The Modern Noah's Ark

Dear insansapinas,

The film 2012 was a 2009 American diaster movie   which referenced to Mayanism, Mesoamerican Long Cout and the 2012  phenomenon--the end of the world.



So the scientists prepared for the end by building arks to save humanity. At least some. Unlike Noah, the people behind the project were not ridiculed.


The original plan was to choose   400,000  people only but in  the last minute (siyempre suspense)  those who were outside the arks and were  refused to board were accommodated. So what if the arks were over to its capacity. So what if the resources were not enough.


But wait, because I was watching the movie while talking to a friend over the phone, I did not notice if there were Filipinos on  board.


They must have been refused. They may have brought with them balikbayan box. Hindi lang isa, baka dalawa. 


At the end of the movie when the water receded, the people noted that they were in the South Africa the only continents that remained above sea level. 

Sipa

Dear insansapinas,
Hindi ako nakikisawsaw sa balitang awayan sa pulitika. Para sa akin para iyang laro na sipa.

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Sipa (lit. kick or to kick) is the Philippines' traditional native sport which predates Spanish rule.
The game is both played by two teams, indoors or outdoors, on a court that is about the size of a tennis court. The teams consist of one, two or four players in each side. The aim of the game is to kick a soft ball made out of rattan fragments, back and forth over a net in the middle of the court. The sport requires speed, agility and ball control.

Hindi hihintuan hanggang hindi bumagsak sa lupa.
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Para rin itong badminton na palitan ng pagpalo sa shuttlecock at ang matatalo ay ang player o grupo ng players na nahulugan ng bola dahil di siya nakaganti.

Kaya kailangang paluin ng paluin para ipagpatuloy ang pagpapahirap.


Pero ang pinakamalapit na description ay ito:

Santol, Bukol, Langka, Dapa

Dear insansapinas,

When my nurse friend told me about their patient who was schizo, she teased me that I could be one. hehehe.
She could not go near the patient on certain times because the latter suspected that she is going to be murdered by my friend with her vital signs monitor. Ako naman ay may delusion lang na nagcoconspire ang mga langgam pag nakita ko silang naglalabasan sa kanilang mga lungga. And of course I can hear whispers of ghosts. But that is already accepted in several universities as a body of knowledge. Parang normal lang. 


******************
I have watched that popular movie for nth time not because I wanted to but because, it is being shown in the movie channel every Christmas. It is only this time that I took note of the dialogue---first she could not reach the son because the phone was out of order. Before the movie ended, using the supposed to be out- of- repair phone the son tipped off the police that a robbery was going on in their neighborhood. Narepair bigla?  Her mother who traded her earrings for plane ticket so she could go home was wearing another set of earrings after the several plane rides and long drive that she made to reach the son. She had the time to get another set?  Mali ang script or did I miss something but it is just me a schizo.


******************
When I was a kid, we used to visit a relative's farm that was given to them by the government. It was a little paradise with many fruit trees such as santol, langka,guava, atis,  bananas and vegetables such as gabe, sweet potato leaves, bok choy and many more, more than enough for their needs.
When we visited, they would prepare us grated santol pulp (minus the seeds) cooked in coconut milk or raw langka fruits cooked also in coconut milk and guavas, still cooked in coconut milk. Sa Bicol kasi yan eh.
When I was in high school, I met the daughter of the relatives  in the city. She was already a teacher. She left the province because she believed she got no future there. 


With all these farm produce, they could have made money if there were roads to bring them to the city. Napurga lang sila sa mga tanim nila dahil wala namang bibili. Ang mga neighbors, nakikihingi lang naman.


******************
Before my mother's friend migrated to the US, she was called biyahera. She went to the provinces to buy farm products and brought them to the city. Most of them were fruits and vegetables. There was a province which bridge collapsed during the height of a typhoon. Because the governor of that government was not an administration's favorite the bridge was never repaired until next adminstration; instead a hanging rope bridge was the only means of transport from the farm. She had to paid double to  the baggage boys to bring the products across the bridge. Kesehodang mukha silang Spider Man.

The Experts

Dear insansapinas,

The nine year-old daughter of my friend's sister was diagnosed by a PSYCHIATRIST to have a mental capacity of less than seven year old kid. He recommended to enroll the girl in a special class. The main reason why she was advised to see the expert is because since she came from the Philipppines more than two years ago, there was no improvement in her learning aptitude.


In the Philippines, diagnosing one as schizo is done by a witness of a crime  who may not even understand what the word means. Onli in the Philippines.


Sa Behavior Analysis Unit ng FBI, maraming experts ang nag-aaral ng mga motivation ng criminal, condition ng kanilang utak at ang kanilang capability to kill. 


Sabi nga ng kaibigan ko, kung basang tela si Janelle (nobya ni Ramgen), tuyo na ito kapipiga  sa halos araw-araw na nasa diyaryo ang balita.


Pilit


Para lang masabing epektibo ang conditional cash transfer program ng gobyerno, inadjust ng NEDA ang proverty level na nagresulta sa pagbawas ng mga taong masasabing mahirap. Sus. pero explanation naman nila ay ang adjustment ay dahil sa mababang presyo sa probinsiya. OO na.


 Underspending


Matagal nang sinasabi na ang underspending ng gobyerno ay di nakakatulong sa ekonomiya. Ilang beses ko na bang paulit-ulit yong sinusulat. Hindi naman ako expert.  Noong isang araw mismo ang BSP ang nag-utos to step up spending.

Joint action by major central banks to avoid a global liquidity crunch should ease the burden on Philippines' monetary policy, but the government still needs to step up spending to stimulate the domestic economy, the head of the central bank said. 

Sabi ni Drilon:

Government spending is a substantial component of the country’s national gross domestic product (GDP) and “therefore if we fail to execute the projects on time then that affects our GDP,” the senator explained.

 “It is important that we have a budget by Jan. 1, 2012 because this government has been criticized for its underspending and we have to take advantage of the summer months, immediately the first and the second quarters of next year, in order to fast-track public works and infrastructure projects because these have very substantial effect on our gross national product (GNP),” he said.

Pero may mga experts na mga advisers kuno o defenders of the universe, right or wrong na ipinagtatanggol ang underspending.


Palusot pa si Mar Roxas (nasabihan pa namang aral sa abroad) na ang pera raw ay well-spent. Hindi naman tinatanong kung well-spent o nasayang. Ang sinasabi, hindi ginastos. 


Another expert, Abad said that spending is unnecessary. Huh?

Magic?

Dear insansapinas,

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What will you do to reduce the number of people below the poverty level? Improve their lives. Reduce poverty.


Oh wait, there is another way, reduce the poverty threshold. Parang young luksong tinik. Magic? No just simple artihmetic.  

Lawmakers are pushing for a more realistic yardstick for counting the number of poor Filipinos after the  government lowered the minimum daily subsistence level from P52 to P46 per person, a move that significantly lowered the country’s poverty incidence.
Kabataan Representative Raymond V. Palatino on Monday scored the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) for adopting a new poverty threshold level which he said “deceptively” led to a reduction in the poverty rate from 26.3 percent to 20.9 percent.
“We are able to reduce poverty not by improving the lives of Filipinos but through statistical magic. The new scheme effectively decreases the number of poor Filipinos by 5.3 million without improving the poverty situation. If this was presented without explaining the drastic change in the methodology, it could be used to push for economic results,”

Good Bye Cruel World

Dear insansapinas,

Patricia Dunn, the former Hewlett-Packard Co. chairwoman who authorized a boardroom surveillance probe that ultimately sullied her remarkable rise from investment bank typist to the corporate upper class, has died. She died of ovarian cancer at age 58.

Known as “Pattie,” Dunn repeatedly made Fortune magazine’s list of the most powerful women in business in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as co-chief executive officer of Barclays Global Investors, a unit of Barclays Plc. She stepped down as CEO in June 2002 to be treated for breast cancer and melanoma.

I admired the woman and I did not know the life struggles she had even when she was young.

 Dunn's life had been far from charmed.
Financial difficulties dogged her family throughout her childhood, and her father, a vaudeville actor, died of a heart attack before she was a teen. After the death, the family moved to Marin County, north of San Francisco, and her mother's emotional health deteriorated.
Dunn's mother later died of breast cancer.

 I love reading the biographies of extraordinary women to find out what empowers them to achieve success and distinction. Blame my father; he wanted me to be the President of the Philippines or wife of the President of the Philippines. Awww. That was every time, someone tried to court me even when I was still in elementary. Ang haba ng buhok ko. Kailangang maputulan. 

To my disappointment, some of these women I admired were "tubog sa ginto". Kung baga, they were just costume jewelries.  There was this article about a woman who became a President of a bank. Only after a few years did I learn that she was a mistress of a very rich and powerful man who gave that bank as a gift. OO nga naman, imagine, bookkkeeper lang siya, biglang lumuksong Presidente. Then I read about a separated woman who was popular in the stock market. I found out that her father was once active in the same business. Meron na siyang reputasyon. And other stories about heiress who became CEOs because they inherited the companies and not because they rose from the ranks. 


Personally, I met some women who would not hesitate to drop the skirt in exchange of advancement in ranks, salaries and benefits. Some were young; some were already in their mid 40s.


It is not only true in the corporate world. Even in the academe, morals are sidelined in exchange for positions. There was this woman who was beautiful. Mukhang artista and she was an AD of a department. Pero sa totoo lang, walang laman. Parang pan de sal na pag pinisil mo, matutupi.  Then one day, my classmates and I were waiting for our group who were scheduled to go to a province for our tree planting 
project. Sus, kita namin, magkahawak kamay pa, si Vice-President at si AD. Si VP ay nasa liyebo 60 na samantalang si AD ay nasa 45 na siguro--walang sukli.  Hindi namin alam kung ano na ang nangyari dahil parehong nawala yong dalawa sa university. Sabi ng mga kaklase ko, nagtanan siguro. (guffaw)


Meron akong kaibigan, presidente talaga ang kaniyang lover. Subali't datapwa't wala talagang ibubuga kaya hindi siya mabigyan ng position. Isinasama-sama lang sa akin noon para matuto. Wala rin. 


When I migrated to the US, kinalimutan ko na ang aking dream--that is to climb the ladder. Mahirap umakyat lalo pag minority ka. I tried to be as friendly as possible, teaching those who did not know what their job descriptions were. I was often rejected. Some suspected that I was just trying to show off. I worked hard; staying past the closing time. Many employees did not like it. Instead of giving me a pat in my shoulder, the director, asked me to go home the moment the clock strikes 5:00. 


 There was a time when I presented a recommendation to the President regarding the systems to avoid loss of money in transit. 

Christmas Parties

Dear insansapinas,

Kabila-kabilaan ngayon ay mga Christmas parties sa Pilipinas. Dito wala yan lalo ang mga empleyado ay galing sa iba't ibang relihiyon. Kahit decorations wala dahil magagalit ang mga hindi Christians. Pagnagparty naman, pot luck. Sus.


Sa Pilipinas talagang gastos ng kumpaniya o kaya pag sa iskuwela naman ay may mga contribution tapos may mag-aasikaso sa pagkain, sa parlor games at exchange gifts.


Noong bata pa ako, ito ang kahintay-hintay ko ang Christmas party. Kaya noong Paskong yon na nasa grade three ako, suot ko ang bagong damit at regalong pinagpuyatang ibalot ng aking mother excited ako. Tsokolateng nasa kahon yong regalo.


Program, program, parlor games at ang pinakahuli ang exchange gifts. Bibigyan ka lang ng number at kukunin mo ang regalo mo. Hindi mo alam kung kanino nanggaling. Nakuha ko yong aking gift. Malaki siyang binalot ng Christmas wrapper na palang bola. Nang buksan ko, mas marami pa ang wrapper kaysa lamang sampung mumurahing candy. O sabihin ninyo nang mukha akong regalo pero binigyan naman kami ng halaga kung magkano ang dapat dalhin. Sus.



Nang nasa MBA ako, meron ding kaming party pero meron pa rin kaming party sa bawa't klase. Nang December na iyon, sa isang restaurant sa hotel namin ginanap. 


Pagkatapos nang kainan, kinuha namin ang bill para paghati-hatian. Nagulat kami. Hindi naman namin binibili ang hotel bakit napakataas ng aming babayaran. Yon palang kabilang lamesa namin na mga mukhang executives ay chinarged sa amin ang kanilang bill. Akala yata ay lasing na ang mga kasama ko at walang magchecheck. Nilapitan namin ang mga hinayupak ang pinahiya. Sus, nakamerkana pa naman. Tseh.


Parlor Games

Worlds Dumbest Killers

 Dear insansapinas,

Meron ditong palabas na worlds dumbest criminals na talaga namang nakakatawa. Hinaluan pa ng mga komentaryo ng mga comedians, talagang hahagalpak ka ng tawa.

Meron din tayong version pala.

Dalawang suspects ang nakakulong sa pagpatay kay Ramgem anak ni Senador Ramon Revilla, Sr.

Nabasa ko ang article ni Raissa Robles tungkol sa salaysay ng dalawa,

http://raissarobles.com/2011/12/03/ram-revilla-murder-tale-of-the-2-idiot-killers/

Katulad ni Robles, talaga namang humalakhak ako sa mga nabasa ko. Ito share ko sainyo ang selected paragraphs sa kanilang affidavit.

14.Bago kami pumasok ni Mario sa loob ng bahay ay tinawagan muna ni Brian si Maria Ramona o Mara na nuon ay nasa loob ng bahay at tinanong kung gising pa si Ramgen. Sinagot siya nito nang “Oo. Kakukuha lang ng inumin.”

15.Madali kami nakapasok dahil bukas ang gate, bukas ang main door at nakabukas din ang ilaw sa sala. At nang paakyat na kami ng hagdanan papuntang 2nd floor kung saan andun 

ang kuwarto ni Ramgen ay nagulat kami ng makita namin ang malaking litrato ni Sen. Ramon Revilla, Sr. sa ibabaw ng piano at kinabahan kaming dalawa at natigilan pa kami sa paglalakad. Laking takot at nerbiyos ang naramdaman ko dahil kilala at maimpluwensiyang tao ang ama ng taong papatayin namin. Pero dahil nanduon na kami at nagamit ko na rin ang perang binayad sa akin ay napilitan na kaming umakyat at ituloy ang plano.

16.Ako ang may hawak ng baril na .45 at ang plano ay si Mario ang kakatok sa kwarto ni Ramgen at kapag lumabas ito ay babarilin ko pero hindi natuloy dahil walang dalang baril si Mario at ayaw niyang maipit kung sakasakali kaya bumaba kami at pumunta sa Montero. Sa pangalawang pagakyat namin ay si Mario na ang humawak ng baril at ako dapat ang kakatok tapos ay tatakbo ako sa likod ni Mario dahil ako naman ang mawawalan ng baril ngunit ayaw naman

n ni Mario na ako ay pumunta sa likod niya kaya bumaba kami muli. Sa pangatlong pagakyat namin ay ako na muli ang humawak ng baril pero nasa hagdanan pa lang kami ay umayaw na si Mario dahil hindi daw siya komportable na walang baril kaya bumalik kami ng Montero at sinabi kay Brian na kailangan naming bumalik sa bahay upang humiram ng baril si Mario sa kumpare niya.

17.Galit na galit si Brian sa amin pero wala siya magawa kaya bumalik kami sa Tramo mga bandang 2:00 AM. Ayaw nang sumama muli ni Mario dahil natakot daw siya kaya ang anak na lamang niyang si Michael Nartea ang ipinasama sa amin na kagigising lang ng mga panahong iyon at bigla na lamang pinasakay sa Montero.

18.Pagbalik ng BF Homes ay si Brian na ang nag-drive upang mas mapabilis daw. Pagdating namin sa bahay ay nagtalo pa kami sa sala ni Michael dahil hindi naman daw namin sinabi sa kanya na anak pala ni Sen. Revilla ang aming titirahin sinabi ko na lang na nagkasubuan na kaya ituloy na lang namin. Nuong umaakyat kami ng hagdanan ay maingay ang tsinelas na suot

ni Michael kaya bumalik pa kami ng Montero at pinahiram ni Brian ang sapatos niya kay Michael.

19.Nang nasa hagdanan na kami ay tinanong ni Michael kung nasubukan na daw ba namin iputok ang .45 dahil baka daw mag-jam ito. Ang sabi ko hindi pa kaya bumaba uli kami ng hagdanan. Nang aakyat na uli kami ay pareho kaming kinabahan dahil natakot kami sa litrato ni Sen. Revilla, Sr. na nasa ibabaw ng piano dahil sa nanlilisik nitong mata. Kaya’t dali dali kaming bumalik sa Montero at dinala uli kami ni Brian pabalik sa Tramo at pinagalitan kami dahil hindi na naman daw namin nagawa ang plano pero sinabi niya na ulitin na lamang daw namin uli mamayang gabi.

20.Nang makauwi kami ay nagsabi sa akin si Michael na wala siyang pera pangkain ng mga anak niya kaya hindi na ito makakasama sa akin ng gabing iyon dahil kailangan niya muna maghanap ng makakain ng pamilya niya. Dahil dito ay sinangla ko muna ang .45 na baril na gagamitin namin sa halagang P3,000.00 at binigay ko ang pera kay Michael para may panggastos siya.

21.Nang mga bandang 11:00 PM ng araw ding iyon ay tinext ako ni Brian at pinapupunta kami sa BF Homes para ituloy ang planong pagpatay kay Ramgen pero hindi ko pa nuon sinasabi na isinangla namin ang baril at wala kaming baril na magagamit. Pero napilitan na rin kami magsabi kaya bumalik kami sa amin sakay ng Montero na minamaneho nuon ni Mara upang tubusin ang sinangla naming baril.

23.Habang nakatayo si Michael sa hagdanan hawak ang baril ako naman ay tumayo sa tabi ng pintuan at kumatok. Sa unang katok ko ay walang sumagot pero sa pangalawang pagkatok ko ay sumigaw si Ramgen ng “Sino yan? Sino yan?” pero hindi kami sumasagot. Bigla na lamang binuksan ni Ramgen ang pinto ng kuwarto niya, pero hindi ito lumabas o sumilip man lang. Hinintay namin lumabas siya ng kwarto pero hindi niya ito ginawa at makalipas ang ilang sandal ay sinara niya uli ang pintuan at narinig ko na nagkasa ito ng baril sa loob ng kwarto niya habang may kausap sa telepono at sinasabing “Security pumunta kayo dito sa bahay namin parang may nakapasok!”

Pinaysaamerika

Did it really happen?

Dear insansapinas,

Mo Twister claimed that they stayed for unspecific days in Singapore  for the abortion. Did it really happen? If it happened where was it done? Was it legal?

But wait, here are some information about abortion in Singapore specifically for the foreigners. Knowing the strict implementation of the laws in Singapore, did  it really happen? Just curious.

In Singapore, abortion is legal on socio-medical grounds. The legal time limit for abortion is 24 weeks into the pregnancy.

The Age of Legal Consent and Under 21s

In Singapore the Abortion Act law states that there is no defined age limit for the abortion procedure, nor is there a legal requirement for parental consent for minors under the age of 21.

In other words just about anyone may request the procedure for unwanted pregnancy, provided they are of sound mind and body and understand the risks and details of the procedure.
Note: In contrast, if a miscarriage happens, then parental consent is required for anyone below the age of 21.

The law applies to all patients, regardless of nationality.

Legal restrictions on foreigners

Foreigners are only eligible for pregnancy termination/abortion in Singapore if one of the following criteria are met:

• They have been residing in Singapore for 4 months or more
• They are married to a Singapore citizen or have PR status
• If they have a work permit

These restrictions do not apply to foreigners who require evacuation for miscarriage, but the age of legal consent (21 and above) will apply in this scenario.

Thoughts for the Week

Dear insansapinas,

For a week, my body is undecided if it is going to welcome the flu or not. Takot yong flu but I still suffered from runny nose and a little temperature. It is because of the weather. But politics and show biz news kept me entertained even without having to watch a movie or a local show.


Sleep. baby, sleep
Last night, I watched one of my favorite TV series. The anti-hero character punishes the evil for the sake of the good. Being a contract killer, he himself is also evil, . In the rerun episode, he kidnapped the villain because he did all things possible to keep him locked in jail but failed. He got money, power and friends in high places so he easily can bail himself out.


This time, he did not bring him to the police since the anti-hero is also wanted by the police. He just left him with a message that he will put home to sleep if he attempts to abuse another woman. He would be watching.


The warning gave him the  chill. He felt it is safer to be tried in the court of law than punish by a vigilante. He will be always on the look out for the man. That is MENTAL TORTURE. Even if it is just a threat. Even if it is not going to happen.


Two birds with one stone


While the princess was crying her heart out when she announced the split with the prince, the former company of the host who interviewed her was promoting the new album of the princess' half-sister. She kept mentioning about her half-sister and her supposed to be "fans" who will like her album. The company is her handler. Talking about rider and capitalizing on the misery of a relative.


The Repaired Video
I really am pissed when some people in the showbiz underestimate the intelligence of the viewing public. After the announcement that the host sold his laptop which contained the deleted video of his conversation with the unborn, suddenly, the video materialized. If you are moving, do you have to sell your lap top? As if it is a big furniture that you can not bring anywhere.


I almost "broke" my heart for his grief for the loss of the child. Never mind if that was not the first. He has a son with a former starlet who allegedly does not receive child support. If he is going to the US, he should pray that the mother of the child would not bring him a case or else, he got to to make back payments. Then there was another girl who just faded away.


And he knew the right timing of the release of the video. If he had released it sooner, the KC confession could have relegated it to the back page.


Tama na, sobra na
Napangiti ako kahit nag-iisa when I read that Janelle Manahan, the girl friend of the murdered son of Senator Remon Revilla applied for the witness protection program. "nak naman ng pating" . Buti hindi pa pinublish kung saan siya mag-iistay, kung anong pangalan ang gagamitin niya etc. etc. etc.

Legal Implications

Dear insansapinas,

I am not a lawyer. My understanding about abortion in the Philippines is culled from the wikipedia.

Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution says, in part, "Section 12. The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.
The act is criminalized by the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, which was enacted in 1930 and remains in effect today. Articles 256, 258 and 259 of the Code mandate imprisonment for the woman who undergoes the abortion, as well as for any person who assists in the procedure, even if they be the woman's parents, a physician or midwife. Article 258 further imposes a higher prison term on the woman or her parents if the abortion is undertaken "in order to conceal [the woman's] dishonor".

Did Mo Twister confess to an accesory to a crime when he posted the video about the abortion that his girl friend had in Singapore last year? Is he also morally and legally liable? 


http://www.pep.ph/news/32141/UPDATED-Video-of-Mo-Twister-goes-viral-on-the-Net;-claims-ex-girlfriend-Rhian-Ramos-got-rid-of-our-baby-in-Singapore-last-year


This is the link of the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9VVP3lu38s
Why did it take him this long to tell the story? 

If this is not true, can he be sued by Rhian for libel? 

Pinaysaamerika

Meat market

Dear insansapinas,

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In my previous blog, Turo, Turo, Turismo, I wrote: 

Pakigulo nga ang utak ko. Pakigising. Tulog eh. Hindi ko makita ang logic kung anong meron sa Pinas para magtakbuhan ang mga divorcees dito.  Do I have to read between the lines, under the lines or over the lines ? 

Cito Beltran, the son of the late Luis Beltran posed more questions regarding the issue of the DOT's plan of making the Philippines a haven of divorcees.Copied from the Philstar, let me share this article with you.

During my “Straight Talk” days where I got to interview celebrities and all, I had a chance to do a short interview of singer Michael Bolton who instantly warmed up when he learned that I lived for a year and a half in Westport, Connecticut where he lived and spent a lot of time.In typical fashion we quickly compared notes and talked about where each of us would hang out. After naming a few of his favorite bars, I jumped in to point out that one in particular was a “Divorce bar” where recently separated or divorced individuals go.Michael Bolton immediately responded to sweep away what I said and did his best to remove any misimpressions I may have about that bar and its loyal patron sitting in front of me. It was instantly clear to me that he was particular about being labeled or identified as someone who actively goes to “Divorce bars”.I can understand his concern because we often referred to those places as “Meat markets” or “The Fish stall” where you try to come home with “the catch of the day”. Yes I have a past, I was a sinner and I am glad that Jesus paid the price! So enough of your shocked responses!I remember and share this story in relation to news reports that the Department of Tourism, particularly Secretary Jimenez, has ideas about promoting the Philippines as a preferred tourism destination for “divorcees”. To be honest, I found the story hard to believe and have kept silent on the item.However, the thing has not died a natural death and recent talks about it, has once again stirred my curiosity. I’ll keep my judgment on this for a later day, but forgive me if I ooze with curiosity to figure out what’s going on.When I heard about the Philippines becoming the premier destination for “divorcees”, I could not help thinking that US Ambassador Harry Thomas will surely feel vindicated with such an official policy being launched by the Philippine Government.Considering Thomas got nailed to the wall for stating that 40 percent of male tourists that come to the Philippines come for sex, making the Philippines a “divorcee haven” certainly sounds like a fine tuned campaign to lure more than the 40 percent more, as well as proof that the Ambassador was telling the truth that hypocrites in government could not admit.

Patintero

Dear insansapinas,

Naalala ba ninyo ang larong patintero?

Patintero

This game is played by boys and girls, ages 5 to 10 years old in mixed teams. Adults though tend to rank themselves according to sex. There are two sets of this game. One requires six players to a team while the other needs eight players. The game is played outdoor at anytime of the day and at night when the moon is out.The game is prepared on the ground by drawing a rectangular field (usually five to six meter with four parallel lines inside) using either water, stick and charcoal on the ground to define the boundary.To play, one set of taggers or the 'it' situate themselves inside the lines of the rectangle while the runners will try to get through both ends of the field and back without being tagged or blocked. When caught, they right away change roles. The group that has lesser tagged incidents is declared winner. The games is widespread in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Nilalaro naman ito noon sa probins. Dahil ako ang pinakamaliit sa grupo, madali akong nakakalusot sa bantay. Habang nakikipagpatintero sila sa malalaking miyembro, ako naman ay lumulusot sa mahahabang kamay ng mga taya.


Bakit ko nabanggit ang patintero? 

Luksong Tinik

Dear insansapinas,

Luksong Tinik (thorn hurdles). 
This is a very common game played largely by girls ages between 7 to 12, though, in some areas, boys join in. This game is played outside with players divided into sets, comprising of the mother ('inay) and her child ('anak'). The 'it' are two players who seat facing each other, stacking their feet and hands together, gradually increasing the height while the opponents jump over it. Any 'child' player who touches any part of this hurdle is saved by the 'mother' who would jump on the former's behalf. If she, too, fails to accomplish the feat, both 'mother' and 'child' becomes the 'it' who would assume the seated position.
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When I was small (and Christmas trees were tall) my friends and I used to play luksong tinik. We had a playmate who was "madaya". She would ask the " it", to lower the hands so she can jump over.
Talisod pa rin.


Our economy is like luksong tinik. The economic team asked the target to be lowered from, 6 per cent to 5 per cent.


Hindi pa rin inabot. Sus. Masyado na ang pulitika at showbiz. Tutukan naman ang ekonomiya. Hindi na rin ako magsusulat about show biz ---pag hindi sikat ang involved. Promise. Talking about show business, nakita raw ang prince kasama ang mother queen na galing sa ibang kingdom. Masayang-masaya raw ang prince. Ang sakit noon. Araguy. Talagang hindi pansin si princess, maglumugmok man siya.


Ito pala ang balita tungkol sa ekonomiya. 

The Development Bank of Singapore expects the Philippine economy to grow this year by only 3.6 percent, after the government reported that the increase in gross domestic product in the third quarter was worse than expected.

The Fairy Tale -Back to the Drawing Board

Dear insansapinas,

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In the far away kingdom in Asia, lives a prince. He is one of the attractions in the celluloid palace. But the prince appears that he is not what he claims to be. No worry, thought the publicity arm of the kindom. As long as there are women who'll  shriek to the "kilig" moments, they can always come up with damage control plan. In the past, every time his secret life was at the risk of being revealed by  the kingdom's press, the publicity group paired him with the most popular princess. Then the romance simply faded away.


In the last few years, he became bolder. His sightings with his special friends worried the think tank machine. So, what was best decision was to pair him with another beautiful princess.  The princess must have already an inkling of his personality but she has fallen...madly in love or she was challenged that she can change him.  She liked to give up several times but she would find herself going back to his arms again. Kilig din siya. Never mind if it is just for a show.  While she was crying buckets of tears, the prince would just dismiss it as simply as lovers' quarrel.


But then another talk show needs a new " pakulo". So came the interview. Would you believe that the counts and the countesses did not give their blessing for the " tell-but-not-really-tell-all" interview? Would you believe that they can afford their prince to lose his fans? There should be the do's and don'ts to define the boundaries of the expose. The people waited with bated breath. Is he or is he not? The revelation was a disappointment however. It just  made the issue  full of more questions. Congrats to the think tank. They made people glued to their seats while the couple was singing love songs to people who are unaware of the status of their love story. 


No mention of the real cause of the split." Make it vague". could have been the order. Let the viewers come up with conclusion.  The prince's mystic is going to be protected. He's a moneymaker of the kingdom.

Turo, Turo, Tourism

Dear insansapinas,
Update: Women’s group slams ‘sex tourism’ thrust

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The Philippines' tourist arrivals  of 3.5 million last year was  one of the lowest among Asian nations. Malaysia had 34.6 million; Thailand, 15.8; Singapore,  11.5 million and Indonesia, seven million. Vietnam received 5 million tourists in the same period.


Nasaan na ang chickenjoy? Nasaan na ang claim na promoting tourism is just like selling chicken joy? 


According to the news, the Department of Tourism would like to make the Philippines a haven of divorcees? Bakeeet? 
Ito ang explanation ng DOT.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines as a divorcee haven? In an effort to lure more long-staying tourists in the country, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is developing the Philippines as a destination for divorcees or those trying to recover from broken relationships.
Tourism Assistant Secretary Domingo Ramon Enerio III said those running away from domestic turmoil are among the target markets of the DOT for its long-stay tourism program.
“At this time, the Philippines is among the few remaining countries that still prohibit divorce, so we think this is a big market that we hope to tap,” he said. “If we can be a wedding or honeymoon destination, we can be vice versa and become a destination for those in search of personal fulfillment, including those… in flight from domestic turmoil,” he added.
He said the Philippines can offer both relaxation and adventure to these tourists.

Pakigulo nga ang utak ko. Pakigising. Tulog eh. Hindi ko makita ang logic kung anong meron sa Pinas para magtakbuhan ang mga divorcees dito.  Do I have to read between the lines, under the lines or over the lines ? 

KC, KC, KC

Dear insansapinas,

Once Upon a time, there was a princess. She fell in love madly with a  prince charming. The relationship was said to be doomed from the start because the princess felt that the prince does not behave like a good boy friend should.

There had been rumors that they are already separated but in the kingdom, separation should be certified authentic by the publicity office which claims exclusive and explosive interview of the parties concerned by a host who pretends to think before asking question when in fact, it is already scripted.

Yesterday, there was an interview done but there was nothing new that was discussed. The most awaited moment of truth did not come. The palace should protect the other party. He is also one of their royalties. What was implied in the interview was that the princess can no longer bear heartache of knowing that his prnce is really her FAIRY godmother. Baka nag-agawan sila ng pink undies.

May pag-asa na naman si Biyay.

Pinaysaamerika

The Lounging Pants,The ROI, the Payback Period, Cash flow and the Just Compensation

Dear insansapinas,

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Four lounging pants were my only loot  last Black Friday. The discounted price was half the regular,You know naman, I do not go out often so I am always in my lounging pants aka pajama. Besides, it is winter here in the States where shorts is a no no even with a centralized heater. Besides, it is more comfortable to wear loose pants  especially if you are using diabetes med injectables.

For someone sick with the C, the doctor expects weight loss without having to lift the fingers to do some calisthenics. But I do all the time especially when I am browsing in the internet. Nageexcercise ang daliri ko.


And it was when I was browsing that I found someone claiming to have finished an MBA in a prestigious university wrote something about  concepts which she did not understand. If I were the professor, I could have not passed her without asking her to write 100 times...
The ROI is expressed in terms of  per centage while payback period is in terms of months and the cash flow is the expected receipts from a proposed investment for a given period of time. When you are asked of the expected performance of an investment proposal, you might say, the ROI is 5 per cent; the investment will be recovered after three years and the annual cash flow from the project is -----pesos or dollars. If you are not sure, skip the topic. Hindi mahahalatang rider lang kayo noong MBA days ninyo. Tseh.


Hindi pagtataray yan. I am attacking concepts and not the physical attributes of people. Palusot pa.


Just Compensation
What is just compensation? The President is urging DAR to see to it that the HLI owners (Cojuangcos) should receive just compensation for the land that they are about to give up. (Isn't the land bought from the proceeds of the government loan? Granting that they should pay. what determines the just compensation?  It is the court daw which is going to determine the just compensation. Interesting. Buhay pa ba ako noon?


When the stock options distibution scheme  was approved in distributing the hacienda, years ago, sa isip ko patay. Kailan man walang makukuha ang mga farmers sa lupa nila.


When implemented, this distribution type for corporate farm should have given the farmers share of stocks of the hacienda. The certificate of stock is an  evidence that the farmer is a  part owner of the hacienda.  As part owners, they have the right for dividends when the corporations declare one at the end of the year. But wait, there is a catch. Only when there is income and available retained earnings earmarked for that purpose. O sabay-sabay. Buhay pa ba kami noon?


The new Supreme Court decision disallows the stock distribution but I think, there is a suggestion to let the farmers chose this option if they want to. Waiiisss.


Assuming that the farmers have to pay for the cost of the farm, what is considered just compensation.


In a corporate setting, the value of the company is dependent on its stock--not the par value but the book value.


And how do you compute for the book value? Easy. The Paid-up capital stock plus the retained earnings divided by the number of shares outstanding.  The retained earnings account is the accumulated profits for the past year. So if there were no profits, the amount will be negative and will be subtracted from the capital. What if the negative retained earnings far exceeded the capital stock like?


Stockholder's equity of HLI as of 2008


Capital stock Php 355,531,000
Retained Earnings (1,129,153,000)


Di negative din ang book value? And if the corporation has long term debts, these debts have priorities over the payment to the stockholders. 

The Fish and the Fish Scales

 Dear insansapinas,

Ordinarily, a fish is not a fish without fish scales. For the fish to be adjudged Miss Bangus or Miss Tilapia, its scales should be serving their purposes--protection and identities and they should be made of materials that addressed to these two functions.


When NAIA was rated as the worst airport in the world, the basis of the ranking were the reviews of travelers who complained, among other things, of “safety concerns, lack of comfortable seating, rude staff, hostile security, poor facilities, no (or few) services to pass the time, bribery, being kicked out and general hassles of being in the airport.”

If it were a fish, the evaluation was not only about its fish scales ( TSA) or security but the whole enchilada--the scales, the tail, the eyes, the bodies...etc.

So when DOT Secretary Roxas  touched on the security of the NAIA, he was just talking about the scales.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) may be one of the world’s worst airports, but passengers passing through the aging Manila facility need not fear for their safety, the government said on Friday.In a statement, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said Naia recently passed with flying colors a safety audit conducted by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

But we are not only selling fish scales. We are selling the whole fish. 

Some parts of the whole that need some changes do not require millions of pesos to make the airport at par with other international airports .  These are hostile staff, bribery practices which eat up most of the time of the staff, thus good services are not delivered. 


The officials are always ready to defend the administration's incompetence even to the extent of talking about fish scales instead of fish


ISDA kayo diyan, bilasa na.


Pinaysaamerika