The Day That The PHILIPPINES Stood Still.

Time: 11:47 p.m. (August 23, 2010, Monday).
Where: In my bedroom.
Now Playing: "Wonderful Life" by Hurts.

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Oh my. It was a shocking day today. I am so deeply ashamed on what just happened today. Kind of speechless and with deep affection but nevertheless, no Filipinos were killed but the innocent Hong Kong tourists that just wanted to vacate here and enjoy the wonders of the three stars and a sun nation.

It happened at around 10:30 a.m. where at that time, I was sleeping gently after a fierce battle of a computer game with one of my buddies at around 3-4 a.m. When I woke up at 3 p.m., my father was watching all along on the TV and wondering that something is unusual because he didn't watch the news at that time, he was supposed to watch his favorite noontime show but alas, he was tuning in to the news about the hostage taking in the Quirino Grandstand. He told me some details and I felt so concerned a bit because I seen it before. Last 2007, the same hostage taking on the bus happened. At first, I was confident that it will obtain a great outcome but the opposite happened.

Rolando Mendoza, a former police senior inspector, was the gunman. My sister told me that the story goes like this. The said Hong Kong tourist bus was in Fort Santiago. The photographer inside the bus counted the tourists inside and it was all 21 of them, that made a total of 25 including the 21 tourists and the 4 Filipino tour guides, and photographers and the driver respectively. All of a sudden, Mendoza was in the fray. He went to the said vehicle and ask if this bus needed security and yet the photographer said that they don't need any security nor bodyguard at all but what the heck, you can join, he said kind of like that.

They made into the Quirino Grandstand and that's what happened. Mendoza explained to the passengers that he was doing this to fight for what I want to obtain and is to go back to his job and lift his cases and he requested for the passengers to cooperate and he will NOT KILL ANYONE. Really? He was just making a threat to the Ombudsman but what happened? Then this driver of the bus escaped and told the media that all of the passengers are dead, which we go to the horrendous Manila SWAT team, they were alarmed and bash the hell out of the windows and fire some gunshots inside the bus which I think the cause of some fatalities including Mendoza's death.

If only the police shoot the TV inside the bus where it showed what happening outside so Mendoza wouldn't know what happened outside. C'mon. The policemen couldn't even get the dude's brother into a policecar. How'd you expect them to deal with an actual hostage situation. Oh my. I am goddamn speechless at this very moment. Was I screaming for God's sake?

The whole world saw it, even me. I saw it on some local and international news stations like GMA, ABS-CBN, CNN, BBC, ChannelNewsAsia, CCTV, RT, and so on. It was truly a lesson to us Filipinos especially the Philippine National Police. Sana hindi na maulit ito and we are praying for it. International people have have negative thoughts about our country which is BAD but we can rise up and regain the good image that we deserve.

Again, God bless the souls of the hostage taking victims. We Filipinos are great and professional people and I know it. We are also aware of what will happen, we are deeply concerned of what our fellow countrymen did horrendously.



PNOY to Filipinos: "Lahat ng pagkakataon may pag-subok tayong daraanan. Lalo tayong magsumikap dito na hindi mauulit ang sitwasyon."

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Time: 12:44 a.m. (August 24, 2010, Tuesday).
Where: Still in my bedroom.
Now Playing: "The Prayer" by Bloc Party.

A Family Reunion is a great idea.

Time: 9:47 p.m.
Now Playing: "The Hardest Part" by Coldplay.
Where: In my bedroom.

The feeling of the compilation of the members of one's clan or one's family is truly one of the best highlights of our life. It gives us the uplifting that someone really cares about you because the family's name is not only by one, is by multiples. Even thought you have problems or downfalls, you have the rest of the family to help you and don't ever say that nobody loves you.

Moving along... too emotional. What a crybaby. Anyway, yesterday, August 8, we had a family reunion in Los Baños, Laguna... where one of my uncle lives. They hosted the said reunion and actually, they started this thing last year and I think it will be an annual event for our family.

It all started when my grandmother to my father's side, passed away (R.I.P Grandma Juling), and after the burial ceremony, we took a grand picture with the whole family wearing the immaculate white tops, a symbol of peace. There's talks of a reunion all of a sudden and it came into a reality.

I must say the family reunion this year was doubled compared to last year's reunion because many of us or unanimously of us attended, it's nearly completed, plus the fact that my family was complete. Last year, my father and I were the attendees representing our family. Nothing's different if I compare the reunion of last year to this year's.

The fiesta-type of celebration like some drink-o-holic station outdoors, foods galore indoors with some chit-chat of their memories, not just the usual chit-chat, others are chatting each other on Facebook, which is kewl. Literally. I mean it. We brought our laptop together with my uncle's set of laptops, which is totally rare. I played with my fellow cousins, while playing my own game with my gaming friend outside Los Baños, he's from Batangas right now, beat him good. Nobody cares.

It was a day of bonding, picture-taking and celebration that we shared on that day. It was fun while it lasted. There's rumours of a swimming event this Saturday, which is another reunion extravagant, that I heard but I'll dig it to that for sure with our family.

I can't wait for another reunion next year, we should do this every year for a living. Without this family reunion, I must say, our lives will be a piece of nil souls.

Thanks a lot.

Time: 10:25 p.m.
Now Playing: "Rebellion (Lies)" by Arcade Fire.
Where: Still in my bedroom.

August 1 is "The Day of Rekindling".

Time: 5:24 p.m.
Now Playing: "On Melancholy Hill" by Gorillaz.
Where: In my sister's bedroom.

Why did I entitled the very first day of August "The Day of Rekindling"? If you are a Filipino, learned some history lessons, and does like the color yellow, you might probably know why it is. No seriously, these requirements are jokes but it's pretty obvious why did I call that. It's the day to commemorate Corazon C. Aquino, the mother of Democracy in the Philippines. The world witnessed what she had done to change the image of the Filipinos in the four corners of the globe.

It all started during 1983 where Benigno Aquino Jr., he is the Father of Democracy in the Philippines, fought for democracy during the Marcos regime and mostly accused Ferdinand Marcos about their hidden riches which they stole in people's taxes. He fought for so long and ran for presidency and yet he lost to Marcos. The people of the Philippines were not convinced so they continue to oppose Marcos with that curious result of that said election. Ninoy, however, was arriving in the Manila International Airport at that time when suddenly he was gunshot and he was down, down at his homesoil, he made it yet it was a sacrifice I must say because he returned home with one voice, that we must unite to fight dictatorship, and corruption. So, it was truly a sad day for all Filipinos when he died August 21, 1983. I think more than a million gathered together during the burial day and I wish I witnessed that but sadly, I wasn't in existence yet.

People started to let people sign to be part of 1 million signature petition for Mrs. Aquino to run for presidency which is the beginning of the true history. She did run and a rumored she won and another rumored Marcos won via majority votes or a slate. She was a then mother turn president when Marcos flee to be exiled in Hawaii. She truly changed our country when the 20-year dictatorship ended.

"Kapag nagkaroon ng demokrasya ang Pilipinas, pwupwede na akong mawala sa mundo." That's the quote that I will never forget that she said during her last interview and she was suffering with colon cancer (I hate cancer, seriously). She died August 1, 2009 at 3: 18 a.m. and the Cory Magic is still here.

Anyway, when she died, it was all silence and pure commemoration to what she had done to the Philippines and I kind of figuring out something weird yet it is true. I was truly crying when I was on the bus when I heard the news on my way home after a grueling day on Mapua during that day.

She died on 08-01-2009, right?

She died at 03:18 a.m., right?

Try gather all the numbers around. ---> 080120090318. There.

Remove all the zeros. ---> 8129318.

I jumbled it and here's the result. ---> 8211983. If you see it as 8-21-1983, that's Ninoy's date of death. What a coincidence and it is truly a magic for Philippine Democracy, they united again after 26 years.

And now, his son, Noynoy will continue his parents' legacy and hopefully we will recover after the nine-year inconsistent governance, which caused for lack of funds and bigger problems in corruption and poverty.

We will never forget you, Cory.

Laban!

Time: 6:28 p.m.
Now Playing: "Ready to Start" by Arcade Fire.
Where: At my sister's bedroom.

Envious to the Nations in every World Cup.

Time: 1:10 a.m.
Where: My room.
Listening to: "Dance Little Liar" by Arctic Monkeys.

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Lionel Messi, he is one of my idols in football, playing for F.C. Barcelona and he is the best in the world, winning the "Ballon D' Or". I also like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Wayne Rooney. They are just the examples of the icons I praised in football which is NOT a factor here in our country. Well, we all know that "football" is phenomenon, right? Almost the 6 billion people in the world are ecstatic to the game. Not everyone but you can't please every sports fan to become one-dimensional when it comes to the game preference but it's just that I want to feel that every Filipino should be into "football", you know... playing the game, watching the game, et cetera. I truly envy every single country that usually participate in the biggest sporting event in every four years tied with the Summer Olympics, and it is the FIFA World Cup. You can name them. England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, even Cote d' Ivoire or Ivory Coast is one of the powerhouses of the sport even though in the international community that it is one of the most unpopular or unrecognized countries in the world. It's not that I am not respecting the country of Ivory Coast but where the hell is "Ivory Coast"? I know it's in Africa but where?

Anyway, to the main topic. I am envying them all it is because of the word "passion". You know, I always imagine if the Philippines qualify the World Cup for the first time. What will be the crowd look like? Having their painted faces of the design of the Philippine flag plus, our jersey with some expensive merchandises and sponsorships, plus, who are the members of the team or what will be our monicker? The Patriots? It's good.

I want for them, our national team, if they are really in existence to play more football and to the Philippine Sports Commission to give them exposure and establish a professional league for Filipinos with major clubs so that we can regularly participate in the Asian Football Confederation or AFC and a possible trip to the World Cup.

You know, bagay talaga sa atin ang larong "football" because Filipinos are short and in football, we don't have to become freakishly large to be a good football player, unless if you want to be a goalkeeper with that long legs blocking every goal kick. Also, Filipinos are very "passionate" people and football is a game full of passion, as you can see from the other international countries participated for centuries like England for instance. It's like watching Manny Pacquiao in every fixture. It's just that, no exposure.

So, I released my feeling for Filipinos na sana 'wag naman puro 'basketball' or 'boxing' ang ating panoorin. We need to become football fans. I cannot force everyone but I hope this will happen. And the first thing to look forward is the Philippine National Football Team in the Homeless World Cup in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, who qualified and oh, Brazil is the number one ranked when it comes to the sport "football". Come on mga kababayan, let's cheer our team with pride and passion.

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Time: 1:31 a.m.
Where: Still at my room.
Listening to: "Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers.

I Say on Wednesday.

Time: 2:06 p.m. (June 28, 2010).
Where: My room.
Eating: None.
Listening to: "Your Love" by Keane.

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Well, if you are living in the Philippines, you might know what event or events will take place this Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Of course it will historic and in fact a start of change in the Philippine political scene. A transition of power, as they say on this day. It will be the Inauguration of the 15th President and Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines, Benigno "Noynoy" Simeon Aquino III, and Jejomar "Jojo" Binay respectively. I must say that this will be a historic day for the most of us but after that day, it will be a blowout inside Malacañang Palace.

Also, not to mention, another thing that comes to the Filipinos on that day is the opening of the much awaited "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse", which is the third installment of that Stephanie Meyer novel series. So, it's like this, the people of the Philippines has to choose one event to attend, unless if you're a die-hard Twilight fan that you wanted to see the movie on the actual opening date, which is the day Noynoy is scheduled to speak for his inauguration. Well, most of us are I think in the focus for this momentous event, I meant the inauguration of our new leaders.

As I am typing this third paragraph, I am watching the live coverage of the special coverage for the inauguration but not the real inauguration yet. Probably, in the morning but back to the topic. I am quite confused on what to do on this day but I made my mind that it is for the good of our country if every Filipino witnessed another chapter in the country's history. So, maybe, I can watch the Eclipse later this week, on the first week of July or two just to witness Noynoy's speech and also some musical parade and the President's surprise number. So, I am kind of drowsy now and this is my first blog since the election last May 10. It's been a while. Good day to the Philippines and "Mabuhay ang mamamayang Pilipino."

Time: 5:49 a.m. (June 30, 2010).
Where: In my room.
Eating: none.
Listening to: "Infra-Red" by Placebo.

Election for a beautiful outcome.

Time: 7:54 p.m. (GMT +8).
Where: In my sister's bedroom.
Listening to: "City of Blinding Lights" by U2.
Eating: Peanuts

Well, as I make this blog, the British voters were finished to vote for this day and the Conservatives are leading, as in grabbing more parliamentary seats than their rival party, Labour and the Liberal Democrats and it also marks that it will be three days away and it is judgment day here in our beloved democratic country.

Ads here, ads there, banners here, banners there, Facebook campaigning here, Facebook campaigning there. That's what the Philippines elections is all about. CAMPAIGNING THROUGHOUT. More effort and talk, and more money to spend. The candidates are willing to sing and dance for you just to get their vote to you. It's all about charisma and popularity here and I kind of envying the United Kingdom and the United States in their way of campaigning. Not much road work, not much banners, streamers of the candidates' faces at all because they want their country to be clean at all times because there is the word TOURISM and in their campaigning speeches, I can see the platform going and the future is bright, it's all about professionalism at work and if the election day goes and ended the polls, it is always a peaceful one, I mean, no killings, like here in the country, the losing candidates accepts and congratulate and support his rival to his platform. That's what I wanted to see in our country but it is not. Pure sheer black propaganda here, pure sheer black propaganda there. What's next? Corruption?

That's why there are rich countries under us. We were formerly second to the richest country in Asia alone because of the intelligent projects by Ferdinand Marcos but he changed his image from having good governance in him to a merciless dictator. Now, we are second to the last I think as the richest. Wow, because of CORRUPTION of the previous administrations, including the Marcos'. Also, I noticed to our politicians that some of them are hungry for a seat in any position, that's why they used violence and more just to win the seat and also, not to mention vote buying and again, black propaganda, I mean, why do they have to do that? Is because they are scared of losing power and whatnot? It's a nil, come on. That's how the immaturity of the Philippine politics goes. Plus, a lot of liars and promises. I hate that, seriously.

As I make this blog, I am NOT against nobody at all, at any candidate, I just wanna see a better Philippines for like twenty years, thirty years ago and never tasted that kind of feeling when every Filipino is up again. So, we all want change, right? But who will stand for CHANGE? So, as I type this again, it's midnight, dawn rather, and it's two days away come Election Day here and I just wish that everything is set, with no failures in the automated election, our first, and hopefully to every single Filipino in this 7,107 islands, that we must choose the best candidate that we think that he/she can stand for change. I am just a 17-year old boy, but I can feel the masses' will for change.

Time: 4:56 a.m. (GMT +8).
Where: In my own bedroom.
Listening to: "It's Working" by MGMT.
Eating: nothing.

It's Killing Me.

Date: April 13, 2010, (Tuesday)
Time: 10:42 p.m. (GMT +8)
Where: in my bedroom
Now Playing: "Miracle" by Vertical Horizon

Oh men, yesterday, April 12, 2010, was one of the most horrendous days in my entire life because it is one of the most serious days I have faced in my entire life and I know, some of you are having this problem as well. Yesterday, my parents took me to Alabang Medical Clinic for an abrupt check-up for my "Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis". From the word "idiopathic", it means or it relates to "hereditary" or came to a previous generation. Damn, once you obtain this kind of sickness, you will keep this forever unless you want to have a greater and better life, you should take an orthopedic surgery.

It was totally horrendous all of a sudden because my mother cannot accept that it is the only way to get me cure, but not only 100%, probably 90% cured because you cannot easily bent the spinal cord straight. So, my mother and I never gave up that we can find the alternative solution because you know, in every operation, there are risks to take during the execution. It's either you have improved your life or worse, you will never get your life back by this such operation. That's what we are thinking. I know the doctors here are great, they are well-trained, it's such that we will never know the future.

My father and my mother argued about it and I just remarked to them that it doesn't matter if it is an operation or not, I will take both, the matter is I will be healed soon, enough said. I continue to suffer, experiencing back spasms, hard to breathe sometimes and more pain and misery.

And I went to PinoyExchange Forum, "What's Up Doc?" and I know there are doctor moderators in the said forum, and I have read some of my fellow victims of this tragic sickness and yeah, most of them took operation and have their life even better, some are not, and took swimming as an alternative. I saw a 29-year old lady who suffered just like me, she discovered that she had scoliosis when she was 10, after that, she continued to ease the pain at 29. Wow, I don't want to ease the pain that age, when you are in 30's having a family and a job. It's a discrimination you know.

Oh men, I just wish that I never have this kind of horrendous sickness, if you were in my situation, you will experience something that is hard to cope with some normal people and it's hard to have scoliosis, it's like a virus on your computer or laptop. First, you feel that it is safe to use, then later, there will be many worms, spyware and some Trojan Horses and you won't able to treat it unless you have an anti-virus and that anti-virus for me is the OPERATION.

"Please God, help us surpass these problems."

Time: 10:42 p.m. (GMT +8)
Where: in my bedroom
Now Playing: "Song To Say Goodbye" by Placebo.