A Weekend of Everything that Flies in Pampanga

The 18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual event happened between February 21-24, 2013 at the Omni Aviation Complex in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.



The National Anthem was used to open the event where a skydiver, Pilot Meynard Halili released the Philippine flag in the air.



Para-gliders breeze the air...



....while waiting for the balloons to be filled up with air.

Kites didn't escape the sky.

And airshow by jets and airplaine.

Til next year...

He Kept Me Going

He was 11 months old when our father past away. He was in first year high school when our mom died due to aneurysm. He made it. He graduated from high school. 

I remember the times when he's left alone at home because me and my brother have to go to work here in Manila. During my mom's wake, I never saw him cry. He looked strong for me, though he was so young. I remember, I was that age when my dad passed away too.

He was alone in Baguio left in the care of my mother's friends and his bestfriend. No one attended PTA meeting for him. No one scolds him when he goes home late. No body was there to assist him with his homework. No one but friends, neighbors and teachers. Yet he made it. He stood strong and I'm proud of him. 

My brother gave me this rose after his graduation

God always made a way to let the set-up work. He sends people to look after him and He indeed never left us. 

Psalms 68:5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

Lost and Explored Vigan...

Vigan, the heritage city is located Northern part of Luzon particularly Ilocos Sur.

Bound to the city, we took GV Florida Sleeper bus which usually takes off around 10PM. Fare costs Php 750. Not bad right.
The Departure:

Click here to take a look inside The Sleeper Bus

We arrive at Bantay Ilocos Sur around 5AM. Bantay has two ilocano terms. One is for  "mountain", and the other means "guard" or "to guard"
A tricycle to Plaza Maestro costs Php 20.00
Plaza Maestro is a Commercial Complex where shops with local and foreign brands are situated. More like a shopping center. A mall.

Click here to check Plaza Maestro

The Arrival:

After breakfast, we rented a tricycle for Php 20.00 going to Baluarte. The zoo opens as early as 7AM.  Baluarte means territory. Owned by a famous politician Chavit Singson, in this mini zoo lies his collection of different animals from foreign location.

Baluarte pictures, click here

A tricycle from one destination to another costs Php 20.00
 The Hidden Garden is our next destination. Hidden from the other tourist spots, the hidden garden reveals collection of plants from bonsai to orchids landscaped in a manner where Filipino artistry can be acclaimed.

The Hidden Garden is indeed Hidden

The Crisologo Museum is our next stop.
This ancestral home turned museum was owned by Congressman Floro Crisologo, who worked through the ratification of the Tobacco Law and author of the Social Security System.

Click here to get inside Moseo Crisologo

The Pagburnayan Pottery is but a small pottery. Burnay is a native term for terracotta, a brownish orange mud or clay shaped and used for making pots, flower vases, sculpture and figurines.

Pagburnayan Pottery

Not a trip is complete without visiting the Bell tower. A tower located on a hill near St. Agustine Parish Church. It has four bells. According to Manong Tour Guide, one bell is for baptism, another for wedding, the other for funeral and the last is to alert the city from spaniards.

More pictures of The Bell Tower

Arcellana's Logde costs Php 250/head/night.

Lunch was marked with

Longanisang Ilocos or Vigan Longanisa
- is a native sausage, garlicky in flavor usually eaten by dipping in vinegar with chili, garlic and onions.

Bagnet - the ilocano version of lechon kawali

Vigan Empanada is a must-try and must-eat.

The Vigan Heritage River Cruise is a historical timeline of the city via the Mestizo River, Abra River and Govantes River.

River Cruise amounts to 100 pesos with 45 minutes ride

Calle Crisologo is the main attraction where souvenir shops are located on a well maintained Spanish-style houses.

More pictures from Calle Crisologo

The Sy Quia Mansion is an ancestral house still maintained by the family of the Late President Elpidio Quirino. The caretaker of the house is a fourth generation of the Quirino's servants.

Check pictures inside Sy Quia Mansion

If you wish to take the calesa, that would cost Php 150 per hour.

And that's Vigan in a day... 

UNDERSTANDING THE SABAH PROBLEM

Sharing...

One factor that is essential in the comprehension of the Sabah problem is to understand that Sabah was only officially colonised by the British Crown in 1946 which means that UNTIL THEN, North Borneo (Sabah) WAS PART of the Sultanate of Sulu although leased. 

Despite Britain's colonisation of Sabah from 1946 until 1963, it is my opinion that Sabah's sovereignty, although compromised by the British colonisation, still legally belonged to the Sultanate of Sulu. However, we all know that the Sultanate of Sulu ceded full sovereignty of Sabah to the Philippine Republic on 12 Septemeber 1962 while it was still a colony of Britain.

On 31st August 1963, Britain granted Sabah (whose sovereignty rights had been ceded the year before to the Republic of the Phlippines) its independence

Sixteen days after Britain granted Sabah its independence in 1963, and despite PH protests, it was annexed to a new federation in the making called MALAYSIA instead of returning it either to the Sultanate of Sulu or to the Republic of the Philippines which had already inherited sovereignty rights over Sabah from the Sultanate by virtue of the transfer on 12 September 1962.

In 1968, while Malaysia had taken de facto control of Sabah, the Republic of the Philippines enacted a series of laws related to our baselines and one of these laws is the Republic Act 5446 which acknowledges title and dominion over Sabah, thus by PH law, Sabah is Philippine territory. RA 5446 is still in vigour.

As Law Professor Isagani Cruz says, Isagani Cruz, "President Noynoy faces an insoluble dilemma. If he believes that Sabah is part of the Philippines, he has to defend Sabah because Malaysia is attacking it. If he does not believe that Sabah is part of the Philippines, he opens himself up to impeachment, because Philippine law says that Sabah is part of the Philippines and he is sworn to uphold Philippine law. Talking of a conspiracy does not solve the problem; in fact, it is irrelevant if there is or there is no conspiracy. The dilemma has to do simply with his stand on Sabah itself."

To my mind, the Sultanate of Sulu, and by extension the royal heirs, is irrelevant in the PH claim because Sabah is already PH territory by PH law. The Philippine Republic, however, has contractual obligations which it signed when it accepted from the Sultanate of Sulu the full transfer of sovereignty rights in 1962 and one of these contractual obligations is to prosecute the claim and in so doing, help the Sultante of Sulu's proprietary rights to be recognised. So we cannot actually take it against the Sultanate for feeling doubly rebuffed. It is the Philippine Republic's contractual obligation to do it and the Government has been remiss in its obligations.

~~ By Anne de Bretagne
For the DEFENDERS OF THE PHILIPPINE SABAH & SPRATLY CLAIMS
05 March 2013

"SABAH IS NOT OWNED BY THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT"

SHARING..

Sabah is NOT OWNED by the Philippine government but the Republic of the Philippines 'possesses' sovereignty rights over Sabah. However, the proprietary rights to the land belong to the Sultanate of Sulu heirs. There is a difference.

The Philippine government has NO ownership claim to Sabah land -- as in proprietary rights claim (in the same manner that Philippine government has NO ownership claim to your private lupa at bahay.)

So, sa madaling sabi, dalawang bagay po ito: SOVEREIGNTY RIGHTS & PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

The sovereignty rights to Sabah belong to the Republic by virtue of an official transfer made by Sultan Esmail Kiram I on 12 Sept 1962 witnessed by President Diosdado Macapagal. But the proprietary rights remain in the hands of the Sultanate of Sulu heirs.

Para po bang iyong sariling lupa at bahay at bahay ninyo maski sa dulo ng Pilipinas: kayo ang may-ari at sa inyo ang titulo ng pag-aari (proprietary rights) pero ang batas na susundin ay sa Republika, ang batas na umiiral ay sa Republika ng Pilipinas (sovereignty rights) pero hindi ibig sabihin na pag-aari ng gobyerno ang lupain.

DAGDAGAN PO NATIN ANG PALIWANAG at sana makatulong ito (pasensya na lang po sa Taglish explanation heheheh)

Tama po ang isang myembro natin na sabi niya na ang transfer ng sovereingty rights galing sa Sultanate ay FULL SOVEREIGNTY...

"Full Sovereignty" means full control but it doesn't signify proprietary rights to the piece of land. With 'full sovereignty', it would mean, the Republic will have full control of defense, police powers, foreign policy, taxation, execution of laws, coinage, education, health etc etc...

Allow us to illustrate what FULL SOVEREIGNTY means by comparing it to the framework agreement being devised between govt and MILF for a Bangsamoro: despite "genuine and full autonomy" proposed to cover the new political entity, sovereignty rights will be shared between the autonomous Bangsamoro govt and the Republic of the Philippines and basing it on the 10-points agreed between the MILF and the Republic, Bangsamoro will have police powers, capability to sign trade agreements with other countries, taxation, but because it is only shared sovereignty with the Republic, the Philippine govt will have control of national defense, foreign policy, coinage (meaning currency) and other aspects of sovereignty rights that usually belong to the STATE (national government), etc.

BUT in the case of Sabah, sultanate indeed transferred FULL sovereignty rights to Republic as in full control of Sabah to take control of all the instruments of governance and does not mean shared sovereignty rights with the Sultanate of Sulu (unlike with the proposed MILF Bangsamoro 'homeland' which is shared sovereignty.)

Life of Pi, Qoutes to Ponder

A friend of mine, Brent invited me to watch this film. When I don't have any idea of the story, we went ahead along with our friend Laila and I never had any regrets. 

Life of Pi is a story of a young boy who is in search of religion, explores spirituality, confused about the concept of God and gods, survived a shipwreck, lost his family and stranded in a boat with Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger.. 

And here are some lessons I learned: 

“Even when God seemed to have abandoned me, He was watching. And when I was beyond all hope of saving, He gave me rest.”

"Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?"

“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”

"You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it.”

"The reason death sticks so closely to life is not biological necessity; it's envy. Life is beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs what it can."

"I lost my family, my everything. What more do you want from me?"

"The lower you are, the higher will want to soar."

"What the island gives them during the day, it takes away at night"

"Life will defend itself no matter how small it is."

"Religion is about our dignity, not our depravity."

"Survival is a state of mind"

"Why tolerate the darkness? Everything else is here and clear, if only we look for it."

"It is important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise, you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse."

" It's hard to stay positive when nothing ever goes right."

"Life on a lifeboat isn't much of a life. It is like in an end game in chess, a game with few pieces. The elements couldn't be more simple, nor the stakes higher."

"I have nothing to say of my working life, only that a tie is a noose, and inverted though it is, it will hang a man nonetheless he is careful. "

" When your own life is threatened, your sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish hunger for survival."

" Faith is opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, and a free act of love, but sometimes it was so hard to love."

"Sometimes my heart was sinking so fast with anger, desolation and weariness, I was afraid it would sink to the very bottom of the Pacific and I would not be able to lift it back up. "

"I was giving up. I would have given up – if a voice hadn't made itself heard in my heart. The voice said, "I will not die. I refuse it. I will make it through this nightmare. I will beat the odds, as great as they are. I have survived so far, miraculously. Now I will turn miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen every day. I will put in all the hard work necessary. Yes, so long as God is with me, I will not die. Amen."

"It was Richard Parker who calmed me down. It is the irony of this story that the one who scared me witless to start with was the very same who brought me peace, purpose, I dare say even wholeness."

"I had to stop hoping so much that a ship would rescue me. I should not count on outside help. Survival had to start with me. In my experience, a castaway's worst mistake is to hope too much and do too little. Survival starts by paying attention to what is close at hand and immediate. To look out with idle hope is tantamount to dreaming one's life away."

" Animals have souls, I can see it in their eyes."

" It is strange how easy it is to hate when it's so hard to love."

" I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes a matter of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."

" Faith is a house of many rooms,... and doubt is on every floor. Doubt is useful, it keeps faith a living thing. After all, you cannot know the strength of your faith until it is tested."

“It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.”

"Hunger can change everything you thought you knew yourself!"

"I can eat biscuits, but God made tigers carnivorous, so I must learn to catch fish. If don't, I'm afraid his last meal would be a skinny vegetarian boy."

"Gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud."

"Thank you Lord Vishnu. Thank you for coming in the form of fish and saving our lives."

"Above all... it is important not to lose hope."

"Life is a story. You can choose your story. A story with God is a better story"

Choices

There are times when you are caught between two clashing stones. A time when you would need to choose one and compromise the other. Both will have "something" special at stake. Something that in one way or another would be "something" you need for yourself. Both of which compromises each other. A yes on one will definitely be a big disappointment on the other.

When times like these arises? What would you choose?

I am caught between choosing friendship over something for myself. Something I worked hard for and something I think I deserve. I am caught between giving and taking. I am caught between my own interest or other’s happiness..

Of November 1 and Remembering The Dead

November 1 and November 2 marks the days of remembering people who passed away. It is the time when flowers and candles shoot prices, the time when more men in police uniform are seen, the time when kids and even adults wear their favorite Halloween costumes, and the time when parties and sometimes mishaps are held at the cemeteries.

It is the day I hate the most.

July 22, 1996 was when my father, Benjamin Abuan Mostrales, passed away. He taught me how to be humble and generous at all times no matter who asked for help. He was the one who opened my eyes saying it is not enough to count your blessings, you have to share them. He came from a very poor family. His pants going to school were literally made out of sack of flour but he made it through college with perseverance.  

7 years later, my grandfather, Theodoro Pimentel followed. That was June 24, 2003. He was a teacher. He seldom talks. Very naive. My grandfather taught me patience, patience and patience. He taught me that waiting will bring you the crown. He taught me integrity pays even without shouting it to the world and he taught me how to compose myself even when things go wrong.

Another 7 years past, January 10, 2010, my mom, Bernardina Pimentel Mostrales, left us. My mother, like her father was so naive. I know my mom as the most demure, unpretentious woman. Yes! Exactly my opposite. She can befriend my friends, my brother's friends and even our friends' parents.

Not long after that, June 24, 2012, my grandmother, Eduarda Catalino Pimentel bid goodbye. My grandmother on the other hand is one intelligent and courageous woman. She does not know how to read and write but she's one who took life's teaching and learned from it. My cousin even said and I qoute,

It is not impossible to go wherever you want to be. You just have to befriend courage, will and faith to find the way. A lesson from lola Duarda. -by Racey Arianne Alsaen

These four people are the people who drew and painted the most important canvass of my life. These were the people who left and are remembered not only during November but everyday of my life. These are the people who made me cry, who made me strong and who made me the person I am today. 

These are the people who made me hate November because it's the day when people around remind me that they left me alone to struggle with day to day battles. I should have moved on but every November 1st is a painful reminder.  It is a reminder that I don't have a choice but to accept that they maybe dead but they are forever alive in my heart.

Notification: "YOU ARE OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS"

Republic Act 10175 – Cybercrime Prevention Act was signed into law last September 12, 2012 and went live October 3,2012. Today, is the first day of Cybercrime Law Act.


Right now, I'm thinking to maybe, just maybe, be careful of what I'm going to write else, NBI, DOJ and PNP will be knocking on my door handling me a warrant of arrest.

Here are the 17 Cybercrimes covered under Cybercrime Prevention Act – Republic Act 10175. Number 13 talks about libel wherein writing, printing, lithography, engraving, radio, phonograph, painting, theatrical exhibition, cinematographic exhibition, or any similar means, shall be punished by prision correccional in its minimum and medium periods or a fine ranging from 200 to 6,000 pesos, or both, in addition to the civil action which may be brought by the offended party. WOW!

Obviously, government officials are trying to protect themselves with this Bill.

Until now, the senate denies and point fingers to who inserted this part on the said Republic Act.

Let's take a look at

The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines
Article III
Bill of Rights
Section 4. No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.

What's the punishment for violating this?

There are many laws that needs to be passed. What happened to RHBILL, FOI BILL, and SINTAX BILL?

The country is facing many problems. What are you, government officials, doing? 

Please don't forget, YOU ARE OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS!

We have the right to voice out what we want since we are the one who put you in the office and we are the one paying taxes.

Right now, Sotto and Carabuena maybe laughing hard. I just imagine.. 

Braze yourselves.. 
The search is on for the first person to be jailed from the Cyber Crime Law in the Philippines...

Baguio... SOLD..

While Executive Order 695 issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last January 10, 2008, explicitly states “the City Government of Baguio shall not encumber, mortgage or alienate any portion of Burnham Park unless approved by the secretary of the Department of Tourism”, local government officials would still want it privatize more to the point of selling/mortgaging to Korean businessmen.

It was in 2010, Former Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr. partnered with a certain An Ho Yul who represented the unknown group of investors, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the development project - GMA News

What's Mayor Mauricio Domogan has to say?

Sunstar dated August 13, 2012 was able to hear out what Baguio City mayor has to say.

Mayor belies anomaly in Athletic Bowl development

There goes the Pontius Pilate washing his hands..

RT: @baguio If Athletic Bowl in Burnham Park must be fixed, but why give a Korean 8 whole hectares for 50 years?

Let's take a look at the second one.

CITY TO LOOK INTO BCC PRIVATIZATION AFTER PURCHASE ‘A DONE DEAL’

Where'd the budget going Honorable Mayor?

In addition to that, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center is also on the verge of being privatized. According to The Department of Health, which supports the moves, said it is part of the current administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) who believed that provision of medical services will be improved and will bring better prospects for health care and medical facilities to public hospitals nationwide.

Whereas to date, BGHMC according to Dr. Manuel Factora is understaffed with incomplete facilities.

But then again, where is the Php 250 million budget going then?

Tomorrow, we wake up with a mark all over Baguio,

Baguio... Sold! 

No to the privatization of the Baguio Athletic Bowl Petition | GoPetition

40 Years Ago.. and 40 Years After..

September 21, 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law. The declaration issued under Proclamation 1081.

I was born 1982. Still under the Martial Law. I am a Martial Law baby.

My brother on the other hand is an EDSA 1 baby.

Now, my nephew is an e-martial law baby.

FOI Bill, RH Bill and Sin Tax Bill were not yet signed.

RA 10175 contradicts to our freedom of speech. Any negative post against a person can now be considered as libel. Hello, Online Martial Law! Or I should say E-MARTIAL LAW.

Mathematics, Science, Twilight Saga, Hunger Games Trilogy & Fifty Shades of Grey in TAGALOG??

It was around the year 2007 and 2008 when it was proposed that the subjects Mathematics and Science will be taught in "tagalog". Thereon, debates and negative reactions were unending. A year after that, another proposal surfaced wanting the medium of instruction in all schools be in English. Confusing?? Yes, it is!

In this country, it is assumed that people are more fluent in Filipino rather than English which is not really the case. With lots of dialects that we have, there are people who are not fluent speaking tagalog and/or English. Most of our fellow countrymen are more confident speaking their own dialect.

In the school where I graduated, most of our subjects were taught in English except Filipino and History or Sibika at Kultura as we call it before which I believe it’s just but right to teach such subjects in their own language of distinction.

However in order for us to be competitive enough especially in the global market, being able to speak and write the English language would definitely bring us on a higher level.

Teaching math and science in tagalog would be very difficult since terminologies, formulas and principles of these two subjects would be very difficult to understand once it is translated in other dialect.

Recently, bestselling books such as Twilight Saga, Hunger Games Trilogy & Fifty Shades of Grey were translated in Tagalog by Precious Hearts Romances. When the publisher said that bestselling books have translations in French, German, Chinese and Nihonggo, they thought of translating too in pinoy language. I myself reacted negatively about it. Not because of I don’t want it in Talagog but hey, I hope they did justice through the translation. I think it would do well enough if they decoded the book based on context rather than translating it word per word. Twilight was called TakipSilim. How about Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey, how would you translate these titles in tagalog?


I think I would prefer Pol Medina's Pugad Baboy instead of reading these tagalize versions even if we call them best sellers. The essence would still be the same. They would make me laugh!