Stryker bag

I bought this kind of bag as a souvenir gift when I had a chance to travel abroad. Good thing that I kept one for myself.

I did not realize how useful it can be as it is very light yet can hold a lot of things. When empty, it can be worn on the back without being cumbersome. It also has a great potential to be a local souvenir item as its surface lend itself to many design potential.

I don't know how this bag is originally called but I would like to call it a striker bag because it allows the user to carry it along very conveniently.

Am glad that this thing came to me towards the end of the year. This can be a good project to follow next year which begins tomorrow. Now to make this bright idea work, I need to find the right people - designers and sewers especially.

Happy New Year. All the best to everyone. Stay safe and let us pray that we keep our sanity next year.

Ang panganib ng pagmamahal sa bayan

(photo collage - "Bayani", vfg)

Sa araw na ito, ginugunita ng bansa ang pagkitil sa buhay ni Jose Rizal sa pamamagitan ng firing squad dahil sa salang subversion.

Pero sino ngayon ang may paki-alam kung bakit nga ba pinatay ng mga Kastila  si Jose Rizal?

Para sa akin si Rizal at Bonifacio ang pinakamagandang modelo ng marangal at dakilang Pilipino.  Sa panahong hindi pa gaanong buo ang konsepto ng ating bansang Pilipinas ini-alay na nila ang buhay nila para sa bayan.

Pero si Rizal ipinabaril nga ng mga Kastila at si Bonifacio ay ipinatumba naman ng kababayan niyang si Aguinaldo.

Minsan ko na narinig ang biro na hindi raw dapat magmahal sa bayan dahil ito daw ay nakamamatay.

Totoo nga ba ito?

Remembering a coffee house in Jolo

An interesting coffee experience for me was when I had coffee with friends at a coffee house in Jolo. It was before dawn and I just arrived from a long boat trip from Zamboanga City.

Although it was still very early, the coffee house was already getting busy with customers. There was no fancy coffee served there but simply freshly boiled coffee yet it was bracingly good. To accompany your coffee, the servers leave you a tray of simple local eats such as fried bananas or rice cakes. You only pay for what you consume and what you do not touch will be taken back by the servers presumably to be offered to other customers. Not surprising then that a meal here does not cost much and is accessible to more people.

Back in Manila, there are plenty of western style coffee houses to choose from. But going there can burn a hole in your pocket as you pay not only for the coffee and the food but for the plastic ambiance as well.

The Joy of Peace and Quiet

 

May everyone find joy and contentment today and everyday.

 

Made in China Christmas

 

We all know that China is the factory of the world with the ability to produce products very cheaply. But do we really have to import from this country that bullies us and treat us with contempt even non essential items like christmas decors? 

Will our celebrations be less festive if we make do with what we can make by our own creativity and resources? The day we say no to these non essential imports is the day we shed our mentality of slaves - just my opinion..

Sad picture that tells something about us as a people

We take great pride  as Filipinos in achieving world class feats like winning international titles for beauty or brawn. Some of us proudly note that we are among the cleanest people in the world with the habit of frequently taking baths even in the coldest weather. Yet we mindlessly throw away our trash right where we stand as if we take our whole country as nothing more than a big garbage dump.
There must be something wrong with us if we have to put up a sign like this.

 But who will take responsibility for addressing the problem?

Terracing the mountains

Although the rice terraces are supposed to be an ancient achievement of early settlers in the Philippines, the process of terracing the mountains have not really stopped. This I realized when I visited a vegetable farm along the mountain trail in Atok, Benguet.

It is not rice that is being grown here however but vegetables like potatoes and cabbage . What I found troublesome however is the reliance of modern terrace builders on chemicals such as weedicide to help them clean up land faster.

This is one reason why even though vegetables are aplenty in this place, I am wary about consuming a lot of them. Someone even said that at times, you can even taste the pesticide in the vegetables even if they are thoroughly washed.

Hopefully, farmers here can go organic one day.

The Incredible Anti Dengue Invention

Am I the only one who suspect that this vaunted invention of the Department of Science and Technology is a hoax? Even President Aquino was made to claim its success twice in his State of the Nation Address yet the problem of dengue remains.

I tried to talk with some people who had a chance to utilize this contraption and asked them if they found it effective. However the answer I got was that they have no sufficient data to make a conclusion. A barangay chairperson even told me that it was useless.

In any invention, there is supposed to be a key technology that is at the heart of the such an invention. This ovitrap/larvaecide contraption has no such thing. True the idea behind it is that it will attract mosquitoes to lay egg on its larvicide laden container thereby killing the mosquito eggs but this method does not seem to be better than swatting a mosquito with an electric swatter.

Yet someone is now selling this "invention". I hope someone can get to have a closer look at this affair. Something smells fishy here.

Saying thanks thru Lantern of Nations

The Philippines has a unique Christmas symbol in the parols, so this Christmas, in the wake of the catastrophic visit of typhoon Yolanda/Haian, I just thought that it would be a good and decent gesture to say thank you to the countries that came to our aid by putting up parols in grateful recognition of their help. These parols can be called Parol ng Pasasalamat or Lantern of Nations and can even be the start of an annual tradition as a celebration of gratitude to our intenational friends.

Sablan silk farmer

(In photo, Ms Ambes tending to her silk worms)

My interest was to find out how government is helping people in their livelihood to raise their income and improve their quality of life. So when I was invited by Ms. Fe Donato, field extension officer of the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) Reg I to visit a silk farmer she assists, I immediately grabbed the chance.

The farm we visited is located in Sablan, Benguet and as in most farms in the province, it is located on the slope of a mountain. Fortunately it was not hard to reach.

The farm is owned by the Ambes couple. It turned out that they are the only ones now continuing with silk farming in Sablan after most of those who tried it gave up. They were initially formed as a cooperative but because there were many problems encountered by the members, mostly sourcing mulberry leaves to feed the worms, all of them gave up. The Ambes were fortunate that they have a piece of land to grow their own mulberry trees and could also source from some nearby places. Their farm being situated on a steep slope, they also did not have much choice and so it was also by force that they had  to make a go of it.

(Photo: Mulberry trees just harvested for its leaves)

With a potentially big market for silk and its many derivative products, silk farming can be a lucrative activity. However, its promise has yet to be made a reality. Although the Ambeses are able to make a living out of silk rearing, they are far from living a comfortable life. There are many problems to be solved before the industry can take off. In fact, despite the resources spent to support the silk fiber industry, the province has not even been able to reach a production level that will sustain silk cloth production.

 

(In photo: mulberry with red edible fruit)

Where lies the problem? On one hand, I have seen the Ambes couple working hard to do well in their enterprise. I have also seen the dedication of Ms. Donato as field extension officer in supporting the farmers. What can the farmers do to improve their productivity further? What other help can the government do beyond what it does now?

I just visited this farm for a day so I will not dare give an answer. 

Hopefully though, in the future, people involved in this activity can  manage to have a truly thriving silk industry.

  (In photo: Ms. Fe Donato of FIDA Reg I, Ms. Agustina Ambes and Mr. Ed Ambes in front of their silk rearing house)

Toilet talk

Government has at least a responsibility to guarantee the essentials of life like clean air, safe water, food, shelter and even the facilities for answering the call of nature.

In the last instance however, most of the time, our government has been remiss in this duty and left this task to private initiative. Thus pay toilets have sprouted in many public places.

But what if there are people who can not pay to use these facilities? And is it really necessary to spell out what use people will get into the toilet for?

This places make me strangely sad as I feel it does not speak well about the kind of our society.

 

Adivay find

At the 2013 Adivay Trade Fair, one of the interesting things I found was this yellow pepper locally known as "Sapuki" featured in the Kibungan booth. Apart from its attention getting name especially for tagalog speakers, the fruits are deceptively beautiful as they are fiery hot.

But I think they have a good commercial potential if only they can be grown widely. They can be used by high end restaurants and can be processed into salsas, sauces and even just as pepper flakes.

Ipo-ipong Dagat

 

(photo taken from internet search)

Although PAGASA warned about the possibility of a storm surge in areas along the path of Typhoon Yolanda, still many people were caught in it because according to some survivors, they did not fully understand what a storm surge is. No less than the mayor of Tacloban City admitted to this ignorance.

In case PAGASA is looking for a local translation for "storm surge" I would suggest "ipo-ipong dagat".

Many people are already familiar with what an ipo-ipo is and its destructive capacity. In effect, a storm surge is actually like an ipo-ipo of water whipped up by the winds of a typhoon. Thus, the term "ipo-ipong" dagat will not just be a term but also a description and people will have no more excuse to say that did nothing or prepared inadequately because they did not fully understand the warning.

Next time PAGASA issues a storm warning, I would also like them to end with the slogan:

"Sa panahon ng climate change, bawal ang tatanga tanga."

The wrath of Yolanda

(photo from internet image search)

It is ironic that typhoon "Yolanda" brought home the reality of climate change to many people by mercilessly destroying their homes. Her message however was not about her fearsome ferocity but that after she left, we can never be the same again.

 Typhoon Yolanda was not just a disruption of our lives. She is the start of a new chapter of living in the time of climate change.

After "Yolanda" we can not go back to the way we were before. We can not do things as we did before. Although the government and the people prepared for her coming, "Yolanda" simply exposed all these preparations as superficial and inadequate.

At the very least Yolanda should jolt us out of our complacency.and force us to rethink the way we deal with nature's wrath. We need a new disaster and post disaster response protocol to guide every one of us from citizens to President.

We need to discard old thinking like the mentality of disaster response as merely a matter of doling out relief goods and disaster victims as being totally helpless. We should consider the potential of disaster survivors not as victims but as first responders who can help the worst affected. What is needed though is a strong ladder of leadership to prevent anarchy and to direct the people's energy. And the leader must have a human face. not a composite of coordinating agencies.When a rung of the ladder is broken, the next higher rung should be ready to immediately take over. Survivors can be mobilized to help clear roads, find and bury the dead, even commandeer available food and material resources around them for orderly distribution. It is unacceptable that looting and anarchy are allowed to happen.

 The military should not just be called to prevent criminality but it should also be tapped to create emergency evacuation camps for disaster refugees where the basic necessities can be found - food, shelter, medical care, communication etc. In the aftermath of a devastating calamity, people need a beacon of authority and order where they can go and regroup when all around them have simply collapsed.

 There are so many other things about the way we think and do things to reconsider, but this can be done maybe at a later time.

Yolanda has shown that climate change is real and it is here. Yet it can not be that only the climate will change. We too should change or perish.

Ang presyo ng pangarap

Sabi nila libre daw ang mangaarap. Pero kung minsan may halaga din ito.P20.

Sa halagang ito, maaari kang umasa at mangarap sa kung ano ang gagawin mo sakaling dumating sa iyo ang limpak limpak na salapi.

Hanggang sa magka bolahan...at bumitaw ka ulit sa panibagong beinte pesos, para muling mangarap.

Food for the mind TV

Thanks to cable, the tv can not be called an idiot box anymore. Cable tv not only increased  the quantity of viewing choices of tv viewers but it also brought in many foreign tv channels that offer very interesting and informative programs.

Apart from the BBC and Al Jazeera, I particularly like NHK World from Japan and Tele5 Monde from France. These stations do not only offer insights into their respective countries' culture but there are also many great ideas Filipinos can pick up from the shows of these two channels which can be adapted locally.

In order to make the programs of these stations more accessible to local people, I wonder if it would be possible to select some of the better shows from these stations and translate them into the local language.

A monument to ugliness

 At first I wondered what this structure in the picture was. To me it looked like a globe structure that was badly made and so it collapsed. Every time I pass by it, I look for signs that it was being worked on and I waited for it to be finally finished. Only recently did I learn that it was actually already finished and it cost the people of its host city several millions for this work of crap,,,,err art!

Public art should be something that a people can be proud of and not be ashamed of.

I don't know if there is a name for this structure. It is a masterpiece of ugliness and a reminder of how authorities waste public money on senseless undertakings.

This structure should be named after the highest public figure that approved its construction.

Good Buys at the Likha ng Central Luzon Trade Fair 2013 (Oct 23-28)

1. Biscocho (Liza's) and carabao milk pastillas (Marissa's) - Bulacan
2  Tempura like fried crispy mushrooms (Mom's Haus of Mushroom)- Bulacan
3. Sesame seed candy (Sonia's Sweets)- Zambales
4. Greaseless peanuts (Edelyn's)- Pampanga

At least these are the items I will gladly buy again if I see them again in the future.

There were other items that I bought like the smoked mullet (banak) from Bataan, mango leather and bamboo shoot pickles from Zambales and spiced cane vinegar from Tarlac. They were not bad but not specially good either. What I forgot to buy was the chili sauce made in Nueva Ecija which was reasonably good and well packaged.

In the crafts and furniture section, except for the molave root mortar and pestle from Aurora, I did not remember seeing anything remarkable.  There were craft animals made from rice straws being sold at the Munoz City (Nueva Ecija) booth but the craftsmanship was shoddy. As for the wood furniture I saw, I wished that government will give them greater design and technical assistance to help participants come up with more attractive items.

For health reasons, I passed up the chance to buy a kind of pork chicharon from Nueva Ecija which was called inantala. It was the first time I saw this food item but I assumed its name was derived from the procedure of interrupting (antala) the cooking process so that the chicharon can be cooked to finish whenever by the end consumer..

Government sponsored trade fairs are a great way for the entrepreneurs to get exposure for their products. But for many of the products I saw,  I hope the government can also help the entrepreneurs package and develop their products better. For the food products, I hope government can also come up with standards of quality to guide manufacturers and consumers alike.

Central Luzon or Region III is made up of the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. I hope I remember my geography right and did not miss a province.

pagbitiw sa isang blog

Dahil matagal na rin naman natutulog ang isang blog na sinimulan ko noong nag-aaral pa ako ng wikang pranses, naisip ko na lang na permanente na itong patulugin.

May tatlong pakay sana ako para sa blog na iyon. Una ay maging daan sana ito para sa mas madaling pag-aaral ng pranses. Pangalawa ay alamin kung sa ano anong paraan makikita ang impluwensya ng kulturang pranses sa mga Pinoy at sa Pilipinas. Pangatlo, subuking makuha ang magaganda at kapaki-pakinabang ng idea mula sa France.

Nakakahinayang rin dahil pinag aksayahan ko rin naman ng panahon at pag-iisip yon. At may mga souvenir pictures din doon kasama ng mga kaibigan. Sana kung magkakaroon ako ng pagkakataon para buhayin ito kasama pa ng ibang interesado sa relasyong Pilipinas at Pransya, ay muli kong mabuhay ang blog na ito.

(Ang mga nakaibigan ko sa klase. Kahit tumigil na rin ako sa pag-aaral ng pranses, minsan hinahanap hanap ko rin ang naging masayang samahan namin. )

Manipesto ng Botanteng Pilipino

Ako ay botanteng Pilipino.

Batid ko na sa aking boto ay nakasalalay ang kinabukasan ng aking bayan.

Ano man ang antas ko sa buhay, ang aking boto ay kasing halaga sa boto ng iba, maging sila man ay dukha o naka-aangat.

Pagkat sa batas at halalan ng aking bayan, ang lahat ay pantay pantay.

Isang tao. Isang boto.

Bilang Pilipino, pangangalagaan ko ang dangal at linis ng aking boto.

Pag-aaralan at pag-iisipan ko ng maigi kung ang aking mga ihahalal ay may sapat na kakayanan upang mamuno sa bayan at kung sila ay matapat at mapagkakatiwalaan.

Malaya akong boboto ayon lamang sa aking konsyensya

Lalabanan ko ang sinumang susubok na dungisan ang aking boto o magtatangka na nakawin ito.

Tututulan ko ang sinumang mangangahas na bilihin ang boto ko o magdikta sa akin kung sino ang dapat kong piliin.

Sila ay mga kaaway ng bayan at kalayaan. Ipagtatanggol ko ang aking boto laban sa kanila.

Ako ay botanteng Pilipino.

Malaya. Matuwid. Marangal

Holy-dap: Bagong modus ng mga kriminal

  ("Crime and Punishment" - Mula sa collage series People and Power: 16 Views of Malacanang ni VFG)


May bagong modus ngayon ang mga taong nanghihingi ng pera sa mga pasahero ng jeep. Dati mamimigay lang sila ng sobre at susundan kunyari ng dasal, caroling o kaya ay pangaral mula sa bibliya.

Pero kailan lang, sa sinasakyan kong jeep, yong nagbigay ng sobre ay maangas na tinawag ang pansin ng mga pasaherong hindi siya pinapansin at sinabing pakinggan ang sasabihin niya.

Kunwari ay nangangaral siya pero ang kanyang sinasabi ay may kahalong pananakot tungkol sa masamang nangyayari daw sa mga taong mas pinapahalagahan ang pera ng higit pa sa salita ng diyos. Matagal siyang nagsalita tungkol sa mga pasaherong nasasaksak ng holdupper at napapatay dahil sa pagpapahalaga nila sa mga materyal na bagay, Paulit ulit nyang binabanggit ito at malinaw na ang pakay niya ay manakot. Ewan kung may kasabwat sya na maglalabas ng panaksak o baril kapag wala pa rin pumansin sa kanya. Nang makakita kasi ako ng pagkakataon na bumaba ng sasakyan, bumaba na ako.

Gusto ko sana isumbong sa pulis ang nagaganap sa jeep pero wala naman akong makita sa oras na kailangan ko lumapit sa kanila.

Dapat kasi ay hindi na pinabayaan ang ganitong aktibidad kahit noong pa aral aral pa lang sila kunyari. Halata namang panloloko ito. Ngayon tuloy ay nag level up na sila at nanakot na ng mga masasamang bagay sa mga pasahero.

Nahold up na ako minsan sa loob ng jeep at natutukan ng baril. Para sa akin, bago pa man makapanakit ng mga inosenteng tao ang mga ito at maisakatotohanan ang kanilang pananakot. dapat unahan na sila ng ating mga alagad ng batas.

A Park will rise here

It has been a while since I passed by the south end of the C6 road but when I happened to bike there recently, I was glad to learn that the local government of Taguig City is turning the south end portion of that place into a park. The C6 area which is on the edge of the Laguna de Bai  offers a wonderful view of the lake and has a great potential for becoming a tourist draw. I wish that eventually, the entire seven kilometer stretch of the dike area along C6 will be turned into a park. I was concerned before that the government was not doing anything to conserve or preserve the place which seemed to be degrading due to encroachment of informal settlers and unplanned development.

My hope for this park however is to become a world class national park that can compete in beauty with other famous parks in the world. This can even be a legacy of the Aquino Government to the people and I would not mind if we call this the "Matuwid na Daan" Park.

Populus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur

People want to be fooled, so let them be fooled. (translation for the title)

                               (photo taken from internet)

This is what I can say to people who came to the Ayala Million People March that was attended by less than three thousand people.

If there was a message that can be gleaned from that rally, it was the rejection by the people of mercenary activism and the career activists who led the rally. People did not just stay away from it, they watched with hostility and contempt, wary and suspicious of the organizers true intent.

One of the organizers even withdrew her support for  the rally at the last minute calling some of her fellow organizers users.

For so long and in the spirit of freedom of expression and free speech, people have tolerated the noisy disruptive antics of the professional militants mostly from the left. Now however, people seem to be more discerning and refused to be used or fooled by them.

There was one strange thing at the rally though. The golden pig that was supposed to symbolize the hated pork barrel had lost its nose and so did not really look like a pig. What happened? Instead of symbolizing the pork barrel, this animal aptly portrayed the militants who simply want people to conform to their version of  reality.

Alliance of the Dark Forces

   (original pictures sourced from the internet)

The Pork Barrel Scam did not come to light on its own. It was exposed because people wisely voted for a basically good man who appointed upright people who did their jobs dutifully and courageously. It is therefore the height of irony and malice if some people now assail the President for speculated abuses and misuse of funds under his office instead of hounding those who are implicated by evidence in the scam.

It seems that there are three groups who are engaged in this sinister enterprise and all have spurious motives.

The first group is the militant left which is committed and determined to bring down government by all means and at all cost in the hope of seizing power.

The second group is composed of the plundering politicians and their allies who would like nothing more than to muddle the issue and burn the house down as a way of getting away with their crimes.

The third group is the tainted churchmen who could not find it in their hearts to forgive and reconcile with President Aquino not for any sin he committed but for espousing the matuwid na daan vision that exposed the bankruptcy of their morality.

The pork barrel scam has gone beyond the issue of corruption into a morality battle between good and evil. The public should be discerning and reject these three groups if they ever want to see anyone punished for the pork barrel scam and to have a truly clean government.

Sex Scandal

Minsan habang nasa isang inuman ako, naging pulutan ang paksa ng sex video. Marami kasing lumalabas na ganito ngayon.

Meron yatang mga tao na kusang naglalabas ng kanilang sex video - may kapartner o wala. Pero karamihan ng mga sex video, lalu na ng mga sikat na personalidad, kumalat ng walang pahintulot ng mga sangkot rito.

Para sa akin, wala akong paki-alam sa kanila. Mapanood ko man o hindi ang video nila, bahala sila at walang epekto sa akin kung ano man ang magiging pagtingin ko sa kanila.

Pero sa mga taong nanonood ng mga video na ito at sinasabing malaswa o masama ito, gusto ko sana silang tanungin.

Una, pinilit ba sila na panoorin yong video?
Pangalawa, nasaktan ba sila o naging masama ba sila sa panonood nito?
Pangatlo, gusto ba nilang paki-alaman din ng ibang tao ang kung ano ang ginagawa nila sa kanilang pribadong lugar?

Siguro para sa ibang tao, naakit silang makapanood ng sex scandal ng mga sikat dahil ibinababa nito ang mga taong sikat at ginagawa silang kapantay ng mga hamak at ordinaryong tao.

Manood na lang sila kung gusto nilang manood nito, pero hwag na lang sana sila maghusga o mamintas.

PEACE Ball

Simple lang ang bolang ito na maaaring gawin mula sa kawayan o rattan. Ito ay bola sa loob ng bola na nakapaloob pa ulit sa isang bola.

Ang gamit nito ay bilang laruan ng mga bata, pang juggling at pang exercise.

Sa unang tingin, parang walang kapansin pansin sa mga bolang ito. Pero sa tamang marketing at promosyon para tangkilikin ng pinakamaraming mamayan, maaari itong makapag bigay ng hanap buhay sa mga taong gagawa nito at makatulong sa muling pagbangon ng mga tao sa Zamboanga na sinalanta ng kalamidad na ang pangalan ay MNLF.

Proyekto ko sana ito para sa lalawigan ng Benguet pero sa Zamboanga yata mas may kabutihang maidudulot ito sa ngayon.

The Cardinal's Tears

(image taken from internet)

In one public engagement where Manila Archbishop Cardinal Tagle was asked about his reaction to the Pork Barrel Scam, the Cardinal was moved to tears as he appealed to politicians to be more compassionate to the poor.


Frankly, I am puzzled and disappointed at this reaction. The normal reaction of people in the face of betrayal and deceit is anger. Even Christ threw a fit at a temple when he saw how it was turned into a den of thieves. He did not cry and pleaded to the merchants to simply show more respect to the place.

Politicians who heartlessly plunder public money in the face of the massive miserable poverty of our country are incorrigible thieves. I doubt if appealing to them will do any good. The Cardinal may be trying to be like the good shepherd who will go out of one's way to find a lost sheep but in this case, these thieving politicians can not be considered as sheep but wolves. The good shepherd will try to protect his flock from predators instead of inviting these predators to mingle with his flock.

That Janet Napoles, the central figure in the scam was so close to church leaders and yet so mired in an evil enterprise of plunder - that should be the source of grief for the Cardinal.

Abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan

I stand with those who call for the abolition of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).

The SK is a needless costly political creation without any convincing public benefit to merit its retention. The argument against the SK that it has only served as a training ground for traditional and corrupt politics far outweighs the rhetorical justification that it is a means for the youth to be heard and take part in nationbuilding.

Those who defend the SK, mostly politicians and government bureacrats have questionnable motives. If they truly want to give the youth a chance to be heard and to contribute to the country, they should explore other more practical and significant ways of engaging them. Towards this end, only their sincerity and imagination is the limit.

While it is important to recognize the potential of the youth, the youth must first be taught the virtues of leadership without power and service without ambition before they are allowed to have a taste of money and power.

                     

At the National Food Fair

 Over the weekend, I went to the DTI sponsored food fair held at SM Megamall (August 21-25). What I noticed was the improved packaging of many local products and I was glad about it. Exhibit participants I talked to gratefully acknowledged the help they received from government for the improvement of their product/s as well as in marketing them.

I hope this collaboration continues and deepens. For the local products on display, there is still a long way to go and there is still much room for improvement. They should go for excellence and not just for passable quality (basta hindi nakakalason, ok na).

One example is the uraro cookies. Although it was packaged decently and seems to be enticing enough, there is still the problem of contaminated raw materials that sometimes give the cookies a very bad moldy taste. In fact the sample cookies I tried slightly had that unsavory taste. I talked to the stall holder about it and she admitted that they occasionally have that problem but which she tries to avoid by ensuring good preparation practices. Still the problem persists. Maybe the DOST  or our local food scientists can try to help solve this problem.

Some food finds for me:
- pure cocoa tablea from Agusan and Davao
- mango tamarind candy from Taguig
- honey dalandan concentrate product
- suman in banana leaf pouch from Pasig
- dried fish from Bicol region, specially the "newlook" fish

I wish I can list more but these are all that I found notable. Next time I hope I can list more. Our food resource and potential wealth is so vast that this food fair is but a scratch on the surface.

 Before leaving I tried out an alcoholic beverage made from coconut water. It tasted like vinegar and gave me a slight head ache. I don't know what other people who tasted this drink thought but as for me I don't think that I will ever part with my money for this.

Some food ideas and wishful thinking:
- herbal and flower teas made from hibiscus, blue pea, lemon grass, guava tips
- sports/hydration drink made from coconut sugar
- instant soups made from local vegetables and resources
- sweetened pure tablea candy
- local fruit lokums and fruit pastes
- new pili nut treats
- bottled palm sugar syrup for cooking
- local pure sesame oil
- fresh frozen marine products especially from the ARMM
- improved variety of Philippine raspberry from Quezon
-healthy breakfast/snack instant beverage
-new local cheese varieties

Remaking the Post Office

(Main Post Office Building at night. Photo from internet)

The coming of e mail and the internet age has greatly diminished the significance of the post office in every town and city. But instead of simply accepting this fate, I believe the post office should be re-invented and given a new role.

My proposal is for the post office to be made into a nexus of all travel and tourism related activities in a community. The idea is for the post office to serve as a tourism center apart from its traditional role of receiving and delivering mail. Thus in the new post office one can find amenities related to traveling such as a money exchange shop/bank, a souvenir shop, a cafe, a car or bike rental facility and even a few rooms to accommodate outside visitors who will happen to drop by. As a tourism beacon, it should ideally be located in the middle of a park showcasing the capability of the town to create and maintain beauty  and given a distinct architectural brand, look and identity recognizable everywhere it may be found in the country.

I believe that this idea will help the post office maintain its relevance in a community and at the same time help promote local tourism too. Thus, this can be a joint project of the Philipost and the Department of  Tourism with participation from the private sector.

Some people may find the idea of the post office as having a lodging component as wild. But I find this very logical and a boost to local tourism. Many towns in our country do not have inns or hotels to accommodate travelers and difficulty in finding a safe, reasonably affordable and decent place to stay can be very discouraging for tourists and travelers.

The idea for this proposal is neither new nor far fetched. In Japan, there is a historic post office building that was turned into a themed mall, inspired of course by the post office. The name of this mall is Kitte which means stamp in Japanese. The mall has a cafe that serves regional specialties thus boosting the local economies, it also has a stationery and souvenir shop where it is possible to buy an aerogramme shaped like an airplane etc.

I do hope that our Philpost and Department of Tourism seriously consider this idea. If successful, this enterprise can be a great legacy of the Aquino government.

  (The Post Office in our town looking sad and forlorn. Most people have come to accept that the Post Office is a withering enterprise. With visionary leadership and imagination however, it is possible to re-invent the post office to make it a proud central feature of a community.)

Philippine oriole

First time for me to see a Philippine oriole but sad to see it in a cage.

At first I thought the yellow color of the wings was just sprayed on the bird but the vendor told me it was the real thing and that this bird can be found and caught in Quezon Province. I asked him if it was legal to be selling those birds and he said yes.

It may be legal but I wonder what joy is there for some people to own an imprisoned bird that should be flying free.

Until I can give other options for the vendor however, I will rather not say anything about his livelihood.

Fickle Weather

Waking up to a picture perfect morning with bright sunshine and a clear blue sky, it is easy to forget that there is a storm brewing somewhere in the country.

But yes there is as this hard driving rain made me remember just a few hours later..

Healing Origami

People may know that origami is the art of Japanese paper folding. What is not commonly known though is that origami has some health benefits that can be helpful to some people.

As an origami practioner, I can vouch that origami can be very relaxing and that it helps me fight stress. For that reason, I suspect that it can even help lower blood pressure even without medicine. This I want to find out in a more scientific way though.

It is said that origami can also help people who are suffering from depression. But apart from that, I believe that origami can help improve mental health in general as it exercises the mind and engages both our left and right brain.

Election is not Vindication

In voting for former President Joseph E. Estrada to be their mayor, the people of Manila have spoken. We who are not from that city can only respect and in goodwill support their decision.

For his part however, Mayor elect Estrada should not use his election victory to claim vindication from the crime of plunder when he was President for which he was convicted and subsequently pardoned. His successor, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is now on trial for plunder also won re-election as Pampanga representative. Should we therefore believe her if she claims that her victory is proof that she is innocent?

An election victory is only a mandate to serve a constituency as best as one can. It is not a franchise on truth nor a license to rewrite history. Truth is established by proofs and evidence and not by vehement protestations. If Mr. Estrada truly wants to clear his name and find convincing vindication, he should clamor and insist on a Truth Commission to render judgement on his presidency. This will give him the chance to substantiate his claim of innocence and at the same time expose all his detractors and accusers who conspired against him.

We are sadly a country vertically divided between the powerful and rich who are few and the many who are not. By clamoring for a Truth Commission, Mr. Estrada can at least move us closer to at least be a people united in truth.

The Long Road to Malacanang

From my visual essay, 15 Views of Malacanang: Reflections on the Relationship between People and Power

Just a thought in this election period:

Vote buying is a perennial problem and feature of Philippine elections. Obviously, politicians who invest in vote buying have an eye on "recouping" their investment once they win. Yet many people, despite being aware of this fact continue to sell their votes. What gives?

For me, I have come to believe that selling of votes is not an act of irresponsibility or ignorance on the part of the voters..Voting is such an organic exercise that  people will not really do something that will very clearly hurt them. Although vote buying and selling have ultimately harmful consequences, people sell their votes because that is their only chance to squeeze something out of their politicians who they know are sure to forget them after the election. In this sense, vote selling is the poor people's political statement.

Those who want to see the end of vote selling must show the people how things can be different instead of just telling them not to sell their votes.

Dealing with the indiscriminate firing of guns

Despite the tragic deaths of innocent people among whom was Nicole Ella, arising from the indiscriminate firing of guns in the air, I doubt if those who do so are deterred by the potentially fatal result of their action. These people who know the risks and dangers of firing their guns in the air yet who do so anyway are criminally minded and must be sick in the head.

I would therefore like to suggest that those who will be caught firing their guns be made to undergo an obligatory extended mental health examination at the National Mental Hospital and if possible, from the precinct where they will be first brought, they should be brought to the Mental Hospital in straight jackets. Being branded as mental cases may be more of a deterrent than simple scare tactics for this will give them a stigma that they can not simply sleep away. This treatment could also be given to those who light illegal and banned fireworks with the DOH announcing this kind of treatment.

I also propose that Innocents Day, which is celebrated every 28th December, be made as a day of remembering (especially in media) all those who died senselessly from stray bullets or illegal fireworks. Apropos, I am interested to know what percent of those reported by the DOH as being injured by illegal fireworks had received police action in the sense that the users were investigated and vendors apprehended and prosecuted. This kind of count may matter more than just a simple injury count. The DILG should also make a count of Barangays who have decided to do away with fireworks in favor of a safer way to greet New Year and encourage more barangays to follow suit.