RCBC'S CCTVS

I almost fell from my chair the other night while I was watching an interview on TV of Edwin Ermita, security head of the RCBC when asked about the bank's robbery-massacre in Cabuyao, Laguna. Asked why the bank's CCTVs were not functioning, he idiotically replied: "Hindi sa hindi gumagana ang CCTV, defective lang." His reaction and answer immediately reminded me of another Mr. Ermita who works in Malacanang as one of the top apologists of Gloria Arroyo. The latter, just like the former comes up with the most absurd replies when confronted with a question only they find mind-boggling to reply.

(Image from http://www.pra.gov.ph/)

WALK, HIKE AND BIKE

I walk my whippet every single day, but not the way that guy above walks his lab! Yes, and I'm so glad I gave up driving my car many years ago. I can imagine the headache many motorists are now experiencing with the constant rising of the price of oil. When the cost of fuel goes up, everything goes up as well. I can live well just by commuting. Less stress, less expense. Imagine the cost of parking, toll, maintenance from the wear and tear of your vehicle, and the occasional 'hulidap' one has to live with from cops and the MMDA. Many years ago, TV host Ariel Ureta got in trouble with the Marcos regime when he made a mockery of one of Marcos' gem slogans "Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan." He simply substituted the word "disiplina" to "bisikleta," and off went Col. Rolly Abadilla's Metrocom to his office! Today, I reflect on Ureta's mockery of that slogan and then realize he had a point. A good one. Countries like China and Holland rely much on the bicycle for transport. It's a good way to get from one place to another. But you and I know the 'macho' character of every Pinoy. So, each day out on the streets, one would see a car with just one passenger in it - it's driver. We should learn 'car-pooling.' It's a good way to save, and a great way to get to know better your neighbors. If I'm not mistaken I believe a newer term for it now in the US is "slugging." which simply means 'instant car-pooling' or 'casual car-pooling.' Motorcycles (the underbone type) are a bad alternative. Each day, several motorcyclists lose their life or limb from accidents. We simply have too little regard for road safety hence, the tragic endings. A bicycle is a good way to start. Walking and commuting is also better. Try it, and see how much money you'd be saving, and how much longer you'd be living.

(Image from http://www.jonco48.com/)

A MOCKERY OF COMMEMORATION



Republic Act 9492 allows the transfer and observance of (some) holidays to the nearest Monday. Last year, the heirs of General Emilio Aguinaldo denounced the controversial proclamation of President Gloria Arroyo as she declared June 12 a working holiday, saying it was sheer disrespect to all Filipinos - and the great general must have turned in his grave with a clenched fist pointing toward Malacanang. This year, GMA has "changed" the observance of our Independence Day date again - from June 12 to June 9. So it shall come to pass that we have a president who carelessly changes important dates in the name of 'long weekends.' In an interview last year, Emilio Aguinaldo Suntay III, a great grandson of the hero said he was "aghast over such travesty, and what if we declare Christmas as a working holiday, making 95% of Christian Filipinos feel disrespected?" Suntay had written a letter of protest against Proclamation 1211 which declared June 11 last year a non-working holiday and June 12 a working day. And only recently, Malacanang has announced that the same shall be done again this June. The proclamation was effected to create a 3-day long weekend and possibly encourage domestic travel for local tourism to boom. The irony of the matter is that it was President Arroyo's very own father, the late but not great President Diosdado Macapagal who moved heaven and earth to make June 12 the date for our Independence Day, and making July 4 Philippine-American Day. And because of this, President Diosdado Macapagal must have turned in his grave as well. It really doesn't seem right to many people to be commemorating historic events on the wrong day. It's a "mockery of commemoration." For no other right-minded head of state in the world would dare make his or her national day movable. England has no independence day but has St. George's Day, while Ireland has St. Patrick's Day. These days are NEVER movable. So, the idea of moving our freedom day was and continue to be done in bad taste. Thus, it would be silly for President Arroyo since moving our special day again this year by means of another proclamation. GMA, during one of her inebriated nights probably thought that General Emilio Aguinaldo was looking at some old calendar and declared our Independence Day on June 12, 1898 which was a Sunday, maybe because it was his wish for the anniversary of I-Day to fall on a Monday so that Pinoys would enjoy their very first long weekend in malls in 300 years. Bataan was given up on purpose by the Amerikanos on April 9, 1942 which was a Thursday, thinking that they just simply had too much of this thing called war and wanted to have a 3-day long weekend beginning on a Friday. The Japanese had the same thing in mind and since 'karaoke' was still a thing of the future, off they went to their 'comfort women' instead. Dr. Jose Rizal was executed by 'mousqueterie' on December 30, 1896. That was a Wednesday. That infuriated the citizens because the next day was a Thursday, a regular working day. Collectively they muttered, "We'll have to wait two long years before we can make a long weekend out of this. Let's start a revolution instead!"

(Image from http://www.waidev2.com)

THE 'NOUVEAU PAUVRES' UNDER HER ADMINISTRATION

While President Gloria Arroyo and her family have now become millions of pesos and dollars richer, it is heart-breaking to know that 40% of Pinoys are now hungrier and poorer. New Poor is what they have become, or as the French aptly call them 'Nouveau Pauvres,' which simply means "people who have become newly impoverished."

(Image from http://www.everynation.org/)

COKE KO 'TO!

It's been rumored that a PDEA-accredited drug testing center discreetly conducts a monthly 'random drug test' to PEPSI employees to check and see if they're positive for .... COKE.

(Image from http://www.oliva.co.za/)

KA PEPE

FACT. Dr. Jose Rizal was executed by the Spaniards in 1896, buried without a coffin, and exhumed by the Americans in 1898. Most of his remains are interred in Luneta - all except one of his cervical vertebrae which is enshrined like a holy relic in Fort Santiago.

(Image from http://www.admu.edu.ph)

WHO WAS DON PANYONG?

Epifanio de los Santos (April 7, 1871 - April 18, 1928) was a Filipino historian. He was appointed director of the Philippine National Museum and Library by Governor-General Leonard Wood in 1925. Born in Malabon, de los Santos was the very first Filipino member of the Spanish Royal Academy in Madrid. He studied at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and finished his law course at the University of Santo Tomas. He was considered as one of the best Filipino writers in Spanish of his time, next only to Marcelo H. del Pilar. A nationalist and associate editor of the revolutionary paper La Independencia, writing under the pseudonym G. Solon. He also founded the newspaper La Libertad. He translated Filipino literary works into Spanish - Balagtas' Florante at Laura and some of Dr. Jose Rizal's poems as well. Don Panyong was district-attorney of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, and later on governor of the same province. Was also provincial fiscal of Bulacan and Bataan. Ask anyone on the street these days who Epifanio de los Santos was and what were his contributions to our country, chances are you''ll simply get a blank stare. But for a man whose initials are on the most significant and historical avenue in the Philippines, encompassing the cities of Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan, and Quezon City, he must have been quite a giant in his days. I just hope and pray that none of Gloria Arroyo's lapdog congressmen file a bill changing EDSA to GMAA. If that were to happen, it might as well be the road to nowhere.

(Image from http://epifaniodelossantos.com)

LIE-TOTING BUNYE

So, Press Secretary Ignacio 'Toting' Bunye will be moving soon to the Monetary Board. It's employees should be up in arms because his entry will surely cheapen the institution. Why do I say that? Well, how can we ever forget that day in Malacanang, right after the 'Hello Garci' expose when he was brandishing two tapes asking members of the Malacanang Press Corps the question, "which one of these do you think is fake?" I swear, I could have heard one of the reporters answer faintly, "Gloria." Bunye goes on to defend his appointment by jumping the gun on his critics saying that they should not forget that he was once a banker. But that was long ago. He has now evolved into a rabid sort of banker - of lies. Time and again, each time his lady boss and her cohorts would be caught in an imbroglio, he would quickly declare the expected words, "let's move on." For Lie-Toting Bunye, he sure has a big chance to be the lying-est Spokesman and Press Secretary for the lying-est President.

(Image from http://www.gmanews.tv/)

ONE BLOG ONCE A DAY

BLOGOLALIA. It's not the full name of the late labor leader's grandson. It simply means the uncontrollable urge to post at least one item however senseless in your blog each day. I am afflicted with it. And I ain't finding a cure.

(Image from http://www.tigulliovino.it)

YOU REAPPEARING IN MY MIND

You, reappearing in my mind,
you were right and I was blind,
but that was long ago.

Now, do I ever cross your mind,
are your memories like mine,
or have they let you go?

After all the loves I've lived through all these years,
I had to go so far without you,
now it's clear.

You were my favorite love.
That was my favorite year.

When we - we were young forever yesterday,
fools and little children run away,
if we could go back there would we stay?

After all the loves I've lived through all these years,
I had to go so far without you,
now it's clear.

You were my favorite love.
That was my favorite year.

(Image from http://www.moviesharkdeblore.com/)