. It is not unlike all the trouble the P

Philippines Scrapes Through Despite Mongolia Loss

Published on 2011-03-15 03:32:00

The Philippines booked its ticket to the main tournament of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup earlier today despite losing the second match of its elimination round tie with Mongolia 1-2 in sub-zero conditions at the National Sport

The Street Corner

Published on 2011-03-14 01:46:00

And before I totally forget about this anecdote told once upon a time by my good friend Willy, I thought I would write it down for posterity… Willy and I used to work together in this tiny cramped office underneath the bleachers on the eastern sid

Earthquakes, Tsunamis and 2012

Published on 2011-03-12 21:59:00

We were in the middle of preparations for Friday’s event when word broke through about the magnitude 8.9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Tokyo earlier in the afternoon. At the café, somebody put on CNN and although everyone was engrossed

When Kindness Flows Freely

Published on 2011-03-11 22:14:00

There was a time, when my work was external relations, when events were my bread and butter – and I thrived when I and my staff were holding or hosting something. I loved the need for organization; the application of Murphy’s Law when threshing

Green Day

Published on 2011-03-10 05:10:00

Sabi naman kasi, wear green… Anyway, considering how short-notice this affair was, I really thought we all did reasonably well, all things considered. As early as when I was walking to the college gate this morning from the street corner, I alrea

Bed Habits

Published on 2011-03-09 00:19:00

If you were thinking that this would be one of those stories that would make a nun blush red as a beet, then proceed no further. This is a wholesome blog; and this tells no more than stories of what some people do to put themselves to sleep. Most o

The Twin Towers

Published on 2011-03-08 07:21:00

The high school football team whose season has just ended was not looking particularly promising three years ago; but the arrival of three players in the succeeding months completely changed the shape and potential of the team. The first was Ezekiel

The Who-You Situation

Published on 2011-03-08 02:22:00

Erick and I went to see Kobe at lunchtime. The latter was confined yesterday at the Mediatrix Hospital for severe tummy ache. He’s alright now. He just text-ed me that the ultrasound revealed nothing the doctors found significant. Naimpatso lan

The Novitiate

Published on 2011-03-07 07:02:00

Amazing as it may be, but there are many whose lives become enmeshed with the school sometimes for years on end who eventually leave without ever having made the short trek to the totally different world that many of us simply refer to as the Novitia

Buling-Buling

Published on 2011-03-05 17:58:00

The jeepney had paused by that kanto fronting the elementary school in Tambô to pick up passengers and, after one passenger had boarded and the jeepney was about to leave, the dispatcher warned the old lady behind the driver, “Paki-sara lang pô n

Twitter War!

Published on 2011-03-04 07:23:00

I am watching too much showbiz news! That much I am sure of! This is so, so not me at all! Now, I know that there is such a thing as a Twitter war. And it involves an actress named Angelica Panganiban and a fan of Phil Younghusband. First of all

Low Masculine Voice

Published on 2011-03-04 05:28:00

“Mamâ, bayad po! San Jose…” the person next to me uttered as she handed over her fare. I wasn’t even sure the person was a “she.” “Saan?” the driver, short of hearing, just had to ask. “San Jose pô…” the person said in a v

Kulangot Country

Published on 2011-03-02 08:01:00

Just the other day, I thought about writing a story about Kulangot Country. Albeit, I was hesitant because I was damned sure God reads my blog and enjoys making a damned fool of this peasant blogger whenever I am daft enough to present Him with an o

Scandals

Published on 2011-03-01 06:05:00

Eric, a former player, came for a visit this morning; he was just in Singapore for some R&R and brought me a little something from his trip. That was thoughtful; and I totally appreciated the gesture. He was about to leave when a colleague came

Intrams!

Published on 2011-02-27 05:10:00

There was still a fairly large crowd of students at the football field when I arrived at the end of the work day this afternoon. Second day of the high school intramurals; and today was the first day of the major events. I honestly do not have the

Behind the Scenes of People Power

Published on 2011-02-24 22:58:00

And not to detract from the impact of the so-called EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986 – because the Iron Curtain fell as a consequence of the example our people showed the rest of the world – but the real revolution happened not so much on the

The Real Magic of the BMRP

Published on 2011-02-23 05:47:00

There is, in school, this conceptually simple social responsibility program that is, however, immeasurably rewarding to all parties concerned. The program was thought of by the school’s former President, Brother Manuel Pajarillo FSC, and is called

The Dreaded Shootout

Published on 2011-02-22 07:32:00

Regrettable as it may be, the cruel fact of the matter is that the eventful season of our high school boys’ football team ended in disappointment via the often unpalatable but inevitable and necessary penalty shootout. Last Sunday, the boys were i

Filipinos and Our Superstitions

Published on 2011-02-21 07:33:00

I was walking towards the side gate early this evening after training when I caught sight of one of two stray black cats that for some reason have made their home right inside the campus. I am an educated man; yet, in many ways, education has not ri

No Sucking in a Flowjob

Published on 2011-02-20 04:00:00

Promise… For those who have not read my previous note about it, Flowjob is the name of a company that owns these huge machines that can flow newly-mixed concrete to the upper reaches of a building under construction. Because we see one such machi

Funny Business Names

Published on 2011-02-18 01:07:00

First of all, a disclaimer. What you will read below is something I did not write nor think up. It is from an e-mail forwarded by one of my sisters to our family e-group. I thought it was simply hilarious that I could not resist sharing it with eve

Nosebleed

Published on 2011-02-17 07:28:00

Enzo, the high school football team’s diminutive half-Filipino and half-Italian striker, scored two goals last week that won us the NCAA-South title and was also named the tournament’s MVP. Then he went on a sorry binge that had him either arriv

Barbers Gossip; Blogger Listens

Published on 2011-02-16 06:11:00

I went out to get a haircut yesterday; and after checking that my barber understood what I wanted done with my hair, I told him to do his stuff while I treated myself to a midday nap. The haircut itself was uneventful. The chatter among the barbers

A Tale of Child Abductions

Published on 2011-02-15 07:17:00

[Almost three years ago, there were reports going around the grapevine that sinister men in white vans were going around kidnapping children so that their internal organs could be removed and sold in the international organ transplant market. The ru

Kuya, Ate and Different Ways to Stop a Jeepney

Published on 2011-02-14 05:02:00

“Sa harap pô ng owner,” the young man in front of me in the jeepney just this evening said to the driver. “Para pô kuya…” Am I missing something? I would have said, “Mamâ, para!” Not kuya… I am hearing a lot of the kuyas and t

Finally, Business Savvy in the Anfield Board Room

Published on 2011-02-13 22:09:00

Even before the colossal sale of mega-striker Fernando Torres for a whopping £50M, new Liverpool owner John Henry had been making all the right noises that hinted at the sort of American business savvy that had been missing from the Anfield boardroo

DLSU in UAAP Volleyball Thriller Over UST

Published on 2011-02-13 18:46:00

I was watching the final elimination round match yesterday of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament between DLSU and UST and was struck by how similar circumstances were to almost exactly this time last season. Last year, La Salle was attempting

Younghusband and Locsin on Twitterdate?

Published on 2011-02-11 22:42:00

“If she’s interested, then I’m interested,” that was Philly Younghusband responding to a question from Gretchen Fullido via Ted Faylon last night on TV Patrol. Suskupô, just last December, after the Azkals returned home after its semi-final

Sometimes Life Is Fair

Published on 2011-02-10 06:35:00

The light was bright and golden early this morning; and as I knew that the annual school fair had already opened, I thought I would walk the grounds and give my new digital camera a gentle workout. The fair is, as ever, something of a colorful pande

Philippines 2 Mongolia 0… Go Pinoy!!!

Published on 2011-02-09 07:31:00

Perhaps, and probably as a statement to the Fil-Foreigners who now make up the core of the Philippine National Football team, it was only appropriate that the first goal to be scored by the Philippines in its AFC Challenge Cup elimination round tie a

American Cuisine

Published on 2011-02-09 04:52:00

From time to time, students of the Culinary Arts Academy here in school sell their stuff to the public; and by public, I naturally refer to students passing by or faculty and staff who they can tempt into buying. This morning, I was passing outside

A Room Is Still A Room

Published on 2011-02-08 06:38:00

I was walking back to my office from the Information Systems Department when I chanced upon two lovely ladies from the College of International Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ms. Joy Zapata and Ms. Evangeline Necio. Joy was instantly apologetic

64 KBPS

Published on 2011-02-08 05:42:00

Sometimes, it just blows my mind away how much the Internet has evolved in less than two decades; and particularly how its growth has impacted me and my work. I have a vague recollection of my former boss Brother Jun Erguiza FSC calling De La Salle

And Never Shall We Fail

Published on 2011-02-07 06:06:00

This being a weekday, I knew I would not be able to travel with the high school football team for the NCAA-South Final against Letran-Calamba at the First Asia Institute of Arts and the Humanities (FAITH) football field. I did say the other day that

Azkals and Mongols Collide

Published on 2011-02-06 07:25:00

The stadium lights have been installed at the Panaad – done Pinoy-style of course; i.e. in the proverbial last minute. I read somewhere that some of the lights were brought over from Bacolod’s other arena, the Paglaum. It does not matter. If t

The Cold and the Need to Pee

Published on 2011-02-05 07:18:00

Having stood in the middle of the field to watch the boys play in the semis yesterday morning, my face is understandably red and my neck and arms burnt crisp brown by the mid-morning sunshine. Thanks to the restorative properties of Olay – this is

Asking for Change After a Free Ride

Published on 2011-02-04 21:02:00

Ahhh… The things I see while on my jeepney rides home… Small wonder Raquel at the MCD is so amused by my jeepney stories. Yesterday, a gang of loud students. Today, a loud drunk sitting next to the driver. It was just a little past six in the

Not a Time to Lose the FAITH

Published on 2011-02-04 07:04:00

It will take a major-major muck up for us to not win the NCAA-South football tournament for high school boys. We had the luxury of a home semi-final match against the First Asia Institute of Technology (FAITH) this morning. I was under the impressi

Younghusbands and Youngwives; Etheridge and Etherbrides

Published on 2011-02-02 07:15:00

Susmeh! Where would we all be without the antics of Marc Logan on TV Patrol? Just now before the show ended, the news program ran his short clip featuring the Philippine National Football team – fondly nicknamed the “Azkals” – which is curr

Fernando Torres is History

Published on 2011-02-01 07:41:00

For most of today, Soccernet, this footy web site which I frequently visit to stay in touch with the world of football, ran a picture of some Merseyside youths holding a burning black Torres Liverpool shirt in their hands. For those who are not into

Quality Shines Through

Published on 2011-01-30 05:33:00

Personally, I do not like criticizing match officials. First of all, I believe it is undignified to do so. Second, just like you and I, they are just there to do a job. Most of the time, what they make from officiating is a pittance compared to wh

Street Football

Published on 2011-01-29 05:46:00

Was walking out from school when, on impulse, I decided to seek out Pao in the open courts. He wasn’t there, but I was surprised to find Allan and Cyrus having a kickabout all by their lonesome selves. Funny, I told Cy, he often went missing when

The Uzi Phenomenon

Published on 2011-01-28 00:18:00

There was a slight traffic build-up just in front of the gate of the Air Force base when I rode to work this morning. Eventually, we all discovered the cause of the build-up. Something called the uzi phenomenon. Whenever there’s an accident on t

From Copra Factory to SENTRUM

Published on 2011-01-27 07:04:00

In the summer of 1995, I and my boys had the option of holding our scrimmages inside this huge ugly structure that was located in the coconut grove just to the west of the field. Basically, it was just this roughly-paved wide something with a huge t

Lomi and Gulay

Published on 2011-01-25 20:04:00

[At the time this story was written in 2008, Flavors in China still maintained a restaurant at Robinson's Place here in Lipa. The restaurant used to offer a brand of lomi not quite like what most people from the city are used to; although I did deve

Nursery Rhymes

Published on 2011-01-25 06:21:00

I was in a post-training huddle with the high school boys this evening and was pointing out to one of our prodigious talents – a small junior with exquisite skills – that at his age, his development curve should still be on the rise. That said,

Ms. Alice Rivera, With Respect

Published on 2011-01-25 05:27:00

[I have been going through a barren patch lately as far as writing is concerned, so I have taken the opportunity to migrate some of my older Facebook Notes to Blogspot for those who have not seen these before. This is one of those stories, written a

The Anxiety of the Home Crowd

Published on 2011-01-23 23:23:00

The score was 15-19 when I arrived at the rickety old Br. Henry Virgil Gymnasium this afternoon. This was the Area Meet finals in Boys’ Volleyball between our team and our neighbors in blue. Our boys had little luck against the neighbors last seas

Cloaked Bigotry

Published on 2011-01-23 21:05:00

It has been a while since Erick, Kobe and I enjoyed a lazy breakfast at the cafeteria. As it happened, Erick’s car happened to be passing by as Kobe and I walked across the road from the Diokno this morning. He said he would join us, but would ju

Aswang Stories, Among Others

Published on 2011-01-20 23:23:00

There was a time when the mere mention of this shadowy figure was all it took to subdue a hyperactive child or convince him to hit the sack at night. “Hala nand’yan na ang aswang!” The instinctive reaction was to dive onto the bed and drag th

Have Gas; Will Travel

Published on 2011-01-20 05:38:00

I have no pretensions whatsoever about being the spontaneous type; which makes today’s almost totally unplanned tour of three provinces all the more remarkable. A friend and I agreed it would be a good idea to take advantage of the Lipa City fiest

Ohmigod! It’s A Man!

Published on 2011-01-19 05:45:00

I was tired from training with the college team for three straight days, and just wanted to go home. I was first into the jeepney bound for Batangas at the station outside of Rob. In no time at all, other passengers came rushing to board. I was si

Reaching Inside for Long-Lost Memories

Published on 2011-01-18 07:44:00

I have always thought of myself as the sort for whom hypnosis would never work. For one thing, I have always been the type whose two feet are firmly planted on this thing we call reality. For another, I will have to bring you back momentarily to a

Astronomers Stirring Up Astrological Debate: Baloney!

Published on 2011-01-17 06:41:00

I would like to make this very public announcement. I was born under the sign of Taurus; and whatever this recent big to-do has been about the supposed changing of the astrological birth chart, I have no intention whatsoever of relinquishing my Taur

Shower

Published on 2011-01-16 06:15:00

There was a most unfortunate and badly timed blackout almost this time last night. I say unfortunate because I had scrimmaged vigorously with the lads in the late afternoon and had yet to take a proper shower. I had written last night’s note to c

That Garlicky Smell

Published on 2011-01-15 07:42:00

Malou at the MCD knows that I’m absolutely crazy about longganisa and tapang Taal. So, the other day, she sent me a text message saying she was doing her annual marketing talk at the Our Lady of Caysasay Academy, and would I want her to get me som

A Coined Term

Published on 2011-01-13 23:16:00

Panganyog… That is how Maurice refers to the hip. Maurice is, of course, always thinking of ways to make fun of life in general. He will be the first to tell you that there is no such word in the Filipino language. If you are Tagalog, and you hear

Art's Ghost

Published on 2011-01-12 22:59:00

Art is alive and well. The ghost, well… I first learned about the phenomenon from Gil and Jerwin while we were meeting in my office a couple of weeks back. Art, the photographer at the Marketing Department, had apparently been taking pictures of

One NC Game and Aches and Bruises

Published on 2011-01-12 21:14:00

I recently linked up again after almost three decades through FB with a couple of teammates from college: Tommy and Chu. Guess what…??? I have been exchanging those-were-the-days messages with both for the last few days. Eagerly!!! It’s been –

Duke: An Azkal Shepherd With a Strange Dog-sinality

Published on 2011-01-11 07:48:00

When I was a teenage boy, our family used to own a mongrel named Duke. I honestly do not recall who gave the dog to us; or why he got to be called Duke. I have not thought about him for the longest time; but for some reason, I just did tonight. He

Three Bundles of Suman

Published on 2011-01-10 07:46:00

Away from football for a change, I was leaving Chow King after having had lunch at midday today when I was accosted, at the steps leading to the restaurant, by a wizened old nanay who pleaded with me to buy her last three bundles of suman so she coul

A Weiss Choice Over McMenemy?

Published on 2011-01-10 06:21:00

With less than a month to go of the Year of the Golden Tiger – a year of drastic changes – the large playful cat is apparently not through with the mischief. Less than a month has passed since the Philippine National Football Team’s only-in-ou

King Kenny Is Back to Finish What He Started!

Published on 2011-01-09 05:25:00

Some people just cannot see an 18-wheeler truck if it is bearing down on them to run them over. That just seemed to be the situation last summer when Liverpool FC – my boyhood club and the one I continue to support to this very day – parted ways

A Nasty Habit

Published on 2011-01-07 06:14:00

[In yesterday’s post, I told the story of how, in January of 1991, one of my players was killed in a vehicular accident right in front of school. Regrettably, I lost another player in just 23 days. I gave up trying to understand the unfortunate e

Football Is Life; and Life Is Hard

Published on 2011-01-06 07:18:00

In the eighties, a family returned back to the Philippines after a stint living in the African nation of Liberia. This was the Carbonilla family, which subsequently made its home in Batangas City. Initially, three of the family’s boys went to the

He Did, She Did; He Does, She Does

Published on 2011-01-05 06:07:00

Last month, I saw a public comment by my former boss on Facebook while he was waiting to fly home from Europe for the holidays about the number of men he saw walking about with plucked eyebrows. He is a year younger than I am so would more or less c

Sometimes Dad Knows Best

Published on 2011-01-04 07:30:00

You have to understand how my Mom ruled the household: she was the archetypal Reina Emperatriz, capital letters intended. She was born under the stars of Virgo and – thus – was a hard-to-please perfectionist whose rule over the brood was charac

The Golden Goal

Published on 2011-01-03 07:22:00

It was late January of 2004. The school year was winding down to a close. The cool winds had begun to give way to rising temperatures and humidity. The football field was starting to turn golden as the rains started to become scarcer. We were als

Someone We Called Titi

Published on 2011-01-01 22:48:00

Ryan, one of the extremely rare men in blue to break into the college team, had just resigned – or so he said – from a call center in Makati. In between jobs, he decided to come join scrimmage. Now, in the football team, we have had this age-ol

Getting It Right in the Head

Published on 2011-01-01 22:06:00

It is strange how getting things right in the head can make a world of a difference. Just a few months ago, any football game with Gregg between the sticks was always going to be a hit or miss affair. He first came to play for me as a gangling high

A Cashier and Her Barcode Scanner

Published on 2011-01-01 18:21:00

There was a good Friday evening crowd at the supermarket today when I went in to get a few things for the fridge. I always make a mental note of the things I intend to purchase, so I was in and out as always, resisting the urge to look this way and