Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category

I know perhaps some of you have already known and notice that the famous hit song of Filipino folk artist Freddie Aguilar “Anak” (Child) conveys wrong message regarding relationship between parents and their children which can be deceitful and misleading to those unsuspecting listeners which they will thought that the song’s message is utterly right and correct whereas the message it conveys definitely fall short of the reality happening between parents and children.

For the song itself promotes domestic tyranny and violence against children by their parents making the parents not liable or responsible to the waywardness of their children but rather put all the entire blame and mistake on the frailness of a child and wash the hands of the parents from their own responsibility and accountability as a parent and guide of their children making the parents infallibly authoritative or an “almighty god” that is not capable of making mistakes.

In particular lyrics of the song, “..Anak, bakit ka nagka ganian?..(child, why have you become like that?)”;the parents hypocritically and blindly ask their child why their child has become wayward on his/her way, as if the parents has nothing to do why their “beloved”(ironically depicted on the song) has gone astray.

For if the parent doesn’t have any mistake and shortcoming to the way they nurture and rear their child and if their child is “beloved”, how come their child act differently from something they have sown to their child as their guide or how come their child has gone astray?

Nope, it is not the environment, it is not the friends or the modern culture a child is exposed with, rather it is the parents’ way and methods of parenting and guiding their child. Parenting is not playing “blame games” .But this usually most parents does when they find their child somewhat astray or stubborn and rebellious. For if they filled their child with overflowing love and affection, will the child not reciprocate the same?

Where in the world that when a farmer planted or sown an apple seeds yet it grows into a mango tree? An apple seed will not become a mango tree!; rather what one sown, so also one will reap!

Thus, there is no one to blame for the waywardness of a child but to his/her parents themselves who leads the child to the wayward direction and molds and creates the child to be rebellious, unloving, disrespectful, etc. It is the kind of parenting is the bottom-line. But the song “Anak”(Child) have miss this point and reality. Actually, it is the parents in the song who should ask forgiveness to their child and not the child who ask forgiveness for the irresponsible parenthood one’s parent parent one to be.

But to say in a song that parents are infallible guides and the wayward attitude of a child is to be blame to the child itself, to others and to elsewhere, is definitely an ignorant assessment of reality in the society.

For parenting is not playing “god’ and “master” over children rather it is becoming a “guide”, a “council”, and a “bestfriend” or as “mother-father(parents)” in their journey in their own chosen way of lives.

But unfortunately, some parents even of course in the Philippines become abusive on their rights over their children and loves to play “god” or “master”; Much even more whenever they heard the song “Anak”(Child) which fattened their authoritative Ego. Thus, attracting and promoting more domestic violence and domestic tyranny. For it creates a thought-virus or a bad Philippine meme to whomever it hears the song if one is ignorant of the reality in the society.

The song should be ban.

We always thought that tyranny or dictatorship form of government is the sole culprit that kills freedom of expression for it results into extra-judicial killings of journalists and writers but known patron of arts and culture in the Philippines which have authored the law that has created the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), that is, Senator Edgardo Angara, poor and bad economy also kills press freedom.

He stated this on his speech at the Communication Expo 2011 in Boracay Philippines recently,s aying it is because poor economic status of the country makes broadcasting and publishing hard and difficult because financially poor people according to him, will not opt to buy either published materials like newspaper or spent time buying bad news on TV but would rather work extra more hours to have more money for their essential needs to cope with the decreasing buying power of every monetary value or whatever bill or coins they may have in their pockets.

“The free economy — where demand and availability dictate price, especially of oil, and with it, newsprint, ink and electricity — is killing freedom of expression. It is killing free expression far more effectively than tyranny ever could… The greatest threat to press freedom and freedom of expression is economics….”

With what is going on the current poor and retarding economic status of the Philippines under the Aquino government because of Aquino administration under spending and suspension of economic projects that will suppose to boost the economy of the Philippines, according to Senator Edgardo Angara, the traditional press has been affected by it; production and distribution cost of printed materials become costly and people with less money or people without extra money will not be able to afford a budget for it.

“Today, our economy’s growth has slowed from a little over seven to a under four percent. The situation for media and other traditional forms of communication will only worsen as the cost barrier to press freedom — the wall of production and distribution costs around free and effective communication — rises ever higher.”

But he added that the “new economy” created by the world wide web or by the internet,have somewhat salvage traditional press freedom from banckruptcy due to poor and bad economy just like what happen to The New York Times he said,despite of the poor economy the Philippines have now on the administration of PNoy.

“But the new economy has also provided the greatest means of liberation….technology has opened a new frontier of communication where the material cost is minimal compared with the intellectual and imaginative demands. One needs more mind, memory and imagination to communicate effectively through the web than on the printed page..”

But in my opinion, credibility of the publishing company and their printed products also plays big role on killing one’s freedom of expression through printed mediums aside from tyrannical government and poor retarding economy. For who will buy one’s printed products or printed materials like newspaper if the buying public do not trust and believe anymore one’s printed materials?

Whatever the situation may be, in my own opinion, credibility kills more also press freedom than having a poor economy for people buy something if they trust and believe on it; whatever it cost, if they trust and believe it, they will still buy it.

If people believes on your product, though one’s country have poor economic status and though you raise or increase the cost or prize of your printed materials or any product you are selling to the public, people will still patronize and buy your product because of your credibility to them or because of their trust and faith in your product. Whatever happens, if they still have trust and faith on your printed materials, surely poor economy cannot kill your press freedom.

Furthermore, not only credibility but also people’s thirst for credible and sound information and knowledge makes your publishing company going strong despite of poor economy. But if they don’t believe and trust your printed materials and people are not inclined to sound information and knowledge, though you may be on a strong economy, it will still kill your press freedom and lead your publishing company into bankruptcy.

There is no doubt that Filipino meals are one of the world’s best dishes which not only Filipinos themselves appreciate much likewise also by non-Filipinos who have tasted Filipino dishes. Thus, there is indeed no doubt that a simple Filipino Sinigang dish has make it on the list of Asia’s Best Menus on recently concluded 4th Miele Guide Gala Night held at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.

Miele Guide Gala Night is an event organized by the Miele Guide in Asia that will showcased restaurants in Asia that has best menus and that of course will be feature on the Miele Guide Book which the Miele Guide is. Yes, Miele Guide is as Wikipedia said, it is a regional guide book to all restaurants in Asia which can be useful for tourists who are seeking fine dining or good restaurants in Asia to dine. It showcased Top 20 restaurants in Asia aside from list of categorized restaurants in Asia in their annual book. The top 20 is judge base on online voting on their website and of course sample taste of the menus in a particular restaurant. And from this, the Filipinos’ Sinigang dish was included on this year’s Asia’s Best Menus on the Miele Guide Book. Actually, it is the “Beef Sinigang” cook by Filipino chef Antonio “Tonyboy” Escalante got the taste approval of the juries from his fine dining restaurant that bears his first name that is “Antonio’s Fine Dining”

His restaurant have already listed on the 2008 Top 20 restaurant in Asia on Miele Guide Book as one of the best restaurant in Asia landing at # 10 spot, thus making him one of the trusted and credible chef in the Philippines.

The beef siningang was described on the menu guide as “beef served in a sour tamarind and taro broth puree” or in Tagalog calling “Sinigang na Baka sa Sampalok at Gabi/gandos”.It is very common simple recipe or Filipino dish that every Filipino could cook won the taste of an international jury?; that is a big thing, but of course not only this delicious Filipino soup dish impress the judges but also the brilliance of Chef Antonio Escalante brings it on.

However, it is not only chef Escalante the only Filipino chef present in the latest Miele Guide Gala Night but also other Filipino chefs with their respective restaurants, namely, Restaurant Verbena in Tagaytay, Goose Station at The Fort, Steakhouse 22 Prime in Ortigas city, Circulo in Makati city,Alchemy and Indigo in Boracay, Abaca and The Gustavian in Cebu, Hill Station in Baguio city, Tatoy’s in Iloilo city, Alive! At the Farm in Batamgas city, and KaLui in Puerto Princesa.

Aside from the lingering fear and spreading worldwide belief that year 2012 could be the year of the much awaited event of the religious fanatics, particularly, the fanatics of Christianity, that is, ”End of the World/Judgment Day” but to spiritual mystics it is the “End and Beginning of New Era of Consciousness”, what could be the last fashion sense of the present humanity will wear before the old era will explode and give birth a new era of consciousness on earth if in case the predictions and prophecy regarding 2012 could be true after all?

Actually twenty one fashion designers forecast or predicted what will be the trending clothing this forthcoming year (year 2012) and presented a glimpse what to expect on fashion world on the year 2012 like the spiritual mystics presenting information what could be expected on the year 2012, on twenty one shows (one show per one designer per week) presented by Fashion Design Council of the Philippines on their Annual Fashion Series at the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Here are what some top designers on this fashion gala show has to say about what will be the vogue dress up this coming 2012.

Ferdi Abuel – sheer body silhouettes; skin-revealing clothing with featured lace pants and tiered skirts; and cummerbunds (for men and women?)

Ivarluski Aseron – peek-a-boo bodies and cut outs dresses for women; redefined pantsuits

Dennis Lustico – sheer serpentinas with bows and frills
Alex Bitong – British vibe with Mao suit paired with rubber sneakers for men

James Reyes – bustle and bouffant skirt with ruched bodices

JC Buendia – goes back to classic cream-colored coat-and-tie

OJ Hofer – pink jersey body-huggers

Ito Curata – ruffled vermilion with back plunge dress

Philip Rodriguez – flimsy floral frocks that comes in varying shades of aubergine

Patrice Ramos Diaz – the coming back of Palazzo pants

Joey Escober – canary yellow dresses

Joel Samson – plaid pantsuits

Joji Lloren – tent dresses and origami pleating dress or a combo of the two

Jun Escario – Cleopatra-inspired metallic blocks dress

Jerome Lorico – knitted men’s suiting and knitted uneven dresses

Lulu Tan-Gan – abaca made poncho overlays and tribal cuffs and belts

Arcy Gayatin – peacock plume dress paired with men’s bow-tie suit

Gian Romano – leathered Japanese anime dress

But these are all forecast what people would be in trendy this coming 2012 but of course few only will have to show it off if they could carry the dress lest they will look drag and just resort to what they usually dress up and accustomed to wear. But sometimes one have to comply forcibly on the latest trends in dressing like you can wear anymore gowns today as your daily dress, is not it? or can you wear g-string while shopping in malls today, no more is not it?

To wrap up, according to world renowned Filipino fashion designer in the Philippines, Inno Sotto : “Fashion changes, and Fashion Watch is committed to these changes that are altogether new. This fashion series showcase the creativity of various individual works. It is a show of fashion designers for fashion designers; featuring the creations of the best and the brightest,”

Yup, fashion changes whether one like it or not; one have to comply the latest clothing to wear else what I have said above, you will look out dated or living in another time frame though you are not only because of your own fashion that never changes. Thus, one is forcibly should comply and look for the latest trends in dressing up.
However, there are fashions in the past that can be reincarnated back and be the latest vogue, so fortunate are you if you dislike going on the flow of latest fashion, for you might not know that your old fashion way of dressing up could be the next vogue in fashion.

So far, this city in the Philippines is the first to recognize gay rights within their city and create a rights desk for the gays, transgender, lesbians, and bisexuals city within their Anti-Discrimination Ordinance compare to other cities in the Philippines that still promotes discrimination among their gays transgender,lesbians and bisexual constituents – Angeles City, Pampanga.

Angeles city Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan has ordered the creation of “Gay Rights Desk” that will link to Angeles City Multi-Sectoral Consultative Council (ACMCC) wherein the gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender will also have privileges to experience the services and promotions that promote their welfare and rights in the society like to those class of people that has been discriminated unjustly in the society. According to Mayor Pamintuan, he wants his city or he wants Angeles city to be a kind of city in the Philippines that is sensitive to equal rights and welfare of all types of people in the society and that values equality and human rights.

“I want Angeles City to be the most sensitive city and local government in the Philippines to gender equality and gay rights!…… Here in Angeles, one’s right is everyone’s right. Consider Angeles City as a hallowed ground insofar as respecting and advancing the rights and welfare of all citizens are concerned,” – he said.

Consequently, spokesperson of the Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (ProGay), Goya Candelario commend and praised Mayor Pamintuan for his sensitivity among the LGBT community within his city and for recognizing the LGBT community as part of a society that contributes to the progress of a community or society.

“…our way of recognizing the role and potentials of the gay sector in the development and progress of our city.” –Mayor Pamintuan.

The congested known capital of the Philippines with almost 12 million people and growing have lower employment rate? It is not implausible that Metro Manila though it has a million souls yet have less workforce for the populace composes thousands of squatters who have no permanent job or are jobless, but just resorting on criminal activities like theft to get through everyday their Manila life.
The drop in employment or the decrease on the number of employed workers on Metro Manila’s seven hundred large business enterprises signifies growing rate of unemployment within Metro Manila despite its growing large population.

According to the Statistics of Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES),employment in Metro Manila on the said seven hundred business enterprises decreased by 2.05 percent this second quarter of the year 2011.The Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) blame this employment drop on the decline of Philippine economy.

“This occurred as the4 domestic economy – measured in terms of gross domestic product or GDP – slowed down considerably to 3.4 percent in the second quarter from the robust 8.9 percent growth in 2010…measured in terms of labor turnover rate, employment growth declined as hiring or accession rate fell behind separation rate by 2.05 percentage points..”

The accession rate is 8.60 percent while separation rate is 10.65 percent, thus it yields 2.05 percent decrease.

On accession rate, according to the Statistics of Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) is reduced to 21 workers per 1,000 employed persons were hired on the workforce and 86 workers per 1,000 employed were hired due to replacement from the fired or terminated workers or resigned workers.

While separation rate is increased into 107 workers per 1,000 employed were either terminated or fired from their jobs or have quitted/resigned from their jobs.

The business enterprises that gains highest separation rate are:

(1) Real Estate and Renting and Business activities; gaining 9.43 percent either employee initiated quits or fired by the employer;

(2) Manufacturing business; gaining 6.04 percent either employee initiated quits or fired by the employer;

(3) And Hotel and Restaurants; gaining 6.02 percent either employee initiated quits or fired by the employer.

The separation rate is more of employee initiated quits or resigns having 6.67 percent than employer initiated quits or than being fired or terminated having only 3.98 percent. Thus, signifies that most workers in Metro Manila are not personally satisfied in their work or jobs or somewhat not committed.

Why does the rich and famous always get rich and famous? while the poor and “nobody” always become poor and “nobody”?It is simply because the poor and “nobody” support, patronizes and admires the rich and famous yet the rich and famous despises the poor and “nobody” as a mere pathetic slaves and servants of theirs; rather what they hail and recognizes is their fellow rich and famous. Thus, the award system is born.

Is there any award system that recognizes the poor and “nobody”? None. But those so-called “pro-poor” award do not recognizes and awards the poor and “nobody” actually but just uses them through someone “known” person or group that claims to aid and help the poor. For what to be recognize and praise to those poor ignorant “nobody” slaves that gossips and hates one another making them more base on their poor kind. Thus, the poor and “nobody” always become poor and “nobody”.

This Golden Cart Award of Shoe Mart(SM) Corporation doesn’t recognizes how many carts their avid customers pull on their shopping days throughout all the SM malls, but rather what SM Corporation recognizes on their own Golden Cart Awards is of course their valued business partners who share values and commitment with them.

The Golden Cart Awards is the first and only award of its kind in the Philippines that recognizes SM Supermarkets’ trade partners.SM awarded it to partners who best demonstrate SM Supermarkets’ commitment to advance retail business and dedication to give its customers the best shopping experience.

This year SM awardee for its Golden Cart Awards is Unilever Philippines as the First Hall of Famer plus other awards which the Unilever Philippines has bagged from SM. They are (1) Most Progressive Customer Service Level (for outstanding customer service) (2) Most Creative In-store Display of the Year (for having the most visually appealing in store displays and (3) Most Merchandising Relations (for building better business relations through efficient product and promo support and logistics)

But on their ordinary customers, SM seems to lack support and care which was displayed recently on the back to back shooting incidents and deaths happened within their malls at North Edsa and Pampanga. However, they already address this issue.

Perhaps, SM Corporation could also gave such similar award to their valued and loyal customers who pull cart daily for without their loyal ordinary customers, SM and also Unilever will not be as they are now. For who will patronize and buy their products if the customers do not support them. Thus, it is only right SM should also reserve an award and recognition for customers who are loyal to them.

Today, there are many micro-financing institutions and organizations that helps the financially poor sector of the Philippines arise from their respective poverties by helping them through providing financial assistance and free training course or seminars on how to manage and grow the monetary assistance given them or grant to them as the chosen valid benefactor of the said micro-finance institution, agency or organization.

One of the leading micro-finance institution in the Philippines is the GoNegosyo which is also endorsed by the Philippine government to help alleviate poverty in the Philippines by compelling Filipinos, especially those who work outside the Philippines or the Overseas Filipino Workers or OFW who have a large salaries to invest into a business venture here in the Philippines in order to help and facilitate job creations through their erected business or Negosyo.

Not only those Filipinos who work abroad or beyond the Philippine archipelago but also, GoNegosyo persuades those ordinary Filipinos having hard time and difficulty on finding a right job for them by going into a business so that they could have an income finally and able to help also their fellow unemployed Filipinos by generating jobs for them through the establishment of their business if they GoNegosyo or if they Go Business instead as an alternative to end their unemployed status.

GoNegosyo due to its endeavor to alleviate the poor conditions of the poor sectors in the Philippines by making them rich through business investing undertakings, have won recognitions and awards.

Now, another micro-financing organization has received recognition from their endeavors; that is the Hapinoy Program.

The Hapinoy Program Team has won the top prize in this year’s United Nations Project Inspire Competition which bested over the 400 entries all over the world.

United Nations Project Inspire is a worldwide competition of social projects and endeavors having the goal on empowering poor or disadvantaged children and women in the society wherein the winner in their competition will start or will expand their project in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa helping and assisting disadvantaged women and children with education, skills training, and social entrepreneurship with financial assistance included. The Top winner will win $ 25,000.

The Hapinoy Program is a micro enterprise development program that sought to help and improve the lives and livelihood of Filipino women on the countryside, which currently have evolved into a micro, small, medium and enterprises community.

The word “Hapinoy” is a hybrid word combining “Happy (Hapi)” and “Pinoy”; thus, “Hapinoy” but actually, in my own opinion, it has a wrong rendition, it should be “HapiNay” because it just concentrates and helps on helping Filipino women (Pinay) especially Filipino mothers (Nanay or Nay for short) in their lives and livelihood and not exactly the whole Filipino citizens (Pinoy) that makes them Happy (Hapi)

Some modern Filipinos today will of course despise farming and fishing and will consider them a cheap and non-profitable business for someone to aspire in order to be successful in life but most modern Filipinos today aspire for Corporate success as the real money-making business and the true financial and material success in life; thus many go to cities leaving their farms and ponds in the province to seek “better life” in the cities and squatter everywhere just to taste any dew of the city life which they perceived and deem as the real successful world.

But the truth is that from agriculture and fisheries come forth the corporate world which some modern Filipinos today aspire to belong with. The reason for an existence of a corporate world is the management of agricultural resources as well as other natural resources like fish or seafood and how to subdue and utilized and maximized the gift of nature around.

But the money that can be gain from having one’s own farmland is painted by today’s wrong notion that if one lives as a farmer or fisherman, one is just a poor guy stock forever on one’s land and pond and could not progress further for one to wear an Americana and seat on an air-conditioned office. But this is not true because if one has his own land that one could able to till freely, one is rich. It takes only intelligence how one could be financially rich out its own land. The problem for most Filipinos today is that they are ignorant and not educated properly and mostly deceived and fooled by those few rich men in power through a deceitful mainstream media.

For recently, there is a national convention summit entitled Agriculture and Fisheries 2025 (AF2025) that attempts to uplift the Agricultural and Fisheries industry of the Philippines as well as the poor Filipino farmers and fishermen gain income. But is this convention really pro-poor Filipino farmers and fishermen or it is just a cover up to make more those who are rich landowners and fishponds richer?

What happened to the modernization of Agriculture and Fisheries is there improvement in the lives of the poor Filipino farmers and fishermen today? None. But here again this Agriculture and Fisheries 2025 (AF2025) that promises to boost the Agriculture and Fishery Industry in the Philippines and aims to help the poor Filipino farmers and fishermen, but is there something happening that is good to the poor Filipino farmers and fishermen today?

Perhaps, if one doesn’t know anything about jazz music, the title of this article will keep you thinking what does it mean or will perhaps Google it on the web. Moreover, since we are here in the Philippines, one might be thinking about the comedy king of the Philippine Entertainment.

But actually, it is not the comedy king actor Dolphy that is been channeled rather it is one of the jazz genius in the world that is being channeled by a true Filipino jazz saxophonist through his own jazz musical style; that is the jazz genius Eric Dolphy and Eric Dolphy jazz music is somewhat channeled back by the Filipino-American jazz saxophonist – Jon Irabagon. In other words, Jon Irabagon sounds like Eric Dolphy.

Jon Irabagon is a Filipino-American accomplished jazz artist popularly known internationally but not in the Philippines though he has a Filipino blood. His popularity and established name on music industry is not brought by Charice-style success, rather his name on the jazz music is indeed his own hard work and toiling through the years. For Jon Irabagon is fully aware that after he gained his jazz diploma then that among a million saxophone players in New York, how can he stand out and shine.

“There are a million saxophone players in New York. How can I differentiate myself from other 999.999?”

His secret is that according to him is to continue what one want to do and stop pleasing what others want to you and from you, for there will be people out there that will listen or pay attention to what you are doing. In case of him, his style of jazz music. “Don’t change what you play in order to fulfill what someone else thinks you should play. If you pursue your own thing, as long as you’ve worked hard at it, you can have an audience.”

Actually, Jon Irabagon was here in Manila Philippines earlier this year at Philippine International Jazzfest last February in Rockwell Tent, The Power Plant Mall, Makati City; to give Filipinos here in the Philippine a taste of his own jazz. And indeed the Filipinos jazz aficionados were swayed in wow on his jazz music.

He has actually four jazz albums which have no local music distributors in the Philippines. His four jazz albums are :

(1)Jon Irabagon, “Outright!” (Innova) 2007

(2) Jon Irabagon with Mike Pride, “I Don’t Hear Nothin’But The Blues” (Loyal Label) 2009

(3) Jon Irabagon “The Observer “ (Concord)2009 – this is his breakthrough album that gaves him a name on jazz music industry; a prize album for winning the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition with major jazz label Concord and with legendary producer Rudy Van Gelder. Rudy Van Gelder is the man behind the successful jazz artist including Eric Dolphy.

(4) Jon Irabagon,”Foxy”(Hot Cup) 2010