• Gloria Diaz as Persona Non Grata????

    September 2, 2010
    That’s Entertainment

    I will say it again and again: FILIPINOS ARE REGIONALISTIC, NOT NATIONALISTIC. We are always classified according to our ethnic groups; be it Tagalog, Visayan, Pampango, Ilocano and so on. I hate people who make fun of Visayans just because of their accent. Likewise, I hate it when Visayans thought of Tagalogs as conceited people. C’mon, we are all Filipinos! We should not make fun of the Igorots, hate the Tagalogs, typecast the Ilocanos as stingy people and the Pampangos as “maluho, wala namang makain.”

    I believe that Gloria Diaz was so misunderstood when she said those words. (Please refer to the link above.) In the first place, why would she put herself in such a humiliating and hateful situation at this point of her life? Maybe she was just saying that if a beauty pageant contestant is more comfortanle with her native dialect, Cebuana, in her example, then she should answer in Visayan. I think she’s not meant to generalize all the Cebuanas when she said that if a contestant hardly speaks English or Tagalog, then she should answer in Visayan.

    There’s a lot of hatred being expressed upon Gloria Diaz after what she said. A little spanking is fine if that’s what she deserves but some are hitting her below the belt; it doesn’t help the situation. First, I don’t think Gloria has ample time to read all the hate messages across all blogging sites. Second, it simply becomes a battle of ethnicities. One Cebuano wrote harsh things against the Tagalogs when the culprit of this brouhaha is not even Tagalog! Gloria Diaz is an Ilocana.

    I remember what Candy Pangilinan did a few years back. She offended the Igorots when she cracked a joke about the Igorots during her out of town show in Baguio. Did she mean it? No. Did she regret saying it? Yes. And Candy apologized. Maybe it’s good for Ms. Diaz to do the same just to clarify and end the issue. I’m sure the Cebuanos will forgive.

  • Gretchen on Magkaribal

    September 2, 2010
    That’s Entertainment

    It’s my first time to get hooked on a Kapamilya tele-serye. I hate Gretchen Baretto for all the controversies that she went through but her role as Victoria is so entertaining; you will forget about how she bitchy she could be in real life!

    Now, I wonder if Gretchen was just being playful when she intentionally dragged Derek Ramsey into a controversy by openly admitting her admiration for Angelica Panganiban’s boyfriend. If indeed, that was her purpose, I don’t think that she needed those issues just to promote her show. The show is entertaining enough sans any controversies.

    Bea Alonzo has always been good as an actress; there’s no doubt that Gelai’s role is made just for her. But Angel Aquino’s role as Vera is something that should not be underestimated; her mere presence in an elegant gown is another eye candy for the show.

    🙂

  • Happy Baguio Day!

    September 1, 2010
    Filipino Culture

    My five and a half years of stay in Baguio City endeared the city to me. I enjoyed my stay in Baguio and I consider myself an adoptive daughter of Baguio. Let me just reminisce Baguio City when I was a sixteen-year old girl; the Baguio of yesteryears.

    My studying in SLU was not actually planned. My mother, who attended a seminar in November 2003 in Sicat Hotel, fell in love with the place and realized that it was more conducive to study there. It came to me as a pleasant surprise because I really wanted to see Baguio.

    In one of my early posts, I mentioned that I stayed in PV Boarding Houses. It is owned and managed by JJ Jr.’s mom, Cynthia Pimpinio or simply Ate Cynthia. (A very pretty lady, even without make up!)

    I was a freshman in College of Engineering and Architecture when Atty. Rolando Dela Cruz announced that there was a rumor that Henry Sy would extend his SM “Kingdom” in Baguio. It was a feasibility study at that time because compared to now, the population of Baguio in the mid-90’s was not that big. Years later, SM Baguio was erected in Luneta Hill. I wonder what happened to Tiong San.

    You can buy a sackfull of vegetables worth 100 pesos in Hangar Market. I miss those days when I was so excited to bring home vegetables from Baguio. Just to give credit to my constant companion at that time, thanks Jun Mejia for being protective of me. This kababayan of mine acted as my kuya in PV.

    Before the Korean invasion (peace!), we had a few Korean schoolmates in SLU. Most of them were Korean sisters. I forgot what congregation they belong to. I had a classmate in PE 2, a Korean sister, we usually chat during break time. I forgot her name, my bad! Oh, but I had two Korean boardmates in PV! Bruce came from South Korea while Dong Sop was from North Korea. I was not aware that the two Koreas were at odds; no wonder the two were not too friendly with each other. But they were both friendly to me, especially Dong Sop.

    During the mid-90’s, I could go to Session Road in my pajamas and nobody would raise an eyebrow. I don’t think I could do it now; even if Jollibee was just at the ground floor of Prime Hotel.

    Camp John Hay was at its best before the privatization. I miss strolling from main gate to Mile High (caution:flying golf balls). I miss that spot somewhere near Camp John Hay Hall; it’s a scenic spot where you can see mountains. Who could ever forget that ROTC ball wherein I was one of the sponsors? (Frankly, if it were not for Allan Orbito, I wouldn’t accept to be anyone’s sponsor!)

    I have a lot of great experiences in Baguio City. I’m getting sentimental now. So maybe, greeting Baguio a “Happy Baguio Day!” will do for now.

  • Why We Should Be Proud Of Venus Raj

    August 31, 2010
    That’s Entertainment

    She ended up as fourth runner up in the 2010 Ms. Universe Beauty Pageant. Some people made a big deal about her “major major” answer during the finals round. Was she being self-righteous? Was she trying to be protective of her personal life, if indeed, she really committed a major mistake in her life?

    Venus Raj probably failed us when Ms. Mexico brought home the crown instead of her. But I’d like to look at the positive side of her being a fourth-runner up.

    Here are some of the reasons why I think, we should be proud of Venus Raj:

    1. Venus vindicated herself and proved her detractors wrong when she almost made it to last week’s beauty pageant. She literally fought for her crown when BPCI dethroned her due to discrepancies in her birth records. Some people advised her to forget what happened and just move on with life. Some people supported her and asked her to fight for her crown. She did. And the result clearly paid off.

    2. Venus came from a poor family, dreamed high, worked hard for it and voila, emerged as an almost winner in Ms. Universe. Her humble beginnings must have shaped Venus’ character; that of a strong-willed woman. She didn’t deny her status in life and she didn’t make a big deal out of being a farm girl. Venus will surely inspire people that being poor is not an obstacle to fulfill your dreams in life. You just have to believe in yourself and carry yourself well.

    3. Venus finished a degree; she values education and that for me is commendable. While she could easily use her good looks and nice (no, very nice!) body to be a top model or an actress, Venus finished schooling in Bicol.

    If Melody Gersbach were alive, she would surely be very happy for her fellow Bicolana. I’m pretty sure Nikette Henson is very happy for Venus, too. One thing admirable about Nikette and Venus is they never let their friendship get affected over the dethronement issue. Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2nd runner up Nikette was supposed to represent the country when Venus was dethroned and the first runner up was underage to fill in for her.

    Venus Raj, in our heart, ikaw ang Ms. Universe namin! Thank you for a job well done in Las Vegas!

  • Who’s To Blame?

    August 26, 2010
    Travel

    My officemates who planned their Hong Kong trip on February decided to cancel their trip after the bloody Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking event shocked the world. A week ago, I was planning to bring my family to Hong Kong Disneyland next year. And two weeks from now, my brother will arrive from the Middle East; he will have his stop-over in where else but Hong Kong!

    It was a rainy Monday night when I learned about the hostage-taking event through my neighbor. I was clueless and uninterested; not because I didn’t care about what was happening but because in my mind, I was confident that it would end very peacefully. Remember the 2007 hostage-taking incident wherein Bong Revilla and Chavit acted as negotiator?

    The next day, I was shocked to know that eight people were killed during the hostage-taking. They were innocent people; foreigners who went here just to take a break and enjoy. My heart was mourning with the victims’ family. I wanted to know who is to blame.

    According to reports, Senior Inspector Mendoza felt that the Ombudsman’s decision to sack him of a crime (extortion) that he did not commit was very unfair. His track record prior to that incident was impressive. Now, people were angry at him for what he did on that fateful Monday. Did he die for the cause that he was fighting for? Why did he have to kill innocent people and what triggered him? Who’s to blame for what he did?

    The media covered the event LIVE. Thus, Mendoza was able to know what was happening outside the bus through TV. Who’s to blame for that coverage? The networks’ executives? Are they really after the ratings?

    The SWAT team appeared unprepared and shaken. Who’s to blame for their performance? Do they really lack training?

    Would it make a difference if P-Noy talked with the hostage-taker? He was reportedly on track with the situation but it seemed that Donald Tsang would disagree. If Manila Mayor Aflredo Lim talked with Mendoza, would there be a chance that he could pacify him? He, being a former military man?

    I am particulary sympathetic to Jason Wong. He lost his parents; he’s just a child. He survived because a kind and tactful mother (a fellow tourist) asked Mendoza if she could bring with her the boy. (They were released together with her kids and an elderly woman who was said to be suffering from diarrhea.)

    Yes, Monday’s incident was an isolated case but can we blame Hong Kong if they turn their anger to our OFW’s there? Unfair as it is and it only proves that whatever we do as individuals, good or bad, it equates to how foreigners view us as a nation and vice versa.

  • Quirino Grandstand Hostage-Taking

    August 25, 2010
    Life & Love

    Still unverified if there is a survivor by the name of BANG LU MIN.

    Postcripts Of A BloodBath

    by Bang Lu Min
    (One of the Hostages)

    Mr. Mendoza was already upset even before he saw on television what the policemen did to his brother. The other tourists who remained inside the bus were complaining. Wei Ji Jiang wanted to go to the bathroom. Dao Chi Yu was hungry and the rest were just groaning and whining like they have forgotten that our lives rest in Mr. Mendoza’s hands.

    The hostage taker, as you know him was really nice. He treated us okay and even let the elders and the children leave the bus. He said your policemen treated him unfairly. He was a policeman too and was accused of doing something he had no knowledge of. But your government didn’t listen so he used us to get everyone’s attention.

    Things would have never turned for the worst if he didn’t see how his family was dragged out of their house and taken into custody. He was watching the news all the time as we huddled around each other behind the bus. He shouted some words in your language then started shooting in the air. A girl about my age started screaming. Mr. Mendoza demanded her to stop but she didn’t understand English. God, he had to slash her neck with a knife just to put her to rest. Her boyfriend who tried to hit him was shot in the head.

    Tension was rising. You can see in his face how scared and confused he was. The bus driver ran away leaving him alone with strangers from a distant land. I can see him walking across the aisle, sometimes pointing his machine gun to one of the tourists. But he tried his best not to hurt us, especially those who really cooperate.

    I guess its in your nature not to inflict pain on others unless it was necessary. I remember him saying that he will free us before sundown and implored us to forget everything when we return home. But his words don’t matter now. The policemen were trying to force their way in, while we all lied down to shield ourselves from bullets. Mister Mendoza blindly shoots at his enemies which I think kept them from rescuing us. I hear sobs under the chairs. Some were even shouting the names of their loved ones even when the air merely eat their words. Kevin Tang tried to escape when the glass door was was shattered, but one shot and he slumped on the floor with blood gushing from his mouth.

    Heavy rain pitter-pattered on the rooftop. In old Chinese saying, it means an end to a struggle. Finally, somebody was able to open the escape hatch at the back of the bus. Freedom. But I knew Mister Mendoza was still alive. I knew he was just waiting for a chance to strike back at his enemies. So I told those around me not to escape. Let the authorities come for us instead. Then there was gunfire. He was firing at his enemies with a machine gun. Those who were at the escape hatch fled abandoning us once again. It’s like a nightmare with no end and to wake up means a certain death. Then somebody from outside the bus threw a canister. It forced out a black smoke that is so painful to the eyes and putrid smelling to the nose. People started screaming. We cannot breathe. Some ran in front of the bus but Mister Mendoza warned them of stray bullets. It was too late. One was hit on the head, the other was hit on the shoulders. Bullets were now flying. Its like the authorities thought we were all dead. Mister Mendoza finally realizes his mistake and said sorry to everyone, dead or alive. He then ran towards the front of the bus where he would meet his maker. As he passed by my chair with bullets whistling overhead, I clutched my hand on the velvet curtain and wrapped it around my face. All I could think of was to stay alive – for my child who is waiting for me back in Xinjang. I know I will survive,

    I will come home.

    Bang Lu Min
    Survivor, Quirino Bloodbath

  • From Germany To Kosovo

    August 20, 2010
    Life & Love

    Sharing with you what I got from MSN:

    For two teenage Roma sisters life has turned into a nightmare since they were forced to leave Germany, the only home they had ever known, and expelled to Kosovo, a country they had never seen.

    Kosovo hurdles for Roma kids expelled from Germany
    “I feel like I am in prison. I do not go out of the yard,” said 13-year-old Bukurije Berisha in fluent German as she pointed to the high walls surrounding her dilapidated house.

    “I still hope I will wake up and see it was a bad dream.”

    The girls were born after their parents sought asylum in Germany in 1993, fleeing a brutal crackdown on Kosovo by the late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

    They speak no Albanian, the dominant language in Kosovo, and only a bit of their parents’ native Roma tongue.

    But last December, they landed with their parents and five brothers and sisters in a poor Roma settlement with filthy, narrow streets on the edge of the western Kosovo town of Pec.

    The Berishas are among some 14,000 Kosovars — 10,000 of them Roma — to be returned from Germany under a bilateral deal in April, nearly 11 years after the end of the Kosovo war.

    And those who will suffer most are children like Bukurije and her sister Lumturije, warn experts including Thomas Hammarberg, the human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe, the pan-European rights body.

    On Tuesday, he singled out Kosovo as he urged member states to refrain from action that only worsens the exclusion of Roma, many of whom already live on the fringe as stateless people without documents and thus denied basic human rights.

    “For instance, western European states should stop forcibly returning Roma to Kosovo,” Hammarberg said in a statement.

    Rights groups have sounded the alarm about a new round of discrimination against what some call Europe’s most hated minority.

    In France, controversy has dogged a government crackdown on illegal gypsy camps and moves to expel foreign gypsies breaking the law, after President Nicolas Sarkozy said some in the community posed security problems. Most Roma — an ethnic group widespread in eastern Europe — in France are thought to come from Romania and Bulgaria, both of which joined the European Union in 2007.

    European Justice and Rights Commissioner Viviane Reding already warned in April that “the situation of many Roma seems to have deteriorated over the years,” adding “that is simply not acceptable.”

    Last month, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, noted that about half of the Roma to be deported from Germany to Kosovo are children, the majority of them born and raised in Germany.

    “Children are the ones most affected by these forced returns,” Hammarberg warned in a foreword to the UNICEF report. “In Kosovo they are confronted with an entirely new reality. They feel lost and alienated.”

    The home the Berishas left was burned down in the bloody 1999 war that ended the conflict in the former Serbian province, which declared independence in 2008 despite fierce Serbian opposition. Now the family lives in a cousin’s house with no indoor plumbing or running water.

    The two sisters no longer go to school. They blame language trouble but also say they feel like outcasts with their urban European manners and fashionable clothes.

    “Children tease and call us names in school,” Lumturije said.

    They long to return “home” and vow to do so when older.

    “I was born there and I feel German,” a tearful 14-year-old Lumturije Berisha said, remembering her home in Arnsberg, western Germany.

    “I miss my school. I miss going to walk with friends in my city.”

    Analyst and prominent Roma journalist Kujtim Pacaku said it was an “illusion” to expect Roma children to integrate “after such a cultural shock”.

    “To do so, they have to forget all their previous experience and knowledge and begin from zero,” he told AFP.

    Germany has pressed for the refugees’ return for years and despite the April deal, even Kosovo’s Minister for Welfare Nenad Rasic conceded that his country simply does not have the resources to receive and integrate all returnees.

    Kosovo is considered one of Europe’s poorest countries where official figures show nearly half the two million population is unemployed and living under the poverty line. Critics in both countries have charged that Kosovo is unable to guarantee basic human rights like access to adequate housing, health care or education to its own inhabitants, no less returning Roma.

    Kosovo “first must create conditions for their integration,” said Roma member of parliament Danish Ademi, who opposes the return of gypsies.

    “Otherwise, people will have to beg or steal at once they are dropped at the airport in order to feed their families,” he said.

    Families with special needs children have not been excluded from the expulsions from Germany, though the German embassy in the Kosovo capital Pristina was not available for comment.

    The nine-member Miftari family were returned after a 16-year stay in Germany where two of their sons, now seven and 11 and both profoundly deaf, were born.

    “In Germany the conditions were ideal. They went to a specialized school which picked them up from home each day and returned them,” their father Shemsi Miftari said sadly.

    “Here they are forced to collect scrap metals and tin cans.”

    The Mulolli family has a similar tale. Their two-year-old daughter suffers from what they said is a congenital disorder that makes her “forget” to breathe in her sleep, though they could produce no verifiable medical documents, saying they were given only a short time to pack one bag per family member when they were expelled and had no time to gather medical documents.

    Selina’s condition is controlled by special, expensive portable equipment attached to her chest at night to alert her parents if she stops breathing, they said.

    “The equipment uses replaceable and expensive diodes we cannot afford and which even do not exist here,” her father Florim said.

    “Germany condemned Selina to death, but we will not let her die,” he said bitterly, hugging the lively blonde girl on his lap.

    Florim’s son Rrahman, 14, like the Berisha girls, said he felt like a refugee in Kosovo and was in constant touch with his German friends via Facebook.

    “When German police came to our flat to take us to the airport they said we’re taking you home,” he said.

    “I told them my home is here.”

    *****************************************************

    I feel bad for these kids. I feel their pain. In their heart, they are Germans and Germany is their home. Moving back to Kosovo is like starting a new and different life financially and culturally.

    Germany is like a rich relative who welcomed a poor relative to stay with him until the latter is able to re-arrange his life. For many years, Germany provided for his poor relative. Kosovo, the poor relative, learned to live his life the German way and forgot about his original home. Years later, the poor relative was informed that life in their homeland is peaceful again; they can return home. But the poor relative has established himself in the rich relative’s homeland. Despite his apprehensions, he found himself being escorted to the airport. He returned “home” but found himself lost again. He’s used to the rich relative’s homeland. But the rich relative must face his own life, too. He has given enough…maybe more than enough.

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