Author Archives: The Philippines

Marina, Mulawin, Lobo – And More

Fantasy Series on Philippine Primetime Television

Before, a fantasy series is just a one episode on a particular child TV programs on either very early morning slot or early evening slot on Philippine TV programming which are only meant for a kiddie audience, but the success of “Marina” – the very first fantasy drama series put on a primetime slots which really gain a high ratings – have changed the landscape of Philippine primetime programming wherein every primetime slots of major TV networks in the Philippines (namely ABS-CBN channel 2,GMA Channel 7 ,and TV5 Channel 5) have one or more fantasy drama series in their respective primetime programming which boast not only the strong plot but also the special effects they use on every scenes.

Dyesebel

Both Filipino adult and children enjoy watching these fantasy dram series (the proof is the high ratings of this kind of TV programs) as an alternative to the surge of drama series which have only a repetitive story plots which flooded the primetime TV slots of Philippine TV before fantasy dram series emerged into the slots of primetime programming.

The rise of fantasy drama series in the Philippine television was heavily influenced by the fantasy and sci-fi (science fiction) movies being produced by Hollywood or foreign film outpits which do really hit the box-office and gain profits from producing them. This inspires the Filipino writers to do the same thing on their primetime TV slots to compensate for the growing needs of Filipino audience for an alternative TV viewing, than intoxicate Filipino audience with too much drama series and news programs. It is also a way to balance their TV programs.

Darna

Among the best fantasy drama series ever produced for Philippine TV aside from “Marina”, were “Mulawin”, ”Lobo”, ”Engkatadia” ,”Ang Panday”, ”Dyesebel”, ”Lastikman”, and “Darna”. However, there are a lot more fantasy drama series produced but they are more kiddie in style.

Pangako Sa’yo

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Pangako Sa’yo’s Success

Of all local produced Philippine TV drama series, only Pangako Sa’yo hits the high ratings on both local Philippine television and Philippine’s neighboring Asian countries on their respective local television. Recently, ABS-CBN Global reported that Pangako Sa’yo is second on the highest rating TV program on local China Television, translated on Mandarin language. This is the latest achievements of Pangako Sa’yo, for before it become a hit TV program in China, it hit the TV ratings first in Malaysia, wherein the Philippine actor Jericho Rosales – the local leading actor of Pangako Sa’yo- became an instant heartthrob in Malaysia among Malaysian women which compels him to go to Malaysia and performs a show together with his own boy band.

Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa

The success of Pangako Sa’yo in Malaysia leads ABS-CBN Channel 2 and the Malaysian TV network to do a merged TV production that will be aired both in the Philippine Television and Malaysian Television, comprising two respective local stars. This planned TV production has already executed which produce the new TV drama series: Kahit Isang Saglit, which stars Jericho Rosales as the leading Pinoy star and Carmen Soo as the leading Malaysian Female star. Like Pangako Sa’yo, Kahit Isang Saglit has also become a hit on Pinoy Television.

Furthermore, Pangako Sa’yo not only makes the careers of Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa but also gives the needed boost to the careers of Eula Valdes and Jean Garcia which gave them a renewed career in Philippine Showbiz which they currently enjoy now.

Philippine Democracy

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Democracy in the Philippines

Recently, the Philippines celebrated the first death anniversary of a woman they call “Mother of democracy” in the Philippines last August 01, 2010, which is the late former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, who died of colon cancer last August 01, 2009.

Corazon Aquino

Democracy is define in political science as a form of government that is “for the people, and of the people “wherein the “people rules”. However, there is no such completely form of government anywhere you could find in the world; democracy is often only a part of a privileges in either republic system of government or parliamentary form of government, and even on a monarchy because every form or systems of government today in the world seeks the welfare of their own constituents and there is no form of government that exist today that only seeks the welfare of the ruling government officials only treat their people as mere slaves(except only to those who are really corrupting the funds);though their form of government is republic or parliamentary.

For a pure democratic country will not stand in its own pure democratic ways because anarchism and atrocities will prevail, due to everyone is right in its own ways and thinking and every one will pursues his or her own agendas and moralities, thus, a purely democratic country is just a mere illusion.

Philippine Flag

In the Philippines, some mediocre thinking Filipinos are fed up with an illusion that after the Marcos Administrations through a woman whom they call “icon of democracy” in the Philippines – which is late former Philippine president Ms. Corazon Aquino, the Philippines has now become purely democratic country; whereas it is not. Actually, the Philippines still remain republic just like the times of Marcos, but what has happened only or have changed after Marcos administration is the increased of freedom of people to do whatever they wanted to do including the relentless and useless killings of everyone against their fellow Filipinos, most especially the media people, though the media people have gain more freedom to express their ideas and thoughts, murderers and killers have gain also more freedom to kill media people. It is a directly proportional freedom.

Moreover, there is also an increase of murder and massacre crimes in the Philippines wherein still today these form of crimes were not yet totally solved though some cases were filed, like the Visconde massacre, the Nida Blanca case, etc.

Though democracy is the primal priority during the Ms. Aquino Administration, ironically, there are also a number of military coup d’ etats and nationwide brownouts or loss of electricity then, that is because everyone have now more freedom to do whatever they wanted to do and to say whatever they wanted to say. But thanks god, the Philippines is still “check and balance” by the republic form of government that it has still today and not yet totally succumb to totally democratic system of government, lest the Philippines will self-annihilate itself.

Philippine Democracy

However, I do not say that democracy is wrong but too much of it could break down the system because of no major consensus of every aspects of life in the Philippines; too much of it could bring disharmony because everyone will be right on his or her own ways. To solve this dilemma and to use effectively the privileges of democracy in the country, the new Philippine president should, yes, create a portals like public forums to bridge and voice out the ideas and wants of every citizens in the country that will discuss and articulate the advantage and disadvantage of every one’s ideas in order to create a major consensus that will bring peace and harmony in the Philippines.

Tattooed in the Philippines

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Tattoo Fashion in the Philippines

Body tattoo have now creeps into the fashion world of Philippine fashion industry wherein Filipino me and women avails to put a customized design tattoo on the parts of their body they wish to mark with tattoo. However, before modern day tattoo craze hit the modern Philippines, there already exist pre-Hispanic body arts in the Philippines similar to body tattoos. These pre-Hispanic Filipinos were called “Pintados”. Their bodies were tattooed with indigenous arts similar to tattoo arts today but with minor different variations only.

Pintados Festival

And this pre-Hispanic Filipino art is coming back with a mixture of modern designs and modern tattoo paraphernalia. Filipino men are the most in to this art trend wherein they mostly love to put tattoos on their biceps, triceps, hands and shoulders, while Filipino women loves to have their tattoos on their lower backs or under their belly button or sometimes on the ankles of their foot.

Even Filipino children were hook by this body tattoo trend; they too have tattoos on the parts of their bodies but only fake which came from commercial snacks or junk food products sold on sari-sari stores, as a free items.

Tattoo by Ricky Sta. Ana

However, though some Filipinos love to have tattoo in their bodies, some do not like it and see it as a dirty art and have threat to skin health.

Filipino Men

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Vanity Kit of Filipino Men

Beautifying oneself is not exclusively for women of course, but men do have the right to do so but it is just it is not the favorite topic of men because they may look gayish if it is openly talked about. Furthermore, beautifying oneself is not always perceive as a vain thing but also a personal hygiene and personal responsibility to take care oneself wherein the reward is one’s handsome, beautiful, and gorgeous appearance or look, just like gorgeous men and women of the Philippines.

Barber in the Philippines

Their secrets of being beautiful is not actually a secret, it is just a good personal hygiene. According to an online survey, most Filipino men like their female counterpart, uses also natural shampoos and soaps for their hair and body, respectively. The most natural shampoo and soap brand they often use is the Palmolive Natural Shampoo and Soap, but some use the Ascend Natural Shampoo brand and Vicky Bello’s natural soap, particularly the Papaya one.

In terms of facial care, most Filipino men use the Cetaphil brand for their acnes and pimples and facial cleanser as well; but some also use Master Eskinol brand as their facial cleanser. Only few rich Filipino men go to facial centers for ultimate facial care because it is quite expensive.

However, Filipino men do go to parlors not only for haircuts but also for manicures and pedicures; even some go to foot spa for their feet.

Filipino men are also conscious of their boy figure wherein some have regimens in the gym, those who can afford it only.

Men's Health Philippines

These are just a handful of vanity products and regimens which most Filipino men use to beautify themselves. For there are some vanity products where rich Filipino men use which an ordinary Filipino men could not afford and not basically available on a local consortium market where most ordinary Filipino men have access to.

Pinoy Love Story Movies

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Non-Traditional Love Story Pinoy Movies

If you love movies with a love story theme but fed up with traditional repetitive and predictable scenes on an ordinary love story, here are some handful 21^st century Love story Pinoy Movies that have a different plot.

1. Moments of Love (2006) – starring Dingdong Dantes, Iza Calzado, and Ms. Gloria Romero. It is a love story that defies timeline wherein the two lovers (Dingdong Dantes, Iza Calzado, and Ms.Gloria Romero) meet on the same ancestral house but on a different time frame yet through the same old model telephone; they meet each other through a mysterious phone call.

Moments of Love

2. Dreamboy (2005) – starring Bea Alonzo and Piolo Pascual. A beautiful single conservative lady who never have any boyfriend but love to have to, was set up by her friend, unknowingly in a reality TV show, entitled, “Mr. Dreamboy”, where she become a passive victim of the make-believe scenarios happening in her love life which she believes are real though she doubt sometimes, until she finally found out that she was caught up in a play or game played by the reality TV show “Mr.Dreamboy” wherein she is the victim.

3. Sikil (2007) –starring Ken Escudero, Will Sandejas,and Ashley Silverio. It is a gay love story but have different plot. Two childhood male bestfriends that have grown up into one is a gay guy and one straight. It is a complicated love triangle.

4. Naglalayag (2004) – starring Ms. Nora Aunor and Yul Servo. It is a May-December love affair.

5. Nasaan Ka Man (2005) –starring Ms. Claudine Barreto, Jericho Rosales and Deither Ocampo. It is a creepy and mysterious dramatic love story.

Dreamboy

Ferdinand E. Marcos

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The Rise of Mediocracy in the Philippines

“Everyone wants to rule the word” – This famous statement have marred the good image of late former Philippine president Ferdinand E. Marcos and wreck his administration and ruined his excellent vision for the Philippines. Yes, this over-maligned and defamed former Philippine president was indeed a good and very bright man. He was never a dictator or an evil man contrary to the rumors spread by the mediocre ones and the press media in the Philippines, just like what the mediocre ones and press media doing against former Philippine president Gloria Arroyo today; even former Philippine president Joseph “erap” Estrada was a victim of his own mediocratic principle.

Ferdinand E. Marcos

Actually, late former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos was elected three times as the President of the Philippines for his commendable achievement and by his high-class visions for the Philippines. But this was ruined by the infiltration of a Communist or Maoist thoughts and ideologies brought by the Cold War then (but I suspect it was the international business elites who do this, see my succeeding paragraph below),which created the creation of a numerous “leftist” and vigilantes groups today who pursue a radical change in the government base on the Communist principle; one of the active communist group that still exist today beginning at the Marcos Administration is the New People’s Army or NPA.

These ‘leftist’ groups become so rampant and wild on the Marcos Administration then (because that was their beginnings or birth in the Philippines) which spreads lawlessness (such as disrespectful to the authorities) and vandalistic attitude that threatens the good security and economic status of the Philippines then, which forces former late Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos to impose Martial Law to counter these threats and save the Philippines from being overtaken by Communism and anarchic principles. Thus, because of these threats and the cluelessness of the Marcos administration of who is behind this destabilization plot and demolition job to overthrow the present Philippine government, resort into arresting leaders of the alleged Communist groups and torture them to speak out who is behind the spread anarchism, vandalism, and destabilization plot against the present reigning Philippine administration, and one of the person arrested is Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino because Ninoy repeatedly criticized the Marcos administration without any very solid evidence about his accusations. Thus he was suspected to have a connection to the mastermind or even one of the masterminds of the destabilization plot and demolition job.

Was Marcos wrong in containing these anarchic threats? Or was his ways of containing it wrong?

Furthermore, not only Communism and anarchy creeps in on Marcos third administration but also disloyalty and corruption of his cabinet members flourish beyond his control, which created the “corruption thought” today in the Philippine politics on Cabinet members.

Is the infiltration of Communism and corruption of his cabinet members a POWER PLAY? To destabilize his good governance and to dis-empower him because of the insecurities of the mediocre ones and the revenge of the Foreign Businesspersons then, especially Chinese ones against Marcos plans to transfer foreign ownership of businesses in the Philippines to the Filipinos and they use the mediocre Filipino then to stir up chaos and communism, so that their businesses will not be transferred to the Filipinos?

Ferdinand Marcos

Is the International Business Community, the Mastermind of destabilization plot and demolition job to destroy the Marcos Administration and to destroy Marcos among the mediocre masses, respectively to suit their personal agendas and to build a Philippine government which they could control?

The downfall of a good leader is the rise of Mediocracy in the Philippines, a.k.a “People Power”, perpetuated by the International Business Elites to suit their personal business agendas and to oust out Marcos using the mediocre Filipino mass.

I pity much Marcos, because he was not justified and acknowledged for what he have done good to the Filipinos in his past administrations but remembered as useless and evil Philippine president ever live. This is definitely INJUSTICE.

Is “People Power” worth remembering against a former good leader?

*Note: This Article about Ferdinand Marcos was submitted by one of the writers that work for ThePhilippines.ph, it does not neccessarily reflect the opinions of ThePhilippines.ph, we however believe it is a good starting point for discussing, so fire away

Bebe Gandanghari

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The Shocking Rustom Padilla a.k.a. Bb Gandanghari

I don’t know but perhaps, it is only in the Philippine showbiz that any handsome and hunk male celebrity or showbiz stars is overtly suspected to be a closet gay. But of course, the accused party is in total denial and show proofs that he is a real man, to cast away doubts and rumors that he might be a gay because this could ruin his precious career and matinee idol image.

Rustom Padilla

However, some matinee idols give in to the rumors and bravely admit that the rumors about him being a gay guy are true. The most recent who do this brave revelation is the former cute hunk matinee idol Rustom Padilla who have shock the entire Philippine showbiz industry when his beautiful big hunky body shrunk into very skinny body complexion when he was interviewed abroad by a showbiz porter of what is now happening to him abroad after his break-up with his former wife Ms. Carmina Villaroel.

Bebe Gandanghari

Many thought, he has caught a disease abroad because of his so very skinny body and was greatly devastated by his break-up with Carmina Villaroel. But there are still lingering rumor that he might be a gay. Actually, both the camps of Rustom Padilla and Carmina Villaroel were interviewed then about if Rustom is gay or not, but both parties never answer straight, until Rustom himself break the mystery when he confessed through the TV program Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition that he is indeed gay and justified his being gay when he said “..hindi ako masamang tao…” (“..i am not an evil person…”,because the Christian church have demonized that gays are inherently evil and sinful creatures. But that doesn’t end the shock of the Philippine showbiz industry on him. He shocks more the Philippine showbiz industry when he finally cross-dress and said he is a woman and ever since he already knew that he is a woman. Moreover, he also personally declared that Rustom Padilla is now dead, he is now Bebe (Bb) Gandanghari – the woman and the real her who is hiding in the body and personage of Rustom Padilla. Recently, it was reported that he is planning or fly abroad for a sex change procedure.

Drugs in the Philippines

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Causes of Illegal Drugs in the Philippines

There are numerous forbidden drugs not only in the Philippines but also on different parts of the world; the reason they are forbidden because they bring harmful effects on the normal functioning of our cellular bodies, if taken or if taken excessively. But there are also drugs which have similar effects in the drug market yet they are not forbidden but legally sold, use and prescribe like the chemically made anti-depressant drugs, wherein taken excessively could result either into brain damage, insanity (increased anxiety and restlessness condition),suicidal tendencies, or even coma or death.

PDEA Philippines

The effect of an anti-depressant drug is similar of the effects of the widely known illegal drugs: shabu, cocaine, and marijuana. These drugs do also cast away depression and stress from your cellular bodies, thus making one tune in a happy disposition and stronger-like feelings. The effects are the same, but these drugs are the most hated in the world, but mysteriously why? However, the marijuana is already accepted as part of legally used drug in some other parts of the world. But in the Philippines it is not yet accepted.

Even though there are stronger efforts of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency or PDEA to eliminate the selling and use of illegal drugs in the Philippines, particularly shabu and marijuana, still the Filipinos keep on selling and using it, secretly. And why is it so?

Actually, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency or PDEA just only cut and cut grasses when they become overgrown but never uprooted them so that the grasses will not grow again, yet they arrogantly boast they do everything to eliminate the forbidden selling and using of the illegal drugs in the Philippines. I think, they have overlooked the main cause of the use and selling of Illegal drugs in the Philippines or do they deliberately ignore the main causes because they too benefitted from the Illegal drug trade?

Burning 151 kg of illegal Drugs

For me, there are three main causes or roots why Filipinos keep on using and trading these illegal drugs, that is,:

1. Poverty and Financial Destituteness – A very poor Filipino with less education and knowledge will be force to participate or sell these illegal drugs because of the large amount of money they could profit from it. For they do not have sufficient skills to apply on a specific job neither have money even to go to a vocational school in order to gain skills for a specific job.

2. Increased rate of Unemployment and Lower salary compensation – This is due to unmatched skills to vacant or available jobs, and if one Filipino could find a job, the salary compensation is very low and even though there is a demand for an increase, their employer seems deaf. So the resort would be to find any job that could compensate them well or have a higher amount of income to sustain sufficiently the daily needs of their family as well as for themselves.

3. Depression – It has many causes, namely of course poverty, unemployed status, poor income, family conflicts, conflicts on romantic relationships, poor spiritual lifestyle, etc. Thus, some Filipinos in order to combat the debilitating depressive mood will resort to an anti-depressant drug.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency at Work

For me, if the Philippines, especially the Philippine president will focus on these three causes, not only illegal drugs will voluntarily uproot itself but also some crimes.

Gay Philippines

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The Most Respected Gays in the Philippines

Philippines is one of the countries who could sympathize and have a heart for gay and lesbian people though the Philippines is predominantly Catholic and Christian country; the Catholic and Christian religion is actually the major ones who demonized the third sex rooting from Judaism and even mostly the Islam have demonize it also. But now, people are opening up their understanding and the sexual discrimination mellows, though there are fanatic Catholics, Christians and Muslims who still shows discrimination and prejudice against gays and lesbians.

Gay Pride

In the Philippines, there are numbers of gays that are well respected and admire despite of their sexual preferences. There are top three respected gays in the Philippine I can name and are renowned:

1. Ricky Reyes – he is the most respected gay in the Philippines being the top successful hairdresser in the Philippines who gave the Philippines a great pride when he won some prestigious international hairdressing competitions. He is known as the “mother” of Philippine hairdressing and also known for his famous line “ang ganda”.

2. Inno Sotto –he is known as the “Manila’s Prince of Fashion”;the most successful gay fashion and design guru in the Philippines.

3. Boy Abunda –the Philippine TV’s “King of Talk”; he is the most successful gay talk show host in the Philippine TV.

Boy Abunda