Kung Bakit AKo Nangibang Bayan

Isinulat ko ito bago ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataong makapag-trabaho sa Singapore. Foreshadowing. Inaamin ko, sumuko na din ako.


PARA sa isang motoristang naipit sa trapiko, nakakairita naman talaga ang makakita ng isang convoy ng mga pribadong sasakyan na, sa tulong ng ilang police escorts, ay nagsusumiksik at nambabraso ng iba pang mga sasakyan gayong napakasikip na nga ng kalsada.

Higit nga bang mahalaga ang oras ng kung sino mang mga Ponsyo Pilatong ito kung ihahambing sa panahon nating mga hoi polloi?

Naalala ko tuloy ang essay ng nobelistang si F. Sionil Jose, ang Bakit Mahirap Tayong Mga Pilipino? Ayon sa kanya, mahirap tayo dahil mahirap tayo. Nasa kultura natin ang kahirapan. Bukod sa karamihan sa ati’y tamad, masyado rin tayong mahangin.

Kung susuriin natin, ang ugat ng ating katamaran at kayabangan ay ang paniniwala natin na, sa labas ng pamilya, hindi na natin sagutin ang ibang tao, lalo pa ang sarili nating bansa. Kanya-kanya – iyan ang pilosopiya ng karamihan sa atin. Madalas, wala tayong pakialam kahit sino pa ang masagasaan; ang mahalaga’y nakalamang tayo, nakaungos tayo.

Kaya naman bigyan mo lamang ng isang medyo mataas na katungkulan sa gobyerno o kaya’y kaunting kayamanan ang isang Pilipino at ang isa sa mga una nitong gagawin ay magdawit ng ilang police escorts at magparada sa kalye at ipagsigawan sa ibang tao na, “Hoy, mga peon, importante ako!”

***
Minsan, sa sobrang pagkainis, binuntutan ko ang isang convoy ng mga sasakyan na papuntang Greenhills sa kahabaan ng Ortigas Ave galing sa trabaho sa isang Call Center Comapny.

Wala naman silang police escort, pero lahat ng mga pawang naglalakihang sasakyan na nasa convoy ay may mga wang-wang na ginagamit ng mga ito upang harangin, giliran at singitan ang iba pang mga sasakyan.

Kumanan sila sa Connecticut, pumasok sa Greenhills at tumigil sa pangunang entrada ng shopping mall. Gaya ng inaasahan ko, isa na namang langaw na mataas ang lipad ang nanggulang ng kanyang kapwa. Ang lulan ng pinakamagarang sasakyan sa convoy ay isang kilalang beautician na napagalaman ko ay may beauty salon sa Greenhills. Dadalawin lamang pala niya ang kanyang negosyo.
***

Bakit nga ba tayo ganito?


Ang madalas na hatol naming mga magkakabarkada habang nasa malalim na impluwensya ni San Miguel ay dahil marahil sa walang yugto sa ating kasaysayan na tayo’y naging isang tunay na bansa na hinulma ng ilang taong pakikibaka para sa tunay na kalayaan.

Malabnaw ang ating pagka-Pilipino kaya marami sa atin ang wala talagang malasakit sa sarili nating bansa. Pamilya, oo. Bansa, medyo.

Madalas, mas nanaiisin pa nating ma-asimila na lamang ng ibang bansa.

Sa loob ng tatlong taon, naging isang bayan ng mga migrante ang Pilipinas. Ayon sa estatistika mula sa gobyerno, kasalukuyang nakakalat sa kulang-kulang 192 bansa at teritoryo ang mahigit 7.76 milyong Pilipino. Mahigit 2.87 milyon ang tuluyang naninirahan na sa labas ng Pilipinas at sumasaludo sa ibang bandila.

Isa sa bawat limang Pilipino naman na nandito sa Pilipinas ang nais nang magalsa-balutan. Ang nakakabahala pa dito ay kulang-kulang kalahati sa mga batang ang edad ay 10 hanggang 12 ay nagnanais na sa ibang bansa na lamang makapagtrabaho.

Hindi ko sila masisisi. Tuwing makakita ako ng isang convoy ng mga pribadong sasakyan, hindi ko mapigilang maisip na lumayag na rin at manirahan sa isang bansa na kung saan ang tunog ng isang sirena ay nangangahulugan ng isang totoong emerhensiya.

A Charmed Tale of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Selamat Kembangan Malaysia

This KL trip started off pretty bad. First my travel buddy--my sister could not push thru with it because of work. And this was decided after I bought two non-refundable, non-transferrable, non-rebook-able round trip promo tickets. What to do? What to do? Decided the last minute that I would go, even if travelling alone was not that appealing, but the idea of using up half of the expense that would've otherwise gone to waste, was good.
And everything went g-g-g-good! I left Singapore at midnight, on a bus (PHOTO1) that might as well have been a first class airline because of its 'in-flight' amenities. Rollicking in the huge seat I played with the recliner and the foot rest buttons. But halfway thru the trip, I realized I did not write down my hotel address. (I am stupid in genius disguise!) I arrived Kuala Lumpur at dawn. I went out to the streets to look for the one thing that I consider a refuge in an unfamiliar Asian city; I went looking for a 7eleven.
Sure enough there it was a few meters at the corner standing in all its red, white, green and orange glory! Inside I asked about a money changer coz I had zilch Malaysian Ringgit. (Really, stupid in genius disguise). It wasn't open yet. What to do? What to do? As I lingered at the station figuring out a plan, I recognized a familiar face from the bus, one of my 'smiling' friends.


Smiling Friends
I’ve become 'smiling' friends (term used like ‘kissing’ friends) with a few people in the bus coz twice into the trip we had to get checked at immigration. And since I had never travelled to a foreign country in a bus before, I had no idea what to do. The driver was no help, he spoke no English. But my 'smiling' bus mate friends were the ones who would cue me to step out when needed; one ‘smiling’ guy friend helped bring my luggage out the bus to the Malaysian immigration counter. When we arrived I was still sleeping, it was another ‘smiling’ guy friend who woke me up.
Now this girl I recognized at the station was the one sitting in front of me at the bus earlier. I smiled at her as a good 'smiling' friend would. She asked where I was going, the usual getting to know questions. Her name was Nicole and she was Malaysian Chinese who was working in Singapore. She was working in logistics so it was quite embarrassing to admit that I neglected to take note of my hotel address, but made a quick save-face by saying “I remember it perfectly from the map”... “If only I had some Ringgit to buy a city map,” I thought. And that’s when she offered to exchange a few dollars for me. The sweetest girl, I didn’t even need to ask!
Armed with my fresh new currency, I bought my map with a few RM left for cab fare, and after an hour of chatting with Nicole (we had to wait for her bus ride at sunrise) she took me to a safe place to hail a cab. She negotiated for me, I said thanks and gave her a hug and said bye. She was my first angel on that trip.

Filipino Fan
My second was the cab driver Matt, real name Muhammad, who turned out to be a former bank executive who's visited the Philippines for a 2week finance seminar, where he says he's gone to Baguio, stayed at a fab hotel along Roxas, and best of all (according to him) he met speaker Joe DV. But bullshit politicians aside, he was a fan of the Philippines. And that was such an advantage when the only thing I could do to lead him to my hotel was to point to its general location on my map. I couldn’t remember the street address, the building number; I didn’t remember any of the landmarks! He says he's seen it but doesn’t remember either. We must've driven around for an hour, stopping twice to ask for directions. (He was a real man that Matt to ask for directions). When we found the hotel, I gave him extra, (I could afford to give extra for cab drivers in Malaysia considering the rates are about a third of what it is in Singapore) and thanked him profusely.

Shopping Priorities
After a quick moment of gratitude for my morning’s good fortune, I rested and showered then spread my brand new map on the bed and familiarized myself with my location. I can fairly say I got a photographic memory that way. But even when I was sure I remembered, I wrote down what I failed to from the night before: my exact hotel address. And then I left to do the first to-do item on my priority list: Shopping.
Most Singaporeans come to KL to shop and I understood why. A branded handbag in Singapore would be 20% discounted in KL even at regular price. In Bintang Walk, the city’s major shopping district, I pranced around the shops and fashion boutiques. The first thing I bought was a pair of gold flats that matched perfectly with my current outfit, so I wore it! Luckily it was comfortable for a new pair so more prancing didn’t hurt. I might have skipped-hopped the moment I chanced upon a pair of light green wedge espadrilles that were just too pretty for 40RM. I bought 2 more pairs of shoes, a swimsuit (for that Bali ‘wishful-thinking’ summer I plan), board shorts, denim jeans, a choice of 2 belts in cream and black, some accessories, and the leather carry-all that I’ve always wanted. The last item was a pair of dress shorts that I grabbed too hastily, only to find one of a similar make at half the price at the next store. That was my sign to stop.

Hop-On Hop-Off

Exiting the mall, I found a friendly young boy at the street corner named Aimie (apparently that’s a boy’s name in Malaysia) selling tour bus tickets. Up to this point, I hadn’t planned out how I was gonna see the rest of the city and after hearing out his hop-on hop-off concept, I decided it was worth a try. So I purchased a voucher for 38RM. A few minutes later, what arrived was a bad-ass double-decker bus in glossy black and purple, with flag signs and faint images of KL tourist spots.

In KL traffic (which kinda reminds me of Manila) you need a bus like that. The entire second level had a sunroof that was perfect for viewing the KL tower and of course the magnificent Petronas twin towers and getting a tan while you’re at it. The white people (forgive my politically-incorrect term) loved it more than I did! They were in controlled temperature while enjoying sun rays—can’t get any better than that.
I saw the busy Chinatown on Petaling Street. And then there was Central Market which I would have explored if I hadn’t given the self-imposed ruling to stop shopping. I passed by the historic Merdeka stadium where Malaysia declared its independence from the Brits in 1957, I caught a glimpse of countless modern skyscrapers with a distinctive Moorish influence in its architecture, the Petronas towers included. It’s amazing how something so modern can be so old world at the same time.
But of course the real old world buildings still owned the most charm compared to its modern successors. They were beautiful beyond belief. The mosques, museums and galleries, the old government offices--I felt like the first time I visited Marawi (and perhaps like the first time I visit Morocco in the future). Marawi is an Islam city in northern Mindanao, and I went there without my parents’ knowledge coz they NEVER would have said yes. When I got there after getting invited by a TV news group to tag along, I remember thinking how beautiful the huge mosques were, and how the city had so much more character than most other Philippine cities I’ve been to. (And I’ve been to a whole lot). If only it were cleaner and less dangerous. Or maybe it’s all part of the charm?

Personal Photographers
I hopped-off at the National Palace to get my photo taken with one of the national guards in those lavish cream uniforms, amusingly detailed with sarongs. (This must be where David Beckham got his fashion sense on his sarong-wearing days). Of course being completely alone, I had to ask another person to take my photo. And that I did. On this occasion, the lucky guy who became my own personal photographer was a Swiss tourist who came with his buddy for business but decided to tour on the side. Never got his name, it was a quickie negotiation. But I made sure to say more than 3 repeats of ‘Thank you very much.’
I had asked quite a number of people to be my personal photographer on this trip and am grateful to all of them. A quick tip for ladies: Always ask men. Unless you wanna get an annoyed look from another woman, pick a nice gentlemanly face from the crowd to ask to take your photo. A smile and a sincere ‘thank you’ will be enough in exchange. Sometimes you might need to do a hand gesture instead, given language barriers, but as long as sincere, you not only get a new ‘smiling friend’ you might even get an NFF (new found friend) pending an exchange of business cards.
Before I had my late dinner for the day, consisting of beef noodle soup and spring rolls, with watermelon shake for downing it all, (my lucky personal photographer was the initially snobbish waiter who later warmed up to a smile), my last tour stop was the Eye of Malaysia wheel. In my opinion that area was too touristy and nothing spectacular on account of the bigger and grander Singapore Flyer that had just recently opened. But nevertheless, I took several pictures around the area, especially of the magnificent National Art Gallery building with its enormous multi-level blue-green pointy roofings—it was an architectural KL masterpiece next to the Petronas twin towers!

Twin Towers
I remember my angel cab driver slash fan of the Philippines, Matt who said I should be at Petronas early in the morning if I wanted assurance to get tickets. The next day, although I arrived a bit more late than planned, my soul worked its charm on the universe and made me the last person for the day to be given a ticket. Me along with 2 American kids and 2 Aussie oldies—the latter 2 had to argue with the guards for our group, me the last (somehow I became part of that group) to be included in the last sky bridge tour schedule. One of the 2 Aussies later said he felt like he was fighting for his life doing that. And if it was your first-ever visit to KL, ‘fight for your life’ is what you needed to do just to not miss this marvel of a building that was the tallest in the world for a good 6-year period in modern history, and still continues to be the tallest twin towers to this day.

The start of the tour was a 7-minute 3D film presentation of the tower and the Petronas company, which is Malaysia’s state-owned oil company. The vision was world-class, the mission was admirable at the very least, factoring in the environment, employee welfare and product quality into its quest for success. And for a moment, I felt proud to be Asian (despite coming from the Philippines which is quite isolated from the rest of Asia)... Asians represent!The film was also quite a treat to which the American behind me in the mini-theatre remarked “I’m surprised they didn’t charge for this, I would’ve paid for it.”

Sky Bridge

Marco, a French backpacker, was my brand new personal photographer for the sky bridge. I met him on the short flight (must’ve been on supersonic speed) on the elevator up to the 41st floor. The view was breathtaking as promised. I saw all the buildings I admired from my city tour, but this time from a bird’s eye view. Marco made me pose from several different points at the sky bridge, took versions of with, and without flash. But for some peculiar reason, he only took landscape style. Maybe he’s used to taking landscape photos from his French island home of New Caledoni. “That small island in the Pacific must have incredible landscape views,” I thought. I didn’t bother confirming nor exploring that with Marco since I got too busy minding his un-observance of the ‘Personal Space’ concept as he was making conversation, and putting his face right in front of mine. He was sooo French that way.
After several minutes, I did get my personal space back, saying goodbye to Marco on our landing at the science exhibit level on the ground floor. I went out to the mall area and made a mad dash to the toilet when I realized how badly I needed to pee. My mind must’ve held out that important bodily function to have a full uninterrupted experience at the sky bridge. Toilet relief achieved, I headed to the outside of the building and went looking for another personal photographer to take one of me with the towers in the background. The lucky boy was an Australian-Indian who was on KL lay-over for his flight back to Perth. His name was too out-of-this-world, it just flew out-of-my-memory too. (That’s a particular problem I maintain with both Indian and Thai names). Nevertheless he was the sweetest man, crunching his stomach muscles as he lowered his torso very close to the ground to get the highest part of the building in the frame with me. His best ‘framing’ effort was only till the skybridge, and that was perfectly fine.

Charmed Soul
My last few hours in KL I spent on the hop-on hop-off tour bus, re-listening to the tour guide recording (in case I might decide to write a story such as this one). But really, experiencing and learning about a new place gives me a certain high that neither shopping nor the dirty deed can ever substitute. And once again, on this 2-day KL tour, just like all my other domestic and international travels in the past, I’ve rediscovered how to rely on my charmed soul, and to believe that the universe always has a way of taking care of anyone, bringing out the goodness in all the strangers we meet in our travels.
From the hotel, I took a cab to KL Sentral station where, from my tour bus guide recording I learned, I can take a direct train to the KL International Airport (KLIA) for my flight back to Singapore. The first person (the first person!) I asked directions from when I got out of the cab, was a Malay 20-something boy in a sweet pink top. (That must’ve made him look more approachable.) This I’m-comfortable-enough-with-my-masculinity-to-wear-pink boy told me everything I needed to know in the 5minutes I spent at KL Sentral: (1) That my Low Cost Carrier (LCC) airport cannot be reached by train from KL Sentral, and that (2) I needed to go down one level to where my LCC bus is waiting to take all its passengers to the LCC airport.
Within 10 seconds after I found and boarded the bus, it drove out of the station. The stars were aligned for me in that brief period of time. The bus ride might have taken a while but when I caught sight of the Sepang Racing Circuit, it was well worth it. The world’s best motorsport and Malaysia has its own circuit for it—if that isn’t a sign of this country’s progress, what is?
Terima Kasih

My seatmate on the plane was a nice young Malaysian Muslim lady. (Whose name is at the tip of my tounge but I can’t quite figure out as of this article’s publish date. I’m sure it starts with an ‘H’ though.) I asked her a question I’ve been meaning to ask a Malaysian but never got around to. Several hours later and a few thousand feet above ground, I asked ‘H’ what ‘teremakase’ means.

It isn’t Japanese, even if that’s how it sounded from the tour bus recording. It’s spelled ‘Terima Kasih’ and it’s Malay for ‘Thank You.’
After this KL tour, I am bursting Terima Kasih’s from every inch of me. Terima Kasih to ‘H’ for telling me the word’s meaning. Terima kasih to everyone else from my trip: the ‘smiling’ friends, the personal photographers, the drivers, guides, the stranger that stood available to be asked for directions, the universe in general, a great big Terima Kasih to you. Until the next trip! Terimah Kasih and out.*************Felleen Donggay is a Pinoy in SG. Her first travel tips article about backpacking in the Philippines was published online in 2004. She worked as a Writer and Producer for a magazine show with the country’s leading TV network for 3 years until the intelligent show was ruthlessly cancelled by evil corporate executives to be replaced with a dramatic series in order to make more money. Felleen moved to Singapore in 2007 and currently works as a web Content Producer for an Asian networking site. She continues to travel and write on her spare time as an effort to retain her English-language sanity in this crazy Sing-lish world.

In My Mistress Bossom

I like trains. They’re like women; trains are, after all, vessels, and they do carry large swathes of humanity in their, well, wombs each day. So, let me tell you about my mistress.

She is a devoted lover. She keeps her promises, doesn’t give me a bumpy ride and seldom breaks down. When she says she’ll come and see me in five minutes, I see her coming five minutes later. She doesn’t leave me hanging, though we’re technically suspended eight metres from the ground most of the time.

She has this sexy, soothing voice that gives you that feeling everything’ll be all right, even when all hell is breaking loose. Here she is speaking, with the lovely, deep accent of an Englishwoman:

Please mind the platform gap.

Doors are closing.

For your safety and convenience, please stand behind the yellow line.

I am, of course, talking about Singapore’s MRT. It’s not a stretch to say she’s one of the most – if not the most – efficient and reliable transport systems in the world.

Here are some Googable and Wiki-findable facts about her:

* Opened in 1987, the MRT is the second-oldest metro system in southeast Asia, after our very own LRT system. (That’s why she’s just my No. 2.)

* Built at an initial cost of S$5 billion (around P150 billion), the MRT has 64 stations – either aboveground or underground, except for one, which is at ground level – and over 109.4 kilometres of lines. Her coaches carry some 1.5 million passengers each day.

* Most underground stations are deep and hardened enough to withstand conventional aerial bomb attacks, and they do serve as bomb shelters.

She’s not as sleek as Japan’s bullet train or as fast as Shanghai’s maglev, but she does what she’s supposed to. She does, however, have her moods, especially when she’s shabbily treated. In 1993, one train, unable to stop in time because of an oil spill on the track, rammed into another one waiting in one station, injuring 132 passengers.

And she can be one nasty little bitch.
I don’t know what it is that drives people to end their lives by jumping in front of a speeding train – maybe they think it’s romantic, sadistic or very public, as any death on TV or, in our age, YouTube is seldom in vain but is often a macabre form of entertainment – but at least 10 people have committed suicide over the past 20 years by jumping off a platform just when a train is approaching. And there had been loonies who had thrown someone else onto the tracks.
* * *
My home station is the Paisr Ris MRT station – home because it’s the closest one to my flat. It’s one of the busiest stations along the North-East line, as it is attached to a rather big mall and a bus interchange and because it is a endstation to East, I’ve heard so much about that, for Pinoys like me who like scoring cheap cigarettes and alcohol, may as well be part of Singapore.

All stations have these LED and plasma monitors hanging from ceilings that announce just exactly when the next train will arrive, so you’ll know when you have to run like you were Seraph chasing the Trainman or whether you still have time to check your hair in the toilet.
I used to think that the numbers that appeared on those screens were just an approximation; like when it said “1 minute”, it actually meant “1 minute and 30 seconds”. Turns out, when you see “1 minute.”, the train will really be at the platform in a minute – even less. The trains are never late. In Gandalf’s words: They are never late or too early; they arrive precisely when they mean to.

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They are also very reliable. They will not leave you stuck for an hour in between stations. They carry you from one station to another at exactly the same amount of time they promise. You don’t have to worry about getting late, but don’t bet on reaching your destination ahead of schedule.
I see people normally meeting up this way: One is already on a train tapping in his cell phone where his train is, as the person he’s going to meet makes his way to a platform a few stations ahead. The train’s schedule is so predictable, that people actually set up their little rendezvous right inside the train itself.
The downside with all this predictability, of course, is that it magnifies the drudgery of a monotonous life akin to working in a post office that I think already afflicts and embraces nearly everyone stepping into the trains.
My mistress’ bosom may be warm, but her womb is sadly barren.
You can see it in the hundreds and thousands of souls going in and out of the trains everyday. It is unmistakable. The loneliness. The need to reach out and be touched. The maddening indifference. The need to escape. The insanity of a predictable life.

LordJaime is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Far Eastern University and Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. like his father before him, he got swept up in the Filipino Diaspora. He has been in Singapore for a little over a year now. He spends most of his time at his flat in Pasir Ris. When he's not there, he's either Swimming in Downtown East, wasting away at some bar in Vivo City or just sucking up everything Singapore has to offer.

NAIA 3 Palasyo Ng Mga Kuwago

Controversies

The MIAA had twice postponed planned openings of the terminal in 2006 and 2007 because of structural defects that were traced to the March 27, 2006, collapse of a gypsum board ceiling at the terminal’s arrival area.

The NAIA 3 had remained shut because of controversies surrounding the contract between the Philippine government and the Philippine International Air Terminals Corp. (PIATCo) consortium, which built the terminal with Germany’s Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide (Fraport) as its principal investor.

Now I will share my experince on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3
(kabubukas pa lang nyan)

Alam nyo ba ang bagong "MODUS OPERANDI" ng mgakurakot sa ating bayan, nakakahiya mang isipin, ngunit totoo. Sa bawat kababayan natin na umaalispatungong ibang panig ng mundo using the said airport and airlines, may bagong patakaran at yan ay "SUPPORTING PESOS" kung tawagin, bukod sa mgapapeles na hinihingi ng isang immigration officer,kapag ika'y magtutungo sa bayan ng Middle East partikular sa Dubai , may isang documento silanghinihingi at kapag sa palagay nilang ikaw aybibigay, io-off load ka nila sa anong dahilan"KAKULANGAN SA PAPELES" ika nila pero saiyong pagkaka-alam at ng taong nag-visit visa saiyo ay tama ang papeles na 'AUTHENTICATED BY THEEMBASSY OF THE PHILIPPINES , ABU DHABI", sasabihinnila na di ka makaaalis, hihingan ka nila ngsinasabi nilang mga papers na kailangan pa tulad ng'AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT' ng sponsor mo, eh!itong mga Immigration officer lalo ka na ""OFFICER MABASA" (magkita pa tayo ulit papatayin na kita) ay napaka-t@nga din,makahihingi ka ba ng affidavit na hinihingi nilakung ang visa mo ay from a company siguro naman dikainla na ang "COMPANY SPONSORED" on visit visa aydi makahihingi ng ganon sa dahilang di pipirma angmay-ari ng kumpanya at di basta-basta na mahihingiito sa isang kumapanya lalo na't malaking kumpanyaang pinang-galingan ng visa mo. Kapag nag-inquireka sa Embassy sa Singapore sasabihin nila na walasilang advise from Philippine Government na maybagong hinihingi, tama sila dahil kapagnagpa-authenticate ka ng papel mo, chini-checknila ito at kung hindi kumpleto di nila itogagawin. Ang di ko maintindihan bakit ang Immigration sa ating bansa ay humihingi ng ganito ngunit di alam ng Embassy sa Singapore, well I told my employer about it, however due to recession around the globe ayun na bwisit ata sa akin paimportante daw ako mahalaga kasi yung salitang "FUNCTUALITY" dito e, at isinama na din ako sa mga tinangal, d pa nga naguumpisa e,ang gulo di ba.O sige para maliwanagan ka sasabihin ko sa inyokung ano ang papeles na hinihingi nila hindi itoisang papeles dahil nakaraming pages...mabilang mokaya ang bundle ng 1,000 or 500 peso bill na mayhalagang 6,000 pesos at nakapaloob sa isang putingenvelope, oo, tama ka yan ang tinatawag na"SUPPORTING PESOS", nakaka-alarma di bah! biro mo ang dami nun para ma-check so ang gagawin nilaganito, i-detalye ko hah!;

1. pagpunta mo ng Manila airport, kumpleto angpapeles mo at alam mong o.k., not to mentionauthenticated yan ng Embassy sa Singapore.
2. Pag-check in mo sa airport natin, may mga taongnaka-abang at naka-radyo (alam mo na kung ano yon)tapos iche-check nila ang visa mo, di o.k. mayoriginal ka.
3. Pagdating mo sa airline counter, they will check your ticket and passport and they would ask for your visa copy or original, napakita mo na taposbayad k ng airport tax, pasok ka na sa
Immigration para matatakan ng "EXIT" stamp ang pasaporte mo.
4. Eto na ang ikagugulat mo, che-chekin nilapassport mo along with your documents at originalvisa, di meron ka non tapos yung AUTHENTICATED documents mo o.k. din, eto na may hihingin silangcertain document na alam nila wala sa mga papeles mo, tapos alam mo susunod, sasabihin sa iyo nakausapin mo yung Immigration Supervisor,papupuntahin ka nila sa office nila at doon, doonmangyayari ang transaction; bale kahit anong paliwanagat maka-awa mo, umiyak ka man ng dugo, maghubad kaman, igigiit nila na di ka makakaalis at alam mo babakit?!kahit na kumpleto ang papeles mo di ka pa rinaalis bakit kamo dahil sabi nga ng ImmigrationSupervisor na ito na may kulang; ano yon? etomagugulat ka na lang dahil tatatakan ang boardingpass mo na "OFF LOAD" di symepre MEGA gulat ka atyung iba iiyak pa, pero pag-labas mo may bubulong saiyo sasabihin ano, eto "MAY 6,000 NA BOND" tanong mopara saan, eh!san pa di yan ang "SUPPORTING PESOS" kung tawagin,makaaalis ka lang kung may 6,000 pesos ka nakailangan mong ilagay sa white envelope and thenext time you go, kailangan dala mo ang whiteenvelope na may lamang 6,000 pesos at eto pa angsistema, may mage-escort sa iyo at bubulongan kana kailangan pumunta ka sa opisina at iiwan mo angboarding pass mo kasabay nito ang white envelopena kapatong ng boarding pass mo at sasabihin mo nalalabas ka lang dahil may nakalimutan ka atpagbalik mo 'WA NA WHITE ENVELOPE" syempre di namannag-magic yon kundi naitabi na at babalik ka atpipila ulit at itong KURAKOT na Immigration Officer aykunwari pagagalitan ka pero panay naman ang tatak sapassport mo.Kupal talaga!!! pinagpapasahan na ako dun ng lahat ng mga IMMIGRATION OFFICER hanggang sa tawagin na ako ngeroplano ko ayun d ako nakaalis... then cyempre rebook na lang.Ayan o.k. na makakaalis ka na. Di ba'tnakapanlulumong isipin na bukod sa tayo ng mga OFWang tumutulong sa ating ekonomiya ay tayo pa ang nade-denggoy, pano pa tayo tatawaging "BAGONG BAYANI" (nung mga time na paalis ako feel ko ako si Paquiao) hindi tama ito at marami na ang nabiktima partikular yung OFW sa Dubai, sino pa kaya ang susunod, alin pakayang bansa ang susunod, sana matigil na. Isangpaki-usap lang mga kababayan ko, wag kayongmatakot na isuplong or mag-sumbong dahil tama angginagawa mo dapat mong kalusin ang mga gobyernongtiwali lalo na ang mga KURAKOT sa gobyerno.Simula sa mataas, hanggang sa mababa magnanakaw. Ang ninanakawan pa, tayong mga anak pawis (lagi pa nmn akong pawis)Ito pa isang babala, kapag balak mong i-visit visaang kamag-anak mo, sabihin mo na tandaan nya angpangalan ng isang babae na may "BULONG", sya angbubulong sa iyo at mage-escort sa iyo, itsura nyaeto, "MALIIT NA MEDYO MAHABA ANG BUHOK, MAYKATABAAN" At tandaan mo ang pangalan ngImmigration Officer, isa na dito si "JUSAYWINNEFREDO"-(dun sa rebook ko, pinuntahan ko cya ulit,di na nya ako nakilala sa pangalawang pagkakataon,Of course, the same process ulit, pero ngayun tinago komuna yung invitation letter ko hehehe, hanggang sa hanap n nmn cya ng mga dokumentong wala naman. Sa bwisit ko hinagis ko sa kanya yung invitation ko. Ayun ninerbyos tinatakan nya na agad sabay sabing ingat ka...( pinyeta aka punyeta in British). May reklamo ng nakahain sa kanila ngunit kailanganpa ng iba pang katibayan para madiin sila, kung sapalagay mo isa ka sa na-denggoy nila, bakit di mosubukan na gumawa ng reklamo, oo, kailangan nilang written at kopya ng passport mo, at huwag kangmatakot dahil ina-assure ko sa iyo na di kamadadawit dahil magiging HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL ang reklamo mo.Sinubukan na rin namin na ipaalam ito sa XXX ngunit kailangan nila ng isang malakas ang loob na mag-reklamo(mga gago ano to ipapahamak nyo pa kami, gago talaga tong mga LOPEZ gagawin nyo pa kaming CITIZEN PATROL, part ng drama, news and current affairs, then pagtapos na fiesta, di ka na nila kilala, ano pa silbi ng surveilance video nyo, buwagin nyo na nga yang creative department nyo... leche ) at pumunta sa kanilang opisina ngunit, syempre di natin magagawa yon sa dahilang nandito na ang taong nabiktima, pero sa paglantad mo,matutulungan mo ang kapwa natin kababayan, hinditayo nagpunta sa lugar na ito at mawalay sa ting mgaminamahal para bigyan sila ng pinag-hirapan natin,napaka-daling negosyo ang ginagawa nila and towhat expense, syempre from the "POCKET OF OVERSEASFILIPINO WORKERS" Ganon din sa ating Embassy,kailangan nila ng letter of complaint paramakastigo itong mga G@G*NG OPISYAL NG GOBYERNO.

Pinoys and Pinays

Meron akong gustong ibahagi para sa ating lahat na mga PILIPINO. Simple pero parang mahirap gawin ng karamihan sa atin. Hindi ito makukuha sa puro daldalan lang or walang kabuluhang pagtatalo, kumilos tayo ngayon na.

Sa ibang bansa: Pag nagkasala ang Pinoy, pinarusahan siya ayon sa batas.
Sa PINAS: Pag nagkasala ang ang Pinoy, ayaw niyang maparusahan kasi sabi niya mali raw ang batas.

Sa ibang bansa: Pinag-aaralan muna ng Pinoy ang mga batas bago siya pumunta roon, kasi takot siyang magkamali.
Sa PINAS: Pag nagkamali ang Pinoy, sorry kasi hindi raw niya alam na labag sa batas iyon.Sa ibang bansa: Kahit gaano kataas ang bilihin at tax sa USA okey lang, katuwiran natin doble kayod na lang.

Sa PINAS: mahilig ka sa last day para magbayad ng tax minsan dinadaya mo pa o kaya hindi ka nagbabayad. Rally ka kaagad kapag tumaas ang pasahe at bilihin sa halip na magsipag mas gusto natin ang nagkukwentuhan lang sa munisipyo o kahit sa alinmang tanggapan.
Sa Singapore : Kapag nahuli kang nagkalat or nagtapon ng basura sa hindi tamang lugar, magbabayad ka na 500 Singapore dollars. Sabi ng Pinoy, okey lang kasi lumabag ako sa batas.

Sa Pinas: Kapag nagkamali ang Pinoy katulad nang ganito, Sabi ng Pinoy, ang lupit naman ni Bayani Fernando , mali naman ang pinaiiral niyang batas eh akala mo kung sino. Ayun nag-rally na ang Pinoy, gustong patalsikin si Bayani Fernando kahit na alam niyang mali siya.

Mga igan, ilan pa lang iyan baka may iba pa kayong alam.Bakit ang PINOY, pwedeng maging 'law abiding citizen sa ibang bansa ng walang angal' pero sa sarili nating bayang PILIPINAS na sinasabi ninyong mahal natin, eh hindi natin magawa, BAKIIITTTTT?????????

ETO PA, 'Ang Pilipino NOON at NGAYON'

:NOON: Wow ang sarap ng kamote (kahit nakaka-utot)
NGAYON: Ayaw ko ng kamote gusto ko French Fries (imported eh)

NOON: Wow ang sarap ng kapeng barako
NGAYON: Ayaw ko niyan gusto kong kape sa STARBUCKS (imported coffee 100 pesos per cup)

NOON: Bili ka ng tela para magpatahi ng pantalon like maong
NGAYON: Gusto ko LEVI'S, WRANGLER, LEE (Tapos rally tayo 'GMA tuta ng KANO ') Di ba tuta ka rin naman.

NOON: Sabon na Perla OK ng pampaligo
NGAYON: Gusto mo DOVE, HENO DE PRAVIA, IVORY, etc. may matching shampoo pa

NOON: Pag naglaba ka batya at palopalo ok na, minsan banlaw lang sa batis pwede na
NGAYON: Naka-washing machine ka na plus ARIEL powder soap with matching DOWNY pa para mabango.

Alam ko mas marami pa ang alam ninyo tungkol dito, pero mangilan-ngilan lang iyan para bigyan ng pansin.Mga Pilipino nga ba tayo? O baka sa salita lang at E-Mail pero wala naman sa gawa.

My Fellow Filipinos,When I was small, the Philippine peso was P16 to the $dollar. The president was Ferdinand Marcos. Life was simple. Life was easy. My father was a bussinessman. My mother was a housewife with a small pigery and small apartment and store where our neighbors admire her. Our backyard had kamatis, kalabasa, talong, ampalaya, upo, batao, and okra. Our silong had chicken, We had a pig, dog & cat. And of course, we lived on a good house. During rainy season, my father work hard to earn a living, at night he always wait for us especially to my hard-headed brother and sisters.During the day, he cooks for us, which he would usually do. During dry season he works harder, we relied on meats, porks, etc. Every now and then, there was pork and beef from the town market.Life was so peaceful, so quiet, no cable, no internet. Just the TV for news and cartoons and who can forget EAT BULAGA On weekdays, I played with my neighbours (who were all my friends). Tumbang-preso, taguan, piko, luksong lubid, patintero, at iba pa. I don't know about you, but I miss those days. These days, we face the , Internet, e-mail, newspaper, magazine, grocery catalog, or drive around. The peso is a staggering and incredible P50 to the $dollar. Most people can't have fun anymore. Life has become a battle. We live to work. Work to live. Life is not easy. I was in Singapore in 2008.. It was lonely, difficult, & scary. It didn't matter if you were a man or a woman. You were a live on your own, no neighborhood, no vices. The salary was high, however the bills was much higher. If the boss didn't want you to go on holiday, you didn't. Oh, and the agency charged you almost 4 months of your salary (which, if you had to borrow on a '20% per month arrangement' meant your first year'spay was all gone before you even earned it).

The Philippines used to be one of the most important countries in Asia. In fact, when I was in Singapore, I had read an article about Prime Minister Lee. He said taht he Idolizes, admires Marcos point of views and this is what he applied to Singapore. If only Pilipinos should learn to follow, Pilipinos will become one of the richest country in Asia. Before; during my college days, many students from neighboring Asian countries like Malaysia , Indonesia , Japan and China went to the Philippines to get their diplomas. Until 1986, like President Macapagal, President Marcos was one of the most admired presidents of the world. The Peso had kept its value of P24 to the $dollar.Today, the Philippines is famous as the 'housemaid' capital of the world. It ranks very high as the 'cheapest labor' capital of the world, too. We have maids in Hong Kong, laborers in Saudi Arabia , dancers in Japan , migrants and TNTs in Australia and the US , and all sorts of other 'tricky' jobs in other parts of the globe.

Quo Vadis, Pinoy? Is that a wonder or a worry? Are you proud to be a Filipino, or does it even matter anymore? When you see the Filipino flag and hear the Pambansang Awit, do you feel a sense of pride or a sense of defeat; uncertainty? If only things could change for the better....... Hang on for this is a job for Superman. Or whom do you call? Ghostbusters. Joke. Right?This is one of our problems. We say 'I love the Philippines; I am proud to be a Filipino.'When I send you a joke, you send it to everyone in your address book even if it kills the Internet. But when I send you a note on how to save our country and ask you to forward it, what do you do? You chuck it in the bin.I want to help the maids in Hong Kong ... I want to help the laborers in Saudi Arabia ... I want to help the dancers in Japan ... I want to help the TNTs in America and Australia ...I want to save the people of the Philippines ... But I cannot do it alone. I need your help and everyone else's.So please try to see this with your friends. If you say you love the Philippines , prove it. And if you don't agree with me, say something anyway. Indifference is a crime on its own.

Huwag PO Itay!!!

Nais kong ibahagi sa inyo ang namagitan sa amin ng aking itay isang gabi. Hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan ang gabing iyon. Malakas ang ulan noon nguni't maalinsangan ang simoy ng hangin.!

Ako ay nagsusuklay sa aking silid, katatapos ko pa lamang maligo at nakatapis pa lamang noon . Narinig kong kumakatok si Itay sa aking pinto. Nang sagutin ko ang pagkatok niya ay sinabi niya na kailangan daw naming mag-usap at humiling na papasukin siya. Binuksan ko ang pinto at siya'y kagyat na pumasok sa aking silid.Laking pagkagulat ko nang ipinid niya at susian ang pinto.

Hinawakan ni Itay ang aking mga kamay, hinaplos-haplos niya ang aking buhok, ang aking mukha, pinaraan niya ang kanyang mga daliri sa aking kilay, sa aking mga pisngi,sa aking mga labi. Napasigaw ako."ITAY, huwag, huwag! Ako'y inyong anak! Utang na loob, Itay!" Nguni't parang walang narinig ang aking Itay. Ipinagpatuloy niya ang kanyang ginagawa. Ipinikit ko na lamang ang aking mga mata dahil ayaw kong makita ang mukha ng aking ama habang ipinagpapatuloy niya ang kanyang ginagawa sa akin.Naririnig ko si Inay sumisigaw habang binabayo ang pinto at nagpipilit na ito'y buksan, "Hayop ka! hayop ka! Huwag mong gawin iyan sa anak mo! Huwag mong sirain ang kanyang kinabukasan".Subalit wala ring nagawa si Inay, hindi rin siya pinakinggan ni Itay. Nanatili na lamang akong walang katinag-tinag at ipinaubaya ko na lamang ang aking sarili sa anumang gustong gawin ng aking Itay.Pagkalipas ng ilang oras ay tumigil na rin ang aking Itay.

Iniharap niya ako sa salamin ay ganoon na lamang ang aking pagkamangha at pagkagulat sa aking nakita. Magaling naman palang mag-make-up si Itay.Nang gabing iyon ay nagtapat sa akin ang aking ama. Bakla pala siya. Labis akong nagalak sa galing at husay ng aking ama. Naisip ko na matutuwa ang aking boyfriend dahil lalo akong gumanda ngayon. Niyakap ko si Itay at pareho kaming napaluha sa labis na kagalakan. Masaya na kami ngayon at nabubuhay nang matiwasay.

Lovingly yours,

BADONG

P.S.

Kalakip po nito ang aking mga litrato

Pa'no kaya kung si Noah naging pinoy?

Taong 2005 at isang ordinaryong middle class pinoy si Noah. Nagpakita
sa kanya ang Diyos at sinabing "Pagkatapos ng isang taon ay bubuhos ang
ulan at babahain ang buong kapuluan ng Pilipinas. Gusto kong
gumawa ka ng isang malaking arko at isakay mo rito ang pares-pares
na mga hayop at mga mag-asawang pilipino sa iba't ibang
kapuluan." Ibinigay kay Noah ang specs ng Arko at taos puso nitong tinanggap ang responsibilidad na sagipin ang sambayanang Pilipino sa napipintong pagbaha.

Lumipas ang taon, muling nagpakita ang Diyos kay Noah. Walang arkong
nagawa si Noah at galit na galit siyang tinanong ng Diyos, "Nasaan ang arko na ipinagawa ko sa iyo?" Tumugon si Noah, "Patawarin po ninyo ako kung di po
natupad ang utos ninyo! Nagkaroon po ng malaking problema sa plano po ninyo."
At inilahad ni Noah ang mga sagabal na nakaharap niya sa pag-gawa ng arko.

Humingi siya ng Mayor's permit pero papayag lang daw si Mayor kung ang gagawa ng arko ay ang construction firm ng kanyang pamangkin. Tumungo siya sa
Congressman pero papayag lang daw si Congressman kung may matatanggap siyang
30% commission. Nagtayo ng unyon ang mga kinuha niyang manggagawa at nag-strike.

Natunugan ng mga left-leaning groups ang kanyang balak at ang mga ito ay
nag-rally dahil daw sa hindi makatarungang pagpili ng mga taong sasakay sa arko (mga taong naniniwala lang sa Diyos ang pwedeng sumakay). Nakisali sa rally ang mga bakla at tomboy dahil bias daw na normal na mag-asawa lang ang pwedeng sumakay.
Ang civil society group ay nakisali na rin sa gulo dahil napag-alaman daw nila na ang pondong gagamitin sa paggawa ng arko ay galing sa donasyon ng mga gambling lords at katas ng weteng.
Sa kaguluhang ito ay napilitang magpatawag ng hearing ang senado "in aid of legislation" .

Sinubukan ni Noah na gamitin ang EO 464 para makaiwas sa hearing pero dahil hindi sya executive official, napilitan siyang tumistigo.
Nang malaman ng senado na utos ng Diyos ang pagpapagawa ng arko, dineklara
nila itong unconstitutional dahil hindi raw nito iginalang ang separation ng church at state .
Nakialam na rin ang NBI at PNP at sinabi nilang meron silang impormasyon
na ang barko raw na ito ay gagamitin ni Erap sa kanyang pagtakas. Sinabi naman ng ISAFP at DOJ na ito raw ay gagamitin ng grupong Magdalo sa binabalak nilang coup laban kay Arroyo. Nilapitan ni Noah si Mike Defensor para makipag-usap kay GMA. Payag daw si GMA na ituloy ang arko kung ipapaskil daw sa arko ang malaking mukha ni Arroyo na may slogan "Towards a Strong Republic". "Hindi po ako pumayag kaya hanggang ngayon po ay may TRO ang pag-gawa ng arko.

Sa palagay ko po kailangan ko pa ng 10 taon para matapos ang inyong proyekto." Ang huling wika ni Noah. Napa-iling ang Diyos at sinabing, "Di ko na kailangang
wasakin pa ang bansang ito. Hayaan ko na lang kayong sumira nito."


"I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations. " Psalm 89:1 (NIV)

OFW Pinoy STyle Joke TYM

Registered nurse si Maria sa States. Kasama nya ang kanyang ina na nagpagamot din doon. Namatay ang ina nito. Dahil sa kamahalan ng pamasahe pabalik sa Pilipinas, nagtipid si Maria. pinauwi na lang niya ang kabaong ng kanyang ina na mag-isa. Pagdating ng kabaong, napansin ng mga kapamilya niya na dikit ang mukha sa salamin ng ataul. Nagkomento tuloy ang i! sang anak, "Ay naku! Tignan mo yan...hindi sila marunong mag-ayos ng bangkay sa Amerika!" Upang ayusin ang itsura ng bangkay, binuksan ang kabaong. Aba ! May sulat sa dibdib ng ina. Kinuha nila ito at binasa. Ang nilalaman ng liham na mula kay Maria: Mahal kong tatay at mga kapatid:

Pasensya na kayo at hindi ko nasamahan ang nanay sa pag-uwi riyan sa Pilipinas dahil napakamahal ng pamasahe! Ang gastos ko pa lang sa kanya ay mahigit $1,000 na. Ayoko nang isipin pa ang eksaktong halaga. Anyway, ipinadala ko kasama ni nanay ang mga sumusunod... Nasa likod ni nanay ang dalawampu't apat na karnenorte. Ang adidas na suot ni nanay ay para kay tatay. Ang limang pares ng de-goma ay nasa loob ng dalawang asul na Jansport na backpack na inuunanan ni nanay. Tig-iisa kayo. Ang iba't-ibang klase ng tsokolate at candy ay nasa puetan ni nanay. Para sa mga bata ito. Bahala na kayong magparte-parte. Sana'y hindi matunaw ang mga ito.Ang pokemon stuffed toy na yapos-yapos ni nanay ay para sa bunso ni ate.Gift ko sa first birthday ng bata. Ang itim na Esprit bag ay para kay Nene, Ate, nasa loob ng bag ang pictures ni inay, japanese version ng pokemon trading cards at stickers. Suot ni nanay ang tatlong Ralph Lauren, apat na Gap at dalawang Old Navy t-shirts.Ang isa ay para kay Kuya at tig-iisa ang mga pamagkin ko. Maisusuot ninyo ang mga iyan sa fiesta. Suot din ni inay ang anim na panty hose at tatlong warmer para sa mga dalaga kong pamangkin. Isuot nyo sa party. May isang dosenang NBA caps sa may paanan ni nanay. Para sa inyo, itay, kuya, dikong, Tiyo Romy. Bigyan nyo rin ng tag-isa 'yung mga pamangkin ko at 'yung isa kay Pareng Tulume. Ang tigda dalawang pares ng Nike wristband at knee caps na suot-suot din ni nanay ay para sa mga anak mo, diko, na nagbabasketball. Tigdadalawang ream ng Marlboro green at Winston lights ang nasa pagitan ng mga hita ni nanay. Apat na jar ng Skippy Peanut butter, dalawang dishwashing liquid, isang Kiwi glass cleaner at tig-aanim na Colgate at Aqua Fresh ang nakasiksik sa kili-kili ni nanay. Hati-hati na kyo, huwag mag-aagawan. Isang dosenang Wonder bra na gustong-gusto ni Tiya Iska, suot-suot din ni nanay. At alam kong inaasam-asam mo 'yan, tiya. Ang Rolex na bilin-bilin mo tatay, suot-suot ni nanay. Kunin mo agad, tatay. Ang hikaw, singsing at kuwinta (na may nakakabit pang anim na nail cutters) na gustong gusto mo, ditse, ay suot-suot din ni nanay. Kunin mo rin agad, ditse. Isang Ray Ban ladies sunglass na pabirthday ko kay Ninang Berta, hindi ko na pinasuot kay nanay. Isiniksik ko na lang sa may bandang ulunan ni nanay. Nasa pink na plastik na mailiit. Mga Chanel at Champion na medyas, suot-suot ni nanay. Tig-iisa kayo, mga pamangkin ko. Mga pampers, pantyliners, cotton buds, cotton balls, table napkins at mga scotch brite na may foam ay natatakpan ng mga puting bath towels...'yon bale ang pinangkutson ko sa kabaong ni nanay. Marami-rami rin iyon. Parte-parte na rin kayo. Marami pa akong ipinagsisiksik kung saan-saang parte gaya ng cafe, coffee creamer, ilang vienna sausage na de lata, barbie dolls, toothbrush, paper cups, plastic spoon and pork, paper at styro foam plates, perfume, cologne, ballpens, stationaries, envelopes, bar soaps, match box toys, used t-shirts, hand towels, CD, DVD, padlock, tools gaya ng screw driver, plais, long nose, atbp na hindi ko na na-itemize dahil nagmamadali ako. Marami pa sana akong ilalagay kaya lang, baka mag-excess at si nanay pa ang maiwan. Basta parte-parte kayo, tatay, kuya, dikong, ditse. Para sa inyo lahat ito. Bahala na kayo kay nanay. Pamimisahan ko na lang siya rito. Balitaan ninyo na lang ako pagkatapos ng libing. Paki-double check ang listahan kung walang nawala sa ipinadala ko. Nagmamahal, Maria. P.S. Pakibihisan ninyo agad si Nanay!"

Kawawang Magulang!!!

Dear Anak,

Naipadala ko na 50 thousand pesos na tuition fee mo, panagbili na namin
ng mga kalabaw natin. Ang mahal pala ng kursong COUNTER STRIKE, wala na din
pala tayong baboy naibenta na din para dun sa sinasabi mo na project nyo
na NOKIA N75, ang mahal naman ng project nayun. kasama din ang 7 thousand
dun para sa field trip nyo sa MALL OF ASIA, anak malayo ba yun mag ingat ka
sa pagbibiyahe mo, isasanla palan namin ang palayan natin para mabili mo
nag yung instrumentong I-POD na kinakailangan mo sa laboratory nyo. Anak
komportavle kaba jan sa boarding house mo sa ba kamu yan sa VICTORIA
COURT - maganda ba dyan di ba mainit jan. Anak kamusta na pala yung group
project nyo na SANMIG LIGHT napailaw nyo na ba? mataas ba nakuha nyo na grado
dun.

Anak sana bago pa maubos ang lahat lahat ng arian natin ay maka gradweyt
kana, walong taon ba talaga ang kurso mo sa SECRETARIAL, sana pag
graweyt mo makakuha ka ng trabaho kaagad kagaya ng manager ng kumpanya para mabawi
natin ang mga ari arian nating sa sanglaan. ay cya nga pala anak diba
sabi mo sa JOLLIBEE / MAK DONALD ka palagi kumakain ok ba naman sayo ang mga
ulam dyan baka hindi masarap kawawa ka naman.Eh yung school bus nyo na
TAXI sabihin mo sa driver mag ingat cya sa pag dri-drive.

Anak hanggang dito nalan at sa susunod ay ipapadala ko sayo ang pera na
pambili mo ng ALTIS na gagamitin mo sa VACANT SUBJECT mo.



Ang nagmamahal

Itang at Inang




P.S. Anak mag aral ka ng mabuti.

Belittling the Overseas Filipinos

During the last couple of weeks, we have witnessed the strengthening of
the peso against the dollar. Whether this strengthening is real or artificial
does not matter. The fact is that the pesos' strengthening has adversely
affected the Overseas Filipinos and their families.

In school we were taught that a strong peso means higher purchasing
power. In layman's term it simply means that with a strong peso we should be
able to buy more goods and services. If that statement is true, the decrease
in the dollar's exchange rate should therefore not worry the families of
Overseas Filipinos in the Philippines since the decrease will be
cancelled out by an equivalent decrease in the prices of goods and services.

However the laws of economics do not seem to apply in the Philippines .
While the government has continuously announced that the economy is
improving, this is not being felt at all by the consumer sector. In fact,
instead of prices going down, prices of prime commodities continue to
rise. The failure of the 'strong peso' to provide better purchasing power has
caused a double edged problem to the Overseas Filipinos and their
families.

To maintain the present peso equivalent of their dollar remittances,
Overseas Filipinos have to tighten their belts to be able to remit more
dollars to their families back home. In the Philippines , the families of
Overseas Filipinos also have to tighten their belts to make the best of
what they received from family members abroad.

But to Secretary Neri, Overseas Filipinos should even be thankful
because they are not being taxed anyway, obviously referring to the
aborted plan to tax the Overseas Filipinos' income. To him it is more important
for government to provide a peso-dollar protection for the Filipino
exporters because their peso earnings are getting smaller, unlike the overseas
Filipinos whose remittances are, according to him, getting higher due to
better quality jobs they land into. Neri sees the diminishing income of
the export sector, but his eyes are closed to the Overseas Filipinos'
dilemma. He thinks that the remittances are getting higher because Overseas
Filipinos get higher pay for better jobs, but fails to see that Overseas
Filipinos have to send more dollars to maintain the peso equivalent of
what families back home are receiving.

I wonder what could be the reason why it is too easy for cabinet members
like Neri to belittle us Overseas Filipinos. They are aware that there
are millions of us spread all over the globe; they know that if we want we
can bring down the economy, and make the government officials fall to their
knees; they know that if we cut our remittances by half for three
consecutive months we can bring back the exchange rate to 56 pesos to
the dollar or even higher and make the members of the Makati Business Club
cry; they know that at any point in time we can make or break a sitting
President. Yet why are they so brave to give us so little importance, if
any?

My history teacher in high school once told us that there is power in
numbers. I believe him because I have seen it worked in several
occasions, most recent of which are the two impeachment cases filed against GMA.
Those two cases did not prosper because the opposition in the lower house did
not have the number of votes needed.

How about us Overseas Filipinos, do we have the strength in number that
would make Malacanang tremble? The latest estimate places the number of
Overseas Filipinos to about eight million. If on the average there are
three voting members in each Overseas Filipino family, the eight million
will easily translate to twenty four million votes - enough to send a
presidential candidate to Malacanang. Do we have the number? The answer
of course is yes. Yes we have the number, but we do not have the strength!

I know it is sad to admit that while we Overseas Filipinos have all the
power in our hands, we have not been able to use it. The reason is
because up to now, we are still so disorganized; we are just like broomsticks
scattered on the floor ? sometimes stepped on, sometimes kicked to the
corners, sometimes picked up and broken into pieces. And for as long as
we remain scattered, the high and mighty, the Neris and his kind, will
continue to step on us, kick us to the corners, or even break us into
pieces. I can only hope and pray, that one day one of those kicks will
be strong enough to awaken the sleeping giant in us.


There is a need to wake up and use our strength.......


God Bless Us All...

Tumawa muna Next Year pa ang Full Blast ng Recession!

"Famous Lines"



"pinapaikot mo lang ako
Nagsasawa na ako. Mabuti pang
patayin mo na lang ako"

-electric fan


"hindi lahat ng walang salawal
ay bastos!"
-winnie d' pooh


"Alam mo ba wala akong ibang hinangad
kundi ang mapalapit sa iyo.
pero patuloy ang pag-iwas mo"

-ipis



"Hala! sige magpakasasa ka!
Alam ko namang katawan ko lang ang habol mo."


-hipon


"Ayoko na! pag nagmamahal ako lagi na lang
maraming tao ang nagagalit! wala ba akong
karapatang magmahal?!?"


-gasolina


"Hindi lahat ng green ay masustansya. "

-plema


"Hindi ko hinahangad na ipagmalaki mo na ako'y sau
ayoko ko lang naman na sa harap ng maraming tao
ganun mo na lang ako itanggi.."


-utot


"Sawang sawa na ako palagi nalang akong pinagpapasa- pasahan, pagod na pagod na ako."

-Bola


"you never know what you have
till you lose it. and once you lose it,you can never get it back"

-snatcher


"Hindi lahat ng pink, KIKAY!"
-majinboo


"Ginawa ko naman lahat para sumaya ka
mahirap ba talagang makontento sa isa?
bakit palipat-lipat ka?
-TV


"hindi lahat ng maasim may vitamin c"

-kili kili



Sige, batihin mo ako.... Sigeee.....BATEEEEE E!!!!!!!!
-omelette



pilitin mo man na alisin ako sa buhay mo, babalik at babalik ako!

-libag


Anung kasalanan ko sayo, iniwan m nalang akong duguan...

-Napkin



"wag mo na akong bilugin.."


-kulangot


Hindi lahat ng hinog, matamis

-pigsa



Paano tayo makakabuo kung hindi ako papatong sa iyo?

-Lego


Punyetang Buhay to! Itlog itlog! Araw2 na lang itlog!
-Brief



Wala naman akong ginawa sa kanya! Hindi na nga ako gumalaw dito.
Ako n nga yun ntapakan, sya pa un galit.. bakit ganun?

-Tae


Cge kalimutan mo ako para malaman ng iba ang baho mo!

-deodorant


"hindi lahat ng dugo puedeng idonate"

- regla

Letter to all Pilipinos

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn't true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?

Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable and too bad to be real. To see these "honorable" crooks lambast each other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is so comical and apalling that I don't know whether to laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst! I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like "Honorable", "Senator", "Justice", "General" and worse, "President".

Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws, enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do! These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation – Robin Hoodlum and his band of moneymen. Their motto? "Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the rich." It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already indebted country and from the impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes me wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience.

Heaven forbid! I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that pays for my needs and those of my family's, even though 30% of my earnings go to the nation's coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have complained time and again because our government could not provide enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all third world countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to anything more. And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile inquiring about someone's morality! The already filthy rich Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren could ever spend in a lifetime. Joker making a joke of his own "pag bad ka, lagot ka!" slogan. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense of security. And it's all about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams.

Is it any wonder why our few remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in other countries? And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a rusty ship.

"Love (of power) is blind" takes a whole new meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband's financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her country is in shambles. They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don't agree. Many like me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders, embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not that I won't make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it. But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my children. I want to make it known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something better for the Philippines. I want them to know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they have abused their power and that it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it. Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We can offer petitions every time we celebrate mass. We can ask others to pray, too, including relatives and friends here and overseas. And we can offer sacrifices along with our petitions, just so we get the message to Him of our desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot be more powerful than God! I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion – right from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and honor. I call on educators and teachers – we always underestimate the power of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a love of their country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to do what they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future – and it would be largely because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate the seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators, congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens. I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use technology and all available resources at hand to spread good. Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret it when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your past misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you did. Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this country. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will think of the greater good before anything else. I voted for Atty. Martin Bautista and his team and I sure hope they will run again. Do your utmost to excel in your chosen field. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants, computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record that can speak for itself. For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition. We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.

Unemployed Fresh Graduate

An unemployed graduate woke up one morning and checked his pocket.

All he had left was $10. He decided to use it to buy food and then wait for death as he was too proud to go begging.

He was frustrated as he could find no job; nobody was ready to help him.He bought food and as he sat down to eat, an old man and two littlechildren came along and asked him to help them with food as they had noteaten for almost a week.

He looked at them. They were so lean that he could see their bones coming out. Their eyes had gone into the socket.With the last bit of compassion he had, he gave them the food. The oldman and children prayed for him that will bless and prosper him and thengave him a very old coin.

The young graduate said to them "you need the prayer more than I do". With no money, no job, no food, the young graduate went under the bridge to rest and wait for death.

As he was about to sleep, he saw an old newspaper on the floor. He picked it up,and suddenly he saw an advertisement for people with old coins to come to a certain address.

He decided to go there with the old coin the old man gave him.

On getting to the place, he gave the proprietor the coin. Alas, theproprietor screamed, brought out a big book and showed the young graduate a photograph. this same old coin was worth $3M.

The young graduate was overjoyed as the proprietor gave him a bank draft for $3Mwithin an hour. He collected the Bank Draft, went in search of the old man and little children.By the time he got to where he left them eating, they had gone.

He inquired from the owner of the canteen who told him that they even left a note for him. He quickly opened the note thinking it would lead him to find them. But alas, the words in the note reads thus: "You gave us your all and we have rewarded you back with the coin"